COMINGANDGOING

Airline Performance: Down

..

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED

Airline Performance: Down

JetBlue, AirTran and the now-defunct Independence Air outperformed 14 other U.S. airlines last year, according to a study released last week that rated airlines on four criteria: on-time performance, denied boarding, baggage handling and customer complaints.

But should you choose an airline based on its rating by the University of Nebraska's Aviation Institute? The data are interesting (click on National Airline Quality Rating at http://www.wichita.edu/ ), and it might make you decide to hang on to your bags if you fly 17th-ranked Atlantic Southeast. But overall, the differences among most airlines are small.

For example, top-rated JetBlue had virtually no denied boarding, so you could say that overbooking at 15th-ranked US Airways was way worse. But look at the actual numbers: For every 10,000 passengers, US Airways involuntarily bumped fewer than one person. And US Airways was on time more often than JetBlue: 76.7 percent vs. 71.4.

The baggage mishandling rate for US Airways was more than double that of JetBlue. Even so, that means US Airways misplaced 9.68 bags per 1,000 passengers, compared with 4.06 per 1,000 for JetBlue. A difference, to be sure, but not enough to make that a big factor when choosing a flight.

Arriving on time is often a big deal, and that varies more by flight than by airline. You can check the on-time stats of flights at the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics Web site,http://www.bts.gov. (Under Airline Information, click on Searchable Database.)

HOT LISTS

Croatia: 'Most Exciting'

Croatia is the most exciting destination in Europe and one of the best values for the money , according to tour operators who collectively arrange European travel for millions of tourists each year.

Obviously this is a matter of opinion, and not everyone agreed. But when members of the European Tour Operators Association were asked which country in Europe was the most exciting, 23 percent said Croatia. The next most-mentioned destination: the Czech Republic (15 percent).

For best value , Croatia and Spain tied with 19 percent each. There was more consensus about worst value for the money: over half said the United Kingdom . Then again, London was voted best for partying , sightseeing and shopping -- money aside.

A clear majority agree that France is best for eating well, while Italy is best for art.

TRAVEL TICKER

Southwest Airlines will begin flying from Dulles by early fall, assuming its request for two gates at the Virginia airport is granted. Tickets will go on sale mid-summer for as many as 10 departures a day. Chief executive Gary Kelly said last week the airline would start with "a handful of direct flights," plus connecting routes to some of the 62 cities the airline serves . . . World Cup soccer fans traveling to Germany : Check out Lufthansa's new Globall Airpass , which offers three to 10 flight coupons for as little as $75 each to hop among games. Details: 800-645-3880, http://www.lufthansa-usa.com/soccer . . . London-bound travelers planning to use the Tube should be alert to sporadic closures as the subway system undergoes massive refurbishment. Details: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube . . . Expedia.com is adding 6,000 inns and B&Bs to its site , the online travel agency announced last week.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Fresh Sushi

Save nearly $500 on the round-trip fare to Tokyo or Osaka, Japan, with a deal from American Airlines. The price is $641, including taxes; fare on other airlines starts at $1,125. Deal is good from Washington Dulles or Reagan National for travel departing by May 31, returning by July 15. Book by April 14; three-day advance purchase is required. Some dates are sold out. Buy at www.aa.com or pay $10 more at 800-433-7300.

Reporting: Cindy Loose.

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to: cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.

..