Best airline

[Inhogswetrust]

So skytrax came out with their best airline survey and no surprise that a US based airline didn't make the top 10 but didn't even make the top 20 and didn't even make one of the top 30! The highest rated US airline is Delta at #32. THAT is sad and is telling as to what is wrong in corporate America.The top airline in the world ranking this year is Qatar airlines. When traveling overseas it is sad but not surprising that it is better to fly via a foreign airline than one based in the US. I know my son travels to asian countries a lot (he has an office in Taiwan) and he never flies a US airline over there or back and forth from the US to that area. Most of the time he flies EVA which is ranked #6.

[theFlyingHog]

Qatar has the highest GDP per capita by a fair margin. They probably do not have passengers in yoga pants and flip flops. Also, many of these higher rated airlines hire flight attendants(and other service providers) from countries with a much better service attitude. Now, a US airline could up their game and be extravagant and pay their people top dollar and have great employees but the airline would fold before it landed the first plane. People here are cost-conscious enough that those very expensive tickets would never sell

[Inhogswetrust]

Qatar has the highest GDP per capita by a fair margin. They probably do not have passengers in yoga pants and flip flops. Also, many of these higher rated airlines hire flight attendants(and other service providers) from countries with a much better service attitude. Now, a US airline could up their game and be extravagant and pay their people top dollar and have great employees but the airline would fold before it landed the first plane. People here are cost-conscious enough that those very expensive tickets would never sell

One reason my son flies EVA is due to great service. He flies it so much pilots and flight attendants know him. He left something on their plane one time and when he went to get on a flight again weeks later they had saved it for him! No way that happens on a US based carrier. Another is they are no more expensive to fly on where he flies too most often than US and other countries carriers. Just because others have a more "service oriented" attitude doesn't make them always that much more expensive. Yes it does sometimes have to do with where one is flying too though. Don't assume that all the people flying on Qatar are rich Qatar citizens either. Besides the airline industry unions for US based carriers DO pay good money. Some of the foreign based ones do not pay any better than US based one's and even less and still have much better service.

[husker71]

I am going to Asia in the next 3 weeks and am thinking about using Eva this time (this will be my last trip to Asia because I am staying this time)

[bennyl08]

Off the top of my head, air New Zealand, air Australia, Alaska airlines, and Iceland air. Alaska airlines is really good. Are they not based in the US? Are they too small a company to register since they aren't international?

[oldhawg]

Off the top of my head, air New Zealand, air Australia, Alaska airlines, and Iceland air. Alaska airlines is really good. Are they not based in the US? Are they too small a company to register since they aren't international?

Alaska Airlines does fly to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Cuba.

[majestic]

This now makes 4 consecutive trips that we've had luggage broken. The first three were via American Airlines and they paid for the suitcase. This time was with United. We'll see what they do. Otherwise, I can't really complain. It was a (thankfully) uneventful series of flights. We actually took off on time and landed early each time. Which was great since we had a 30 minute window to connect on the way out.

The TSA has to be repealed/replaced, though. Just a complete bunch of barely literate thugs.

[pigture perfect]

I prefer Emerates over Qatar. The crew had obviously been going awhile. I walked past the first attendant and my eyes started watering. I thought, wow! She needs to freshen up a little. Walked by the next and thought the same thing. I didn't even bother to eat. The smell was terrible. Emerates on the way back was much nicer.

[Inhogswetrust]

What did the TSA do to earn your anger? 

He must have wanted a pat down and didn't get it....................

[majestic]

What did the TSA do to earn your anger? 

Just complete a-holes to everyone. I didn't have anything done to me or my family, but they treated everyone with complete disdain.

[Inhogswetrust]

Just complete a-holes to everyone. I didn't have anything done to me or my family, but they treated everyone with complete disdain.

I've never had a problem with them. Also IF you travel a lot you can apply and get a "precheck" pass to bypass TSA to some degree and not have to wait in line either. Our son has it.

