I will be embarking on a new job within the next few weeks that will require much more frequent travel both domestic and international and thought I'd survey OKCT'ers on their preferred airline. I have been an AA loyalist my entire life but 8 of those years were spent in D/FW making them by far the most convenient to fly. Of course that is not necessarily the case here.

Where internationally?

All depends on where you will travel the most

A lot of it will also come down to flexibility and such that you will need as well.

I grew up a USAir person, but that was back east and before they got morphed into whatever it is they think they are now. I used to have status on Delta for years, until everything became and RJ and they started dumping cities I needed to fly into. Mostly now I stick to American and Southwest. All depends on where I need to go.

I'm a United guy because I grew up in Houston. Right now it seems like picking an airline is just choosing the lesser of evils.

Where internationally?

Mainly Europe and Australia/New Zealand

I always just suggest that people stick with whichever airline has the most convenient schedule at a reasonable price. Other than that they all have their good and bad days.

Mainly Europe and Australia/New Zealand

When looking Internationally you almost have to switch to see what alliance is better. Traveling to Oz and Middle Earth you are looking at Qantas (oneworld). Europe on American is also going to get better with 7 new destinations coming online with US Airways. You also get access to BA which is good as well. Star will give you good access to NZ. Australia is alright but not extensive. Europe is really good. SkyTeam has Europe covered well but Australia is going to be rough.

It's really not difficult to find out easily what the best options are for various destinations, especially if you go to the same places frequently. If you want to stick with a particular alliance to gain FQTV miles that's fine as long as it offers the best schedule options and the price is reasonable.

Mix companies if you have to, the preferred airlines of foreign countries are usually significantly better than the Greyhound of the Skies approach of the US airlines. The project manager on our Japan projects said if he knew they were going to be so profitable we would have flown JAL or Cathay Pacific instead of Delta. Most have interconnect agreements with other airlines and miles credit, Cathay Pacific and JAL list OKC as an airport connecting through O'Hare or LAX on American Airlines flights.

As far as domestics I have mainly stuck to Frontier (big here in Denver) with direct flights to OKC and Austin, JetBlue (here and Austin to NYC or Boston) or Southwest. When I was going to Louisville every two weeks I switched to Southwest through Chicago Midway or Atlanta over a United non-stop. The times available from Southwest even with a stop worked out better for meetings and a one night stay and the 737's were much more comfortable than the Embraer regional jets that United uses on that route, sitting in the seat my knees were already up against the seat back and usually on short notice the exit row seats were already taken.

Thanks everyone. Like I said in the op, I've pretty much flown AA exclusively for years (enough so to have enough miles for my wife and I to go to Maui first class for our honeymoon, haha). But I know if I actually start travelling more frequently I will have to way miles/status against convenience. I also know that pretty much all our domestic airline choices are going to be a crap shoot in terms of customer service.

It's really not difficult to find out easily what the best options are for various destinations, especially if you go to the same places frequently. If you want to stick with a particular alliance to gain FQTV miles that's fine as long as it offers the best schedule options and the price is reasonable.

Certain alliances are going to be better for specific destinations, but you also have to be careful that you don't screw yourself out of achieving various status levels. Usually you can find a way to get a good balance.


Thanks everyone. Like I said in the op, I've pretty much flown AA exclusively for years (enough so to have enough miles for my wife and I to go to Maui first class for our honeymoon, haha). But I know if I actually start travelling more frequently I will have to way miles/status against convenience. I also know that pretty much all our domestic airline choices are going to be a crap shoot in terms of customer service.

With international travel you'll probably be in the position to have one dedicated alliance for int'l travel and then enough leeway to select a different carrier domestically. At that point you are looking at schedules, fee policies, and overall flexibility. Domestic airline customer can be a crap shoot most of the time, but Southwest usually always ranks on top in taking care of their people. You have the benefit of being in a city with a fairly large AA presence and also a good sized WN presence. That also is nice when the weather hits the fan you have plenty of options to be re-routed to get home.

