I currently fly both AA and DL in F a lot. While I like AA they have certainly slipped from their perch as the premier domestic carrier to the middle of the pack these days.

Hubs: Aside from DFW their domestic hubs are nothing to write home about. JFK and LAX have limited service while MIA is too out of the way. ORD is fine but they rely heavily on RJs at this hub, which brings up...

Aircraft: I think the plane I flew last week was the one the Wright brothers used. Planes are very dated and depressing looking. Pitch in F is a bit better and they are catching up on wi-fi. My issue is that most of their RJs are E-145s and they use them on flights in excess of 2 hours. No seatback IFE on domestic flights. International planes also need a lot of love. Only lie-flat seats are on 777s.

In-Flight Service: VERY hit and miss. Their crews are disgruntled about the labor situation and it shows. I have had some excellent service and some horrible service. Pre-departure beverages seem to be at the whim of the FAs. Meals are bland and do not change much. I do like the ice cream sundaes, the occasional shrimp cocktail and the fact that they serve full leams on shorter flights than DL.

Lounges: Dated. Crowded. Limited power ports. Complimentary liquor is rot-gut. As crowded as the SCs are they are better. That said, AA does have "Flagship Lounges" at ORD, JFK, MIA and LAX. These are premium lounges for international biz and first passengers. Very nice, small, quiet. Top shelf everything. Would be nice if DL went back to these...especially at JFK and ATL.

Technology: Complain about DL all you want but they are way ahead in the tech race. AA's tech feels like's it's a couple of tin cans and a string. That said, their fare and award search functions are better and I actually trust what I'm seeing


All in all, DL is a much better airline than AA at present. AA is a better airline than UA ans US.

I believe there are 3. BOS has it for sure.

except that DL clearly lets you know that your ordering top shelf booze.

BOS used to also have champagne/mimosas until the luxury bar came and killed that. Not paying $15 or whatever for a split.

Nahhh. The quality of the wine isn't subjective - the free stuff is objectively bad at the lounges for all of the US carriers.

Science can be expensive!

Too bad you didn't bother to ask anyone on the AA forum about the Admirals Club free alcohol policies (or look them up yourself on the interwebs) before you paid a $50 cover charge for the privilege of ordering a $12 boubon. Ouch. Had you asked before you "exprimented," someone would have warned you that the only free alcohol is the cheap stuff and that name brand drinks would cost you plenty.

Think about it for a minute though - do you really think AA would sell day passes to the lounge for a mere $50 if there was an unlimited open bar for that price?

I honestly don't see what the Admiral's Club offers aside from internet and cleaner bathrooms. Complimentary food is virtually nil and the free booze is stuff from a plastic bottle that even a dog wouldn't even drink.

And if you choose to pay for a premium food/drink item, prepare to get charged out the @$$ for it and in the case of liquor, have it carefully measured out so you don't even get value for your money. And you can't even bring your own food in to make up for the lack of offerings.

DL's free booze selection is excellentin the grand scheme of domestic lounges: Tanqueray for gin, JD/JB for whiskey, Skyy for vodka (and especially so in the self-serve SCs so you can make yourself a stiff one if you want). And their food selection isn't half bad either. Though I don't get the olives...do that many people eat olives that the choice has stuck around for this long?

Indy has woodford, and BOS had it a month ago

I don't understand the olives. But my wife loves them for some reason, has to be her favorite thing about the SCs.

While not wine, I do appreciate that DL often has local beers on tap in their SkyClubs. ATL, SLC come to mind.

I also agree with comments that AA crews seem to be disgruntled.

Yes, my dog only gets top shelf booze. :confused:

Did you mean to say cheap stuff "that even a homeless bum wouldn't drink"?

For me, the annual membership fee is worth it on those few terrible-weather days in Chicago or DFW when snow/ice/lightning/hail shuts down the airport and the gates resemble refugee camps. The Admirals Clubs can get a little more crowded during those times, but they're 10X better than sitting at gate K11. On top of that, for the last several years, my children have consumed at least $300/yr worth of free snacks and beverages, more than paying for the membership.

$50 for a one-day pass for a single visit from someone thinking they'd get free Maker's Mark isn't a terribly good value, no matter how you measure it. Most of the MIA terminal is very spacious and with bad weather being a rarity there, escaping the masses at the AC isn't as important as in ORD or DFW.

The "no outside food" rule at the Admirals Clubs was officially rescinded several years ago (2007?), I believe around the time that AA began selling hot food at the clubs. The historical rationale for the rule was related to the smell, decorum, potential mess, etc, all of which went out the window when the clubs began selling food several years ago.

Delta are Twice the Airline of AA

You need Twice the PesoMiles to get a Standard award

and Twice the PesoMiles for a First Class Award.

And International Full Service First Class....Forget it.:td:

I spent 35,000 sky miles on a mixed F/Y award ticket this year. A similar ticket would have cost 37,500 on AA, and no FC on the RJ legs.

I'll stick with DL and the complimentary mid-shelf liquor in the Sky clubs...

The OP was expecting (or hoping) that, for $50, they might offer a product comparable to what you can buy from DL for $50. I think that was the point, don't you?

Domestic F is terrible but better than flying Y.
I would have just drank onboard rather than in the lounge.
Besides, on AA my miles actually have value.