Top ten best airlines revealed in 2010 World Airline Awards

by Scott Carmichael on

Spoiler alert: U.S. based airlines apparently all suck. At least, if you believe the results of the Skytrax 2010 World Airline Awards. The top ten airlines in the world are mostly from Asia. The only upside for U.S. based airlines is that no European airlines made it to the list either.

American airlines are only represented in the “best North American Airlines” results – and even there, Air Canada takes the top spot.

The results are hardly surprising – I’ve flown many of these international airlines, and their product is indeed miles ahead of anything on offer in the U.S. or Europe. Still, it is a bit of a disgrace that none of the U.S. based airlines managed to make any of the winning categories. The top ten airlines of the world are:

  1. Asiana Airlines
  2. Singapore Airlines
  3. Qatar Airways
  4. Cathay Pacific
  5. Air New Zealand
  6. Etihad Airways
  7. Qantas Airways
  8. Emirates
  9. Thai Airways
  10. Malaysia Airlines

Still, it isn’t all doom and gloom – in recent weeks, the AOL “spy in the sky” flew all major U.S. carriers and found that there are still some friendly and helpful airlines out there. Check out their report cards for the ten airlines they reviewed.

New United Airlines livery still keeps a bit of Continental in the mix

by Scott Carmichael on

What you see here is the proposed final product of the United Airlines – Continental merger. As you can see, the new airline will fly with the United name, but keeps the globe logo from Continental.

I’m not sure what to make of it – but since these two airlines have been such important players in the aviation world, it’ll take a while to get used to the combination.

Over at Unitecontinentalmerger.com, you’ll find a lot of information about the merger, and how it’ll impact travelers.

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Continental and United Airlines approve merger

by Grant Martin on

Two of the nation’s largest airlines, United and Continental have taken one step closer to joining forces to becoming the world’s largest carrier. Early last week, news in underground was that the two airlines were in high level talks to discuss merging operations. Things became more official with the announcement late last week that their respective boards had approved the undertaking.

The new airline, which would be called United Airlines, would have Continental’s CEO Jeff Smisek as the man in charge and would be based in Chicago. Continental’s livery would absorb United’s.

Despite the positive steps last week, several major milestones still need to be addressed before the merger gathers steam. Primarily, the airlines need to obtain regulatory approval from the government before joining forces, and in this political climate, that permission may be difficult to find.

Issues with unions, operations and finances will also take time and patience to address; as a result, even if an official announcement comes on Monday there are months left of negotiation and heartache. Get ready for a long ride.

BREAKING: United and Continental airlines to merge?

by Grant Martin on

We hear rumblings of airline mergers every day here at Gadling headquarters, but this one is starting to pick up traction. Chicago-based United Airlines and Houston-based Continental Airlines are reported to be in merger talks, with each respective board meeting to discuss possibilities and logistics this week.

What would a merger this mean for the average world traveler? The combined airline would overtake Delta Airlines as the largest carrier in the world, and with fewer players in the market, prices will undoubtedly go up. As of this year, both Continental and United are in the same Star Alliance, so those saving miles won’t be seriously affected by the merger.

The main concern that travelers will need to mull is the change in customer service. Larger ubiquitous airlines tend to cover the spectrum of destinations well but fall short on loyalty programs and public relations (see: Delta,) so those looking for a more boutique experience may shirk away to JetBlue or Virgin America.

Conversely, if the mega-airline can emulate the current outstanding service that Continental hosts then they’ll earn some serious passenger loyalty and subsequent cash. Let’s hope that’s the route they take.

An announcement on the merger could come as early as next Monday.

United Airlines finds $64 million lying around – thanks to your expiring miles

by Scott Carmichael on

Hands up if you have checked your mileage account, only to notice that you forgot to have any activity, and all your miles are gone.

Well, thanks to you, United Airlines just managed to make an extra $64 million.

The bonus bucks were earned thanks to a new accounting method and a huge stash of previously undiscovered expiring miles.

So, yes – air miles are big, big business. So big in fact, that last year, American Airlines managed to “advance sell” Advantage Miles to Citi in exchange for $1.6 billion.

Lesson to be learned here? Always keep a close eye on your miles. It doesn’t matter how many you have in your account, every mile that expires just adds to the bottom line of the airline. Here are some quick tips to add miles without too much hassle:

  • Find a shopping portal that earns you miles (check the airline web site for links)
  • Eat out (and register for a dining rewards program like Rewards Network)
  • Find a mileage promotion from your airlines (many of these involve non-flight activities)
  • Check for mileage discrepancies (did you take any flights without getting miles awarded?)
  • Earn miles when you stay at a hotel

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