Favorite - Hawaiian Airlines. They have great customer service, reasonable prices from Honolulu to the Mainland, and nice airplanes.

Least favorite - United. I've had so many bad customer service experiences with United. Cranky flight attendants snapping about where I stow my bag to rude gate attendants when flights are canceled or delayed. Plus their "economy plus" has resulted in numerous flights with the back of the plane crammed in like sardines while the front of the plane is virtually empty. But because they charge more for those seats passengers are not allowed to spread out.

Posted By Miriam on January 29, 2010, 3:49 PM

Ditto Miriam!

Fave - Absolutely hands-down Hawaiian Airlines. I wish they flew everywhere. Every staff member is always pleasant and helpful, flights are always on time and equipment is clean and well-maintained.

Least Fave - I can't even count the number of times I have been beyond frustrated with United Airlines. Their customer service agents are terrible and using award miles is a joke. Don't waste your time with United.

Posted By Natalie Ross on January 29, 2010, 4:24 PM

My wife and I recently flew to and from Japan on Singapore Airlines, and it was a great experience. First of all, it's a treat being served by their gorgeous, always-smiling stewardesses in their lovely costumes.

The food is excellent -- not surprising, since Gordon Ramsey is the airline's consulting chef. We actually had steak for dinner on our return flight, and we were seated in the economy section.

The trip was very pleasant, not at all the ordeal that is the norm with most airlines.

Posted By Joe Routon on January 29, 2010, 5:08 PM

Domestically one cannot beat Southwest Airlines. They offer reasonable prices, timely flights and friendly service. One can actually use the frequent flyer points without resorting to the premium offering. They don't pad their revenue with baggage and change fees. They are straight forward and get you where you need to go with a minimum of aggravation.
I've had equally bad service from Delta and United Airlines. United Airlines economy is barely Geneva Convention compliant. Delta's frequent flyer service cannot be used without paying some fee or another.
I'm on the fence with JetBlue. I had been very pleased but it seems with the departure of CEO David Neeleman that the airline has fallen back to the pack and is only a step above the legacy carriers. Higher fees and leg-room add-ons are nickel and dime. Look to Southwest. Offer good service for a decent price and airlines will make money.

Posted By Aaron on January 29, 2010, 9:59 PM

Best for domestic short flights are Alaska and Southwest airlines. They both provide prompt on-time service. Your 1st bad travels free, and on Southwest your 2nd bag travels free of charge as well. For longer flights, Hawaiian Airlines is probably the best domestic carrier out there. Warm friendly service, clean planes, a hot complimentary meal, and they are the most puntual of the U.S. carriers.

Worst U.S. carrier has got to be United. They deserve the "3 UN" awards-- Unfriendly, uncooperative, undesirable. I avoid them like the plague whenever possible. Cranky, crabby, and unreliable service is all I have ever experienced with them in 30 years of air travel. If they were to stop flying tomorrow, I for one would not shed a tear for them.

Posted By Patrick Carvalho on January 29, 2010, 11:51 PM

Southwest & Hawaiian are tied for first place in my book. Always friendly, 99 out of 100 times on time. First time ever (Southwest) I had a late flight was MCO to BDL by 2 hours on 1/22/10; otherwise, on time or ahead of schedule. Bag fees are definitely a determining factor when making a reservation.

Continental is, by far, the worst airline I have ever had to deal with. Booked a flight for my son in October 2009 for a 12/14/09 departure from ANC to BDL. They stated it was a maintenance issue coming in from SEA. Supposedly fixed that got everyone (who was left) on, taxied out on the runway and then immediately came back stating that the crew was over 12 hours old and couldn't fly. Talk about frustration!! Obviously, no one would fly until the next evening--no food or lodging offered. After numerous calls to the 800 number in Montana (maybe) my son on one cell and me on the other he decided to cancel. Yes, they returned our flight and baggage fees, however my son didn't make it home for Christmas, and cannot take time off now. Haven't seen him in over one year. So, no I will never use Continental and I make sure I tell everyone of my experience with them. They clearly are not worth the time or effort!!

Posted By Edna on January 30, 2010, 9:59 AM

best -- domestically it would be Southwest. You get what you pay for, but that is fine by me. I very much enjoyed the customer service from British Airways. The one flight that I took with them was great.

worst?
AirCanada. On a trip to London, we were greeted by a surly attendant in line and it went down from there. When we got on the plane, someone was sitting in my husband's seat and the flight attendant refused to talk to them. After four tries (the attendant would say they were coming out to talk to the woman and then stayed at the back, chatting) someone finally came out, talked to her, and when she said it was her seat, left without looking at her ticket. I had to go back and show them our tickets before some kind of senior flight attendant would come out. It was awkward and embarrassing. Needless to say, it was an unpleasant start to our trip. The food on the trip was completely inedible (which the attendants told us was something they heard often.)

I would never, ever fly with AirCanada again.

Posted By Robin on January 30, 2010, 10:32 AM

I have traveled more than once to Europe on Delta and have had some horrible experiences. On my last trip, I was flying to Zurich. I am a large person, and I needed a seat belt extender. I asked three times, and still nothing. Finally, I just kept pushing the button (since no one would give me one) until we were going down the runway, and the air attendant came by. She said very, very loudly, "You're the lady who needs the extender? Let me look. I don't know if there is one or not." She said the words very slowly as if I were stupid. We're taxiing down the runway and I have no seat belt. Finally, she slung one at me, narrowly missing my right eye, and I was able to get it fastened before we took off. I hate them.

Posted By Dodie on January 30, 2010, 10:53 AM

Best Airline: Midwest. Cookies and good seats. Sun Country is my second favorite.

Worst Airline: Hands down, United. I will never fly United again. No customer service, extraordinary delays, and I've been stranded by them twice.

I did have a bad experience with British Airways, but that might have had more to do with the airport than the airline.

Posted By Jennifer on January 30, 2010, 4:25 PM

BEST for domestic hands down Alaska Airlines. Love the mileage program and enjoy the flight attendants attention to making the flight fun.
BEST for international Quantas - love the business class from US to Australia.

WORST - recent flight experience on SkyWest - flight delayed, takeoff aborted at the last minute, changed planes, inexperienced flight attendant reading from training guides every step of the flight. (I will say it was during the holidays which I'm sure increases the business, but definitely the worst) Oh, I forgot to mention SLC to PDX they announced prior to boarding the 2nd plane that there would not be a functioning toilet on board during the flight.

Posted By Michelle on January 30, 2010, 4:53 PM

Southwest knows that their success is in their customers and they treat you that way. The other airlines believe that their customers are their enemy, and they treat you that way too. They think their airline would be just great if all the damn people didn't show up.

Alaska Airlines has a boutique reputation, but the airline is ALWAYS late anywhere they fly after sundown. I am not sure if they are afraid of the dark, but staying on-time at the end of the day is elusive for them.

Posted By LCL on January 30, 2010, 5:32 PM

Favorite: Jet Airways. Super comfortable, and the food is beyond amazing. Meal and tea service on every single flight, even those

Posted By hammie on January 31, 2010, 12:20 AM

Best Domestic Southwest and Delta. I travel for business weekly and both of the airlines deliver what they promise. Southwest wins by a hair due to the no baggage fee.

Worst Airline: I agree with Jennifer, there is no contest for the WORST airline. Hands down, United. I will never fly United again. No customer service even for their Premier Members, Cancelled and outed flights, lost luggage, extraordinary delays. 've been stranded by them twice once for 3 days on my way to Italy and once for 3 days on my way to Russia and they lost my luggage on both trips. One both trips they did not even offer to cover hotel rooms for the nights, I slept in the airport! HORRIBLE!

Posted By DCF on January 31, 2010, 7:29 AM

Best: Alaska Airlines: pleasant staff (incredible enough!), on-time flights, good service.

Worst: toss up between US Airways and United. There is not enough room to share the horrible experiences I have had with both (affiliated) airlines. Disorganized, the rudest and most incompetent staff in the industry, lost luggage, cancelled flights. Avoid at all costs.

Posted By SdeB on January 31, 2010, 8:54 AM

Best domestic airline: Southwest

They at least make an attempt to be pleasant and helpful. While they may be acting, the fact that they take the effort to act makes the process of airflight nowadays tolerable.

Worse domestic airline: United

Both incompetent and rude. Overbooked and stranded without an apology. Unfortunately, they partner with US Air somehow (I suspect because no one wants to purchase a United ticket) so that sometimes if you buy from US Air, United is flying you. Be careful!

Posted By bruce on January 31, 2010, 10:28 AM

I'm a very easy going traveler. Being from snow country in upstate NY, I have seen more than a few domestic delays, so I've learned to be patient and flexible.

I've had good experiences with Continental (knock on wood). Once I was delayed getting in for a connection at Newark, and I received an automated message saying they'd noted my plane was arriving late and they automatically booked me on the next available flight. I ended up making the orginal flight anyhow. When I call the service center, I always talked to a knowledgable and friendly person.

Another time during icy weather, a gate attendant got on the PA and addressed everyone at the airport late at night on Christmas eve. "I'm so sorry the weather has delayed you from your flights to your families! Your plane is here now and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!"

I look forward to my first flight with Hawaiian in March!

Bad experiences with United. Although, I attribute it both to the airline and Chicago. My sister asked why I didn't call and try for compensation after one experience. I said, "Because if this is a par experience for United, I don't wanna fly with them again." I'm disappointed that Continental left Skyteam for Star Alliance!

My mom said it best after a frustrating experience flying back to Syracuse from Seattle on Delta, "It was a pain, but I'd do it all over again to see you on vacation!"

Posted By Veronica on January 31, 2010, 2:48 PM

I'm going to break from the above posters - Alaska is just not as good as they claim to be.

My last flight with them (several years ago, and for good reason) was just horrible. Travelling with my then one-year-old son, we were assured we could bring his car seat on board if there was an extra seat aboard the aircraft. When we got to the ticket counter, the staff - BOTH WAYS - were completely unhelpful and just pointed us to the computer, telling us the computer would do everything. (It wouldn't.) It started when we had a paper ticket issued by the travel agency (I'm not sure why but we did) and the ticket number wasn't clearly printed; the counter agent grumbled and finally found it for us. She grumbled about getting a seat blocked for our son. Both ways!

In fact, the TSA agents were rather accommodating to us...it's a sad day when you are proud of TSA, but have to complain about Alaska Airlines...

Since then we've flown exclusively with JetBlue. Each time - the JetBlue gate staff (which in Portland ironically are United employees) are beyond helpful - even though they have the computers they are helpful, invite us up so they can check us in (they see we have an extra item for our son, so they take care of that), remind us to pre-board...instead of grumbling, I get proactive help.

The only drawback of JetBlue is having to fly into Long Beach Airport. Not to bad to fly into, but out of is a pain in the butt (it's a cramped terminal), but once on the plane, it's a smooth flight home. With Alaska...they are today what they claimed they weren't 20 years ago in a popular, well-remembered commercial they used to air:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PJ8KmDNs3o

Posted By Erik on January 31, 2010, 6:17 PM

I agree with the many previous posters that Southwest is hands-down the best -- great prices, friendly service and you always know what you'll get when you book a flight with them.

Another great airline is Allegiant Air, which is very small, but it does many things well. I have flown on Allegiant several times from North Carolina (Kinston, Wilmington and Greensboro) to Florida (Sanford) for either $29 or $39 each way. Because it's small, many things are "different" (when I flew out of Kinston, Allegiant was the only airline there and passenger flights only left twice per week; at check-in I was given a paper ticket from an accordion file folder). The flight crew has been friendly, there was plenty of room and it was a great experience, especially given its great value!

Posted By Sarah on February 1, 2010, 10:10 AM

Best airline:Jet Blue. It used to be Wardair out of Canada, but they went under.
Worst: Northwest..they left us on a Tokyo runway for 8 hours with no food and surley stewardesses. another time they wouldn't give us our FF miles for a RT flight from Buffalo to India because THEY cancelled our flight and put us on a different one.
United started to give us a hard time when I got sick in Tokyo and had to come home early, but then had a change of heart and gave us back our $400 change fee.

Posted By beth on February 1, 2010, 10:38 AM

The best airline so far in my travels has been Korean Air. The airplanes are newer, the service is brilliant, both the food and the friendly, courteous, respectful treatment.

I would vote for Lufthansa, the German airline, and Continental after that. Lufthansa has an excellent service and are very professional. Continental has the newest airplanes domestically and I do appreciate that.

The worst in my estimation is Delta. The customer service is horrendous and obtaining the correct skymiles is an ordeal.

Posted By Gabriele on February 1, 2010, 11:02 AM

Southwest is by far the best domestic airline. I always encounter friendly staff, from the check in agents to the flight attendents. It's so rare to find friendly airline staff anymore.

The worst...United. I got stuck in Denver with my infant several years ago. Needing the extra diapers and formula in my luggage, I requested it. I wasn't allowed to have it, the staff was so rude when I asked if they had any supplies or where I could get some, we were given a room at an airport hotel, miles from any store for me to buy some. It goes on and on. Just a nightmare.

Posted By Michelle on February 1, 2010, 11:20 AM

Many of you on this list have bashed United but you really don't know what you're missing. If you pay a little extra to sit in Economy Plus or earn status to get it for free, the flight is fantastic. I'm 6'8" (205 cm) and wouldn't fly any other US airline in coach.

Posted By Mark60640 on February 1, 2010, 11:25 AM

Continental is hands down the best. It flies all over the world non-stop from Newark. Customer Service can't be beat. Pricing, OnePass and domestic upgrades are great. They have gone out of their way to accomodate me on more than one ocassion: when my mother died and when I missed a Paris bound flight due to the airport bus involved in an accident.

I can't comment on Southwest or JetBlue. Southwest does not fly from/to a convenient airport. Every time I have priced JetBlue, they have been more expensive than Continental on the day/time I want to fly. Saving less than the cost of a couple of movie tickets is not worth an inconvenient schedule. JetBlue does not have a good on-time record. I flew Hawaiian once. It was 1st class from Honolulu to Tahiti. The plane was old, dirty and in poor condition. The seats were "domestic", not "international" 1st class. The meal (small plates) was so so.

The worst? UA for customer service and USAir for just about everything. Luckily NW is now part of Delta, or they would be on my list. AA has a special place. They nearly killed my dog on a flight from LAX to JFK.

Posted By lawthomas on February 1, 2010, 11:33 AM

Least Favorite continues to be American. About 20 years ago I had recurring baggage problems on AA culminating in a theft from my luggage. Since then, I've been on AA flights a few times, usually when sent from another airline. Nothing on any AA flight has changed my mind. The most recent experience was when I had the-very last seat- on an MD-80 (an aircraft I don't like in the best of times) and the pilot slammed that aircraft so hard on landing I thought I would have to go see a doctor.

