Post by thailek on Jan 10, 2010 18:09:21 GMT -5
How many of you have had sub-par experiences on some airlines, but spectacular service on others?
Here, you can talk about great airlines and shoddy airlines, what was good and what was bad, and your recommendations and tips for other posters.
I've personally flown on: Alaska, Northwest (now part of Delta), Southwest, US Air, America West (now part of US Air), Delta, THAI Airways International, 1-2-Go! (Thai low-fare carrier), United, Air France, KLM, and Singapore.
My experiences:
Alaska- Efficient, but the aircraft are aging. The company is in the process of updating their fleet with new Boeing and Airbus Industrie aircraft. Service was decent, and the flight crew was friendly.
Delta/Northwest- Never had a problem with Northwest, ever. I was concerned about what would happen after their acquisition by Delta, but have been please so far.
Southwest- For limited frills, low-cost, and on-time perks, Southwest is far and away the best airline. Seats are not assigned, so if you're in the first boarding group, you're set to get the exact seat you want. Southwest exclusively operates Boeing 737 aircraft, which are single-aisled with three abreast seating on each side. Further, Southwest doesn't have "hub" airports like most other large airlines, opting for "puddle-jumping" flights between cities close together (for example: San Antonio-Oklahoma City-Kansas City-Chicago-Detroit" Many of these flights operate on the same aircraft, limiting the need to deplane at each stop, causing less headache.
US Air/America West- Comfortable, but not great. Flights were on time but in-flight service left quite a bit to be desired.
THAI- Superb. The service was fantastic, the seats comfortable and soft, the cabin clean and smelling lightly of jasmine and orchid. All the stops were pulled out for my first THAI flight in economy class, leaving me with an exceptional experience. My first-class experience though, was second to none. If you must fly to Thailand or within Thailand, THAI is the way to go. You won't be disappointed.
1-2-Go!- Not the greatest. They lost my reservation, made me re-book and re-pay for my flight (only $50, but still!). The aircraft are very old, and the inside reflects the age. Seats were worn, overhead bins were shaky, landings were rough.
United- Good for short-haul domestic flights in the USA, bad for international flights. I was denied a change in seat in between San Francisco and Tokyo. A man who was easily three times larger than I was at the time (6'4'' and over 300lbs) was literally squishing me against the side of the aircraft. Upon requesting a change of seat, I was denied. 14 hours later I arrived in Tokyo and had to sprint to the restroom and stretch my body out because I hadn't been able to leave my seat the entire time. Not a fan, and I do not recommend United any further than I can throw one of their age-enhanced 747-400s.
Air France- Again, not my favorite. Their Paris-Bangkok route was efficient, on-time, and lightly packed. Service was decent, but not what one would expect for a higher-end carrier like Air France. My bread was rock solid, beer warm, cheese hard, and AVOD screen broken. The Bangkok-Paris route originated in Hanoi. Bad move. There were tons of screaming, energetic, cracked-out little Vietnamese children running amok on the flight between Bangkok and Paris, and no one would do anything about it. Absolutely soured me on the airline.
KLM- Pleasant. Not too ostentatious, not too boring. Flight attendants were friendly and helpful, meals were above average for the industry, and we arrived on time from Detroit to Amsterdam.
Singapore- On-par with THAI. Wonderful service, a beautiful lounge was opened in Singapore for me, even though I am not a member of their frequent-flier program, they allowed me access because I was an exchange student and they wanted me to have a pleasant experience. Wonderful food, comfortable seats, superb service. Singapore is definitely the way to go.
Here, you can talk about great airlines and shoddy airlines, what was good and what was bad, and your recommendations and tips for other posters.
I've personally flown on: Alaska, Northwest (now part of Delta), Southwest, US Air, America West (now part of US Air), Delta, THAI Airways International, 1-2-Go! (Thai low-fare carrier), United, Air France, KLM, and Singapore.
My experiences:
Alaska- Efficient, but the aircraft are aging. The company is in the process of updating their fleet with new Boeing and Airbus Industrie aircraft. Service was decent, and the flight crew was friendly.
Delta/Northwest- Never had a problem with Northwest, ever. I was concerned about what would happen after their acquisition by Delta, but have been please so far.
Southwest- For limited frills, low-cost, and on-time perks, Southwest is far and away the best airline. Seats are not assigned, so if you're in the first boarding group, you're set to get the exact seat you want. Southwest exclusively operates Boeing 737 aircraft, which are single-aisled with three abreast seating on each side. Further, Southwest doesn't have "hub" airports like most other large airlines, opting for "puddle-jumping" flights between cities close together (for example: San Antonio-Oklahoma City-Kansas City-Chicago-Detroit" Many of these flights operate on the same aircraft, limiting the need to deplane at each stop, causing less headache.
US Air/America West- Comfortable, but not great. Flights were on time but in-flight service left quite a bit to be desired.
THAI- Superb. The service was fantastic, the seats comfortable and soft, the cabin clean and smelling lightly of jasmine and orchid. All the stops were pulled out for my first THAI flight in economy class, leaving me with an exceptional experience. My first-class experience though, was second to none. If you must fly to Thailand or within Thailand, THAI is the way to go. You won't be disappointed.
1-2-Go!- Not the greatest. They lost my reservation, made me re-book and re-pay for my flight (only $50, but still!). The aircraft are very old, and the inside reflects the age. Seats were worn, overhead bins were shaky, landings were rough.
United- Good for short-haul domestic flights in the USA, bad for international flights. I was denied a change in seat in between San Francisco and Tokyo. A man who was easily three times larger than I was at the time (6'4'' and over 300lbs) was literally squishing me against the side of the aircraft. Upon requesting a change of seat, I was denied. 14 hours later I arrived in Tokyo and had to sprint to the restroom and stretch my body out because I hadn't been able to leave my seat the entire time. Not a fan, and I do not recommend United any further than I can throw one of their age-enhanced 747-400s.
Air France- Again, not my favorite. Their Paris-Bangkok route was efficient, on-time, and lightly packed. Service was decent, but not what one would expect for a higher-end carrier like Air France. My bread was rock solid, beer warm, cheese hard, and AVOD screen broken. The Bangkok-Paris route originated in Hanoi. Bad move. There were tons of screaming, energetic, cracked-out little Vietnamese children running amok on the flight between Bangkok and Paris, and no one would do anything about it. Absolutely soured me on the airline.
KLM- Pleasant. Not too ostentatious, not too boring. Flight attendants were friendly and helpful, meals were above average for the industry, and we arrived on time from Detroit to Amsterdam.
Singapore- On-par with THAI. Wonderful service, a beautiful lounge was opened in Singapore for me, even though I am not a member of their frequent-flier program, they allowed me access because I was an exchange student and they wanted me to have a pleasant experience. Wonderful food, comfortable seats, superb service. Singapore is definitely the way to go.