Favorite Airline(s)

[EZEtoGRU]

Those who still refer to United and Continental as separate airlines, as Steven does above, may want to note that United has just received permission to run both as a single airline under United's name. I flew Continental last year right after the merger was announced, and was surprised to receive a free lunch in coach. I joked to my seatmate that I bet that would stop as soon as United heard about it. Sure enough, on the return flight the following week, it was announced that they were no longer serving free food in coach.

Well they are closer to being one but not fully yet. Their received their SOC (Single Operating Certificate) on Dec 1. This means that the ATC call signs for all UA and CO flights is now United. However, from a customer interface standpoint, both names continue. I was on two CO flights yesterday and they were still refered to as Continental. On one of the flights, the FA actually announced over the PA that they will still be called Continental for a few more months and that the recent changeover to United only affected flight deck communications with ATC. The Continental website still exists.....although the Continental mobile site was taken down about a week ago. My guess is that in Feb or March 2012 it will all become United.

[bigvalboy]

My original post was meant more as a tongue in cheek snide remark than anything else,

 

Sorry Samai139...I always miss that 'tongue and cheek' thing. I take everything literally. My bad!! But I do remember the old KLM days. And as to your comments about how you get around in the 'NYC area', you must understand that I am a California boy and we just don't have access to great city like you do that are relatively close by car, train or bus. Just going North to San-Fran requires a tedious day of travel. For me to pop over to Montreal or Chicago or down to Miami, requires a flight of some sort. You Eastern boys are really spoiled but you don't know it. And our train service and bus service is virtually non-existent out here. Years ago we got brain-washed by the oil companys into thinking that the only mode of transportation was by car in SoCal, we took the bait hook line and sinker, and now we are caught in a travel waste land. Safe travels to you my friend...BVB

[KMEM]

Those who still refer to United and Continental as separate airlines, as Steven does above, may want to note that United has just received permission to run both as a single airline under United's name. I flew Continental last year right after the merger was announced, and was surprised to receive a free lunch in coach. I joked to my seatmate that I bet that would stop as soon as United heard about it. Sure enough, on the return flight the following week, it was announced that they were no longer serving free food in coach.

 

Isn't it amazing how the "bought" company quickly takes on the bottom line aspects of the buying company but delays "other" aspects until "required" to change. SW has bought Air Trans (TRS) and while they are going through the same process as UA and CO at the moment, TRS has decided to invoke the "fat" pax rule of SW. In other words if you intrude upon another's seat space they will force you to buy two seats. Personally I have no problem with this rule so long as it is fairly and reasonably used (fat chance-pun intended). However, TRS has not invoked the first bag free that also is a SW operating practice. TRS still charges for each and every checked bag and heaven help you if your bag is oversized or over weight; then they invoke the "penalty" pricing.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Steven_Draker]

I was on two CO flights yesterday and they were still refered to as Continental.

 

My guess is that in Feb or March 2012 it will all become United.

 

Or maybe sooner, EZE. I have a few flights booked in January on 'Continental' flights (well that used to be Continental) ... the CO code has disappeared and it's now a United flight. I embrace the change and love the new logo.

 

http://imgs.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/cmcginnis/2010/08/11/Unitednewlogo.jpg

[crok]

Good for you CuntCrok!

 

PLEASE Glutehole, get it right. It should be CuntCrock, you asshole.

[leigh.bess.toad]

Yes. They also absorbed Mohawk, a commuter of the day. Piedmont was based in Winston-Salem, NC; hence the name Piedmont. Allegheny was based at Pittsburgh

 

Best regards,

KMEM

 

I loved flying Piedmont. That and Eastern were my two favorites at the time.

 

And if I remember my history, when Piedmont merged with Allegheny, it caused one change in Allegheny's operation. I remember a big brouhaha about it. At the time, Allegheny only gave a cup of soda on their snack service, whereas Piedmont gave customers the full can. Much hue and cry was made over Piedmont's customers not getting their full can of soda. So Allegheny caved and started giving a full can to all their customers too.

 

Then of course there was another small carrier. Anyone else remember Ozark Airlines?

[leigh.bess.toad]

I embrace the change and love the new logo.[/color]

 

http://imgs.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/cmcginnis/2010/08/11/Unitednewlogo.jpg

 

 

As opposed to their old logo??? LOL

 

http://www.dking-gallery.com/pix/HeadShop/70FlyUnited.jpg

[+ azdr0710]

Anyone else remember Ozark Airlines?

 

definitely remember Ozark (or Krazo as my airline captain Dad said they all called it) as it was bought up by TWA, who he worked for, which was "hubbed" in STL

 

http://www.airtimes.com/cgat/usb/ozark/detail/mapoz621201.jpg

 

http://www.silentthundermodels.com/signs/images/AR008.jpg

[gallahadesquire]

Disirregardless of the actual airline, I do remember flying a DC-3 from Chicago to Peoria. At Peoria, we saw Lawrence of Arabia (first run). Mayhaps it was Krazo?