Second worst place goes to Air New Zealand, for losing our luggage for 3 days at the start of a 24 day trip. Even though I suggested to them where the bags were, they still had no clue until the bags finally made it to Aukland airport. And when I tried to politely negotiate any response/consideration, they stuck to their rulebook. I'm sticking to mine, any airline that treats me that way doesn't get any more of my business. (See above.)

Recently I've flown Continental overseas in both Coach and Business First. Of the US flag carriers, this was by far the best transcontinental experience. I also have good things to say about Virgin Atlantic and Singapore.

Posted By David Emery on February 1, 2010, 11:46 AM

Southwest, by far! Even though I hate the 'seat lottery', I applaud their consistency, on time departures and arrivals, in-flight humor, predictability, and NO BAG FEES. Criminy, almost every leisure traveler has a suitcase to check, and transporting that bag should be PART OF THE TICKET PRICE. Airlines who charge THOSE fees are despicable--and the parade of numerous and oversize 'carryons' brought on by passengers is just amazing... We try to fly SWA whenever possible, because we respect their business model.

Posted By moondoggie on February 1, 2010, 11:56 AM

Best: I've flown New York to San Francisco monthly lately and I like Delta AND United. Their direct flights have left on time, Delta has a great sound system on its 757s and provides cookies, and United's Economy Plus has loads of legroom. Given the new reality, I think both are just fine.

Worst: I will only fly American if it's the only airline available -- and if that's the case, I'll still try to find an alternative. Rude, rude, rude.

Posted By Expresso875 on February 1, 2010, 12:04 PM

Worst Airline: Continental. Not only did they steal my video camera from my suitcase last year, they also keep advertising that they offer free meals at mealtime. I've flown with them many times at "mealtime" and never got anything more than a tiny bag of pretzels.

Posted By Jennifer on February 1, 2010, 12:15 PM

Best domestic, I have to give equal kudos to Alaska, Jet Blue and Southwest. I fly all three as they have different cities they service. I love the excellent and pleasant service they all provide. Alaska FF program is the best!

Best International, Lufthansa is the most professional and very well organized. I have to say Swiss Air is excellent in service and amenities also.

Posted By John on February 1, 2010, 12:29 PM

I have to say that I like both Southwest and Virgin America. Southwest can’t be beat on price and they always seem friendly. Likewise, Virgin has some great deals and friendly staff, but their excellent in-flight services (movies, food on demand) make them a favorite for cross-country flights.

Like so many others I’ve had a bad go with almost all of the legacy carriers at one time or another, but the worst experience I’ve had is with Northwest (and it didn’t even affect me). I had a plane change in Memphis on the way to Springfield, MO for Christmas a couple years ago. We all boarded the small, commuter-sized plane, were buckled-in, and the plane was being pushed back. Then, we sat there, and sat there, finally an announcement was made that the front wheel would not turn back to the right, so we were pulled back to the gate. After about 30 minutes we were herded off the plane and told to wait in the gate area. After a while, we were told – verbally by the gate attendant, no speaker – that we would be departing in about an hour on a different plane at the other end of the airport. So, we all trooped to the other gate and waited. Finally the flight crew boarded the new plane and we waited for our turn. And waited. And waited. Then, the flight crew came back out – at this point I hopped up and got in line for rebooking at the service desk, and I was one of the lucky ones. Then another announcement was made – our flight was canceled due to excessive fog. As everyone else got in line at the rebooking desk I snagged one of the last seats on a later flight. Other’s weren’t so lucky. I know as far as bad flight stories go, this doesn’t seem that bad – until you learn that those who weren’t rebooked and had to either stay in Memphis or book on a different airline, didn’t receive any refund or compensation because they said the flight was canceled due to weather. That just isn’t true. Had there been no mechanical failure, the flight would have taken off as scheduled. No one could get anywhere with the attendants. Never again on Northwest.

Posted By Amanda on February 1, 2010, 12:35 PM

Alaska Airlines gets my vote as best! Always answer my questions, crew pleasant, airline is great to deal with and usually on time!

Worse? I don't know. I don't fly other airlines if I can get Alaska Air to where I'm headed.

Posted By Ruth Knapman on February 1, 2010, 12:38 PM

Domestically I find it's a competition between JetBlue and SouthWest for 1st. I have equal concerns re the changes at JetBlue. (Even this weekend the website was closed during changes - and with instructions not to even call - you would have to go to an airport to perform any type of transaction!)Both airlines have provided consistent friendly service on the numerous flights I have taken with them.

Internationally - especially to Europe - I agree with earlier comment re Air Canada. I don't rely on obtaining any decent food on a plane but they are incredibly bad. They must be embarrassed to serve it out. (On the last flight I took wih them most of it went back to them!) They are not the friendliest airline but as I'm more concerned re getting A to B on time this is less of an issue.

I do get sick of the air of superiority on British Airways bordering on arrogant and condescending - by 'phone or in person. Fortunately they are relatively efficient - excepting teething problems with their new Heathrow terminal - and have ample back-up in case of breakdown.

Posted By Anthony Webster on February 1, 2010, 12:39 PM

Worst...American Airlines. The way they treat you has to be the worst experience in ALL my years of travel. The cattle like boarding experience at LAX is missing only the electric prods. They need to remember they are a service provider. When you treat a customer the way they do, I make my choice known by spending my dollars elsewhere.

Posted By John on February 1, 2010, 12:40 PM

Favorite has to be Hawaiian Air. When I board their plane I can just visualize the islands and their service is always excellent. I just sit back and relax and let them do the driving.
The worst has to be EasyJet. We were booked on a flight from Venice to Paris last October. We arrived two hours before flight time and couldn't find the gate for the flight as it hadn't been posted yet. However the regulars for that flight were aware of the gate assignment and were already lined up. When we figured it out we got on the end of a very long line that had one agent checking in a planeload of passengers. The flight was scheduled for nine pm but was delayed until 11 pm departure. When we finally made our way to the front of the line, the agent was very brusque (overworked) and weighed in our bags. One bag was overweight by 2 pounds and he rejected our carryon bag and as being to big and weighed it also. I had measured the bag and it was supposed to be a carryon. Then we were directed to another kiosk where our bags were weighed in and the penalty assessed. Ouch. More than the ticket cost. I also observed that we weren't the only ones being assessed for overweight bags. I later complained to EasyJet and my complaints fell on deaf ears.

Posted By Larry on February 1, 2010, 12:41 PM

I love Southwest. Affordable, no extra bag fees, more on-time departures than any other airline I've flown, friendly staff - they're awesome! Best of all, NO CHANGE FEES for changing your ticket - unless the ticket price went up, in which case you pay the difference. I used to dislike the "cattle call" waiting, but they've even improved that. They are generally extremely enjoyable to fly.

Side note about the fees for changing your ticket: it used to cost $50 to do so. Now many airlines have change fees as high as $150, which may double the cost of your ticket. (Or more, if you have to change more than once.) The fact that SWA allows such tremendous flexibility for their customers by not charging a fee for changes is just one reason of many they have won my tremendous loyalty.

Since I concentrate my flying between two airlines, and I wouldn't call the other airline the "worst", I don't have a vote for worst.

Posted By Cheryl Lemanski on February 1, 2010, 12:47 PM

SOUTHWEST: Favorite for domestic travel
BRITISH AIR: Great international service

Worst: A toss-up between UA and AA --- bad experience with unfriendly attendants on both.

Posted By Eileen on February 1, 2010, 12:50 PM

Best: No doubt, it is Southwest Air. Friendly, courteous, and no bag fees.
Worst: A tie between Northwest and United. Both have more ontime issues, maintenance delays, and Northwest has a number of arrogant customer service folks.

Posted By Mike Jarman on February 1, 2010, 1:05 PM

Best: Singapore Airlines. Friendly service, no extra fees, extensive inflight entertainment options, great food, colorful interior decor.

Worst (tie): US Airways & Delta. Poor on-time record, nasty gate personnel and flight attendants, poor conditions on the aircraft, high baggage fees, limited food/drink services.

Posted By Steve K on February 1, 2010, 1:10 PM

We fly 4 times a year, 2 times international 2 times domestic

International;
Love: Iceland Air, great service
Lufthansa, it is perfection
Air Austria, very nice helpful

Hate:
British air had a terrible experience with a flight attendant when I become violently sick on the flight. When it was time to land she pounded on the bathroom door, like I was having a party (I hate airline bathrooms anyway so I don’t choose to be in there longer than I have to., before that she yelled at my spouse “where I was and that I need t o sit down”
I opened the bathroom door and was white and sweating and smelly and she just yelled at me, no compassion.
And second, I don’t like that you can purchase your seat weeks ahead of time, just caters to rich people and I hate that
And third I don’t like Heathrow, waiting around in terminal A until if you are lucky 30 minutes before take off to find out what gate and what terminal is to much added stress on traveling.

Domestic
Usually we stick with Continental Air just because we like the nonstop flight and the service
We used Southwest before and enjoyed it, I am just not a big fan of NO seat assignment

We are flying air lingus next week then I can judge them afterward also

Posted By Patricia M on February 1, 2010, 1:14 PM

Southwest has to be the best domestic airline in the U.S. The airline has become a pacesetter for the industry and other airlines now attempt to imitate it. It usually has the lowest prices and also has very good service. Getting enough points for a free flight is easier than on other airlines especially if you have a Southwest Visa credit card. The airline doesn't gouge you for baggage fees like most other airlines do. Southwest's flights are on time and the airline is very efficient.

Posted By Bill on February 1, 2010, 1:23 PM

Jet Blue is my absolute favorite for Domestic Travel, and in econd place is Southwest. Jet Blue has amazing deals, EVERYONE is friendly and they make their announcements entertaining so that people pay attention and alleviate some of the tension when flying. They also have the first checked bag free and unlimeted snacks. Lastly, who dies not want the option to watch tv while they fly.

For international, the best flight I had was on Virgin, it seemed so upscale and modern with the bright colored blankets and eyeshades, and the employees,too, were very accomodating.

Posted By Shannon on February 1, 2010, 1:33 PM

My favorite domestic airline is Southwest tied with Jet Blue. I use to drive to Manchester NH from Maine because the airline was cheaper, friendlier and more reliable than any out of either PWM or BGR. Jet Blue started service out of PWM so have been using them as it saves me the drive and sometimes an overnight stay in a motel in Manchester. I have been totally satisfied with Jet Blue. There is more leg room and the prices are reasonable. The staff has always been friendly and helpful. I avoid United, Delta and Northwest.

Posted By Alice Peters on February 1, 2010, 1:34 PM

Of all the airlines I have to give air berlin the hand down best. The service, the friendliest, the most helpful , and all the employees we have seen want to care about you. What do you need? how can we help you? This is all the time and they do it.

Us airways is my pick for the worse. Have you been to the Philadelphia terminal? Don't go there. they have the worse pulbic relations and the air lines takes after them. ON our flight to Munich they wouln;t even let my wife and myself sit close to each other and from Phily to tampa, the same thing. By the way the food overseas is not the best on this airline as compared to air berlin

Posted By bill on February 1, 2010, 1:46 PM

Best: Southwest, because luggage flies free and there are no change fees.

Best for rewards: AA actually has seats fror reward travel.

Worst for reward travel: Continental and Delta never have regular mileage awards, even almost a year ahead of time.

Posted By Yvonne McArthur on February 1, 2010, 1:52 PM

Best Domestic: Southwest Airlines. It's just easy--and it's gotten a little bit easier since they put the numbered check in in place.

Best International: Air Tahiti Nui. I FINALLY made my 1st trip to Paris over the summer (dream trip that I said that I was going to take in January 09 on the boards here! And I did!) and they had the best prices at the last minute. The seats were a *little* cramped in coach, but the service to Paris was top notch--everyone was quiet and respectful, food was great, flight attendants were extremely nice & attractive, even giving us little flowers after take off. Food was good and there was a nice supply of hot beverages (and cold) and snacks in between food service. On the way back to the States, we had some horrible children on the flight that screamed and cried the whole way home, but there really isn't much that anyone can do about horrible little children on a 10 hour flight. Oh, and all the alcoholic beverages were free--even in coach!

Worst: Jumping on the bandwagon--United. THEY ARE SO TERRIBLE. The people that work there are SO rude, from the moment you check in till you get off of the plane. And the comments about the Economy Plus is spot on--it such BS that it will be mostly empty, but people aren't allowed to spread out because they didn't pay for the privilege. I don't understand that at all. And all the charges! Baggage, snacks, etc. I had a terrible, terrible return flight from Hawaii with United and I swore that I would never fly them again--and I meant it!!

Posted By Desiree on February 1, 2010, 1:56 PM

Southwest is the best but they need to watch it as they add all these weird components for determining who gets on first.

Delta, stands for Don't Expect Luggage to Arrive, is probably the worst.

Posted By Texas Flyer on February 1, 2010, 1:57 PM

Internationally, I like Singapore Airlines. Domestically, I like Southwest best...you get what you pay for and you are treated like a customer. Alaska is okay, but the rest of the legcy carriers are all so-so, except United which is horrible.

Posted By Jerry on February 1, 2010, 2:12 PM

youre all sweaty or frozen trying to get to the airport on time with a 2wheeled box (or more). youre finally checked in & brace yourself for the security screening.

you get to your gate stressed, bored or indifferent and then you hear your lucky lotto number! rows blank to rows blank. you look for your row, try to toss that darn box into OHS, sit in your seat & take a deep breath.

Your experience could have been better or worse up til now and thats what the carriers need to keep in mind. they need to help make the stress from street to runway disapear. everyone has a story and just saying hello or acknowledging some1 at thier seat can be the start of a 'pay it fwd' type of experience which can make for a serene flight for both passengers & staff.

I used to work for Iberia & Aeromexico so i understand the issues from both sides but at the end of the day...the customer is always right. If a company thinks different, there'll be no customers

That said...best:

Domestic: Continental. You just cant beat the program, service & the convenince for North Easternern travellers

Singapore Airlines. cattle class feels like first class every time & the staff is so friendly and calm. ...and yes, they look like porcelain dolls in those beautiful folk inspired dresses

#2:I have to agree w/ John & Gabrielle. Des Deutches Luft (Lufthansa) is great. They must have the most leg room(?) & surprise!: the most silent, organized gate check-in ive ever seen! To this day (i fly to europe several times a year), ive never heard the gate staff speak on the mic. amazing!

honorable mention: Air France: the staff can at times be a bit clueless (Paris CDG) but no one has a better in-flight coach menu (the wine tastes like wine! Dionysus/Bacchus would be proud)

worst:
Give me a U, give me an N, give me an I, give me a T...nevermind...dont give me any United flights! the old planes & wierd staff made me feel as if i was stuck in a 1980s time warp

2nd:
American & US air..i agree w/ prev posters: the KLM connection has saved that bugger from topping #1 lol

Taking my first South African airways flight in June for the world cup so hopefully I can have lots of Pos things to say about them:

happy flying everyone!

