by Megan Buff

Created on: February 01, 2009   Last Updated: February 07, 2012

The U.S. is a huge country, especially compared to many in the world. This makes air travel almost a necessity. Fortunately, there are a wide range of airlines available. The three main budget airlines are Southwest, Frontier, and JetBlue. In addition, some major airlines (such as United and Alaska) have commuter divisions (Ted and Horizon, respectively) which fly short "puddle-jumper" journeys. If you fly long distances on commuter airlines, you may very well end up stopping at a different airport every forty-five minutes, much like an airborne bus service.

Southwest Airlines  is a popular budget airline. They are a great company to fly with, no matter your price range. Unlike many other airlines, Southwest still allows passengers to check two bags free of charge. Southwest employees are some of the friendliest in the business, and you may even be serenaded by your flight attendant. Southwest's online ticketing service allows you to print off your boarding pass and check in at home. If you're not checking any luggage, this means you can bypass the line at the reception desk entirely.

On Frontier Airlines, even if you're not going to Denver, you will probably end up going through Denver. Fortunately, this is a customer-friendly airport except in the dead of winter, when weather conditions can be a bit dicey and your landing is pretty well guaranteed to be bumpy. Frontier also does online check-in, which is definitely the best option if you can manage to cram all your necessities into a carry-on bag.

JetBlue is the rising star of budget airlines in the U.S. Despite financial troubles, it has received consistent high ratings from travel magazines and research companies. JetBlue flies mostly along the eastern seaboard, but has recently expanded its services across the country.

Most airlines, especially the lower-cost ones, fly out of several hubs. If you fly on these airlines, you will likely stop over at one of their hubs. This is especially true if you're flying out of a smaller city. While a layover is inconvenient, you are often in an airport for only an hour or two between flights. What's more, hub airports are usually set up to cater to those of us stuck there on layovers. Nice restaurants and shopping abound, and if you're lucky, there might even be a play area for the kids.

When planning a cross-country trip, itineraries with one stop are best. Non-stop flights are usually more expensive, while more than one layover can be quickly exhausting. As a rule, larger airports are better. They might be more crowded, but they are also more likely to provide for the needs of travellers stuck inside airport security for several hours. My personal favorite airports to fly through are Minneapolis/St Paul, Portland (Oregon), and Denver. These three are well-organized and spacious, with local shops inside the terminals which give a sense of the region and provide a better place to eat than Wendy's.

Airlines are big business in the U.S. Despite the stigma about airport security, flight safety, and the inconvenience of long lines, air travel is actually quite safe and relatively easy. If you pack a sense of humor for the unexpected and inevitable bumps in the road, it can even be very enjoyable.

Learn more about this author, Megan Buff.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.