[JackTwist]

As far as domestic airlines, I prefer flying Virgin America or Southwest the most.

[EZEtoGRU]

Or maybe sooner, EZE. I have a few flights booked in January on 'Continental' flights (well that used to be Continental) ... the CO code has disappeared and it's now a United flight. I embrace the change and love the new logo.[/color]

TER]

Could be Steven. It will continue to be a gradual process. I will be on six more CO flights between today and Friday so will monitor if any more changes occur during the next week. Happy travels to Europe for you!!

[+ WilliamM]

Good Word for Lufthansa

 

Lufthansa? God Steven I hate Lufthansa...LOL Twice' date=' lost luggage in Zurich, late flights, delayed flights, which of course causes you to miss the connector in DC. which then puts you on stand-by and then routes you through O'Hare, and then puts you on a Red Eye to L.A. [b']I still have nightmares!! LOL[/b]

 

I got to Naples once and when my luggage didn't come down I asked where it was, after waiting an hour for her to find it, she finally looked at me like I had lost a magazine and calmly said "oh it looks like we left it on the runway in Zurich" REALLY??? No shit...well here's an idea...

 

 

Interesting. I have flown Lufthansa many times to Northern and Eastern Europe in the last few years, and have mostly used Lufthansa. It usually means a change of planes in Frankfurt, Munich or Dusseldorf. All the flights have been on time, never a problem with luggage, and friendly and super efficent service on board.

 

I particularly remember a flight from St. Petersberg to Munich with very little time for a change of planes in Frankfort that worked fine, despite having to get from the International terminal to the National terminal.

[Steven_Draker]

with very little time for a change of planes in Frankfort that worked fine, despite having to get from the International terminal to the National terminal.

 

Frankfurt am Main is a huge airport and I hate that long transfer from the International terminal to the Schengen Zone terminal passing thru passport control and security one more time. I try not to carry heavy hand luggage while transferring in Frankfurt. If the connection is too tight or the flight has been delayed some airlines provide a personal service with a guy waiting for you at the jet bridge to escort you promptly and efficiently to the next gate, which was a nice attention.

[buckguy]

I've been a United flyer for many years. They seem to be benefiting from the merger with Continental, if only because of better data systems---the updates come to me before they're posted at the airport. They go pretty much where I want to go and I know how things work.

 

Delta employes the dumbest or at least most passive people imaginable. The Atlanta hub is worse than elsewhere. I've had all manner of ridiculous situations--the gate changes three times for a minor delay on a Saturday afternoon (when the airport is relatively empty), the wrong aircraft arrives and they have no way of adjusting the seat assignments, etc. Northwest had been a lousy airline for years before the merger. The two of them together seem even worse than before. Delta built their reputation on their service to first class passengers--but even back in the 80s, they basically ignored coach passengers.

 

I haven't flown American in years. Their bankruptcy is mostly a way to screw employees by making it easier to change negotiated agreements with unions. I doubt that much will change. They have long been the least generous in terms of frequent flyer seats.

 

My experience with Lufthansa has been occasional over the past 20 years. I've never been very impressed with the service. A lot of people like Thai but I've also never been very impressed with them. Southwest is better in Texas than elsewhere and JetBlue seems like the most overrated airline imaginable--I was stranded in Boston with one obvious lie after another for hours. I've only flown USAirways a few times in the past several years and they've been better than in the past--I had avoided them at all costs for many years. At some point I'd like to try Singapore. I had an okay experience with Alaska recently.

 

It's funny to hear people complain about things getting worse, and then talk about things that changed a long time ago---the seats shrank about 20 years ago and haven't changed much in the interim. The staffing of gates/check-in was slashed with automation and the number of flight attendants was generally cut about 15 years ago. The food got worse through the 90s and I don't miss it all that much. The food for purchase on United seems much better than that on Delta. The switch to small planes started in the 90s and people who are surprised to ride in a small plane obviously haven't flown in 10 years. The main difference in recent years is fewer flights, more passengers, and extra fees (easy to avoid by learning to pack better). The changes that concern me more involve the outsourcing of maintenance and repair to offshore locations--I'd rather have the airlines maintain their fleets than get a crappy free meal.

[+ azdr0710]

no complaining allowed guys!....you get what you pay for!.....deregulation has been good and has been not so good........

 

great summary here:

 

Deregulating Airlines

 

In 1976, the airline industry was deregulated. Until that time, the U.S. airline industry was governed by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). Each carrier’s routes and prices were set by this government organization. The U.S. airline industry operated with a somewhat imprecise relationship between costs and revenues. Airfares were set by route in consultation with the airlines flying them according to a standard cost-plus formula. Many of the less frequently traveled routes were subsidized by the higher fares charged on the major routes. This arbitrary methodology reduced or eliminated the need to compete based on operational efficiency and consumer satisfaction. The system virtually guaranteed airline costs would be covered. Once price guarantees were lifted, there was a significant re-positioning of and restructuring within the entire industry as the airlines needed to become more efficient in order to compete.