Posted By jesika NYC on February 1, 2010, 2:15 PM

Favorite: Southwest. No hidden fees, easy web-site booking AND flight changes, friendly employees, a great on-time record.
Least favorite: Allegiant Air. They offer a lowball fare, but when you try to book, it takes forever because you have to go through multiple screens, each of which dings you another $10 to $20 for booking online, baggage, seat selection, etc.

Posted By Karen on February 1, 2010, 2:16 PM

Best: Northwest Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines- Always helpful, great customer service, always has the lowest prices on their actual website.

Worst: American Airlines & United. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE Customer service for both and typically over priced. I cant remember a single United flight I have taken that hasnt been delayed!

Posted By Tiffany on February 1, 2010, 2:34 PM

Midwest is my favorite. I love their cookies and they have great leather seats on the signature flights. Nice flight attendants, too.

Posted By Vickie on February 1, 2010, 2:35 PM

The Worst Airlines has to be Spirit!! I paid for first Class in June 2009 $1178.70 and all I got was an old but larger seat an everyone else. They then charged me more for baggage. Seat was very uncomfortable! American Airlines? I stop flying them because of losing my baggage. It would get to me the next day or flight. The Best Airlines to me is Avianca! I have flown first class and Coach. First class is first class with them. Coach is like flying first class compare to other airlines. You get food and drinks ,along with a movie at each seat. Sevice is outstanding..

Posted By William Clapp on February 1, 2010, 2:37 PM

My favorite airlines are Delta and Jet Blue. I have flown both extensively and found them to be very friendly, professional, capable and meet all my needs. They are also very patient with some passengers who are very rude and demanding and seem to take out their feelings on the staff.

Posted By Jane Shaw on February 1, 2010, 2:37 PM

I have always had a great experience on Delta. And when my daughter was one day short of 18 (certainly not flying as an unaccompanied minor) and going to test for additional college scholarship money, her red-eye flight was cancelled. A Delta counter employee personally walked her to another airline counter and got her on the next flight. She actually arrived earlier than on if she had taken the Delta flight.

Also Alaska. Good customer service too. Once we arrived very belatedly on a flight and were close to missing the last ground shuttle home. We were only in coach but they decided to have us disembark even before first class passengers. I was really surprised and grateful that they did this as I had not even asked.

Hope I will have a chance to fly on some of the other "good" airlines.

Posted By Kira Derghawen on February 1, 2010, 2:39 PM

Most favorite; Southwest because they are generally on time and your bags are free !

Least favorite; United because they frequently have problems and are late. Had an issue back in November in San Francisco on our way to Maui. Supposedly the Pilot got sick and they had to change planes going from a smaller one to a larger one. Can you believe that an organization as big as UAL does not have a back-up plan w/ standby by other pilots in case the pilot is sick, under the weather or ?? Flight was 5 + hours late departing.

Had another incident with UAL going from Maui to LAX where they supposedly put 20,000 lbs too much fuel into plane and had to remove some plus they had too much luggage !! I mean you have X amount of people, X amount of luggage, it should not take an MIT graduate to figure this one out. I suggested that recently I had a similar incident on a Delta Flight where they gave everyone free wine or champagne on the flight as a way to make it up and suggested that UAL do the same !! The attendant I spoke with reacted like I tried to take her paycheck or something, no way that was going to happen as regards free drinks or even a free drink from UAL !! I only fly them when I have to at this point

Posted By PEL on February 1, 2010, 2:42 PM

To a large extent I think one's view of best and wost is conditioned by whether one is flying domestic US or overseas. Even crummy US carriers try harder when they are competition with Singapore, Thai and others. I can't recall a bad experience with any major foreign carrier.

That said, we have had good experiences with Delta both internationally and domestically and that would be our airline of choice, all other factors being equal.

United's cramped economy seating puts them in last place, and we also try to avoid Southwest because of the "cattle call" seating. Would it kill them to assign seats? The only other airline I have flown that relied on mob rule was Union of Burma Airways, and I'm inclined to excuse them because they could barely afford planes that ran.

Posted By MikeB on February 1, 2010, 2:50 PM

Best: Malaysia Airlines...I thought I was mistakenly put in business class....it was just economy. My kids were treated like royalty, the food was fantastic and service wonderful. The seats exstreamly roomy. great ice cream too.

Worst: Delta.... I have never seen such unhappy employees in all my life as those that work for Delta. They pretty much just grunted at us through check-in. Couldn't understand what they were saying when they did decide to bless us with speach. They even charged us a different rate for the same two bags on the return flight...couldnt tell me why though. Same weight bags I might add.

Posted By Daisy on February 1, 2010, 2:56 PM

Delta - I am an R.N. , and , a fellow nurse who works part time with me also works as a Delta flight attendant. She told me the story how she met a couple from the mid-west who were flying to Atlanta to visit their son who was in critical condition from a gunshot wound. The couple asked her directions to Grady hospital in the city. My friend actually drove the grieving parents to that hospital!

Posted By Kathleen on February 1, 2010, 2:57 PM

Best: Southwest - The personnel are all polite and it's a joy to listen to their comic remarks on taking off and landing - takes some of the stress out of flying.
Worst: Used to be Northwest (which we called NorthWorst) but now, hands down, Delta. I spent 2 1/2 hours the other day trying to rebook flights that had been cancelled due to H1N1 flu. Final outcome (after talking to 3 different agents, one of which was particularly nasty) was that they waived the "change fee" (which we had already been told they'd do at the time of the illness) but refused to waive a "reissue" fee of $50/pp (this was a 20% increase in fare for 4 people)!! There was no reason to charge any extra fee - they change flight information constantly. This is just another way to collect money like charging a ransom for our bags. If there was any other way to get somewhere quickly, a lot of airlines would be belly up in a month - and Delta would be the first one.

Posted By Pat on February 1, 2010, 3:10 PM

International- Malev Airlines (Hungarian) personnel were polite, friendly, and efficient. The plane was new and clean. Lunch was great. Every Chinese airline we have been on has been excellent. Adorable young smiling stewards. New, clean planes with excellent food with choices obviously to please both Chinese and Western passengers.
Domestic-No favorite Least favorite-Continental They left us on the plane forever in New Orleans- eventually late at night we arrived in a city in Texas. No explanation why (flight crew problems?) All of us on board had bought tickets for either Indianapolis or Cincinnati. Arrived home a day later and was docked a days pay. United must be better on international flights.

Posted By Mindy on February 1, 2010, 3:17 PM

I've had good and bad on just about all the airlines. I know I'll get dinged but I think USAirways is overall the best (no, I don't work for them). I've just flown them alot over 20 years. Must say, that for all the domestic airlines that not having enough food (even to buy) on long flights is just ridiculous.

Posted By Carol on February 1, 2010, 3:23 PM

Best US Airlines....hmmm..try Frontier and Alaska for friendliness and a great attitude. Their staff members really are consistently cheerful, from the front desk to the actual plane and will do the best they can with what they are allowed to provide! For example, the witty attendant on a recent Frontier flight cheerfully passed out the steak (ever present pretzels) and drinks. They do their best not to make the passengers feel like cattle. Southwest also provides a fine ride during these difficult travel times.

Continental is great on the international flights. They are not providing as much as in the past, but do provide courteous, efficient service, while attempting to give their passengers the most considerate service. Our experiences here are mostly from the Newark to Glasgow or Endinburg routes, but the flights have been on time, the service efficient, and the food ediable.

Now for United....the friendly skies should be relabeled. Returning from a family member's funeral in Colorado, we got into the first class check in line by mistake, and were severely verbally berated before being arm pointed and loudly directed to the lower levels! And don't ask to sit in the emergency exit row if you are flying economy (altho you paid a premium because it was short notice) because that is only reserved for those in the economy plus. I thought this was to be a service for the welfare of fellow passengers, not just a fare perk. When one calls in to check with the preflight services things don't improve. It must be difficult to work for such an unhappy company.

Posted By Donna on February 1, 2010, 3:29 PM

Flew first time on Frontier to Mexico from Minneapolis because the direct flights were sold out on Delta (reserved for vacation package purchases) and Suncountry was charging $600.

Frontier was worth it: NO BAG FEES!!!!!!!!!!! saved me and my friends a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, SHORT LINES TO CHECK IN, FREE CABLE ON FLIGHT, COMFY SEATS, Arrived on time on all flights (even though the pilate totally mistimed the landing on one leg of the flight and ended up circling the Denver airport for 20 minutes to reland- everyone got a little sick).

I think my worst flight ever was also on United, one seat I had was so worn out I had to get some clothes to fold up and sit on so I didn't fall through the seat. Service was AWEFUL and unprofessional in the Charleston SC airport.

Posted By SLS on February 1, 2010, 3:32 PM

By far the worst airline as mentioned here more times than I can count is UNITED ! Shame on you United - I do believe you need to work on your image and by the way get some friendly and courteous airline staff. I recently traveled to Florida whereby one passenger had gone to the restroom prior to landing - ok, maybe not the best timing but nature did call. The flight attendant came rushing to the back of the cabin in a tizzy, all wild-eyed and stomping like a third grader - was all of that so necessary; for the entire cabin to know "she was more than miffed"? Certainly they teach them SOME professional protocol. If she's lost that lovin' feelin', it may be time for a career change. I for one would appreciate a suggestion box aboard my next flight. And of course, our luggage was lost upon the flight home -we received a call 4 days later wondering if we had perhaps gotten our luggage. Go figure.

Posted By melanie on February 1, 2010, 3:39 PM

quit griping all you passengers have brought this on your selfs by demanding low fares and freebies and the brunt of this has fallen on the employes who have lost pay work rules health care and there retirment that they have worked so hard for.You would not do there jobs for what they compensated . Putting up with constant abuse from the public who are rude inpolite demanding and just plane nasty.Shame on all of you,you are not the only person in the world you self centered bunch of spoiled brats.Yes I do know what I am talking about I was a Flight Attendent since 1973 and have watched the deteration of my proffesion because of the greed of the public and Airline managment who have used that greed to destoy there workers. Yes I am so mad right now I can hardly type these words. Just all of you wait untill your companys gut your contracts and tell you take it if you want to keep your jobs.

Posted By Joan on February 1, 2010, 3:44 PM

Best airline: Emirates. Their economy class feels like most airlines' business. Worst: United, which I fly trans-Atlantic only because my employer forces me to. Flight attendants and ground staff are notably surly, but that's due at least in part to the fact that management treats them so badly. And remember, the cabin crew is not responsible for the "Premium Economy" shakedown -- the company treats passengers and employees with equal contempt. Like a fish, United rots from the head.

Posted By Brad on February 1, 2010, 3:44 PM

Best: Alaska - cheap, small, flexible, convenient, and friendly.
Worst: SouthWest. Used to be a great choice for travelling through the South West (it figures). By now it spreads like cockroaches pushing aside other airlines. Their planes and organization is not suitable for travelling longer than 1,5 hours. Their disregard for people with allergies (peanuts everywhere and pets) is astonishing. Their marketing campaign is aggressive and deceptive: it is '(limited number of bags of limited weight) fly free', not 'bags fly free.' Their prices are far from being the lowest. They aggressively pushing the $10.00 charge per leg per ticket ...because they know how uncomfortable their horrid cattle-drive sitting policy really is.

Posted By Sue on February 1, 2010, 3:47 PM

My favorite airline is American. I have been flying with them and giving EXCELLENT passenger service for 24 years domestically and internationally! (scores of letters to PROVE it!) The worst airline? There are none. There are only bad experiences or bad employees who don't belong in the jobs they hold. But, the same can be said for ANY industry...

Posted By Danny on February 1, 2010, 3:50 PM

I haven't had enough good experiences lately to rate the best, but the worst is easy. United Airlines is hands down the worst airline in the sky. Replace about the first 6 levels of management and convince the newcomers that their customers deserve good treatment not mealy mouth words.

Posted By Ian on February 1, 2010, 3:54 PM

Southwest is my favorite airline for domestic travel. Not only are their employees friendly and helpful, they seem to really enjoy their jobs and want to be there. I also can't say enough how much we appreciate not having to pay for our luggage. The frequent flyer program for Southwest is also great. Very easy to earn a free flight. All the other airlines should follow Southwest's example.

Posted By Kristi on February 1, 2010, 4:02 PM

I have enjoyed flying Continental across country. They still actually serve you some food, not only drinks, and going from coast to coast I have been able to watch 2 movies during the trip. Most of the other domestic airlines give you nothing, not even a small bag of peanuts anymore.

My 2nd choice would be Southwest just because they don't charge for checked bags. Their system is much better since they give you not only a boarding group, but also a boarding number so that you know exactly which order you are boarding in within that group. It used to be more of a cattle call and people would line up as soon as they got to the gate.

Worst is a tossup between United & Delta.

Posted By Julie on February 1, 2010, 4:09 PM

Living in Southeast Alaska, we are served only by Alaska Airlines. We smile when a new flight attendant reads the text, "We know you had a choice of airlines. . ." because we have no choice. But when I travel on other airlines, I am thankful for Alaska Airlines consideration to passenger need, passenger comfort, flight attendants are for the most cheerful and caring individuals, and safety record. The mountains are pretty close together up here and I feel safe in the nastiest winter storms with Alaska.
Worst is hard to say because of bad experiences with most of my Lower 48 flying far outweigh the good.

Posted By Sue on February 1, 2010, 4:13 PM

the best airline, hands down, is Southwest, which has had no fatal accidents ever, checks your baggage for nothing, has comfotable leather seats, and flight attendants without an attitude.
The worst? It's close, but US Airways (nee allegheny or Agony) is as bad as they come.

Posted By JIm on February 1, 2010, 4:20 PM

Joan must work for United, and proves the point.

Posted By Cynthia on February 1, 2010, 4:33 PM

The best airline I've been on is United. Out of the several airlines I've flown on (and it is quite a few, I'm a 20 year Navy vet), United has had the most positive experiences.
The worst is Delta! Never again. I'd pay more to fly another airline.

Posted By LaDawn White on February 1, 2010, 4:43 PM

Hawaiian Airlines is by far our favorite. On time schedules and friendly personnel are appreciated. We have traveled several times on Hawaiian and have a trip to Hawaii next month. We really appreciate their service.

