United Airlines Vs. Delta Air Lines Vs. American Airlines: Which Carrier Wins North America Connectivity?

United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines are the three largest carriers in the US market, and they focus primarily on expanding connectivity and competing for passenger traffic by offering the best itineraries and schedules. We aim to examine these three carriers across a handful of different operational metrics, including departures, destinations, hubs, and operational reliability. On a raw scale, United Airlines and American Airlines both emphasize having vast networks, with American Airlines routinely arguing that it is the nation’s best-connected airline because it offers thousands of daily flights to more than 350 destinations. United Airlines is not that far off, consistently describing itself as the world’s largest carrier by noting that it serves more destinations than any other US carrier. Delta Air Lines offers more than 4,000 daily departures to more than 275 destinations, but its edge is often the quality of connectivity through powerful hubs and consistency.