So, since we hate every airline, with which one do we fly?

@xerloq: Why would you fly? Between the TSA and the airlines, I know I would be thrown into jail or something.

@xerloq: You mean to say that you can't afford your own private jet?

I'd only fly for international travel, and then it would be a foreign airline- I like JAL. They seem to be doing something right compared to United and the rest.

@myotheralt: Because to travel across the country, I'd rather it take 3 hours by plane than 3 days by car?

That's the problem. Most US based airlines suck. The reason we fly on the airlines we're flying on is a) they're the cheapest and/or b) nothing REALLY bad has happened to us...yet. Once it does, we'll switch to another carrier and the whole dance starts over again. Just like wireless carriers, like cable/sat companies, like banks, etc., we keep switching thinking the other company is different (or less bad), and that's rarely the case. There are a few US airlines that are less bad (according to the reports and surveys: Southwest and Jet Blue do pretty well. But I'm sure there are many with horror stories about these airlines as well.

Delta Airlines may be a lot of things, but is she not some kind of cheap slut who will just merge with anyone!

I have never been on a Delta flight that did not turn to crap somehow. Cancelled or late flights, missed connections, etc. I don't get a lot of vacation time, so when I go on a weekend trip, if I lose 1/2 a day to a late flight it is a big deal. I will never fly them again. Even for free.

But the airline I really hate is Southwest. Flew them once years ago, when they had those seats that face each other. There was a guy who was sitting across from us, staring at my 10 year old daughter, all the while he had a hand under a newspaper on his lap, with the newpaper bouncing up and down. When I complained, the only thing the attendant had to say to me was "the plane is full, we can't move you." When I complained to the rep at the counter after we got off, the attitude was the same and my letter to them was never acknowledged.

Let it be US Airways so that I can get an Amex Platinum card and have access to the private lounges when I fly.

Just got a kick out the WSJ article on this story [online.wsj.com] (subscription required for full article). The first line says:

Delta Air Lines Inc. is seriously considering a merger with either Northwest Airlines Corp. or United Airlines parent UAL Corp., according to people close to the situation...

Good to know they are on top of that like China on lead

Maybe they should merge with Air Canada. Then we'd have something Canadians and Americans could finally agree on - a shitty airline. (They already code-share so a merger wouldn't be that difficult, would it?)