Originally Posted by
Superjeff
AA is fine. The JFK-SFO/LAX route is their premier domestic route, and the 3-class A321T they fly is very nice. Delta is good too; their 757 is older than AA's 321's, but on this route, there is not a lot of difference between the two in coach.
I would strongly suggest that for a 5 1/2 hour flight, you might want to pay extra to get American's Main Cabin Extra, or Delta's Comfort Plus seats, for the extra legroom. On a flight that long it will be worth it.
Many people will tell you Delta has a better "soft" product these days, but it is not that big a deal, if at all, on this flight. And you might want to get (and use) an American Airlines credit card through Barclays or Citi (whichever has the better sign up bonus) to get a free checked bag. If you fly Delta, they have a similar deal with Amex.
I've thought about a credit card, but we don't fly very often, and have too many credit cards already. (I do have a Southwest card, which came with a free companion pass for a year.) Thanks for the suggestion about paying extra for more leg room. As soon as our tickets are confirmed through Princess in early August, I'll contact the airline to see how to upgrade. Wish we could do it now, but so far it has been worth it to have the flex fare through Princess Cruises, so we can take advantage of price drops.