Flights within the US?

[nads_39]

Hi guys, Im going over to the USA in a few months and I need to book some domestic flights.
Was just wondering if anyone can reccommend a good airline?

I was going to go with American Airlines, but after much trouble with trying to book with them, I've decided to have a bit of a look around.

So.. any bad/good experiences.. please share!

 

[finbarr]

Hi guys, Im going over to the USA in a few months and I need to book some domestic flights.
Was just wondering if anyone can reccommend a good airline?

I was going to go with American Airlines, but after much trouble with trying to book with them, I've decided to have a bit of a look around.

So.. any bad/good experiences.. please share!

I haven't been over there since the mid 90's but i've never seen more ricketty old planes still in service anywhere. I'd be buying an Amtrak pass.

 

[red+black]

www.kayak.com

 

[nads_39]

I haven't been over there since the mid 90's but i've never seen more ricketty old planes still in service anywhere. I'd be buying an Amtrak pass.

As tempting as 35 hours on a train is, which is just one part of my trip.. I think I'm going to stick with the dodgy planes.

So.. thanks for the assurance that I'm not going to plummet to my death!

 

[Bombers_Forever]

Booking on the airline websites are really easy. I book by last couple of trips all by internet but stuck with the airline sites to be safe. I booked United from LA to Washington DC, and Alaskan from LA to Seattle. Very easy to book - check some of the sites because they might need you to have a US credit card (for some reason).

It depends where you are going in terms of the airline that is 'best'. Airline have
'hubs' so you will have more flights to choose from. American's hub is Dallas, United have Chicago, Denver, Washington and Delta have Atlanta. The more flights, usually the better price. Remember, the non-direct flights can be cheaper, but takes more time. e.g. Southwest is a prime example. If you want to go from say LA to Chicago, you would have to change in Pheonix and other city in the midwest. Remember, direct flights will be better in terms of not losing your luggage. At least at the time of year, you shouldn't have too many weather problems (except for storms).

Look at expedia for price comparisons to give you an idea of what you will pay. If your schedule isn't flexible, it might be easier to compare prices between airlines. Also, some of the airlines have seat maps and show you how many seats are available.

If you need any more info, PM me.

 

[nads_39]

Booking on the airline websites are really easy. I book by last couple of trips all by internet but stuck with the airline sites to be safe. I booked United from LA to Washington DC, and Alaskan from LA to Seattle. Very easy to book - check some of the sites because they might need you to have a US credit card (for some reason).

It depends where you are going in terms of the airline that is 'best'. Airline have
'hubs' so you will have more flights to choose from. American's hub is Dallas, United have Chicago, Denver, Washington and Delta have Atlanta. The more flights, usually the better price. Remember, the non-direct flights can be cheaper, but takes more time. e.g. Southwest is a prime example. If you want to go from say LA to Chicago, you would have to change in Pheonix and other city in the midwest. Remember, direct flights will be better in terms of not losing your luggage. At least at the time of year, you shouldn't have too many weather problems (except for storms).

Look at expedia for price comparisons to give you an idea of what you will pay. If your schedule isn't flexible, it might be easier to compare prices between airlines. Also, some of the airlines have seat maps and show you how many seats are available.

If you need any more info, PM me.

Thanks for the info.

I was hoping to book all the flights with the one airline, and I found that AA did have all the flights I need, with all but 1 flight being direct. I was just put off by some bad reviews about their service.

The prices have been pretty similiar between the different airlines, so paying a few hundred dollars extra won't bother me if I'm getting a better service.

 

[red+black]

Depends on your itinerary, but do consider a mix of planes, Amtrak and Greyhound.

I was in the US recently and took Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver.

When my Mum went, I booked her on Greyhound for Memphis to Nashville.

When I went to the US 14 years ago, I used Amtrak extensively. Orlando - Savannah - Charleston - Washington DC and Chicago - Memphis - New Orleans.

 

[de_LICA_ish18]

I came back from the States about 6 weeks ago. I booked all my internal flights thru expedia.com.au I did plenty of research and they were the cheapest. Prices are in Australian $ which is convenient. Had no issues when in the States with any of the bookings. All went smoothly. Expedia was the best value but I booked prior to the fall of the dollar so not sure what it's like now.

