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You Are Forced to Fly Only One Airline...BUT

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Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 02 Sep 22, 15:42Post
You are forced to fly only one airline for the rest of your life, but with a caveat: it has to be a low lost carrier.

Who do you choose?
DXing 02 Sep 22, 16:19Post
People Express!!

Not sure of any other that had domestic routes as well as international.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
Paul Chandler1 02 Sep 22, 19:53Post
British Airways :))
PA110 (Founding Member) 02 Sep 22, 22:40Post
I'd go with Southwest. They're never as bad as folks make them out to be. In fact, every time I've had to fly them, they've been pretty decent.

NO EXPECTATIONS = NO DISAPPOINTMENTS
Look, it's been swell, but the swelling's gone down.
ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 03 Sep 22, 07:52Post
Lion Air so there's a chance I'm put out of my misery quickly {boxed}

In all honesty, LCCs are largely fine if you know the game and are willing to play it. And the way the legacies have slashed their service, sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference. Priority boarding is worthless when it means you're first onto the bus, and I've had that more often with Finnair than with Easyjet.

Paul Chandler1 wrote:British Airways :))

Case in point. Short-haul, at least, they're just Ryanair in drag.
My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.
paul mcallister 03 Sep 22, 13:49Post
British Airways--as mentioned Priority Boarding is a waste of money, you may get on the aircraft first.
You still have to wait for all the other numpties with their HUGE carry-on bags that are much bigger than what`s meant to be in the cabin. Rucksacks seem to still be a problem, chuck them in the hold where they are meant to be.

Then there`s the family with 3 kids under five, one is teething, all have heavy colds with snots flying everywhere. They have brought a senile old granny with them to help out, but she is more interested in getting a G+T and a Valium down her neck before take-off.

Oh yes the joys of air travel- next time I fly I am going save up and get a private jet.
ShanwickOceanic (netAirspace FAA) 04 Sep 22, 09:32Post
Seriously. Sit down, bag down, belt up, shut up. If you can't or won't comply, we'll check you and your bag into the hold. And if you jammed your monster bag into a bin ten rows for'ard and now you remember you left your iShiny in it, you'd better have a coat in there as well, 'cos you're going in the wheel well. {grumpy}

My favourite BA trick, and it's only happened to me at EDI, is to be first down the jetway, anticipating a simple march straight to the back of the plane, only to discover that (1) the cabin crew weren't expecting us yet, and (2) they've now decided to board through the back door as well, meaning that from about row 14 I'm fighting against a seething tide of humans. Twice they've pulled that stunt.

Ryanair can often feel like a stampede, but it generally works quickly. In fact, I've sometimes been the first one to notice that there are stairs at the back as well, and had a pleasant walk up the stairs and straight to my seat.
My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.
Paul Chandler1 04 Sep 22, 19:23Post
4 of us had a bizarre experience on arriving at Madrid on Iberia from Heathrow (few years ago) Flight was a little bit late and there were a number of passengers who had tight connections as a result. Common sense might suggest that allowing those passengers off first would be sensible but no - those passengers were told to get off at the back airstair as the rest tried to get off at the front - this was on an A320 so it was a bit chaotic.
tangoscar 06 Sep 22, 00:42Post
If we are talking true low-cost carrier, then it'd be Ryanair for me. Have used them several times over the past 20 years and never had any problems or complaints. Of course, I am able to read and I am capable of doing 2nd grade math ...

If taking the "low cost" out of the equation and replace it with "any other except a mainline carrier", then I will go with Southwest. They can't really be considered a low-cost carrier anymore, but have transformed into a "boutique airline". A few years back my #1 pick would have been JetBlue, but they more and more seem to abandon the "boutique"-type product - which Neeleman apparently is trying to reintroduce with Breeze - and strive for becoming a direct competitor of the big 3 and Alaska.
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 06 Sep 22, 15:57Post
Paul Chandler1 wrote:British Airways :))


Savage! {sick} I laughed at this a few times.

