I think you have two major considerations here:
- If you are primarily a 50k flyer, then UA E+ at booking is going to be much, much better than DL C+ at T-72. This only holds if your status is in the 50-75k range.
- How much are you flying to your California destinations? Getting to SBP on Delta metal is basically impossible unless you like a long drive from either SF or LA; neither is there any DL service to BFL.
Generally I would recommend going with the carrier that has the best schedule for you, but if the balance is "back-connecting in ORD to get to BHM" versus "I can't fly to SBP or BFL", I think UA might be the winner here.
Last edited by findark; Jul 15, 2019 at 12:37 pm