Welcome to my next trip report, a brief recount of my recent transcontinental trip to the East Coast on American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. As a loyal United Airlines flyer, it’s nice to check out the competition once in a while.
I Try Delta And American Transcontinental Business Class…
But while my loyalty may still be to United Airlines on sentimental grounds, I’m embracing my status as a free agent to try as many carriers as I can. I book on schedule, price, and product and for this trip that meant American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The American Airlines ticket was only 25,000 AAdvantage miles…the Delta ticket…well, trying adding 100,000…this is why we call SkyMiles SkyPesos…(but AA or UA wasn’t cheap either for the return…)
American Airlines is a reliable product…reliably broken, but with good food as I say. My redeye to Boston, however, gave me five hours onboard and I spent four of those sleeping…you really cannot ask for anything more on American Airlines.
My return on Delta was much less about the product onboard–an aging 767-300 with seats that are no longer competitive and screens smaller than coach class on some carriers–but a chance to try the Delta One Lounges in both New York JFK and Los Angeles. As I already stated in my teaser posts, these lounges did not fail to impress and in many ways, set the standard for a lounge in the United States (I’d say only the Air Canada Signature Suites are better).
Here’s how this trip report will unfold:
- American Airlines Admirals Club Los Angeles (LAX – Terminal 5)
- American Airlines A321T Business Class Los Angeles – Boston
- American Airlines Admirals Club Boston (BOS)
- Chase Sapphire Lounge Boston (BOS)
- Delta One Lounge New York (JFK)
- Delta Air Lines 767-300 Business Class New York – Los Angeles
- Delta One Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)
With this trip on American Airlines and Delta and upcoming trips on JetBlue and Breeze, plus more SkyTeam and oneworld flights outside the USA, I’m certainly putting my money where my mouth is this year in being a free agent and stepping off the status hamster wheel.
I think your compatriot blocked me from commenting this last weekend for calling him fat.
On a more relevant topic. I find the differences in economy between the big three as mostly indistinguishable. Business may be different but for the most part you take away the livery and uniforms and they’re all pretty much the same.
Ive never met you but youre fat.
@ Matthew — UA Polaris is better transcon than Delta and American, except the horrible UA food.
The Polaris seat is very good, but ime the entire DL experience is better than AA or UA.
If you like snobbery. Just seeing Bastian in the video makes me angry.
Agreed. DL just feels … plastic. The veneer of class is thin. Good food though.
The Delta business product domestically and intl. is consistently awarded #1 amongst U.S. carriers; so it’s objectively the better of the three. In addition, new DL interiors including memory foam seating + bigger/UHD IFE’s + Do&Co catering will outpace UA’s cabin refreshed which just got to 50% complete & lack wifi
Objectively better? Who are you, Tim Dunn?
Not on the 767 and frankly not even on the A330-900 or A350-900.
But the short ribs are heavenly!
You actually paid 125k Skymiles for a 6-hour DeltaOne flight??? There weren’t any comparable cash fares worth doing instead?
@ Willem — I’m sure there was, and the price was probably $1,699 one way. There is rarely any way to get outsized value with SkyMiles.
90k miles for business from Europe to Australia is decent value. 22 hours plus.
Outside of the US & CA, there’s plenty of value for SkyMiles.
Wait. You’re loyal to United? I thought you were smarter than that.
I give an airline exactly as much loyalty as they give me.
Please tell me you didn’t transfer 125k AMEX miles to Delta for the 767 product!? If you did, please reach out to myself next time for some horse trading.
Wait…you “don’t like Japanese food,” but think the “food” on American Airlines is good? You have no taste at all.
Guilty as charged.
I’ve become more of a free agent too this past year. I had gold with NWA for years and then my partner moved from Minneapolis to Las Vegas and I started flying America West nonstop. I had top status with HP and then my work travel changed. I kept my HP status with AA at the merger, but honestly, AA had angry employees. I kept the credit card for AA lounge access and finally just cancelled it. So I fly where I can find a decent FC fare.
The Delta 767s are comparable to the experience on Air Koryo
I must be having a stroke. How do I read all of this? There are arrows pointing the different write ups, but nothing happens when I click on them….I thought maybe there was a video, but no. I go to the next article which is the AA lounge, but the next one after that is something completely off topic.