Before you book a flight, why not consider your options first? These days, there are more airlines to choose from than ever before, so being critical is a must.
Some factors to consider are: in flight amenities, leg room, price, and delays. Believe it or not, many delays are due to preventable circumstances that are the fault of the airline carrier as opposed to the airport itself or weather.
According to Money magazine, a sub-publication of Time, Hawaiian, Alaskan, and Delta airlines have the best track records for avoiding delays. They were the top three airlines in a list of 10 – the least three reliable being Allegiant, Frontier, and JetBlue airlines.
As far as how airlines rank when more factors are considered, the AQR, or Airline Quality Report has that information based on data that makes it a fairly reliable judge.
Their most recent list is on the front page of their website with Alaska Airlines up first and Spirit airlines last in spot 12.
According to the AQR, their considerations are “based on mishandled baggage, consumer complaints, on-time performance and involuntary denied boardings.” (airlinequalityrating.com)
On their website, visitors can download every AQR report since its 1991 inception.
Different factors are of varying levels of importance to particular flyers. Many airlines offer mile-rewards programs, which may be of interest to people who fly often. Some airlines have preferred customer clubs and various luxury upgrades on flights. Some customers want to be able to work or browse on a plane, in which case on-board wifi is important. Budget airlines like Allegiant, for example, may be the top choice for someone whose number one concern is an affordable flight, whereas another customer may be dissatisfied with the limited legroom and frequent delays.
Now more than ever, flyers have options and there is a lot of information out there so that people can make informed decisions about which companies they choose their trips with.
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