Why do I fly with...?
The work I do varies a lot, but there have been periods when I've been a piece of SLF over 60 times in one year. The reasons I choose to fly with an airlines aren't the same as most people, but what the hell!
The company travel policy is fly on any airline you want to (within reason), and fly economy class.
OK - Airlines I like to fly with and why are :
BA, JEA, Lufthansa for shorthaul. The main reason is that the flight deck crew often let visit their office, sometimes staying for approach/landing. Other pluses are great cabin crew (usually!), seats/legroom OK for shorthaul but they give me backache on longhaul as I can't stretch my legs out. The BA frequent flyer plan is very poor though, 30 return trips between Heathrow & Frankfurt didn't get me a damn thing as my tickets wern't full fare.
Virgin Atlantic. Premium economy seats are actually comfortable, great cabin crew (always!), flight deck crew usually allow a visit in the cruise. My preferred longhaul carrier if I'm flying Premium economy, and as good as BA/Lufthansa for economy. Good inflight entertainment as well, and a decent frequent flyer program.
United Airlines is currently my favourite U.S. carrier, because firstly they have (so far) always put ATC on channel 9 when I've asked, and secondly a request to visit the flightdeck once we're parked at the gate has usually been granted.
I haven't yet flown on American Airlines, but their website indicates that they will be giving more legroom throughout coach class, in which case they could well become my preferred carrier to and around the U.S.
Carries I don't like to fly with :
Monarch. Flight deck crew are fine, they allow visits and often invite people to stay for approach and landing. But some of the cabin crew are rude to the point of being obnoxious, the food is barely edible (and lukewarm) and the legroom is nonexistent. (In fact my grandmother died of a deep vein thrombosis a few days after flying back from holiday on a Monarch aircraft. She had no medical history of this condition.)
Mik
[This message has been edited by mik (edited 19 April 2000).]