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You
see a lot of "best airline" stories, but many look
suspiciously like they were based on business and first class. For most
travelers, however, what happens at the front of the plane stays at the front of the plane—it's something
to fantasize about, but prohibitively expensive and not even remotely
achievable in this lifetime.
As to
real-world flying for real-world travelers, everyone knows that the coach or
economy airline product in the back of the plane runs from miserable to
unacceptable. The "best" options are really the "least
worst." So with that in mind, here are the best coach-class airlines in
the world.
Best Overall Coach-Class Airline in North America:
JetBlue
Even
after the current downgrading, JetBlue's extra legroom still beats any
other airline. The de facto charge for a checked bag, at $15 over the minimum
fare, is less than on most other airlines. The satellite-based Wi-Fi is
free, at slow speeds, and $9 an hour for enough bandwidth to stream movies. And
seats in JetBlue's Airbus planes are an inch wider than on any competitors'
737s.
Most Consumer-Friendly Coach-Class Airline in North
America: Southwest
Its
"two checked bags at no extra charge" and "no ticket-change
penalty" policies make Southwest a clear winner for being nice to
customers. Fortunately, at least so far, Southwest seems to have convinced Wall
Street that those passenger-friendly policies gain more revenue in total
customers than it would gain by imposing fees and losing customers. With other
giant carriers charging checked bag fees of $25 a pop, even one checked
bag gives Southwest a $50 round-trip fare advantage.
Southwest
has even managed to tame the chaos of its unique no-advance-assignment boarding
process: You get your boarding group and number when you check in, which you
can do online starting 24 hours before departure; at the airport, you line up
according to number, and get on the plane with a minimum of pushing and
shoving.
Best Frequent-Flyer Program for Occasional
Travelers, North America: Alaska Mileage Plan
At
least for now, Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan seems more generous than the
big-line programs that are moving toward dollar-based earnings and rewards. You
still get one mile for every mile flown, and the award chart mileage
requirements are less than the effective requirements on the giant airlines.
Alaska still has useful partnerships with Air
France/KLM, American, British Airways, Delta, Korean, Qantas,
and a few others. We don't know how long Alaska will retain its current system,
but it's a winner as long as today's rules remain.
If you
accumulate miles or points through a credit card that allows transfers, such as
American Express, the award chart for Air Canada's Aeroplan is more
generous than current big lines' plans. But you get only partial mileage credit
when you fly on Air Canada's lowest fares.
Coolest Coach-Class Airline in North America: Virgin
America
Yes, JetBlue beats
it by the measurements, but Virgin America keeps earning great survey
ratings for its flashy decor, well-trained flight attendants, top inflight
technology, and general flair. Obviously, lots of travelers like what it has to
offer. You might like it, too. The "Branson cool factor" also applies
to Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.
Best Ultra-Low-Fare Coach-Class Airline in North
America: Allegiant
The
nod for best ultra-low-fare carrier for coach-class service goes
to Allegiant, not because of its base product—which is down there
with Spirit in terms of sheer torture—but because it alone brings the
only low-fare mainline service to dozens of communities where travelers would
otherwise have to rely on regional flights to nearby hubs, with the usual
hassle, wasted time, and high fares of hub connections.
Allegiant's
"nowhere to somewhere" business model gives travelers to/from
communities as small as Hagerstown, Missoula, Owensboro, Provo, South Bend, and
Stockton access to nonstop flights to 16 of the country's primary leisure
travel destinations, including Honolulu, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and Phoenix. If you live in or
near a big city, you'd never even think about Allegiant. But it's a no-brainer
if you live in the sticks.
Best Coach-Class Airline for Seniors in North
America: Southwest
Southwest
is the only airline to offer useful senior fares for travelers 65 or
over. Senior fares aren't as low as Southwest's initial lowest "Wanna Get
Away" fares for travelers of any age, but when those lowest-fare buckets
sell out or when they're no longer available less than a week in advance,
Southwest's unrestricted senior fares are usually a lot less than any remaining
any-age fares.
Best Extra-Legroom Airline in North America: JetBlue
JetBlue,
which starts out with a 1- to 3-inch advantage for regular coach, retains a
similar advantage for its extra-legroom cabin. And the price, capped at $90 for
a transcontinental flight, is likely to be lower than the variable prices other
airlines charge.
This is
a big advantage JetBlue has over Virgin America, the one airline
that surveys usually place in the same class as JetBlue. On Virgin
America, the extra-legroom seats, limited to bulkhead and exit rows, cost more
than three times the regular-coach fare: more than $900 on a transcon, for
example, compared with a base coach fare of $300. Yes, you get extras along
with the legroom, but that huge fare premium is a deal breaker for someone who
just wants enough space to use an e-reader or tablet comfortably.
