Delta Air Lines often gets praise for its operational reliability and network, especially for those based in its hubs or the Upper Midwest. However, as a seasoned traveler and frequent flyer, my loyalty for the past four years has primarily been with American Airlines. While United may mimic Delta’s strategies, American’s AAdvantage program holds a distinct appeal for me, despite some acknowledged shortcomings. This isn’t to say other programs don’t have merits, but for my specific travel needs and preferences, American has consistently proven to be the most compelling choice.
Executive Platinum: Truly Top-Tier Status
American Airlines’ Executive Platinum status, requiring 100,000 miles, genuinely feels like top-tier elite status. Unlike United’s Global Services, American’s Concierge Key program, while exclusive, doesn’t overshadow Executive Platinums in the upgrade hierarchy. Furthermore, American doesn’t prioritize fare class over status for upgrades, a significant advantage for frequent business travelers like myself who often fly on mid-priced fares, unlike Delta or United where a lower-status member on a full-fare ticket can outrank a top-tier member. Delta’s top-tier Medallion status, requiring 125,000 miles, also notably lacks complimentary upgrades on premium routes like New York to Los Angeles/San Francisco as a published benefit, whereas American still provides these on key domestic routes.
Moreover, my upgrade success as an Executive Platinum remains consistent, even amidst travel disruptions. American’s practice of holding back first-class seats until gate control is beneficial; even with flight cancellations or misconnections, I often still secure an upgrade rather than being relegated to a middle seat in economy. (It’s worth noting, however, Delta’s operational reliability does minimize flight cancellations.) And if an upgrade doesn’t clear, American compensates with complimentary cocktails and onboard snacks, a step above Delta’s bundling of snacks with extra-legroom economy seats.
Exceptional Support During Travel Irregularities
American Airlines truly shines with its proactive customer service, especially during travel disruptions. Their club lounge agents consistently provide outstanding assistance during irregular operations. While their system efficiently rebooks flights and preserves upgrades automatically, lounge agents often go the extra mile, proactively rebooking and even suggesting earlier flights. Similarly, American’s Executive Platinum phone agents and even their Twitter team provide exceptional support, resolving issues efficiently.
While Delta is also known for accommodating rebookings, American’s policies offer unique advantages. They officially allow passengers to retain confirmed international upgrades even when rebooked onto oneworld partner flights. Additionally, American treats separate tickets as one in case of misconnections, as long as travel is within the oneworld alliance, providing a level of protection and convenience unmatched by competitors.
Transparency and Account Management
American AAdvantage stands out in transparency, allowing superior account monitoring compared to United and Delta. The ability to use AwardWallet.com to track AAdvantage miles provides unparalleled visibility into account activity, including even minor changes. This feature is invaluable for account security and for noticing mileage postings from partner transactions. United, Delta, and Southwest restrict Award Wallet access, making mileage tracking less convenient. While workarounds exist, they are less seamless than American’s open approach.
Furthermore, Expert Flyer access for searching award and confirmed upgrade fare classes empowers informed decision-making. This allows me to independently research upgrade availability, eliminating reliance on phone agents and streamlining the booking process. Expert Flyer’s alert system for desired space availability further enhances efficiency. United and Delta restrict Expert Flyer’s access to special fare classes, limiting transparency and control for their customers. This transparency with American allows for educated travel planning and a sense of control that is highly valued.
First Class Awards: Aspirational Travel Within Reach
A significant allure of frequent flyer miles is the opportunity to experience premium travel that might otherwise be unattainable. While business class offers enhanced transportation, first class elevates the journey into an integral part of the overall travel experience. Delta notably restricts international first-class redemptions, with business class as their top cabin. United, while offering better transatlantic and transpacific business class awards with broader partner availability and no fuel surcharges, features exorbitantly priced first-class awards with limited partner access (primarily Air China, Asiana, and ANA, with Lufthansa and Swiss heavily restricted).
American, in contrast, offers more compelling first-class award options. I’ve had success redeeming for Cathay Pacific first class and especially Etihad first class. Qantas A380 first class and even British Airways first class (despite fuel surcharges) are also within reach through AAdvantage miles.
Confirmed International Upgrades on Any Fare
As an Executive Platinum, I receive eight confirmed international upgrades valid on any American flight with any paid published fare. Delta, while introducing international upgrades from any fare 18 months prior, offers only four. United offers six, but eligibility requires purchasing higher-fare tickets, potentially costing hundreds extra per itinerary. If upgrade space isn’t immediately available, it becomes a gamble with no refund on the higher ticket price if the upgrade doesn’t clear. American’s confirmed upgrades on any fare provide greater value and certainty.
