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Airlines - the good and the bad


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MistaSparkle had a good idea for a thread in the long haul flight thread.

 

Which airline do you use? Any recommendations or "best to stay away from" advice?

 

I use British Airways going back home usually because they are simply the most convenient. Used Virgin once and they were really good.

 

Who do you use? Any good?

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good one...

 

I really dislike Northwest...problem is, they always have the best prices for me (sometimes more than $100 cheaper than the competition), so I fly them a bit...

 

Their partner Continental is much better.

 

Korean Air sucks poo...

 

the worst I have ever flown is probably Sabena (belgium airline...I don't even think it exists anymore)...

 

SwissAir and BritishAir are a real pleasure to fly (especially when you get bumped! \:D )

 

but also, business and economy are worlds apart...I used my miles a few times to upgrade on NW to business, and it was lightyears more enjoyable...

 

flying NW this month...ho hum...

danz

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aaah, there is indeed muchnto talk about in the airline industry...

 

my vote for best flight attendants goes to singapore, those fine ladies and their tailor made cozzies are a fine addition to any flight.

 

but my fave is qantas cos i dig hearing the aussie accents on boarding.

 

bad experience wise royal jordanian gets two enthusiastic thumbs down for being consistantly late and scaring me to boot.

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Anyone ever flown overseas on ANA or JAL? I bought tickets to fly home once with ANA (expecting much better service from a Japanese airline), but instead the flight got switched to their partner.... United.... \:o

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and another gripe...

 

thumbs down to "Flying High" (Airplane in the US?) for inducing paranoia due to the propeller background noise thruout the film.

 

WHHIIRRRiiirrrIRRRRRiirrrrrIIIIRRRR

 

don't trust 'em propella things one little bit.

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Service from booking to flying in my experince generally sucks on all arilines that I must bookk myself. I have never had to argue so much just to use someones services!!! It's no wonder air rage is on the up. By the time you got on the plane you are already tired from having to organise your damn holiday!

 

I can't really give a good opinion on long hual inflight service as most of the time I just sleep. \:D

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Fly Qantas only because they have the quickest way home.

Service is pretty sloppy and most air stewardess' think they are the shit. not from japan but I have been delayed more times with Qantas than Garuda!

 

Singapore Airlines gets my vote as best airlines, service, and the uniforms.

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Nearly all flight staff are rude in my book. If they attempt any arrogance with me I always have a few words with them, something I quite enjoy. JAL are one of the worst. They put on the forced smile and fake politeness. The fodder is crud and teh seats are often dirty with hair from teh previous passenger. I often get stuck with JAL to Europe. Lufthansa are also pretty crumby. BA are ok, best facilitries that I have used so far. Qantas are ok, nothing special. United are so so. Yet to fly Virgin. All in all, each airline seems to have resentful pricks working on the flights.

 

Qantas are obviously the best as they have never crashed, hey MrSparkle.

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 Quote:
Anyone ever flown overseas on ANA or JAL?
Mr.*: I've flown JAL once from Tokyo-Singapore and once from Sydney-Tokyo. Service was top notch with lotsa little creature comforts. Mind you, that was business class both times cool.gif

Agree on the previously mentioned Singapore Airlines costumes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've been catered to by some fairly tough looking United cabin personnel.

Korean Airlines gets a big thumbs down from me, but I only flew them once (Malaysia-Tokyo-NYC,USA). Horrible plane. Horrible service. Horrible movies. Horrible food. Less-than-tantalizing cabin crew... mad.gif

Anyone ever flown on Hooters Air ? ;\)
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Malaysia or Singapore (mmm, those uniforms...) when flying any great distance and Northwest when its a short hop and we're trying to save money. Although the Singapore girl angle is all very pleasent, if things start going wrong, maybe someone who at least has the strength to open the cabin door in a hurry might be prefereable.

 

 

Last year I booked a flight on China Air coz it was very cheap. My wife was very unimpressed because of their bad safety record. I explained to her that it was no big deal and that its not as if their planes fall out of the sky every day. We then turned on the news and watched a report about a China Air plane that crashed that afternoon...I changed our booking to United the next day.

 

 

QANTAS - actually isn't all that hot between Japan and Aust. They seem to use very old planes but still charge outrageous prices for the tickets. Kind of takes the gloss off going home when you're being screwed by your own flag carrier.

