I'm a loyal Southwest flier but decided to try American to see if I'd like it better. I didn't for 6 big reasons. (2024)

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I've flown Southwest Airlines for most of my adult life. But for a recent work trip to Austin, Texas, I decided to try out American Airlines.

I live in Brooklyn, but since most of my family lives in Missouri, I've had to take my fair share of Southwest flights. They're one of the only airlines regularly offering cheap, direct flights between New York and Kansas City.

But after a recent disappointing experience with Southwest, I decided to give American a shot when I needed to fly from New York to Austin, Texas and had the choice of either airline.

Off the bat, I was struck by the difference in fares. For a roundtrip flight from New York's LaGuardia airport to Austin, departing on a Thursday and returning on a Monday, the total cost for American, including a plane change in both directions, came to about $550.

I don't remember the exact price of the comparable Southwest fare, but I do recall it being significantly cheaper — perhaps by $100 or more.

Ultimately, I went with American, however, since I'd missed an important event the previous year by flying Southwest, and wondered if American might be more reliable. I was also tempted by the fact that I'd be able to choose my seat ahead of time, and not have to check-in early to get a spot in the front of the plane like I do on Southwest.

I thought American's slightly higher fare would be worth it for a less stressful experience. But that's not exactly how things went.

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Check-in for my American flight was simple, and I didn't check any bags. But from the moment I arrived at my gate in LaGuardia, I realized I preferred Southwest's boarding group process.

Southwest Airlines has a unique boarding process, where the order you board the plane, and the seat you end up in, is dependent on the time you check-in for the flight. That online process begins exactly 24 hours before the time you take off.

I'm a Southwest pro, so I'm usually able to get a boarding position in the first group, which is A group. In my experience, A group typically includes the first 60 people to board the plane, who then have the first choice of where to sit, for the most part.

American, like most other airlines, doesn't use this system. Instead, passengers are divided into nine different groups based on whether or not they hold status with the airline, or the fare type they purchased.

I assumed that because I booked a regular coach ticket, I wouldn't make it into the priority group. But I also didn't think I'd be one of the last people onboard the plane, either.

I ended up being in group seven, and while I was a little stressed about finding overhead bin space, I was glad to not be the last group. But I did find myself missing the chance to be among the first like I usually am on Southwest.

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I also thought the boarding process for my American flight was so much more chaotic than on Southwest.

My seat onboard American was pre-assigned so I thought I'd feel less stressed than when I fly Southwest and it's first-come, first-served.

But right away, I thought the boarding process felt so much more chaotic than on a Southwest flight.

For starters, no one on my American flight lined up according to their group number. As soon as a new boarding group was announced, I noticed that people just started to push their way to the front. This led to a huge crowd around the gate, which was even more stressful to deal with when I was trying to make connections at airports with smaller gate areas than LaGuardia.

I realized I missed the simplicity of Southwest, where in my experience, everyone lines up in an orderly fashion according to their boarding position, and there's no jostling for entry to the jetway.

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I also prefer Southwest's bag policy, which lets every passenger check two pieces of luggage for free.

Adding to my stress on my American flight was the fact that I felt like I had to fight for overhead bin space. American's fares were already more expensive than I was used to on Southwest, and I didn't want to pay another $30 to check my bag at the airport.

This made me feel very anxious that I wouldn't be able to fit my carry-on in the overhead bins, or that my later boarding position would mean limited space, and I'd have to go through the headache of gate-checking my bag to my final destination.

Everything turned out fine in the end, and I was able to bring my bag onboard and stow it overhead, but I missed Southwest's bag policy tremendously, which lets passengers check two bags for free on every flight.

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Despite its higher price point, I thought the amenities on my American flight were basically the same as a Southwest flight.

I didn't fly first or business class, so I wasn't expecting a huge upgrade in terms of amenities on my American flight.

Still, I was surprised by how similar my experience in the main cabin on American was to a Southwest flight. I thought by paying about $100 more, I'd enjoy a few extra perks.

Instead, I received the same number of free snacks as Southwest. Though I did slightly prefer American's free Biscoff cookies to the snack mix Southwest provides.

The only major difference I noticed in the food and beverage service was that I received a full can of soda on American, instead of the smaller serving in a plastic cup I've received on most Southwest flights.

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The seats in coach on both airlines felt remarkably similar to me.

I thought the overall setup on my American flight was also very similar to past Southwest planes I've been on.

The only one unique thing I noticed on the American flight was that the tray tables had a handy little holder at eye level for my phone, in case I wanted to watch TV in my seat without being hunched over.

But overall, I didn't feel or see a noticeable difference between the two airlines once I was onboard the aircraft that justified the higher price.

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I also felt like American Airlines was trying to sell me something at all times.

I noticed several upcharges on my trip with American. Whether it was having to pay to check bags, or the announcement that occurred near the end of my flight about the airline's Aviator MasterCard, the overall vibe I got from the airline was that they were just trying to make money.

Obviously I know that Southwest is in the airline business as well, and as such, also aims to make a profit. But I've never heard an announcement for their credit card while on a flight, and their free checked bag policy is a huge highlight for me. So I preferred their subtler approach.

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Overall, I'd choose Southwest over American any day.

Ultimately, my experience with American made me feel like they were trying to get me to spend more money, rather than take me from point A to point B.

By contrast, whenever I'm on a Southwest flight, I don't usually feel anything other than excitement about the trip I'm taking.

I'd probably feel differently if I was a frequent first or business-class flier, since Southwest doesn't really offer much in the way of those upgrades.

But for my lifestyle and budget, Southwest's low fares, free checked bags, organized boarding process, solid amenities, and unassuming atmosphere are just what I need. While it was fun to try another carrier, I now know I won't be switching airline loyalty anytime soon.