Welcome to the TravelPod forums

[whereshegoes]

Which airline do you love? Or love to hate?

[fourloves]

Westjet all the way. Any employer who encourages things like applying for jobs by submitting a resume printed on a bottle of wine is awesomely awesome-like in my books! (Except for the pilots, then we just have a bit of a problem)

[fourloves]

Ohh, and how the stewards/stewardesses wear cowboy hats during stampede week? Total culture shock for a young boy raised halfway between calgary and edmonton. Can't Imagine what that must be like for the passing through backpacker...

[bombasticlife]

Singapore Airlines is the BEST. I flew with them recently and was blown away by their service. I have never experienced anything like it. I wrote a review about it at http://www.bombasticlife.com/t-things-airlines-SQ227

If you ever have a chance to fly with them, do it!

As worst goes - American and Continental rank at the bottom for me.

[rbisset]

Virgin Atlantic are the best airline I've used. Entertainment is brilliant. The software runs smoothly (ie it doesn't take 2 minutes to load the next screen like on Singapore Airlines) and the shows were really catered for the UK market. Any airline that has entire series of Peep Show and Alan Partridge is the best for me!!

The planes were new, leg room was adequate, cabin crew friendly and a really smooth ride. I'd use them again any day!

Singapore airlines are really good as well but I didn't think they were as good as Virgin. 70 on demand movies are great (apart from every Russell Crowe movie ever made on the Sydney route!) but as I said earlier painfully slow to load. Leg room was also terrible on the 747, 777 was amazing though! Business class style legroom in economy section and very new airplanes.

I didn't think much of Continental either. The staff just didn't care and for the price they treat it like a budget airline and give you nothing! I would still use them again, but only for the airmiles

[kacampau]

JAL, after a day fighting Chicago traffic and dealing with mean people, the Japanese Airlines Staff is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l!

Air India has good food.

[Paul]

Thai airways is always great. From the airlines I have flown they are my favourite. Can be a bit expensive but always great. Singapore is generally really good too. Wish I had flown Japan Airlines to compare.

[wakingdream]

I didn't find easyjet very easy at all. Perhaps it was isolated but I've heard they're a pain from other's as well. All the pre-flight hoopla got my goat.....

Thai airways is always great.

So far my absolute fave. Sooo nice and accomodating. Nice representation of the country itself.

[bombasticlife]

I just flew Qatar Airways a few times this past month and was pretty disappointed. On my flight from Qatar to Hong Kong they had a bar which was great (I'll be posting pictures of it on my site http://www.bombasticlife.com soon) but other than that their service was not at all what I would expect from an airline that calls themselves a 5 star airline.

[rbisset]

I didn't find easyjet very easy at all. Perhaps it was isolated but I've heard they're a pain from other's as well. All the pre-flight hoopla got my goat.....

From what I've heard most budget airlines are pretty similar. Never used Ryanair, Easyjet etc so I have no idea. I'll experience it soon enough.

[anywherebuthere]

I am a big fan of the big Asian airlines but on a six leg return trip from Australia to Europe a couple of years ago flying Singapore Airlines I had the misfortune of sitting in a seat on three different planes where the in-flight entertained failed to work.

The cabin crew where great about it and each time it happened they gave me a US$50 voucher to ease my pain. I ended up with $150 dollars to spend in their Khris shop. I bought a really nice watch but being a gadget and TV addict I really wanted to be entertained with movies on these long flights. It was painful.

Considering I must have paid a premium price to fly Singapore airlines at the time I could have bought cheaper tickets, been entertained and saved more that $150 flying with another airline.

Because of this I would not put Singapore Airlines in the best bucket. I think they are not as good as they used to be. They might be victims of bleeding edge technology. They were probably one of the first airlines with personal in-flight screens but it was a sign that their fleet was aging. The other airlines had caught up and had better system at the time.


I don't mind the budget airlines. You get what you pay for and nothing more. Your expectations are low to begin with.