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I have flown with BA and Korean Air most.

 

I didn't find Korean Air that bad (though not that good either).

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Korean air - not bad.

 

Egypt air - total and utter crap everything. the worst food and movies ever. i think there was one tiny little tv between 200 passengers and it was showing some 80s c-movie with nobody in it I could recognise from even crappy soap operas!

 

JAL - very very good, but shirty staff.

 

Qatar Air - great!

 

Lufthansa - very good.

 

I cant remember the other companies I have flown with long haul.

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Word of advice on Singapore Airlines for males.

 

Window seat and low barely audible whispery voice when asking for anything. Makes the looking out the window the least most exciting thing during the flight \:D

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I liked Air India's curry for every meal and the Taj Mahal shaped windows. I didn't like the passengers picking the lock on the toilet door when I was in there...

 

Korean Air has always been pretty reasonable.

 

While I dug the uniforms with Singapore, the strong smell of everything, from the ladies to the soap in the toilet, made my nose hurt like hell after a few hours, and I would never fly with them again. I got a bit tired of them singing their own praises on the entertainment channels too.

 

BA were very good last time - genuinely friendly staff (if you don't mind being called 'mate' and 'sir' alternately).

 

I don't think any cabin crew on any plane have ever been even mildly snotty with me.

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I am amazed that you guys like JAL. I have flown up front with them several times and really did not like them at all.

 

db: Hi, I could I have breakfast please?

JAL: sorry sir, we have already served it.

db: and I was asleep. Now I am awake.

JAL: sorry sir, but breakfast is over.

db: not for me baby, now give me my food please.

JAL: I will see what I can do (huff and puff)

[10 minutes later]

JAL: here is a selection of onigiri and dried nato sir.

db: besides the fact that I do not like what you have offered me, it looks like it came from a conbini.

JAL: that is all that is available sir.

db: This ticket cost my company Y900k, now could I please have a real breakfast.

JAL: breakfast is over sir.

db: tell me why I should want to fly with JAL ever again?

JAL: [storms away]

JAL: [returns in a huff with 10 bars of Milka Chocolate]

db: [no longer being polite] %$#&^%##%*@ breakfast.

JAL: I will se what I can do sir.

 

Eventually I got some crummy half warm meal. An incident like this happens every time I fly with them.

 

Qantas [Narita-Sydney] is pretty crappy, I agree. But I found Qantas [sydney-NY} to be fantastic. We had a party upstairs after departing from LA. The sun was shining in the windows, there was snow on the mountains below and the flight crew were so laid back.

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Thai is great. My favourite. Qantas is okay, I like seeing Aussies on the plane after leaving Japan, plus they also give us coachers eye shades and socks for the night flight from Tok-syd (and vice versa). I'm currently on a JAL ticket and they've definitely upped their service from what it was several years ago. I always order special meals (no meat), and all airlines tend to bring out special meals first. I haven't had your problem db, but then I don't think I've ever missed a meal that I've wanted to have later on.... and they have been helpful when trying to get hold of snacks.... I also like the bamboo foot massager. I recently flew British Airways and they weren't so bad.

 

As for food all around - usually not so great, except for Thai.

 

Keep away from Aeroflot. I think China Airlines Int'l is probably okay, I flew that once too. But I'd be wary of their domestic flights. Oh, and Northwest airlines are horrible. One domestic flight in the states and hostesses were smoking at the back of the plane in the NON-smoking section.... Urgh. United were okay.

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I'm surprised Hong Kong's airline, Cathay Pacific has not got a mention yet. Haven't any of you tried them. In my mind, they are by far the worst airline in terms of the attitude of their staff, both on the ground and in the air. I have loads of stories to tell of my experiences with them. Both my sisters worked for them in the past, one as a stewardess and the other on reservations. I asked them whether they had special training because I can't believe people can be so rude to customers without getting special training!

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I'll be flying Thai again soon-good food and I didn't mind the way they came around with a brandy bottle following the meals either. I usually enjoy flying and the average food they serve-even ate up every last bit of the Aeroflot meal and enjoyed the Russian WWII film with bizzare eigo subtitles. Love looking out the window as well. In flight mags are good to-some of the worst fluffed up journalism you'll ever read.

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