[Boardon Hamsay]

Emirates is the best I've flown. Quantas and Virgin Australia would be next but with a large gap. Never flown Qatar but given its HQ, I have no surprises of its ranking. Haven't flown many Asian carriers but think they'd be a step above US carriers unless you're talking budget carriers. State side, Delta and American are the best globals. Southwest and Alaska are the best domestics. Regardless, US carriers don't compare to the experience you get on Emirates and others. In fairness, Emirates tends to have a much different passenger base than the US base.

[Boardon Hamsay]

Fess up, DRFFFSH / formerly known as SJLAASFP, you just like the Asian chicks walking on your back during those long haul flights....

That I can't deny, bro sev'.

[HighcountryHog]

Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, and All Nippon Airways have been the best I've flown so far.  US airlines just don't even compete with these companies. 

[razorbackMD]

+1 for Qatar Airways, with runner-ups being Singapore and Etihad. 

[Wildhog]

What did the TSA do to earn your anger? 

1. It takes forever to get through TSA at any large airport.
2. They treat people like dirt.
3. They're not even effective.  A couple of years ago, Homeland Security tested TSA by trying to smuggle guns and bombs onto 70 different planes, and succeeded 67 times. 

TSA is worthless.

[nationwish]

There are so many things they do that make the whole system completely pointless from a safety perspective.Children, the elderly, or people who are in wheelchairs go through separate security protocols than everyone else. If you pay the TSA money ahead of time, you go through less invasive procedures. If you let anyone go around the system, it invalidates the safety of the system for everyone.

My wife and I just traveled to Iceland for New Years. The security there was pretty painless. When we got to Boston to go through security on domestic flights, it was a nightmare. The TSA agents were rude and condescending to people for no reason. They'd send people seemingly at random through metal detectors, but then everyone I saw go through the millimeter wave scanners was also patted down. I saw this with about seven people in a row in the line in front of me. The TSA is not there to make traveling safer, and if it is, it does a terrible job of that.

[FaytownHog]

A. US airlines sell "cheap" tickets to fill up a lot of the seats to try and avoid all the bankruptcy that was going on 10-20 years ago with airlines.

B. US airlines actually have to make a profit unlike the countries that own or subsidize their airlines with oil money like the ones from the middle east. It's easy to make a fantastic product at a low cost if you don't need to make a profit. There's a big ordeal about this with the "Fair Skies Agreement" and the US airlines trying to make congress pass a law requiring any airline flying here to agree to it so they don't have an unfair advantage on ticket prices on those routes, which is why Delta and some other US airlines have quite flying to Dubai and other places in the middle east.

[bennyl08]

Over the weekend, and during the end of Grayson, I came though the Philadelphia airport and thought about this thread a bit.  Wildhog, I found many a link to what you describe in 3 above.  Very disturbing.  I did notice the TSA Pre Check line at Philadelphia was pretty much vacant of passengers but still staffed by a person sitting there doing nothing.  It's hard to understand why that person could not bring a few people at a time over to their line in an effort to get things moving faster. 

I do agree there needs to be a better way to achieve a goal of increased passenger security but wow, where do you start? 

Ending the practice of carry on luggage would be a start.

They'll have to pry my carry on from my cold, dead, carrion hands.

[gratefulhogg]

I've never had a problem with them. Also IF you travel a lot you can apply and get a "precheck" pass to bypass TSA to some degree and not have to wait in line either. Our son has it.

pre check is the way to go when using busy airports.

[popcornhog]

So skytrax came out with their best airline survey and no surprise that a US based airline didn't make the top 0 but didn't even make the top 20 and didn't even make one of the top 30! The highest rated US airline is Delta at #32. THAT is sad and is telling as to what is wrong in corporate America.The top airline in the world ranking this year is Qatar airlines. When traveling overseas it is sad but not surprising that it is better to fly via a foreign airline than one based in the US. I know my son travels to asian countries a lot (he has an office in Taiwan) and he never flies a US airline over there or back and forth from the US to that area. Most of the time he flies EVA which is ranked #6.

