Best & Worst Express/Commuter Operations
 

Living in GSP as I do, you get to see a lot of express ops. I was wondering what everyone thinks of the various operations around the US- here's my opinion.

American Eagle
DFW-The A2 Terminal's awful if one has tight connx to mainline in Terminals B and C, but the facility itself is nice.
ORD-First class express op,UAX/ACA should take a hint.

Continental Express
EWR-The old cattle style system was awful, but now arrivals on ERJs are into the main terminal, just like mainline.
CLE-Terminal D is nice.
IAH-Haven't been here yet.

Delta Connection
ATL-ASA's Terminal C operation is awful, cramped and crowded.
CVG-Another first class op, except for the fact one has to be bussed to Terminals A and B.
SLC-Haven't been there.
DFW-haven't been there.

Northwest Airlink
MEM-nice facility after renovations.
DTW-haven't been to midfield yet.
MSP-haven't been there yet

US Airways Express
CLT & PHL- Both are brand new and I haven't been to either
PIT-decent if you get into the main terminal, E is okay but the train's a hastle

United Express
IAD-when we went through the A part of the facility was nice, though connx from T gates are bad(people movers) and connx to Concourses C and D suffer from same problem.
ORD-F gate area's a disaster, the infrastructure simply doesn't exist like AE's Concourse G, it's probably the worst express operation in the nation.
DEN,SFO,LAX-Haven't been through.

As you can see I haven't been through most of the Western hubs, would like opinions.

I refuse to fly on ASA. To avoid ASA I have:

Made a triple connection

Flown on Continental

Flown the next day

Flown the previous day

I'm sure they don't miss my revenue, but then again I don't miss their unprofessional operation in ATL with what appear to be chronically angry and/or indifferent people and consistently late/broken aircraft.

And now the commuters I like and will use for appropriate distance flights (< 1 hour)

Comair: Great people, clean planes, few mechanical delays. Only gripe is how much I despise their random security screens at CVG (elsewhere they are the same as everyone else, which is to say I only hate their screens).

American Eagle: Wish they still had the free booze but other than that it's a good operation with good, professional staff.

TWExpress (AA now, commuters based in STL): Pretty decent service, very old aircraft. Still, as long as it's a short trip I pretty much have no complaints w/these folks.

UnitedExpress: Fairly Indifferent here. Average service, so-so performance. Pretty much a cluster@#$% of an operation at ORD. Since I now fly AA and DL pretty much exclusively, I haven't been on UX in almost a year.

i just had my first two experiences on American Eagle this weekend and was pleasantly surprised. flew JFK-PVD-LGA (first leg on a Saab, second on a CRJ or ERJ, i can't remember which). the Saab was alrigiht (COMFY and cushy seat) but i loved the jet back to LGA.

didn't know about the free booze.... it is indeed too bad that it is gone!

As far as United Express, I have to agree with you that the situation in Chicago is absurd. Way too many people trying to get out of a very small area. There is not enough room for the number of people they are running on those little jets. Also, very poor facilities, far from places to eat, news stands, etc. for the multiple hour delays that are common.

Denver, on the other hand is much much better, or was last time I was on an Express flight. Just the opposite of the Chicago situation. It is on the far end of the terminal, so if you have a tight connection, you can miss your "legal connection time". I have, and I ran down the terminal.

American Eagle at DFW is a huge improvement. Prior to the opening of the new terminal, that you must be bussed to, the Eagle terminal literally looked like a third world country airport, and I am being charitable toward American. Before the new terminal, I would take ASA or drive before I would get into that horrible Eagle gate area in the main terminal. The new one, a HUGE improvement, United should go down there and take notes, as Eagle (finally) did something right with that new terminal.

Cincinnati's ComAir hub terminal is another one I really like, even with the bus ride, which is actually quite nice, as the route you take you get a good look at all of Delta's gates, planes and the airport. The bus is spacious, and they are constantly running so they don't go out packed. Another place United should take notes. Commuter terminal also has good concessions, and newsstand, although better (for an airport) food is in the main terminal.

Things are set up very nicely in SLC. They go out of terminal E, and it's a short walk to D, and a fairly swift people-mover from D to C (mainline DL is mostly out of C and D gates). They've recently remodeled E, so it's got a lot more room than it did a couple of years ago.

SLC is probably my favorite connection airport.

take care,
Scott

While I don't think the Horizon facilities at SEA or PDX are nice, I think Horizon is one of the nicest commuter airlines I've been on. I realize I work for Alaska, but I've traveled on ASA, Comair, Atlantic Coast, Mesaba, American Eagle, Piedmont, PSA, Skywest, Continental Express, Skyway Airlines and Corporate Airlines. All, with the exception of ASA, have been pretty nice but Horizon really has the nicest people. Not to mention their pretty original snack items and free micro-brews and local wines.

[This message has been edited by AS Flyer (edited 04-08-2002).]

DL's DFW opperation is pretty good. They have a CRC pretty much to themselves. I wish CVG would get a club room in the Comair area.

As this topic is not mileage related, I have reproduced it on the Travel board, under "Airlines, Hotels, & Car Rentals. Please follow this link:

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000355.html

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Craig6z
Buzz & United Moderator
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