Favorite/least favorite airlines

[CruisingSince2012]

Air Canada: "We're not happy until you're not happy."

 

Did someone at Air Canada actually say that?

[CrossBluePerchance]

Did someone at Air Canada actually say that?

 

 

Not explicitly, but some/many of their passengers might believe it's implicit. ;)

[Hlitner]

Air Canada: "We're not happy until you're not happy."

.........

 

Now that is funny, Will have to remember that when we fly on Air Canada in a couple of weeks :).

 

Hank

[sverigecruiser]

folks sitting facing both directions often are facing almost directly at someone else who is facing right back at them, with no possible visual barrier.

 

I don't mind to sit face to face with my wife.

 

There is a barrier so you don't have to look at the person facing you if you don't want to. (I think it has to be down for take off and landing.)

[FlyerTalker]

I have only flown on U.S. airlines except for one Venice-Paris flight on Air France. My favoritei s Southwest. It's not an accident that they hire funny flight attendants who serve food and drinks when they say they will. Their magazines and Sky Mall catelog are the only ones in the sky worth taking out of seat pockets. Did I meantion two free bags on every flight?

 

Given that WN stopped carrying the SkyMall catalog in April of 2015, I wonder how much weight we should give to this recommendation?

[fbgd]

Ugh, passengers can't look straight at the TV on American. They built them at the wrong angle.

 

What? I've flown on every aircraft that American have with PTVs and don't recall this.

 

I think it has to be down for take off and landing

 

Only for the safety briefing.

 

Not sure about dates, but as our TA warned us, lest we claim "we don't care about direction once we are in a metal tube flying through space", etc... he sent us photos of how in these seats, folks sitting facing both directions often are facing almost directly at someone else who is facing right back at them, with no possible visual barrier. And possibly more than one such "other person".

At least, that was in one business class configuration he sent us.

I think the Club World seats are very good for couples. Facing eachother is a lot more natural and requires less strain than a typical paired seat. If you don't want to chat with your neighbour then put the privacy screen up, it only has to be down for the safety briefing.

Flying backwards is only noticeable during takeoff and landing, otherwise it's completely mind over matter. In fact flying backwards can promote better sleep as the aircraft fly with a slight nose up attitude so your head is above your feet when the seat is fully flat.

United Airlines (being introduced)

I think you mean being phased out...they were introduced in the mid to late 2000s.

[GeezerCouple]

I don't mind to sit face to face with my wife.

 

There is a barrier so you don't have to look at the person facing you if you don't want to. (I think it has to be down for take off and landing.)

 

It depends which airline/aircraft.

 

If you look at the photos posted above, some show pax who can see across the aisle; no way to block that view.

Others, which I had not seen before, have a different "across the aisle" such that the pair on one side both are facing the pair on the other side; not sure if there is a third pair (if this is a wide-body with two aisles).

 

The one setup that has just two near the window facing each other would be fine for us, too, facing each other - we'd like that! But I can't tell what the aisle person would be facing/who is facing "me", etc.

 

IF there is a stranger who I have face to face, with no way to avoid other than to "avert my eyes" - and hope the other person is doing the same - for what could be a very long flight... no thank you!

 

GC

[Globaliser]

If you look at the photos posted above, some show pax who can see across the aisle; no way to block that view.

An aisle seat passenger will almost always be able to see across the aisle. The only exceptions are in those (few) configurations where every seat has a sliding door to turn it into a separated space.

 

The question is whether an aisle seat passenger will be looking straight at another passenger's face across the aisle. On BA, the answer is no.

 

Looking at that photo of that particular AA configuration, I think that the answer there is also no.

 

So there are definitely airlines on which this should not be a concern at all.

[waterbug123]

I have only flown on U.S. airlines except for one Venice-Paris flight on Air France. My favoritei s Southwest. It's not an accident that they hire funny flight attendants who serve food and drinks when they say they will. Their magazines and Sky Mall catelog are the only ones in the sky worth taking out of seat pockets. Did I meantion two free bags on every flight?

 

Great example of why there is no one size fits all answer to "what's the best airline?" I'm not bashing Southwest; I've flown them and likely will again from time to time. But they are far from my favorite airline. Why? Because they don't fly to Europe and don't offer things like first/business class or advance seat selection. There are a lot of benefits to maintaining status with an airline, but if I flew Southwest on domestic flights I'd lose out on a lot of status-earning miles on Delta....status-earning miles that ultimately help me earn perks to do things like fly to Europe in business class while only paying for coach.

[LHT28]

Air Canada works for me

 

Tried AA to USA a few times they always seem cancel my booked flights

 

last year did Bus to MIA AA cancelled the mid day flight & we ended up arriving at 10:30 pm

service was OK

Even Rouge was better on same route

 

 

Just did return flights to AMS on A C in Bus

 

the lie flat seats worked out well for us ..we both actually slept

 

 

 

YMMV

[sverigecruiser]

It depends which airline/aircraft.

 

If you look at the photos posted above, some show pax who can see across the aisle; no way to block that view.

Others, which I had not seen before, have a different "across the aisle" such that the pair on one side both are facing the pair on the other side; not sure if there is a third pair (if this is a wide-body with two aisles).

 

The one setup that has just two near the window facing each other would be fine for us, too, facing each other - we'd like that! But I can't tell what the aisle person would be facing/who is facing "me", etc.

 

IF there is a stranger who I have face to face, with no way to avoid other than to "avert my eyes" - and hope the other person is doing the same - for what could be a very long flight... no thank you!

 

GC

 

My mistake that I didn't mentioned British Airways. On British Airways there is no problem with that.