Certain alliances are going to be better for specific destinations, but you also have to be careful that you don't screw yourself out of achieving various status levels. Usually you can find a way to get a good balance.


There are sometimes ways to negotiate status levels. We do that occasionally for people who can gain a particular status based on what airline revenues are produced by the company they work for.

With international travel you'll probably be in the position to have one dedicated alliance for int'l travel and then enough leeway to select a different carrier domestically. At that point you are looking at schedules, fee policies, and overall flexibility. Domestic airline customer can be a crap shoot most of the time, but Southwest usually always ranks on top in taking care of their people. You have the benefit of being in a city with a fairly large AA presence and also a good sized WN presence. That also is nice when the weather hits the fan you have plenty of options to be re-routed to get home.

From what it looks like I will probably be frequenting the OKC-LAX CR7 flight on AA for trips to Aus/NZ and connecting on Qantas. I'd also really like to try out UA's 787 service between IAH-LHR when I have to travel to Europe (if they are still in operation, ugh).

From what it looks like I will probably be frequenting the OKC-LAX CR7 flight on AA for trips to Aus/NZ and connecting on Qantas. I'd also really like to try out UA's 787 service between IAH-LHR when I have to travel to Europe (if they are still in operation, ugh).

Yeah so AA/oneworld would serve you going west. Routes haven't been announced yet for AA's 787s coming in later this year, but I keep seeing rumors that they'll be going to Tel Aviv and Johannesburg first...but I could still see them end up on a LHR run at some point. Of course the problem there is we don't have OKC-JFK or OKC-PHL right now which I would imagine would be the likely picks for them.

Mix companies if you have to, the preferred airlines of foreign countries are usually significantly better than the Greyhound of the Skies approach of the US airlines. The project manager on our Japan projects said if he knew they were going to be so profitable we would have flown JAL or Cathay Pacific instead of Delta. Most have interconnect agreements with other airlines and miles credit, Cathay Pacific and JAL list OKC as an airport connecting through O'Hare or LAX on American Airlines flights.

As far as domestics I have mainly stuck to Frontier (big here in Denver) with direct flights to OKC and Austin, JetBlue (here and Austin to NYC or Boston) or Southwest. When I was going to Louisville every two weeks I switched to Southwest through Chicago Midway or Atlanta over a United non-stop. The times available from Southwest even with a stop worked out better for meetings and a one night stay and the 737's were much more comfortable than the Embraer regional jets that United uses on that route, sitting in the seat my knees were already up against the seat back and usually on short notice the exit row seats were already taken.

Bluedog, how was Louisville? I'm going to go check it out for the first time ever to do a distillery tour and catch a college football game at the 'Ville. I'm excited.

As for airline, I usually fly southwest. It's funny how what started as a budget airline now seems like a luxury airline compared to the others...

Bluedog, how was Louisville? I'm going to go check it out for the first time ever to do a distillery tour and catch a college football game at the 'Ville. I'm excited.

As for airline, I usually fly southwest. It's funny how what started as a budget airline now seems like a luxury airline compared to the others...
Now that the industry has stabilized, airlines ate now going back to competing on service and product. It won't ever be back to pre-regulation standards but we are seeing increased product standards.

Now that the industry has stabilized, airlines ate now going back to competing on service and product. It won't ever be back to pre-regulation standards but we are seeing increased product standards.

Well unless you are Spirit or Frontier. ;)

The Big 4 (AA, WN, UA, DL) domestically though are going to be pretty much the same with a few differences to separate them. Which will be nice. Now if we can just get them to break the RJ addiction on short hops or running 15 RJs a day instead of 8 mainline aircraft.

Bluedog, how was Louisville? I'm going to go check it out for the first time ever to do a distillery tour and catch a college football game at the 'Ville. I'm excited.

As for airline, I usually fly southwest. It's funny how what started as a budget airline now seems like a luxury airline compared to the others...

