American Airlines vs. Delta: Which Is Best?

Though American ultimately comes out ahead, Delta isn’t far behind.
Jennifer Calonia
By Jennifer Calonia 
Updated
Edited by Meghan Coyle

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Two of the largest full-service carriers in the U.S. are American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, but being bigger doesn't always mean better. If you’re trying to decide between these two, this comparison can help you evaluate factors other than pricing. It’s especially helpful if you are considering building loyalty with one of these airlines’ rewards programs.

NerdWallet looked at the six areas below to determine what sets American and Delta apart:

  • Flight destinations.

  • Reliability.

  • Fees. 

  • Basic economy.

  • Frequent flyer program quality.

  • Business class.

Routes and destinations

Traveling by air is often a matter of convenience. Flying on a carrier that’s easily accessible from point A to point B can make a big difference in your travel experience.

American

American flies to about 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. As a member of the Oneworld alliance, its partners include British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and nearly a dozen others.

  • Boston.

  • Charlotte.

  • Chicago-O’Hare.

  • Dallas-Fort Worth (headquarters).

  • Los Angeles.

  • Miami.

  • New York (JFK and LaGuardia).

  • Philadelphia.

  • Phoenix.

  • Raleigh-Durham.

  • San Antonio.

  • San Francisco.

  • Washington-National.

Delta

Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta flies to more than 280 destinations on six continents. Together with its alliance partners, it serves more than 1,000 destinations in 166 countries. It is one of the 19 airlines in the SkyTeam alliance.

  • Atlanta.

  • Boston.

  • Detroit.

  • Los Angeles.

  • Minneapolis-St. Paul.

  • New York (JFK and LaGuardia).

  • Salt Lake City.

  • Seattle.

American flies to more destinations, but Delta is part of a bigger airline alliance, so it has a larger network of international destinations.

Reliability

With so many moving pieces involved with traveling, it’s important to fly with an airline that has a strong operational track record. This is a category that Delta excelled in, scoring five out of five stars, compared with American’s 3.3 stars.

We examined operations data from both airlines for flights between July 2022 and May 2023. Some of the metrics that determined airline reliability included the percentage of on-time flights, canceled flights and tarmac delays.

During this time period, 78% of American flights were on time. Of all its scheduled flights, 1.68% were canceled. Nearly 83% of Delta’s flights arrived at their destinations on time, with 1.38% canceled. However, American experienced fewer tarmac delays per 10,000 flights compared with Delta.

Fees

How much you’ll pay in fees depends on your travel details and preferences. We looked at the following five fee-based data points:

  • Fee for one checked bag on a domestic flight. 

  • Fee for one carry-on on a domestic flight for main cabin passengers.

  • Fee for seat selection toward the rear of the plane.

  • Fee for seat selection toward the front of the plane. 

  • Average seat selection fees.

As far as fees were concerned, American and Delta are similar. American Airlines charges $35 per checked bag (if you prepay online) on domestic flights while Delta Air Lines charges $30, and neither charges main cabin passengers for a carry-on.

Fees for seat selection — whether toward the rear or front of the aircraft — differ between airlines by $3 to $5.

Additionally, we considered the pet policies of each airline. American charges $150 per carry-on kennel each way when flying within and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, if permitted. Bringing your pets on board Delta costs $95 each way for domestic flights as well as those to Canada, so Delta came out ahead in this regard.

Basic economy

American’s basic economy class ranks higher than Delta. American provides greater seat selection for basic economy main cabin passengers, and it scored higher than Delta for elite status upgrades. And while a basic economy seat aboard a Delta flight won’t earn you SkyMiles toward status, American Airlines basic economy flyers earn at least some AAdvantage miles.

In terms of fare cost, American’s basic economy fare has a $72 markup, with Delta not far behind at $70.

Loyalty program

In terms of airline loyalty programs, American’s AAdvantage is leagues ahead of Delta’s SkyMiles. American rests comfortably on our list of top rewards programs, taking the third spot with 3.6 stars out of five. Delta ranked sixth at 2.5 stars.

We assessed the cent per mile value for each airline’s loyalty program. Then we multiplied this with the number of miles you’d earn for each dollar spent with the airline. The result is the percentage of value that you get back in miles for each dollar spent.

