Favorite Airlines

[RockRaines]

Regardless of airline, it is amazing the difference between various flights within each airline and boarding routine. For a while I was on the same 6:15am flight on Monday morning from O'Hare to LaGuardia on AA every week. On that flight, by the time they finished calling the high-status groups, the plane was 90% full. And everyone was in the seats quick, it was like a complex dance.

 

On the other hand, I remember around that same time on the same airline (AA), flying on a Saturday from O'Hare to Albuquerque, and it was me and one other dude in the high-status group to board.

 

 

 

 

Do you know the A-terminal trick at DIA? You can avoid the security and tram bottleneck if you have a gate in the first terminal if you just take that skywalk across. The security lines are usually a ghost town over there.

 

Yeah my early morning business flights to detroit and Minney have the same people, and we sit in the same seats and its boarded in about 10 min tops. Even the flight attendant is the same and brings the coffee out to who needs it. Its classic.

 

The secret walkway is reason #2 why I fly frontier out of Denver. However the only issue is its so far from the wolfgang puck restaurant.

[IlliniKrush]

Except then the peons take all of the overhead space, and the first/business class people paying top dollar for tickets won't have that.

My second sentence, I said only do it in the normal cabin. Let the fancy people board first.

[StrangeSox]

My favorite and only enjoyable part of business travel is when I've flown first / business (which is rare and our companies policy is only for flights over like 5 hours, which will happen on ocassions from the west to east coast). I really don't understand how an individual could pay a full first / business fare though (or logically justify the cost). Only way I'm ever doing it on my own dime is with my points. And that doesn't mean I enjoy flying, its just a lot less tiresome of an experience because you have space and service and somewhat edible food.

 

basically this never happens.

[NorthSideSox72]

Flying overseas, biz or 1st class is a HUGE bonus when you can get it. Domestic flights it is a lot less value IMO, unless you are going coast to coast maybe.

 

[RockRaines]

Flying overseas, biz or 1st class is a HUGE bonus when you can get it. Domestic flights it is a lot less value IMO, unless you are going coast to coast maybe.

It can be the difference between sitting in a regular coach seat vs a single cubicle with a fold flat bed and entertainment options. NIght and day.

[greg775]

This is exactly what happened on my Southwest flight to Houston over Christmas. I was already seated and just gave this very cute girl a bit of a smile as she was waiting in the aisle to choose a seat. She promptly sat in the seat next to me (a middle seat, nonetheless) and made for some nice conversation for 2 hours.

 

I used to dislike the "choose your own seat" aspect of Southwest... until that flight.

 

One time I was on Southwest and this happened. I stress it was only one time out of the zillion times I've flown SW.

The middle seat in my row was open and there were just a few seats left. I was assuming some big fat male slob would be sitting next to me as always.

Not this time ... a perfect-looking woman, totally gorgeous, she was a 9 out of 10 looks-wise wearing appropriate summer clothing, sat in my row, middle seat.

Ah yes, she immediately told me she had a fear of flying. She asked me to hold her hand as she literally could not stand the thought of the plane taking off.

 

Did it have the makings of a Penthouse forum story? No. She told me she was going to Dallas to meet some guy she met on the Internet. After talking to her the whole flight and giving her pointers on how to not be afraid to fly, etc., she got off the plane into the loving arms of some guy who was about 5-foot-2 (shorter than her) with a fu manchu mustache about 20-30 years older than her.

I just shook my head. I was smart enough to give her my card on the plane, but she never called. She must have married Mr. Fu Manchu.

Ah, grand ol Southwest Airlines.

[Chisoxfn]

Flying overseas, biz or 1st class is a HUGE bonus when you can get it. Domestic flights it is a lot less value IMO, unless you are going coast to coast maybe.

Anything overseas, it is a huge huge plus. The service is very very nice. Its what I safe my miles for haha.

[SoxFan1]

I fly Spirit tomorrow for the first time. Hope it's smooth.

[LittleHurt05]

I fly Spirit tomorrow for the first time. Hope it's smooth.

 

The Ryan Air of America, be prepared to pay for everything.

[RockRaines]

One time I was on Southwest and this happened. I stress it was only one time out of the zillion times I've flown SW.

The middle seat in my row was open and there were just a few seats left. I was assuming some big fat male slob would be sitting next to me as always.

Not this time ... a perfect-looking woman, totally gorgeous, she was a 9 out of 10 looks-wise wearing appropriate summer clothing, sat in my row, middle seat.

Ah yes, she immediately told me she had a fear of flying. She asked me to hold her hand as she literally could not stand the thought of the plane taking off.

 

Did it have the makings of a Penthouse forum story? No. She told me she was going to Dallas to meet some guy she met on the Internet. After talking to her the whole flight and giving her pointers on how to not be afraid to fly, etc., she got off the plane into the loving arms of some guy who was about 5-foot-2 (shorter than her) with a fu manchu mustache about 20-30 years older than her.

I just shook my head. I was smart enough to give her my card on the plane, but she never called. She must have married Mr. Fu Manchu.

