Questions and Answers

Hi, I am in Phoenix Arizona, USA and as PHX is an American hub, I tend to do most of my flying with One World airlines. Regardless of the latest Aadvantage changes, I don’t see that changing soon.

I am starting to travel a little more, and PHX does seem well served by both Delta & United. I’m wondering: Is *A or SkyTeam obviously better than the other for a Phoenix based flier? If one is, then I can concentrate on that alliance to maximize miles from credit cards, etc.. I do mostly transcontinental flying, and occasional jaunts to Europe.

I appreciate any advice.

Where do you travel to mostly? Most of the destinations that UA/DL serve from PHX are to their own hubs, meaning that if you fly with them, it might require an additional connection. If you do any travel to Europe on paid flights, it’s tough to beat a one-stop flight via London on BA.

I travel mostly to east coast, Baltimore, Boston, NYC. STL on occasion. Also Europe, esp, London.

Like I said, I already travel Oneworld quite a bit; looking to see if there is a clear alternate between the other two major alliances.

I dont think there is a clear alternative for your situation:

Staying with AA means non-stops to where youre going, including London. You also cant beat having a nonstop to London on BA, especially since AA/BA have a TATL joint venture and they’re both a part of oneworld.

UA serves Washington-Dulles but thats quite far from Baltimore. Delta serves New York JFK and that’s a fine alternative but I dont think it’s enough to warrant a switch. Going with either of these airline’s and their alliances means at least one more stop to your destinations, whether it’s domestic or international.

A good alternative might be Alaska Airlines. You can credit AA/DL/BA flights to them as well as take advantage of a wide variety of partner airlines. However, their elite status wouldnt be as useful when traveling on AA or DL so if elite status perks are important, this wouldnt be the best option.