Based on our calculations, American offered a rewards rate of 7.10% for every dollar spent, versus a 5.04% return per dollar spent through Delta’s program.

American credit cards

Travel rewards credit cards help make earning miles toward an airline loyalty program easier. American offers seven personal cards and two business credit cards with Citi and Barclays. American credit cards offer benefits like:

Annual fees range from $0 (American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®) to $595 (Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®).

Every dollar spent on American credit cards also earn Loyalty Points, which are needed to earn American AAdvantage elite status. This makes it faster to earn status with the airline, even when you’re not flying.

Delta credit cards

Delta offers four personal card options through American Express. Some benefits to expect, depending on the card, include:

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Annual fee

$0.

$0 intro for the first year, then $150.

$350.

$650.

Earning rates

• 2 miles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta.

• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.

• 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

• 2 miles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta.

• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.

• 2 miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets.

• 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

• 3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta

• 3 miles per dollar on eligible hotel purchases.

• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.

• 2 miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets.

1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

• 3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.

• 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases.

Other benefits

• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

• First checked bag free.

• Priority boarding.

• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

• Companion certificate (main cabin).

• First checked bag free.

• Priority boarding.

• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

• Airport lounge access.

• Companion certificate ((first class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin).

• Credit for application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

• First checked bag free.

• Priority boarding.

• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

Horizontal scroll

Terms apply.

The fact that American credit cards earn Loyalty Points gives them an edge over Delta credit cards. In fact, it’s possible to earn elite status by spending on an American co-branded credit card only.

When it comes to each airline’s elite status program, American scored second (4.2 stars) in our overall ranking, with Delta settling for third (3.6 stars). Our team assessed the value of each elite tier between both status programs. We did so by comparing status perks, like free bags on flights, and other factors. Additionally, we looked at how much you’d have to spend with each airline to reach each tier.

Using these calculations, we determined the elite earning rate — that is, how much value you receive for your spending toward status. For example, American AAdvantage members who’ve earned Ruby status get $29 of value for every $100 spent with the program. By comparison, Delta SkyMiles Silver Medallion status yields $23 of value for every $100 spent.

With American’s slightly higher rewards rate and easier way to earn elite status, it edged out Delta in our annual ranking.

Business class

American

American offers more business class variety between the two airlines. If flying a long-distance trip, you’ll get a premium experience with a Flagship Business and Business Plus seat. It unlocks benefits like:

  • Complimentary access to Flagship and Admirals Club lounges.

  • Priority boarding. 

  • Full lie-flat seats. 

  • Casper pillows and blankets.

  • Gourmet in-flight dining.

  • Shinola and D.S. & Durga amenity kit.

  • More Loyalty Points for faster status.

  • Status members receive extra benefits, such as mileage bonuses.

Domestic flights and shorter international flights from the U.S. don’t offer lie-flat seats. Instead, business class travelers can enjoy roomier seats and more legroom. You’ll also receive free pillows and blankets, and you’ll have more in-flight dining options to choose from.

Delta

If you’re booking business class on Delta, your only option is a Delta One ticket. Delta One is available on select long-haul domestic and on long-haul international flights. Delta One offers a few luxurious perks before you board and while in flight. Here are some benefits you can look forward to:

  • Free Delta Sky Club access.

  • No change fees for ticket changes or cancellations for flights originating from the U.S., Canada and Europe.

  • Priority boarding.

  • Full lie-flat seats.

  • A lumbar pillow that converts to a mattress pad (ultra long-haul flights only).

  • Full-height privacy doors (Airbus A350 and A330-900).

  • Grown Alchemist amenity kit.

  • Helps you earn SkyMiles.

If you prefer to have many comfortable seating options, then American has more to offer. But if you’re traveling on a long international flight, Delta One’s enhanced privacy doors on select aircraft are an enticing feature.

When to choose American Airlines vs. Delta

When comparing the experience between Delta versus American, American wins in more categories, including the ability to achieve elite status more quickly. Although it doesn’t have as many flight routes, Delta makes up for it with its superior operations.

For most travelers, it will come down to which carrier is the most convenient. If both offer a lot of flights out of your home airport, then American makes it easier to earn elite status and fly to more places in its own planes at lower redemption rates.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

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