Topic: Which Airline?

[kavah]

Files this away for when I fly with my falcon.*



*reminder to aquire such a falcon.

Imagine TSA handling it

[I've been a good boy]

Speaking of baggage allowance, how shite is easyJet? First time flying with them later this year but I see you're not even allowed a cabin suitcase unless you fork out £53 for it and that's just one sector. Even the hold baggage charges are extortionate. Just had a look at their cabins and the seats look paper thin and just cheap. Now I know why their fares are so low, going to stick to full-service airlines next time.

[Millie]

Speaking of baggage allowance, how shite is easyJet? First time flying with them later this year but I see you're not even allowed a cabin suitcase unless you fork out £53 for it and that's just one sector. Even the hold baggage charges are extortionate. Just had a look at their cabins and the seats look paper thin and just cheap. Now I know why their fares are so low, going to stick to full-service airlines next time.

?  You are allowed one piece of cabin luggage free of charge.

[I've been a good boy]

?  You are allowed one piece of cabin luggage free of charge.

Not a cabin suitcase, just a small handbag or backpack.

[Millie]

Not a cabin suitcase, just a small handbag or backpack.

You are definitely allowed a cabin suitcase.

[Elmo!]

Not a cabin suitcase, just a small handbag or backpack.

From their site:

Cabin bags

You can take ONE cabin bag per person on board. That’s just enough space for a couple of nights away. There’s no weight limit but we do ask that you are able to lift it into the overhead locker.

Cabin bag
Maximum size 56x45x25cm, including handles and wheels. Cabin bags should be placed in the overhead lockers or if small enough under the seat in front of you.

[I've been a good boy]

You are definitely allowed a cabin suitcase.

I might've been misinformed, I'll ring them again tomorrow. Hope I'm allowed anyway, need it with a child on board.

[I've been a good boy]

From their site:

That's what I thought aswell but on the phone they were absolutely adamant that cabin suitcases incur a charge. Be having words with them tomorrow. Cheers for the info both

[Roady]

I fly frequently with easyJet to visit mates as it’s cheap and easy coz I live in Spain. You can take one cabin bag suitcase on board for free... Ryanair don’t allow this anymore however and you’ll incur a charge of 50 Euro if you forget  just for it to be put in the hold.

[kavah]

Has anyone been on Finnair? Looking at flights from Manc to Bangkok at the end of March and its looking like Finnair or Etihad are the cheapest to go on.

How was it? I'm looking at flights Singapore/Manc and they're coming up way cheaper (on Expeida) than Etihad and Qatar and all the others - long layover though in Helsinki.

[Brain Potter]

How was it? I'm looking at flights Singapore/Manc and they're coming up way cheaper (on Expeida) than Etihad and Qatar and all the others - long layover though in Helsinki.

I’ve flown Finnair Manchester to Bangkok. It was fine. Entertainment system on board not as good as Emirates or Etihad, and Helsinki Airport not that busy but flights on time and I wouldn’t hesitate to use again.

[kavah]

Cheers - nice one - could even have a trip into Helsinki since I just saw there is a train.

[Livbes]

Going to North Carolina on business via Orlando from Manc at the weekend. The amount of flying I do and it will be my first ever time on Virgin, it’s an old 747 it seems.

Anyone been to Orlando with them? I’m certainly not expecting Emirates/Qatar standard and I fully expect it to be pretty dated. Just hoping that as kids will be back at school it won’t be full of them.

[Frank Becton]

Going to North Carolina on business via Orlando from Manc at the weekend. The amount of flying I do and it will be my first ever time on Virgin, it’s an old 747 it seems.

Anyone been to Orlando with them? I’m certainly not expecting Emirates/Qatar standard and I fully expect it to be pretty dated. Just hoping that as kids will be back at school it won’t be full of them.

Been around a dozen times with Virgin but not for several years, planes are old now but generally well maintained and they are very clued up on all things Orlando. They are a good choice to fly with. Entertainment systems also very good.

Wouldn't discount lots of kids though, parents take them out of school when it's cheaper, we were at Disneyland Paris in May outside of school holidays and there were loads of UK families with kid's.

[Buck Pete]

Serious question.  What are you getting in economy class better with Qatar/Emirates than you do with Virgin/BA etc?

Going the Maldives next year and need to decide on an Airline.

cheers

[Frank Becton]

Serious question.  What are you getting in economy class better with Qatar/Emirates than you do with Virgin/BA etc?

Going the Maldives next year and need to decide on an Airline.

cheers

Not much I imagine. Main differences will be in business and first class. Personally would always choose a British airline.

[I've been a good boy]

Serious question.  What are you getting in economy class better with Qatar/Emirates than you do with Virgin/BA etc?

Going the Maldives next year and need to decide on an Airline.

cheers

Newer aircraft which means wider and comfier seats, superior inflight entertainment, better quality of food and in most cases, better service. The downside is that you do need to stopover at Doha or Dubai but both are world class airports far better than anything in the UK.

