Choosing the best airline
Summer vacation is finally upon us and travel plans abound! If readers plan to travel by air this season, we’d all better be thankful to WalletHub’s Diana Pope who is always great about sending me expert tips to alleviate pain and panic.
Traveling by plane costs an average of $370 per trip, and that’s just for “normal” travel. Take another thousand to jet to Europe or other exotic destinations and we see why it’s imperative to choose
the right airline to get the most bang for our (many) bucks. Choosing the wrong airline has the potential to take even more from us and not necessarily in a financial manner, either. For instance, 24 animals died during air transportation in 2017, and four major U.S. airlines had at least one pet fatality.
Finding the cheapest airfare is pretty easy for anyone with any technology knowhow, but problems and solutions can go much deeper than just $$$. WalletHub examined those other aspects of air travel to help us consumers make more and better-informed decisions. The nine largest U.S. airlines, plus two regional carriers were rated and ranged from cancellation and delay rates to baggage mishaps and in-flight comfort. According to Pope, the company considered costs in relation to in-flight amenities for the sake of fairness. For example, it wouldn’t be right to penalize an airline that charges for drinks if its tickets are much less expensive than those from an airline with free in-flight refreshments.
Alaska Airlines for the umpteenth year in a row leads the pack with 74.18 customer satisfaction, followed closely by Delta with 72.57. I was quite surprised to see Southwest join the other drop-offs, since its reputation is generally a good one for service and on-time departures and arrivals. Even with its recent windshield fiascos, I’d advocate it as the least overall-complained about airline. But Delta remains the most reliable airline with the least cancellations, delays, mishandled luggage and denied boardings. (Plus you know what they say: if one lives in the South, to get to either heaven or hell, we’ve got to change chariots in Atlanta, Delta’s largest hub.)
In this age of knees below chin and the person’s head in front of you plonking into your lap, comfort is key. WalletHub’s survey shows JetBlue leading the pack in terms of in-flight experiences. The airline offers free munches and beverages, Wi-Fi, and extra leg room. Can’t beat that with a stick!
For those of us who simply look for the very cheapest route to get us where we’re going, pick Spirit and Frontier Airlines. No-frills at its “best,” these two out buck all the others put together.
(P.S. Teaser Alert! Just like cancer or diabetes, addiction remains a dreadful disease and, until we take it out of the closet and acknowledge it’s part of our own families, drug and alcohol dependence will never be conquered. Turn in this month to Channel 9’s “This and That” to watch me explain how this horrific illness personally affected me and mine.)