There is more to selecting the best airline, than searching for the lowest price. Often when you add back in all of the niceties to the lowest cost carrier, you are spending as much or more than it would cost to fly a "full service" airline.
My criteria.
The airline that has the most flights, or at least a lot of flights in and out of the airport. Flights get delayed or cancelled - not often - but often at the most inconvenient of times. The more flights the airline has, the more options there are for rebooking, the more open seats they will have. I learned this one the hard way flying in and out of Lexington, Kentucky, a couple of the major national airlines, only had two or three flights a day from there, and if anything went wrong I was stuck. Delta had a dozen or more flights a day, and could almost always get me where I needed to go.
What is included matters. If you are carrying on luggage on, is it included, or extra. If you are checking a bag (I almost always check a bag) what does it cost, and can you get it free of charge. I have airline credit cards for a couple of major airlines, in large part because I get free checked bags with them (and priority boarding, and extra frequent flyer points.)
Is seat selection included, or extra. Unless you are less than 5 feet tall and weight less than 90 pounds, seat selection matters. The dreaded middle seat can only be avoided by being able to select a seat. I am right handed, my right elbow is most likely to move out to my side. I prefer an aisle seat where my right elbow moves into the aisle, or a window seat where my right elbow goes toward the window, and not the face of the person sitting next to me. If you have long legs, seats with extra leg room matter, are those seats available and at what cost.
An added factor for me, is concentrating on a couple of airlines to accumulate frequent flyer miles or points. I should have kept track of how many trips I have done on award tickets, lots of them. Earned by spending lots of time and money flying places I needed to go. When I was working, much of the flying was paid for by the office, but the frequent traveler bonuses belonged to the employee (we actually had a policy on that.)
Kind of the last thing I look at is price in selecting an airline.
Oh I hate the middle seat. I like by the window or close to the aisle myself. Good advice though!
ReplyDeleteUnless you are wedged in between a couple of the houseboys, who are in a friendly mood, everyone hates the middle seat.
DeleteProbably the first thing we look at is times. We don't want to drive to the airport in peak traffic, although we are going against the flow, and nor do we want to hang around at our destination for hours before hotel check in time, 2pm here but if the room is ready, they will take you in earlier. We prefer not to have to get up very early or take a local flight at night.
ReplyDeleteI have to remind myself that the 8 AM flight, means leaving for the airport at 6 AM, and that means getting up before consciousness.
DeleteI am always aisle seat, unless traveling with Carlos and then I can do aisle or window; Carlos likes a middle seat.
ReplyDeleteI use Delta a lot because we always fly into Atlanta, the Delta hub, os cancelled or delayed flights are rarely a problem or worry.
I have spend a lot of afternoons in Atlanta
DeleteI have one of those airline credit cards and I love the fact that I can check my bag for free and I can board whenever I want instead of waiting for my assigned group. Little things mean a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe privileges of membership.
DeleteI remember reading some years ago that Alaska was the best airline. Googling the 2024 ratings, I see that they are once again topping the list.
ReplyDeleteI have flown Alaska, they only have a few flights a day from my home airport, but are direct to far west airports.
DeleteI like the window seat for photos of clouds, landforms, arrivals/departures of cities and buildings. We schedule with the major airlines, too, in case of cancellations. Good advice!
ReplyDeleteI should select window seats more often.
DeleteI usual travel Alaska.
ReplyDeleteAlaska has a lot of coverage in your area of the country, comfy planes.
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