Favorite Airline

What is your favorite airline? America, Delta, LIAT, BWI, Southwest, United, Virgin, other? Tell us your good and bad experiences and you choice.

Let me start by saying United is NOT my favorite. Here's just one example why:
My wife went to a conference in New Orleans this week. She was supposed to fly back last night and we are supposed to be at an out of state wedding early this afternoon. I was a little concerned because basically, the airlines suck. So does O'hare where the stats for being on time is about the same as the stats of the weather man predicting rain accurately.

Anyway, the plane she was supposed to take arrived in New Orleans late. The reason it was late was because it was held up in Chicago by air traffic control, or rather ground control. In other words, normal operating procedure for Chicago. Planes are often lined up ten or twelve deep on the runway while waiting for takeoff. When the plane arrived almost two hours late in New Orleans, they told her it was due to weather. That's BS!!! The very brief thunderstorm didn't hit Chicago until over an hour AFTER the plane had left. Had it taken off when it was supposed to, it would have landed in New Orleans before the weather even got to Chicago. United claimed that the plane would turn be refueled and the passengers loaded in only 10 minutes and be back to its proper schedule. That's BS too. Everyone knows the ground crews can't fill the fuel tanks that fast and, even if they could, they aren't allowed to move that fast. Their union won't allow it. After another delay, United cancelled her flight "due to weather". By that time, there was a pretty big system between Chicago and New Orleans so for once they spoke the truth in their own twisted way. You see, had they kept to their original schedule though, the plane would not only have been able to leave New Orleans, it would have landed in Chicago before the weather got to New Orleans. M

My wife proceeded to the ticket counter where she was told they would re-book her automatically. A little while later, she got an email saying they put her on a flight and she would just have to wait 60 hours. That's 2.5 days later! They also wouldn't pay for the hotel because it was a weather related cancellation.

And they wonder why their customers want to go postal on them! Idiots. The plane was sitting there on ground. Why the heck couldn't she get on her own plane the next morning? (The plane was NOT scheduled to do a turn around flight later last night. I checked.) I think I'm about done with United. American isn't any better either.

On the other hand, I've never had a bad experience on Southwest. So, that would have to be my choice.

I have had a great experience with Jet Blue. NY to Fl.


I have used American Airlines to fly to England and will never use them again. The restrooms in coach failed and they refused to allow us commoners to use the one working bathroom in first class. The
head flight attendant refused to allow us in coach to use it. Eight hours without a bathroom!! Never again. I'll never use them again.

asking what is my favorite airline is like asking what is my favorite way to die!

I don't care which airline I fly ... I'm really into the groping and feeling thing beforehand and that puts me into a good mood regardless of who I fly :))

BTW, I'm a United Airline million miler ... if I never see the inside of an airplane again it is too soon!

That's a difficult question for me to answer,seeing as I work for an airline :) (USAirways). And I'm flying out to HQ in Phoenix on tuesday.

They were my client for the last 12 years before I jumped ship and started working for them, still work from home though...

United were one of my clients too, so I spent quite a bit of time at their HQ in Chicago. I agree with O'Hare, I try to avoid that place at all costs.

I wont even fly again no way im going to help support the nazi security that runs the airports. i refuse to show my i.d. at the unconstitutional checkpoints either. i also never pay fines i take it all the way to a jury trial and make myself as much a pita as i can. cops are not supposed to be money collectors or constitutional violators.

As a followup, while Southwest got to Denver 10 minutes early but the connecting flight to Milwaukee landed 20 minutes late giving us oly 30 minutes to change clothes and drive to the north end of downtown to get to the wedding... and missed the processional. On the other hand, if airlines stopped making people fly to Denver to get from New Orleans to Chicago, I bet the air fares would be less. One of the biggest costs is fuel and making someone travel double the distance makes no sense at all. What is amazing though is that going arriving via Denver was still half the cost as arriving via Atlanta on another carrier even though Atlanta is only a little out of the way. I guess pricing comes down to whatever the market will bear.

I think Southwest would be my airline of choice. They seem to care about their paying customers and making flying less of a PITA. No change fees for example.

Having been a pilot myself for an oil company and having flown just about everything up to King Airs and Aero Commanders I don't feel safe on any airline. Those idiots in front MIGHT have as many hours as I had or they may have more bu I don't know what they are doing up there.

Nope, I just wish I were still flying myself. It is a lot safer.

You guys don't inspire confidence.:D I'm going to be taking my first flight ever in September to San Francisco. Prefer to drive everywhere to take in the scenery. My Father was a pilot just for fun and I'm told he used to take me up in a Bi-plne as a child. I don't remember any of it, but I'm guessing that's why I have a little fear of it.;) Hope my experience is better. My kids have flown Southwest a couple of times without a problem, but don't know if they have a direct flight to SF.

I've been in an airplane 3 times in my life. 1st time it was a Cessna 150 at age 13. It was a demo flight lesson. Best high I've ever had. Amazing experience.

2nd time was a flight to Texas out of Midway. No delays, no hassles but that was in 87'.

Last trip was in 00' or 01' to a LAN party out west. Again flew out of Midway but I did see something that royally pissed me off. You see I brought my system with me which was a P4 system in an Antec SX 1040B case (SoHo tower) and my 55 lb 19" monitor. As the monitor was in a big box it was easy to spot as they loaded it onto the plane. Their form of loading? The loader ROLLED the box into the cargo bay!!! Got to the LAN party and discovered my monitor had huge patches of green & blue screen bloom (off color areas in the screen image). I was not a happy camper...

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Originally Posted by Crazybob

You guys don't inspire confidence.:D I'm going to be taking my first flight ever in September to San Francisco. Prefer to drive everywhere to take in the scenery. My Father was a pilot just for fun and I'm told he used to take me up in a Bi-plne as a child. I don't remember any of it, but I'm guessing that's why I have a little fear of it.;) Hope my experience is better. My kids have flown Southwest a couple of times without a problem, but don't know if they have a direct flight to SF.

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I'm the same way. ould rather drive than fly anyday. Not because of any fear really, but just because you miss everything in-between when you fly. Like you said, i like to take in the scenery.

I have flown Delta, American, Braniff (no longer exists), Quantas and Virgin. Never had any issues with any of them as far as being delayed or any fear the plane would fall apart. But the joke of an airline called Virgin can go to hell :p I flew Virgin from Melbourne to Launceston (Australia) and the whole flight all they did was try to sell me stuff. Passed out magazines of all the overpriced garbage i could purchase on the plane. The stewardesses talked about it, the pilot talked about it over the intercom. Holy hell get me off this plane!

Edit: btw, i'll be DRIVING to San Fran early next month. It's also nice not having to rent a car when you get to where you're going, not to mention the money saved.

You haven't experienced flight until you fly the dear old Columbian airline, Avianca. I flew in a 747 from Miami to Bogata Columbia. My seat was in the last row near the back door. As we got up to altitude people started walking around and I started hearing a strange whistling noise. After doing a little exploring I looked closely at the back door. It had a large, and very noisy pressure leak. People were standing next to this door. I talked to one of the stewardesses and mentioned the leak and she told me not to worry, it was going on for several flights now. Needless to say I moved to a different seat and spent the rest of the flight with a seat belt on tightly. I could just see the door seal blowing out.

Duke's airlines are the best. :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6vEcRV9FAc