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American vs United

Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:05 pm
Posted by carlysstiger
Southeast Louisiana
Member since Aug 2014
511 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:05 pm
My job is going to have me traveling a lot more in the next few years. They allow me to choose the airline, hotels, etc. If you had to choose exclusively between American or Untied due to perks….which would you choose?
Posted by jlong4635
Member since Oct 2024
19 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:06 pm to
United
Posted by 3D
NJ
Member since Sep 2013
1280 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:07 pm to
united
Posted by RummelTiger
Texas
Member since Aug 2004
92617 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:09 pm to
Where will you be flying out of, and will you be going to the same place(s) each time you travel, or will you be going all over?
Posted by ob1pimpbobi
College Station
Member since Jul 2022
2901 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:09 pm to
Where is your home airport? That makes a difference on who to choose.
Posted by Lsut81
Member since Jun 2005
83573 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:12 pm to
Look at routes and see which has the best options for where you’ll be going regularly.

Haven’t flown American, but from what I’ve heard, I’d do United.
Posted by carlysstiger
Southeast Louisiana
Member since Aug 2014
511 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:13 pm to
Lake Charles and Houston.

Going all over.
Posted by ob1pimpbobi
College Station
Member since Jul 2022
2901 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:16 pm to
quote:

Lake Charles and Houston.


Then it’s United.
Posted by skewbs
Member since Apr 2008
2194 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 4:49 pm to
quote:

Lake Charles and Houston


Your choices are United or Southwest. So… it’s United.

I would never, never ever, consider American unless I lived in the DFW area and that was my best option for daily flights around the world.

American is the worst U.S. based airlines sans Spirit and Frontier.
Posted by CuseTiger
Member since Jul 2013
8939 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 5:00 pm to
Yeah United all the way for your case. If the lake Charles flight to IAH ever cancels it's a quick ride to get to/from Houston at least. If you go through DFW for everything and something cancels you're stuck in Dallas
Posted by GOP_Tiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2005
20620 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 5:14 pm to
American's customer satisfaction rating is lower than those of Spirit and Frontier. It's a bad airline right now, while United is now pushing Delta for first place.
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
12947 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 5:30 pm to
quote:

never ever, consider American unless I lived in the DFW area and that was my best option for daily flights around the world.


Remember, Scott Kirby largely made AA what it is today. And now he works for ... United.

But as long as it's for work travel, it's UA all the way b/c of the proximity of IAH. Living in Houston means I've only had to connect anywhere (in the US) to fly to Australia. Connecting in Tokyo, Frankfurt, Istanbul, is nothing like it is connecting in O'Hare or Newark. It's fine, it's comfortable (in the I've known what to deal with for almost 20 years since I moved from ATL.)

I will add that while I have not flown through American's hub at Charlotte in adult memory, the amount of weather that regularly hits DFW is insane. It's essentially months of pulling trampolines out of roadways due to 60+ mph winds, a disgusting amount of hail, thunderstorms that make Atlanta blush, etc. IAH has much steadier weather in comparison.

The massive storms that start in the plains and hammer DFW, then roll through the country, IAH (United) generally gets the bottom bits of those things because of the warm air pushing off the gulf, keeping stuff out of the immediate area other than general Gulf of American afternoon spot showers/storms. I'm sure Cuse and 777 have a very valuable perspective on it, but that's my observation.

ETA: No matter what you decide, for leisure travel that you're paying for, for sure search all airlines, not just United. You're not as captive to a hub as I am living in Houston, but you may be able save money flying American or Delta out of Austin/DFW/ATL especially if going overseas.
This post was edited on 10/19/25 at 5:33 pm
Posted by deltafarmer
Member since Dec 2019
900 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 6:33 pm to
I have a lot of Advantage miles with American. You probably need to look at mileage travel too. If you are flying for business you will rack up reward mileage. I don’t know about United but I do know that mileage travel is far less expensive on American than it is on Delta. I also get treated well with American because I am a preferred passenger. United may be great too but consider the mileage programs.
This post was edited on 10/19/25 at 6:36 pm
Posted by Teddy Ruxpin
Member since Oct 2006
40530 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 7:43 pm to
AA program on the redemption side is better but they aren't operating as well as United.

They are now trying to shift gears but that will take awhile.
Posted by Maniac979
The Great State of Texas
Member since Jan 2012
1989 posts
Posted on 10/19/25 at 7:53 pm to
quote:

Remember, Scott Kirby largely made AA what it is today.

Yep, a really crappy airline.
Posted by RummelTiger
Texas
Member since Aug 2004
92617 posts
Posted on 10/20/25 at 9:22 am to
quote:

Lake Charles and Houston.

Going all over.


United.
Posted by TheDeathValley
Louisiana
Member since Sep 2010
19963 posts
Posted on 10/20/25 at 9:42 am to
American gets a lot of hate on here. I fly 100 legs with them a year, have been executive platinum for nearly a decade. I am MSY based. They have been good to me over the years.

If I am being complete honest - Delta, United, and American, are mostly identical. Everyone will based their opinion on 1-2 flights and condemn an airline, but they all are equitable.
Posted by NOLALGD
Member since May 2014
2671 posts
Posted on 10/20/25 at 9:42 am to
United all the way. But as another poster said I would also consider American as a back-up, especially if you have a better flight option through DFW.

Normally I would say get the United Club card, but since your home airport doesn't have a United Lounge (assuming LC doesn't), you might want to consider the Amex, Cap One, or Sapphire with lounge access, especially if you are traveling to locations without United lounges. For instance when I flew United more I traveled to Miami and Tampa and neither airport had United lounges, but Miami has a great Amex lounge.





Posted by tadman
Member since Jun 2020
5148 posts
Posted on 10/20/25 at 9:45 am to
United unless you live in Dallas or Charlotte. American sucks. Frequent flyer here.
Posted by TheDeathValley
Louisiana
Member since Sep 2010
19963 posts
Posted on 10/20/25 at 10:47 am to
quote:

Frequent flyer here.


Same

quote:

. American sucks.


Disagree
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