Airline travel= Greyhound Bus in the Sky.
Actually…bus and train are better sometimes.
oh I tried that alright. Chase’s answer: “sorry, you’ll have to wait”. I even tried to cancel the credit card, but they said I wouldn’t be able to apply for another one for 30 days.
“bus and train are better sometimes.”
Traveling on the eastern corridor, train is much more expensive than flying.
In what is the most non-humble brag possible I have to say that I agree with @busdriver11. For the past two years I fly only first class domestically unless there is no choice (e.g. only SW flies at a time I need) and the difference in every way from flying coach is incredibly dramatic. I liken treatment in coach as often akin to the treatment of a low level non violent offender by prison officials at a minimum security prison.
I’ve also started staying in much nicer hotels: Ritz and Four Seasons vs Hilton Garden Inn or Hampton Inn. And in top level rooms at places like a Marriott. . I certainly enjoy the nicer hotels and rooms but the differences are not that overwhelming. Hotels don’t treat their low level low status guests badly as a general rule. The same cannot in my opinion be said for airlines.
The problem with SW in Chicago is Midway is only convenient for half the population. For those of us in the North/Northwest suburbs, the trip to the Midway can be longer than the flight. 
Not always. I take the train from New Haven to DC and it costs less than flying to BWI now at $130 each way.
I took the train to Philly and it cost less than flying…and especially when adding in the cost to get from the airports to center city.
And no hassle. You get on the train, and sit and relax until you get there. I think the seats are way more spacious and comfortable on Amtrak than on coach airplanes.
I will say, that while I hate the way economy passengers are treated – I do like how cheap flying is these days. $150 bucks Denver to LA, round trip, and without 2 weeks in advance. That’s an unbelievable deal.
@thumper1 we had luck with trains too. D19 went from VA to NYC via train and it was cheaper than flying- and driving! It also stopped right in our town, so no leaving hours early to battle traffic and TSA lines.
Flew SW last summer – and I am done. Coming out of Chicago to the East Coast in August they claimed weather cancellations. All the other airlines are still flying. They insist that the weather is too bad to fly. They could not rebook us for 2 full days. Chicago was supposed to be an overnight stopover for a quick business meeting. TWO DAYS. We couldn’t get to any East Coast airport between Baltimore and Boston for TWO DAYS. Please note – every other airline is flying. We got a refund, switched airports, and airlines and were home just a few hours late. Expensive – but at least I got my two days back. Not ever ever doing SW again if I can possibly avoid it.
^I had a similar experience flying SW from Maine to Texas in November. I was going to be delayed two days due to weather (in BALTIMORE, not Maine!). I rebooked on American.
The people who have told me they like SW are big fans of cancel (actual defer, for 1 year) policy.
The people who have told me they like Spirit are … nonexistent. When Spirit cancels a a flight, there is no reciprocity with other airlines. Plus the extra fees add up, so was never as good a deal as it appeared. Other airlines now play that game too.
My favorite domestic (US) airline is Alaskan, although they kind of mucked up my daughter’s latest flight home last month. Still, that wasn’t entirely their fault (partially maintenance, partially weather delay, partially security issue). United seems to be getting better again after languishing for a while post-9/11.
I’ve been thinking about this thread today and I believe what really helps is if you have status on an airline. OK, if you fly first class, that helps too but I haven’t been willing to spend the extra $$. Last year I got a credit card that gave me a free companion pass on SWA for the remainder of 2018. Around the same time, I was offered 3 months as an A lister. I watched the sales and dh and I took multiple trips that, somehow, enabled me to earn both statuses for all of 2019. So, basically paying 1/2 price (dh flies free) and being an A lister (don’t need to check in and automatically get a number between A16-A30), flying SWA has been a pleasure.
And, in an earlier work life, dh traveled all the time and became a 1M mile awardee with United so he has forever status (gold?) so we get economy plus when we buy regular economy (doesn’t work with basic), we can check bags for free and always board in group 2. It even extends to me so, if I fly without him, I still get these benefits.
So, we’re pretty loyal to SWA and United as well as American. I somehow lucked out by getting American’s cc when I was about 18. Programs were new back then and they gave triple miles for just about everything. About 5 years ago, I got a notice that I’d become a 1M mile equivalent (had no idea) so I have similar status to dh’s United status.
In light of all this, we find flying pretty easy and, usually, a reasonable bang for our buck. But, like I said, having status makes all the difference. We don’t need to hang out in airports all that often but we’ve only more recently discovered the lounges. Definitely need to investigate those more in advance of times we do have a layover or, if there’s a way to gain access last minute, when there’s a long delay.
I agree about the status. My hubby travels a ton and has some sort of status for United and British Airways (also bonus - we get semi-regular international vacations on miles from his work. I just have to put up with having him gone a lot). So anyway, when I go with him we get the short security lines and the free bag checks and the economy plus row and all that. When I go alone I’m back to being a person of no importance.
Just get regular economy seat, the cheapo is not worth the hassle.
Status does make a huge difference for me also. 15 hour flights to Asia with lounge and upgrades become easier than 2 hour domestic hops on an airline on which I have no status. After last weekend’s domestic flight, I’m going to come up with a strategy to gain some kind of high status on a US carrier - fast.
For anyone trying to figure out the elite statuses for various airlines the Points Guy is a great source of information. Here’s his post about qualifying on United.
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/earning-united-elite-status/
4 of us flew Frontier recently for a 3 day trip. we checked two large suitcases which the 4 of us shared. It was a 3-hr nonstop flight which was fine.
The two kids without suitcases could not check in online. They had to check in at the airport; and it was tricky getting seats near our kids. Very strange. I’m still wondering why they wouldn’t let the two without suitcases not check in early online.
That cancellation policy from SW is really not that helpful. I had to cancel it once. Using up the credit within the year was great pain.
There was a time I swore I will never fly American ever again. They got so much better recently. They got friendlier, runs on time, no more fixing the mechanical problems after boarding.
@katliamom I agree. Flights are so cheap these days and flexible. You can fly one way or Muti-city without penalty. They also fly faster. I never felt treated badly in the coach. The only thing I like about first class is the leg room. I can’t imagine paying first class fare for that, that is often 3 times higher. Those who fly first class, do you pay for it or is it upgrades?
I switched to first class from Johannesburg to Qatar. 12-hour flight, because they gave me the option when I was checking in and it wasn’t as much as I expected. Worth it!!! I told DH that was my birthday present.