What Airline do you fly?

[Adriel]

I and my family usually take a trip with Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.

[disneyfan1313]

I *heart* Delta. When I am not able to fly Delta due to cost, flight times, etc. I will stick with one of the other SkyTeam partners so I can add to my 130,000 FF Miles..

[steel]

Northwest is my preference, but I've also flown United, Delta, and KLM.

[willski]

oneworld alliance members for me, since my dad is oneworld Emerald (highst level). He also is a Diamond in the Marco Polo Club (the highest level in Cathay Pacific's FF system) since he travels to Hong Kong 6-8 times a year in business or first (AA from ATL-JFK and CX from JFK-HKG).

 

We went with him to Hong Kong one time and he upgraded all 4 of us to first class on the 16 hour flight. Great stuff.

 

So, favorite airline would definately be Cathay Pacific internationally and American domestically-they aren't bad in first, especially the Signature Service (which has gone down a bit, but is still pretty good).

 

 

 

I'd love to be a Star Alliance member, but my dad was formerly Chairman's Preferred at US Airways and hated it. This was very early on in US Airways' involvement with the alliance, now it is much better. Also, he's not a big fan of United because he was involuntarily bumped from business class on a HKG-ORD flight and all of the remaining UA flights out of HKG that day were booked. He ended up going through NRT and they lost a suitcase full of important documents and stuff, plus he got home much later. So no Star Alliance for us (and no Singapore Airlines ).

[Alexman]

I fly with Southwest, because they found my lost Game boy Advance system that I left on a southwest plane in Florida! I Southwest

[lapseofreason]

I fly with Southwest, because they found my lost Game boy Advance system that I left on a southwest plane in Florida! I Southwest

 

Southwest is great with stuff like that, aren't they?

 

-Amanda "That's my dream job, I swear" V.

[mr_teisco_delrey]

Southwest all the way. It'll be even better when they can fly direct to Love Field from states that don't border Texas. Dump the Wright Ammendment.

[disneyfan1313]

I have never really understood the appeal of Southwest. The prices are pretty much the same as Delta/Jetblue/whomever else and you get less amenities, have the annoying cattle call loading and very old planes. Perhaps it is the market I live in having so much competition that it doesn't make financial sense. What do all of you love so much about it?

[bdstrom]

Now I leave you with a picture of us flying over Phillie at 80,00+ feet

 

80,000 ft?? You'd be dead by then. Couple of years ago two Northwest pilots decided to attempt 40,000 ft on their CRJ model while there were no passengers on the plane. Their plane jacked up and crashed, killing both of them. I believe that happened maybe Missouri or Kansas (I might be wrong about the location).

 

The highest I ever flew was 38,000 ft on Qantas Boeing 747-400 on way to New Zealand.

 

Anyway, back to the subject of this thread. I prefer Northwest since I am orginally from Minnesota and that is where they're based. So yeah, I have a lot of mileage with them. Second preferred airlines is United.

[dj snow]

I have never really understood the appeal of Southwest. The prices are pretty much the same as Delta/Jetblue/whomever else and you get less amenities, have the annoying cattle call loading and very old planes.

 

Very old planes? Average age of the fleet at Southwest is 9.4 years, according to airsafe.com. All their planes have been updated inside to feature some very nice leather seats too, so generally even their oldest planes still feel new inside. And Southwest's buying new planes as fast as they can, so I imagine they'll keep that average-age number fairly low.

 

The "cattle call" is no issue so long as you check in online. Grab an "A" boarding pass online, then sit back and wait for the call at the gate. No need to be there any sooner than with any other carrier, and no need to stand in line either--if you have an "A" (or usually even a "B") there will be a good seat on the plane for you.

 

Most important to me, as I've already mentioned in this thread, is that there are no change fees with Southwest. That alone takes a lot of the stress out of flying--if my plans change, I know I can change flights and pay only the fare difference, or I can cancel entirely and retain the full value of my ticket for future use. As far as I know, no other airline does that across-the-board.

 

Finally, I would dispute your claim of "less amenities," at least as compared to Delta and almost all of the other legacy carriers' economy class service. I think on average you get better in-flight service (more frequent beverage service, better complimentary snacks, etc.) with Southwest.

[willski]

Now I leave you with a picture of us flying over Phillie at 80,00+ feet

 

80,000 ft?? You'd be dead by then. Couple of years ago two Northwest pilots decided to attempt 40,000 ft on their CRJ model while there were no passengers on the plane. Their plane jacked up and crashed, killing both of them. I believe that happened maybe Missouri or Kansas (I might be wrong about the location).

 

The highest I ever flew was 38,000 ft on Qantas Boeing 747-400 on way to New Zealand.

 

Anyway, back to the subject of this thread. I prefer Northwest since I am orginally from Minnesota and that is where they're based. So yeah, I have a lot of mileage with them. Second preferred airlines is United.