Posted By Donna Johnson on February 1, 2010, 4:53 PM

best- Jet Blue-great customer service and great prices.

worst-UNITED!!! Left stranded on plane in DC for 3 hours because of rain. Then told us the flight was cancelled. Found another flight the next day after paying 200. for a motel room which united would not pay for. They booked us on another flight to Austria the next day and UNITED told us to pick up our tickets in Austria for our next leg to Kosovo. When we arrived in Austria at the ticket counter they said they had no record of us. United refused to help because even though we booked with united, they said they weren't responsible for their "shared" carrier. we WERE STRANDED IN AUSTRIA for three days before a flight could be found for us to Kosovo. I will never fly them again! why are they still in business???????

Posted By karen on February 1, 2010, 4:54 PM

Worst Airline: Virgin Atlantic. They canceled my nonstop flight to London without notification and left me with only one choice - to take a less desireable flight that took 7 additional hours. The reason given for the cancellation was 'business reasons.' While the flights they offer are competitively priced and comfortable, there is a risk when you book with them that your flight might never actually leave, as mine didn't. Because I value my time and convenience more than they did, I will never fly with them again.

Posted By Ken Keller on February 1, 2010, 5:05 PM

How come no one mentioned air tran, I have been on every domestic airline @ one time or another, Air Tran is the best...Great prices very flexable dates, new airplanes, good service usually always on time. I've really had good experiences with them and have chosen them whenever possible.

Posted By Tami on February 1, 2010, 5:06 PM

Wow! There is a lot of UAL bashing here, which is a pity b/c the Star Alliance is a very thorough network globally.
I have recently flown Delta (Skyteam)- I am not impressed with their customer service phone lines but the 757 aircraft I flew had good service and individual TV's for each coach seat. I still yet have to fly them on long haul flights, but their merger with Northwest and the Alliances with Air France/KLM and Korean Air are a big asset.
I like American Airlines. Inasmuch as their domestic service in coach is not stellar (I wish they got rid of the MD 80s in lieu of the 737s sooner) I must say that their customer service lines are second to none and their mileage award plan (Aadvantage) is one where one can always find decent flight itineraries. Also American on the long hauls international flights is decent. (especially those with 777 aircraft) Try Continental, Delta or United on an award ticket -- it's like GOOD LUCK! It is virtually impossible to use the miles unless you book 11 months in advance!

As far as good airlines, I must say Japan Airlines is up on the list and also Cathay Pacific. Jet Airways in India is also good. Virgin Atlantic is also excellent. South African Airways also has good service. Copa Airlines (associated with Continental) has a very good network all over Latin America and the hub in Panama is great. (way better than Miami for sure!) While their planes are smaller (737s and Embraer 190s) the service is very good.

Bad Airlines-- Aerolineas Argentinas must be one of the worse ones ever, I am surprised they are still flying.(crammed planes, poor service, delays-- and sometimes they may change an airport on you at the last minute so you may end up in the wrong airport in Buenos Aires) Varig in Brazil used to be good, now it is awful- avoid it! Aerocontinente from Peru was awful, I am glad they no longer fly. (major safety issues) Iberia from Spain is not too great either. (delays, crammed seats). Domestically, USair is not too great- and perhaps United (but I have not flown them in a while)

Posted By Nelson on February 1, 2010, 5:10 PM

Without a doubt, Southwest is TOPS! Want to write an apology letter to Southwest when I have to fly any other airline! Am handicapped and SWA takes better care of you than any other airline domestic or international! They even take you from curbside by wheelchair through special security area @ Love Field in Dallas and to special restroom areas before taking you to your gate. (Recently I had to fly another airline out of DFW and was dependent on friendly fellow travelers for assistance during my 5-hour layover and 4 gate changes for help!) With Southwest I can take my bags for free and not have to ship them and my flights are almost always on time! And their safety record is great too!
JUST A FEW OF THE REASONS WHY I RATE SOUTHWEST #1!

Least favorite: American Eagle - attendants are helpful, but their seating is uncomfortable and way too narrow for the average person over a size 10!

Posted By Paula Camp on February 1, 2010, 5:18 PM

Best: Northwest. I have been flying between newark and detroit weekly for the past 6 months, and the people who work the flight seem to like their jobs. It must be pointed out the flights are run by comuter airlines, not the standard Northwest people. I have flown a couple of standard Northwest flights, and found them to be hassle free.

Worst: Delta. 3 weeks ago Detroit received 5 inchs of snow in 4 hours. Obviously, things were bad at the airport. Not the airlines fault. However, we were loaded on a plane and waited for an hour when a Delta Supervisor came down the ramp. He motioned for a flight attendent to meet him on the ramp, and told her to make the announcement that the flight was cancelled. Some of the passengers couldn't believe the spineless attitude of the supervisor, and made him come on the plane to make the announcment. He told us "We can't locate the flight crew" Can you image an airline that loses pilots? Too Bad, up until that point I had never had a bad experience. It worries me that 'mangement' is so bad.

Posted By stuart on February 1, 2010, 5:19 PM

I wonder sometimes if United and Delta would be better off by letting go of all their employees and starting over again. With few exceptions, employees all appear miserable and like they hate their jobs. Both get my worst vote: service quality is declining, and now "nickle and diming" you at every turn. Unless you fly First Class, they just tolerate you.
Best: Thai Airways and Hawaiian. Jet Blue not bad.

Posted By Mitch on February 1, 2010, 5:46 PM

United is the worst.

Service Representative do not know what they are doing. Flight canceled in middle of night - Told me to find my own way the connecting flight in another city if I wanted to stay on schedule. I had to pay for bus tickets. Representtive on phone said United would pick up bill. All I got out of United was the flight coupons which are worthless because you have to fly on United to use them which I plan on never doing again. I expect they will be filing for chapter 11 because all the customers are going away.

Posted By Royal on February 1, 2010, 5:48 PM

Southwest is the best - well organized and no baggage fees.

Worse but not by much is Delta. They and several others are charging
outrageous fees for checking the first bag. Then they allow other
passengers to bring oversized bags onto the plane. The checkin desk and
the plane attendants should enforce their own rules.

Posted By Gary Hall on February 1, 2010, 6:03 PM

Singapore Airlines, hands down. In air and ground support services are always exceptional and delivered with a smile.

Posted By louise Bleakly on February 1, 2010, 6:04 PM

American is great. They took wonderful care of my 88 yr old visually impaired mom travelling alone on a non-stop between Chicago and San Jose, Ca.

Posted By Mo on February 1, 2010, 6:10 PM

Best: overseas: Lufthansa. Home: Frontier (or was might change with new owners)
Worst: hands down United. Unfortunately I have flown them for too many trips and everyone had some bad experience. This December we were booked to Munich but had a lay over in Chicago. After more than an hour we were told that mechanical issues meant we had to take another plane. None was available but one was being flown in. Two hours later we boarded that plane only to be told that the plane was over fueled and we couldn't take off until some fuel was drained!! Landed 7 hours later than scheduled and lost an entire day of sightseeing. United refused to compensate for money we paid for tours that we missed.

Posted By Diane on February 1, 2010, 6:14 PM

Not so fast for Southwest Airlines. They don't charge for bags but they add that price to the ticket. Search the internet for prices instead of drinking the "cool-aid" served by the cute ads and you'll find better deals (including bag fees). Secondly, they were 3rd in 2009 in on-time performance, not "always on-time" as stated by the many followers on this site. Fly in and out of philadelphia or baltimore on Southwest and find out how they do in cities that business people care about. It doesn't do me any good as a business traveler to be on-time to airports I don't need to go to, e.g. Boise, Harligen, Birmingham. It's funny how everybody buys into the "your bag should be included in the ticket price" motto of current southwest hype; shouldn't a seat assignment also be included. No business class, no international travel, standing in line like cattle to the slaughter, southwest customer service doesn't exist in the eastern cities, etc...

Give me Jetblue's legroom and TVs or Airtran's cheap business class and WIFI any day over those choices.

Posted By a.charles on February 1, 2010, 6:56 PM

Best: Singapore Airlines, hands down. Great service, great food, safe equipment, and a great attitude towards taking care of the customer.

Worst: Northwest. I've flown dozens of airlines, including many in developing nations. Northwest is the only one that has lost my bags, left me stranded on the tarmac for hours, delayed me over a day etc. Old equipment, old grumpy flight attendants and bad food. As the saying goes: "If the Tail is Red, take the bus instead."

Posted By Walltay on February 1, 2010, 7:10 PM

Within the continental US I like Southwest Airlines hands down since they don't nickel and dime us, they get the baggage out really fast and they have enough legroom.

Posted By Bonnie Dickson on February 1, 2010, 7:32 PM

Favorites for comfort, though both only available for foreign travel: Emirates and Turkish airlines--both have wider seats and more space between rows than most other airlines.

Favorite for domestic: Southwest for allowing changes without an extra charge; and for offering special, and completely refundable, fares for seniors.

Least favorite: any where my knees hit the seat in front of me.

Posted By Eneled on February 1, 2010, 8:16 PM

Favourite: Southwest Airlines for domestic. Where else can get live in flight entertainment from a harmonica playing flight attendant? You may not have an assigned seat, but the crew genuinely seem to like their job.

Least Favourite: American, for all the opposite reasons stated above.

Posted By Jim Miculka on February 1, 2010, 8:47 PM

Favorite: Southwest- freindly, on time, cheap
American: any flight you book after 10AM has mechanical problems, gate problems, weather problems, fuel problems and will be overbooked so they are looking to boot a few off. However, between 6AM and 10AM they are alright. Just don't fly over 4 hours with them.

Posted By B. Tabor on February 1, 2010, 8:48 PM

Best: Emirates Air
Why: Courteous staff, plush seats, decent food, no hidden fees. The best first class lounge I've seen, including: caviar, champagne/wine, espresso, fresh-cut flowers, shower area, and every conceivable international magazine.

Worst: United
Why: Staff is often rude, delays are the rule rather than the exception, leaders in instituting baggage fees, charging passengers more to sit in the emergency exit row and calling it "Economy Plus." (Who do you think you're fooling?!)

Posted By JD on February 1, 2010, 8:54 PM

BAD, VERY BAD: AIR FRANCE

Raw chicken dinner...YUCK! Service is lacking and seats are the most UNCOMFORTABLE!

Good Experience: Virgin America, Croatia Airlines.

Luftansa: Okay, nothing to write home about!

Posted By Lisa From Folsom CA on February 1, 2010, 8:58 PM

Opinion depends on where you fly, which airlines, what aircraft, and what class. Mine is from an economy class perspective. Any international airline I've flown is better than the domestic airlines. Never had a bad experience.

My international favorites so far are Korean Air(LAX-ICN and ICN-TPE) and Cathay Pacific(ICN-HKG-SIN). ANA airlines wasn't bad either(LAX-NRT-BKK). Always have plenty of legroom and great personal on-demand video systems. Also have liked flying Air Asia. The Southwest of SE Asia. New clean aircraft, cheap flights that get you where you need to go. Paying for every little extra thing (seat selection, check in bag, in-flight snacks) can be annoying though. Best domestic has been Southwest and Jet Blue. Reasonable prices, reasonable times, get me where I need to go.

Worst... probably United. I haven't flown domestically with a lot of other carriers so it might be a biased opinion, but have flown international and domestic many times with United. Small cramped seats!! No personal in flight entertainment unless you're on a 777, and even then the entertainment selection was limited. I felt flight attendants had a non-customer oriented attitude or a detached attitude. Didn't get a positive feeling. Get you on, get you your peanuts, then get you off and that's that.

Posted By Michael on February 1, 2010, 9:23 PM

I have had the best experience with Delta. I used to fly with Northwest and United, whose service deteriorated in the last few years. Recent international flights to Europe and South America have been entirely uneventful--satisfactory meals, pleasant service, on time arrivals and departures.

Posted By Norma V on February 1, 2010, 9:28 PM

FAVORITE AIRLINE: for this budget traveler it is no longer Southwest, as the last plane i was on was the dirtiest ever !! It is JET BLUE, for the leather wide and leggy seating, polite staff and stews, and expanding routes.

LEAST FAVORITE: It has to be UNITED, because for me they walked me to my seat in first class , on the wrong plane to D.C., and never apologized for their mistake.

Posted By cal48boy on February 1, 2010, 9:39 PM

I can't say I have a favorite.I flew to Europe from San Diego and back with no problem,food okay for an airline,but the really nice thing was the very friendly United agent tried to sell me the economy plus upgrade. I declined and he told me I would be much more comfortable and gave me the upgrade no charge. Not bad

Posted By warren on February 1, 2010, 9:54 PM

best domestic airlines---United (usually on time and comfortable seating for those willing to pay for PREMIUM coach. Also Continental has a modern fleet and good food choices. Imternational has to be Singapore Airlines. Worst domestic airlines have to be US Air (almost never on time and Southwest----airplanes are old and their seating policy is awful---that's why they have cheap fares ---it;s a "cattle car"

Posted By tommy on February 1, 2010, 11:08 PM

Favorite - Lufthansa. Great service, great food.
And about all you guys loving Hawaiian - my son had bruises on both knees from the tight seating!!!!

Posted By Maria Bjorn-Roli on February 1, 2010, 11:18 PM

I'd give Southwest my vote as favorite. Their prices are right, personnel is upbeat, and bags fly free.

Beyond a doubt my vote for the worst airline is United. Their customer service seems bent on making your trip as difficult as possible. If United has the only flight available I won't fly, period!

Posted By Kathy on February 1, 2010, 11:43 PM

Southwest is the best for domestic! Friendly staff, humorous onboard announcements, great on time stats and safety record, no baggage fees, comfortable seats, easy online booking and straight forward pricing schedule, great rewards program and the best perk...NO REBOOKING/CHANGE FEES! You have a whole year to use the full credit and you can even give that credit to someone else to use! That's SO customer friendly! Sure, sometimes they can be more expensive than other airlines at the last minute but if you plan ahead you can book tentative trips while they are cheap and then always change/cancel if you have to. Their Ding! program offers the occasional super cheap deal also. People (who most likely don't fly with them often) complain about the boarding process and unassigned seats but I don't see the problem. It's just different than what you're used to. And it has improved in the last couple years, there's no need to line up early any more so than people do on any other airline now. The one drawback from a few years ago is the blackouts and limited seats for Rewards Tickets. It used to be as long as there was a seat open you could use the Reward. But it's still as good or better than other airlines miles programs, certainly WAY less complicated and easy to use.

