So, for a variety of reasons this year has been really busy with airline travel for me, the most recent trip this week to Orem Utah for work. Since I have traveled with a few airlines here are my observations.
Southwest has an excellent boarding process. You know exactly where you stand in the order, people are very civil as they wait and then board and it is fun, if boarding can be fun. They also have bright cheery airplanes.
American Airlines has a wonderful flight attendant on the Boston to London during the day route. Apparently this route is coveted among flight attendants, because it is international and your body clock does not get as disrupted. She has worked for American for 37 years and was cheery, and happy and helpful and it was so clear that she really loves her job. It made such a difference for me to spend 7 hours with her over a grouchy one.
Delta has a variety of temperments among their flight attendants. The flight to SLC on Tuesday night, most of the attendants were pretty happy and pleasant. The flight returing last night they were very grouchy and pretty condescending. Two of them stood right outside the door to the cockpit, and talked in a not so nice way about passengers, and this was the conversation:
Flight Attendant # 1 "Yup, some of these bags will not fit"
Flight Attendant # 2 "Yes, the grey one, that one will never fit"
Flight Attendant # 3 "Yes and the black one on the right, what are they thinking?"
Clearly these were not carry on bags, but would you really just stand and do nothing, and talk about passengers that way?
I heard today that Jet Blue flight attendants actually help passengers put their bags in the overhead. Now, that make lots of sense to me. The Delta attendants clearly had a sense of urgency to get those bags overhead and get us in our seats, as evidenced by the 6 announcements to that effect in 5 minutes. One passenger remarked that if they did not charge $25 per bag to check, maybe there would not be so many carry ons. Tell me honestly, would you help people load the bags rather than make incessant announcements. I would, but that is me.
It got me thinking about what is important in a flight for me. Safety is the obvious one, which is why I always thank all of the crew on my way out of the plane, even if they were grouchy.
I always ask for an aisle seat. I hate to be trapped and not be able to visit the rest rooms. I always hydrate a lot when flying. Only once this year have I been trapped in the middle seat. On my flight this week the Boston Delta agent found me an aisle seat and I profusely thanked him multiple times. I like to reinforce positive behavior, so it reoccurs.
The best time for me to read is on planes. I pop in my ear buds, play some classical music and read a book for most of the flight. I have not done that on some flights recently, since I had work to do, but that is my favorite time to read a book cover to cover.
This is a silly one, but I hate to pay the Airlines for food. I may pay more for food from the terminal, but I remember the days when a meal was included and pretty near refuse to buy food on a plane, EXCEPT LAST NIGHT, when the groucy Delta attendants were selling Pink Lemonade for $2 glass in honor of breast cancer research. They give all of the money to breast cancer research.
No layovers are important to me. If the cost is pretty similar I would rather not take off and land twice and the layover always makes me nervous. Especially if I am flying to the west coast for work, I try to get a non-stop.
So, if there is a choice of domestic airlines and the cost and route is very similar this is the order that I will fly them: TIED FOR FIRST PLACE - Jet Blue and Southwest, Second place - American, Third place - United and dead last unless I am flying to SLC (non-stop) - Delta.
Oh, and did I say that I don't really like small planes unless they are flying from South Hero to Hampton NH to get us to Star Island.
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