I enjoyed watching all 3 of your US Premium Economy reviews! It is obvious that United offers the best product of the three. Thanks for the great videos!
I think with the changes to the program this year there are pro's and con's. I have held gold, platinum, and now platinum pro. I aim to re-qualify for at least Platinum this year. Upgrades to First are hard to come by and prices are crazy right now, so being able to get a Main Cabin Extra seat for free at booking for a paid or award ticket including companions on the same reservation (up to 8 I believe) is hugely valuable. Sapphire Status will get you international business class lounge access when traveling any cabin to most international destinations. If you aren't a high spend Executive Platinum you aren't likely to get upgraded to the front much unless you travel at odd times on non Hub-to-Hub routes.
This isn’t a fair comparison. You flew Delta and United on transcon routes. Those always include enhanced service. On AA even economy gets a complimentary boxed meal on transcon routes.
I appreciate you pointing that out. I fly regularly with AA and if flying on a transcon would have made a difference I would have done so. The only routes that receive food in economy are on the specialized A321T between the Northeast (BOS JFK) and California (LAX SFO SNA). All other domestic transcon routes, including MIA-LAX on the 777 with enhanced Flagship business (which I have an updated 2022 review of in the hopper for editing) and even longer domestic routes like SEA-MIA receive no additional service in economy (and thus in these seats). Also not bringing Hawaii into this since every airline has its own unique service tweaks for visiting the islands.
As much as I like AA, I do think delta has the edge. It's too bad delta only offers 1 flight a day during the winter to the small town where I live. I hope AA brings seatback IFE, especially since UA is talking about bringing it back. Plus magazines.
@@GilbertTravels true, if only because of how much it would cost. Unless and until they decide on a complete cabin refresh 🤔🤞. Dare I say the big 3 should go for a more premium experience all round, even if it costs a bit more.
@@thomasmoore9421 Who can say for sure. I definitely would like to believe there is room for a player trying to provide a premium experience in the market. The big three all seem pretty dedicated to having tight seats in the way back for basic economy travelers to compete with LCCs, then an extra legroom section that is additional revenue from casual travelers, and free for their elites to escape the worst possible seats, then a mediocre domestic First that checks the needed boxes and that is about it.