Nothing about southwest seems luxury.

Nothing about southwest seems luxury.

Well being treated well is a luxury these days. :)

Nothing about southwest seems luxury.

Their prices are certainly luxury prices compared to what the used to be. LOL

Bluedog, how was Louisville? I'm going to go check it out for the first time ever to do a distillery tour and catch a college football game at the 'Ville. I'm excited.

As for airline, I usually fly southwest. It's funny how what started as a budget airline now seems like a luxury airline compared to the others...
I didn't get a chance to really explore like I wanted to, pretty much as soon as I landed at the airport I was in a meeting at the AOB or the job site and that was pretty much that way the two days that I was there until I flew out. I got a few nights to wander around and and found a pretty good restaurant in an older neighborhood (Crescent Hill) outside of downtown called The Silver Dollar (http://www.whiskeybythedrink.com/). It was a typical downtown area of a city of their size, kind of dead in the evening but pockets of activity, I wanted to make a baseball game there but by the time I got out of meetings it was later than I would have liked. The UofL campus is situated between downtown and Churchill Downs and not that far from the airport and hotel that I stayed at, it was a nice looking campus from what I did see of it.

If you are there in the early fall the rental cars will be on a temporary ready/return lot on the east side of the terminal (late August to the end of October) while the existing ready/return lot is being redone. We are doing a new CONRAC-QTA facility on the west side of the terminal, hopefully we will get started on the RAC garage sometime in the future.


Nothing about southwest seems luxury.
I guess if leg room is considered a luxury, Southwest seems to have more than most and I haven't flown Southwest much at all. When flying Frontier I pay more for the stretch seats just for the leg room.

Their prices are certainly luxury prices compared to what the used to be. LOL

I have definitely fallen out of love with Southwest. They really pump up "BAGS FLY FREE!", but if you compare them with other airlines, their prices are always higher. If you don't check in a bag, there are usually much better deals.

I am really starting to like Delta. I didn't realize how nice it is to pick my own seat, vs the cattle call with Southwest. And while I am not expecting luxury, they do offer business class and economy comfort, which gives you some nice legroom. I detest flying through ATL though.

I am going to a wedding in Florida in September and am flying to Pensacola. Southwest is nearly $200 more, plus I have to stop twice (in HOU and MSY). Even if I check in one bag and get an economy comfort seat, Southwest is still more.

I'm not anti-Southwest but they just aren't the bargain that many people perceive them to be.

Flight pricing is just really dependent upon where you are flying to/from, no real logic in pricing other than they charge what they can. Southwest is very competitive out of DIA, usually slotted between Frontier (limited destinations) and the dominant United here. United has a direct flight to Midland but my wife never takes it because it is around $1,000 and a Southwest flight going through Love (Love flights typically go through OKC or Tulsa) or Hobby is around $300. I cancelled my return flight while we were out there taking care of things after my father-in-law passed away and that flight for a Business Select was $287.00. Before the trips to SDF earlier this year I had only flown Southwest once, OKC-KC for work. Pricing wise all the DIA-SDF flights were all about the same price no matter the airline. Most of my miles are with Frontier because of the direct flights to OKC or Austin and good pricing.

I'm not anti-Southwest but they just aren't the bargain that many people perceive them to be.


While I agree that their pricing is not always the best, their frequent flyer program is hard to beat--especially if you have their Southwest Visa Card. You can pile up points really fast, there are no blackout dates, and the points required to fly are pegged to the ticket price...so if you can plan early, you can get free flights for less points used. And almost every time we fly, someone in the family goes for free...many times all of us fly for free...we usually fly about 3 times per year. And, they fly nonstop or with convenient connections to all the cities I frequently fly to...DEN, PDX, MHT and MCO. So...that's why I love Southwest. But, no, you can't count on them to always be the lowest, for sure.

