I saw the topic on drinks on flights, so I thought I'd get a somewhat related topic going as well. What airlines do you monkeys prefer (from a passenger's perspective). I used to be a diehard Virgin America fan (live in SF, flew often to India on its partner, Emirates). However since the Alaska merger, I decided to consider other options.
Frankly the top three (United, American, Delta) all have been aggressively stepping up their game with the increase in competition from abroad. United in my opinion has some of the ugliest interiors of the planes, as compared to American which has a slick look or Delta who has mood lighting and modern features on the majority of its planes (United has just started updating its fleet's interiors and American still has the giant surplus of garbage ex-US Airways planes). However, how is the service on these airlines? How often are delays? How good is the route network? How good are the partnerships (Star Alliance vs. Oneworld vs. Skyteam)?
What do you guys think?
Alaska still has bar none the best mileage accrual and transfer partner awards. The only major airline crediting based on distance flow rather than fare paid.
I credit every flight to Alaska (Including American and up until the partnership ends with Delta). I can regularly fly to Asia in Cathay Pacific first class for 70K miles one way which the other big 3 airlines can't even touch with their awful award charts.
Interesting, so you prefer using Alaska's partnerships to your advantage?
Yes. They have a ton of partners like Cathay, Emirates, Japan Airlines who have great biz/first class products and their award amounts are far less than one would find on American, Delta or United.
I live on the east coast and I still credit everything I can to Alaska.
I fly America, but that's a function if PHL and ORD being hubs. Delta has a decent product. IMO, most domestics are the same and I fly America because I have status and club access. Unless you're flying international it's not that much different. Although Polaris looks sick and Jet Blues business class product looks great.
Most fly to airline that best fits location-wise. For me, out of ORD it is United. I dont like United, but I have a fairly large amount of points there so I'll stick with it. I will probably be heading to Europe in May so I look forward to seeing how much better Polaris is.
Note: There is an argument to be made for flying the less popular airlines from your hub, especially if you're a mid-tier traveler. Coming out of ORD you basically have to be Global Services to get upgraded on the major routes, it's awful. The few flights I've taken on Fridays from Shanghai to O'Hare - the Global Services passengers outnumber the 1K and Platinum. If I were flying Delta into Chicago I'd have worse routes/times, but better experience. On United I have better routes, but worse experience.
That's interesting. However you might not see Polaris as the actual product (the seat) is only one aircraft currently, but at the least you'll see the lounge at ORD.
To be honest, I'd rather have a worse experience. Im a huge aviation geek so flying is always fun for me, but I do notice the comfort aspect vs. the time.
ha big surprise here, too bad trump doesnt have an airline
Yeah location is a biggie. I fly out of SFO, and while United has a hub there, there is a major presence of all three carriers there so I can probably get anywhere in the world with around 1 stop, regardless of which airline.
Polaris does look nice, do you fly business class a lot? Unfortuntaely Polaris is only on one aircraft (United's brand new 777-300er, they previously only had the -200er) but in the near future it'll be out.
American. Started with them and no point in switching now. Plus they have daily direct flights to NYC
They are great for JFK. I love new york so I'm thinking if I stick with American, I can always make the transcontinental SFO-JFK, spend a day in NYC, and then take a commuter out of LGA to school.
Living in Houston, it's a split between Southwest and United. I travel less for work than I used to, but having status on United definitely shifts preference in that direction. For domestic personal travel, Southwest out of Hobby is just easy.
That's cool. Hobby seems pretty nice, especially since IAH is so big/far.
It may not have the amenities of many larger airports (lounges, high-end restaurants, a Brooks Brothers in case you spill coffee on your shirt mid-flight, etc), but the recent remodeling/expansion was done well. There's a very relaxed, chilled-out vibe in the terminal, and the new international concourse is basically a tiki bar with some planes flying in/out.
Jet Blue, I'm tall and I love the extra leg room and tv in the seat head, I will always buy jet blue tickets even if they are not the cheapest. I fly out of NYC.
I also like Delta, flight attendants are pretty good. I used to only fly Continental.
Continental was the best in the business before merging with United.
Call me too young, but I've never flown Continental in my life.
JetBlue is great! I love their Mint aircraft. However, their destinations are too limited for me, out of SFO, but a great option for those out of BOS/JFK
Ha, you are right on both accounts. You are probably "too young" to have flown, and Jet Blue is great for NE corridor.
