Air travel is arduous, and airlines know it. Some airlines rise to the plate and accept the challenge of making your flight experience positively memorable. Other airlines slap you in a seat, strap you in, and plop you at your destination with nary a touch of customer service. Here's a roundup of the best airlines for business travelers.
Southwest always delivers consistent customer service, friendly faces, and in many cases, well-timed comedic delivery. Staff think outside of the corporate "box" and are creative in serving their customers (on a recent flight from New Orleans, the flight attendant delivered a hilarious take on the typical air safety presentation).
Southwest's Rapid Rewards program is one of the best frequent flier programs (who needs miles when we can have points?!), and their prices usually undercut the national carriers. The quick rewards and affordable prices make this airline tops with business travelers.
JetBlue has broadened its flights from the New York area, and now services most major cities. Crafted in the successful mold of Southwest, JetBlue also offers cushier seats, DirectTV, and unique snacks. The flight attendants are friendly, and the prices are very reasonable for business travelers.
TrueBlue, their frequent reward program, also operates on a point system, and frequent fliers can accrue free flights quickly.
The first airline to offer a
frequent flier program (AAdvantage), American Airlines knows a thing or two about customer service. In fact, American Airlines offers several promotions for their frequent fliers, enabling them to accrue perks very quickly. The flight attendants are friendly, and booking enough in advance will guarantee a reasonably priced seat. American Airlines flies to just about every major city, making it easy to book a flight for business.
Consistently rated as the most admired airline in FORTUNE Magazines's annual list of Most Admired Global Companies, Continental does their business very well. Continental has also received six customer satisfaction awards from J.D. Power & Associates in the last ten years. Superior service and flights to and from most major cities are some of the reasons that Continental Airlines is always near the top of the list for business travelers. Their
OnePass frequent flier program doesn't hurt either.
When business travelers think flights, they often think of United Airlines. The
airline's frequent flier program is very innovative, offering travelers several different types of awards for their miles. United recently announced new SmartBoxes, healthy balanced inflight meals for their customers. The airline is certainly aggressive when it comes to competing in the airline market, and that competitiveness spells success for business travelers looking for more out of their airline.
