Flying can be a real pain in the neck. The hassles of standing in long lines with snotty nosed kids, screaming babies in close quarters, and charges for a simple glass of water on certain airlines can be infuriating. With all these troubles, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. For the last few weeks, I’ve been darting all around Europe with mixed flying experiences. Flying doesn’t have to be bad, if you do it right. So let me address just how every one could make their experience at the airport and in booking travel that much easier. This will be a multi-part series as there is so much to discuss about air travel, each particular airline, alliances, aircraft, airports, etc…Today, I’ll discuss airline alliances, which ones to investigate, how to use them, and why.

As a general rule, stick to the same airline or alliance network. Even if it costs you $50 or $100 more for a particular ticket, it’s better to stick to the same grouping of airlines in the long run because accruing mileage and status within each network will help you when you check in, get processed through security, and board the plane, even if you are flying in Economy Class all the time. If you’re like me and enjoy your overhead bin space, you want this status. With airlines charging your kidney for a simple bag of 50 pounds, more and more people want their overhead bin space too. So being the early bird to catch the worm really matters nowadays. There are three major alliances:

1)  The Star Alliance. The airlines include United, Lufthansa, Swiss, US Airways, ANA, Singapore, SAS, and Air Canada. There are several others that are smaller but acceptably good. It is unarguably the best alliance in terms of its reach around the world. The network of airlines contains the most carriers (26), has the most lounges for pre and post flight travel and a few of its airlines are quite wonderful. Lufthansa is a good bet for international travel because their network is vast and they have two strong centrally located hubs in Germany, Frankfurt and Munich. If you use Lufthansa, do your best to make your connection through Munich as the airport is streamlined, simple, and you won’t have to sprint 26 miles to get to your next gate like you do in Frankfurt. Lufthansa is now flying the whale of the Skies, the Airbus A380-800, a full double decker plane. They have appointed the plane with a very efficient layout but no über luxuries…no on board lounges (Emirates, Korean, and Qantas), no showers for passengers willing to pay $20,000/flight (Emirates), no art galleries (Korean Airlines). Lufthansa is also the first commercial airline to fly the gorgeous, appropriately named Queen-of-the-Skies B747-8 Intercontinental, a refined and significantly updated B747. It flew its first revenue flight on June 1^st to rave reviews. It is the first airline in the sky to offer a truly real bed for First Class Passengers on the upper deck in addition to a standard plush seat. Lufthansa is a cutting edge airline, plain and simple. SAS was in a lot of trouble but has announced a major overhaul of its on board service, including free meals on continental flights, newer comfortable seating, a better business class for travelers that want a flat bed on long haul flights, and has expressed interest in playing with the big boys and being less of a regional player. It’s hubs in Copenhagen and Stockholm are also good transit points, albeit with fewer connections than Frankfurt. Singapore is without question one of the great airlines of the world but unless you’re flying to Singapore, it’s difficult to use as a main airline (they do offer a few random US-Europe or Tokyo flights but there are not many). ANA too is a good Japanese Airline. They are the first airline to fly Boeing’s new Dreamliner B787-8. A beautiful, super efficient jet with a humidity and air system that makes flying not seem like flying. Many Star Alliance carriers have ordered several of these jets…they will replace the older B767 and A330/A340’s flying today in the coming years. US Airways is also a carrier to watch. While they are among the poorer US airlines and fly a generally older mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing jets with reduced on board amenities than other carriers like Delta or Jet Blue, they are making lots of noise about merging and/or acquiring American Airlines with the TPG investor group. If this happens, US Airways/American will surely be the airline to beat so it might be wise to start up those US Airways MasterCard’s and frequent flyer accounts now. US Airways Envoy Class on their A330 jets is now a very generous and competitive business class product; I’ve used it and I have to say if you buy the upgrade (not a full fare ticket), you’re getting your money’s worth and then some. (Don’t waste your money if you see the B757/B767 moniker for US Airways flights for Business Class upgrades; those cabins are for the birds). Ex-Continental’s Business First was the best on board Business Class in North America but now that it’s United Airlines, the service quality has already noticeably changed, certain niceties have disappeared, and I’m worried that their product will continue to decline. I’ve personally been a Continental flyer for so long but now with the impending US Airways/American merger, I’m probably going to switch over for good, if it happens. United, the hallmark carrier of the alliance and largest carrier in the world is acceptably fine as an airline but still has merger kinks to work out. It has a vast European and Asian network which is good. It’s on board service in Economy Class is poor. If you fly on an ex-Continental jet, you’ll get in flight TV on all domestic aircraft. The original United jets offer no such thing. United has not announced what their plans are regarding in flight entertainment. Ex-Continental was the only US airline that used to serve FREE hot meals on domestic flights in economy but since the merger, that has disappeared to the dismay of many customers. Be that as it may, United has eight mid to extra large sized hubs in the USA, more than any other, and most offer exceptional connections to around the world.