A Business Class Product That Resonates
For paid travel, economy is the standard, with upgrades being the goal. American’s business class product is my preferred choice. Business class, fundamentally, is about the seat. United’s business class configurations often feel more cramped, lacking direct aisle access for all seats. Window seat passengers must climb over others to reach the lavatory, and vice versa. Legacy United 777 business class features a dorm-style eight-across layout, contrasting sharply with American and Delta’s more spacious four-across configurations.
American boasts a greater prevalence of reverse herringbone seats, a design pioneered by US Airways (now merged with American) and adopted by airlines like Cathay Pacific and EVA Air. American features this seat on its 777-300ER and a similar product on its 787 and refurbished 777-200s. Delta offers this seat on a limited portion of its fleet. However, Delta’s dominant business class seat is a four-across configuration on their 767s, an inferior product compared to the wider-body four-across layouts, which American also utilizes on their 767s.
With fully flat beds and direct aisle access from every seat, American’s business class hard product surpasses not only Delta and United but also Lufthansa, Austrian, and British Airways in my estimation. (Air France is beginning to implement a similar product, while American is progressing in reconfiguring its 777-200s with these updated seats.)
Areas for Improvement
Of course, no airline is perfect. There are areas where American could enhance its offerings to align with competitors.
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In-flight Internet Speed: Delta is investing in faster in-flight internet. While American has offered internet for years, and even US Airways provided it on regional jets, the older installations are now lagging in speed. American needs to upgrade bandwidth to meet contemporary usage demands.
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Restrictive Award Routing Rules: American’s award redemption routing rules are unnecessarily complex. As detailed in guides for booking AAdvantage awards, the rules impose constraints based on published routings and region connections, often feeling duplicative and limiting flexibility.
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Co-pays on Mileage Upgrades: American charges co-pays for mileage upgrades, even on domestic flights, a fee waived by United for elites (and by American only for Concierge Key members). However, American’s domestic upgrade availability, excluding premium transcontinental routes, is generally more generous than United or Delta.
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British Airways Fuel Surcharges: American’s limited premium cabin award space on its own flights often necessitates using British Airways, its primary transatlantic partner. This frequently incurs substantial fuel surcharges, sometimes around $900 in addition to taxes, adding significant cost to award redemptions. (While Delta also applies fuel surcharges on some partners and European-originating awards, it remains a considerable drawback.)
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Boarding Time Inconsistencies: While American’s focus on on-time departures is commendable, boarding time accuracy needs improvement. Flights often board earlier than posted, or conversely, boarding and departure times aren’t updated promptly when delays are evident. This uncertainty leads to wasted time at the gate and potential overhead bin space issues.
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No Upgrades on Award Tickets: Empty first-class seats are preferred over upgrading top-tier elites on economy award tickets. This policy is particularly frustrating given the value of using British Airways Avios for short-haul American flights.
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Past Food Quality Issues: American’s catering experienced a period of decline, particularly following the adoption of pre-merger US Airways-style meals in September of the previous year. However, improvements have been made, including enhanced cookies and the reintroduction of entree salads. A new domestic first-class meal service was introduced in August, indicating positive changes in food quality. Lounge soup offerings have also been a highlight, with selections like tortilla soup and chicken coconut curry bisque receiving positive reviews.
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US Airways Inflight Product Deficiencies: With the US Airways brand fully integrated into American, the lagging US Airways inflight product needs addressing. The absence of extra-legroom economy seating and the removal of seat power from Airbus planes are significant drawbacks that require immediate rectification to ensure a consistent passenger experience across the unified airline.
Loyalty Contingent on Program Value
Ultimately, my loyalty to American Airlines is driven by its people and the value proposition of the AAdvantage program. While acknowledging positive feedback regarding Delta’s personnel, American’s AAdvantage program remains a competitive advantage. Should American emulate United and Delta by significantly devaluing its program, a reassessment of airline preference would be necessary. United’s financial performance, despite its revenue-based program, lags behind the industry, while Delta’s strong performance predates program changes, suggesting loyalty program alterations aren’t necessarily key to profitability. In a shifting landscape of increased capacity and potentially softening fares, investing in customer loyalty through rewarding programs becomes even more critical for airlines to maintain occupancy. Therefore, maintaining a valuable AAdvantage program is in both my best interest and, I believe, in American Airlines’ long-term strategic interest. For now, I remain a loyal American flyer, unconvinced by the logic of choosing a less rewarding option based on potential future program changes.