Ah, grand ol Southwest Airlines.

I had a similar thing happened and we chatted the entire flight home. I then saw her waiting for a cab and I drove her home which happened to be in my neighborhood. I thought, sweet here we go. Exchanged numbers and everything. Saw her that weekend, and she was with her girlfriend.

[LittleHurt05]

I had a similar thing happened and we chatted the entire flight home. I then saw her waiting for a cab and I drove her home which happened to be in my neighborhood. I thought, sweet here we go. Exchanged numbers and everything. Saw her that weekend, and she was with her girlfriend.

 

And????????

[farmteam]

I'm flying Delta today. Haven't really had any problems with them before, let's hope that continues.

[dasox24]

One time I was on Southwest and this happened. I stress it was only one time out of the zillion times I've flown SW.

The middle seat in my row was open and there were just a few seats left. I was assuming some big fat male slob would be sitting next to me as always.

Not this time ... a perfect-looking woman, totally gorgeous, she was a 9 out of 10 looks-wise wearing appropriate summer clothing, sat in my row, middle seat.

Ah yes, she immediately told me she had a fear of flying. She asked me to hold her hand as she literally could not stand the thought of the plane taking off.

 

Did it have the makings of a Penthouse forum story? No. She told me she was going to Dallas to meet some guy she met on the Internet. After talking to her the whole flight and giving her pointers on how to not be afraid to fly, etc., she got off the plane into the loving arms of some guy who was about 5-foot-2 (shorter than her) with a fu manchu mustache about 20-30 years older than her.

I just shook my head. I was smart enough to give her my card on the plane, but she never called. She must have married Mr. Fu Manchu.

Ah, grand ol Southwest Airlines.

Haha, that's one heck of a story. Disappointing, though, for sure. But clearly if this guy looked like that, and she was that attractive, then something else was going on. Probably not much that could have changed the outcome.

[RockRaines]

And????????

Her girlfriend was as hot as she was. Great couple, but no chance.

[LittleHurt05]

I'm flying Delta today. Haven't really had any problems with them before, let's hope that continues.

 

I'm flying Delta later this summer, I got some sweet $45 roundtrip tickets when their system had a glitch around Christmas time.

 

Her girlfriend was as hot as she was. Great couple, but no chance.

 

I figured, but that was almost set up for quite the ending.

[SoxFan1]

The Ryan Air of America, be prepared to pay for everything.

Yup. Brutal. $45 for a carry on. I'm paying them for the security of knowing that they won't f*** up and lose my luggage. Awful.

[RockRaines]

The Ryan Air of America, be prepared to pay for everything.

Hope he's under 5'9" because larger than that and you wont fit.

 

I had a flight attendant tell me I didnt pay for the over head bin on the way back from Vegas on spirit (first and only time I flew it). I told her she can hold on to my bag then and wake me up when we land. She really didnt bother me after that.

[greg775]

Hope he's under 5'9" because larger than that and you wont fit.

 

I had a flight attendant tell me I didnt pay for the over head bin on the way back from Vegas on spirit (first and only time I flew it). I told her she can hold on to my bag then and wake me up when we land. She really didnt bother me after that.

 

You have to pay for the overhead bin on that airline? wow.

[cabiness42]

Hope he's under 5'9" because larger than that and you wont fit.

 

I had a flight attendant tell me I didnt pay for the over head bin on the way back from Vegas on spirit (first and only time I flew it). I told her she can hold on to my bag then and wake me up when we land. She really didnt bother me after that.

 

If the total cost of the flight + overhead bin is the same as just the cost of the flight on other airlines, I would love this because I never use overhead bins. I only carry on a bag small enough to fit under my seat.

 

[RockRaines]

If the total cost of the flight + overhead bin is the same as just the cost of the flight on other airlines, I would love this because I never use overhead bins. I only carry on a bag small enough to fit under my seat.

The seats are smaller than other airlines with almost non existent immovable armrests. You also have to pay a fee if you want to select your seat.

 

At 6'1" I simply do not fit in their planes. I flew them once and that's the end of ever doing it again.

[cabiness42]

The seats are smaller than other airlines with almost non existent immovable armrests. You also have to pay a fee if you want to select your seat.

 

At 6'1" I simply do not fit in their planes. I flew them once and that's the end of ever doing it again.

 

I'm also 6-1 and 300+ so yeah I guess I'll never fly that airline.

[justBLAZE]

Slavko is tall.

[SoxFan1]

It kinda sucked, but it wasn't the worst 3 hours ever with Spirit. The flight attendants were pretty nice actually, and my legs were no more cramped than on any other airline.

 

But ya, not flying with them again.

[dasox24]

Got an email from Delta saying that in 2015 they're changing their SkyMiles program to award miles per ticket price (5 miles per dollar spent). I think I'll like that.

[LittleHurt05]

Yup. Brutal. $45 for a carry on. I'm paying them for the security of knowing that they won't f*** up and lose my luggage. Awful.

 

My favorite is RyanAir will charge you like 60 euros if you don't print your boarding pass out ahead of time and bring it.