The above sums it up well.
I've flown both recently and pmAA wins hands down.

pmUS flights attendants are consistent among different flights and they do what the service standards require, but nothing beyond. They seem to be missing the polish, the attitude and the smile to make the service excellent. They simply perform duties and to me it feels as though they are performing duties. Ask for something unusual, and I've been met with either "no" or a blank stare. "You want lime in that Bloody Mary....seriously" ?

pmAA flight attendants are less consistent between flights, but each bring personality to the cabin, and when the flight is over, I feel as though I have been served and cared for, vs simply have duties performed. Ask for something unusual on pmAA and the answer is "let me see what I can do for you" with a smile. Even when the answer may be no, that no is presented in a nice way, vs pmUS simply saying no.

I certainly hope with merger, that pmUS staff are sent to retraining to learn better service and etiquette standards. Performing duties, can be done by a 12 year old....giving good service takes a higher level of training and skill.

For some reason I thought they have gone on record stating that the AA interior standard will be the surviving standard (down to the seat, AVOD, in-seat powers, etc) going forward and the first thing they are doing is adding ISP to the A319s.

I just hope that when they start modifying the PMUS planes, they will be more consistent in how they proceed with the upgrades. Either work on 1 project at time or do it all in the same mod. UA made the mistake of doing too many different things at different times concurrently (Plane goes in for Wifi, then at a different time gets E+, then another trip gets DTVs, another trip gets slimline, another trip gets that whatever) and it created a wildly inconsistent product across the fleet, which IMO is much worse than having nothing.

I hope they are working on determining a product standard (ISP, IFE, type of seat, aircraft seating configuration, Wifi product, interior refresh if necessary, etc) then do them all for each plane in one sitting through a single "interior and inflight product standardization" project.

Learn from UA's mistakes.

What I want:

• pmUS cabin crew service standards/friendliness
• pmAA interiors for the times when I'm not upgraded
• IFE to go away forever, since I can just bring an iPad and would much rather do that than deal with the cramped underseat space from IFE boxes.

WiFi is on most AA domestic mainline aircraft. All MD-80, 737s, Airbus, and almost all domestic 757s have it (I think there are one or two 757s that do not have it, and hopefully these are the ones recently sent to the desert).

As a frequent user of both products, this is what I've observed:

US has:
1. Consistent PDB
2. Consistently good service in FC

US lacks:
1. Adequate lumbar support
2. Decent FC legroom
3. In-seat power

AA has:
1. Many of the things US doesn't: power, IFE, supportive seats, etc.
2. Minor detail, but I like the fold out drink tray and the little flip down tray between the seats - gives you more places to put stuff without taking out your tray table.

AA lacks:
1. Consistent PDB

As far as service, AA seems to range from average to world-class. (I had two bad F/A experiences in two years: once on Eagle ORD-CLT in Y and again on LAX-JFK in F.) When AA gets service right, it's as good as CX: smile, acknowledgement by last name, proactive drink refills, a "thank you for flying with us" followed by mints ten minutes before landing. I've not experienced this level of domestic F service on UA, US or DL, so take that for what it's worth.

Worth noting that, since I fly a lot of tcon US (and, as a LAA flyer, received few upgrades prior to this month), the service in US domestic Y is generally pretty rude and short... though I have managed to immediately turn some frowns upside down as soon as I've presented my EXP card to pay for my beverage. In Y on AA, they already see I'm EXP in the manifest, so I've always received good service.

TL;DR: US F service consistently good, hard product below average. AA F service average to superb, hard product good.

I rarely fly First, but this Saturday it worked out to be cheaper than coach, so off I went. PDBs on both short hop flights and in the air, with a stiff pour. DCA-CLT-ILM on brand spanking new aircraft. Meanwhile AA insults my intelligence and my ears with their (yes they were great once upon a time) MD80s, which shatter everyone's ear drums within half a mile.

The only fly in the ointment was a new AA policy. No limes. So no G&T, and a not entirely correct rum and coke. On UA I know to bring my own presliced limes, but US never struck me as not following the price changes.

