Is American or United better to Europe?

United scores 8/10 against American at 7.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, American wins 1 and United wins 1. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.

Which is cheaper, American or United?

On the 323 routes where both were priced for the same week (November 8–14, 2026), American was cheaper on 135 and United on 188. Every pair of fares is the same departure and return date in the same cabin, so the difference is the airline rather than the dates or the cabin.

Does the aircraft change the answer?

Yes. American scores 10/10 on the 787-9P (Flagship Suite) and 8/10 on the 777-300ER / 787 (Flagship Business). Check the equipment on your date before deciding.

Has Jon flown either of these?

United, in business on a Europe route. American has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

Head to head

American vs United

United scores 8/10 against American at 7.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare.

By Jon Miksis · cabin data verified September 1, 2026 · fares for travel November 8–14, 2026

Best product each one flies

Scored on what can be verified. Service, food and ground recovery are absent deliberately: they need someone in the seat, and they live in the reviews rather than here.

One caveat on the Value line, stated rather than buried: Value is computed from business fares, and a carrier with too few of them does not get a Value score at all. Where you see a dash, we have fewer than three priced business routes for that airline and did not want to invent a figure from one or two — so its product score is the mean of three dimensions rather than four, and it is not directly comparable to a score built on hundreds of fares. The airlines with the most fares behind them are named on the business-class ranking.

American

787-9P (Flagship Suite)

Seat: 10/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 2/10
Product score: 7.5/10

United

777 / 787 (Polaris) · flown by Jon

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 6/10
Product score: 8/10

Dimension by dimension

Seat: American
10/10 on the 787-9P (Flagship Suite) against 8/10 on the 777 / 787 (Polaris).
IFE: level
Screens, connectivity and power: 8/10 against 8/10.
Lounge & bags: level
What the fare includes before you board: 10/10 against 10/10.
Value: United
Median premium over the cheapest carrier on the same route: 2/10 against 6/10.

Where both were priced on the same dates

Every fare is November 8–14, 2026, so a difference between two rows is a difference between two airlines and nothing else. These are economy fares, while the cabin scores above describe the business product — read them as how each airline prices against its competitors, not as what its business seat costs.