Posted By Tiffany D on February 2, 2010, 12:48 AM

You know, I have to stick up for United. They are very professional and a good choice for those who fly regularly. Their planes are well maintained, they are usually on time and they are pretty good about accommodating passengers when there are irregular operations due to weather, a schedule change or a mechanical issue (which are not common). They also have very good award availability for their own flights and you also get access to the Star Alliance network, which is the largest of the three in the world.

But the biggest reason I prefer United is EconomyPlus. At 6'5", it's totally worth the extra $$$ to me to not suffer with the standard coach seat pitch. And if you fly 25,000+ miles per year you get it for free, plus free checked bags. You can also get it with their credit card or buy a year's pass. I fly mostly domestically, but I prefer them to American, Alaska, Delta, US Airways, Southwest, Spirit and Frontier. JetBlue and Virgin America are nicer but they have limited networks and don't service many smaller airports.

I could see how someone who doesn't fly that often wouldn't like United. But for a regular flyer, it offers lots of benefits.

Posted By Ted on February 2, 2010, 12:59 AM

Worst airlines possible: KLM and Czech Airlines.

KLM for the unfriendly, at times aggressive, behavior of their staff. What kind of company is there that flies without making sure it does have the due authorizations for every single country it crosses? We flew for one hour over Mongolia, because we were denied access to Russian territory. After that, we ran out of kerosene and had to stop in Copenhagen. As a result, missed the connection, waited for four gorgeous hours in Amsterdam. When I told KLM my sister was feeling weak, you'd think they cared? During the first flight, she had to wear an oxygen mask at some point, since she had problems breathing. But in Amsterdam, no one showed any humanity and we were only allowed to get on the plane very fast. Only, as I informed a flight attendant about a possible assistance, she panicked and started yelling at my sister, saying in front of everyone "Madam, you look sick!" and asking us to leave the aircraft!! In the end, the decision was taken by the pilot, who backed off as my sister, a legal mind, threatened him to sue the company for discussing her medical problems in front of everyone. But the whole thing took 25 minutes, while our flight lasted 30 minutes. Ridiculous!
In a nutshell, even when they're wrong, they're right, ok?! :)

Latest news: a friend of mine told me that while flying from Hong Kong to Europe with KLM, he had the unpleasant surprise to find out his flight did not exist. He kept asking about it and was constantly told "There's no such flight, Sir". In the end, KLM told him they had cancelled that flight but no one thought my friend might find that piece of information useful!!

Czech Airlines, for being the most unprofessional company I ever flew with. You'd expect them to update you here and then on your missing connection. But not a single comment while waiting. Same thing while flying. When you reach Prague (after 3 hours of waiting in Brussels and no complimentary drinks or food but a glass of juice and a tiny sandwich on board), you realize you missed your connection by 2 minutes. yet there's no one out there to direct you. You need to find the transfer desks on your own and once there, stay in the queue, what else?

The staff showed a total lack of sense of urgency, inability to communicate in English and lack of elementary politeness or understanding. And that was just flying in with them.

The 2nd part of the trip was even better cos they "forgot" to transfer my luggage on the connecting flight! In 90 minutes, they never had the time for that. It beats me! Luckily, my bracelet was stolen and the time spent in the police station made me lose my flight. So, I was going to ask CA to inform Brussels airport my luggage will have to wait me until the next day when.. I was told "Madam, your luggage is still here." What?!
So, ironically, I'm glad that theft was committed, for else my luggage would have got lost in Prague. Since it contained more valuables than the bracelet, so be it.

To end on a more positive note, there are friendly companies out there. The staff of Airfrance pampered us throughout the 13 hours of our flight to China. It was a pleasure to be there and to be treated with so much care!
Also, the Chinese companies impressed us with their efficiency. Last but not least, Scandinavian companies have always showed a total commitment to high quality service.

Posted By Bristena Cretu on February 2, 2010, 4:21 AM

I'm an American who has lived in Europe for over 35 years so I have travelled back to the States sometimes 3 times a year. The best is Luftansa. They are precise like you think a German airline would be. No lost luggage and most always on time. Even if you book and you think you don't have enough connection time and they say you do, you do!!
The absolute worst is Air France. Lost luggage right and left. Everyone I have talked to says the same thing. The Paris Charles De Gaulle airport is so big that it takes forever to transfer and you have to go outside in the cold to catch a shuttle to change terminals which are a great distance away. A close second would be Alitalia who strikes often without notice. You risk being stranded in Italian airports for many hours!!

Posted By patsy marchetti on February 2, 2010, 6:55 AM

Requirements for a great airline/flight experience for myself come down to the quality of the staff, on-time flights and the plane condition/amenities. The airlines that have continually exceeded my expectations in this arenas are: Malaysia Airlines and Virgin America.

I work in the service industry and have learned over the years that people tend to only report the negative and not the positive experiences; this page is no exception. I don't know if it is that people just like to complain or that those unhappy, impossible-to-please people are the only ones with time to voice their opinions.
And while a company is only as good as is weakest players, in the end every situation is left up to the interpretation of the guest. Each one of these airline employees while responsible for guest satisfaction, may have their hands tied in some way that keeps them from giving you exactly what you want. Or maybe you need to question whether or not you are so difficult a person that no one wants to go out of their way to do anything for you? In my experience if one isn't asking too much a little patience, compassion and a smile can go a long way to getting what one desires.

Posted By Amanda Clark on February 2, 2010, 7:18 AM

Southwest SUCKS They lost my luggage! They also were very rude and gave me a run around for months, no compensation and I finally just gave up. THEY ARE AWFUL. Sure your bags ride free...you might not ever see them again! That commercial is just a joke.

Posted By Max on February 2, 2010, 9:53 AM

Favorite airline for domestic and international would hands down be Continental! Good service, schedules and miles program. All calls are answered in the USA by polite Americans. They still give free meals on longer flights. Southwest is also Ok, but a little overrated - no international flights or miles programs with other airlines. But I hate that you can't get a seat assignment. It's a stressful scramble at boarding. Worst airline? Air France.

Posted By Kristi on February 2, 2010, 10:42 AM

Want to good way to judge how people really feel about an airline, watch what happens when weather delays roll in. Example - at Laguardia airport bad weather came in and the folks across the aisle at the United gate were lined up and not happy. They have learned that United won't look out for them and their connections and were prepared to do battle to defend. Now look back on the other side of the aisle where a Midwest gate was facing the same delays and potential missed connections - folks were largely going about their business and chatting. No stress, they knew Midwest would do their honest best to take care of them.

Posted By Alan on February 2, 2010, 1:05 PM

Favorite: Virgin America. Leaves from the international terminal, which is much less crowded and easy to negotiate. Plenty of leg room in all seats. Desk personnel offer upgrades if flight is not fully booked without being prompted. Food and drink menu is innovative and good.

Worst: United. A hideous airline. Constantly bumping and over-booking.

Posted By Mandy MacCalla on February 2, 2010, 1:16 PM

Domestic: Alaska. They have more legroom than most other domestic carriers. The staff is a lot friendlier than what I've experienced on other airlines (i.e. United and Delta). I also like their frequent flier program. I've earned several free tickets (international) over the years, and they partner up with a variety of other carriers so there are a lot of places to go throughout the world.

I've never flown Southwest, but will never do so as long as they use the seat lottery. I have long legs and I need an aisle seat. I plan my travel out months in advance so I can have an aisle seat.

International: LanChile. I've enjoyed the Lan flights I've taken. There is reasonable leg room and I like getting Chilean wines on my flights.

Posted By Eric on February 2, 2010, 2:43 PM

Virgin Atlantic is amazing. New planes, leather seats, more leg room, good food to order, tv in back of every seat, all at bargain prices. Jet Blue also great prices and nice planes. Snacks provided only.

Posted By Susan Opton on February 2, 2010, 3:27 PM

best domestic is hands down jet blue. international, is swiss air. for a number of reasons. I have a deadly allergy to milk. jet blue is the only domestic airline that offers milk-free snacks, and great service as well as great prices. i recently flew swiss air to switzerland, and they gave me milk-free meals both ways. the service was amazing.
worst, hands down united and AA. horrible. though continental comes in close.

Posted By anonymous on February 2, 2010, 5:41 PM

I'll never fly Southwest again. A flight attendant was extremely rude to my brother, who happens to have Down Syndrome. He attempted to sit in an exit seat, like he has done for the past 15 years or so that we've been traveling together. He is more than capable of handling exit row duties if an emergency were to occur - but this particular flight attendant wouldn't even give him the opportunity to demonstrate that capability - simply because he had Down Syndrome. When I wrote to the airline to complain, I got back the standard legalistic response - but Southwest never did explain why just two days prior other Southwest flight attendants had permitted him to sit in an exit row (as have others on Delta, US Air, etc...) - just this particular rude individual was allowed to display her prejudices. Never again will we fly Southwest.

Posted By Jenn Rimer on February 2, 2010, 10:29 PM

The world's best airline is by far Singapore Airlines. Their food is superb, far above the level of other airlines. Their stewardesses are friendly and outgoing. Their emphasis on passenger comfort is excellent. The distraction is the price! They are NOT competitive!
The second-best would be Thai. Again, everything is excellent, and rarely is there a complaint. Their prices are reasonably competitive.
The best US airline in our view would be Northwest, and we hope Delta continues the tradition. However, as a whole, no US airline can measure up to some of the foreign airlines.

The worst airline by far that we have ever flown on is American Airlines. On a flight from Miami to La Paz, Bolivia, they cancelled our flight and would not schedule us until five days later. They refused to return our luggage. In checking with dozens of AA officials in the Miami airport, we could find NO ONE who could or would help us or was interested in our situation. We had to pay exhorbitant daily hotel rates while we waited, as AA refused to help us or acknowlege our situation. Hundreds of people scheduled to fly to La Paz AFTER us were allowed to depart BEFORE us! Night and day, we called AA 800 numbers! No one would help until on the fourth day, a kind lady in North Carolina felt sympathy and helped us. We were then routed through Lima, Peru, but had to spend the night again at our own expense waiting for the connecting flight on TACA Airlines to La Paz. The meals, taxis, and hotel charges in connection with this five-day delay far exceeded the actual cost of the AA flights. Our luggage was lost, after they assured us in Miami that it would be on our flight. AA refused to handle our luggage claim, and said ONLY TACA could do it! However, TACA had never seen our luggage, but agreed to accept the claim. Not knowing when, if ever, we would receive our luggage, we had to purchase several hundred dollars worth of clothing in La Paz. We had to spend hours calling and sending e-mails! Finally, the luggage arrived five days late, meaning we had been without the luggage for 10 days! Although we are Platinum Medallion on Delta, transferred from Northwest, AA would not even let us enter the AA lounge for one minute in Miami, regardless of their created situation. AA did absolutely NOTHING to help us, although we had paid money for the tickets! NO AA Miami employee would talk to us. We will take AA ONLY if forced to do so in the future.

Posted By EK Kadiddlehopper on February 2, 2010, 11:56 PM

Best airline: Virgin America. Several people I know had said they love flying Virgin America. Recently (unfortunately due to a death in the family) I had to fly last minute and the cheapest one-way fares were on VA. It was only $10 more expensive to get the upgraded coach and in the end much less expensive because the total includes a checked bag, all your movies, food and beverages even alcohol. The seats were comfortable, the staff friendly and the intro video is even funny and entertaining!

Worst: I haven't gone United in a while but US Airways domestic was terrible the handful of times I had to fly from LAX to the east coast. Nothing is included not even any kind of entertainment(it wasn't even available), the seating is terribly cramped and the staff couldn't careless, they didn't even have correct change for people that were buying food.

Posted By JayCa on February 3, 2010, 4:56 PM

My favorite airline is Southwest Airlines; they go out of their way to be accommodating!

My least favorite airline is Continental; frequently cancelled flights is the reason and they seem to be too busy to care about its passengers.

Posted By Sherry on February 3, 2010, 8:16 PM

Delta is the best I've flown because they have a friendly staff, good snacks, tvs in the back of each seat, and the best entertainment selection. They upgraded me to first class on a flight from London to NYC last year because I'm a frequent flier. I will always love them for that amazing experience.

Posted By Lezlie on February 3, 2010, 9:20 PM

Best airline: Air France for outstanding service, food and courtesy.

Worst airline: No surprise -- United is horrible but I must add that American is running a close second.

Posted By Julian Freund on February 4, 2010, 10:15 AM

My experiences have been fine on all the domestic airlines I've flown - Northwest, American, US Airways (international Dublin to Philadelphia), United.

Internationally, I've flown Icelandair, Alitalia/Air One, & Lufthansa. Icelandair and Lufthansa were both great. The free beer served by a quintessentially German man may have helped. Everything was just clean, new, and I just got a good impression.

However, I'll be avoiding Alitalia if at all possible. I have never seen such gross, outdated decor in a plane these days. Their color scheme doesn't help (green and red), but both of their planes that I flew seemed very old, not clean, and that old, dirty, green carpet covering the floors made me feel like there wasn't a lot of attention being paid to detail. The seats were old and dirty, too, and had missing/broken parts. I just didn't feel all that safe on those planes. I've never seen a company so badly in need of updates and re-branding.

Posted By Andria on February 4, 2010, 11:30 AM

Best domestic? Southwest- they have no peer. Although I could live without their seat lottery, at least I know what to expect. The staff, both on the ground and in the air, are costumer-focused.

Best International? Virgin Atlantic. Period. I have flown others, from BA to Air Canada, Delta to Continental, but the best service and treatment always is Virgin.

Worst? United and American, in just about equal measure. They have no idea what it means to be costumer-focused, and both have treated me and my family as if we are the problem, not their solution.

Posted By Chris on February 4, 2010, 11:35 AM

Southwest would be great if you could get seat assignments. I've yet to sit next to my husband because all those single fliers won't offer to switch. What the heck? I certainly would if I were flying alone. I hate that.

United. Any thoughts on putting cushions on their seats? I get off a United flight and feel like I need to go the emergency room. Brutal. AND dirty. Eek.

Posted By Char on February 4, 2010, 12:12 PM

I suppose Southwest would be really good if you could get seat assignments and they had a better network. But you can't even fly to Atlanta on Southwest, nor can you leave the country. (For me, it's 150 miles to the closest SW airport). More important, their frequent flier program only benefits people who fly constantly, as their points don't rollover from year to year. Fares are competitive, but it pays to check other airlines for better deals.

The best domestic airline is Continental. The miles don't expire in their frequent flier program, which means the program actually is useful for leisure travelers who'd like to earn free flights too. Those miles are the easiest to redeem, as well. On-board service is better and still includes food at no additional charge -- no nickel and diming on meals, at least. They fly to a lot of destinations domestically and worldwide, and are linked with the Star Alliance for easy worldwide connections. Negative: they joined the other network airlines in adding those ridiculous baggage fees.

