Which Airline Is Really The Best?

Pick up any newspaper or watch any news channel and many times you will
find something about the airline industry. Popular topics range in how
gas prices affect airline prices, the latest merger or bankruptcy
claim, an airline crash or problem with a flight and even terrorist
attempts. Airlines even capture our attention by running airfare
specials in the newspaper and on TV. The funny thing is, you don’t even
pay attention to these advertisements unless you travel often or are
planning a trip. So which airline is the best anyway?



There are a lot of things to take into consideration when deciding
which airline is the best for you. Price is usually a big factor for
most travelers. There are a few things to consider when thinking about
price. If you live near a hub for an airline you are certain to be able
to get better fares. Think about if it is worth it for you to travel to
a larger airport rather than taking a flight out of the airport that
you live 10 minutes away from. If you are only saving about $50.00 it
is probably better to just take a flight from the airport you live
closest to. Remember, you need to think of gas prices and traffic –
both of which are on the rise.



Consider being flexible in your travel days to receive the best prices.
If you can leave mid-week, then you are more likely to receive a better
deal than if you were to fly Thursday – Sunday. These are the busiest
travel days so the airlines take full advantage of this fact. Airlines
also run special deals if you are more flexible with your departure
schedule. This includes the time that you want to leave too. Early
morning flights – very early morning flights – are often less expensive
than mid-morning or evening flights. Think about rush hour traffic. If
you leave before rush hour in the morning, or after rush hour in the
evening you’ll most likely land a better deal.



The best time to book your own flight online is Tuesday evenings
between 12 and 1 a.m. Airline’s computers change their fares at this
point and this is when they are available to the public to be
purchased. If you catch an airline just right, then anyone of them can
be the “best” when it comes to pricing. There isn’t any one airline
that consistently has the best prices. Although, the discount airlines
like Air Tran and Jet Blue tend to be cheaper. But these flights are
only available in select areas so many times you cannot fly these
airlines.



Another factor to look at when deciding which airline is the best is
the percent of flights that they have on time. These are the results of
one survey that was conducted:



Hawaiian Air

Jet Blue

Southwest

ATA

United

Sometimes it’s better to drive than to be stuck on a flight that is delayed. Consider this on shorter distance flights.



Carry on luggage has become more popular with travelers because nobody
wants to be caught without their clothes and people want to get off a
flight and go – not wait around for their bag to come round the corner
of the luggage carousel. This is how airlines ranked for lost baggage:



1) Hawaiian Air



2) Jet Blue



3) Southwest



4) Alaska Air



5) Continental



It’s also pretty frustrating when you have booked a flight and you
aren’t allowed to get on it because someone overbooked the flight. How
does that happen anyway? Here’s how the airlines ranked on passengers
that were denied boarding:



Jet Blue

Hawaiian Air

United

American Airlines

US Airways

So which airline is the best? Everyone is going to have their personal
opinions. But according to this, you should book a trip to Hawaii right
away or else fly Jet Blue whenever possible.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

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