DXing, my family used to love People Express, or I think it was them. Did they take your money after boarding?


@Tangoscar brings up a good point about WN become something different. I love them, but I never select WN to save a buck. I usually select them for bag requirements and ease of flight changes if required. They are about the same price-wise as other airlines, usually. They still are on the margins of being low cost for some of their fares, but usually it seems they're gone by the time I look for them.

I have never heard horror stories about Ryanair from actual passengers, but I'm displaced from their operations.

In the US, if I had to only fly one LCC for the rest of my life, it would probably be Spirit, so I could snag a seat up front. Frontier has never given me problems, but their seats these days are just truly awful and painful, even for a <2hr flight.
ShyFlyer (Founding Member) 06 Sep 22, 21:48Post
Mark me down as going with WN. Thankfully they haven't gone the whole "nickle and dime" route as the others have (yet), so you know the price you pay is the price you'll pay.


Lucas wrote:I have never heard horror stories about Ryanair from actual passengers, but I'm displaced from their operations.

One of my trainees is a former Ryanair FO. Let's just say that he'd rather be with us than fly for them.
Make Orwell fiction again.
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 06 Sep 22, 23:16Post
ShyFlyer wrote:
Lucas wrote:I have never heard horror stories about Ryanair from actual passengers, but I'm displaced from their operations.

One of my trainees is a former Ryanair FO. Let's just say that he'd rather be with us than fly for them.


Say again!?! {bugeye} {bugeye} {bugeye}
ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 08 Sep 22, 01:37Post
PA110 wrote:I'd go with Southwest. They're never as bad as folks make them out to be. In fact, every time I've had to fly them, they've been pretty decent.

NO EXPECTATIONS = NO DISAPPOINTMENTS


Do you Island Hop on WN? I know they do that, just curious. Can't be any different than HA, I mean it's 30 minutes to HNL from KOA . . .

They make it work though.
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!
airtrainer 09 Sep 22, 16:11Post
Given their presence here and the number of destinations I'll easily chose Ryanair, but then I would be sad not to be able to fly longhaul anymore...
Grounded...
Lucas (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 13 Sep 22, 22:50Post
airtrainer wrote:Given their presence here and the number of destinations I'll easily chose Ryanair, but then I would be sad not to be able to fly longhaul anymore...



How many of the LCCs do long haul? I remember the one we used to have here to Iceland, but I've never really considered an LCC for that.
captoveur 14 Sep 22, 15:07Post
Lucas wrote:How many of the LCCs do long haul? I remember the one we used to have here to Iceland, but I've never really considered an LCC for that.


WOW? They were awful
I like my coffee how I like my women: Black, bitter, and preferably fair trade.
IFEMaster (Project Dark Overlord & Founding Member) 15 Sep 22, 16:48Post
PA110 wrote:I'd go with Southwest. They're never as bad as folks make them out to be. In fact, every time I've had to fly them, they've been pretty decent.

NO EXPECTATIONS = NO DISAPPOINTMENTS


Same. I've flown coast to coast and border to border on WN, had A-List status since 2016, and bar the odd tech delay here or there (which they responded to really well with clear customer centricity), they've been comfortable enough, on-time enough (whats 20 minutes here or there?), friendly, and fun.

I'd take them over Frontier, Allegiant, and Spirit (the other NA LCCs I've flown) any day. Especially Spirit.
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
PA110 (Founding Member) 20 Sep 22, 18:53Post
ANCFlyer wrote:Do you Island Hop on WN? I know they do that, just curious. Can't be any different than HA, I mean it's 30 minutes to HNL from KOA . . .

They make it work though.


I havenʻt flown anywhere since we arrived last May. HA has better frequency than WN, so I will likely fly HA if I need to hop over to HNL. Iʻm planning a dive trip to Tahiti next year and will be flying HA via HNL.

When WN first launched service in Hawaii, many locals welcomed them with open arms because inter-island fares had risen quite high. But WN has just launched an inter-island fare war that has many locals thinking twice. While everyone likes the cheap fares, they also remember what happened to AQ.

