Q – As I read your various sites and the great industry information you all provide, one nagging question seems to keep popping up for this rather frequent flyer (business and a minimum of three overseas vacations per year). Which airline should we be flying to eliminate hassles, lousy service, and awful connection percentages like JFK and O’Hare? I have the feeling that you have a favorite airline that you fly and wonder if you might share this information with your readers? Which airline are the “cool” people choosing when they fly to Europe? As a general comment, we would like to see much more on this site about airline quality and policies.
A – There is a certain percentage of fliers who will choose Air France for the quality of their croissants in the morning. But the savvy flier’s choice these days is Air Canada, perhaps the biggest turn-around success story in the industry. Their three international hubs, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal allow Americans to clear US customs in the airport before entering the United States. And fliers from the US do not need to have their checked luggage with them to go through passport control. Changing planes in Canada is just a more convenient process. Talk to one of the frequent flyers who has discovered this secret and they will rave on about the fact that Air Canada has some of the newest aircraft in the sly, that they have invested heavily in high-speed moving sidewalks and baggage belts, and, joy of all joys, extremely nice airport clubs with shower facilities.
Some of Air Canada’s biggest fans tout its fleet of new 777 and 787 Boeing aircraft. Others are really impressed with the airline’s improved Premium Economy section and pricing, a reflection of the dollar’s current strength against the Canadian Dollar. But what we like most about Air Canada is the fact that in all three of its international gateways, arriving and departing flights from the US arrive in the same terminal. This, say the most savvy flyers, can often save a half hour or more off the connection time.
Then there is this …………these Canadians are some of the nicest people on earth and you might run into Justin at the airport.
