Different Airline, Same Plane?

So you’re seated in an airplane after the cortisol-raising ordeal that is trying to drive to the airport, navigate through security and find your gate. Upon boarding and fighting to find that last overhead compartment space, most people sit down in the cramped, low-quality fabric seat without batting an eye. But I am here to tell you it might be worth looking twice, because every seat is not equal. In fact, everything from check-in to snacks to in-flight entertainment depends on which airline you’re flying with, and the little things matter when you’re stuck 36,000 feet in the air.

Snacks

While all airlines offer some sort of complimentary snack and beverage generally transported by enormous carts that take up the whole aisle, they vary by company, especially the snacks. All major U.S. airlines serve Coke products. All flights also have snacks available for purchase, adding to the variability.

“The last plane I flew on had free drinks and free Wi-Fi,” senior Masha Tallant said. “They gave you free pretzels that were stale and terrible. If you wanted good snacks you had to pay for them. If I got to choose, I would choose to have more snack choices.”

Delta offers a choice of Squirrel Brand Honey Roasted Peanuts, Snyder’s pretzels, NatureBox Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Bars or Biscoff cookies on U.S. flights.

JetBlue offers a choice of Cheez-It crackers, Skeeter Nut-Free chocolate chip cookies, Craisins dried cranberries, Popcorners popcorn chips and TERRA Sweets & Blues potato chips. JetBlue has also done away with the unwieldy beverage carts. The flight attendants instead write down drink orders and carry the drinks in small batches. They bring the snacks in a tray for passengers to choose from.

American Airlines gives passengers a choice of Biscoff cookies or mini pretzels on flights over 250 miles.

Entertainment

Have you ever gotten onto your plane and been thrilled to find screens that promise hours of free entertainment? Or conversely, have you ever been expecting screens or looking forward to seeing a movie you were sure was going to be offered and been disappointed?

Many airlines have screens, but only for their larger planes, meant for going overseas, or at least transcontinental. Even when faced with a screen, the content offered depends on the airline.

“There weren’t any screens when I flew with Allegiant and the snacks were small and expensive,” junior Andrew Williard said. “I think because they were trying to make everything weigh less. The seats were old and uncomfortable and it felt like a rod in my back.”

Delta’s screens are touch-screen and have up to 300 movies, HBO, SHOWTIME, 18 channels of live satellite TV on select flights, podcasts, TED talks, 2,500+ songs and games including in-flight trivia.

JetBlue has movies available on flights longer than two hours. All JetBlue planes have screens with 100+ channels of free live TV from DIRECTV.

United Airlines offers the complete first season of at least one hit TV show on-demand, DIRECTV and movies on select aircraft.

Wi-Fi

It’s always exciting to know you won’t be completely cut off from the world once forced to turn on airplane mode on your phone, but airplane Wi-Fi can be very expensive. The prices vary, as you can buy anywhere from hourly to monthly passes. Not all flights offer Wi-Fi, but the number grows every day.

An all-day Wi-Fi pass from both Delta and American airlines costs $16.

JetBlue offers free Wi-Fi on all aircraft to all passengers.

App

As most people’s phones become more and more attached to their bodies, it makes sense that every major U.S. airline company would have an app, and they all have the same basic choices.

Apps add to ease of travel. They also mean you can look up the specific airplane you’re traveling on and see if it has Wi-Fi and screens. You can also check the status of your plane, and for JetBlue, United and American, download your boarding pass onto your phone to check in.

While price is clearly the main factor in how most people choose which plane ticket to purchase, other factors can help make that long cramped ride a little more enjoyable.