Since all the airlines in the US have strict safety standards that they must abide by, the airlines are pretty much on a standard playing field there. However after that, the field tends to become less crowded the further you dig.
Fewest Problems with baggage, ontime performance, mechanical issues, etc...
An annual report is prepared by professors at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Wichita State University, and it is based purely on statistics, not subjective surveys. The most recent report indicates that, overall, the industry’s performance was worse in 2005 than in 2004. The ranking of major U.S. airlines, starting with the best, is JetBlue, AirTran, Southwest, United, America West, Northwest, Continental, Alaska, American, Delta and US Airways.
Though I personally believe that some of these rankings could be off. I am not here to defend the legacy carriers poor rankings on this list but you have to remember that JetBlue, AirTran and even Southwest do not fly to all the major cities. In fact, Southwest until recently tended to avoid larger airports where, delays, air traffic control holds, and even just congestion would delay carriers from ontime departures. However, the scores are weighted to balance out the fairness.
Best Service:
It is all subjective. However, the better service tends to be on the international routes. Domestic services, especially recently has taken a nose dive. Taking away pillows, blankets, even asking people to pay for non-alcoholic drinks in some cases has been just the start. US carriers make the most money on their international routes, so that's where the best services are at. Domestic travel has just become another form of mass transit.
Though you can get some good service on domestic routes still. United's P.S. from New York to San Francisco and Los Angles, and Midwest's Signature Service with their warm chocolate chip cookies.
Comfortable Seats:
I knew about Seatguru.com , but I did not know about these other sites. Two newer sites, www.lovemyseat.com and www.seatexpert.com, include some airlines and features that SeatGuru doesn’t. Check out these sites before you pick your seat on your next flight. It could mean the difference between listening to the engines in your MD-80 for hours on end or quietly snoozing on your Boeing 757.
Overall Favorite:
This is where it is purely up to your personal experiences. I have never had any problems with the airline I fly. When I fly:
Domestic: United, US Airways/America West
Internationally (Pacific Bound): Air New Zealand
Internationally (European Bound): Lufthansa, British Airways
It is all up to your personal experiences though.
Columbus Dispatch
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