Some Observations of AA vs UA by a UA flyer(s)
Apr 15, 2015, 12:55 pm
#151
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 214
I'm moving from UA to AA this year, so let's see how that goes.
Apr 15, 2015, 1:03 pm
#152
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: PNW
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, WN CP
Posts: 130
AA, better all around
Apr 15, 2015, 1:09 pm
#153
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 48
Since we're talking about credit cards, let's also talk about banks. Although Citi has dramatically improved over the last few years (their website was horrible when we got our first AAdvantage card five years ago), Chase is still easier and more user-friendly for online banking.
I have 2 no forex cards - one chase one citi. The Citi one really quotes you very close to the raw exchange rate. The spread is negligible. Chase, on the other hand, builds in a 1.5% margin into the forex rate they quote you.
It sounds like very little difference, but if you're making $2000 worth of purchases abroad, that difference can already pay for the cab fare back to the airport.
But I think that point is moot here since the Citi AA card isn't 0% forex (last time I checked)
Apr 15, 2015, 3:03 pm
#154
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,683
Time to airport rules here.
iAD...UA
DCA....AA
iAD...UA
DCA....AA
Apr 15, 2015, 3:22 pm
#155
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 349
United $75 change fee is possibly the dumbest thing ever. I have 2 flights, one on american one on united, both booked 10+ months out. American changed the dates on my flight with them in a matter of minutes, for free. United wants $75 to change the flight to the next day, even though it is the same flight and 10+ months out. Go .... yourselves United, I will not ever book an "iffy" flight date with you again.
Apr 15, 2015, 3:40 pm
#156
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 34
What's the motivation to leave GS to go to EXP at AA? Beyond being fed up with UA's malarchy, I don't see too much advantage of not being GS. Domestic travel is painful, can't see it being less painful on beat up USAir A319s.
Apr 15, 2015, 4:02 pm
#157
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA:1k; MR: PLT; Hilton: Gold
Posts: 1,324
I have been a 1K since 2006 and an EP since 2014. If your daughter lives Arlington depending on where she lives (i.e. Ballston), IAD might be easier to get to than DCA. Both programs have strengths/weaknesses. For the most part AA/US has better pricing than UA, it is easier to earn miles on AA but for international travel AA is harder to redeem saver awards and AA has some fuel surcharges that UA doesn't charge.
If she has any friends who are top tier elites AA will let you upgrade almost any fare-class internationally while United requires the higher priced W fares. Upgrading to J on AA tends to be less expensive thanks to lower co-pays than UA when using miles. However UA is all lay flat, AA isn't.
I am wrestling this myself since there is no way I could keep this going indefinitely myself.
If she has any friends who are top tier elites AA will let you upgrade almost any fare-class internationally while United requires the higher priced W fares. Upgrading to J on AA tends to be less expensive thanks to lower co-pays than UA when using miles. However UA is all lay flat, AA isn't.
I am wrestling this myself since there is no way I could keep this going indefinitely myself.
Then when redeeming for J is even more deflating when you do some research and realize that even if the AA option were to open up, it wouldn't be a lie-flat seat. JFK and LAX are the only exceptions because we can catch the 77w to LHR and take a BA intra-Europe connection. I assume your daughter doesn't care about flying J, so this probably isn't an issue for her (yet).
Apr 15, 2015, 6:22 pm
#158
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: lax
Programs: 1k
Posts: 440
AA prices seem much higher
So I checked AA for my UA flights in Sept and Oct. LAX to BKK.
Both I checked today for current pricing.
AA was almost twice the price of the UA ticket in biz.
The Economy tickets were 40 to 50% higher.
So AA is a good place to be?
Both I checked today for current pricing.
AA was almost twice the price of the UA ticket in biz.
The Economy tickets were 40 to 50% higher.
So AA is a good place to be?
Apr 15, 2015, 6:29 pm
#159
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Marriott Titanium and LTP, Hilton Gold, United Silver
Posts: 786
In general, I think AA has better perks and treatment for domestic travel. When it comes to international travel, UA beats AA, and *A destroys 1W.
Apr 15, 2015, 6:50 pm
#160
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,683
You can't buy on price like this 6 months out and draw conclusions on airline to airline pricing.
Apr 15, 2015, 7:47 pm
#161
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: lax
Programs: 1k
Posts: 440
Those are the prices if I wanted to book today. I checked several dates in both those months and AA is much higher.
In fact AA's price is higher by quite a bit then any UA price in biz LAX to BKK that I have ever seen.
Apr 15, 2015, 7:51 pm
#162
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,952
AA's Asia coverage, especially from LAX, is vastly inferior to UA. Chances are still good that AA's LAXNRT and LAXPVG flights are on old 772s with slant J seats, 2-5-2 in the back, and not as good IFE as UA. And the flight options are even more notable when you figure in *A versus OW.
Apr 15, 2015, 9:19 pm
#163
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
If you want to fly TPAC from LAX, UA is the better choice. If you want to fly TATL from LAX, AA is the better option. Saying that one airline is "better" than the other based on a single route makes no sense at all.
Apr 15, 2015, 9:31 pm
#164
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA:1k; MR: PLT; Hilton: Gold
Posts: 1,324
Neither UA nor AA flies to BKK. Ex-LAX, you're basically complaining about the codeshare pricing on their respective partners (probably NH and JL).
If you want to fly TPAC from LAX, UA is the better choice. If you want to fly TATL from LAX, AA is the better option. Saying that one airline is "better" than the other based on a single route makes no sense at all.
If you want to fly TPAC from LAX, UA is the better choice. If you want to fly TATL from LAX, AA is the better option. Saying that one airline is "better" than the other based on a single route makes no sense at all.
Wait how is AA a better option for TATL from LAX? That's only if your final destination is LHR. Anywhere else and I would argue UA/*A is the clear winner. Direct flights to LHR, FRA, MUC, ZRH, and IST open up much more connection opportunities. And if you'd rather connect in the U.S, you can at least get a lie flat product in J.
Last edited by jmanirish; Apr 15, 2015 at 9:58 pm Reason: Forgot IST
Apr 15, 2015, 11:07 pm
#165
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,452
Wait how is AA a better option for TATL from LAX? That's only if your final destination is LHR. Anywhere else and I would argue UA/*A is the clear winner. Direct flights to LHR, FRA, MUC, ZRH, and IST open up much more connection opportunities. And if you'd rather connect in the U.S, you can at least get a lie flat product in J.
Second, UA has only one daily TATL ex-LAX, to LHR, a non *A hub, on a 772 with eight across in J. AA has two daily nonstops into LHR, BA's hub, on the new 77W.
AA wins on frequency, it wins on connectivity, and it wins on hard product. Game, set, match.