 

Yeah, the two pilots were retards for going up the the service ceiling of the aircraft (41,000 ft.). Both of the engines flamed-out due to the altitude, and since the engines are what they are (too powerful fro the CRJ-200), there was core lock in the one that they tried to restart. Plus, the fact that they didn't tell the controller that they had a double engine failure until they were really low didn't help them survive either.

 

The highest I've ever been is FL420 (42,000 ft.) at the end of HKG-JFK. I think the second highest was LAX-LHR or DFW-LGW (FL 410).

 

If you're flying Southwest, all you need to do is check-in online and get an A boarding pass. Then, just be one of the first 6 people at the gate, and you have a guaranteed emergency exit row seat. I'm not a big fan of it, but if it's the cheapest....

[SharkTums]

Um, obviously Southwests open seating can't be that amazing since they're switching to seat assignments!

 

Robb and I used to fly Southwest A LOT! They had cheap fares and lots of flights. Lately though it seems their prices are just as high as the 'normal' carriers, but their quality of clientele has continued to remain the 'greyhound bus of the sky'.

 

I'll stick with Delta, United, and whatever random International Carrier I need to get out of this country!

[pvcoasterguy]

^ Elissa hit it. Right now, Southwest is testing assigned seating, and it is virtually confirmed that Southwest will be updating their computer system to allow for assigned seating and international flights.

 

NWA seems to have the cheapest fares (from what I've seen) currently, across the board. Everytime I compare prices from airline to airline, I find Northwest is the cheapest by a significant margin. It's quite interesting.

 

I enjoy NWA- they're pretty good. The service leaves something to be desired, but I absolutely love their hubs. Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis are all very passenger-friendly and face minimal delays, compared with other major hubs.

 

Delta just announced that they're upgrading their service to our airport from CRJ (ugh...) to ERJ-170 (yay!) The ERJ-170 is the best regional jet in the sky, and perhaps one of the most comfortable across the board, even more comfortable than widebodies. So, I'll probably start flying on them some more...

 

Also, I enjoy flying United. It's just their hub (O'Hare) truly is a hell-hole.

[mr_teisco_delrey]

I have never really understood the appeal of Southwest. The prices are pretty much the same as Delta/Jetblue/whomever else and you get less amenities, have the annoying cattle call loading and very old planes. Perhaps it is the market I live in having so much competition that it doesn't make financial sense. What do all of you love so much about it?

 

Their safety record for one, and the fact they aren't bankrupt with major labor issues. For me, SWA is the best deal here in KY. Delta out of Cinci is a gyp. Very high priced. As for Southwest's fleet, they are only 9 yrs compared to Deltas 13. Southwest is a launch customers for Boeings 8 and 900 series 737s. As for Jetblue, Airbuses don't count as planes.

If SWA would bring back the hot pants that would really seal the deal .

[pvcoasterguy]

It's too bad that the Airbus A320 is about 100x more comfortable than the 737. The 737 is cramped, dated, and not really a great experience. The A320 has quite a bit more room, and has better amentities.

[disneyfan1313]

Robb and I used to fly Southwest A LOT! They had cheap fares and lots of flights. Lately though it seems their prices are just as high as the 'normal' carriers, but their quality of clientele has continued to remain the 'greyhound bus of the sky'.

 

Amen! After watching Airline it pretty much scared me away from flying Southwest ever again! I know it probably sounds kinda stuck up but I prefer to fly with folks on business or at least folks who have flown before and know the drill. Don't spend 20 min throwing your luggage up in the bins, dont spend a long time getting off the plane and dont ask the flight attendant silly questions.

[VegasCoaster]

Southwest, and thats just about it.

[mr_teisco_delrey]

It's too bad that the Airbus A320 is about 100x more comfortable than the 737. The 737 is cramped, dated, and not really a great experience. The A320 has quite a bit more room, and has better amentities.

 

How is it dated? The Next generation (800-900) series is using 787 Dreamliner technology. If your talking about a 737-100 or 200 from the late 1960s, i'd agree. The new 737s are fantastic. And, unlike Airbus, they aren't having to extend terms to airlines to move them.

[lapseofreason]

Robb and I used to fly Southwest A LOT! They had cheap fares and lots of flights. Lately though it seems their prices are just as high as the 'normal' carriers, but their quality of clientele has continued to remain the 'greyhound bus of the sky'.

 

Amen! After watching Airline it pretty much scared me away from flying Southwest ever again! I know it probably sounds kinda stuck up but I prefer to fly with folks on business or at least folks who have flown before and know the drill. Don't spend 20 min throwing your luggage up in the bins, dont spend a long time getting off the plane and dont ask the flight attendant silly questions.

 

Yeah, but that's what made the show interesting. I used to sit there and laugh at the people that wanted tons of free stuff (hotels, etc.) because they missed their plane due to the fact that they got to the gate 1 minute before the plane left (Southwest tells you a zillion times over that you have to be at the gate, at the least, 10 minutes beforehand). Then they'd swear that they'd never fly them again b/c of their own stupidity.

