Favorite Airline(s)

[orbital sander]

In light of AA declaring bankruptcy, I am wondering which airline(s) folks like around here?

 

I have been a long time AA mileage hound. I am not particularly fond of AA as much as I used to be, they have cut back first class on some of their routes and the overall service and product is not what I feel it used to be. They also do not have much updated equipment.

 

I used to also fly Delta quite a bit, but they trashed their FF program (IMHO) several years ago.

[+ glutes]

AA flies out of Weed?

[orbital sander]

AA flies out of Weed?

Oh dear sweet glutes...

[adriano46]

I fly both AA and DELTA but find Delta's FFM program almost unfathomable. And their Economy Comfort seast are economical, and edfinately NOT comfortable. Plus recently flew them on a flight where the TV (individual on the back of the seat) did NOT work. Ugh.... at least they "gifted" us the earphones.

 

UNITED does not go where I want to go... SOUTHWEST is a great airline but... again, I am not a frequent flyer on their routes.

 

Gave up on CONTINENTAL years ago. What's left????

[orbital sander]

I fly both AA and DELTA but find Delta's FFM program almost unfathomable. And their Economy Comfort seast are economical, and edfinately NOT comfortable. Plus recently flew them on a flight where the TV (individual on the back of the seat) did NOT work. Ugh.... at least they "gifted" us the earphones.

 

UNITED does not go where I want to go... SOUTHWEST is a great airline but... again, I am not a frequent flyer on their routes.

 

Gave up on CONTINENTAL years ago. What's left????

 

I am not sure, I gave up on United some time ago, but I was thinking about giving them a try again. The one upside is they partner with Lufthansa and so that makes some overseas flights much better.

 

I have a friend that is a million miler on Alaska, and he loves them, but they don't often fly where I go. I think they Partner with AA, but have never really looked into it.

[Epigonos]

Air travel was once a pleasure; it is now a hassle regardless of the airline. The entire experience beginning with the TSA and ending with baggage retrieval is a pain in the ass.

 

Seats are narrower; leg room and food service are nonexistent; aisles are so narrow two people can barely pass; and passengers are frequently required to remain in their seat at all times regardless of the length of the flight. Air travel has become just like traveling in a cattle car.

 

Understanding the above I do extensive research prior to purchasing a ticket. I then buy the cheapest ticket I can find with the schedule that best fits my needs. I have NO brand loyalty. My needs are usually best met by Southwest and Alaska but I am certainly open to other carriers if I get a better deal.

[EZEtoGRU]

I fly both AA and DELTA but find Delta's FFM program almost unfathomable. And their Economy Comfort seast are economical, and edfinately NOT comfortable. Plus recently flew them on a flight where the TV (individual on the back of the seat) did NOT work. Ugh.... at least they "gifted" us the earphones.

 

UNITED does not go where I want to go... SOUTHWEST is a great airline but... again, I am not a frequent flyer on their routes.

 

Gave up on CONTINENTAL years ago. What's left????

 

USair is all that's left. I can't really speak about them as I only flew them once in the last 10 years.

 

I fly alot and currently have AA as my primary carrier and CO as my secondary. I flew UA alot until about 2002 and then gave up. United is certainly the ugly sister of the UA/CO merger(IMHO).....all soon to be United sadly. I don't fly Delta much so I cannot say what they really are like. As several posters here have mentioned, people seem to feel their frequent flyer program is not very good. In terms of on-board service, I always felt that CO was better than AA. However I feel that the AAdvantage frequent flyer program is easier to use than CO Onepass for free travel. Also I like that AA still have a first class cabin on some of thier long-haul international flights....which CO do not. Who knows how Onepass will be now that it is transitioning to UA MileagePlus.

 

I cannot speak to Southwest as I only fly carriers that have a first class cabin. People seem to like Southwest and it seems that, for the infrequent traveller, they are pretty good. Also, they are very flexible if your plans change mid-trip.....which the other legacy carriers are not (meaning hefty change fees).

[dannyboynyc]

I frequently travel between NYC and Cleveland, Ohio. I gave up on airline travel years ago and now use Amtrak. The trip is longer, but, some airline trips have taken as long on a door to door basis. The staff is much nicer. The passengers are friendlier. And, comfort is much better than on a plane.

