I've flown every DL J seat except the A330-900NEO and for hard products I've found I prefer the AA J seat or the UA Polaris seat over DL's seats. AA J and UA Polaris seats just seem to be more comfortable and better padded to me.
One area I have to imagine DL beats out AA and UA is the lounge, at least for the Flagship J lounge for AA. My only experience with the Flagship F lounge was still during COVID so no Flagship Dining but I recently got to do the Flagship J lounge and was very underwhelmed. The Flagship J lounge for AA at DFW was more akin to a traditional SkyClub in terms of food and amenities but with a self-serve bar and just less crowded.
Going back to hard product though, following price & schedule, hard product is the most important factor and it's why AA and UA are now my preferred option over DL for getting to Hawaii (the location I most often fly Business Class to).
Originally Posted by
emma dog
re DL V AA and UA? Fly whatever is least expensive and fits your schedule. If you’re in business, why are you loyal??? I mean, I really don’t care that the FA welcomed me and said “Mr Dog, thank you for being a DM. I see you requested no dinner on this flight.” Don’t pay the premium if the alternatives make sense.
There are still some benefits to status even when in F/J, such as better IROPS protection, priority phone lines when calling, and better redeemable mileage earn rate. The status building from flying J also benefits the times one does fly Y. Of course there's always a cost-benefit analysis that should be performed but it's more complex than simply saying/asking "if you're in business, why are you loyal?"