I flew economy on American, Delta, and United. The flights were strikingly similar but with small quirks that may help you choose which airline to fly.

The point of basic economy is to lure in price-sensitive travelers (like me) with a fare that only requires you to pay for what you need. It’s basically the low-cost model but with the perks of mainline cabins, like inflight entertainment, free snacks, and reclining seats.

Unlike American and Delta, United made its offer as barebones as possible by not allowing carry-on bags at all.

Except for most international routes, anything more than a personal item on United has to be checked. Delta and American allow a carry-on and a personal item for free.

Meanwhile, the seat rule is the same across the board — you pay extra to reserve one. Otherwise, you’ll get a random seat at check-in — and I ended up with a middle seat on every flight.

The United plane I flew on was retrofitted with the airline’s enhanced “United Next” cabin that it unveiled in 2021.

It offers the regular bells and whistles you’ll find on most American and Delta narrowbodies, but you can also connect Bluetooth headphones to the seatback screens.

It was a much better option than using regular earbuds, especially if you’re stuck with the scratchy airline-provided ones.

I am addicted to competitive reality television shows like Big Brother and Survivor, and they’re my go-to on flights. The tablet holder was perfect for my taste, but I doubt I’m the popular opinion.

If you rely on seatback content, Delta and United may be your better bets.

However, according to American’s website, some of its single-aisle planes, including some A319s and the transcontinental A321T, have screens.

As a remote worker, I fly mainline airlines partly for the WiFi because I can access it fully free with my T-Mobile phone number. In my experience, the connection is mostly consistent across the board, and I could stream with no problem.

If you don’t have T-Mobile, Delta is the best for internet as it continues to add unlimited free WiFi for loyalty members on its planes (you just need to make a free account).

I specifically flew the updated cabins on American, Delta, and United’s single-aisle Airbus and Boeing aircraft. However, all three still have some dated narrowbodies that don’t offer all of the latest perks.

According to their respective websites, Delta’s Boeing 717s lack seatback screens, as do many of United’s 737-900s and 757-300s and select cabins on its Airbus planes (minus the A321neo). And you won’t find power on all of American’s Airbus narrowbodies.

While this will likely change as airlines continue to retrofit their fleets, I suggest you always check the airline’s website outlining its fleet to see what you can expect before booking. The plane type will be displayed at booking and on your reservation.

The aft lavatory on Delta’s A220 fleet has a full-sized window. I’d consider it the best window seat onboard, and we aviation enthusiasts have dubbed it a “loo with a view.”

You won’t find the unique window on other US A220 carriers like low-cost airlines Breeze or JetBlue — though the latter has better legroom than any of the Big 3.

I live closest to New York-JFK and LaGuardia, so booking American and Delta for convenience, even if it costs more, makes sense since United has much fewer flight options at both NYC airports.

I’d also prefer not to travel all the way to United’s Newark, New Jersey, hub for a flight. Again, it’s case-by-case, but United’s fare would need to be stupidly cheap.

And remember, we’re talking domestic flights here. International is an entire other ballgame.

Firstly, if you care most about punctuality, the data says book Delta. Plus, the airline is consistently awarded for its premium-focused service and comfort, so it’s just a safe bet — but you may see higher fares because of it.

United’s upgraded cabin is just as nice as Delta’s, and I’d argue it’s actually better with the Bluetooth option. But you’ll want to pay up for at least regular economy to get a carry-on for domestic flights.

While I’ve had my issues with American in the past, the airline has fully grown on me. It is often among the cheaper options, but most of its narrowbodies don’t have a seatback screen.

You’ll still get entertainment on American but on a handheld device. If you’re like me, who watches content on a personal device, I’d say that’s a win-win.