Number 5:
A round trip fare from Recent Awards for Midwest Airlines
Midwest Air Group (MEH) "The Best Care in the Air"
Number 4:
I grappled about whether or not to put a legacy carrier on the list. They can not seem to get things right. No profits, poor service, aging aircraft, and labor troubles that could kill some carriers. But one carrier actually stands out when it comes to domestic service. It’s probably a bit of biased working in on the list too. United Airlines has had a lot of troubles, especially after going into bankruptcy several years ago the carrier just emerged early this year. However, while in bankruptcy they re did their airline to come out with a superior product within the legacy carrier markets. Their economy plus sections on their aircraft make any elite traveler on an economy ticket happy. Those extra 5 inches of legroom really do add up. Their ExPlus planes on their regional network make regional flying okay. The added headroom, leather seating and those “first class” perks make any shuttle flight to a hub airport worthy of them over any other airline. Prices are comparable to most other airlines. Service has been excellent on my flights, of course yours may vary, I tend to see the same crews over and over again.
UAL Corp. (UAUA) "It's Time to Fly"Number 3: Southwest Airlines: I have to say up front, I am not a fan of the airline. I don’t like the show up 3 hours before your flight, grab a boarding number, wait for your cattle call, push and shove to the front of the line to get on the plane first, pick your seat, hopefully not between two people, and listen to chatty Cathy flight attendants singing songs kind of airline. BUT, they know how to run an airline. Among the top carriers in the they consistently have the lowest complaint rates. They make huge profits. They pay their employees WELL. (Their pilots are some of the highest paid in the industry). And they move a lot of people efficiently. Their anti-hub and spoke system seems to be one of the best in the world. Well paid staff that are worry free of if they will have a job next week tend to promote better, friendlier service. And the driving factor that put SWA at number 3: PRICE. They may not be the cheapest all the time, but a majority of the time SWA has a very competitive price.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) *DING* "You are not free to move about the country" & "Symbol of Freedom"
Number 2: Alaskan Airlines and Horizon Airlines: This partnership between the two airlines makes them the number 2 on my list. Extra perks like free drinks on horizon flights will make you fall in love with the airline. The other thing that will make some happy, they actually turn profits! They turned profits even while our major carriers were battling through bankruptcies. The carriers have major operations on the west coast and Alaska as their name implies, but you can find them in the big cities on the east coast too. But if you are flying out of Seattle, Portland or any Alaskan city, your best airline is Alaska Airlines. High service levels have made this airline a favorite among travelers too.
Alaskan Airlines (ALK)
And the Number 1 Airline:
Frontier Airlines! This regional carrier has most of their focus west of the
Fontier Airlines (FRNT) "A Whole Different Animal"
Whoa there, Rob. Didn't do your homework on this one.
Alaska flies to lots more places than the west coast and Alaska. You'll also see them in: Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Newark, Boston, Miami, Orlando, Washington DC, Canada and Mexico.
Posted by: Mary Jo | September 25, 2006 1:34 PM | Permalink to Comment