It’s too bad you can’t jumpseat on these carriers, because having a couple of flights in the cockpit, talking to pilots and experiencing the flight with the crew would be helpful.

I recently jumpseated on SW, and really enjoyed the crew, good people all of them, pleasant and friendly. However, that cockpit was so cramped, I don’t know how we all fit in there. Avionics looked old, think we were teetering around at FL 390, made me feel like flying freight on a wide body was luxurious. The crew was flying several legs that day, don’t know if this is a job that older people would enjoy so much unless they were senior.

I’ve avoided deadheading on UAL for decades, many people at my company do the same thing, unless there’s no other good option, and they live in a UAL base. Pilots are a good lot, though.

If I had to fly pax, there’s no doubt I’d choose Delta. After flying two million miles on them, the airline seems like a classy place and their product is a step above the others, theoretically that should translate into longevity.