I just don't understand the disdain for UA by many people on this board. I love their E+ (you get up to 5 extra inches of leg room in this section). I don't find their flight attendants any less friendly than on other American carrier. I fly about 25K a year and I think at this bottom rung elite level they give pretty good benefits and service. I like to fly out of PWM and AA does not, so I exclude them as an option for me. In fact, AA does not go to many small town in the US. You should look at detailed route maps before making a decision. Another factor to consider is award redemption availability. I find redemption on UA to be excellent for domestic award tickets. I have been unable to use my 25,000 miles on DL for a round trip ticket from PWM to COD (or JAC or BOZ) for two years! With UA, just plug in the dates and presto! (International award travel is another story...)