Z'Loth Posted March 22, 2018 #1 Share Posted March 22, 2018 I'm looking at traveling cross-country this fall from Sacramento, CA to Miami, FL. Unfortunately, according to the airline price check engines, the lowest-priced options is United and Delta. I'm already traveling on a Monday for a Friday cruise departure, and don't even plan on taking anything earlier than a 11 AM flight back home. Non-stop? LOL So, which is the better of the two airlines -- United or Delta? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted March 22, 2018 #2 Share Posted March 22, 2018 I would go with the lower cost of the two coupled with the flight times you are happy with. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach1213 Posted March 22, 2018 #3 Share Posted March 22, 2018 I rarely fly on either, but they're fairly similar, as is American (who I do usually fly). It would depend on other factors...if price were the same, I would base it on time...if time was the same, I would base it on aircraft...if aircraft were the same, I would base it on connection point...and so on, and so forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach1213 Posted March 22, 2018 #4 Share Posted March 22, 2018 I'm looking at traveling cross-country this fall from Sacramento' date=' CA to Miami, FL. Unfortunately, according to the airline price check engines, the lowest-priced options is United and Delta. I'm already traveling on a Monday for a Friday cruise departure, and don't even plan on taking anything earlier than a 11 AM flight back home. Non-stop? LOL So, which is the better of the two airlines -- United or Delta?[/quote'] If you want a nonstop, you can hope over to SFO where two airlines fly the route nonstop. It's up to you if that would be worth it. Sacramento to Miami would be a nearly impossible route for an airline to justify nonstop when you have both SFO and OAK next door (OAK currently doesn't have any MIA nonstops, but has a bigger global network overall than SMF, by far) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted March 22, 2018 #5 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Chevy vs Ford, Burger King vs McDonalds, Starbucks vs Peets. It is all personal opinion. As Keith and Zach1213 said, focus on convenience and timing of schedules, and then fares. Particularly if in Coach...domestic airlines doesn't vary much in Coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flymia Posted March 22, 2018 #6 Share Posted March 22, 2018 There is not a huge difference, but I prefer Delta. They tend to have decent service and the ATL hub is an easy hub to connect in. Remember to search fares to both MIA and FLL. There is no non-stops from Sacramento. If you search FLL you might find a decent option on Southwest Airlines. Also can check out JetBlue to FLL which is by far my favorite U.S. domestic airline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach1213 Posted March 22, 2018 #7 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Chevy vs Ford, Burger King vs McDonalds, Starbucks vs Peets. The correct answers are : Honda Burger King Peets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6rugrats Posted March 22, 2018 #8 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Doesn't much matter. Just choose the one with the best schedule. I wouldn't pick flights with two connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted March 22, 2018 #9 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Depends whether you have two legs or four. If the latter, take Delta - they will send you to Tokyo. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach1213 Posted March 22, 2018 #10 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Depends whether you have two legs or four. If the latter, take Delta - they will send you to Tokyo. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'Loth Posted March 23, 2018 Author #11 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Although I could fly out of SFO instead of SMF,, the traffic and the added time would clearly offset any savings. I ended up purchasing my ticket today. $324 total for the round trip tickets with the flight leaving Sacramento at 8 AM and FLL at 1 PM isn't too terribly bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted March 23, 2018 #12 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Domestic differences are less of an issue than international where, IMO, you get the most coverage/flexibility/etc from Star Alliance partners (which includes United, Lufthansa et al.) Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach1213 Posted March 23, 2018 #13 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Although I could fly out of SFO instead of SMF' date=', the traffic and the added time would clearly offset any savings. I ended up purchasing my ticket today. $324 total for the round trip tickets with the flight leaving Sacramento at 8 AM and FLL at 1 PM isn't too terribly bad.[/quote'] $324 to fly entirely across one of the world's largest countries and then fly back across one of the world's biggest countries on a (likely fairly new) aircraft worth $50 to $100 million dollars plus maintenance, fuel, and other operating costs plus air and ground crew all earning wages is pretty good to me ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted March 23, 2018 #14 Share Posted March 23, 2018 $324 to fly entirely across one of the world's largest countries and then fly back across one of the world's biggest countries on a (likely fairly new) aircraft worth $50 to $100 million dollars plus maintenance, fuel, and other operating costs plus air and ground crew all earning wages is pretty good to me ;) At the reasonable approx. federal reimbursement rate of 50 cents/mile for authorized use of a personal car (gas, maintenance, insurance, tires, "wear and tear," depreciation), a 6000 mi DIY automotive round trip (Sac to Miami) would cost $3000. Add to that the value of your time and cost of meals/lodging/tolls/parking enroute and it's easy to understand how a $324/person airline ticket is a comparable bargain. In fact, it's easy to see how a $750 bizclass RT ticket is a bargain as well. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane.in.ny Posted March 23, 2018 #15 Share Posted March 23, 2018 I have to admit the title of this thread gave me my morning chuckle. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggins0402 Posted March 23, 2018 #16 Share Posted March 23, 2018 $324 to fly entirely across one of the world's largest countries and then fly back across one of the world's biggest countries on a (likely fairly new) aircraft worth $50 to $100 million dollars plus maintenance, fuel, and other operating costs plus air and ground crew all earning wages is pretty good to me ;) We just flew home from PVR a few days ago. Economy was about 2/3 full. I started assuming average revenue and thinking about costs and wondered how they manage to do as well as they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggins0402 Posted March 23, 2018 #17 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Domestic differences are less of an issue than international where, IMO, you get the most coverage/flexibility/etc from Star Alliance partners (which includes United, Lufthansa et al.) Sent from my iPhone using Forums Really, can't the same be said for Skyteam and Oneworld? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach1213 Posted March 23, 2018 #18 Share Posted March 23, 2018 We just flew home from PVR a few days ago. Economy was about 2/3 full. I started assuming average revenue and thinking about costs and wondered how they manage to do as well as they do. Are you basing it off that one flight? A few months ago, I was on a flight that had about 8 people on a 75 seat regional jet...based on that, one would assume the airline is doing horrible. However, I also know that all of my other flights in the last few months have been almost at, at, or above capacity (the latter resulting in denied boarding's, of course). In 2017, the average load factor for US airlines was 82.46%...so your 66.67% was definitely under average. That number could be even higher, depending on the airline (Southwest and American, for example, were more at 84%; Delta nearly 87%) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted March 23, 2018 #19 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Oneworld is great going to Asia and AU. They have partners with Qantas, JAL, Cathay Pacific that combined can get you any where in great fashion. I believe they are the best option going west. Europe is a different beast. LHR can be a crowded beast especially coming in one terminal, fighting the bus ride to another, and then having to redo inspections. LHR is also the shortest hop, meaning you get less sleep on the plane , particularly in BC, than going further on continent. Iberia seems to rarely offer good pricing options unless your going to Spain. Finnish Air’s hub is out of the way and risky Nov- early May. I fly AA regularly to Europe, but only when I can get non stops from the US to my final destination. I detest their A332 and A333 aircraft! Just as bad is getting shuttled onto an A321 out of LHR for EU domestic flights. I’d much rather fly 767, 777, or 787 than the wretched 333! I search out AA flights using something other than the Airbus, but have then been bounced onto them due to equipment changes. Going to Bucharest in a few months. No nonstops other than flying to Toronto and then doing Rouge to Bucharest. Passing on that and AA through LHR. Will do Austrian Airlines, part of the Star Alliance from ORD-VIE-BUC. Coming back from Prague, it will be Brussels Airlines to Brussels, then UA to ORD. Sky Team! Call me unlucky, but I’ve been caught a couple of times by Air France strikes and that option is now dead to me! AF unions are their worst nightmare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted March 23, 2018 #20 Share Posted March 23, 2018 We just flew home from PVR a few days ago. Economy was about 2/3 full. I started assuming average revenue and thinking about costs and wondered how they manage to do as well as they do. And don't forget that in addition to point to point travelers, there are connecting pax that may be on significantly longer itineraries and/or higher fares. It's often an issue of "feed" vs the actual revenue for the point to point travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancal Posted March 23, 2018 #21 Share Posted March 23, 2018 I think they are both similar in terms of equipment and in flight services. But, last month we were in Thailand and had occasion to change a flight. No issue in paying the change fee. The issue was the United customer service. It was abysmal . Must have spent a total of an hour on the phone over two calls to get re-scheduled. Three years ago we made a similar change on a Delta flight home from Thailand. It was so straight forward and the customer service agent was very helpful. It was done in 10 minuted flat. Again, we had no issue with the change fee. Next year, if we travel to SE Asia for the winter, it will not be on United. We should have known better. On a previous flight to Europe United routed us through London on our way to Vienna. Plane was late getting into LHR. It was like pulling teeth to have United arrange for our onward flight to Vienna. And we had no checked bags...just carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted March 23, 2018 #22 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Really, can't the same be said for Skyteam and Oneworld? Not in my experience. Would be interested in hearing from others who also traveled internationally extensively for work. Of course, not everyone does everything. But, for me, SFO as the "home" airport (and a United flight and maintenance hub) is an important consideration. I also prefer the flexibility of the point trading policies within Star Alliance. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'Loth Posted March 23, 2018 Author #23 Share Posted March 23, 2018 $324 to fly entirely across one of the world's largest countries and then fly back across one of the world's biggest countries on a (likely fairly new) aircraft worth $50 to $100 million dollars plus maintenance, fuel, and other operating costs plus air and ground crew all earning wages is pretty good to me ;)True, and I'm sure that if I keep monitoring the prices, I can score a even lower price than what I got. Or, I can be happy that I got a way-lower price than I was expecting ($500), and use that time to find a good hotel in Miami and research what I can do in each of the ports. Just remember, folks, a few decades ago, we didn't have the options we have now for traveling or travel research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z'Loth Posted March 23, 2018 Author #24 Share Posted March 23, 2018 We just flew home from PVR a few days ago. Economy was about 2/3 full. I started assuming average revenue and thinking about costs and wondered how they manage to do as well as they do. My guess is that it's a combination of magic, computers, and reduced legroom. Just SWAG, you know. I'm guessing that there is a "fixed" cost in operating a regularly scheduled flight from point A to point B in fuel, crew, and airplane costs. Even if there is one person in the flight, you still have to fully crew the plane. I'm also assuming they are looking at travel patterns and peak periods. I know I'm getting a better price on my vacation because I'm traveling in the shoulder season (September), booking my cruise during hurricane season, and planning several months in advance. I'm sure the price I would be paying would be much higher in the summer, and MUCH higher around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Business traveler on short notice? Did that once. I once heard that the magic number for booking a flight is 15 days. If you book your flight that departs in less than 15 days, you will pay much more for your ticket because of the short notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggins0402 Posted March 23, 2018 #25 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Not in my experience. Would be interested in hearing from others who also traveled internationally extensively for work. Of course, not everyone does everything. But, for me, SFO as the "home" airport (and a United flight and maintenance hub) is an important consideration. I also prefer the flexibility of the point trading policies within Star Alliance. Sent from my iPhone using Forums When you live in a hub, that airline usually seems “best”. I live in a DL hub, so Skyteam works better for most routings. And, into Europe they have a great hub in AMS. The DL/Skyteam also have the superior Terminal here in DTW. That said, I remember when Northworst was my favorite...just because it had the best and most choices from point A to point B and great sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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