America West/US Airways: A Satisfactory, No Frills Airline
Written: Apr 30 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: low fare, decent customer service, flights stick to schedule
Cons: pack light or don't pack at all; expect to be on an overbooked flight
The Bottom Line: The bottom line is the bottom line. If the price is right, try America West for short trips from California to Phoenix.
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| Pantagruel's Full Review: America West |
Last month I traveled to Phoenix for a long weekend. It provided me the opportunity to escape the unusually wet weather we were having in California as well as allow me to catch the final days of baseball’s Spring Training. I have a friend who lives in Phoenix, so my lodging was covered. The only thing I needed to do was to book a flight.
My friend swore by Southwest Airlines and said he routinely flies roundtrip from Phoenix to the Bay Area for under $200. So that was the price I was shooting for. However, I couldn’t put together a ticket package anywhere near that price, either through my AAA travel agent or directly on the Southwest website. My friend seemed surprised, but considering I was making a reservation less than three weeks from my travel date, and at the heart of Spring Break, I wasn’t particularly surprised.
So, I went online to Expedia.com and searched for the best priced direct flight within my travel parameters. It came up with America West at $255 roundtrip. I sighed and made the reservation.
Score 1 star for having the lowest-priced roundtrip flight.
When I booked the flight, I was slightly confused because my Expedia receipt and itinerary listed both America West and US Airways, but with separate flight numbers. I’m a little behind the times on these things, so I did some research on America West’s website and discovered that the two airlines merged in May 2005. A quote on the site says America West and US Airways are “joining together to create the world’s largest low-fare airline.” It goes on to claim that the merger makes them the fifth largest domestic airline.
Even with that information tucked away in my noggin, when I arrived at the Oakland International Airport (my origin), I was puzzled to see employees in US Airways uniforms working the America West check-in counter. Possibly because there wasn’t a line, one employee was stationed at the computer screen in front of the counter that issues boarding passes. I played dumb (I’ve been told I’m a natural) and let her walk me through the procedure of entering my name, flight number, and a credit card (for identity verification purposes only) in order to get my paper boarding pass.
Score 1 star for friendly customer service.
I have read where US Airways has a reputation of losing luggage at a higher rate than the average airline. Indeed, on their web page there is a link to a recent press release stating just that. However, I cannot comment on that as I brought just one carry-on piece with me. I try to travel as light as possible, and for the four-night weekend I had planned, all of my stuff fit neatly inside a regular-sized backpack.
After I made my way to the boarding gate, it wasn’t long before an announcement was made that this Friday afternoon flight was overbooked. The attendants (still all US Airways staff) took turns pitching free round-trip flights to anywhere within the continental US, cash back (my ears heard $100, though they may have upped the ante later), and a one-night stay in beautiful, downtown Oakland to any passengers willing to give up their seats for a later flight. A few people jumped at the chance, including one woman who was looking to trade in her ticket for a flight to Tucson.
After the trading and haggling was over, we ready to board the plane. The plane waiting for us was an American West Airbus A319, apparently the American West portion of the merger. The attendant announced the sections not in seats, but in zones, so there was a little confusion among us simple folk in the crowd until we figured out that the zone number was printed on our boarding passes.
Once inside the plane, I noticed a small pillow was placed on each seat, but not a blanket could be found. I liked the legroom that my seat offered—it seemed to be a bit more generous than in other planes.
As I mentioned, the plane had been overbooked, so the flight was full. For a number of people, that meant that room was limited for their carry-on luggage. I was able to fit my backpack under the seat in front of me, so I didn’t have to worry. But others were getting frustrated at the lack of space and some had to have their luggage tagged and placed in the hold.
Deduct 1 star for passenger frustration
Even after the luggage situation was resolved, we weren’t ready to fly. It seems that the woman who wanted to go to Tucson somehow was on our flight. She explained to one of the flight attendants that she had given up her seat, only to be called back into it. The attendant, a young woman, was rather abrupt, saying that it was the responsibility of those at the gate, not inside the plane, to take care of passengers’ special travel accommodations. That said, the Tucson passenger was whisked off the plane and we were shortly ready for departure.
Deduct 1 star for observed rudeness
The travel time from Oakland to Phoenix was originally to be two hours. However, with the delays we got off the ground 30 minutes late. So, it was a surprising relief when the pilot announced that he would be able to get us into Phoenix within 90 minutes of take off. He kept his word, too, for we landed in Phoenix ahead of time.
Score 1 star for a quick flight
The flight itself went smoothly. All passengers were offered a choice of drink, with a refill, and a packet of honey roasted peanuts. I took a quick nap and when I awoke we were about make our descent.
Score 1 star for in-flight service
My return flight, on a Tuesday morning, started out much smoother than my departure. From my friend’s computer, I printed my boarding pass the night before using my confirmation code (a six letter security code given out with my receipt). The flight was not full, so there was nobody scurrying around or waiting with baited breath to see if they would make it onto the plane. Again, we boarded an America West plane, this time a Boeing 737.
Score 1 star for a hassle free flight check-in
The weather wasn’t as nice (it was actually raining in Phoenix the day I left), so the flight was much rougher than coming down. Because of that, we landed in Oakland about 20 minutes behind schedule as the plane circled around the area until the wind died down. According to the pilot, it was illegal to attempt to land a craft our size with wind gusts above 40 mph.
The service on the return flight was similar to my outbound flight. Small pillows were waiting on each seat, but no blanket. Every passenger was offered a packet of peanuts and a drink, but perhaps due to the turbulence the flight attendants did not pass through a second time offering refills.
No stars added or subtracted for return flight
So, in sum I give America West, US Airways, or whatever they want to call themselves, positive points for having a low fare, an on-time flight, and a good personal interaction with their customer service. My overall experience was a satisfactory one. I wasn’t wowed by their overall service, especially with the way they handled a crowded plane, but they did nothing to dissuade me from flying with them again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Pantagruel
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Location: Minneapolis, California, Philippines
Reviews written: 225
Trusted by: 84 members
About Me:
Unemployed again...which means more time to write reviews!
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