Posted By Dan on February 4, 2010, 12:48 PM

Favorite airline by far is Virgin America!!! They have full fleet wifi, great movies and live tv, and the food is so good that you don't have to worry about schlepping another bag from the terminal on the plane! It's great for business people like me and also when I'm traveling with my toddler who loves pressing all the buttons.

Least favorite airline is Delta. Horrible service- just screwed my husband and are taking away my miles despite my years of commitment to them in the past. plus they don't fly anywhere i want to go without a bad connection.

Posted By Karen on February 4, 2010, 12:51 PM

I have to agree with many other comments that in the US Soutwest is best. They actually seems to care about their customers. Also agree that United is the worst of the worst. Delta is exceptionally close to United in last place though. I don't know how many times these two airlines have cancelled flights at the last minute without bothering to let you know. Their agents and stewards always exhibit the "I could care less about you--our customer" attitude.

Posted By T Meyer on February 4, 2010, 1:07 PM

Domestic-Frontier, United (mostly because of frequency of service out of Denver), then Southwest.

International-Asiana, Singapore, United, Lufthansa

We have seldom had an issue with any airline. The few times we needed assistance, it only required being polite and civil to get things resolved.

Posted By Jim Looney on February 4, 2010, 1:10 PM

Virgin America rocks! WiFi, on demand food, movies, music and games make you totally forget you're even on a plane.

United is the worst airline on Earth. I have been screwed over by them on multiple occasions and will pay a premium NOT to fly them.

Posted By Clay Eichner on February 4, 2010, 1:31 PM

Best: Continental
Worset: AGAIN, HANDS DOWN UNITED. UNITED, ARE YOU LISTENING!?

Posted By jody on February 4, 2010, 2:00 PM

Favorite(s): Alaska and JetBlue. I have always had good flights with them and the seats are great.

Worst: Delta. Often late. Once had an unannounced plane change and missed connection. Lose luggage roughly 50% of the time. The worst thing that happened was dumping my terminally ill wife from her wheelchair onto the tarmac wrenching her back and skinning her knees. This was her last trip and was also on her Birthday. They made no offers to compensate her for the pain and suffering.

Posted By Michael J Tetlow on February 4, 2010, 2:21 PM

Best domestic airline: Hawaiian Airlines - They make me feel like I am on vacation the second I step on board.

Worst domestic airline: AirTran - lots of hidden fees and bad customer service. The cheapo price still is not worth it!

Posted By George E on February 4, 2010, 3:01 PM

International.....Virgin Atlantic.....just hate that you have to go through Heathrow.
Domestic......Virgin America....
Both airlines have nice people, planes and you are well taken care of.

Posted By reaperswoman on February 4, 2010, 3:05 PM

United is absolutely the worst domestically; rude, late, the attendants don't understand service whatsoever. I have just quit using my Mileage Plus credit card and am canceling it as I no longer care to amass air miles just to travel with United and be treated poorly. And, their Star Alliance partner Lufthansa has the worst business class seats to Europe.
Hawaiian is my favorite domestically too! They are friendly and care about service.

Posted By Vicky on February 4, 2010, 3:09 PM

Best Air lines are singapore and air tran. Air tran is great low prices, great service and you can often up grade to their first class (worth it) for not much more when you are getting your boarding pass.

Posted By Keith on February 4, 2010, 3:16 PM

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES! delicious FREE food, super friendly aloha spirit, and you feel like you're already in Hawaii the second you board the plane (from the mainland). love it.

Posted By cole on February 4, 2010, 3:26 PM

Internationally the best airline, hands-down, is British Airways. I feel like it is the gold standard.
None of the domestic airlines even begin to compare with the international ones, but the one I like the best is probably Continental.

Posted By Debbie Rooney on February 4, 2010, 3:32 PM

Best airline - Jet Airways based in India. FAB service, food and new planes - enjoyed every trip I took on them.

Worst airline....no surprises here UNITED! I remember on one flight to Hawaii not knowing if I still had a back-side left as I was so numb from the dreadful paper thin cushing on the seats. Old grumpy staff too who should have retired 20 years prior.

Posted By Tally Attwater on February 4, 2010, 3:32 PM

Best airline - Jet Airways based in India. FAB service, food and new planes - enjoyed every trip I took on them.

Worst airline....no surprises here UNITED! I remember on one flight to Hawaii not knowing if I still had a back-side left as I was so numb from the dreadful paper thin seat cushion! Old grumpy staff too who should have retired 20 years prior.

Posted By Tally Attwater on February 4, 2010, 3:33 PM

Favorite: Singapore Airlines. Excellent food, clean, modern planes with all of the latest technological amenities, friendly service where everyone is treated with a smile.

Least Favorite: All the legacy airlines with the exception of Continental are terrible. But my golden raspberry has to go to Spirit Air. The planes are old and dirty, the flights are never less than 45 minutes late, the staff look like they would rather be anywhere else than on the plane. The bus would be better.

Posted By Tim C from NJ, formerly from NYC on February 4, 2010, 3:34 PM

Up until a few years ago, I thought American was the best but it has become lazy and ridiculously expensive. My faves are Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue. Worst! U.S. Air - one problem after the other.

Posted By G. Leonardi on February 4, 2010, 3:36 PM

Best airline - Jet Airways based in India. FAB service, food and new planes - enjoyed every trip I took on them.

Worst airline....no surprises here UNITED! I remember on one flight to Hawaii not knowing if I still had a back-side left as I was so numb from the dreadful paper thin seat cushion! Old grumpy staff too who should have retired 20 years prior.

Posted By Tally Attwater on February 4, 2010, 3:38 PM

Best airline - Jet Airways based in India. FAB service, food and new planes - enjoyed every trip I took on them.

Worst airline....no surprises here UNITED! I remember on one flight to Hawaii not knowing if I still had a back-side left as I was so numb from the dreadful paper thin seat cushion! Old grumpy staff too who should have retired 20 years prior.

Posted By Tally Attwater on February 4, 2010, 3:40 PM

Favorite Airline: Air Tahiti Newe (spelling)
Very professional and pleasant. Delta should learn from them.

Least Favorite: Delta Airlines. Horrible. They canceled a flight, the made me make my own reservations to LA. Coming back from Tahiti, had no room for overhead luggage. Had to put it under the seat with legs on top of it all the way to Tampa.

Posted By Loretta on February 4, 2010, 3:45 PM

This past August, I found a small airline to accomodate a particular portion of my trip in Europe. It was Vueling Airlines. Cheap seats, friendly attendants, warm wet towels to wipe your hands, and a four course hot and cold lunch on a flight less than 2 hours long in comfortable seats. Best flight ever!
American Airlines is my favorite for the widest variety of flight options and locations with the most easily booked frequent flyer miles ever!
Southwest for cheap short frequent flights with lots of luggage.
Hawaiian the best only to Hawaii.
The rest aren't worth my time.
San Diego, CA

Posted By Pam Jeanes on February 4, 2010, 3:53 PM

I'd add a category for biggest decline, and I'd give the award to Delta. They've gone from first to worst in my book. I know they've had terrible financial problems and layoffs and it's undoubtedly been rough on employee morale. But in the last year, the employees seem to relish taking it all out on the passengers. I've encountered more surly, unhelpful, uncaring employees with Delta in the last year than I've encountered in all airlines for the previous 10 years. And, given what previous posters have said about United, that's saying something.

Posted By word2thewyz on February 4, 2010, 4:24 PM

Joan, the flight attendant who crabbed about her working conditions, certainly can't spell which confirms my opinion of the quality of many airline staff. It would be great if everyone agreed not to fly on a certain date to see if the airlines get the message about how unhappy passengers are with quality and service.

Posted By Rosa on February 4, 2010, 4:42 PM

Best Jet Blue, am wondering about the new changes with "Legroom" fee, etc. Would love Southwest, but hate the no seat assignments.

Hate some of the experiences I've had on some legacy airlines, but blame that on the individuals more than the airline, although I do always seem to have a bad experience on United. Quit flying them in fact.

Posted By Mel on February 4, 2010, 4:43 PM

Least favorite: Continental. They sold tickets to Travelocity, which packaged with dynamite hotel for July 4 holiday. But we could never get seat assignments. Thinking there was merely a glitch due to the package, we showed up - 3 hours prior to the scheduled flight at BWI the Thursday afternoon expecting a terrific long weekend in Chicago. We had even reserved an expensive AIA boat cruise for the next day.

Continental not only didn't have us in a seat, they told us we shouldn't have bought the tickets through Travelocity. Other folks who paid for 1st class couldn't get on either. (My point is that they shouldn't be selling what they don't have!) One of the gate attendants later noted that they ALWAYS significantly overbook on holiday weekends.

This was true on ALL the flights that weekend - and on the other airlines as well, since the soonest we could get out of BWI or Dulles or National was SUNday! They finally took pity on us and wrote tickets for a 5 a.m. flight out of Cleveland. Our Hertz rental took us 7 hours to get there, and we were able to rent a room at the airport - which we could use for 2 hours. We of course arrived exhausted. NOT the way you want to start a relaxing vacation! The free tickets didn't begin to compensate for the inconvenience.

Posted By Linda Mahoney on February 4, 2010, 5:07 PM

Best - SW Airlines. for local. I have flown Air France several times to Paris. Then my last flight I had to change planes at ChsDG to continue on the Barcelona. I only went from E2 to F2 gates. It took me forty minutes and had to go thru customs again. I made it onboard just five minutes before take off. ( I am handicapped and I have a safair card. But the flight was great. Then my husband flew to meet me in Barcelona and AF lost his luggage, found his luggage, then lost it again and finally got it two days later. The customer service was nice, but not helpful.

Don;t fly into CDG if you have to change planes.....

Posted By Barbara Hanby on February 4, 2010, 5:43 PM

Favourite: Virgin Atlantic. Because they're Different -- they treat you like a person, have roomy seats, great food, plenty of entertainment and when you need an emergency ticket they pull out all the stops. I would be very happy if I never had to fly with any other airline -- unfortunately Virgin don't fly to / from Costa Rica but I'm really hoping that might change one day.

Least favourite: Iberia and Gulf Air.
Iberia service is appalling and they behave as if they're doing you a big favour by allowing you to fly with them.
Gulf Air showed their true colours on a flight to Sri Lanka where the majority of passengers were Sri Lankan people returning home. The way those Sri Lankan passengers were treated was discriminatory : they were treated as if they were inferior i.e. not even offered water when other non-Sri Lankan passengers were. We wrote to the airline and complained about their treatment -- it was that bad. An airline that is blatantly racist doesn't deserve to survive does it?

Posted By Zoe on February 4, 2010, 7:25 PM

Best Airline: Alaska
I have received exceptional service with them and Horizon Air out of SEA. When my sister,niece,my 5 year old and myself were stranded at LAX, they made sure we all were on the first flight out ASAP.
Worst: United
These people are Horrible. They even tried to seperate me from my son who was 2 at the time by putting us in different seats.We were coming home from LAX.I informed them that I wouldn't be parted from him at any cost and they NEEDED to find us seats together. I will NEVER fly with them ever again based on my experiences. They're too long to write about here.

Posted By Carolyn Hicks on February 4, 2010, 7:38 PM

I agree with most of the respondents that United Airlines has got to be the worst carrier in the air. They have zero customer service both on the ground and on the plane. The excess fees to take your clothes with you (how incredibly stupid!!!) and now they're considering charging for carryon bags too? I fly a lot - about once a month, and I will never, ever fly with United again.

The best short distance flights hands down is Southwest. I often fly from San Francisco to New York and Virgin America non-stop will get my business every time (unless they start acting like United!).

Posted By Carolyn on February 4, 2010, 8:01 PM

Best: Jet Blue - always on time, comfortable, priced right. I have to drive an hour and a half to get to the nearest airport that they service, but it is well worth the drive.

Worst: Southwest - I had been flying them until I booked a flight after stressing to the booking agent that I did not want more than one stop. After the first stop, we learned there was to be another. When I went to the SW desk and expressed my objection and displeasure the agent LAUGHED in my face! Second worst: Air Tran - what should have been a 6 hour trip took 12 hours because of extended delay on layover, then an additional stop was made because the pilot RAN OUT OF GAS!

Posted By Sharon Kennedy on February 4, 2010, 8:19 PM

Best: Southwest, friendly, on time, no bagage fees.
internationl liked Lufthansa and British Air service, food and personnel. Worst: Northwest,US Air both dirty, cramped, things on plane did not work, attendants poor. Never again!

Posted By Ellie on February 4, 2010, 9:34 PM

The best airline is Virgin America. The entertainment system is just cool Live TV free, Music list that can’t be beet, and the best is food on demand. Eat when your hungry not just when the food cart comes by. I like to work on line and all flights have internet access. When your stuck on an aircraft, might as well get some work done. The 110 plug at every seat is a great help.

The worst is South West. It is not a safe Airline. For example how many aircraft in the last 5 years have had a hole in them causing a rapid decompression then they say they checked all other aircraft overnight. A couple of months earlier they had a big fine from the FAA something about missed inspections. Next on the list is United. 2 aircraft ran off runways because of incorrect landing gear wiring then the landing gear problem at Newark makes you think.

Posted By Leighton Miller on February 4, 2010, 9:46 PM

BEST is Southwest - hands down. Great customer service, no bag fees, no fees to change your flight, happy employees! We have never had a late or canceled flight with Southwest - NEVER. And we have flown more with them than all other airlines combined - wonder why? Unless they adopt the lousy nickel and diming ways of the other airlines who leave their customers stranded - think missed funerals and weddings folks; we will remain loyal Southwest customers.

WORST: UNITED - hands down. They use regional jets too much, they cancel flights, send you running all over the airport on wild goose chases and do absolutely NOTHING to make the situation better.

ALMOST AS BAD: American Airlines - canceled flights, hateful customer service personnel on power trips.

Posted By CMM on February 4, 2010, 10:01 PM

Domestic:
The best: Southwest
The Worts: Jet Blue

International
The Best: Singapore Airlines (SQ).. internationaly never fly with other but SQ. MAny times travel to Asia never have bad experience... knock on the wood...
The worst: Don't know...

Asia Regional if possible will try fly with SilkAir (Singapore Airlines subsidiary).
Travel to Bali...Sumatra...Lombok Island and Celebes flew with Lion Air... wow it was great. THe flight attendant little bit quiet .. but friendly.

