I love love love Horizon Air.
They have free coffee service (Starbucks) at the gate. Nice touch!
You board on the tarmac rather than going from the terminal into a jetway. This is advantageous because you also don't have to check your bag. Instead, Horizon offers "a la carte" service, where they roll this cart out next to the airplane right on the tarmac. Before you board you put your bag on that cart and when everyone's on the plane they load all the bags into the cargo hold. When you get off the plane, they unload those bags and roll the cart over to the passengers who are waiting on the tarmac, and you just grab your bag and go!
These are propeller airplanes. Not as fast as a jet, but not that much slower. Horizon's routes are probably all under 2 hours anyway, so it's no big deal. What's cool about the Horizon fleet is that there are no middle seats! Each row has 4 seats: two on each side of the row.
Also, beer and wine are free on Horizon. And the selection changes from month to month (as far as I can tell). The beer is quality NW brewed, not some jankie midwest swill.
Finally, you board and de-plane from both the front and rear exits. I LOVE getting off an airplane, it's one of my favorite moments in life. Go ahead and choose the back seat of a Horizon airplane: you'll be the first one off the plane!
Horizon shares their mileage program with Alaska Airlines (they might even be the same company -- I'm not sure). I'm pretty exclusive and loyal to Alaska and Horizon airlines, so I've racked up a lot of miles over the years. I'm saving up to cash in on a trip to Australia this winter -- going first class on Qantas using my Alaska/Horizon miles. How cool is that? read more