As someone who has flown between 130-180 segments and 125,000 - 185,000 miles per year since 2012 — about 85% domestic — there is no doubt that Delta is the best domestic carrier. There is also no doubt that Delta is nowhere near the top internationally. The article is spot on.

That said, given the fact that I fly mostly domestic, I've gotten to the point over the last couple of years that I've just been flying Delta exclusively, whether domestic or internationally, to at least maximize status/perks and miles.

[popcornhog]

I was surprised to see Southwest Airlines ranked so low. 

By the way, click here for Skytrax Airline Reviews.

Southwest has good service and the companion pass is obviously a great perk. But the downside is that they have almost zero international presence, no first or business class seating, and no airport lounges.

These things aren't a big deal for short flights or for folks who don't fly a lot, but when you're in the air every week, sometimes on long haul flights, Southwest just isn't a viable option.

[popcornhog]

I've never had a problem with them. Also IF you travel a lot you can apply and get a "precheck" pass to bypass TSA to some degree and not have to wait in line either. Our son has it.

Pre-check, CLEAR, and Global Entry — all game changers.

[popcornhog]

1. It takes forever to get through TSA at any large airport.
2. They treat people like dirt.
3. They're not even effective.  A couple of years ago, Homeland Security tested TSA by trying to smuggle guns and bombs onto 70 different planes, and succeeded 67 times. 

TSA is worthless.

Honestly with CLEAR & Pre-check, it isn't that bad at big airports most of the time anymore — at smaller airports it wasn't ever THAT bad. I usually show up about 15 minutes before boarding at my home airport in Little Rock.

[McKdaddy]

Honestly with CLEAR & Pre-check, it isn't that bad at big airports most of the time anymore — at smaller airports it wasn't ever THAT bad. I usually show up about 15 minutes before boarding at my home airport in Little Rock.

Agreed.  Same for TUL.

[McKdaddy]

Southwest has good service and the companion pass is obviously a great perk. But the downside is that they have almost zero international presence, no first or business class seating, and no airport lounges.

These things aren't a big deal for short flights or for folks who don't fly a lot, but when you're in the air every week, sometimes on long haul flights, Southwest just isn't a viable option.

^^^^

I prefer not to fly SWA, but my wife feels otherwise.  Delta is my preferred carrier.

[LAHogfan123]

Do any of these airlines fly out of Little Rock though?  I need to start making flights out of Little Rock to Tulsa every week and unfortunately I was looking American Airlines.

[go hogues]

Qatar airways is great and that airport in Doha...wow!

The airport hotel and spa there is worth every penny!

[theFlyingHog]

Just posting a thought to you here LAHogfan123.....

By the time you get to the airport, park, get to the terminal, wait for your flight and do all that in reverse in Tulsa, you likely could have driven to Tulsa in less time. 
What drives (drove) the decision to fly if I may ask?

That's my thinking. I travel a lot for work(Hilton Diamond every year) and usually anything under eight hours driving and I just grab a rental and drive it. My company is great about giving us that flexibility

[Vantage 8 dude]

Qatar airways is great and that airport in Doha...wow!

The airport hotel and spa there is worth every penny!

Emirates Air is also pretty incredible. However, one other airline that I had never flown until recently was Virgin Atlantic. Was put on there as a result of a "code sharing" partnership they have with Delta. My wife and I flew them to and from London; we were quite impressed with the high level of service and yes, food (now that's a twist in today's world) The only thing we found somewhat off putting was the very strange arrangement of their seating. When I had booked on Delta's website several months ago the seating chart showed wife and I would be sitting next to one another. However when we got to Atlanta and boarded our flight we found we would actually be across the aisle and behind one another. However, the flight attendants were extremely kind and understanding and worked diligently to move us around so that we could sit together. Definitely another reason for the high marks to V.A..