Based on your personal experience, (for those of you who use air travel frequently), as of this date: which is the airline with the least delays, least cancellations, friendliest and most helpful service overall?

For best ontime,fares,friendly service, etc. my vote goes to Southwest airlines based in Dallas, Texas. Also, I have never had lost luggage on Southwest.

Midwest Express, though it doesn't do much business on the coasts, is the USA's best airline hands down. The Conde Nast Traveler polls bear this out year after year, and the gap between Midwest Express and the second place vote getter is usually quite large.
If you don't know the airline, all seats are first class, arranged in pairs, food is served on china and is excellent, drinks (alcohol too) are unlimited, staff demeanor is like the planes...refined and very pleasant. Oh yes, their fares are typically the same as mainstream competitors in same markets. How they remain profitable I don't know.
They deserve a whole lot more publicity than they get, but that's what you get for being based in Milwaukee, I guess!

Picking the "best" airline is like picking the "best" vegetable...they're all okay but nothing to write home about! With all things (fare, nonstop vs connection, etc) being equal, however, I'd choose Southwest as my favorite and Continental as a close runner-up. I'm not sure what would have to happen for me to fly TWA or American, my two least favorites. (I haven't flown United recently, but the rash of anti-United posts makes me think they'd be near the bottom of my list as well.)

If we're adding international carriers, I really like KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Easy connections with Continental and Northwest in the U.S. and a super hub at Amsterdam.

My vote is for Air Canada.
Problem is, they don't fly enough domestic routes to help me much.

I agree with the poster regarding Midwest Express. I flew with them 8 years ago, and the experience still remains a pleasant afterthought! The only problem is: they don't operate out of many smaller airports, and bookings are tough to get. But the experience is well-worth it - especially if one is flying to the Midwest!

I vote for Southwest---
After 8 years of flying, just for fun not business---no lost luggage, can't beat the prices,employees very helpful AND have had 8 free round trips anywhere they fly by using their Visa and internet specials (They don't add up the miles for free trips-accumulate 8 paid round trips and get one for free.) I realize there limitation as to where they fly but they are adding more everyday. I have flown Delta and United and Alaska--still prefer Southwest.

I also cast my vote for Southwest. Their service is superb and their Rapids Rewards sytem is by far the best F/F system.

Southwest gets my vote as well. Statistically, they have one of the best (if not THE best) records for on-time service, luggage service, customer service, etc. By far, the friendliest staff in the skies and on the ground. And they manage this with lower wages and no recent union disputes. Amazing. Nevertheless, the experience is sometimes marred by FELLOW PASSENGERS (who contribute to delays on almost all airlines). Can't tell you how many times I can't get a decent seat even with boarding card #10 because EVERYONE "needs" to pre-board (including able-bodied 30 year olds without children), or how often I have to hold my coat in my lap because the overhead bin space is full of oversized "carry-ons" that got there while 60 people pre-boarded. In 15 years of traveling with Southwest, I have NEVER had a checked bag lost, and never had a long wait for one -- why is it that no one else can check a bag?

Does Southwest assign a seat for you at the time of purchase of the ticket. Or did they, along with the others do away with that and just assign a seat at the time of boarding?

Southwest doesn't assign seats at all. When you check in, you get a number, and they board by number (#1-30 first, then 31-60, etc.) Once on the plane, its open seating -- sit wherever you want.

And that's exactly why I will pay more NOT to fly Southwest.
For people who fly a lot, to spend an extra 1-2 hours at the airport just to try to get in line early for a boarding card which doesn't force you to sit all the way in the back (and STILL doesn't always get you a good seat), just isn't worth the hassle. SW would get nothing but praise from me if it weren't for this one very annoying fact.
For leisure travelling, the 2 hours just don't matter I suppose. For me, those hours add up to a huge waste of time.

for shorter hauls (under 1000-1500 mile or so), I LUV Southwest for reasons cited.

very friendly, efficient & flexible. One of the best, if not THE best, safety records. Also recently read that their rate of reported customer complaints was 0.6 per 1000 (?), but most importantly it was FOUR times lower than the next closest airline.

