CDKing

AA still has a long way to go to update the 777 fleet. Crappy angled J seats on the routes you frequent the most, I believe the IFE is VHS type quality and a mini screen . At least UA pretty much guarantees you lie-flat seat + real power plugs (AA has cigarette lighter style) on TPAC/TATL

J.Edward

1K/EXP here - IAH/DEN/YKF based.The new AA is installing direct aisle access J throughout their 772s and 773s - the seat is similar to the CX business class and could arguable be said to be a notch higher than sCO/sUA's J product. While AA has this on their 77Ws (DFW-HKG, DFW-LHR, JFK-LHR are the routes that come to mind AA currently serves via a 77W) and is retrofitting their 772 fleet with this, their old J product is an angled flat-ish seat which is inferior to the current UA J offerings (IMHO).

Said another way, I would gauge comfort as:

1. New AA J seat
2. Current UA J seat
3. Old AA J seat

AA is rolling out their 3-class transcon A321 product where their J seat is the same seat as UA's PS J seat. While UA has dropped F from the JFK-SFO/LAX routes, AA still offers an F cabin and you can upgrade into it, assuming your (company?) purchases business for a transcon flight.

Also of note are B6/mint and VX - both of which offer well reviewed F/J products.

As of right now this would probably be DL or UA for the 2015 elite year. While AA has not announced any changes to AAdvantage yet, I suspect there will be some competitive match to ensure F/J AA customers are rewarded with a comparable amount of miles as a UA or DL customer.

This is a YMMV - I personally like having both AA and UA status as I can access both airlines award seats. Not sure if there is a clear winner but IMHO the current AA chart is superior to the current UA chart. $0.02

As of right now AA has more wifi access domestically then UA (not sure if this matters as your internationally focused). Both UA and AA (and DL) are rolling out wifi for their international flights but I don't know if one can give either an advantage over the other in this regard.

Ideally you could do both. 1K + EXP has worked well for me as if one carrier does not have what I am looking for, the other one might.

Being IAH based you're looking at connecting in DFW. On one hand connections are no fun but OTOH DFW has a Centurion lounge and very decent amenities. But lounges and restaurants aside (no matter how good they are), you're still looking at a connection, or worse yet, a missed connection.

AA is also in the process of merging with US and no one knows how the end product will turn out. In hindsight the DL+NW merger seems to have gone smoother than the UA+CO one, but as AA+US are still early on in the integration I don't think anyone can really say if it will be a hit or a miss...bottom line this could go either way.

Both AA and UA offer 2x daily service to NRT from their Texas hubs and AA offers frequent service out of HOU (which itself has stepped up its game significantly in terms of facilities and amenities) - not sure where you are based in Houston, but if you're south of downtown, a HOU > DFW > xxx connection might carry some merit.

If your travel takes you into Southeast Asia AA might have an advantage with their new DFW > HKG > xxx (via CX) option, but it seems like NRT is the main destination in Asia (?) that you head to so I am not if this will benefit your travel patterns.

In terms of using points BA tends to have strong award availability from IAH (just like back in the CO SkyTeam days LH always had award space for IAH > FRA) but if you're flying BA on points expect to pay $400+ in award fees. Beyond BA, QR also offers service into IAH that you can redeem AA points on (with no surcharge fees!) and you will always have AA non-stop options to their gateways: DFW, LAX, MIA, and ORD.

In terms of customer support I have been very pleased with my EXP treatment - AA strikes me as actually wanting my business vis-a-vis UA where agents are at best friendly (but unable to do anything) to apathetic to downright useless. Said another way, if I got caught in an IRROP, I'd rather be dealing with AA (or DL) then UA, IME.

LASUA1K

Since you are based in IAH, and you do IAH-NRT, I would honestly stay with UA. I hate connecting when I don't have too.

Mwenenzi

Look here and the links in post 3. UA vs AA has been asked before
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html

As you post was moved to the UA forum you get UA fans replying
If your post had been moved to the AA forum you would have got AA fans replying
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/information-desk-730/ forum would have been more balanced (but less replys)

bmwe92fan

OP you and I are quite similar - but I am twice your age lol.... I travel monthly to Asia and EMEA and could care less about good food or IFE - all things being equal star alliance is FAR superior to any other program - and I value rewards redemption to destinations I want to visit like you do.... AA can't compete with UA in this respect - so if status level isn't so important to you i would stick with UA - and trust me I'm no UA fan - just a realist....

sm71

I think this may be the first thread ever where everybody is recommending that somebody not switch from United to another airline. And of course, I agree as well, staying with UA in this case is pretty much a no brainer.