Delta has a great fleet, and pricing isn't terrible. I stick to Southwest based on hubs I fly out. Also have a ton of miles with SW.
Really not a huge fan of American in general. Flew Air New Zealand about 3 years back, premium economy or whatever they call it, was an awesome flight from London to LAX. comfortable seat and tons of movies / food. Would do so again.
Delta's fleet is great! I never fly SWA because I fly coast to coast or international only, but I love their strategy. (Reeks of profit)
Emirates is the best experience i've had
I totally agree, flying economy never felt like that. Business comparable only to Singapore Airlines.
I fly Emirates a lot to visit family in India. I fly international a lot more, and I actually prefer Cathay/Singapore to emirates economy. I just really hate the 16 hour leg and being constantly stuffed with food (shit is great tho). I've seen their service degrade a bit though. I also don't respect them as a business, but that is a different issue because their service is definitely one of the best.
However god bless their business/first class. On the A380, I can't even go up to see it, but it makes the aura much cooler. Just trying to grind it out and land a good/successful career so maybe one day I'll be on the upper deck.
Edit:- Also add British Airways - they've got the most solid transatlantic flights I've enjoyed
Um, story?
Try that in a Cessna 172 with no autopilot, and you're the pilot ;)
The free for all that is Southwest seating really brings out the underbelly of America.
I don't fly SWA because I'm a coast to coast flier/international, but hey at least their business model is great.
I've actually flown Southwest in consulting even though I have status with United. Firms pay for the premium boarding or whatever it's called. Still cheaper for the firm than the other airlines and you get up front. I prefer United (only because I have status and get upgraded half the time) or Jetblue but Southwest is a solid option.
Does NetJets count?
Was going to comment something similar. Love NetJets, as well as friend's Dassault 8X when traveling together. I pick a Dassault over a GS any day of the week
You have friends who are pretty damn rich.
Please tell me more. I'm in love with Business Aviation. Although to @Macro Bruin, Gulfstreams are way better. That may be my inner-pilot in me talking, but I would much rather have my hands on the controls of a rocketship like the G3 or G5, than a three engine cruiseliner. I'm not really at the stage where I can judge the differences of Dassault and Gulfstream from a passenger's perspective, but hopefully my studies pay off and one day I'll be able to. Thanks for sharing you two :)
I fly United because my dad was a UAL pilot. Really shouldn't have allegiance to them given they completely fucked the pilots when the co went b/k, but I do it out of habit I guess... Spent a lot of my childhood annoying 1st class flight attendants on international flights so I guess I feel I owe them somehow. Also the delays feel quite modest compared to getting bumped off a dozen flights in a row as a standby.
That's cool to hear. Yeah I heard United is a shitshow with overselling its flights.
I usually fly American, but think they all equally suck. I've never tried any of the Middle Eastern airlines, though.
Emirates and Qatar airways are the best
Thanks for sharing. I don't respect the middle eastern airlines as businesses, but I'll admit you need to try them; they're great.
Ok, I'll bite. Why do you not respect the Middle Easter airlines as businesses? Not trying to argue- just curious.
Ba for me, or American when I'm stateside. Delta has scared me one too many times, plus, their air hostesses, are mirrors really that expensive!
That's a good combo for me tbh. I'm leaning towards American between school and home, BA for study-abroad, and CX for family
Southwest, because picking your own seat last minute is dope. Never know what you're in for
I've actually started taking middle seats on my 1 - 1.5 hour flights, just so I can get off the plane first.
To that I would say, you're sick. But the market doesn't care what I say. The Southwest seat market says, BreakingRich you take that middle seat if you feel like getting off the plane faster. That's the beauty of this airline. Pure, last-minute optionality
I always try to sit between two skinny chicks, right smack in the middle. You never know...
Skinny chicks? On Southwest? Good one.
United. Economy Plus is a great value for that extra legroom. And I fly NYC to Chicago/SF mostly. The service isnt is too bad either
I live next to a tiny airport that only has Delta... So Delta.
in college flew a lot with sports and took most airlines at least once. All in all most are similar, preferred Jet blue and American with TVs in the head rest. Most have wifi now which is huge. Personally like to take jet blue on my own travel if in the US and anything for work i'm looking for convenience
For domestic economy, hands down JetBlue. Free wifi, relatively big legroom, fast boarding process, and earns free flights fastest.
