Travel

Getting started

During the first successful airplane flight in 1903, Orville Wright had to lie on top of a wing, next to the motor, in the open air. He might feel right at home on many of today's airliners. Though pilots and passengers now get to ride inside the plane, comfort remains a sore point, according to a survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

More than 16,000 readers told us about their experiences on 31,732 domestic round-trip flights in the previous 12 months. Seven of the 11 airlines they rated received below average scores for seating comfort.

Other quality-of-flight measures also got low marks from readers who flew on lower-rated airlines, including cabin-crew service, cleanliness, and in-flight entertainment. The proliferation of added fees further contributes to passengers' low opinion of today's flying experience.

But some carriers have done a better job than others, as evidenced by a wide difference in overall satisfaction scores. Virgin America, which makes its first appearance on our list in the top spot, received some of the highest scores we've seen in years. Spirit, which also makes its debut on our list, occupies the unenviable bottom spot, receiving one of the lowest overall scores for any company we've ever rated.

You'll increase the odds of a happy–or at least tolerable–flying experience by choosing one of the airlines that did well in our exclusive survey.

You'll increase the odds of a happy–or at least tolerable–flying experience by choosing one of the airlines that did well in our exclusive survey. See our Travel & Vacation Guide for advice and tips on getting the best deals on airfare, hotels, and more.

How to land the best fare

Work the Web

Almost all of our survey respondents (94 percent) who booked their own flights did so online. Of those respondents, 59 percent compared fees on other websites before they chose an airline. For the best possible deals, we suggest you cast that wider net. While the airlines sometimes post great fares on their sites, you might be able to find lower prices elsewhere.

Start with websites that allow you to compare the deals from multiple airlines, such as Airfarewatchdog, FareCompare, and Kayak. Also try travel-agency sites, such as CheapTickets, Expedia, and Travelocity.

If you're a bit more adventurous, websites such as Hotwire and Priceline are another option. Hotwire has set prices, while Priceline lets you bid on tickets. Neither indicates which airline you'll be flying or whether your flight is nonstop until you've bought your nonrefundable ticket. To bid on Priceline, first check what other sites charge for a flight you want and then bid 50 percent less, suggests George Hobica, founder and editor of Airfarewatchdog.

Finally, before you book a flight you've found online, check the airline's site. You might see more flight choices for a similar rate.