United was the right choice for my Pittsburgh to St. Louis flight last month. My expectations were not that high given the embattled nature of many of the U.S. carriers. However, United was a pleasant surprise in today's economy. My first turboprop experience in the skies was on their Bombardier Q400, and it was a comfortable, smooth trip. The flight attendants were cordial, and the pilot even found humor and gave me the "thumbs up" through his window when I took a photo of the craft from the tarmac. More importantly, the plane arrived on schedule and the service was a large step up from the rather inconsistent/forgettable Southwest for just a few dollars more. Choosing United was the correct decision and one that I would make over and over again.