Wait, I thought WSO ballers only flew private...
Southwest domestic. And I usually only ever fly domestic so Southwest always. I have the Companion Pass so my girlfriend can fly for free whenever I buy a fare (even with points), so that's a huge motivator to stay with them. I also have enough status to get free wifi and avoid the musical chairs nightmare that they call boarding. Lastly, the option to cancel and re-book tickets up to 10 minutes before departure has saved during a few times when I've overslept or get stuck in traffic on my way to the airport.
I flew Singapore Air to Europe this winter and loved it too. Was able to fly Southwest to NYC, taking my girlfriend with me for free, and then bought the SingAir tickets to Europe out of JFK. It ended up saving a combined $800 each way on tickets.
Took Norwegian transatlantic in December too and liked flying on the new Dreamliners.
Though SWA is reliable, cheap, and flexible, I really don't like the customer base that flies Southwest. It's pretty obnoxious when someone comes up to you, asks your boarding number, and they jostle to get one spot in line in front of you like it's some sort of status symbol. Having said that, I always got a kick out of saying "are you first class" as a way to get past some pleb in Boarding Group C crowding the jetway the second boarding starts back when I was Delta Platinum. It was pretty funny listening to my Boston colleagues bemoaning the fact that Southwest started sharing a terminal with Delta at Logan.
Lol at your Southwest comments, 100% agree. Can't stand when people freak out over 1 spot. Especially on short flights. I will say that its pricing has increased somewhat over the past few years. Far less often do I get those $59 flights.
Delta. The on-time and cancellations statistics are head and shoulders above all the other domestic carriers, and that's what matters to me most. I also think the in flight product is pretty good and relatively consistent. Admittedly their frequent flier program is pretty awful, though American and United seem intent on matching their devaluations and racing to the bottom.
Being in consulting, its a pretty big decision which airline you are going to pledge allegiance. Historically, I always flew American (U.S. Airways), because that's what my dad flew and I enjoyed it since he has Platinum status. However, starting out on my own and from the bottom of the totem pole, I had to pick which Airline I would have the best opportunity to maximize my points and not suffer the pledging process of shitty seats for each flight.
Being based out of NYC, I went with JetBlue since they fly anywhere from here. A lot of people throw shade because technically they are considered a "Budget Airline"; however, they have the cleanest planes, TV at every seat, free wifi, and the best leg-room in any seat. Also, if you use a JetBlue credit card, you earn a ton of points when your booking travel. It takes a little longer to attain status since they only have one level, but the perks of no cancellation fees, priority boarding, upgrades, free booze, no checked bag fees, personal help hotline, etc. are worth the effort. They are currently in the process of upgrading their fleet and if you have the opportunity to fly on a plane with their luxury class "MINT", then definitely give it a try.
Delta and American are great options but the higher cost of the ticket makes it tougher to redeem your points for free flights.
If you are serious about looking into comparisons, thepointsguy(dot)com has some great insight into the different statuses of the Airlines and which ones are worth the most.
I LOVE Jetblue, flew them in Boston before business school, but the big downside is no real international rewards (Caribbean is great but I prefer Europe). I'm starting consulting as well in 2 weeks but I don't really have a choice (Houston). It's either United or connections (hell naw).
Airline membership??? Delta? (Originally Posted: 06/22/2015)
Just got a job with GE Capital that requires an extensive amount of travel. Anyone in the southern CT/NYC area have any advice on airline memberships? I heard Delta was good? Also wondering which airport in the area is the best. I appreciate any insight.
I'm based in SF and I fly Delta or United. The airline you use is really just a function of where you are and where you travel to the most. United has hubs everywhere I frequent except NYC...and no way in hell am I stepping foot in Newark..yuck.
If you're going to be doing any serious amount of traveling, you absolutely want to familiarize yourself with the best blog on all things membership rewards: The Points Guy. He's got an insane amount of knowledge on credit card, hotel, and airline rewards, and the amount of information available through the archives there is stunning.
There's one post I bookmarked awhile ago that has an up-to-date comparison of all the rewards. (Link here, I have no idea how to format on the new WSO: http://thepointsguy.com/2014/10/comparison-of-airline-elite-status-whic…)
The general gist is that you want to pick one airline that you'll be remarkably loyal to. If you travel internationally, not only is the airline you pick important, but the air alliance as well. Nearly every large airline worldwide is a member of one of three major alliances: the Star Alliance, Oneworld, or SkyTeam. Check Wikipedia for more.
