I just returned from my LGA-HOU on ATA and while everyone at ATA was actually very nice, I must say that I can't wait for B6 to start this route.

First of all, there is the issue of price. It's interesting that when TZ serves LGA-HOU twice a day with its 737-800's, CO doesn't blink an eyelash and continues to charge astronomical, outrageous fares.

I took TZ because the absolute lowest fare I could find on CO was a whopping $818 r.t. (TZ cost $376 r.t.).

Now, when B6's announces 3 daily JFK-HOU flights on E-190's, CO immediately lowers its price to match B6.

Of course, it's no surprise why CO pays more attention to B6 than to TZ. B6 is a ground-breaking, revolutionary product which is changing the basic idea of airline travel.

TZ, on the other hand, has a long way to go to be breaking any ground.

I just completed my LGA-HOU on TZ and the experience was actually very instructive for anyone who might start to take the quality of B6 for granted.

I have been flying out of LGA for many decades and it has become one of my favorite airports. When you fly TZ, though, it's a painful reminder of the chaotic old days of LGA.

TZ shares the B concourse with AirTrain and these two discount carriers move a mass of humanity in a tiny, narrow space.

The security line is where the chaos starts. As you wait on line an airline employee (not wearing a uniform but clearly not a TSA person) yells at you to form two lines. It turns out there are two ID checkers, but she is yelling at the people standing no more than 3 feet from the ID checkers, so the double line only extends for 3 feet (after that it merges back into one line).

The TSA procedure is pretty much par for the course, except for the lack of space. At my station, there was a grand total of 5 or 6 bins which needed to be continuously recycled by the hapless TSA person.

The fun begins once you enter the B Concourse. TZ has gates on one side and AirTran has the gates on the other side. The total width of the concourse is no more than 15 feet.

People line up for flight on both sides as arriving passengers are deplaning who have to walk through a gauntlet barely wide enough for one person.

When the boarding begins on TZ there is a perfunctory attempt to pre-board and very quickly there is a stampede on the gate agent. As he is collecting boarding passes, he is philosophical "We got to hurry, we don't want to be late."

In all fairness the flight was perfectly fine, leather seats, adequate legroom (although not as much as B6). Free soft drinks and pay-for snack boxes that looked pretty basic.

The coach cabin on TZ, by the way, was significantly more comfortable than the horrendous, knee-crushing CO coach cabin with its rock-hard thin seats.

On my return from HOU there was a mechanical issue with one of the engines and so we were delayed about an hour.

But all the TZ staff were friendly and professional. So it could have been worse.

Still, this route will clearly go through a sea change once B6 starts operating on it.