“Tomorrow I’m going to Paris.”
“Which airline?” a pilot I know at the gym asked me.
“They fly to Paris?”
“Yes, and they offer better service and real meals. Plus it’s fun to see flight attendants wearing Tahitian dresses, smiling and actually enjoying their job.”
He laughed.
Later, while working my abs on the ball, I blabbed about my trip to another friend at my gym.
“You’re not the first person who’s told me you get better food and more leg room on foreign airlines,” she said.
“Even British Airways has friendlier flight attendants than American Airlines, Continental or US Airways,” I said.
“You won’t believe what happened to me last time I flew to Denver,” she said.
“What?”
“I couldn’t get my carry-on into the overhead bin so I asked the flight attendant to help me. You know what he said?”
“No?”
“We’re not allowed to lift bags because of our backs.”
“You’re kidding.”
“So I complained. After that they apologized and gave me champagne. At least they did something about it.”
Many Americans don’t think about using other airlines, like Air Tahiti Nui to Paris, or Air New Zealand from LA to London. There’s more leg room, and the flight attendants are friendlier.
Are we so focused on frequent flier miles we forget to check out other options? Other airlines are partnered with US airlines, so you still get your miles. For example, Air Tahiti Nui offers miles on American Airlines, so when I fly in the U.S., I can use them. Though that’s another sore subject for me; I rarely seem to get a free seat despite having sufficient miles. I’ve come to the conclusion that airlines only offer one free seat per flight. Am I right, or is there some secret to receiving a free ticket?
So if you want:
- Real food
- More leg room
- Friendlier flight attendants
Next time try it our. Fly a different airline.
Please share your travel experiences. Which airlines are your favorite? Which do you dislike?
