Delta or United?

[Snowmoo]

Mrs Moo is travelling SYD-LAX next month. She wants to know what would be the better airline between

Delta and United?

I've heard some bad reports about United. However I'm sure there are some good one as well from some happy campers.

[philflyer]

Mmm... i suspect the service would be quite similar. I would actually go to their sites and check out the aircraft to wee which has the better entertainment systems. From memory United does not have personal screens in economy on their old 747s. Little things like that make a big difference on a long trip.

[docjames]

For my money in Y, i'd be taking Delta. Their Y offering on the 772LR is superior to UA's on the 744.

Having said that, i'd acutally be going QF or VA if price comparable.

If i had status with either, i'd go with that. Status with UA seems to get you into a "Y+" (extra leg room) seat fairly readily. No idea if Delta is similar (do they even have Y+ ? I suspect not).

[Snowmoo]

QF don't have a comparable fare, otherwise she'd definitely be going QF.

She is getting $1250 return for Syd to DC via SFO which cannot be matched by Qantas.

[maninblack]

Delta. New planes, seats, superior personal AVOD IFE. And at that price, whose arguing

[NM]

Delta. New planes, seats, superior personal AVOD IFE. And at that price, whose arguing

And don't under-value the free booze on DL

[maninblack]

And don't under-value the free booze on DL

Yep. Added to that Delta will be working to impress on their new route. They are in it to get market share. Remember they are one of the worlds oldest airlines and one of the biggest and not badly run either I believe.

[dajop]

Yep. Added to that Delta will be working to impress on their new route. They are in it to get market share.

Yeh, got to wonder how long UA are going to last. Maybe their loyal elites, and travellers who know no better will sustain them. But for the uniformed , or unprivileged (as in non-elite), if the price was the same, you'd be crazy to take a main screen only equipped 14 hour flight over the various options offered by QF, VA, DL & NZ, unless you were specifically chasing * aliiance mileage.

[clifford]

Yeh, got to wonder how long UA are going to last. Maybe their loyal elites, and travellers who know no better will sustain them. But for the uniformed , or unprivileged (as in non-elite), if the price was the same, you'd be crazy to take a main screen only equipped 14 hour flight over the various options offered by QF, VA, DL & NZ, unless you were specifically chasing * aliiance mileage.

Well if it were me (probably no help to the OP), it would be UA. Free E+ or exit row, free drinks (got certs), triple RDM and double EQM miles in July, free lounge access, etc, etc.

UA have decided to try hard to keep their FF's on this route, and as I have no allegiance to DL whatsoever, there is no reason at all for me to fly them. Pity UA is not using its 777's on this route, as they are far superior to those old 747's.

[maninblack]

Yeh, got to wonder how long UA are going to last. Maybe their loyal elites, and travellers who know no better will sustain them. But for the uniformed , or unprivileged (as in non-elite), if the price was the same, you'd be crazy to take a main screen only equipped 14 hour flight over the various options offered by QF, VA, DL & NZ, unless you were specifically chasing * aliiance mileage.

Agreed. UA have had a lot of US corporate and government related business but that will have dried up a great deal in recent times. Their new J and F product looks pretty good but you would not think that will be enough. They are a bit of a relic and if you are chasing *A miles there is always NZ especially out of MEL where the service via AKL is pretty much as quick as the UA service via SYD.