Too often, we neglect the airlines serving PHL that don't have large market shares, even when they are based in our region and seem to have happy customers. We're talking about USA 3000, which the readers of Travel + Lesure magazine this month ranked as the third-best domestic airline, based on providing good value for your money. USA 3000 is an affiliate of Apple Vacations, based in Newtown Square, Delaware County, and one of the world's largest sellers of air-and-hotel package vacations. Travel + Leisure's affluent well-traveled readers found the best value in airlines to be JetBlue, followed by Southwest and USA 3000. The survey was conducted about a year ago. You can find the whole article here
The airline ranking is a big surprise -- at least to us. Look at the list of best hotels or cruise lines, which, again, were rated on the basis of value: It includes some of the classiest and most expensive hotels and cruise lines in the world. JetBlue has a well-deserved reputation for quality service, even after the operational problems of Valentine's Day, but it also has low fares. Southwest and to some extent USA 3000 are known more for low fares but also for reliable service .So it turns out that an airline doesn't necessarily have to fly around the world or have first-class sleeper seats to keep demanding customers happy. Providing good service at a fair price looks to us to be way to go. Tell us what you think by posting a comment.
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Comments (6)
I flew USA 3000 once about three years ago and it was once of the best experiences I ever had into/out of PHL. The planes were either new or maintained above anything I had ever seen on US Air - we were treated with complimentary mimosas on our morning flight and the groudn crew and flight staff were great.
The seats were also fantastic - as a tall and broad sholdered individual it is tough to find seats that are comfortable (Southwest Exit Row is about it - US Air/ United - not a chance).
It was a wonderful way to start and end a vacation.
Posted by Paul | March 29, 2007 10:10 AM
Posted on March 29, 2007 10:10
I had similar (great) experience. The service, both F&B and especially the crew, were fabulous.
Posted by Jeff | March 29, 2007 3:39 PM
Posted on March 29, 2007 15:39
Flying these airlines is all well and good except when weather is an issue or you travel for a living. The major carriers can swap positions in bad weather preventing massive delays. I once had to wait 3 hours for an Air Tran flight to Boston in a rain storm. Its US Air counterpart leaving at the same time landed 30 minutes late. Flying an airline with market share does have its perks when the going gets tough. USA 3000 is hardly a good choice for the Road Warrior. I am not even going to mention the problems when you miss a flight and they don't have another flight for 5+ hours. This airline is more for the folks who don't know how status miles differ from the ones you get with your credit card.
Posted by Brian | March 29, 2007 11:08 PM
Posted on March 29, 2007 23:08
We flew usa 3000 to punta cana last year. They did a great job. The flight left on time, arrived on time. The plane was very clean and the flight crew was excellent. They actually seemed to enjoy their job and made you feel welcome ( as opposed to many flight crews on other airlines who make you feel like unappreciated cattle)
We are going to fly with them again this summer and are looking forward to the flight.
Posted by rich k | March 30, 2007 8:33 AM
Posted on March 30, 2007 08:33
BEWARE: You get what you pay for. This airline is truly an el cheapo. The customer service is non-existent. They don't even email you an eticket. You have to call to request it. Be prepared to wait on hold for a long time to actually speak to a person. And when you do, you may ned an interpreter. You may also have problems with several day delays in having your credit card charged. Also, their prices and flight availability will change drastically, and by the hour. There is little consistency with this outfit. You are better off flying Southwest at the same rate or paying a couple extra dollars to go on a real airline.
Posted by PJS | October 4, 2007 9:41 PM
Posted on October 4, 2007 21:41
I had a computer glitch that changed my return flight from a mon to a fri. when I called the 1-800 number the supervisor was very annoyed she had to talk to me at all and told me she refused to take my situation personal and that the policies do not change for anyone. She told me she would charge me $75 X 5 tickets to fix the error. I asked if she could make an acception due to the fact I was trying to schedule one day and was given another, she said she could not "bother" her boss with this matter. Funny with so much competition they could care less about customer satisfaction.
Posted by L Denise | January 19, 2008 1:03 PM
Posted on January 19, 2008 13:03