Quite simply, the answer is no. I, too, feel that CO is quite overrated. Sure, they win lots of awards and are generally rated higher than the other US airlines, but let's face it, it doesn't take much to be a little better than most US carriers. Compare CO to Asian and European carriers, and quite often you find CO to be vastly inferior. In my own experiences, I have found CO's people to be no better than any other airline's. Many check-in agents and gate agents are indifferent and unfriendly. Reservations agents are often unhelpful. I usually find NW's people to be more pleasant and professional, particularly the reservations agents. It seems to me that CO really just has two things going for it: newer planes and a decent on-time record. In other respects, the airline is pretty mediocre.