I would take any OW airline's direct flight in J over any other OW connecting flight combo, also in J. Even a best/worst airline combination (name any 2 you like, or the same) does not justify, for me, the hassles of a connection: another landing, more airport wait, another take-off, an extra chance of your baggage getting lost,... nope, not my idea of fun; I'd rather miss all that and stay at cruising altitude, sipping something strong, reading a novel, or snoring.