Advantages: Great airline
Disadvantages: dodgy policies

...Did you know that United Airlines are subject to a boycott by annoyed staff and passengers? There has recently been a lot of bad press around about the unfair treatment of staff due to alleged discriminatory employee benefits and lawsuit against San Francisco equal benefits ordinance protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered employees. This will be viewed as an unusual case in the UK and will no doubt affect our workplaces soon. I have travelled on United airlines and have recieved unsurmounted service from their staff who are always very courteous and their planes are normally on time. I find it hard to believe a large international airline to be so narrowminded.... Read review

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Advantages: Free Scheme
Disadvantages: Its Free - what more do you want!!!

...Let me start by saying that I am not a particularly frequent flyer. I don't do many business miles, and have a couple of holidays a year. However, I booked a holiday a couple of years ago with United Vacations. The reservations agent advised that I should join Mileage Plus. Yeah whatever, but did it anyway. Went to the United Airlines website and had a better look at it. United Airlines is part of the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline alliance. The Mileage Plus scheme is obviously centred around United Airlines, but you can "earn and burn" your miles on any of the Star Alliance carriers: bmi british midland, SAS, Lufthansa, VARIG, Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, Mexicana, ANA All Nippon, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Asiana, and from this year, Spanair, LOT Polish Airlines and US Airways. (phew!). Also, all of the airlines... Read review

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Advantages: comfort, on time arrival, and caring personnel
Disadvantages: none

...I recently flew United from Houston to Las Angeles. I was impressed with the service, the personnel were efficient and caring. The plane was clean. The coach seats were ample for comfort. And the airline both left and arrived on time. I was traveling with my wheel chair and that posed no problems. I was wheeled to plane and the wheelchair taken in to cargo area from there. And upon arrival the wheel chair was at the plane door waiting for me and none the worse for wear.It was the first time my 8 year old grandson had ever been on a plane. And he loved it. I think that speaks well for the airline.... Read review

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Advantages: Flights are Usually on Time
Disadvantages: Poor Service and the Food is Unpleasant

...One of the perks of being married to a United Airlines employee is that we get reduced flights. Because of this, we are often flying back and forth to the United States to visit relatives. Even though we fly in Business Class, we have never really been satisfied with the service. The American stewardesses always seem to be rude and inconsiderate. It seems as though they can't be bothered to look after their passengers, and if we ask them for something, we feel as though we are "putting on them." The choice of food is very limited, and what they do have, is not very appealing at all.... Read review

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Advantages: Very easy to earn points, without flying
Disadvantages: mediochre airline

...totals build to 20-40,000 for coach flights, and finally 40-80,000 for first class. I would just recommend that you save them for first class, because Alaska Airlines has the most uncomfortable, tight coach flights around, with absolutely no arm or leg space. Blackout Dates Within the United States on Alaska Airlines there are only 3-4 blackout dates per year. However, when you start traveling outside of the United States and on the other airlines there can be quite a few blackout dates. These blackout dates are dates that you cannot use your mileage plan points to purchase a ticket. This is generally because those are popular flights that generally sell out. American Airlines and a few other airlines that are partnered with Alaska Airlines have no blackout dates at all, so if you can't fly during one of the dates on one, most likely... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent service
Disadvantages: none

...I rate this airline as one of the best for long distance flights. In fact, I am a frequent user of Malaysian Airline for long haul flights. I travelled from United Kingdom to Malaysia and return each year. The price is competitive and sometimes you can get quite a good deal on this airline. Furthermore, the plane is brand new. Hence you will have your own LCD screen in front of your seat even for ECONOMY class. The service provided is also excellent. The stewards will attend to your needs all the time. Food the most important thing on board can be rated as excellent. It has a selection of food from Malaysian local cuisines to international English food. You can also buy duty free goods on board which sometimes can be slightly cheaper than airports.... Read review

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Advantages: Very good business class, good meals and service
Disadvantages: few east-west connections

..., though. Czech Airlines' main problem is the small number of flight connections. Although CSA fly to almost every city in Eastern Europe, most destinations are only served once or twice per day, often with missing connections to and from Western Europe. Thus a flexible Business Class ticket can be pretty useless, if there is no alternative connection that you can change your booking to. And because of the dumping prices on CSA flights, most other airlines won't except an endorsed ticket from Czech Airlines. The timetable deserves a major revamping to allow for better east-west connections. Many routes between Prague and Western Europe are operated in codeshare with Lufthansa, so you can collect miles with the frequent flyer programmes of any of the Star Alliance airlines (British Midland, Lufthansa, Austrian, United, etc.). However, the miles... Read review

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Advantages: Clean, comfortable, efficient and friendly.
Disadvantages: None known.

...I have flown with Emirates airline on many occasions and have never had cause to complain. The planes are always clean and comfortable, the cabin crew are exeptionally polite and helpful and the drinks are free of charge and there for the asking. I've always got the impression of more leg room but don't have any statistics to confirm it. The food is good and if you are flying to the far east you will almost certainly stop at one of the United Arab Emirates airports such as Dubai (see separate opinion) where the duty free is incredibly cheap. Flying with Emirates gives you the definite impression that they genuinely care about your well-being. I won't say they are unequalled because there are many airlines that I have never flown with, but in my flying experience they are certainly unbeaten.... Read review

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Advantages: price, service
Disadvantages: seat pitch

...Boeing 737 with an average age of 9 years (unfortunately there are still thirteen 737, 200 series, which age is 40 years). Southwest employees 32.000 people and for 31 years in row has closed the fiscal year with profits (meantime Alitalia, for instance, has lost a lot of money every year during the same period). Starting with such basis travelling within the 49 contiguous states of United States of America is not expensive (the price for one-way ticket starts at 39 USDollars with a top cap of 120). Southwest Airlines links 60 cities in the States, from north to south, from east to west. The cabin of the aircraft is always clean. The aircrafts are safe (Southwest applies a very updated system to control and monitor the maintenance process). The cabin crew is kind, attentive, competent and before, during and after the flight entertains you... Read review

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Advantages: Biggest airline in the world, and one of the best
Disadvantages: lost property services could be better

...I recently flew with United to Florida via Washington, over the course of the trip I flew on two different 777's, a 757 and a 727. I found the all of the aircraft to be very clean, the new increased seat pitch in economy was very welcome and for me a being a shade short of six foot, comfortable. The cabin crew on all flights were great, nothing was to much trouble for them at all, can't praise them highly enough, the flights despite the best efforts of the american air traffic control services arrived all arrived on time or early. One reccomendation, if you don't like cheese, tell your travel agent, and the airline before you fly, because at some point you WILL get the dreaded cheese. The check in staff are also ver yefficient and polite, another reccomendation would be, check in early, flights on popular routes may well be oversold... Read review

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