OT - Airlines, your favorite?

[j66kicker]

whats the benefit of the TSA pre-check... shorter line and private patdown?

Don't have to take your shoes off, can leave most stuff in your pockets, laptop can stay in case through the scanner, shorter line usually

 

[j66kicker]

so you dont print from home, or the Kiosk on the side... to avoid the check-in lines? I checked at the 36hr mark, say my spot but wasnt near a printer so I waited til I got to the airport... went to a computer inputted my confirmation number and it print.
only waited at TSA which wasnt bad at 6am or so... got in the boarding line when the A's were called up.
for the extra 30.00 (15 each way) they do the check in for you 12hrs earlier than the rest.

I'd pay the early bird fee every time I fly... just to avoid the lines and have to better choice of seat

"Print" was a figure of speech. I check in from home, or hotel - whatever. Nowadays they can just send your boarding pass to your phone and you don't have to print anything.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Don't have to take your shoes off, can leave most stuff in your pockets, laptop can stay in case through the scanner, shorter line usually

ok... yeah they shoes are a pain in the a**

I guess its better but if you travel enough you get use to the routine

 

[DataNerd]

International: Singapore Air, especially if it involves Changi Airport. We're their service any better, it would likely be illegal ;-)
Lufthansa always dependable.
RIP Belgium's SABINA, which vet travelers would decode as "Such A Bad Experience, Never Again". Bad on every metric, managing to find bad food on their JFK:Brussels runs.

Domestic: JetBlue, after which it's a dartboard of mediocrity.

Best advice: smile & be courteous to them, and most will go out of their way to treat you well, especially if they've had a tough day -- that is, most every day.

 

[tomcat]

We're Southwest fans. However, we did have a pretty good experience flying Delta (and eventually Air France, its partner) from Phoenix to Tunis this year. The overseas flight had decent food and lots of it, as much in-seat entertainment as you could want, and friendly service. We flew coach and the seats were no more uncomfortable than those on any other airline. I know that is not saying much, but it is something.

As for airports, in Florida, Fort Lauderdale, which years ago was welcoming, is overly busy and under construction and dumpy. Miami is a mess. Orlando still offers a welcoming tourist experience. West Palm is smaller and better for it. Tampa was not bad when we flew out of there last year.

Here in Phoenix, Sky Harbor is good now that they have fixed what we thought was the slowest baggage claim service in the world. We do not like Houston/Bush at all. San Diego, with its single runway, is quirky, but I like it a lot. Do not like Boston Logan and over the years, the area around T.F. Green in Rhode Island has turned into a kind of slum. Toronto is a giant ark of a place, cold, impersonal, not fun. We hate Atlanta with a passion, both because we don't find it friendly and because it seems delay-ridden.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

For domestic flights I rate Southwest best for value and convenience. My worst
experiences have been on American.

For international carriers you have to be aware that flights between New York
and that airlines hub are usually their showpiece flights. For example, Lufthansa
is excellent between New York and Frankfurt. Between Frankfurt and Moscow
(a flight which I've taken) is much less good (but still better than Aeroflot). I
can also recommend Turkish Airlines New York to Istanbul flight.

 

[vtcwbuff]

whats the benefit of the TSA pre-check... shorter line and private patdown?

Usually no line and no pat down. My last couple of flights were TSA walk throughs.

 

[JimGunther]

I say if you paying 500-800 for a flight, 50.00 more for better comfort isnt a big deal

One of the few instances where NOT being a tall person has some advantage. I don't REQUIRE extra legroom. (Don't understand how big people put up with the experience). That and my Zen-Trance thing.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Southwest in the USA. Jet Blue isn't bad either, especially from Long Beach.

Qantas to Australia. They have an Oldies movie channel and although I tried to sleep(flight left LA at 11pm for Melbourne) I watched Casablanca about 4 times on the flight.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Singapore Airlines. Next is Cathay Pacific.

No American air carrier comes close.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Singapore Airlines. Next is Cathay Pacific.

No American air carrier comes close.

you live outside of the United States?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

you live outside of the United States?

Used to for several years.

 

[VAUConnFan]

1. Southwest - low fares, 2 free checked bags
2. JetBlue - newest fleet, comfortable seats, nice in-flight amenities
3. Delta - pretty much have the map covered
I miss TWA, USAir before the merger, Continental before the merger, AirTran.

As for airports, there will always be a soft spot for White Plains NY(HPN) where I worked for 17 years; One of the best kept secrets in the NY metropolitan area. Can remember when the terminal was a WWII Quonset hut; The four gates at HPN are the most utilized in the country. Rarely does a gate sit unoccupied.