I have definitely fallen out of love with Southwest. They really pump up "BAGS FLY FREE!", but if you compare them with other airlines, their prices are always higher. If you don't check in a bag, there are usually much better deals.

I always find them pretty competitive unless they are in markets with an airline like Spirit that trashes yields. I took your PNS example below and picked September 30th. Lowest airfare is on United at $208, DL and AA are $210, and WN is $214. So in that example you are paying $6 more one way for two checked bags.


I am really starting to like Delta. I didn't realize how nice it is to pick my own seat, vs the cattle call with Southwest. And while I am not expecting luxury, they do offer business class and economy comfort, which gives you some nice legroom. I detest flying through ATL though.

I always enjoyed Delta when I was able to use them, but they've cut back too much for me. As far as the "Cattle Call" moniker, that doesn't really apply to Southwest anymore. If you monitor boards like FlyerTalk and such, the other airlines are definitely much more chaotic and unorganized as you have all the gate flies rush the gate when boarding begins whereas WN keeps things pretty orderly. The boarding process on WN is also more efficient than the common zone boarding other airlines have right now. UA is trying a new boarding style to see how it helps, so that is something to look at. WN did try assigned seats in a few markets a couple years back but it did not provide positive results.

Seat assignments are nice though, I agree with you on that. However, every airline charges extra for them now for the most part. I have been B20-30 on WN and still managed to get a window seat. That saves spending $6 to 30 on the other airlines.

Different classes is just something I don't see WN switching to, but won't be shocked if it happens. They can look at what AirTran does now and evaluate if it something to add later...especially to increase value for their Business Select customers.


I am going to a wedding in Florida in September and am flying to Pensacola. Southwest is nearly $200 more, plus I have to stop twice (in HOU and MSY). Even if I check in one bag and get an economy comfort seat, Southwest is still more.

I'm guessing you aren't flying from OKC. When I did my fare comparison, I had to pick Sept 30th because connecting service wasn't available before Sept 29th. Right now the schedule on WN from OKC to PNS does require two stops, with a plane change in ATL. That gets better when PNS is taken over by Southwest and isn't an AirTran station anymore. Looking in November they go down to just a plane change in Houston and the fare is down to $209 because you lose a portion of the segment tax.


I'm not anti-Southwest but they just aren't the bargain that many people perceive them to be.

Fares are definitely higher than they use to be, but then it comes down to what people value more. Of course I use to fly from OKC back to Ohio on Delta for $258 round trip...about 10 years ago. That air fare was fully upgradable and since I held status with them, I was in first class every time. Good luck finding that now. :)


While I agree that their pricing is not always the best, their frequent flyer program is hard to beat--especially if you have their Southwest Visa Card. You can pile up points really fast, there are no blackout dates, and the points required to fly are pegged to the ticket price...so if you can plan early, you can get free flights for less points used. And almost every time we fly, someone in the family goes for free...many times all of us fly for free...we usually fly about 3 times per year. And, they fly nonstop or with convenient connections to all the cities I frequently fly to...DEN, PDX, MHT and MCO. So...that's why I love Southwest. But, no, you can't count on them to always be the lowest, for sure.

I will say the way they setup their new frequent flyer program is pretty darn good. Just as you pointed out, it is all pegged to the air fare and not the basic 25,000-35,000 miles/points = 1 round trip. Looking at things you earn 6 pts for every dollar of the airport, for their lowest nonrefundable fares. To redeem travel on those is 60 points per dollar.

Looking at their fare sale going on right now, Chicago, where I go several times a year, is $162 one way. Taking the taxes out that means it'll cost me about 9,000 points each way to fly...18,000 round trip. That definitely saves quite a bit over what Delta use to charge me. I do like how if I book on them and the price goes down before I travel, I can get the points difference refunded. I've done the same with the tickets I've purchased as well and got the air fare credit for my next trip. I don't think anyone else does that.

It's all about value I guess and what people are going for. I really use to like Frontier, but they don't really have the schedule for me to use anymore. American is good as well.