2) Sky Team Alliance. The airlines include Delta, Air France-KLM, Korean, Aero Mexico, Alitalia, and a slew of other very, very poor airlines mainly from China and Russia who will not be mentioned. It is also expected to pick up a few new carriers from the far-east, India, and South America soon. Sky Team has the second largest network based on revenue seat miles, a large number of carriers (16) and has a good presence like the Star Alliance in Europe. If you are traveling to Asia, it’s far worse. The connections on that side of the ocean are basically limited to just Delta’s major hub at Tokyo-Narita (a sizable hub) and Korean’s new and chic Seoul-Incheon Airport. As for quality, it’s mixed. Delta has emerged from it’s recent merger with Northwest as a strong carrier, making money, with a decent on board product and it now is seamlessly integrated…(United, by comparison, is far worse. The on board products have not been integrated well, flight attendants and other staff are still in disarray, and its mileage accrual program has worsened significantly, to my personal dismay.) It offers a fine Business Elite Cabin with fine service. The flight attendants on this airline actually wear appealing attire unlike other unnamed North American carriers and if you fly on a B737 or B757 jet domestically, you’ll get in seat Live TV like some of the more quality, smaller airlines in the states (fly on an MD88 or A320 type jet and you get absolutely nothing). Korean Airlines is constantly rated as one of the best airlines in the industry. Like Singapore, it proudly flies the new A380-800 super jump, a plane that sports an on-board Duty Free Store and several walk up bar and lounge areas, for all classes. Unfortunately, the remaining carriers are poorer. Pay attention to the equipment (jet type) that each airline flies on your selected date of travel. On Air France-KLM, their B777-300 and soon B777-200 jets, very common and generally comfortable planes, even in coach, are no longer comfortable at all. Air France-KLM has added one seat to each row in Economy making a 3-4-3 arrangement, the same as a B747 or A380 even though the jet is considerably narrower than those two super jumbos. That means your once 18.4” wide seat of yesteryears has been reduced to 16.9”. Doesn’t sound like much but on a 10-hour flight, every inch counts, especially if someone of ample size or mommy with a baby on her lap is seated next to you. Compile that with horrendous seat pitch of 31” (the amount of space from the back of your seat to the back of the seat in front of you) and you’ll come off the plane feeling like you’ve just been hoeing farmland for 10 hours straight. The phrase “packed in like sardines” really comes in handy here. A comfortable economy class seat pitch of 34” or 35” can be found on airlines like Jet Blue, Air Canada, and Korean. Flight attendants on Air France are often filing their nails, maintaining their makeup, and gossiping in the galleys rather than focusing on the needs of customers. I say this from personal experience and what I’ve witnessed first hand. Stay away from Air France. Paris-CDG is a poor connecting hub, prone to varied strikes and delays, far worse than London or Frankfurt by comparison. Amsterdam (KLM’s base) is better but its network in Europe is smaller. If you’re flying to the Far East from Europe, KLM is the better bet of the two and unlike Air France, KLM itself made money last year, Air France did not so the combined airline suffered dearly. Alitalia is a disaster. Their jets are not in great condition. They are constantly rated among the lowest carriers flying in the sky. Expect some sort of strike or delay every day with the staff flailing their arms in your face unable to communicate in any language other than Italian. Eating their on-board meals will result in you wanting to go vegan afterwards. They’ve attempted at offering a new Magnifica Business Class, which still is beyond poor. Overall, this alliance is fair as Delta has a vast network with a decent product and is connected to one very strong Asian Airline, Korean Airlines and several strong European carriers. Likely, the Virgin Airlines group will join Sky Team, and Virgin Australia, a burgeoning and exciting airline will be apart of it. It isn’t sure yet though.