Route	Cabin	American	United	Cheaper
IAD → MAD	economy	$752	$747	United by $5
DFW → BCN	economy	$750	$820	American by $70
SFO → BCN	economy	$757	$750	United by $7
TPA → BCN	economy	$763	$751	United by $12
TPA → MAD	economy	$774	$753	United by $21
TPA → LIS	economy	$830	$756	United by $74
TPA → MXP	economy	$786	$756	United by $30
ATL → BCN	economy	$757	$1249	American by $492
ATL → MXP	economy	$763	$1033	American by $270
RDU → BCN	economy	$763	$1123	American by $360
MCO → BCN	economy	$765	$770	American by $5
CLT → MXP	economy	$770	$766	United by $4
TPA → FCO	economy	$801	$767	United by $34
DTW → BCN	economy	$1230	$770	United by $460
CLT → LIS	economy	$770	$1081	American by $311
DTW → MAD	economy	$1235	$771	United by $464
IAH → DUB	economy	$773	$781	American by $8
DTW → MXP	economy	$1236	$774	United by $462
IAH → MXP	economy	$786	$774	United by $12
PDX → FCO	economy	$777	$822	American by $45
DTW → FCO	economy	$778	$934	American by $156
RDU → LIS	economy	$780	$1227	American by $447
IAH → BCN	economy	$782	$1030	American by $248
DEN → BCN	economy	$782	$782	level
LAX → ZRH	economy	$783	$857	American by $74
IAH → MAD	economy	$783	$791	American by $8
DEN → MAD	economy	$794	$783	United by $11
AUS → DUB	economy	$784	$1050	American by $266
MCO → FCO	economy	$1540	$786	United by $754
DEN → MXP	economy	$806	$786	United by $20
BNA → LIS	economy	$786	$1465	American by $679
TPA → ZRH	economy	$1149	$787	United by $362
CLT → ZRH	economy	$788	$1302	American by $514
DFW → LIS	economy	$790	$823	American by $33
DFW → MXP	economy	$790	$1153	American by $363
DTW → ZRH	economy	$1249	$791	United by $458
ORD → BCN	economy	$811	$792	United by $19
AUS → BCN	economy	$793	$1533	American by $740
BNA → MAD	economy	$793	$799	American by $6
SFO → MAD	economy	$806	$795	United by $11
LAX → LIS	economy	$869	$796	United by $73
LAX → MXP	economy	$821	$796	United by $25
SFO → MXP	economy	$826	$796	United by $30
MCO → ZRH	economy	$1312	$799	United by $513
AUS → LIS	economy	$800	$1081	American by $281
SEA → BCN	economy	$1145	$802	United by $343
BOS → EDI	economy	$803	$839	American by $36
SEA → MAD	economy	$911	$803	United by $108
PDX → BCN	economy	$803	$830	American by $27
ORD → LIS	economy	$804	$815	American by $11
DEN → ZRH	economy	$1392	$804	United by $588
TPA → DUB	economy	$829	$804	United by $25
IAH → FCO	economy	$919	$805	United by $114
AUS → FCO	economy	$970	$805	United by $165
AUS → MXP	economy	$806	$851	American by $45
LAS → BCN	economy	$1162	$809	United by $353
SAN → BCN	economy	$1060	$812	United by $248
DTW → LIS	economy	$1198	$814	United by $384
PDX → MXP	economy	$826	$814	United by $12
PHX → BCN	economy	$817	$930	American by $113
DTW → MUC	economy	$818	$1100	American by $282
SAN → FCO	economy	$922	$818	United by $104
IAH → ZRH	economy	$819	$871	American by $52
PHX → LIS	economy	$821	$917	American by $96
SLC → LIS	economy	$821	$1856	American by $1035
SEA → LIS	economy	$902	$821	United by $81
PDX → LIS	economy	$821	$1297	American by $476
DEN → LIS	economy	$821	$854	American by $33
CLT → BCN	economy	$827	$822	United by $5
PHX → MXP	economy	$826	$1265	American by $439
CLT → AMS	economy	$827	$1427	American by $600
MCO → AMS	economy	$828	$1136	American by $308
SAN → ZRH	economy	$869	$831	United by $38
BNA → MXP	economy	$849	$831	United by $18
IAH → LIS	economy	$861	$833	United by $28
LAS → FCO	economy	$1500	$833	United by $667
DFW → DUB	economy	$845	$842	United by $3
TPA → MUC	economy	$1220	$843	United by $377
BNA → DUB	economy	$845	$1121	American by $276
ATL → MUC	economy	$847	$1840	American by $993
RDU → FCO	economy	$849	$1139	American by $290
TPA → FRA	economy	$1975	$853	United by $1122
DEN → AMS	economy	$909	$855	United by $54
AUS → CDG	economy	$1244	$857	United by $387
SFO → FCO	economy	$2056	$857	United by $1199
MCO → LIS	economy	$1224	$860	United by $364
MCO → MAD	economy	$870	$860	United by $10
SAN → DUB	economy	$861	$1226	American by $365
MCO → MUC	economy	$1955	$862	United by $1093
MCO → CDG	economy	$863	$1116	American by $253
RDU → FRA	economy	$1975	$863	United by $1112
LAX → FRA	economy	$864	$865	American by $1
PHX → ZRH	economy	$864	$1332	American by $468
PHL → MUC	economy	$870	$1446	American by $576
