This is for frequent airplane travelers- Which airlines do you personally reccommend?

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dcgirl

I'd go with Continental. There's chances of delays around that time of year and if your flight is cancelled around the holidays, it's usually a day or two (or more) before you can be re-routed, because all the planes are full that time of year. Continental is much bigger than AirTran, and has alliances with other airlines where they could choose to put you on a Delta flight in a pinch; Airtran doesn't. That's also why I avoid Southwest--- if my plane is cancelled and it's the last one of the day, Southwest will not put me on a United flight even if it's completely empty.

However... there are not a whole lot of nonstops from San Antonio to any of the DC airports--- I know, because I fly between those cities for work. And your chances of something going wrong (cancellation, delay, getting stranded, lost bags) go way up when you make connections. United has a nonstop from San Antonio to Dulles; it is a smallish plane but if you pay the extra $40 for Economy Plus you will be in the front of the plane and therefore feel less bouncing.

PS None of the airlines are very good at handling weather problems; the only difference is where the weather is. AA gets killed every summer because of tornadoes over their hub in Dallas; United and JetBlue get beaten up every winter because of their hub in Denver. Your chances of actually getting caught in the weather are pretty low; it's really only about one or two big storms each year in each region (NE, SW, Midwest, etc) that are bad enough to cause *major* travel delays; your chance for minor delays (couple of hours) are the same no matter when or where you go because of possible mechanical problems. So just pick the flight that works best for you in terms of schedule and price. Although I would definitely recommend picking the nonstop flight!

ethan2good4u

southwest would be my choice. stay away from airtran!!

Mike R

The only airline to really avoid is United Airlines. American, Northwest and Continental are all the best, USAirways is good, Delta and Southwest are average-below average, and United is terrible - avoid it at all costs. JetBlue is good too although in my experience they're quite expensive.

If you have a good deal on Continental then absolutely go with them - they're excellent.

ironchain15

I would take Continental in a heart beat. Continental is better in the fact that they still offer meals on long flights for free. The crews are some of the most professional people I have been around. I have never had a problem when flying Continental. I would recommend flying with Continental instead of AirTran. Above all, enjoy the holiday.

Angell

I have pretty much flown them all and I end up going back to Southwest.
Go on line and look for the best price at that time for Southwest and stick to it...

tonalc1

AA is pretty good. I've been disgusted with United lately. Southwest is OK if getting a specific seat isn't important to you.

I'd go Continental over Airtran.

Jacob S

then take united from sat-den then den-iad. You will be able to get a wide body on the den-iad flight.

CEO&LittleLeagueMom

Continental is fine - pretty much the same as AA or United. Southwest doesn't generally fly as large an aircraft, but they usually have more flights (and more planes) which can make it easier for them to recover from problems - they have more simple 'chess pieces' to move around.
AirTran is not one I'm familiar wiht, but it sounds like a charter - if so, I'd stay away from it - bound to be more uncomfortable.

Rex B

I like to fly "United" for longer flights.

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