I fly dozens of times a year, and my favorite airline is British Airways - here's why

While I’ve thankfully never had a truly awful experience with an airline or any of its employees, it’s safe to say that British Airways consistently goes above and beyond basic courtesy and really exemplifies great customer service.

For example, last year, I’d pre-paid for an emergency exit row seat, only to be bumped during the check-in process. While some airlines would probably tell me to get over it and apply for a refund online, a kind BA agent at Heathrow Airport had her manager get me upgraded for free.

Not only that, but the flight attendants’ genuine cheeriness upon greeting and serving passengers always makes a long, boring journey that much better — and less stressful.

While I wouldn’t say that the British Airways Executive Club and its rewards program are the best in the biz (that goes to Alaska Airlines), I’ve still found it relatively easy to move up through membership tiers without feeling like I have to take millions of flights before I making progress.

I can also earn tier points by flying with any of the Oneworld airlines, like American Airlines or Iberia, and the higher your membership level, the more Avios (a BA currency) you earn from those flights.

British Airways uses “Avios,” a currency that can be used toward rewards flights or to supplement fares you’re paying for in cash. Not only do you earn Avios for every flight you take, but you can also earn them by shopping online at any of BA’s partners, which include grocery stores, hotels, gas stations, rental car agencies, clothing shops, and more.

In the last six months alone, I’ve earned more than 50,000 Avios, worth several hundred dollars worth of discounts on future flights, depending on where I’m going and when. Also, I don’t need an airline-branded credit card in order to reap these rewards (though they do offer one).

Of course, your experience may vary depending on your airline class and airplane model, but I’ve never had a bad flight with BA. While I generally choose exit row seats or book seats in their “Premium Economy” section, which offers more legroom and more comfortable seating, I’ve been in economy plenty of times and have never felt overly cramped despite being someone who’s far from petite.

This could be largely due to their often modern aircraft or the fact that their flight attendants are so pleasant that I barely notice any relative discomfort. I always get off the plane feeling a little less fed up than I do with other airlines.