LAS → CDG	economy	$1244	$877	United by $367
SLC → LHR	economy	$880	$1316	American by $436
DFW → MUC	economy	$920	$881	United by $39
AUS → MUC	economy	$1220	$881	United by $339
LAS → DUB	economy	$1167	$881	United by $286
PHL → ZRH	economy	$881	$882	American by $1
SAN → CDG	economy	$1257	$887	United by $370
LAS → ZRH	economy	$1249	$893	United by $356
PDX → FRA	economy	$1340	$904	United by $436
DFW → ZRH	economy	$913	$927	American by $14
ATL → EDI	economy	$913	$1781	American by $868
SAN → FRA	economy	$1340	$914	United by $426
LAX → BCN	economy	$923	$916	United by $7
SAN → LIS	economy	$917	$1044	American by $127
PHL → LIS	economy	$917	$1330	American by $413
BNA → CDG	economy	$925	$1201	American by $276
LAS → LIS	economy	$926	$1124	American by $198
SEA → FCO	economy	$1046	$927	United by $119
SLC → DUB	economy	$1230	$928	United by $302
PHL → FCO	economy	$934	$940	American by $6
CLT → FCO	economy	$1090	$934	United by $156
MSP → FCO	economy	$1178	$938	United by $240
LAS → MAD	economy	$1336	$951	United by $385
PHX → FCO	economy	$965	$1322	American by $357
SAN → MXP	economy	$967	$1309	American by $342
LAX → EDI	economy	$975	$1318	American by $343
TPA → LHR	economy	$1311	$982	United by $329
CLT → MUC	economy	$993	$1263	American by $270
MSP → MXP	economy	$1236	$995	United by $241
LAX → LHR	economy	$1331	$996	United by $335
DFW → EDI	economy	$1411	$999	United by $412
RDU → CDG	economy	$1000	$1246	American by $246
DFW → FCO	economy	$1002	$1282	American by $280
ATL → LIS	economy	$1179	$1014	United by $165
AUS → EDI	economy	$1023	$1273	American by $250
TPA → EDI	economy	$1023	$1317	American by $294
BNA → EDI	economy	$1023	$1286	American by $263
DEN → EDI	economy	$1029	$1439	American by $410
ATL → ZRH	economy	$1176	$1030	United by $146
CLT → FRA	economy	$1032	$1206	American by $174
ORD → CDG	economy	$1203	$1034	United by $169
TPA → AMS	economy	$1227	$1044	United by $183
DEN → CDG	economy	$1051	$1316	American by $265
PHX → EDI	economy	$1055	$1411	American by $356
CLT → DUB	economy	$1055	$1131	American by $76
SAN → MUC	economy	$1065	$2025	American by $960
AUS → AMS	economy	$1066	$1118	American by $52
DTW → EDI	economy	$1386	$1074	United by $312
SAN → EDI	economy	$1077	$1386	American by $309
SAN → AMS	economy	$1227	$1092	United by $135
RDU → DUB	economy	$1115	$1100	United by $15
LAS → AMS	economy	$1101	$1414	American by $313
PDX → CDG	economy	$1308	$1121	United by $187
PHX → MUC	economy	$1429	$1122	United by $307
RDU → MAD	economy	$1260	$1124	United by $136
RDU → ZRH	economy	$1149	$1142	United by $7
MSP → MAD	economy	$1164	$1146	United by $18
BNA → ZRH	economy	$1149	$1147	United by $2
MCO → EDI	economy	$1148	$1397	American by $249
IAH → EDI	economy	$1148	$1525	American by $377
DTW → DUB	economy	$1157	$1390	American by $233
RDU → MXP	economy	$1175	$1167	United by $8
PHX → FRA	economy	$1499	$1183	United by $316
RDU → AMS	economy	$1337	$1197	United by $140
BNA → AMS	economy	$1305	$1198	United by $107
BNA → MUC	economy	$1220	$1207	United by $13
CLT → EDI	economy	$1214	$1264	American by $50
RDU → MUC	economy	$1507	$1215	United by $292
SLC → MAD	economy	$1256	$1226	United by $30
SLC → MXP	economy	$1236	$1345	American by $109
SLC → FCO	economy	$1284	$1241	United by $43
CLT → CDG	economy	$1261	$1274	American by $13
PHX → DUB	economy	$1281	$1267	United by $14
RDU → EDI	economy	$1286	$1286	level
MSP → MUC	economy	$1320	$1429	American by $109
LAS → EDI	economy	$1386	$1386	level
LAS → MXP	economy	$1443	$1435	United by $8
ORD → LHR	economy	$1707	$1678	United by $29
LAS → FRA	economy	$2055	$2044	United by $11
MCO → MAD	business	$4390	$3969	United by $421
SLC → DUB	business	$10525	$4103	United by $6422
IAH → DUB	business	$4354	$5789	American by $1435
MIA → MAD	business	$4375	$4383	American by $8
AUS → DUB	business	$4415	$6493	American by $2078
TPA → DUB	business	$4431	$8133	American by $3702
LAX → FCO	business	$4648	$5417	American by $769
DTW → BCN	business	$10325	$4850	United by $5475
MSP → BCN	business	$10325	$5182	United by $5143
RDU → BCN	business	$6664	$5200	United by $1464
MSP → MAD	business	$10330	$5201	United by $5129
DTW → MAD	business	$10330	$5203	United by $5127
