Originally Posted by
rzsionak
I fly in Europe pretty regularly and the European carrier's coach seats have very tight pitch (often 29-30" vs 31-32" for American carriers)
SeatGuru contradicts that statement.
Originally Posted by
rzsionak
have almost no way to purchase extra legroom seats, are less padded versions than American carriers use,
That's incorrect. AF, KL, BA definitely have some sort of Y+ seating; I don't know about others.
Originally Posted by
rzsionak
and don't have on-board entertainment for non long-haul flights.
That's true, but not all domestic US flights have that either. IFE is not that big of an issue for shorter flights, IMO.
Originally Posted by
rzsionak
Business class on short-haul European flights is terrible utilizing cramped economy seats. The biggest negative on European flights is that a lot of flights involve taking a bus to an airplane on the tarmac and walking up the stairs
.
Intra-EU biz is pretty much a joke in terms of seats, but you get lounge access, you usually get warm food (even on shorter flights) and with the seat next to you blocked it's not
that bad. Seats in domestic F are far superior, but in terms of offerings US carriers are inferior.
Originally Posted by
rzsionak
Service wise, I'd actually put American carriers slightly ahead of European carriers.
That's a matter of personal preference. I find that people tend to like the service that is closest to their culture (most Americans prefer a US-style service while most Europeans prefer the Euopean kind.) YMMV.
Originally Posted by
rzsionak
AZ and AF are awful for customer service and even LH and BA aren't much to write home about if you are on a coach ticket. American carriers have at least put together options that can make the flying process quick and convenient if you use the system well, whereas on AF or AZ I just plan on waiting an hour to check bags and get a boarding pass.
Well, yes and no. Service recovery is more prevalent in the US, so in case of issues they tend to be more accommodating. OTOH, pax are protected by law in Europe, so European airlines have to fork up cash for some IRROPS.