Best Airlines - Reviews and Guide:

There's no doubt that since 9/11, airlines have had trouble getting passengers back in the air. Air travel has increased steadily over the past few years, but many airlines are still trying to play catchup with their overall services and on-time performance. Many of the major airlines were forced to declare bankruptcy like United, Northwest, and US Airways. That allowed the smaller players like Southwest and JetBlue to sneak into new markets and steal customers away from the big boys. I used to fly United all the time but after the bankruptcy I decided to start flying Southwest Airlines so that my frequent flyer miles wouldn't be saved up on an airline that potentially could go under. I am really glad I made the change to Southwest as they have only gotten better over the last few years in terms of flight schedules and non-stop flight options. I still fly United when I go to Europe or other long haul flights, but when I'm only flying short distance I now do it on a low cost carrier like Southwest.

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Just which airline is the best? It's hard to say exactly as each person has different needs and not all airlines offer convenient routes from your home city. In terms of customer satisfaction based on service, price, check-in ease, seating comfort, on-time arrivals and online booking, JetBlue Airways takes the top position per a recent survey done by Consumer Reports. CR poled nearly 23,000 subscribers to find out which carriers rated the best in several categories to determine the "best airline". There are other websites that try to pick the best airline such as Airlinequality.com or Airlinesreviewed.com, but none are as comprehensive or thorough as the survey done by Consumer Reports. When deciding on which airline is the right choice for you, consider how many non-stop or direct flights are offered from your home airport. Also, take into account their history with baggage handling, on-time performance, customer service, and frequent flyer program. One of the biggest complaints airline passengers have against all carriers is the mishandling of luggage which can cause huge headaches when you are traveling. Another issue that comes up these days are that people are finding it harder and harder to redeem their mileage awards. What's the point of accruing 1000's of airline miles on a particular airline if you can't use the free ticket. Airlines like Southwest have no blackout dates on their free flights which makes them different than most of the major carriers that put too many restrictions on when you can use your frequent flyer miles to get free flights. Online reservations have become the norm for people booking flights and Southwest and JetBlue dominate this space as well. Southwest does not release their data so other travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia are not allowed to list their flights. JetBlue is also not included on some of the major travel sites. As Consumer Reports points out, you are missing out on some of the top airlines fares if you only shop at Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz for your airline tickets. Make it a point to go to the source and look up fares at Southwest.com, JetBlue.com, etc. Pricing is perhaps the craziest part of finding any airfare these days. Two airlines can offer the exact same flight but charge totally different amounts. We have heard of some situations where one airline is offering a flight from SFO to JFK for $500 and another has it listed at $1000. It definitely goes to show that you should shop around a bit to find the best fare. The low cost airlines have done a decent job of keeping the larger players in check with their fares, but we assume most airline rates will go up as the price of gasoline (oil more specifically) continues to rise. Next time you fly anywhere, start by checking the major travel sites online and then compare rates to those you find on the official website for that airline. Down below we have listed some of the top rated airlines in different categories per the CR survey done in February 2007.

Best Airline Overall:

JetBlue got the best overall ratings with superior service for a good price. JetBlue Airways flies to over 50 destinations and even with their recent mishap during the winter weather, they still have a good reputation amongst customers. The key cities or hubs for JetBlue are Oakland (CA), Long Beach (CA), Boston (MA), NYC (JFK), Washington DC (Dulles), and Fort Lauderdale (FL). They fly out of smaller airports like Oakland and Long Beach on the west coast and offer connecting flights or non-stops that make sense for passengers. Each seat on JetBlue has a small TV screen with DirecTV and they are 18 to 21 inches wide which is better than most airlines. Their website at Jetblue.com travel deals posted all the time and you can book directly on the site.

Top Rated Airline for Service:

Midwest Airlines was right up there was JetBlue in terms of cabin service. Seating comfort is another key feature when booking any airline flight and Midwest offers some of the roomiest seating available. Midwest has no middle seat as all their planes are configured with 2 seats on each side of the isle. Milwaukee is their main hub with flights to LA, SFO, Kansas City, and several other major cities. Most of their schedules flights are for the midwest portion of the America but they are expanding their routes. They currently fly to 50 cities nationwide. Their website is at Midwestairlines.com and offers flight check-in, online booking, fare specials, and much more. The one drawback to Midwest Airlines is that people say their fares are a little more expensive than the competition.

Airline with Cheapest Fares:

Southwest Airlines was growing at a time when the other major airlines were reeling from the 9/11 attacks in NYC. Southwest has always prided itself on having some of the lowest fares of any airline. They are able to do that by flying short distances which can be a big savings to many people who only need to catch a flight from Portland, OR to San Jose, CA. In many instances their fares are $100 or less consistently compared to other airlines that just can't compete. Things are changing as more low cost airlines are popping into the markets that Southwest once dominated. You can find them online at Southwest.com and book your flight reservation from their site. Unlike other airlines that allow travel sites (Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity) to post their fares, Southwest only offers their airline tickets on their site. We've had several visitors ask us why they never see Southwest airfares available on Expedia and we tell them because Southwest doesn't allow it. Whenever in doubt, go directly to the airlines official website for the cheapest airfare. I prefer Southwest for easy check-in process and on-time performance. What I can do without is their open seating policy where it's every man/woman/child for themselves.

Best On-Time Performance:

Aloha Airlines won the most recent award for on-time performance, although they only serve 14 cities all on the west coast or in Hawaii. We figured the weather on the West Coast and in Hawaii is pretty much sunny and good year round so their superior ranking for on-time performance is a little skewed based on the weather they fly in and out of. Nonetheless, they are the best at getting you to your final destination and in the case of going to Hawaii for a vacation, arriving on time is always nice. Nobody wants to miss anytime in the sun when on a Hawaiian vacation. Aloha Airlines flys into Lihue, Honolulu, Kona, Hilo, Kahului, and several other Hawaiian cities.

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