 

 

-Amanda "Airline rocked" V.

[disneyfan1313]

Yeah, but that's what made the show interesting. I used to sit there and laugh at the people that wanted tons of free stuff (hotels, etc.) because they missed their plane due to the fact that they got to the gate 1 minute before the plane left (Southwest tells you a zillion times over that you have to be at the gate, at the least, 10 minutes beforehand). Then they'd swear that they'd never fly them again b/c of their own stupidity.

 

 

-Amanda "Airline rocked" V.

 

That didn't scare me - what scared me was the people every show who were either denied boarding or kicked off because they were too drunk to fly. I have flown A LOT and have been on every major carrier and have never seen this happen before except on this show. Does this really happen a lot on SW or is it just sensationalized?

[dj snow]

It's called "editing." Consider first that Southwest carries more passengers domestically than any other airline, then consider that the camera crews were at Southwest's highest-volume airports, and finally consider the hours and hours of footage the producers had to choose from, to make a relatively small number of 24-minute episodes each season.

 

Given the volume of passengers and the countless reels of footage shot, there's bound to be a few "interesting" characters, and they (for better or worse) make for some of the most compelling TV.

 

The producers are going to go for the most "interesting" stuff, in proportions that are certainly nowhere near the reality. It's just like any other "reality" show... If you think "Airline" accurately represents what really happens the majority of the time, you're wrong.

[pvcoasterguy]

^ Of course. As with any business, you'll have situations similar to those on "Airline."

 

In fact, we had an intoxicated passenger on my NW flight from MSP-SFO. I was sitting right across the aisle from her. She passed out on both passengers next to her. They rang the call button, and the lead flight attendant told her to leave or they would have to call the police. The woman, of course, used the "gimme a breathalizer" argument, but in the end, she angrily left on her own. I was suprised at how professional the crew was in comparison to similar incidents shown on "Airline." The gate agent didn't just march down onto the plane and basically grab the passenger. In fact, the gate agent never made an appearance on ours, because the gate agent had nothing to do with it. The flight attendants handeled it in an extremely professional manner, and not a huge scene was created, unlike on Southwest.

[Adriel]

O yeah, talking about kinds of plane, Singapore Airlines will fly the new A380 in Christmas. The flight route is Singapore - Sydney! I hope the best for their premiere flight!

[willski]

^Actually, due to Airbus being stupid and using lighter (and crappier) aluminium wiring, the A380 won't be making its first revenue flight until at least mid-2007.

 

^ Elissa hit it. Right now, Southwest is testing assigned seating, and it is virtually confirmed that Southwest will be updating their computer system to allow for assigned seating and international flights.

 

They might fly to Cancun and possibly Mexico City. They haven't confirmed these routes, and in fact have deferred delivery of some 73Gs.

 

 

 

Their safety record for one, and the fact they aren't bankrupt with major labor issues. For me, SWA is the best deal here in KY. Delta out of Cinci is a gyp. Very high priced. As for Southwest's fleet, they are only 9 yrs compared to Deltas 13. Southwest is a launch customers for Boeings 8 and 900 series 737s. As for Jetblue, Airbuses don't count as planes.

If SWA would bring back the hot pants that would really seal the deal .

 

In terms of safety, if you fly on a major airline in North America, Europe, and most of Asia, you are fine. No airline in these regions has a bad safety record. Now, some random carrier in Angola operating 727s and DC-9s into high altitude airports with young pilots would probably not be as safe.

 

Also, Southwest was most definately not the launch customer for the 738 or 739. The only Next Generation 737 they have is the 73G (737-700), because it is the same size (in terms of passengers) as the 737-300s, so they can sub them in and out easily. Also, they carry 149 passengers, which means they only need 3 FAs onboard. Any more than 149 and they'd need 4, which is part of the reason that they don't operate the -800 or -900 (the other being that they can't fill them up).

 

It's too bad that the Airbus A320 is about 100x more comfortable than the 737. The 737 is cramped, dated, and not really a great experience. The A320 has quite a bit more room, and has better amentities.

 

What better amenities? They both carry anywhere from 110-210 passengers. The 737NG has more room than the 737 classics and has just barely outsold the A32x since it entered service. I would say the A32x is more dated than the 737NG, since the A32x came out in the late 80s and the 737NGs came out in 1996-8.

 

The Next generation (800-900) series is using 787 Dreamliner technology. If your talking about a 737-100 or 200 from the late 1960s, i'd agree. The new 737s are fantastic. And, unlike Airbus, they aren't having to extend terms to airlines to move them.

 

The 737NG family doesn't use Dreamliner technology. The 787, 747-8i, and the supposed 737RS will all use Dreamliner technology (raked wingtips, GEnx engines, more use of composites, etc.). Also, the A32x family sells like hot cakes. It's the A34x family that is sold on the cheap, since they get owned by the 777 family.

[TatsuXtreme]

The only airline i've ever flown on is Northwest. once.