Umm, I'll usually do just about anything to avoid flying CA internationally, even if that means using UA! not a big fan of either one to be honest, but I feel that UA is the lesser of two evils. Made the mistake of using CA once, JFK-PEK, and went back in time to the 80's for a little over 12 hours. Lousy service, lousy food, no PTV, only a projector showing a mix of old english and chinese movies. Seat was REALLY stiff to the point it hurt my butt and made it numb after siting in the seat for a little while. Also kinda smelled funny, and gate/boarding was chaos. Never on time. Why would I want to travel like that?? Domestically, yes I'll use CA b/c there just as good if not better than anything else around, plus i get *A miles/benefits these days, the same reason I use UA/US domestically in the states. However, internationally, UA isn't that much further up on the list than CA. Plus on the return PEK-JFK, i then had to fly, of all airlines, UA, going JFK-IAD, like a 45 min flight. I managed to get my bags from CHINA, through customs, and to the united transfer desk, with 2hrs+ before my flight and UA manages to lose my bags for a 45 min flight, that was also delayed for some reason, didn't see the bags for 3 days. After coming back from PEK, to have my bags lost on the JFK-IAD portion of that trip, wow that had me pissed. Then lying to me multiple times about where they were and how long it'd take, having to talk to the indian people (thank you outsourcing) on the phone who speak bad english (even the UA employees at the airports hate them, what does that say when your own fellow co-workers don't like you, actually had a desk agent say "was this an indian woman on the phone who told u this?" with an annoyed&confused tone to me when I asked a question). After that paethetic showing I didn't use UA for at least 2-3 years.
I personally like using NH, great service, decent PTV AVOD entertainment, punctual, effecient, and clean. All around a much better choice. Plus, free booze, even in economy you get beers, wines, and liquors. its little things, you ask for a whiskey, they pour you a double chivas 12 year. ask for a coke, they pour it and give you the can. ring the FA call button and someone actually comes to you, definetly in less than 30 seconds. frequent drink runs, edible food, and wether your in front or back (i've flown both with them, but more frequently the back than the front) they still treat you decently. If you're sleeping, they'll wait until your awake and then like in less than 5 minutes would be asking you what you would like for your meal, in Y class. I mean these kind of things just (sadly) don't happen these days on UA, and they never have (nor will in the near future) on CA. Plus, they've never been late departing or arriving from my frequent use, always have my bags on the belt by the time through customs (never lost them), and always satisfied with their service.