Casey Neistat has a great video online explaining how the American program works. Link here:
You're right to say that Delta is good. They have good customer service (as far as airlines go), the Delta Shuttle between NYC, BOS, DCA, and ORD is a godsend for business travel, and their rewards program is good (not as good as American's though).
Hope these resources are helpful. Ultimately you have to determine what makes the most sense for you; e.g. United might not be a great option for you if you're in CT given that they moved their p.s. service to Newark from JFK. Be smart though; make sure you get a Starwood Preferred membership set up, and be vigilant for ways to scheme the system with incentives to open new credit cards, particularly the airline or hotel branded ones.
Safe travels.
Additional comments to the above post:
Delta is generally regarded as having the worst FF program, so keep that in mind if you go with them and hope to redeem award flights with ease.
I'd read boardingarea.com instead of TPG only... lots of other good bloggers out there with better content at times than Brian (VFTW, FTG, MP, MMM, etc.).
Agree with focusing on Starwood - definitely the best hotel program, and you can transfer to airline partners if needed. I like Hyatt too because of their redemption rates.
I'd also build up your Chase UR balance, especially if you can book everything on your personal card and get reimbursed (probably not an option at GE, but I don't know). My favorite program by far, for their transfer partners and ease of building up balances with credit card bonuses.
I've got a significant miles balance with American and haven't been unhappy with them. So far their service post-merger has been consistently better than the competition and their rewards program works fairly well.
On a side note, I'd also suggest looking into a credit card meant for travel rewards. I did a lot of research and comparison, and I ended up with the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard - I've been more than satisfied.
This. Get a CC that is co-branded with an airline. It's an easy way to get +50k miles right off the bat and earn miles at a higher rate.
Are you expensing (sp?) the miles on your personal card, getting a company card, or is a travel rep doing it? This is something to consider when looking at which card(s) to get.
I've done significant travel abroad using United and the rewards were decent enough for me to earn a few free trips.
frattiest airline? (Originally Posted: 01/27/2007)
southwest, no doubt
Virgin America, though the other domestics are upping their game.
Are you serious? That's the dumpiest airline (fratty does not always equate to dumpy). Frattiest airline (and route, for that matter) is the U.S. Air Reagan National/LGA shuttle.
www.eosairlines.com
my dad took it to london a few weeks ago and said it was one of the frattiest commercial flights he's ever taken.
ryanair
YES! Ryanair. Their CEO is a drunken Irishman thats just as likely to beat the shit out of his competition with his fists than with his airline. That, and their commercials are probably the most salacious I've ever seen.
total frat move.
definitely ryanair. How those planes don't crash I don't know.
Anyone who has flown to Las Vegas friday night via Southwest will tell you it's the craziest flight you'll ever take. Literally everyone on the plane is trying to get hammered before the plane touches down. It's loud and very lively.
The funniest part is you literally fly back home with the same group of people Sunday, but it's completely silent lol.
this whole frattiest thing is beyond gay
you must be from a tier 4 or 5 frat. news flash: paying for your friends is not cool
I thought they teach tolerance at Andover these days.
Heard Malaysia Airlines is pretty reliable.
Interesting. I can't seem to find their flights.
You haven't heard of Air Koryo. Most reliable flights with the hottest females on board.
United. Built up status in the analyst days and have been growing it since. Free EconomyPlus is huge. My experience is they really work to take care of elites - can't say much for infrequent fliers...
London based so for the European perspective
For Transatlantic/Middle East -BA: some business class seats are facing backwards, still not sure how I feel about that. Its fun if you are with partner/friend and then can chat face to face. Economy on new planes to Dubai isn't half bad actually. I am 6'3" and dint feel too uncomfortable.
