Flying the frugal skies can be fun

Time was, Southwest was the only discount airline most people knew. No more. The "bus of the skies" has a host of imitators, all promising low fares and high fun.

Now the question is this: Who really delivers?

To find out, I rode four self-proclaimed low-cost carriers -- Delta's Song, JetBlue, United's new Ted and Southwest -- plus United on a cross-country barnstorming tour last month to compare service, entertainment options, food, comfort levels, fares and more.

My main impression of these five (chosen because they serve this market or they're new): Song was a standout, with its cheerfully corny crew, wacky color scheme, gourmet food and onboard trivia contests. JetBlue pulled up second. As for the rest, I found little difference in the flying experience -- or sometimes even fares -- from one to the next.

I chose a route that would take me from Los Angeles to the East Coast and back: Song from LAX to Orlando, Fla.; JetBlue from Orlando to Boston; United from Boston to Denver; Ted from Denver to Las Vegas; and Southwest from Las Vegas to LAX.

This was not a scientific sampling, certainly. Trip legs varied from 4 1/2 hours on Song and United to an hour on Southwest. I wasn't able to taste full menus on all flights. Even within the same airline, different crews may give different service. Fares, of course, shift constantly.

So I can report only what I found on my flights, detailed in the order flown:

Song

Delta launched this low-cost carrier last April on a fashionable note: Kate Spade designer crew duds, organic buy-onboard menu by former W Hotel chef Michel Nischan and seatback TVs. All this plus extra legroom.

The airline shuttles mainly between the Northeast and Florida but also flies nonstop to Florida from the West, including Los Angeles. Its promise, on its website, www.flysong.com: "The song is personal. It's unique. Memorable. And brings a smile to your face."

It does just that, for the most part. My LAX gate crew for my morning Song nonstop to Orlando was subdued. But at 54B next door, a Song agent regaled -- or tormented -- his captive audience with jokes such as: "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Shelby." "Shelby who?" "Shelby coming around the mountain when she comes."

"We try to make it fun," he said.

Inside the squeaky-clean B757 cabin, where the color scheme was bright blue with lime, purple and orange accents, the good humor carried through to the safety audio, set to salsa music.