3) One World Alliance. The airlines include American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, LAN Group, Qantas, JAL, and a few other inconsequential airlines. This alliance a strong density of great, quality airlines but nevertheless, has the smallest international reach. The alliance only contains 11 carriers, of which seven have above average or better qualifications. I’ve discussed US Airways/American above but American by itself is also a fair airline. They have a decent network to Europe and some limited Asian routings. The benefit of AA is that their interline agreements with British Airways and JAL are the most seamless in the industry. AA’s domestic service is poor, with results placing them often last in on time arrivals and lost luggage. Like Delta, US, and United, they charge ridiculous fees for baggage. Southwest and Jet Blue do not. American is starting to update their fleet with a massive purchase of over 500 jet new Airbus and Boeing jets in the next 10 years but that all might be for naught; they are mired in bankruptcy protection and who knows what will happen if a US Airways bid comes to fruition. British Airways is also fine. It’s on board service in Economy is poor; flight attendants usually look dour, unsatisfied, and upset. The meal service is the worst of the three major airlines to Europe. Aside from their B777-300ER jets, which are brand new, interior quality of their aircraft is also not great. They have a decent Business and First Product. Decent. The strong benefit of BA is that their LHR Terminal Five hub is fantastic. Now, in my view, the best confined large hub/terminal in Europe. The facilities are magnificent; the business class lounges are acceptably good, and if you need to shop till you drop before you board the plane (who the hell goes shopping for jewelry and clothing at the airport), you’ll have a great time in T5. Also of significant note, this new terminal allows for nearly every jet to pull up to a jet bridge rather than a remote stand. At FRA and CDG, you have the 50/50 chance depending on when your plane lands and what airline, to arrive to a remote stand where you’ll have to board a bus to the terminal, to later take another bus to another plane if you’re connecting…A big plus for travelers that travel often. Iberia is also part of British Airways but acts independently…somewhat similar to how Air France and KLM function. Iberia offers a poor on board product in both classes. They are more reliable than Alitalia for instance but their MAD hub is further out of the way than the three major airports of LHR, FRA, and CDG. Iberia has a vast network to South America but nothing that’s exceptional to North America or Asia. Cathay Pacific is a terrific airline with a great hub in Hong Kong.  Their on board service is stellar in all cabins. Their staff is incredibly able and they are one of the few truly good airlines flying today. JAL was also a wonderful airline until it hit financial disarray in recent years. Yet still, they are a good airline. JAL now also flies the B787-8 and offers a new non-stop Boston-Tokyo flight. Boston has never had a nonstop Tokyo flight. The LAN Group, based primarily in Santiago, Chile is South America’s best airline and a competitive airline in the world market. But they have merged with the poorer airline of Brazil, TAM. No one knows which alliance the merged airline will end up. Qantas, Australia’s primary airline, was once strong and now is being challenged by the Virgin Group (Virgin Australia). It has had serious financial troubles in recent times. The airline does offer a decent international product in all classes and flies the A380-800 to several destinations. But now that they have to fight a large, well-funded competitor, they have to up their game and so far, they demonstrably have not done well. OneWorld’s overall network is the smallest of the three alliances and has the least centrally located European hubs but its quality of service as a whole is a bit better than Sky Team. The benefits of mileage accrual and lounge access between the three alliances are relatively the same.

There are airlines that choose to avoid alliances, as they would prefer to stay away from the poorly managed and served airlines.  Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Jet Blue, West Jet, Southwest, and the Virgin Group airlines (to date) are some of those carriers. At a later date, I’ll go more into detail about which specific airlines are good and bad and why.

This is installment one of who knows how many.