Are you a frequent business flier? You might have already formed an opinion of the best airlines. If you aren’t a frequent traveler now but do have to travel for your company even on a periodic basis, it pays to know which airlines might be best suited to meet your particular needs. With that in mind, Brad Wilson wrote about the best airlines for business travel in a recent article at Entrepreneur that you will want to consider.

 Southwest

Wilson says that Southwest is his favorite airline for business travelers going domestic. After Southwest purchased AirTran, it is now offering routes nationwide. It gets high marks for getting you to more destinations than ever before, but Wilson really likes Southwest because of its generous policy on rescheduling flights. 

Being able to cancel a flight for free as close as 10 minutes before the flight is set to depart is a major perk. If you have a business meeting that is running late, you’ll really appreciate this kind of flexibility.

JetBlue

Do you travel transcontintally on a regular basis for business? JetBlue is a strong contender for best in service, notes Wilson, because of its new Mint first class offering. Passengers can put their seats back and recline in a flat position. The airfares are less expensive than what you would get via Delta, Wilson noted.

Emirates and Etihad

Emirates is an important player when it comes to international business trips. Wilson had high praise for Emirates because of the impressive amenities offered to passengers in flight. They offer outstanding business class service and include affordable Wi-Fi on lengthy flights.

Etihad is starting to become more competitive with business customers who need to travel to places such as the Middle East, China, Europe and India. Fees are lower and it takes less time to get on board, which is a premium when you are traveling on business. Another plus for Etihad is reduced layovers and stopovers, which can only add to the inconvenience and time wasted by busy international business travelers.

 American and Spirit

Wilson says you can’t go wrong with American and Spirit for domestic flights. American offers hundreds of international flights and you can get a good mix of upgrades after you have 50,000 miles accrued. And if you are on a budget, you can’t go wrong with no-frills flights via Spirit, noted Wilson.

What do you think? Have you had much experience flying with any of these top-rated airlines? When you find a great airline to meet your business needs, you’ll likely become a devoted flier so you can get the same level of service on a consistent basis. The team at Royal Coachman wishes you happy and safe flying on your next business trip.

Posted in: corporate travel, travel tips