-AA: business in the new planes (NY-LHR) is great (lie-flat etc), but have been caught off guard when flying out of Chicago and got what seemed like just a large economy seat
-Delta/United: never flown them, I guess just a cultural thing, just never really wanted to
-Virgin Atlantic: it feels a lot slicker than other airlines, upper class food is great and the bar is really nice (only airline i routinely go and drink with strangers at the bar). The movie selection could be better and the bed is a bit of a hassle (you need to get up and flip it over etc). Premier economy is also a nice option to have, although not good enough for an overnight flight
-Emirates: first class on the A380 is what it says on the tin. Can't beat it. Only ever flew once but whole experience from the limo pickup to your own security checks etc, definitely could get used to it
-Etihad: did a 8hr+4hr once in economy and it wasn't half bad
For European based flights: -Austrian Airlines still my favourite. Will always have a soft spot in my heart from childhood -Easyjet: prices now like a regular airline, but the option of purchasing a croq monsieur on board is always a plus in my book -BA: seats are absolutely tiny, leg room an issue
For anything in the Northern Hemisphere, and excluding the low-cost airlines:
Start out West - the US - where the airlines are categorically atrocious, and keep moving East for better quality.
US (Terrible) -- Europe/Turkey (okay, you get what you pay for) -- GCC (excellent, a tad unprofessional) -- Far East (the best)
Then pick based on airline alliances (OneWorld works out best for me in my relevant locations).
Would recommend to anyone Norwegian Air. Can't beat the price for transatlantic flights, new planes, comfortable and great service.
For flights within Europe, they have free Wi-Fi. So it is a low-cost but it is far better than any large airline.
If you are going to book a transatlantic flight, make sure you enter their Norwegian or Swedish page as the price will be around 20% cheaper!!
Flew them a couple years ago intentionally. Pretty good. Wow airline is another with that same kind of business model.
I fly alot internationally outside of work. I'd say if your interested in the APAC and the US OW is hard to beat. Especially their FF program, I'm top-tier with OW and Star Alliance and I find OW a more consistent product/experience across the branding. Access to premium lounges; upgrades and also alot less competing flyers at the top tiers to nag those upgrades. However I prefer Star Alliance when travelling around Europe.
Not to mention it's not that hard to keep Platinum/OWE with QF or OW E in general.. Benefit of QF is also the Emirates code-share been upgraded numerous times on quite a few routes however that isn't open to OW members just QF.
OW/Star Alliance > Skyteam imo.
I'm not going to comment on domestic US airline routes, I find it terrible in general, of course I've never flown on J in these routes so this is for Economy domestic.
Emirates is great for international but SQ is really nice, especially if you can get the 250k+ spend a year for PPS elite. They really treat you like royalty. However the Dubai mandatory connection isn't always ideal depending on your route. However if your spending so much... i'd assume you'd find better alternatives.
For International Business in my exp (Haven't flowed AA in J domestic only international)
Emirates/Singapore (Excellent) Cathay Pacific (Good) Qantas/BA (Bad)
For premium economy
Qantas/Cathay/Air NZ are some of my favourites. (Check out Air NZ seats!)
Will second Air NZ for premium economy. Closest thing to business you can get without only getting 2 extra inches of legroom.
International Biz on BA sucked for my LAX - London flight, but their 1st is pretty good. Lounges are great depending on where you are (their lounge in Istanbul is awesome, one of the lounges a Heathrow isn't half bad either)
The thing I more-so don't like much about BA/QF and similar worser with the American airlines in J is their in-consistent product in terms of service when flying J.
I find the Asian airlines and the Middle-East always perform well when it comes to customer service. At least in J,never flew F on any airline except QF once so I can't comment on that unfortunately.
Will agree the lounges on BA are fairly well done above par. I think some of them also have a SPA treatment? But everytime I go to make a booking it's always filled out! :(
I've been flying to Asia a lot lately for vacations, networking, and interviews and I have to say Cathay, Singapore, Japan, and ANA are good if you're flying to Asia. Flew Asiana last time because it was the cheapest tix when I bought it, and jesus... every flight was delayed by at least two hours... Also Qatar is pretty good, but that 16h15m flight from DOH to LAX in economy was brutal.
I have a Delta American Express card so often I fly Delta/its partners. Once I run out of miles I'm debating switching to something else. Delta is rarely the cheapest flight, and they just don't seem worth it. Plus they lose my luggage constantly. Especially when they fly through Paris-Charles De Gaulle. I dunno what it is about those french Delta workers but they must always be on strike lol.
My favorite is Delta, with no hesitations.
I'm a recent Alaska Air convert since I moved to the west coast and they have the best customer service and points plan, by far. There's a reason they're always ranked as the #1 US carrier.
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