RDU → LIS	business	$8446	$5209	United by $3237
DTW → FCO	business	$12566	$5304	United by $7262
IAH → FCO	business	$7563	$5308	United by $2255
PDX → FRA	business	$10535	$5364	United by $5171
ORD → CDG	business	$10366	$5416	United by $4950
PHX → DUB	business	$8480	$5421	United by $3059
TPA → BCN	business	$5474	$5851	American by $377
AUS → MAD	business	$5475	$6976	American by $1501
PDX → MAD	business	$5475	$5927	American by $452
BNA → MAD	business	$5475	$5476	American by $1
MCO → BCN	business	$5476	$8014	American by $2538
SEA → MAD	business	$10230	$5486	United by $4744
AUS → BCN	business	$5488	$6965	American by $1477
MCO → LIS	business	$11696	$5619	United by $6077
TPA → FCO	business	$6012	$5627	United by $385
MSP → FCO	business	$12566	$5636	United by $6930
SAN → FCO	business	$9702	$5654	United by $4048
RDU → FCO	business	$7178	$5654	United by $1524
BNA → FCO	business	$5998	$5654	United by $344
MCO → FCO	business	$7301	$5662	United by $1639
MCO → MXP	business	$5665	$15066	American by $9401
BNA → MXP	business	$5677	$12122	American by $6445
TPA → CDG	business	$11005	$5754	United by $5251
BOS → BCN	business	$5795	$5975	American by $180
TPA → MAD	business	$10030	$5853	United by $4177
DTW → MUC	business	$12610	$5876	United by $6734
CLT → FRA	business	$8520	$5888	United by $2632
DTW → LIS	business	$10346	$5929	United by $4417
AUS → LIS	business	$10046	$5977	United by $4069
DEN → BCN	business	$8854	$5979	United by $2875
SEA → BCN	business	$9888	$5985	United by $3903
PDX → MXP	business	$5985	$11589	American by $5604
ATL → LIS	business	$10346	$5995	United by $4351
AUS → FCO	business	$5998	$6475	American by $477
PDX → FCO	business	$5998	$7270	American by $1272
DEN → FCO	business	$6812	$6003	United by $809
CLT → BCN	business	$6754	$6022	United by $732
TPA → FRA	business	$12933	$6066	United by $6867
AUS → MUC	business	$9381	$6077	United by $3304
CLT → MXP	business	$6145	$8146	American by $2001
BNA → CDG	business	$6149	$9333	American by $3184
SAN → BCN	business	$11925	$6159	United by $5766
SLC → MAD	business	$10730	$6230	United by $4500
PDX → DUB	business	$6230	$9031	American by $2801
MCO → EDI	business	$6314	$13085	American by $6771
AUS → EDI	business	$6326	$11636	American by $5310
BNA → EDI	business	$6326	$11925	American by $5599
IAD → MAD	business	$11520	$6328	United by $5192
PDX → BCN	business	$6864	$6329	United by $535
ORD → MAD	business	$11115	$6333	United by $4782
MCO → DUB	business	$9425	$6356	United by $3069
LAS → FCO	business	$10746	$6398	United by $4348
MSP → MXP	business	$10331	$6431	United by $3900
TPA → MUC	business	$14417	$6443	United by $7974
DFW → MXP	business	$6445	$11731	American by $5286
BNA → FRA	business	$10135	$6469	United by $3666
IAH → LIS	business	$10878	$6495	United by $4383
LAX → BCN	business	$8143	$6519	United by $1624
SFO → FCO	business	$6555	$8119	American by $1564
DTW → ZRH	business	$10344	$6556	United by $3788
SEA → MXP	business	$6557	$9565	American by $3008
ORD → BCN	business	$8569	$6692	United by $1877
SLC → LIS	business	$8556	$6709	United by $1847
AUS → CDG	business	$12225	$6720	United by $5505
SFO → MAD	business	$9669	$6733	United by $2936
CLT → FCO	business	$7607	$6740	United by $867
DEN → MAD	business	$6775	$6768	United by $7
DEN → LIS	business	$12028	$6771	United by $5257
TPA → ZRH	business	$10044	$6773	United by $3271
IAH → MAD	business	$6775	$6786	American by $11
IAH → ZRH	business	$10376	$6784	United by $3592
IAH → BCN	business	$9054	$6785	United by $2269
ORD → MXP	business	$6799	$11284	American by $4485
DEN → MXP	business	$6799	$9911	American by $3112
DTW → MXP	business	$10331	$6803	United by $3528
DFW → FRA	business	$6838	$8824	American by $1986
DFW → DUB	business	$8478	$6849	United by $1629
RDU → FRA	business	$13503	$6874	United by $6629
PHL → MXP	business	$6961	$10990	American by $4029
PHX → FCO	business	$8417	$6982	United by $1435
SAN → FRA	business	$10535	$7004	United by $3531
DEN → ZRH	business	$18428	$7005	United by $11423
RDU → MAD	business	$10030	$7010	United by $3020
SLC → BCN	business	$10725	$7054	United by $3671
PHX → FRA	business	$10635	$7120	United by $3515
DEN → EDI	business	$7126	$12190	American by $5064