Posted By Claire on February 4, 2010, 10:18 PM

Best: Delta, we flew to Germany in Businees Class with lowest mileage requirement. Very friendly crew on outbound flight, return crew was okay. On return when we checked in I was asked if we were going to ATL, told them no, JFK, but would rather be going to ATL, had been booked thru CVG, but they had pulled out of that market. We were rebooked thru ATL, agent was very concerned that she couldn't get us First Class sets out of ATL, all this on Freqent Flyer tickets.

Worst: United, out sourced call centers to India, agents don't know what is going on. Very hard to deal with.

Posted By Tom on February 4, 2010, 10:31 PM

Favorite: Turkish Airlines Their staff have gone above the expected many times. When Egyptian Air gave me the "sorry can't help" response, Turkish stepped in and made the difference between disaster and success. Plus their food is superb - restaurant quality and variety.
Worst: Air Canada - Their staff are still their biggest problem. Arrogance and nastiness are prevalent attitudes from the moment you try to purchase a ticket.

Posted By AMFree on February 5, 2010, 12:33 AM

Worst airline is American, I've struggled with traveling with 2 children under the age of 3 years (with all the junk to keep them happy on the plane) & other passengers were more helpful than airline staff since they aren't supposed to help is what one staff person told me.

Frontier Airlines & Alaska is great. They have plenty of leg room, nice & every staff person is nice and helpful.

Posted By Shelley on February 5, 2010, 3:02 AM

Best: LuxAir (Luxembourg) followed by LanChile
Best domestic: Alaska
Worst: Toss-up between United and American. They're both absolutely awful - bad service, surly staff, champs at losing baggage.

Posted By Diane Frishman on February 5, 2010, 3:13 AM

Best: Jet blue
Worst: United

Posted By dmg on February 5, 2010, 10:31 AM

Westjet is my favourite carrier for flights to the west, southwest and Hawai'i. (They also fly to other destinations.) They have great seat sales, their cabin crew are friendly, and their customer service is second to none. On the only occasion that I've experienced a delay, they provided vouchers (without asking) for an airport meal. And shortly after I returned home, I received an e-mail apologizing for the delay (which was only two hours) and refunding the fare in the form of a credit for a future flight. What other airline does that? Other pluses include two free checked bags (50 lbs each) and assigned seating (unlike Southwest, which Westjet has modelled itself after).

Also rather like Alaska Airlines. Just flew to and from Hawai'i with them. On the way down from Seattle, they offered passengers $400 if they'd rebook on a later flight (they wanted to lighten the load going into strong head winds). We stuck with our reservation, but others accepted the offer. An earlier post said checked baggage goes free on Alaska. No longer true; $15 for first bag, $25 for second. No free entertainment on board either -- not even music; you must rent their Digiboard for $10. And only the smallest of snacks.

Air Transat is reliable for flights to Europe (from Canada) and often has great prices if you can be flexible with your dates. There's not a whole lot of leg room, and the meals (included in the fare), while hot, are pretty basic, but they offer direct flights into major airports in leading European cities, saving you time and reducing the risk of your baggage going astray during connections. Free on-board movies and music.

Have found Air Berlin, KLM and Meridiana to provide reliable service for flights between European cities. Even Easyjet was fine, though I think they've added more surcharges since I flew with them. Not that surcharges are unique to discount carriers. Even KLM charges you to do our own online bookings -- they just charge less than if you book by phone or, heaven forbid, in person.

Posted By Jane on February 5, 2010, 4:26 PM

Best domestic: Alaska Air, by far. Excellent(and expanding) service, terrific website and frequent flier miles you can actually keep - and use. I used my Alaska miles to take our whole family to Hawaii last summer. Best foreign: Air France. Great food, seats (with leg room even in coach), entertainment systems, and flight attendants.
Worst domestic: US Air. I made the poor choice of selecting US Air to fly my family from Tucson to Seattle in 2008. There were no direct flight options, and after the 30 minute flight from Tucson to Phoenix, our connecting flight from Phoenix to Seattle was cancelled for mechanical problems. We were told there were no earlier flights, and ended up waiting 9 hours for another plane (sent from their maintenance base in Nicaragua). During those 9 very long hours, we were continuously solicited by US Air credit card vendors (stationed all over the airport in Phoenix) to sign up for their airline credit card. Worst foreign: British Air. No leg room at all, FAs busy socializing among themselves thru the flight, and impossibly uncomfortable seats - though ironically the food was OK. They've had amazing sales to Europe recently, but I'd rather pay a little more to fly Air France in relative comfort.

Posted By Karen on February 5, 2010, 5:22 PM

Surely Cathay Pacific, no wonder they won the Airline of the Year 2009 award.

I personally detest Singapore Air since flight attendants can't help in emergencies (as shown in investigations of SQ crashes) and only focus on service. Safety is more important than service.

Posted By Samuel on February 6, 2010, 4:56 AM

Best Intl(small): Bangkok Airways - boutique airline. a private lounge for departures - very nice

Best Intl (large): KLM, Singapore, Japan - excellent customer service

Best Domestic (large): Delta

Worst Domestic: United. I worked for United for 15 years and as an employee, I was treated tremendously well. So enjoyed my time there. But the airline for customers is the worst. I try not to fly them at all costs - even if they charge the least. The customer service is rude from the airport to the skies. They think that being professional means that you can't smile or be nice. The unions are so angry with management that it has trickled down to the lack of service toward the customers. (I'm not taking a stance on either side).They are especially rude at the hub stations. But they are fair, they treat traveling employees as rudely as the customers - no special treatment!

Posted By toobusy2 on February 6, 2010, 10:15 AM

Best International: Cathay Pacific by far.

Best Domestic: Alaska Airlines with Southwest a close second.

Worst International: Air China.

Worst Domestic U.S. Air.

I don't understand all the bad feelings about United. Over the last 40 tears I've accumulated close to a million miles on UAL and while they aren't a leader, they aren't any worse than any of the large legacy airlines like DL, CO, AA. etc.
I am no longer a VIP member but all things considered I think they do OK.

Posted By Ed Hahn on February 7, 2010, 5:30 AM

I think Southwest is stellar -- from the well-designed website that quickly allows you to see which flights for the entire month have the cheapest fares, to the quick check-in at the kiosks, to the FREE luggage (How can you go on a trip without luggage?!), to the staff that recognizes that the customer is their sole reason for having a job, to the humor of the flight staff, to their safety record, to their reasonable fares, to the flexibility of their reservations system which allows you to change plans without a penalty fee. What a great business model and they live up to it with every flight.

Posted By Marilyn on February 7, 2010, 1:38 PM

Domestic is Southwest: you know what you get and you get same every time. Consistency, friendly boarding gate staff (I ticket online 90%+ so rarely have to go to checkin), pick your own seat, online ticketing is best and easy to use and flights seem more on time than others. Also easiest to find better/cheaper fares all the time.

International would be Singapore for all classes and BA for business.

Posted By Rick on February 8, 2010, 2:03 PM

I agree with many travelers that Southwest is the best. The employees actually seen to like their jobs and enjoy working with the public. My big dilemna is that I have to travel to airports that do not have a Southwest connection. Will be on Delta soon and have to choose between United and American for another trip. All these comments have me worried. Do the heads of these airlines see the flying public's comments and do they care?

Posted By paul66 on February 8, 2010, 3:04 PM

I haven't been on an international flight with a commercial airline. Within the US, however, I prefer AirTran. That's odd in itself, as it used to be an airline that I avoided for years, but they've really turned it around. My luggage has never been lost, their prices are good and they get you "there" on time.

JetBlue is the most comfortable, but there are a lot of places they don't travel and the prices are not very "inspiring".

Posted By Charles Burgher on February 8, 2010, 4:08 PM

The absolute worst airline is DELTA. I would never fly them again even if the flights were free. They win the award for the most unprofessional flight attendants in the world.

Posted By Jane on February 8, 2010, 4:12 PM

By far Southwest is the best domestic carrier. Good leg room, bags are free and, most important, no charge to change reservations. You get a full credit for another flight. I recently had to change a reservation I made on Jetblue and after the $100 change fee it was cheeper for me to use Southwest for my new flight. They also have the friendliest land and air staff.

Worst: With the exception of Captain Scully, USScare a/k/a USAir. I wouldn't know where to begin there.

Posted By Nancy on February 8, 2010, 4:26 PM

Southwest is my favorite because of friendly crews who actually enjoy their work; it also has comfortable leather seats angling upwards resulting in more leg room, on-time performance, and service to less congested secondary airport such as Chicago-Midway. Alaska comes in a close second for its superb treatment of passengers. Both airlines, by the way, exclusively fly Boeing aircraft.

The least favorite is United which forces economy class passengers to the back of the aircraft unless you succomb to its bait and switch "economy plus" scheme, excessive charges for checked baggage, no blankets or pillows on domestic flights at any price, and a no free-snack policy. Once a loyal Boeing customer, it has switched to Airbus in recent years and now features its recent purchase of long range Airbus 350 XWB aircraft in its in-flight magazine. The French must be thrilled a U.S. based airline is more concerned about supporting the Euorpean economy than the American economy.

Posted By Howard on February 8, 2010, 4:41 PM

The worst airline to europe has to be Air France. They canceled a connecting flight and without informing me, booked me on a flight which landed in a different country! They lie to you with a big smile. They lost my luggage for three days and only retrieved it when i had a lawyer call them. On one flight, the air conditioning on the plane was broken but they boarded us and made us sit there for hours in the heat while they fixed the problem. Another time the flight departure was delayed by four hours but they boarded everyone so they would not take up space in the waiting room at the airport. By this time i finally got it and refused to board. They have no customer service humans to speak to...but i guess maybe they are sick of our complaining.

Posted By KATE on February 8, 2010, 5:17 PM

Appreciate Southwest for consistency and easy change arrangements (which we have used). Of course nearly half the gates at our airport are Southwest so the availability of suitable flight times and connections are generally better than the other major carriers. Generally they've been pretty close to on time; once even arrived 40 minutes before scheduled arrival when winds aloft were favorable.

Every airline has occasional problems with weather related delays. We spent 7 hours on the tarmac at BWI in June when weather issues closed the airlanes to the Southwestern US. At 4 hours Southwest returned to the gate, let us out to get food and a bathroom break and replaned those of us who still wanted to get to ABQ that night. Again sat out on the tarmac for another several hours, with lots of planes taking off to different areas, until someone in air traffic control figured out another route for us. We figured the flight and cabin crew were getting too close to the end of their available hours and finally got someone to listen, and the restive customers in the rear were assuaged. They sent us each a $75 voucher with their apologies for the delay two days later, which was easily used in partial payment for a subsequent flight (voucher entered online and credit card used for remaining amount).

Recent experiences with Continental, Delta, American and British Airways on overseas flights were reasonable. With connections to international flights had one bag fly free; second bag fee or not depended on the airline. Food depends on the kitchen preparing it; have had both quite decent and inedible food on American on different overseas flights in the past year.

No delayed luggage in the past 15 years (Delta, Southwest, US Air, Continental, American, United, Northwest, British Airways) so can't comment there.

Posted By Elizabeth on February 8, 2010, 7:21 PM

Worst: US Air - could not check flight on-line - supposedly because flight was booked by travel agent!! Could not even find our reservations on-line - same reason. Flight to Glasgow on smallest plane ever. Seats so tiny could barely fit or have room to eat - and speaking of eating, meals were barely enough to qualify as a meal. In fact with a diabetic along we almost had a situation after landing before we could get food.

Posted By Johnson on February 8, 2010, 9:05 PM

I have to go along with legacy airlines being the worst domestically, especially Delta. Southwest and Jet Blue do better, but the crowded flights in recent times have gotten most airlines and their passengers into "crabby" mode unfortunately. Internationally, Singapore and Korean are GREAT. Singapore is the reason I fly UA a lot domestically to keep the miles in one FF account. (I've had GOOD luck getting UA free flights on miles.) And Qantas is actually a good runner up internationally.

Posted By Gene on February 8, 2010, 9:59 PM

The best: hands down South African air. Flight was on time, service was great, attendents were helpful and always smiling.

The WORST: North West Airlines(NWA)
I have been stranded 3 times in one year by this airline. In one case the closest they were able to get me was Lagurdia at 2AM (I live in Albany) I had to rent a one way drop rental car and drive the rest of the way home. I was not paid back for the rental and it was very difficult to even receive a voucher for the ticket from Lagurdia to Albany even though I was never able to use the ticket due to the airlines error. The whole experience would have been tolerable if someone took responsibility instead I encountered only disgruntled workers who were rude, rude, rude. I will never fly NWA again.

Posted By Jessica on February 8, 2010, 11:27 PM

I agree that Southwest has been consistently good to all the places we fly in USA.

Our absolute favorite internationally is Iberia - if you go First Class. They are so amazingly good that we will use Madrid as a hub even if we are not going to Spain! It is so good that you don't get jet lag & you look forward to the return trip. Also don't miss their lounge - amazing!!

United to Kauai was the most cramped flight we have ever had - could not reach my feet & I'm a small person!

Posted By Terri on February 9, 2010, 2:40 PM

I absolutely love Southwest Airlines they rock! Everyone is pleasant they get you there on time and no fees for bags. I will fly with them even if it costs more than other airlines (although this is rare). They give you credit towards your next flight if you cancel your flight or if they have a sale after you have bought the same fair at a higher price they will credit you the difference to use on your next flight. If you call someone actually answers the phone and they are helpful and friendly.Thank you, thank you!

Posted By Lisa Fallara on February 9, 2010, 4:26 PM

Favorite: I fly Continental. Attendants are polite and competent. Usually on time. Smooth flights.

Worst: Delta, hands down. The service from the attendants to customer service is the worse I have ever seen. And the hired help? I see a lot of them just lazin' around. Delta is the worst ever, hands down. Nothing worse than mere lip service or telling people what they want to hear but not backing it up. Incompetent. I emailed Delta for customer service from a horrendous flight and just got the blah blah blah reply, and that just makes it even worse.

Posted By Linda on February 11, 2010, 11:17 AM

Best: Southwest and Air New Zealand: clearly met or exceeded expectations.
Worst: Jetstar: to Jetstar, the customer might as well be cargo; they have a complete, yet smiling, disdain for humanity and problem. It is always someone else's problem.

Posted By Henry Bartosch on February 11, 2010, 11:51 AM

Best - JetBlue - almost always on time, comfortable and nice, and personal tvs the whole way is awesome!

Worst - Most of them are pretty bad, and we all have our horror stories about them. Since my recent trip to Europe is on my mind, I will say EasyJet. They are atrocious. Last trip - put us on a bus for an hour, took us back to the terminal, back on the bus, on the plane and when we finally got to the runway they said we didn't have enough fuel and had to return back to the gate to get more! 3 hours late to Venice. And then, they have the audacity to charge us for drinks and food when we couldn't get any during this time period since there were no options once we were past security! I also hate airlines that don't give you seats. Everyone fights to get to be the first on and you have to stress the whole time if you'll get to sit next to your travel companion. Hate Southwest for the same reason.