[adriano46]

One airline I will never use again is USAir. I find their service degradeing, their treatment of clients awful (just scroll around on news blogs and you will see dozens of examples). I find their operators on the phone to be absolutely lacking in client skills and salesmanship - complete idiots.

[EZEtoGRU]

One airline I will never use again is USAir. I find their service degradeing, their treatment of clients awful (just scroll around on news blogs and you will see dozens of examples). I find their operators on the phone to be absolutely lacking in client skills and salesmanship - complete idiots.

 

Yes my one experience with them about 5 years ago was not very good.....and that was a short trip from PHX to LAX. Having said that, in many of the rankings, they seem to have improved in the last 2-3 years. Also interesting to note that, amongst commercial aviation enthusiasts, there is a view that ultimately AA and USair will merge. Talk is that USair will purchase AA from bankruptcy. If that happens, we will have three mega-carriers in the USA:

 

1) Delta (having already merged with Northwest)

2) United (currently merging with Continental)

3) American (being the merged carrier with USair)

 

The only remaining one of size would be Southwest which is primarily a domestic carrier.

[shadowcatzxxx]

I agree with almost all the negative comments above, unfortunately. Used to love Delta; now fly them only when necessary, and only because my AmEx card gets me into Delta lounges even if I'm flying coach. My current favorite is JetBlue ... although I have had occasional ghastly experiences with them as well. But when their planes are on time, their seats are significantly more comfortable than most others. Last year, I flew coast-coast one way on CO 1st class, and one way on JetBlue extra legroom. The CO plane was so old and poorly maintained that the seat was nowhere near as comfortable as the JetBlue extra legroom seat. (And the CO food sucked also; at least on JetBlue you don't expect much.) For travel around holidays, JetBlue jacks up fares mercilessly, but at off-peak times they are economical.

[ErieBear]

I absolutely LOVE Southwest. I'd rather drive 2 hours in order to catch a Southwest flight than drive 15 minutes to catch a US Air, Continental or Delta flight.

[nate_sf]

My first choice is Virgin America, second choice is Southwest. Between the two one or the other usually serves where I need to go and the prices are comparable.

 

I'm really impressed with Virgin America. The planes are new, the inflight entertainment is good, and the flight crews are pleasant and often quite attractive (!!). They also seem reliable. Downside is they have limited routes, but fly between a lot of the major markets. At SFO they fly out of the newly renovated Terminal 2, which is the best of the bunch. Often they will also offer decently priced last-minute upgrades to first class, but I've never done that.

 

Southwest is solid and reliable, and while it is "no frills" these days it does not seem that different from the others airlines other than the open seating. As others have mentioned, they are good if you have to make changes since there are no change fees or baggage fees. I'll book Southwest especially if I think there is a chance my plans might change. They don't screw around and get the job done.

[Dave]

...I am wondering which airline(s) folks like around here?

 

singapore airlines. cathay pacific is my second favorite.

oh, you meant an american airline? truth to tell, i'm not really fond of any of them.

[jimboivyo]

3) American (being the merged carrier with USair)

 

Wrong. America West was who USair merged with, not American Airlines. AA's last takeover was TWA some years ago.

[orbital sander]

Wrong. America West was who USair merged with, not American Airlines. AA's last takeover was TWA some years ago.

 

Actually, I am guessing that if you read EZE's post it refers to a rumored merger, and the resulting industry consolidation if it happens. This rumored merger has been floating around quite a bit.

 

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/AA-US-Airways-Merger-Now-More-Likely-134803043.html

[+ Charlie]

The only serious airline choices I have locally are Alaska, American, Delta, USAir and United (including Skywest); of that group, Alaska is the best. However, recently I was forced because of a cancelled AA flight to take Frontier from DC to Denver, and I was amazed at how much better it was than the others, so I was pleased to learn that Frontier is going to start flying between PSP and Denver. Virgin America is also going to inaugurate a few flights from PSP to SFO, but the hours are awful, so I probably won't try them anytime soon.

[nate_sf]

However, recently I was forced because of a cancelled AA flight to take Frontier from DC to Denver, and I was amazed at how much better it was than the others, so I was pleased to learn that Frontier is going to start flying between PSP and Denver.

