Delta came out on top....at least in this survey....http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/19447786/best-us-airlines-2014-edition/
I would tend to agree with your observations....I've got about 5 million frequent flyer miles during my career, almost all of them butt-in-seat (in other words, not from credit card usage). Of the big three -- DL, UA, AA+US -- I'd have to agree that at this point in time, DL is best. But it does change over time. AA and DL were generally considered the best 1980-1995, but then DL went down hard. Flying DL 1995-2005 could be a miserable experience, and then they turned things around. AA fell apart in 2000 and hasn't recovered yet. As for UA or US, don't get me started... airlines of last resort.
A few things to remember. When you book on DL, UA, or AA+US, you might actually fly on a commuter affiliate that doesn't get anywhere near the same customer satisfaction scores as their respective main line. The smaller carriers like VX can focus their operations better, but as they grow their customer satisfaction scores tend to regress toward the mean. WN has found this. So far, B6 has managed to stay ahead of the curve. And finally, there are airlines that have figured out how to sustain modest profitability (DL) and airlines that lose money like grains of sand (VX). Whether VX survives, their pending IPO notwithstanding, is anyone's guess. And none of these airlines matches standards of, say, JL or CX overseas.
Agreed as well. It seems like anyone that gets big loses reputation. Same with the bus industry.......
I would tend to agree with your observations....
as for comparing US carrier's with some of the Asian one's....well the cultural differences as far as the flight attendant's and perhaps customary service personnel mean that the US will probably never match up, but as for pilot's, I would match ours against anyone's.....
I live in the 7th largest city in the country but there's no Virgin America. I guess we're just not hip enough for 'em.IMHO, Virgin American by a long shot.
Maybe in the case of US airlines, airports, trains, bus lines, and taxies. On the other hand I've stayed at several hotels in the US with excellent service standards. Hopefully over time services like Trip Advisor will continue to push US service standards higher as people who have seen good service elsewhere start holding our domestic services to a higher standard.American Customer Service is an oxymoron.
Agreed but the FAs were a little to authoritative IMO! They have Really Good Security too unlike our Security Theater by the TSA Minions!The best airline I ever flew was El Al.
I'm really not a fan of authoritarian flight attendants. I feel like I get enough of that from US airlines. Flying El Al is a more complicated choice than most airline decisions that goes beyond the routing, scheduling, and service levels which guide most travel decisions. Although El Al is often lauded for their enhanced security they operate in a manner which I believe to be inconsistent with our constitution. In some ways they've simply moved the attack vector from the aircraft itself to other areas like check-in desks. To be clear I also have issues with other middle eastern airlines which operate in a manner I find to be inconsistent with my value system. Until recently Alaska Airlines didn't serve my local airport. They also used to provide unsolicited bible versus with their catering. Now that those issues have been rectified I look forward to flying Alaska Airlines sometime in the future. Connecting in US airports has become enough of a nuisance that having a nonstop flight to Seattle is a very welcome addition.Agreed but the FAs were a little to authoritative IMO! They have Really Good Security too unlike our Security Theater by the TSA Minions! And am I the only one who's flown on Alaska Airlines, my # 1 Domestic Choice??The best airline I ever flew was El Al.
I agree, I prefer authority over weakness and lack of authority.I imagine that most peoples objection to their practices are cultural. I find them comforting.
It didn't use to bother me as much in the past. Back before disobeying a bossy flight attendant risked a jail sentence. Thankfully there's a humongous middle ground between weak and authoritarian. Although you may not know it if you only flew US airlines. Some people who seem to hate their jobs and their employers seem to feel legally invited to take out their frustrations on their customers. I do what I can to be easy going with flight attendants. Unlike train attendants today's flight attendant seems to be a poorly paid and largely thankless job. That being said when they start making up rules about when and where you're allowed to use your camera or when you're allowed to get up or which electronics you're allowed to use or when you're allowed to visit the restroom it gets rather annoying. I used to assume that's just how it was everywhere, but flying other airlines has shown me that not every airline feels the need to be aloof and condescending.I agree, I prefer authority over weakness and lack of authority.I imagine that most peoples objection to their practices are cultural. I find them comforting.
I've flown Alaska before. I was not enamored by them as in my opinion (and I fly a lot) their mishandling of an issue caused a delay that resulted in missing a connection to Europe, an extended stay in Seattle (though I like Seattle very much I did not want that two day extended stay) and an arrival three days late. However, Alaska did give us a voucher so we'll try them again when we go to Seattle for Labor Day.Agreed but the FAs were a little to authoritative IMO! They have Really Good Security too unlike our Security Theater by the TSA Minions!The best airline I ever flew was El Al.
And am I the only one who's flown on Alaska Airlines, my # 1 Domestic Choice??
I've flown Air Asia and Wizz Air and didn't have any issue with how they operated nor was charged any extra fees but I went with low expectations, packed very lightly and made sure I was near the front of the line at the cattle call. Then again the LCCT at Kuala Lumpur International Airport was hands down the worst airport terminal I've ever flown out of.I've haven't flown as much as some of you, but here are some quick reviews of the airlines I've flown...
Air Asia - Like Ryanair but in Asia
Somewhere in that mix is the perfect airline. For instance, some of the best service I've received on Japan Airlines was from Thai nationals. Even though Thair Airways itself struggles to maintain top tier service standards. Middle Eastern airlines have some of the best amenities and newest aircraft but treat their employees terribly. US Airlines have developed some of the worst service standards but also created some of the best loyalty programs while also working under some of the most stringent safety regulations. If you could combine the best virtues of several different cultures you could some up with something truly groundbreaking. Or we could just do what Europe did and start focusing on better passenger trains while the regional airline market eventually devolved into a dozen variations of Ryanair.
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