>>1233548General aviation in the U.S. is unmatched by anyone else in the world. Between the number of airports we have and the flexibility of our ATC system, general aviation can take you anywhere almost anytime. But it's obvious you mean airlines.
The passenger experience on commercial carriers simply depends on the airline. I usually have no trouble if I fly with any of the big 3, but I do prefer Delta. For LCC I prefer SWA and Jet Blue. The keys to comfort on any airline are pretty simple if we're honest: seat pitch, width, and even a slight ability to recline. Boom, you're now a comfy airline. Connecting on a regional can be kind of rough but that's the price you pay for being able to go to smaller communities without having to drive or take the train.
In terms of what the aviation industry is like for pilots, that's a mixed bag. Regionals still suck, but they are slowly improving and the ones who won't improve quality of life are struggling to retain a usable pilot pool, let alone hire enough pilots to maintain any kind of growth. That being said, the regionals are taking so many pilots out of other private sectors of aviation that wages as a whole are creeping up and it's never been better. I expect to make regional captain money this year and I'm flying a light twin for a private operator.