 

I took Frontier for a couple of flights a few years ago when I was going back and forth to the midwest and was also impressed. Limited routes though, but if they're going where you need to go it's a good choice.

[Lohengrin1979]

I recently did a lot of traveling on several airlines (I like a bargain) and have to say that Virgin America was by far the most comfortable. Great staff, better seats, and nicer food options. United wasn't bad either but US Airways was a nightmare and I will never fly with them again if I can help it.

[bigvalboy]

singapore airlines. cathay pacific is my second favorite.

oh, you meant an american airline? truth to tell, i'm not really fond of any of them.

 

LOL Thank you Dave!!! I was getting worried about this group....Singapore Airlines, great carrier. Far superior to my usual NorthWest Airlines. Have not had any problems really with NW as I use their First Class services, however Singapores Business Class is almost like First Class at most other carriers.

[Bearman]

I personally avoid at all costs U.S. carriers if possible. The Asian carriers are the best in the world followed by a few Middle Eastern. Some European ones are also OK, but still far better than any U.S. carrier. Now the ONLY exception is Virgin America. They are the best for domestic but unfortunately they don't fly to very many places and connections are difficult since their hub is in San Francisco. They benefit mostly California residents and people who fly coat to coast.

[Samai139]

After reading all the posts and from personal experience, although limited, my conclusions are:

1. Avoid domestic carriiers.

2. Avoid any seating other than First Class.

3. Avoid living in any city other than NYC, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas or Atlanta.

4. Bottom line for me??

AVOID FLYING

[Lankypeters]

I've had decent flights on Continental, both at home and abroad. Staff are reasonably polite. Of course, it's a reality one has to purchase anything beyond a "bare bones" trip. With that as a given, I'll say their premium coach seating is comfortable (I'm tall). And their business service, which I use on flights to Europe, is very pleasant. This category offers an angled chair that makes it easy to ignore the potential chatterbox who may plunk down next to you (though in business, most passengers, who fly often, want to be left alone.) Food service offers a choice on entrees that are served with some panache (though the "plats" are not at the level of first class), and snacks, beverages and a light meal before landing follow. The console offers ports for iPads, computers and a good selection of films and music. And the staff are entirely attentive from the time they hang your coat when you board until they return it when you head out.

Like others here, I find Delta miserable and American worse than that. Jet Blue isn't bad for a Greyhound with wings.

[bigvalboy]

After reading all the posts and from personal experience, although limited, my conclusions are:

1. Avoid domestic carriiers.

2. Avoid any seating other than First Class.

3. Avoid living in any city other than NYC, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas or Atlanta.

4. Bottom line for me??

AVOID FLYING

 

How do you avoid Flying?....besides Business Class on most airlines is pretty damn good. Some will say that they only fly First Class, but seriously...Business Class can't make you happy? And as far as #3 is concerned, well don't even get me started LOL LOL you left out some great cities...what's up with that?

[Lankypeters]

I've had decent flights on Continental, both at home and abroad. Staff are reasonably polite. Of course, it's a reality one has to purchase anything beyond a "bare bones" trip. With that as a given, I'll say their premium coach seating is comfortable (I'm tall). And their business service, which I use on flights to Europe, is very pleasant. This category offers an angled chair that makes it easy to ignore the potential chatterbox who may plunk down next to you (though in business, most passengers, who fly often, want to be left alone.) Food service offers a choice on entrees that are served with some panache (though the "plats" are not at the level of first class), and snacks, beverages and a light meal before landing follow. The console offers ports for iPads, computers and a good selection of films and music. And the staff are entirely attentive from the time they hang your coat when you board until they return it when you head out.

Like others here, I find Delta miserable and American worse than that. Jet Blue isn't bad for a Greyhound with wings.

I NEGLECTED TO MENTION THE MOST COMFORTABLE ASPECT OF ALL ON CONTINENTAL BUSINESS: SEATS THAT RECLINE INTO FLAT BEDS (ALONG WITH A LIGHT COMFORTER AND A DECENTLY SIZED PILLOW. CAN BJs FROM SOME OF THE HOT ATTENDANTS BE NEXT? FOR A FEE, OF COURSE.