Also did an Amtrak trip and loved it. Would highly recommend using them where possible. Very cheap and much more comfortable and scenic than a plane. This is a good alternative if it's a relatively short flight. By the time you get to the airport (90 mins early as required in the US) it can be just as quick on a train.

I really wouldn't worry about the airline. There's not much difference between them.

 

[Bombers_Forever]

It is hard to get flights on just one airline but there is nothing wrong with AA. If you can, try to avoid the MD-80's (check thier website for the seat map). They are OK but can be noisy if you are down the back. If you can avoid them, I would recommend it.

There is no "stand out" airline - most of the big carriers (AA, United, Delta, Northwest, Continental etc) are fairly similar. The network is the big difference between them.

The great thing about the net is you can really do your research. On some routes, the difference on fares is minimal. Others, it can be a couple of hundreds of dollars.

The other thing is look at each site to see what they do offer. Even 'full service airlines' these days only give you a free drink on a flight, nothing else.

And be aware of the baggage charges - a couple of airlines charge you not only for your second bag, but your first. It can be costly, depending on your itinerary.

 

[de_LICA_ish18]

Actually I do recall there were additional charges for checking a 2nd bag on some of the US domestic flights. However for whatever reason international travellers were exempt so as long as you can show them you are an international traveller they let it thru free if charge.

The trick is when doing self check in (and everything is self check in over there) it wont recognize the ticket as international as you've booked domestic travel separately and therefore won't let you automatically key in 2 pieces to check (unless you pay for the additional one on your credit card). So you can put it thru as one check in bag and one baby car seat (which is free) and let them know when you get to the counter. Then they won't charge you.

 

[Renegade]

I'm over there in a few months as well.
Like the others have mentioned, expedia is a good site for booking, or orbitz.
Most of my internal flights this time around are with Delta Airlines.
Last year when i was there i flew with North West Airlines, American Airlines, Alaskan Airlines, Continental Airlines. Probrably not a big deal which one you choose.

 

[red+black]

I'm over there in a few months as well.
Like the others have mentioned, expedia is a good site for booking, or orbitz.
Most of my internal flights this time around are with Delta Airlines.

Wait a few months and you could fly from here to the US on Delta.

 

[nads_39]

Hmm, well I may aswell book with with AA, seeing as they have the flights I want.

I would have liked a train as a bit of a break up from flying, but Im going LA - Las Vegas - NY -OK - LA. With only LA - Las Vegas being the reasonable distance to catch a train. But when a flight is just over $100, and just over an hour long.. I can't really complain.

 

[magic_johnson!]

pics or it didn't happen

 

[Emerald]

On the East Coast I found AirTran the best to fly with, the planes are new and clean and you're allowed to check two bags and have one carry-on.

American have fantastic staff but jesus some of the planes I flew in with them were extremely ghetto. Also they let passengers basically take suitcases as hand luggage so line up early if you can - so that you don't end up with a full overhead compartment and having to stow your bag under your knees. Not fun.

Avoid Delta if you aren't 100% sure about your booking. Trying to cancel/change a flight with them is like pulling teeth.

 

[Bombers_Forever]

Also they let passengers basically take suitcases as hand luggage so line up early if you can - so that you don't end up with a full overhead compartment and having to stow your bag under your knees. Not fun.

Agree. One carry on case and 'one personal item' to them means bring everything you own on board.........and they get away with it. Idiots! That is my biggest gripe about travelling within the US - we have smaller rules but I agree with them. There is only so much storage space, yet the Yanks allow more baggage than will fit in the overhead bins.

Unless you only have a small carry on that fits under your seat, get on board ASAP to get your bag in the locker. (And don't try to get up to get anything from the bag either-that causes another drama unless you are in an aisle seat). I have a carry on that is a backpack (easy to carry with the checked bag onto buses etc) and it fits under the seats with legroom to spare. That is the trick.

 

[Abaddon]

Expedia is good the major airlines but doesn't do all the budget airlines. Some of the airlines are "more regional" and may not cover all your desitinations. Hence the need to mix and match.
Check out South West as they're a very good budget airline. Also for any flights that involve Canadian cities go with WestJet. Very cheap. And good. They're a budget airline but offer the service of a premium carrier. Got a flight from Calgary to Toronto for $50 with individual screens on the back of the seat streaming live TV.