[CruisingSince2012]

Given that WN stopped carrying the SkyMall catalog in April of 2015, I wonder how much weight we should give to this recommendation?

 

I wonder why. Was the airline not making any money on it anymore?

 

Even without the Sky Mall anymore, I would still fly on Southwest again. It was just an interesting thing to look at in the air.

[CruisingSince2012]

Great example of why there is no one size fits all answer to "what's the best airline?" I'm not bashing Southwest; I've flown them and likely will again from time to time. But they are far from my favorite airline. Why? Because they don't fly to Europe and don't offer things like first/business class or advance seat selection. There are a lot of benefits to maintaining status with an airline, but if I flew Southwest on domestic flights I'd lose out on a lot of status-earning miles on Delta....status-earning miles that ultimately help me earn perks to do things like fly to Europe in business class while only paying for coach.

 

Not saying you are wrong but what is the difference between racking up miles on Delta's frequent flyer miles and doing the same with the Capital One Venture Card, then using all of those miles on the same airline?

 

When I lived in Ohio, all of my flights were domestic. I never needed premium seats. For flyikng to Europe, I agree business or first class seats (or wahtever the airlinesl call tthem) are better. Otherwise, I am fine in a basic economy seat.

 

The fact that their seats are not pre-assigned can be either good or bad, depending on your seating preferences.

[buggins0402]

Not saying you are wrong but what is the difference between racking up miles on Delta's frequent flyer miles and doing the same with the Capital One Venture Card, then using all of those miles on the same airline?

 

When I lived in Ohio, all of my flights were domestic. I never needed premium seats. For flyikng to Europe, I agree business or first class seats (or wahtever the airlinesl call tthem) are better. Otherwise, I am fine in a basic economy seat.

 

The fact that their seats are not pre-assigned can be either good or bad, depending on your seating preferences.

 

Better redemption rates and the ability to leverage earned miles, status bonus miles together with Airline CC miles. Waterbug will get her lie flat sooner than someone using a Venture card.

[fbgd]

Not saying you are wrong but what is the difference between racking up miles on Delta's frequent flyer miles and doing the same with the Capital One Venture Card, then using all of those miles on the same airline?

 

I think you need to do a bit more research. What you earn on a Delta AMEX and Capital One Venture card are completely different things.

 

Capital One is a glorified cash back card, whereas you earn Skymiles on Delta. The latter is a bit of an odd program so I'll compare to American Airlines instead...

 

If you spend $25,000 on a AA Aviator card you earn 25,000 AA miles which is enough for a domestic economy return flight in the lower 48.

 

If you spend $25,000 on Capital One Venture 50,000 points. However, those points are worth $500 in travel credits.

 

These are two hugely different offerings. You give up a lot of the earnings on the Capital One account in order to buy some flexibility.

 

For me the Capital One Venture card is largely useless. 99% of my travel is in first and business class, regardless of distance, and I use my miles for "aspirational awards", generally flights that I wouldn't be willing to pay cash for. Last month my wife and I flew Cathay Pacific First from HKG-JFK, cost was 220,000 AA miles, whereas the retail for that is $32,000. To get $32k of tickets with Capital One Venture card would require $1.6m of spending, if I were to have used an AA credit card it would have been $220,000.

[CruisingSince2012]

That kindo f math is way above my head. "Cash back" is from the Quick Silver card.

[fbgd]

That kindo f math is way above my head. "Cash back" is from the Quick Silver card.

 

Yes, Quicksilver is straight cash back but Venture is just glorified cash back. You earn 2 points for every dollar spent but those points you redeem are also pegged to the dollar you spend.

 

You spend $1000 and get 2000 points which equates to a $20 travel credit. It's 2% cash back to be used for travel purchases.

[FlyerTalker]

That kindo f math is way above my head.

 

Which is why so many people make bad choices with their credit card programs.

 

"Cash back" is from the Quick Silver card.

 

:Points that are convertible to statement credits only are also effectively "cash back".

 

But nice to see that their advertising has gotten their message across (inaccurate as it may be).

[CruisingSince2012]

So is there an airline that you know has the best or worst free mailes options?

[fbgd]

So is there an airline that you know has the best or worst free mailes options?

 

Although I'm not sure what you mean by "free miles options", there is no such thing as best and worst, just best and worst for that person.

 

As noted I like to use miles for high cost "aspirational" awards on international premium cabin flights which might be useless to someone who doesn't care about premium cabin travel and doesn't have a passport.

[CruisingSince2012]

I did notg realize you need different types of credit for premium seat discounts.

 

Of cour se I have a passport.

[TruckerDave]

Best airline....the one that gets me from point A to point B on time with no issues in the cabin i want at a "price" I'm comfortable with.

Worst airline...the one that doesn't meet my "best" qualification.

 

Though I generally stick with AA these days because of the almost hourly hops to CLT and I can get most anywhere i want from there.

[CruisingSince2012]

I take it CLT is the closest major international airport Trucker?

 

 

What's weird here is even after U.S. Airways became part of American Airlines, the signs at GNV are still for U.S. Airways. I only figured out it is no longer an independent airline by listening to a flight attendent upon arrival in Charlotte.

[FlyerTalker]

I did notg realize you need different types of credit for premium seat discounts.

 

I have ZERO idea what you mean by "premium seat discounts". Are you, in some way, referring to premium class FF redemptions?

[fbgd]

I have ZERO idea what you mean by "premium seat discounts". Are you, in some way, referring to premium class FF redemptions?

 

I'm not entirely sure either. The closest I can think of to what is described is the International Airline Program for AMEX Centurion/Platinum chargecard. Actual discounts on cash tickets with quite a number of airlines.