Flight of fancy: Fly the airline of your dreams

— -- Frequent fliers love to gripe about airlines. And who can blame them? By almost any measure, service at U.S. carriers is at a low.

Just this past summer, the Federal Aviation Administration logged a record number of flight delays. And FlightStats, a firm that tracks planes worldwide, says outright cancellations at U.S. airlines soared to more than 30,000 flights — nearly twice the number of a year ago.

Fliers will tell you, moreover, that coach seats have gotten too cramped; first class no longer is what it used to be; the rollout of in-flight entertainment screens has been far too slow. And then, of course, there's the issue of customer service. Or lack thereof.

Even the U.S. Postal Service, once the poster child for poor customer service, now ranks higher than airlines in the University of Michigan's Customer Satisfaction Index.

Why can't the airlines get it right? Actually, a few carriers do, at least in some areas. Singapore Airlines is praised for everything from its roomier-than-normal seats to its customer service. Southwest wins applause for its upbeat flight attendants. And don't we all wish more airlines had the seat-back TV screens found on JetBlue?

Imagine if we could pick and choose from the best elements of all carriers and bundle them together. Call it piecing together the perfect airline.

USA TODAY asked three top travel experts —Wendy Perrin, consumer news editor of Condé Nast Traveler, Randy Petersen, founder of InsideFlyer magazine and FlyerTalk.com, and Tom Parsons, founder of Bestfares.com — to do just that in 10 categories.

The result: a blueprint for the ideal airline of the future.

As Petersen says, "We can all dream, can't we?"

Best flight attendants

It's not easy dealing with passengers, and flight attendants often get a bad rap. But despite the occasional horror story, Parsons says, the reality is "every airline has a large group of flight attendants who take their jobs seriously."

Still, if you have to pick one to copy, it'd be Southwest, he says. Its chipper attendants "try to keep it a fun ship and a fun trip," with goofy joking and an upbeat vibe.

Petersen favors another airline known for its upbeat attendants: Virgin Atlantic. "It could be the overwhelming British accent," he concedes. "But over 20 flights, I've yet to find a single flight attendant that did not make me feel welcome."

Perrin's pick? Singapore Airlines. "You gotta love those uniforms."

Best in-flight entertainment

"Who would have ever thought that TV can actually erase the pain of travel?" says Petersen, noting that JetBlue's seat-back DirecTV with 36 live channels is so mesmerizing, he sometimes almost misses the fact the plane has landed and it's time to get off. Plus, it offers 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio at every seat.

Parson agrees, while adding that "Frontier is almost there, and AirTran has a high number of planes with XM radio — something it'd be great if others copied."

Perrin once again holds out Singapore as the airline to beat. But "if you've got kids, Emirates may be better, as it's got many more games you can play on the screen."

Best food

Our experts say that none of the airlines do it right anymore — or at least right enough for others to copy — so airlines should look to the airport concourse for a model.

"I'm happy to report that most major airports around the world are really getting into the restaurant business," says Petersen. But "no airline is really that good at food."

Parsons notes that he has seen an improvement in American's food in first class, which he often flies, but it's still "nothing to write home to Mom about."

Perrin notes Traveler readers rate Singapore tops for coach meals.

Best coach class

Coach seats seem to get smaller by the day. But at least one carrier still does it right, says Perrin: Singapore Airlines — long top-rated among Traveler readers.

If only other airlines would offer back-of-the-bus accommodations as roomy as on Singapore's Boeing 777-300 ERs, where seats have a 32-inch pitch and 19-inch width, Perrin notes. "Plus you get a personal TV screen with hundreds of movies and TV shows," she adds.

Most U.S. carriers don't come close, but there are standouts. Parsons' favorite airline for coach is Midwest Express, "because of its (less cramped) 2-by-2 seating." Petersen's top picks are JetBlue and United, which offer the roomiest seats on the routes Americans travel most. "I hope this nod encourages others to get in the game," he says. "Hear that, American?"

Best business class

You may not have heard of the airline Petersen says does business class best. But fly it once and you'll never forget the name: Etihad. The national airline of the United Arab Emirates offers business-class travelers mini cabins — that's right, mini cabins — with what Petersen says are the largest entertainment screens he has ever seen.

Petersen notes that this is probably the most competitive class of service in the industry, and "being the best means (you're) just a single lie-flat bed away from 10 others." British Airways also does a great business class, he says. And Perrin says other airlines could learn a lot from Virgin Atlantic, where business-class seats are 22 inches wide and convert into an industry-leading 79.5-inch flat bed. Plus, Virgin offers an in-flight massage therapist.

Parsons' pick? American.

Best first class

Not a lot of debate here: Our experts single out Singapore Airlines as having the most alluring digs.

The service is famously gracious. Plus, as Perrin notes, seats are outrageously wide — 35 inches on Singapore's Boeing 777-300 ERs.

Of course, it's not the 777s that have everyone talking, but rather Singapore's new A380, where first class consists of the much-ballyhooed, double-bedded, room-for-two private cabins (the ones the carrier says are for sleeping only, please, and nothing more).

The only caveat on Singapore's first-class offerings, Perrin says, is that the pitch on its 777s is just 71 inches. For tall passengers, Emirates' Airbus 345 with 86-inch flat-bed first-class seats may have the concept to beat, she says.

Best website

Is this a trick question? Our experts thought so.

Perrin's response: "Are you joking? … I hear far more complaints than praise about virtually every airline's website, so I can't honestly answer this one."

Petersen wasn't much more upbeat. "If uptime counts, and it does, we can eliminate about half the airlines to start," he gripes.

If you absolutely must pick a Web leader, Petersen says it's probably Alaska or Southwest — the latter also the choice of Parsons (who also gives a nod to American's site).

These sites, Petersen notes, are simple to use — something you can't say about others. "Say what you want, but simple works for me," he says.

Best frequent-flier program

Every program has at least a few flaws, which makes this a tough category, Petersen says.

Nonetheless, he taps United, which has awards starting at just 15,000 miles, is a member of the top-notch Star Alliance network and offers other nice perks.

United's plan has "enough benefits and levels of membership that anyone earning 1,000 to millions of miles can find opportunity for earning and burning and still feel their loyalty is being honored," he says. The fact that it has few extra fees is a bonus.

Petersen also likes Alaska's program, as does Perrin. They note the program's alliance with major domestic carriers American, Continental, Delta and Northwest.

Best customer service

Other carriers could learn a lot from Singapore Airlines, says Perrin, which Traveler readers rate tops for on-the-ground handling of customers. Petersen, meanwhile, gives a nod to Continental.

"All airlines have their good and bad days," he says. "But for everyday customer service, I've never had a problem with Continental."

Petersen says unlike other airlines, Continental has been blissfully free of scheduling meltdowns. And it has avoided the labor strife that has resulted in employees at other airlines giving customers what Petersen calls "attitude."

Parsons, who didn't pick a best carrier, says he avoids customer service entirely by completing every transaction, from buying tickets to changing seats, online or at kiosks. "I try never to speak to humans at the airport," he says.

Best baggage handling

Once again, Singapore is the airline to beat, says Perrin. But Parsons isn't so sure.

"There's not much of a difference as far as I can see" between all the carriers, he says. "They all have their $2 per bag signs outside. They all lose bags."

Petersen stands with Parsons, arguing that there are "no category leaders here."

Indeed, even airlines that offer special handling to premium passengers seem to mess it up all too often, notes Petersen. "We can all name that time when despite that bright VIP tag (on the bag), it came out of the carousel last."

Your perfect airline? Share your own airline wish list below.