I know the common sentiment on this board is to avoid low cost airlines like Mesa and Virgin. Something about how they pay pilots low wages and poor to no benefits. Well, I don’t know anything about that nor can I do anything about it. I’ll probably get skewered for this post, but what the hey, it’s a free country and I’m entitled to my opinion.

As everyone who has paid the least bit of attention knows, I have very strong and perhaps unnatural feelings for the F-18 and Alaska Airlines. (A lawyer with feelings?? That’s a different post altogether). Since I cannot fly the F-18 on business or pleasure trips, I try to go on AS whenever possible. However, it doesn’t always go where I need to, so I patronize (quite heavily, too) UAL and CAL.

I recently posted about my Virgin Experience after flying it for the first time. It was rather pleasant and the fare was reasonable. I can tell you that it was significantly lower than AS. My husband and I had so much fun, we plan to go somewhere again. Our criteria is that the flight should not be more than 3 hours long, a direct flight, and the destination city should provide the minimum of entertainment, enjoyment and excruciating fun.

For giggles sake, I just checked travel to SFO over Labor Day weekend. VX wants $69 per person going and $124 per person coming back. AS wants $124 going and $168 coming. That’s a $100 difference, which I can use to pay for one night at the Motel 6. My stimulus rebate check has already been spent, so I’ll have to dig around my sofa or raid the penny jar for the second night.

There are airlines either gone out of business or in very serious financial trouble. This board is full of news about that nasty “F” word. Laid off pilots have few options; they cannot just waltz into FedEx and start a new job. Now I don’t know how long VX will last, but as long as it is in business, those poorly paid pilots are working and not on unemployment or trying to compete for scarce jobs with pilots who have been laid off.

I have nothing against pilots of one airline over another. Believe me, I try to do my share by flying as often as possible. For business trips, I will fly a legacy even though it costs more and I begin to get nasty emails from the CFO. For pleasure trips, well, I am no different than the stereotypical passenger. Sorry.

Someone once called me an Old Bag and Square Box, but somehow I don’t think that’s enough for me to fly FedEx to SFO.