UA-NYC

If your main/only route is IAH-NRT-IAH, even w/UA it's kind of a no-brainer

berto714

While this might be true on the margins, a lot of people on the UA forum just continually bash UA. As others have noted, it's pretty surprising, even on the UA forum, to see so many people supporting UA. But when the person is based in IAH, it just makes much more sense to stick with UA, especially because earn rates will likely be much greater on UA unless AA changes their mileage program for 2015.

Just as a side note, I switched I to AA this year, although not really because I dislike UA, but more because the routes I flew this year were much better and more convenient on OW carriers (notably CX). Convenience is a huge factor to me, which is why my vote went to UA.

Cargojon

LOL don't spend much time in here do ya...?

spin88

I agree, if my flying was nearly all IAH-NRT on paid J, then I would stick with UAL as well. Delta is a nice airline (with better seats) but from IAH, its not an option to back connect in ATL, and they have no direct service to SEA. AA is much better in domestic F (and Y) and treats its elites better, but until the new seats are rolled out on the 772s (which is what they fly to NRT from DFW) UAL has an advantage in the seat. EXP upgrade certs would be of less use to the OP (a bump to F on some flights, not the huge bump from Y) than if he was flying on Y fares.

No one else flies where the OP is going, and unless (as J. Edward suggests) the OP is from south of downtown, so that HOU was oh so much more convenient, and might make a change in plane at DFW as good as driving through Houston traffic, there is nothing to be gained in moving.

iflyuaaa

Just thought I'd share some compare/contrast as I have finally made the switch to AA:

First flights this last week on AA flying SJC-LAX-JFK, CPU to a flat bed on LAX-JFK

SJC/LAX went weather delay so I would misconnect. AA was not able to book me into C or F on their flights or others. But the agent was really nice, she asked me what causes the most pain. Losing the upgrade, or arriving ASAP. I said, I just wanna get there ASAP, and she put me on DL nonstop SFO-JFK in Y. Shuttle up there, and arrive earlier than original departure. $200 cert for losing the upgrade. No begging or pleading, the agent was extremely nice.

LGA-PHL-LAX, LGA-PHL (CPU in F at check in on US AIR for PHL-LAX) cancelled for weather the night before. Nice US agent rebooks me onto the AA nonstop JFK-LAX and keeps me in F. A pain to wake up earlier because JFK takes longer, and cost me some taxi money that I otherwise wouldn't have spent, but got a great experience. First Class lounge was nice, good food and drinks. Seat on plane was very nice.

American eagle, hate the CR2, but it's life. free snack for being EXP.

So far, I'm quite happy with AA. I love the free upgrades on their PS equivalent service (and nice they have a 3 cabin). The free snack on an eagle flight is a really nice touch. the level of helpfulness from the agents is so refreshing after feeling like the enemy on UA. The weather delays are not the most fun, but it was so surprising how well they were handled.

I look forward to many more flights and meeting my EXP challenge in the next 90 days.

texasex95

Are they taking away our ability to use GPUs and RPUs for friends and family members?

I thought it was just when we used our miles to book a ticket that they would not have our status on their ticket which makes me sad because I loved being able to get E+ tickets for my mom and dad with miles. It will really not be good if I can't use my upgrades for them!

rowingman

Is there a thread on the AA thread about defecting to UA? No? Wonder why. Enjoy UA. I found UA as a business who hates their customers for many years. The SFO gate agent who I witnessed laughing at the concerned father trying to connect with his then missing unaccompanied minor child was the last straw. Or was it the flight attendant (SFO-HKG) who dismissively told my seat mate "what do I look like? An engineer?" While responding to the broken IFE and reading light. Hmmmm. Let me count the ways.

ito717

I tried to make the same switch earlier this week as an ABQ-based 1K who qualifies on segments. Used to fly US thru PHX quite a bit when they were in *A, and am getting tired of United's cuts at ABQ (no more IAD or LAX, outsourced agents) so I figured AA was a logical choice.

After requesting an EXP match/challenge I received the documentation request email, replied, and just got a denial email. They offered the "special opportunity" to do a Platinum challenge for between $180 to $240, which I declined. My stats last year were $19,000 PQD and 125 PQS. Apparently that's not AA's target, or I did something wrong in providing documentation of my 1K. I don't see much value for me in paying $240 for a Platinum challenge as I'd spend a decent amount of time on Envoy RJs.

travel.flier

getting the status match was easy. i just sent an email to aa and then they asked for documentation which i sent and voila. easy. need to fly 25k points in 90 days which should be easy