I know people who will drive 30 miles to San Jose CA to use Southwest, rather than 5 miles to San Francisco & mess with United. United (especially "Shuttle") just SUCKS.

I agree that WN is fine for short haul leasure travel, but for longer trips and business they are not acceptable for several reasons.

First, no preassignment of seats means extra time in the airport and/or poor seating choices.

Second, on any but full coach fare, you cannot stand by for an earlier flight without paying an upgrade charge to full coach fare. (No exceptions on that one they say even if the earlier plane is empty).

Multiple stops and convoluted routing on longer trips (Chicago to Seattle via Phoenix and Oakland?)

Zero first class upgrades.

Low flight frequency in many markets makes trip scheduling tough.

WN does what they do very well, catering to leasure class flyers, and business travlers in selected short haul markets (DAL - HOU). They also are very effective at driving down travel cost in the markets they serve. But for a frequent long haul business travler they are not an acceptable alternative.

Among the domestic carriers, I prefer UA, but any is only as good as the last flight taken.

Tom:

Why would someone drive to San Jose just use Southwest. I live in the SF Bay area and Southwest serves all 3 airports, SFO, SJC, and OAK, It is treu that there are probably more Southwest flights in and out of San Jose then either San Francisco or Oakland. However there are still several Southwewt flights in/out of San Francisco and Oakland. Southwest considers the 3 airports to be the same for pricing, etc.

We love Southwest and use the San Jose airport generally. All 3 airports are equal distance ( within a couple of miles ) from my house. However if the traffic situation at the SJC airport continues to deterioate then we will have strongly consider either SFO or OAK.

Another vote for Southwest, for the reasons cited above. Also, it seemed I had more leg room than I had flying to Europe on British Airways or TWA. TWA, BTW, really sucks - cramped, narrow, suffocating.

Cal:

Southwest only flies LAX to SJC & Oakland. My ultimate destination is usually the San Carlos - Belmont area (west side of Bay). Therefore, LAX-SJC makes the most sense. After many unpleasant experiences with United into SFO, "never again"!

----

have noticed some complaints about lack of assigned seating on SWA, just isn't a big deal to me. If I sit at the back of plane, that's what, maybe 3-5 minutes at most to get off the plane? I certainly won't show up 2 hrs early to save 5 minutes on getting off the plane.

the unassigned seating is a big factor in efficiency. Ever notice how much time is spent fooling with seat assignments, people in front of you arguing to get a different seats, etc.

SWA is perhaps the most accomodating airline for people who show up 15 minutes before departure. They don't throw hissy fits, you still get on the plane, and the departure is not delayed because of it.

more United griping:

just recently, United (on a Monterey to LAX flight) some how managed to lose my bag (eventually recovered).

If you're familiar with Monterey layout, it's got something like 2 gates, and you walk out maybe 100 yards to the plane. Somehow, those logisitics are just too tough for United.

Plus, United apparently refuses to upgrade their LAX baggage claim area. They've got something like 4 or 5 carosels crammed into a narrow, tiny area. Just ridiculous.

PS -

United gave me two, $25 vouchers, to compensate me for my aggravation on the baggage hassles.

Anybody who wants it, can have it -- I'm certainly not planning United anytime in the foreseeable future!

send me a self addressed, stamped envelope (1st Email gets vouchers).

Until they started putting everyone on those godawful regional jets instead of those cozy Fokker-100s, I might have cast a vote for Midway.

We fly to Florida frequently & always
go with US Air. I have concluded that
either the stats are incorrect because they indicate delayed flights on a fairly regular basis or else we are the luckiest travellers! In addition, from reservations agents to check-in agents
to in-flight crews we have consistently been treated cordially. So no delays,
no cancellations, friendly & helpful: US
Air gets our vote!