I know what I'm getting with USAir and that's good enough for me. This time I got even more than food enough. AA, although generally alright, has a few edges that remind me of UA. We'll see. It may be called AA in future but US bought AA and AA, as shown by its decrepit aircraft, wasn't exactly sunshine and ponies in the actual business of running an airline successfully.

EDIT: I'm aware I was on an express flight to ILM, but service was exceptional and the aircraft must have been only weeks old. I've done mostly US on international routes and always in Y and I felt I got what I paid for. On UA you pay more for the same or less and you will like it!

Point of order: US did NOT "buy" AA. In fact, when Doug Parker initially proposed the merger, it was shot down due to the (IMO) ludicrous offer in which US shareholders would retain a majority stake in the merged company. The accepted offer was closer to 70% AA, 30% US.

US's top level management DID, by and large, take over the corporate leadership of the merged airline.

For what it's worth, both of my week-end flights with US conformed to your evaluation (DCA to BOS and return), not to mention the thirty or so flights I've taken with them this year. There was a pleasant surprise though on the Sunday night return this week: the FA gave out Lindt chocolate rabbits in F when they cleaned up the service items for final approach. I thought it was a really nice touch and very much appreciated the gesture.

I tried US for the first time - paid first class tickets for me and the kids. What a big mistake! First of all, when I tried to check-in, I was directed to a kiosk. The check-in agent was very rude and unwilling to help when the machines didn't pull up my reservation. He was not doing anything behind the counter yet unwilling to help a FC customer (at IAH). The plane was an A321, very old and nasty, no in-seat power, no pre-departure drinks, poor service. The plane was delayed for more than an hour because the FA panel/ power didn't work. Perhaps time to replace the outdated equipment? Barely made it to my next flight, on an A319, same story, nasty old plane, poor service. Fortunately my return flights were on AA, and completely different experience from check-in, new planes, attentive FAs etc. Will avoid US unless no other OW airline is available.

Hence why AA is now a shadow of the airline it was even 18 months ago.

Hey, the S80 had it's place ... in 1988.

I'd still rather take it than a CRJ though.

Sounds like a lazy employee. I can't remember the last time I touched a US kiosk.

Mechanicals can happen on any airline.

Bottom line is that there are nice planes and nice service and the exact opposite in both sides of the house. We see what we want to see, and gravitate to the "better" option being what we're most used to.

I can more or less agree with most of what's been posted between the two. I find, more often than not, that the AA planes have a more tired feel to them than the US planes, but I like MCE and power. I'm also looking forward to international flights on AA's new 77W and US's A332.

I think US's inflight service has been more consistent in F than AA's, but I've also had good experiences with AA's Y service on the times I've sat in the back. US's F service has generally been prompt and good. AA's has been hit or miss. Like others have noticed, the PDB is a big differentiator and the drink service hasn't been as good on AA.

I've gotten thru much quicker to AA's PLAT lines than I have US's. There's a significant difference in wait times - AA has this hands down. Once I actually get thru to someone, both have done well in the service department.

My main annoyances have had to do with upgrades and the "well, it's an AA coded flight, but US sold it so I can't upgrade it" and vice versa bit. That and I'm still not a fan of OW.

Oh, and I hate DFW.

Wifi sucks on either carrier. I don't really care if it's available or not - Gogo just isn't usable without a 4G uplink.

I think there are things that both do well, but I don't think either does everything well. There isn't a clear winner in this "battle" IMO. I think I'm marginally happier on US metal, but it's not enough to make me prefer one over the other at this point when it comes to actual travel. I'm at the point where if AA works better, I take it. If US works better, I take it.

I hope they can take the best of both and merge it into something that improves everything. Time will tell if that actually happens though.

I would rather take an ox & cart than a CRJ... That could quite possibly be the worst aircraft I have ever flown on in my life, piston, turboprop, gyro, glider, and lighter-than-air aircraft included.