Premium airlines should deliver what their marketing promises.

[timefortea]

I'd agree with everyone else that Virgin and Singapore are both great on the entertainment and very comfortable. They're my carriers of choice, though my wallet normally has something to say about that!

I've yet to have a flight on British Airways where everything's gone right (broken luggage- ever tried to get a new backpack in Zimbabwe? - and my personal favourite, the missing vid screen with wires hanging out). They've also tried to seat me seperately from my travelling companion pretty much every time, though in their defence I pointed this out last time I travelled with them and they gave me an upgrade.

I actually really enjoyed ANA (All Nippon Airways). The service was good, they were really sympathetic to the fact I didn't speak any of the languages they were using for the in-flight announcements, the entertainment was varied and the food was great. Top marks!

[thellie]

singapore airlines has been the best so far, which unfortunately made qantas seem like a S*$#heap of cramped seats and uncaring staff on the connecting flight.

bangkok air is awesome too, mainly because i flew for about 4 hours from hong kong to koh samui, and they were practically forcing alcohol down my throat faster than i could drink it (and that's saying something!)

oasis is so cheap and you get what you pay for, but it does the job of getting you to hong kong.

i've not really had a bad airline, even the one where i was delayed for over twelve hours took us to a hotel and organised food and entertainment... but the only piece of advice i ever had, and have followed strictly all my life, is NEVER EVER fly garuda.

[rbisset]

So you recommend Oasis? I think it's great you can fly to HK for so cheap and can't wait for Air Asia X to get their cheapo flights from London to KL sorted!! I was looking at flights for next year and the difference in cost between Japan and HK is amazing. Both take about the same amount of time yet Tokyo is £600 return and HK is £300!!

[wakingdream]

can't wait for Air Asia X to get their cheapo flights from London to KL sorted!!

Me too. Sounds like that'd be the cheapest way to get from here to the area via London.

[sianeth]

Easyjet are always late, and make no apologies for it because they know they can get away with it. Ryanair are horrible aswell, there's literally no leg room and you have to pay extra to take luggage on. But then again I suppose you get what you pay for...

Air Italia were funny. I asked for a vegetarian meal, and the stewardness took the ham out of the sandwich and gave me a bread and butter roll. Awesome meal!

[bombasticlife]

I mentioned Singapore Airlines before as the best and after a recent trip on Northwest I would rate them as on of the worst. I booked a first class ticket from Detroit to Las Vegas and it was terrible.

I have a full review at http://www.bombasticlife.com

I really wish all the American Airlines would get their act together and provide the service offered by the other airlines.

[luckysamba]

Which airline do you love? Or love to hate?

QATAR AIRLINES

In our experience of flying around the world for the last 40 years the worst airline for customer service, arrogant staff both on the ground and in the air, the poor quality of the food, even in business class, poor quality bed-seats, has to be QATAR AIRWAYS.

Even when we had booked business class seats and had the boarding passes with our seat numbers in our hands at the gate, they DOWNGRADED US to accommodate some of their frequent 'middle-eastern' passengers in OUR seats, we ended up in the back of economy right next to the toilets and the gally.

When we complained they just showed us total contempt, they just offered us US$100.- in vouchers which had to be spent onboard one of their planes the next time we travelled with them !!!!

We never bothered to take up their offer, we just use Emirates or similar in that area, at least they are polite and the food is very good and plentiful.

[andrewjerome]

BEST

Qantas
KLM
Lufthansa
Etihad

WORST

Mexicana
Jetstar

[travelerdiaries]

Singapore airlines and Emirates are two of my best aircraft carriers, the cabin crew are friendly, food is yummy and entertainment is fantastic.

Worst airline so far is Cebu Pacific, the flight attendants dont smile much and to make things worst, you have to buy your in flight food. its like a flying cafe, if you dont purchase food then might as well faint from starvation. Yes it is considered a budget airline, but a pack of crackers and juice wont hurt their revenue..