If you recall, Go! (Mesa) launched service in 2006 with a hugely destructive fare war offering inter-island flights as low as $3. With no choice but to match, Aloha ran out of cash in 2 years and folded in 2008. As soon as Aloha was gone, Go! raised their fares and ultimately exited the Hawaiian market in 2014 after severe backlash.

Many remember that episode and have a grudge against mainland carriers barging in and hurting home-grown airlines. WN has been losing their shirts with these fare wars. If theyʻre trying to drive out Hawaiian, it may backfire. Hawaiian has more resources than Aloha did and has very profitable longhaul flights.
Look, it's been swell, but the swelling's gone down.
fiatstilojtd 09 Oct 22, 20:22Post
Volotea hands down, but unfortunately after the pandemic there is only one flight ex VIE left with them....to Nantes, France.
Non vitae sed scholae discimus
DXing 10 Oct 22, 08:35Post
Lucas wrote:
DXing, my family used to love People Express, or I think it was them. Did they take your money after boarding?


That's the one!

IFEMaster wrote:
Same. I've flown coast to coast and border to border on WN, had A-List status since 2016, and bar the odd tech delay here or there (which they responded to really well with clear customer centricity), they've been comfortable enough, on-time enough (whats 20 minutes here or there?), friendly, and fun.


If it was WN only, then they are a snap. If, for some strange reason you are connecting to another airline, unless they've changed in the past few years, you still had to collect your bag at baggage claim and recheck it with your connecting airline. I remember hearing some sad stories about people blowing thier connections, especially at LAX, pre-Hawaii WN. Perhaps that's changed in the past few years?

I know when I was still working in Chicago and my home was in CLE if the UA flights were full I could get a great airline employee discounted price on WN. So before leaving downtown I would have to make a choice, Blue Line to ORD or Orange Line to MDW. Never had a problem with that 1 hour flight.

IFEMaster wrote:(whats 20 minutes here or there?)


One of the best lines I've ever heard from a pilot. Upon arriving early at ORD, (truly unusual since either the gate was still occupied, and OPS was loathe to move to one of the 10 visibly open gates to either side of the occupied one, or the ground crew was nowhere to be found) the pilot came on the PA and said, "Folks, we enjoyed flying you today. We got you to the gate 20 minutes early. Do us a favor and remember that next time you're 20 minutes late and just call it even will you?"
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 10 Oct 22, 12:52Post
PA110 wrote:
ANCFlyer wrote:Do you Island Hop on WN? I know they do that, just curious. Can't be any different than HA, I mean it's 30 minutes to HNL from KOA . . .

They make it work though.


. . . . . While everyone likes the cheap fares, they also remember what happened to AQ.

If you recall, Go! (Mesa) launched service in 2006 with a hugely destructive fare war offering inter-island flights as low as $3. With no choice but to match, Aloha ran out of cash in 2 years and folded in 2008. As soon as Aloha was gone, Go! raised their fares and ultimately exited the Hawaiian market in 2014 after severe backlash.

Many remember that episode and have a grudge against mainland carriers barging in and hurting home-grown airlines. WN has been losing their shirts with these fare wars. If theyʻre trying to drive out Hawaiian, it may backfire. Hawaiian has more resources than Aloha did and has very profitable longhaul flights.


I got caught up in that AQ shut down back in the day. Was on Maui and had to get back to HNL for my flight back to SFO (back in my UA days, AQ was a partner). I had to book HA to get back to HNL a day earlier than needed and another overnight in Honolulu.

I have a pic - somewhere in this database - of all the now out of work AQ ground equipment sitting at OGG with nothing to do. . .

LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!
JLAmber (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 10 Oct 22, 19:30Post
fiatstilojtd wrote:Volotea hands down, but unfortunately after the pandemic there is only one flight ex VIE left with them....to Nantes, France.


And the 717s are gone :(

As it's likely to become a reality shortly, mine would be SVG Air. Twotters and Islanders, glorious!
A million great ideas...
 

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