If you haven’t booked your flight to SXSW yet, you’re in luck! Rather than recap the “10 tips for finding low airfare” posts that we’re all sick of reading (book at least two weeks in advance, be flexible, yadda, yadda, yadda), we thought it was fitting to introduce a new, innovative company that understands all flights are not created equal. Plus, you get to impress the tech elite at SXSW and reference a travel site that hasn’t even launched yet. (“What, you used Kayak? That was soooo two years ago.”)

Routehappy, currently in beta, has spent the last year gathering and analyzing experiential data for every flight in the world. For the first time, users can search by the flight’s Happiness Score, which factors aircraft, seat, amenities, and flyer ratings. Personalize the search results by sorting and filtering factors important to you (hello, roomier seats and on-demand TV: meet my friends, non-stop & WiFi.)

The founders of Routehappy took some time off their pre-launch prep to generate this list of happiest flights to Austin from top markets. If your home airport is not on the list, do your own search on Routehappy.com’s beta site. While Happiness Scores for non-stop flights are available on the site today, you’ll have to wait a few more weeks for rates, availability, multi-leg, and a ton of slick new features.

Happiest Flights to Austin on March 8 (scores based on 10 point scale)

• From LA: The happiest flights depart from Long Beach, rather than LAX. With a Happiness Score of 8.42, JetBlue’s Flight B61416 leaves at 12:20 pm and offers a roomy 34-inch pitch and live TV and paid movies aboard an A320. If you are willing to swap happiness for LAX, Routehappy recommends Southwest Flight WN1890 (Happiness Score of 7.36) leaving at 9:55 am. You’ll be a tad more cramped with a 31-inch pitch but you’ll enjoy streaming entertainment on your tablet.
• From SFO: JetBlue has two flights with a Happiness Score of 8.44, but we recommend Flight B61404 departing at 3:00 pm. Enjoy the A320’s roomier seats at 34 inches and Live TV and paid movies.
• From NYC: It will not surprise any New Yorker that LGA is the least happy place on earth.  The world’s longest taxi line, one of the worst delay and cancellation records and limited dining are just a few of the factors that make the Routehappy algorithm sad. JetBlue has a number of happy options from JFK, so drive a little further for a happier flight. Choose between two JetBlue flights departing at 12:50 pm or 3:43 pm.  You’ll avoid rush hour traffic and enjoy the roomiest seats available in coach (34-inch pitch).
• From SEA: Our love affair with JetBlue takes a temporary break in Seattle. Alaska Airlines offers an inch more legroom over the standard 31 inches with a 32-inch pitch. Roomier seats combined with an on-time rating of 95%, Wi-Fi, hand-held entertainment and a departing time of 11:40 am makes Flight A5670 our recommended option.
• From SJC: Routehappy likes Southwest Flight WN910 thanks in part to its 9:20 am departure time and 97% on-time rating. Southwest is implementing WiFi across its fleet, so use Southwest’s WiFi finder up to 24 hours in advance of your departure to see if your flight offers it.
• From BOS: JetBlue runs their roomy A320 to Austin at 7:05 am, although we can’t guarantee their 81% on time rating holds up during the next snowpocalypse.
• From Washington, DC metro area: Southwest Flight WN1729 departing DCA at 5:00pm is the happiest flight with a score of 7.55.  SW’s 737’s configuration offers a 32-inch pitch in coach and streaming entertainment. The on-time record is not the best at 67%, but what can you expect when the airport is a few miles from the President, the Pentagon, and a boatload of politicians.
• From London: United’s Flight UA35 scores an 8.0 from LHR. The flight departs at 9:20 am with a bearable 1 hour and 49 minute layover in Houston. In theory, you’d enjoy 32-inch pitch on the brand new 787 Dreamliner, which pampers fliers with a quieter cabin, less dehydrated air, upgraded bathrooms and enormous windows.  However, the Dreamliners are grounded until regulators can determine issues with recent battery fires. Until Dreamliners are back in the air, Routehappy recommends British Airways Flight 195 which departs LHR at 10:25 am with a 2 hour and 44 minute layover in Houston.  Seat pitch is a standard 31-inches but seats are extra wide for added comfort.
• From Paris: Parisian fliers may want to consider splurging for a business class ticket. But if your travel policy requires economy class, Routehappy recommends US Airways Flight 755 with a Happiness Score of 7.1.  The A330-300 features a standard 31-inch pitch but the configuration of 2-4-2 means you have a good shot at scoring an aisle or window seat. The flight features a lengthy layover in Philadelphia (4 hours and 2 minutes) but turn that frown upside down with a tour of Philadelphia’s historic district and a cheesesteak.
• From Munich: German fliers will have a slightly happier flight aboard Lufthansa Flight 412 departing Munich at 3:25pm. While the seat pitch on Lufthansa’s A340-600 is the standard 31 inches, you’ll enjoy a short layover in Newark (1 hour, 35 minutes) and seatback on-demand entertainment.

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