 

The Airline Deregulation Act of 1976 opened up the U.S. airline business to free market principles, which spurred a dramatically larger, more accessible and, some say, a more affordable industry. On the positive side, deregulation opened the market to many competitors and low-cost airlines often with less frills than existed under regulation. On the negative side, many carriers disappeared through mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy. But in reality, that is the essence of the free market economy. The strong survive and the weak perish as in the animal kingdom.

 

According to the General Accounting Office (GAO), airline fares decreased by 21% from 1990 to 1998. Average airfares declined and quality of service improved at 168 of the 171 airports examined generally because of competing service from a low-fare carrier.

 

Consumers today can buy air travel today for one-half the purchasing power of a 1968 dollar, and about one-third of a 1950 dollar. I can personally remember paying $800-$900 for a round trip ticket between Los Angeles and New York in the 1970s -1980s, wherein I can fly on one of the no-frill airlines today for a fare as low as $99.

[RockCreekRunr]

I prefer American Airlines.

[KMEM]

The airlines can only reduce the number of cabin attentants by so many because the FAR's require a certain number of CA per so many pax + there is a requirement to be able to "man" the exits. Years ago, on some flights, for instance a stretch DC-8 with few passengers, there might have been more cabin attentdants than pax.

 

Was the 1968 dollar worth only twice what it is now? I remember when the fare from MEM-ORD went from $29-$33 and some folks thought the world was coming to an end. That would have been the early 1970's. In the late 1970's, one could purchase a R-T ticket from NYC to Europe for about $400 but when Freddy Laker came along suddenly one could go stand-by with excellent chances of being on board for 100 pounds one way. During that time (1970's) I saw the pound flucuate from USD par to over USD 2 during the Queen's Jubilee.

 

Of course, JetA was 11 cents (airline cost) but this was still before deregulation.

 

Even with re-regulation, those days are gone forever as are many other good and bad aspects of life then.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[+ WilliamM]

Frankfurt am Main is a huge airport and I hate that long transfer from the International terminal to the Schengen Zone terminal passing thru passport control and security one more time. I try not to carry heavy hand luggage while transferring in Frankfurt. If the connection is too tight or the flight has been delayed some airlines provide a personal service with a guy waiting for you at the jet bridge to escort you promptly and efficiently to the next gate' date=' which was a nice attention.[/color']

 

I agree. My Lufthansa flight from St. Peterburg to Munich was cancelled, thus the change of planes in Frankfurt. That was one of my first experiences with the Frankfurt airport (in 2005). Everything worked out on the evening flights. It was lucky that I had knew to how to take the train from the airport to downtown Munich given that it was almost midnight when the plane landed. I almost never take taxis to-or-from airports.

[+ WilliamM]

 

Was the 1968 dollar worth only twice what it is now?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

 

Absolutely not. I had a prof in grad school who was rumored to be making $30,000 a year; her students thought that was a huge salary at a large state university in 1967. My first job in 1970 paid about $10,000, and I could live well on that much money. I flew to Europe twice in the early 1970s for about $250-$300 (RT). It was easy to get student tickets through a service w/ ads in the NY Times travel section, even if you were not still a student.

[+ Charlie]

Absolutely not. I had a prof in grad school who was rumored to be making $30,000 a year; her students thought that was a huge salary at a large state university in 1967. My first job in 1970 paid about $10,000, and I could live well on that much money. I flew to Europe twice in the early 1970s for about $250-$300 (RT). It was easy to get student tickets through a service w/ ads in the NY Times travel section, even if you were not still a student.

$30K certainly was a good salary for a professor in 1967. I was one then, too, and my salary was $6850. To put things in perspective, my rent on 2 bedroom apartment in a hi-rise with a doorman was $195/mo., and I bought a new car in 1969 for $1725.

[KMEM]

$30K certainly was a good salary for a professor in 1967. I was one then, too, and my salary was $6850. To put things in perspective, my rent on 2 bedroom apartment in a hi-rise with a doorman was $195/mo., and I bought a new car in 1969 for $1725.

 

And, it was in the NYC area and it wasn't rent controlled?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[+ Charlie]

And, it was in the NYC area and it wasn't rent controlled?

 

Best regards,

KMEM

 

No, it was in downtown Philadelphia, which doesn't have rent control. It was a very nice building; the penthouse had its own swimming pool.

[KMEM]

No, it was in downtown Philadelphia, which doesn't have rent control. It was a very nice building; the penthouse had its own swimming pool.

 

Still, not an inexpensive place to live. I was not being sarcastic, only asking the question. Thanks.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[JoeBlow]

Back to the OP's question: I prefer flying American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

[whyamihere]

Not my favorite

 

Air Mobility Command.

Take-offs were usually fine - landings were sometimes "stressful"

 

 

No - I wasn't in 82nd - but I have done this.