How was the legroom on the last flight you took? "Great if you're a yard gnome," commented one of the respondents to Zagat's latest survey on global air travel. "There's a better chance of talking to George W. Bush than customer relations," wrote a dissatisfied customer of an unnamed airline. These gems didn't make it into the official survey, but Zagat has posted them (and others) on its Web site ( www.zagat.com/airline/ ) for your amusement.

The survey itself–released ahead of the Christmas travel rush and viewable on the Web site–is more sobering. Although it's skewed toward the American skies, it points to general discontent with the state of air travel. The rankings are based on the aggregate opinion of more than 7,000 frequent fliers. Respondents rated 84 airlines (20 of which are U.S. domestic carriers) on both their economy and "premium" classes in the areas of comfort, food, service, and the airline's Web site. The biggest complaints were delays and cancellations, cramped seats, and poor service.

Which international airlines stood out? Singapore Airlines was voted best overall in the economy class category, with Emirates, Thai Airways, All Nippon Airways, and Air New Zealand following close behind. At the front of the bus, Singapore came out tops again, with Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic Airways tied for silver, and Emirates, ANA, and Air New Zealand placing third.

Of the Canadian carriers surveyed, fliers rated WestJet relatively highly, giving it 19 and 23 points in terms of comfort and service, respectively, out of a potential 30, and citing "extremely friendly" crews.

By contrast, Air Canada was given a rating of 14 for both comfort and service, and survey comments included "okay by North American standards, but not by global [ones]".

The survey also evaluated airports. Hong Kong International, Singapore Changi, and Munich International were ranked best overall, while Paris Charles De Gaulle, Beijing Capital, and Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino were rated worst overall outside the U.S.

While the Zagat survey rates specific airlines, keep in mind that even on the same plane, in the same class, passengers can have very different experiences. Yes, food and service matter, but your seat assignment is crucial to overall satisfaction. Get stuck in the middle and you're guaranteed discomfort; fly at the rear and surf every bump; sit next to the toilets and discover how restroom attendants feel.

For the best flight possible whatever the airline, try to book your seat in advance. Even if you have to pay for the privilege–an annoying trend–consider how much you've already invested in your ticket and how far this relatively modest add-on will go to making your flight tolerable.

Seat Guru ( www.seatguru.com/ ) can help you determine where to sit. Punch in the airline and aircraft type, and it produces a detailed seat map with poor, good, and seats to "be aware" of highlighted. Mouse over a particular seat to learn why it's been given its designation: it has a reduced seat pitch, doesn't recline, or offers extra legroom.

All this research may seem extreme, but at least you won't spend your flight wishing you were a garden gnome.