When I was in my 20s I picked airline flights by price. In my 30s, schedule was the priority. In the second half of my 40s, items like in-flight menu options and ambiance have become more important.
After ten flight segments with five different carriers in the last ten days, the winner is United Airlines in the Food Category and Virgin Airlines in the Ambiance Category.
The United menu features a delicious Tapas Snack Pack. Weighing in at 583 calories, the hummus, red pepper spread and olives in this $8.49 offering (why not $8.50?) sent me right to the Web to see where I could order my own individual serving size versions of the treat. I suppose the idea is to share this rather large "snack" with your seat mates, but when it's your one major meal for the day, I say dig in!
(Note: Alaska Airlines has a $6 Mediterranean Tapas Picnic that rivals United's and costs less. I just didn't happen to have an opportunity to fly this awesome airline in the period studied, much to my chagrin.)
My trip on Virgin was a first and the mood lighting got the trip off to a good start. With excellent Wi-Fi, I spent the next five hours texting my hubby and sharing pictures of the San Francisco Giant's World Series Trophy that happened to be seated in First Class via Twitter, Facebook and email. Easy-peasy access. (C'mon USAir - get with the program.) Want a snack? Simply push a few buttons on your personal TV monitor and a perky flight attendant arrives shortly with your request. It's possible I could have ordered ahead but I'll have to try that next time I book a flight.
For a full review of culinary delights at 10,000 feet, see: Coffee, Tea Or Tapas by the Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney. For frequent fliers, another great information source is www.airlinetrends.com.
Don't worry Alask Airlines. I remain a loyal customer with your branded bag tags on my luggage. Please just expand flights in and out of DCA, as schedule is a factor.
