Connections PHX vs DFW
 

I'm looking at a PDX-XXX-DEN/DEN-XXX-ORD as part of an xONEx holiday. (The DEN flights would be an off ticket side trip, but I can get a travel agent to put both tickets in the same PNR)
I haven't been through PHX since 2005.

Is PHX or DFW a better hub to connect through?

DFW. Every day. All day.

Have you checked the airport hub guide threads for either PHX or DFW?

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...ction-etc.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...ction-etc.html

I'm sure if you ask a dozen FT'ers which is better, you'd get a mix. I've connected at both and truthfully don't really have a preference. Perhaps time of year and day of week could play into it.

As for DEN-ORD, AA has 3 nonstops per day. Unless there's something I'm missing, I'd take a nonstop over a connection. Some may say the same for PDX-DEN, as there are nonstops, just not on AA.

Would be end of Oct/start Nov. Sunday night/mon morning out of PDX, Thur morning out of DEN.
It's part of a oneworld explorer (XONEX) RTW ticket. Flights on a non oneworld carrier (eg, non stop PDX-DEN) would count as a surface sector on that ticket and use up a sector I'm otherwise "paying" for.
I'm also only allowed 6 flights within North America. Planning for EU-LAX-PDX-PHX/DFW-DEN-PHX/DFW-ORD-DTW-ORD-YVR-LAX-JFK-Asia (stops in bold). That's up to 10 sectors, which means I have to move flights to stops onto another ticket. With the oneworld network as it is, the ticket rules, and the available fares for the extra flights, it is better to move the flights in/out of DEN and DTW to another ticket.

Honestly for a routing like PDX-PHX/DFW-DEN I wouldn't overthink it, just go with the quickest routing or the one that fits your schedule best.

Im not familiar with the T/Cs on the XONEX tickets so I don't know if gaps are allowed (e.g., fly from A---->B C----->D---->E) or if you must fly A--->B--->C---->D---->E. PDX to DEN is not the most ideal routing on AA and if you need to save on segments, I'd simply shell out a few US$ and fly on one of the three airlines that serve this route non-stop (United, Southwest, and Frontier) (preference in that order). You might even try Alaska but its a connection (via SEA).

AA is not your best option here and shows AA's main weakness (intra Northwest USA travel). Flying AA via PHX means a 6 hour travel day versus 2.5 on UA/F9/WN.

I have seen cases where getting to DFW is scary unreliable for certain particular flights and PHX seldom subject to such problems. Routing may matter. I am looking at flights to HNL where connecting in PHX even if it is on the old 757 F makes more sense for a daytime west bound but coming back on lie flat through DFW overnight in J is a sure winner.

TL-DR It all depends