Airline Choice

I have decided not to bog you down with pointless get to know you post, rather i feel that we should jump right into the world of casual travelling. This first post will cover which airline could work for you. When it comes to choice in airline you really have five options as i see it.

• U.S. Airways
• Delta Airlines
• American Airlines
• United Airlines
• Southwest Airlines

Although there are other options to pick, many of the smaller U.S. airlines are region specific, and will be talked about later. For now though we are going to pick your overall airline.Firstly you need to decide what is important to you. Each of these airlines have unique pros and cons that may influence your decision to travel with them.
Pros:

• U.S. Airways->Generally low fares, "Americas largest low-fare full service airline", Easy to acquire frequent flyer status, Strong East Coast network.
• Delta Airlines->Large route network, Many aircraft have in-flight entertainment, Reliable.
• American Airlines->Business traveler appeal, Name recognition.
• United Airlines->Large route network, Many aircraft have in-flight entertainment.
• Southwest Airlines->Low cost carrier with very low prices, free checked baggage.

You may have noticed that Delta and United have similar pros, when it comes down to choice between these two airlines remember that they are the two largest U.S. carriers and for this blogs sake, virtually the same.

Cons:

• U.S. Airways->Smaller route network, Poor cabin amenities along the lines of in-flight service and in-flight entertainment.
• Delta Airlines->Harder to acquire frequent flyer status, service geared towards business not casual travel.
• American Airlines->Currently in bankruptcy, Older fleet of aircraft.
• United Airlines->Harder to acquire frequent flyer status, service geared towards business not casual travel.
• Southwest Airlines->Does not interline with other carriers, not current international network.

As you can see each of these airlines has their respective pros and cons, however a large factor in choosing an airline is where you live. Before choosing an airline to allege yourself to, check to see if they have a hub close to where you live. This can help with prices and ease of travel.

As always i hope this helps you on your road to casual travel. My next post will be a destination piece on West Palm Beach, FL