Southwest.
Because I'm terrible at being on time and it's nice to know I can just cancel as long as they haven't taken off and not lost the money. Also not paying extra for luggage. And their airport is best for my parents place.
USAF. No TSA checks, no baggage restrictions, you can visit the cockpit and you can hang a hammock in the back
It made me realize my problems with flying revolved around airports, not so much the airlines themselves.
USAF C130 between Kuwait & Iraq was a weird experience. On the way out, it was “aw shit how many more months do I have?” On the way back it was “how much longer until I can get a beer?” Plane was fine while in air, but lowering the ramp on either end felt like walking into a damn blast furnace.
Desert heat hits different
Joke answer: I once got to fly on a private jet. It was pretty frickin sweet. Show up to the FBO ten minutes before departure time. Pilot haphazardly wands us. Cabin seats 8, and all 8 of us work for the teapot factory. Plane was owned by the factory’s owner.
Real answer: I flew United a couple times last fall and had great experiences. Last time before that was flying Southwest back in 2018, which was also a fairly good experience.
FBOs are amazing it's kinda a shame that most people don't get to experience them...but on the other hand they would totally ruin it too
Greyhound ;)
No bullshit, I refuse to fly because I'm too old, too cranky, and in too much pain to deal with the TSA malarkey. Last time I had to go through security with a patient wasn't long after 9/11, and I vowed I'd never fly.
I'll drop people off, pick them up, and that's it.
That being said, Delta has actually been really good to my wife twice, as much shit as they're full of. Had some crazy crap happen going to visit family, and then coming back. Totally on her end, not their fault. But they not only got her seats on the next available flights both times, but helped her get around the airport fast enough to do it, with no extra charges. Kinda blew my mind in that regard.
My best friend flies a lot, and he's had good luck with them too. Upgrades, minimum hassles with checking bags, that kind of stuff.
He flies overseas a bunch too, and he does say that the U.S. Airlines aren't as frequent flyer friendly. Like, whatever that Australian airline is, they apparently have roomier business class and better amenities. Also much lower upcharges to upgrade seating.
Reinforces my unwillingness to deal with any of the airlines tbh. If I can't get there by bus or train, it can fuck right off. Last trip up north with my wife, she flew, I took a train lol. I did the bus the time before that, but she did too.
Alaska, hands down.
American has actually done alright by me for the most part, though I hate every single thing about air travel except the actual act of soaring above the clouds in a metal tube that's belching face-meltingly hot blasts of compressed gasses. That's actually kind of awesome.
I live right by AA's HQ and main hub though, and DFW is an underrated airport, especially as your "home base" where you don't need to manage connections.
