What matters to you when you fly? Free meals? Checked baggage fees? Getting bumped off of your flight?
Here’s how the six airlines that most frequently serve Chicago measure up against one another. Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Passengers carried per year (2008), in millions
United:
63.1
American:
92.8
Delta:
170*
Continental:
67
Southwest:
101.9
AirTran:
25
*Includes Delta and Northwest airlines, which merged last year flights per day
United:
3,300
American:
1,900
Delta:
1,300
Continental:
2,750
Southwest:
3,300
AirTran:
700
On-time aArrivals (over the 12 months ending in May 2009)
United:
76.2%
American:
75.2%
Delta:
76.3%
Continental:
75.6%
Southwest:
83.3%
AirTran:
77.3%
Lost/mishandled baggage (per 1,000 passengers, May 2009)
United:
3.67
American:
4.32
Delta:
4.33
Continental:
2.32
Southwest:
3.3
AirTran:
1.6
Passengers involuntarily bumped (per 10,000 passengers, January-March 2009)
United:
1.3
American:
0.42
Delta:
1.64
Continental:
1.42
Southwest:
1.42
AirTran:
0.35
Checked baggage fees
United: $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second bag (save $5 per bag by checking in online)
American: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag
Delta: $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second bag (save $5 per bag by checking in online)
Continental: $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second bag (save $5 by checking in online)
– Southwest: No fee for the first and second bags
AirTran: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second
Flight change fee
(for non-refundable tickets)
United: $150 for domestic; $250 for international
American: $150 for domestic; $250 for international
Delta: $150 for domestic; $250 for international
Continental: up to $150 for domestic; up to $250 for international (depends on the type of fare)
– Southwest: None
AirTran: $75
Meals/drinks (economy class only)
United: Snacks include candy/chips/nuts for $3, snack boxes for $6, and salads/wraps for $9. Alcohol costs $6.
American: Snacks include crackers/nuts for $3 to $4, sandwiches for $6, and new Boston Market sandwiches and salads for $10. Alcohol is $6.
Delta: Free peanuts and Biscoff cookies. Other snacks range from $2 Peanut M&Ms to $5 snack boxes to an $8 veggie salad with goat cheese and pine nuts. Beer is $5 and other alcohol is $7.
Continental: Free snacks for flights over 2 hours and free meals at designated meal times for flights longer than 3 1/2 hours. Alcohol costs $5.
Southwest: Free peanuts or pretzels. Alcohol and energy drinks cost $5.
AirTran: No food. Alcohol is $5 for beer and wine and $6 for other spirits.
