I remember when I was in the same situation and trying to decide between AA and UA. Flying from SJC and SFO made this a tough choice because AA had more So. Cal. destinations direct from SJC. But I fly all over so, it did not stop me.

My ultimate choice was UA and then reach 2nd level status on AA. Well, I have flown enough to be 1k and Plat Exec., but some how I've only been on UA tickets.

Some of the reasons why UA continues to get my business and my 17,000 BIS miles on AA last year never amounted to more this year:

- E+ is great for transcons and you would not have to worry about a Super 80 long hual.

- TED for an elite is not that bad, there is a good chance of getting E+ with a middle seat blocked.

- If you have a good chance of going to the middle of no where (fly over states) then UX is great. See their new branding, EXPLUS.

- The MP program has been fantastic. As a 1k, I feel appreciated 99% of the time. However, I can't comment on how well AA treats their top elites.