Posted By Erika on February 11, 2010, 12:07 PM

Not sure what kind of plane it was, but in coach on Austrian Air there wasn't even room to be able to cross your legs, and I don't have long legs. The flight attendants were good but the plane was so crowded with lots of infants crying.

I have never had an opportunity to fly Alaskan Air as the few times I could have their fare was higher.

Posted By Nancy on February 11, 2010, 1:53 PM

I hate and despise Continental. Lousy equipment and sevice. On my most recent Continental flight (trans-Atlantic) I felt like I was sitting on a small wooden folding chair for hours on end. Delta is on my list too. I spent three days at the airport in Prague because of mechanical problems and they wouldn't replace the plane or book me on another airline. Unfortunately I live in an area with limited choices.

Posted By lovetotravel on February 11, 2010, 2:01 PM

I am a retired Eastern Airlines Supervisor so I speak from the experience of thousands of hours of flying on many different carriers.

My wife and I recently flew 21,000 miles on six United flights from Tampa to Bangkok and back. Every single flight was on time and usually arrived early. Our bags always arrived with us. We flew Economy Plus which is wonderful.

We took a similar trip to China several years ago on United. That trip was also a pleasure. We will continue to fly United whenever possible.

Posted By Art Spencer on February 11, 2010, 3:12 PM

My favorite domestic carrier has to be Alaskan Airlines. I've flown with them many, many, times. It's 90% on time, has great customer service, accommodating and traveler friendly. I live in Anchorage, so I almost always use Seattle as a hub for other locations. United, Continental or Northwest/Delta almost always has a lower fare...I still pass. My happiness can't be bought with discounts.

Continental...I work for an oil company, so I've flown with them several times to Houston for business. They have one of the youngest planes in the fleet, and it shows. Due to Houstins chances of thunderstorms, their hub can get backed up fast! This is annoying and fustrating, but I understand weather can be a huge factor. They did there best to take care of me, with patience.

United...Hit or miss big time for me! I always hate flying through Chicago! When flying over long distances (like half of the country or more), I've been disappointed with customer service and treated like sheep. When I get to a smaller city, or take a regional plane, the service and staff have been wonderful. ie Denver to Omaha, or Chicago to Indianapolis.

Southwest..I flew them once, it was hot, cramped and I think the plane was the same one the Wright Brothers used. That was years ago, and I don't think it's fair to judge a carrier by one bad experience. Airlines know that business and frequent travelers are there bread and butter. I may try again some time.

US Air..Only a couple of short flights. Nothing special or bad.

Thai Airlines...Great service, food, atmosphere and general all around good comfort. It's been awhile, but I still remember the good times fondly!

Hawaiian Air...I only flew between islands (mostly Maui and Oahu), but the low fares, flight schedule, and decent services really makes this airline shine. I would taken them from Anchorage if Alaska Air didnt have a cheaper flight :)

China Airlines...If you can handle the barely english speaking flight attendants and space shuttle-like landings, it's not too bad. Being easy going is a plus. If you need help or other things from them, good luck. The language barrier will only fustrate you (the girls are pretty when having no idea what your talking about though!). Price was a HUGE factor for my Thailand trips. Things were a little better once I got to the hub in Taiwan. Better service and a much nicer plane to Bangkok. Business and First class are only so-so.

Posted By David Benton on February 11, 2010, 3:47 PM

Best...Copa airlines....great customer service. On a one hour flight between Panama City, Panama and San Jose, Costa Rica we were served hot sandwiches at 9 AM. Complimentary beer, wine, liqueur, soda, coffee, milk... and I am not talking business accommodation.

Posted By Mary Lewis on February 11, 2010, 6:40 PM

I only fly United (or one of its partners) as I learned long ago that the only way to really experience good service on any airline was to stick with one and gain premium status. That said, I've had mostly pleasant traveling with United -- 100,000 + miles last year. The special desk, special check-in lines, phone alerts when delays are going to be experienced, upgrades -- all are working for me. When in Europe, Lufthansa has been great to get me places where United doesn't fly. Also, international travel on United has improved immensely since they have installed lie flat beds in Business Class (which I ensure by keeping my status and utilizing miles for upgrades)

Posted By Jeanne on February 11, 2010, 6:42 PM

WORST-COPA AIRLINES! I can't comment about Copa's in flight service which Mary Lewis raved about above since I never made it off the ground. I can say their personnel were not helpful. We recently spent two miserable days at the Dulles (IAD) airport due to COPA's refusal to cancel their flights until the last minute...we even called and told them at the Dulles airport was closed yet they refused to canceled their flight! To make a long story short...after waiting two days at the airport we were finally told our only option was to fly out 4 days later on the 14th! We gave up and went home.

Posted By Nina on February 12, 2010, 9:31 AM

FAVORITE: International- Aer Lingus. I have flown British Air, Aer Lingus, and Continential. Least Favorite: British Air. I fly to Ireland about two times per year and fly Continential because of the convenience and flight schedule. Sometimes I have a fairly decent flight, but a really surly flight crew. I just pay my fare and endure because the end result is beautiful Ireland. I do think their CEO is working on their customer service and they are updating their fleet. They do respond to complaints and that is a plus.
DOMESTIC: Best: Southwest Worst: US Air, Delta, and United. Their customer service is horrible and Flight Crews hate their jobs and their customers. Do they ever fire anyone? If I behaved this way on my job I would be history!

Posted By Aderianne on February 12, 2010, 10:40 AM

Favorite: Midwest Express. I wish they flew to more locations. Never had any trouble with customer service, and with Milwaukee being my closest hub I get to avoid OHare. And the chocolate chip cookies don't hurt.

Worst: I have had inconsistent experiences with United and Delta. Sometimes they are OK, but sometimes poor customer service or delays or lost luggage. As a paying customer I want service on which I can rely.

Posted By Liz on February 12, 2010, 12:26 PM

The WORST airlines: Frontier left their counter without personell on Christmas Eve and who ever was at the gate would not come up to security to walk me through to make my flight.
So, I missed Christmas with my Grandchildren who were hysterical. I will never forgive Frontier!
The attendant who finally came back after the fight left was rude and all I could do was sit and cry. Continental offered me a flight out the next morning. I wrote to Frontier but they never apologised for this ruined Christmas.

Best is Southwest. They offer low prices great service and no extra charge for your bag.

Posted By Lindsay Godfree on February 12, 2010, 5:20 PM

Favorite airline: Virgin America: Imagine a four-and-a-half-hour flight that feels like an hour or so. The high-quality of the seats, entertainment, food, beverages, style, and people of Virgin America are a class above all other airlines. Coach is is first class.

Least favorite airline: Southwest: Scary to fly when weather's bad; because, they fly when others won't. I guess they have to; because, they don't have hubs. Hubs create scheduling options they probably don't have. So they go. The pilots wear Top Gun style leather jackets. I guess you have to be a bit of a cowboy to fly for them. One flight I was on aborted two landings--too windy to put her down. (Houston Hobby, c. 1981.) The third attempt was good. I kissed the ground. Another flight into Baltimore was one of the only flights to land that day at BWI. Wind gusts up to 70 mph, which exceeds the spec on the jet. Full flight--not a word was said by anyone for the entire 45 minutes--a real white knuckler--I kissed the ground again. (c. 2003)

Posted By Robin on February 13, 2010, 5:22 PM

In response to the woman who complained about her brother with Downs' Syndrome being denied an exit row seat.... these seats are supposed to go to people who can provide the BEST assistance to others in an emergency where evacuation is necessary. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable having your brother in that position. First responders get highest priority for a reason.

Posted By Eric on February 13, 2010, 5:25 PM

Best: I have never traveled Southwest and have no interest either. I really like Continental. When they were a Skyteam member they were great, I am Delta Elite and they would always upgrade me and my companionS. I have always been a fan of Midwest, they are the "best care in the air".

Worst: United, for sure! I wrote a letter and complained because the last time I flew out of SMF the gate agent chased me on to the plane and MADE me check both my duffle bag and laptop briefcase...even in first class. I was in row 1 so seat storage wasn't possible; she was so rude.

Delta is a close second. I have been a NWA Elite member for over 8 years and am currently Delta Gold. Ever since the merger the airlines customer service has been non-existent.

Posted By John on February 13, 2010, 9:57 PM

Anyone ever fly Icelandic? Have them booked to get
to London in June.

Posted By Siamese Burt on February 14, 2010, 4:06 PM

Best airline: Lufthansa

Worst: Tie between Delta and American. Delta Flight last Friday night to Buenos Aires was cancelled, and the communication between management and ticket agents was nonexistent. Baggage lost for 3 days. 18 1/2 hours in airports with frustrated agents who were given no information. American telephone agents had to apologize for ineptness of previous representatives who had given incorrect information that caused delay in my travel plans.

Paul

Posted By Paul O'Hara on February 16, 2010, 2:40 PM

Best airline domestic - Southwest. They're on time, polite and even sometimes entertaining.
No extra fees!!! You don't get dinged for baggage, etc. They've gotten more orderly about boarding so it's smoothe and understandable. They honor miles and drink tickets, etc. longer than all the other airlines.

Posted By Linda Ollis on February 16, 2010, 4:06 PM

Best: Southwest. No bag fees, no change fees, positive attitudes, on time, almost always a good flight.

Worst: US Airways and United. Customer service? What's that?

Posted By Jeff B on February 16, 2010, 7:06 PM

BEST: Virgin America Airlines, absolutely a pleasure to fly, there is so much entertainment on the flight, the plane lands before you actually want it to! The seat service is amazing! Great Airline, I plan on flying them whenever possible.

Worse: US Airways, old planes, grumpy flight attendants!

Posted By Judy on February 16, 2010, 11:53 PM

I love JetBlue for me they are the best airline, more legroom you can pu your seat and if you want to go on a better seat wiht more legroom don't have to pay the expensive first class, beside all the airlines always serve peanuts and that's it. The different kinds of snacks they serve I love it!!
awesome !! Jetblue.......

worst airline Delta

Posted By Gloria on February 17, 2010, 9:02 PM

We live near Detroit and since the Delta take over of Northwest, it has been a nightmare. Whenever we have to go through Atlanta (which is often now) our flight is delayed at best, and often cancelled. Lately it is because of "bad weather". Funny. When we had to fly through Minneapolis, we never had these kind of problems. Apparently they must have more severe weather in Atlanta than in Minneapolis in the winter?!?

We were leaving Atlanta recently in a light snow. It took them 30 minutes per airplane to de-ice the plane, a job that would have been done in 5 minutes in either Detroit or Minneapolis.

Posted By Jean on February 18, 2010, 1:58 PM

Favorite~ Korean Air by all means is the ONLY way to fly! You are treated like a king. I loved it and only wish they did Domestic USA Flights. I would fly them without hesitation!
Worse~ A tie~ Delta and Alaska Airlines!! By far the most horrid airlines I have ever flown! If your legs are about 2 feet long you have leg room in Alaska Air. You want to be treated like a big inconvenience? Fly Alaska Air. They go out of the way to make sure you are very much aware of how you personally have made their day horrible by showing up for your flight. From baggage to seat you will be reminded over and over again of how you personally have screwed up the entire crews day. And of course the flight attendants can not make enough facial expressions of displeasure that you are sitting in a seat, but they sure give it their best shot! ALASKA AIR TIES WITH DELTA an I definitely put them on my NO FLY LIST!!!!
DELTA THE WORSE AIRLINES~ I just don't know where to begin with them. Unprofessional, uncooperative, uncaring, rude, inconsiderate? And that's the good qualities I've experienced from Delta. Or maybe it's leaving a woman stranded at the Seattle airport for 30 hours and not even offering her a cup of coffee. Or it could be the lie that it "never happened." Or maybe it was calling the passenger it happened to a liar. Don't know which got my goat the most. But I refuse to fly either.

Posted By Bryan Freeman on February 18, 2010, 3:49 PM

The best airline in the U.S.--by far--is Midwest Airlines (previously known as Midwest Express). They are a full-service airline, not strictly a "commuter" service. However, nobody knows about them unless they happen to get bumped to them by another airline, and then they think they've died and gone to airline heaven! Midwest has, by far, the friendliest (because they're from the midwest) flight attendants, the best seats in coach (every other airline's wide leather business class seats are in coach here), competitive fares, the best "meals for purchase" food, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies (free) on every flight, and the best "hub" airport anywhere (General Mitchell in MKE, which has no crowds, one terminal, the shortest walk between connecting flights, and very few delays because they know how to handle snow! (Their other hub is Kansas City, which is also not bad.) Try them to get to the west coast instead of another airline's connection through O'scare sometime, and believe me, you'll never go back! (In fact, I often use the MKE airport to get to and from Chicago, on the very convenient Amtrak "Hiawatha" rail service right at the airport train station!
And yes, I agree with everyone else, United's the worst!

Posted By Damon Miller on February 20, 2010, 5:53 PM

International Worst: Alitalia. Just thinking about that airline raises my blood pressure, and causes me to bless Delta, which rescued me (at no charge, but with a bathroom out on the flight) from the Italian plague. And I always thought it would be fun to be stuck for extra days in Rome!

Worst domestic: I've always found United, Continental and American to be roughly equivalent, although each has its own special downsides.

Best domestic: Southwest. Been flying them for 35 years; never had a bad customer service experience.

Best international: Tie between Air New Zealand and BA. ANZ made tolerable a bumpy, 12 hour flight preceded by a hellish security/waiting experience. Love that premium economy.

Posted By Terri on February 22, 2010, 6:50 PM

Favorite-SOUTHWEST-Friendly efficient staff & service, no baggage fee, no hassles, on time arrivals, reasonable pricing.
Least Favorite-AMERICAN-Unfriendly & rude staff on most flights, service marginal at best, pricing & fees becoming unacceptable.I was a "frequent flyer".

Posted By Gil on March 2, 2010, 4:06 PM

well my favorite airline would be Garuda Indonesia, Singapore airlnes, Cathay pacific, Etihad and Emirates. They have good interior.

My favorite Low Cost Airline would be JetBlue Airways and AirAsia.

Posted By Arrafi on October 10, 2010, 10:42 PM

US Airways is terrible. They overbook every flight, and serve almost nothing from Philadelphia-Phoenix. There seats are also cramped.

Best...well United and Delta have been pretty good to me.

Posted By Aamir Al on October 31, 2010, 5:14 PM