However, living in Las Vegas, more often than not I HAVE to book US Airways to connect to my trans-atlantic Lufthansa city.

US Airways has become NOTHING but a “could care less” airline since the America West merger. The customer service is NON-EXISTENT at all levels. I avoid them like the plague! I would rather buy a seperate ticket on Southwest to LA and then transfer my own bags than deal with the chaos and rudeness here in Las Vegas.

It’s sad. US Airways “used” to be a decent carrier (for the most part). The “NEW” US Airways is a pitiful excuse for an airline. Take your “Procrastination Fee” and shove it US, I’ll rent a car and DRIVE before I EVER book you again!

Get it together………..or GET OUT! You are nickel and diming your bread and butter passengers to DEATH, and you offer NO incentive(s) to even WANT to be a Frequent Flyer with you! (I’ve flown your transcon First Class……Embarrassing)….not to mention PATHETIC!!!

I am sooooo done with you.

Personally, I’m not letting the fees keep me away from one airline or another. I’m choosing which airline to fly based on their service, employee quality, non-stop direct flights versus having to stop on the way, when available, plane quality and cleanliness, and other non-monetary factors, plus the bottom line cost, of the fare + taxes + all fees.

Recently I’ve used US Airways to go to Florida. My best friend used Southwest to go there. Both tickets were purchased a month out from our trips, which were a few days apart. We never saw each other because he came back the day I went down. He believes the rhetoric that Southwest is “the” low cost airline. Even after the fees, my ticket was $40 less expensive than his.

Now, I understand from my travel agent friends that prices are all over the map on any flight, and that I could have just lucked out, but even with all the fees I’ve found that out of my home airport (PHL) I consistently pay less total cost of tickets when I choose US Air. Plus, to be honest, it’s been a very rare occasion when I’ve found a US Air employee who didn’t serve me well, or a plane that was bad.

US Air is far from perfect or ideal. I don’t think there is a US domestic airline which is, at this point in time.

In the last few years I’ve flown US Air, American, Continental, United, Alaska, Delta, El Al, Hawaiian, Air France, BMI, Lufthansa and British Airways.

Of the domestic ones I’ve flown above, I put Alaska and American at the bottom of the heap due to the quality of their planes, and staff. I put Continental at the top of the list, with US Air a close second.

Of the foreign airlines I’ve flown above, I put Air France at the bottom of the list with El Al, and Lufthansa at the top, though there isn’t much difference between any of them. I’ll fly Continental or US Air before any of these particular foreign airlines.

This isn’t to say US Air doesn’t deserve to be dropped by you. This is to say that I really don’t see them as any better or worse than most, and my suggestion, as to the cost of flying is, don’t focus solely on the fees, look at the bottom line of the fare including all taxes and fees, and see who comes out ahead for your flights, to make your decision. And frankly, I’d throw in the non economic factors too.

Ned, thorough and impressive response. Thanks!

The passenger goes to the kiosk, and either swipes a credit card used to purchase the ticket, frequent flier card, or types in the confirmation or frequent flier number, which starts the kiosk check in process.

Using the kiosk, you can simultaneously check-in everyone traveling together, if the tickets were purchased together on one order with one confirmation number.

You can:

Check in for a flight
Change a seat assignment
Standby for an earlier flight
Receive complimentary upgrades to First Class for Elite frequent fliers if available.
Pay for upgrades to First Class for non-Elite frequent fliers if available
Check-in baggage and pay the baggage fee if any
Print a boarding pass
Add a frequent flyer number to a reservation

By the way, kiosks don’t print exit row boarding passes on any airlines I know of, though there might be an exception. If you have an exit row seat you can check in via kiosk, however, the ticket agent will print them and give them to you. This is because the FAA wants the airlines to verify you’re qualified to sit there.

For all the airlines I’ve used a kiosk, for baggage, the baggage tag is printed at the ticket agent’s printer. They check the weight of each bag, attach the bag tag, and give you the receipt. From there they either take the bag and put it on the belt, or you walk it over to TSA in some airports for x-ray scanning.

The answer is kiosks via credit card, and you can always pay a ticket agent.
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thanks, Ned. I wondered for a few minutes how passengers can check-in without EMPLOYEE HELP at the airport. Ok, you can get your seat assignment, ticket, etc without an employee, but dont you need an employee to actually check your bag and throw it onto the baggage belt? Also weight it?

I love this topic and love hearing all your thoughts. I actually have to write an article for a travel writing class assignment, would it be okay if I quoted ya’ll (anonymously of course)?

Thanks,
Val