I live overseas and it kinda shames me that so many other nations have way better air carriers than we do.
Actually several of our carriers do quite well on international flights, across the Pacific, anyway. Delta, for one partners with JAL and on that long Pacific leg they act as JAL would. The food is like on JAL which is as good as can be put through a microwave, and the staff acts as though they want you to come back and even the front crew lines up now at the exit to thank the passengers for choosing Delta. Delta has some other problems that almost got me stranded at the airport in Tokyo with no money.