AUS → MXP	business	$7127	$10145	American by $3018
CLT → CDG	business	$11390	$7212	United by $4178
TPA → EDI	business	$7216	$11925	American by $4709
DTW → EDI	business	$10590	$7246	United by $3344
SLC → FCO	business	$10746	$7270	United by $3476
DFW → EDI	business	$7319	$10471	American by $3152
PHL → ZRH	business	$7765	$7319	United by $446
BNA → MUC	business	$9211	$7335	United by $1876
PHL → FCO	business	$7352	$7358	American by $6
SAN → ZRH	business	$10444	$7439	United by $3005
CLT → DUB	business	$7445	$12011	American by $4566
SAN → CDG	business	$11506	$7446	United by $4060
CLT → EDI	business	$7519	$11376	American by $3857
ATL → MXP	business	$12651	$7559	United by $5092
CLT → MAD	business	$11165	$7576	United by $3589
PHX → MXP	business	$9402	$7655	United by $1747
MSP → EDI	business	$10590	$7665	United by $2925
IAH → EDI	business	$7779	$12240	American by $4461
MIA → EDI	business	$7869	$12090	American by $4221
SFO → EDI	business	$7893	$14049	American by $6156
CLT → ZRH	business	$7913	$10292	American by $2379
CLT → LIS	business	$8221	$7922	United by $299
PHX → BCN	business	$10518	$7944	United by $2574
SFO → MXP	business	$7961	$13987	American by $6026
SFO → BCN	business	$12268	$8077	United by $4191
LAX → LHR	business	$12367	$8131	United by $4236
BOS → EDI	business	$8216	$8687	American by $471
LAS → MAD	business	$10430	$8230	United by $2200
CLT → MUC	business	$8348	$8675	American by $327
PHL → LIS	business	$9091	$8547	United by $544
ORD → EDI	business	$8556	$14890	American by $6334
PHX → EDI	business	$8556	$12115	American by $3559
PHX → ZRH	business	$10442	$8629	United by $1813
MSP → ZRH	business	$10344	$8655	United by $1689
LAS → LIS	business	$16406	$8987	United by $7419
SAN → EDI	business	$9113	$12150	American by $3037
SAN → MXP	business	$9605	$11716	American by $2111
LAS → MUC	business	$10515	$9666	United by $849
ORD → LHR	business	$9947	$11510	American by $1563
IAH → MXP	business	$9973	$10179	American by $206
RDU → MXP	business	$10031	$12910	American by $2879
BNA → ZRH	business	$10044	$19725	American by $9681
RDU → EDI	business	$10290	$10290	level
LAS → DUB	business	$10325	$10325	level
PHX → MAD	business	$10330	$10330	level
LAS → MXP	business	$10431	$11566	American by $1135
LAS → CDG	business	$10605	$10480	United by $125
PDX → MUC	business	$10515	$11665	American by $1150
LAS → ZRH	business	$10644	$12004	American by $1360
SLC → ZRH	business	$10744	$10944	American by $200
SLC → FRA	business	$10935	$11135	American by $200
MSP → FRA	business	$13965	$13963	United by $2

What happens if the aircraft swaps

Both carriers are paying-the-same-fare-either-way propositions on some frames. The worst product each one flies:

American

777-300ER / 787 (Flagship Business)

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 2/10
Product score: 7/10

United

777 / 787 (Polaris) · flown by Jon

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 6/10
Product score: 8/10

American: Reverse herringbone, direct aisle access from every seat, no privacy door.

United: The 767-300ER and 767-400ER run an unusual 1-1-1 layout with no paired seats at all, which is more private again. Select 787-9s add Polaris Studio suites with doors in the front rows.

Common questions

Is American or United better to Europe?: United scores 8/10 against American at 7.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, American wins 1 and United wins 1. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.
Which is cheaper, American or United?: On the 323 routes where both were priced for the same week (November 8–14, 2026), American was cheaper on 135 and United on 188. Every pair of fares is the same departure and return date in the same cabin, so the difference is the airline rather than the dates or the cabin.
Does the aircraft change the answer?: Yes. American scores 10/10 on the 787-9P (Flagship Suite) and 8/10 on the 777-300ER / 787 (Flagship Business). Check the equipment on your date before deciding.
Has Jon flown either of these?: United, in business on a Europe route. American has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

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