AA isn't making much money -- it wasn't super-profitable last year. . . and have you traveled on AA recently?

I did the 767 "business class" transcon from Kennedy to SFO and was shocked at the condition of the plane -- it was old, grungy and filthy. Frankly, I'd have preferred First on one of US's A319s (and that's saying something).

I also got to do domestic first on AA from SFO to LAX recently. Once again, an old, filthy airplane (an MD-80). No food service at all. One quick drink served, a napkin, two bags of pretzels, and a mint when you landed. For almost $150 more than the coach round-trip. That's not significantly different from what US would offer on a similar-length segment like PHL->BOS -- except again, the US snack basket is superior to the service AA was offering.

Based on my AA experiences, if AA's the alternative, I'd have no trouble staying with US (even with stickers).