[Nobby Reserve]

Going to North Carolina on business via Orlando from Manc at the weekend. The amount of flying I do and it will be my first ever time on Virgin, it’s an old 747 it seems.

Anyone been to Orlando with them? I’m certainly not expecting Emirates/Qatar standard and I fully expect it to be pretty dated. Just hoping that as kids will be back at school it won’t be full of them.

Used them to go to Orlando in 2017 and found them absolutely fine (but then, I've never flown with Emirates/Etihad/Singapore/etc to compare with)

[eddymunster]

Used them to go to Orlando in 2017 and found them absolutely fine (but then, I've never flown with Emirates/Etihad/Singapore/etc to compare with)

The old 747s are tired now. Flew Dreamliner with TUI the last two trips and you feel so much better when you get off at the other end.

[Livbes]

Newer aircraft which means wider and comfier seats, superior inflight entertainment, better quality of food and in most cases, better service. The downside is that you do need to stopover at Doha or Dubai but both are world class airports far better than anything in the UK.

Agree with all this. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar have few ‘older’ planes, I think Emirates oldest are about 8 or 9 and on average their fleet is about 6 or below. They also have internal refits every few years, including the IFE systems, new seats etc. Emirates also have way more A380’s than most which I personally love, especially upstairs, unfortunately they are not as economical and will be a thing of the past in a decade or so. I think BA still have a number of 747s in service that are 27/28yrs old and KLM retired a 30yr old plane just last year. The Virgin that goes from Manc to Orlando that I will be on this weekend all being well and Orlando international reopening is on average 20yrs old.

Although I have luckily been upgraded to business a number of times on Emirates and Qatar but I am only talking about economy here. I find their food is also superior to European airlines like KLM, BA and Lufthansa.

King.Keita is right though, it will all depend on where in the world you are going and where from. If you’re going West from Northern Europe you are extremely unlikely to go via the Middle East just for a good airline however if you’re going the Far East, Oz or to South Africa I would personally choose one of the Gulf carriers over BA, KLM, Cathay Qantas etc any day.

[Livbes]

Serious question.  What are you getting in economy class better with Qatar/Emirates than you do with Virgin/BA etc?

Going the Maldives next year and need to decide on an Airline.

cheers

I guess it will depend if you are doing a package or not? Companies like Tui and perhaps even Thomas Cook will have packages and direct flights from the UK to Male I presume but if you are building it yourself and the flights with Qatar or Emirates are not ridiculous and you don’t mind a couple of hrs or so connection I would go with 1 of those personally.

My folks often do Indian Ocean holidays with Emirates holidays who they say are excellent, you obviously fly on Emirates via Dubai.

[Nobby Reserve]

The old 747s are tired now. Flew Dreamliner with TUI the last two trips and you feel so much better when you get off at the other end.

I flew on a Dreamliner to Lanzarote last summer, which was nice but not noticeably better than the Virgin 747.

[Jake]

Serious question.  What are you getting in economy class better with Qatar/Emirates than you do with Virgin/BA etc?

Going the Maldives next year and need to decide on an Airline.

cheers

Flt with BA/Virgin so you're not supporting brutal slave owners?

I get the pleasure of Wizz Air on Monday. Looking forward to paying for the bathroom etc a la Ryanair.

[Buck Pete]

I guess it will depend if you are doing a package or not? Companies like Tui and perhaps even Thomas Cook will have packages and direct flights from the UK to Male I presume but if you are building it yourself and the flights with Qatar or Emirates are not ridiculous and you don’t mind a couple of hrs or so connection I would go with 1 of those personally.

My folks often do Indian Ocean holidays with Emirates holidays who they say are excellent, you obviously fly on Emirates via Dubai.

Nah I'm pretty sure they don't mate

I think only BA fly directly to Male from UK.

Anyhow, booked with Qatar via Doha from Manchester

[Livbes]

Nah I'm pretty sure they don't mate

I think only BA fly directly to Male from UK.

Anyhow, booked with Qatar via Doha from Manchester

Surprised at that, could have sworn my parents have been to both the Seychelles and the Maldives direct from Manc on a package. You made a good choice anyway. Enjoy, somewhere I’d love to go but haven’t yet. 

[I've been a good boy]

I flew on a Dreamliner to Lanzarote last summer, which was nice but not noticeably better than the Virgin 747.

I hated the 787. It's not a bad aircraft but when you've just come off a brand spanking new Airbus A350, it really does feel like you're inside a sardines can.

[Welshred]

I hated the 787. It's not a bad aircraft but when you've just come off a brand spanking new Airbus A350, it really does feel like you're inside a sardines can.

I'm with this. Much prefer Airbus to Boeing at the moment, I find the comfort of them to be of a much higher standard. The A380 is an absolute dream of aircraft as someone else has mentioned above.

[J_Kopite]

Hi guys, I have a long-haul flight coming up this week, and I’m a bit ignorant as to what exactly to do, having only done direct flights before:

- Anyone flown Cathay Pacific before, are they any good?

I’ve got a layover in HK, with a two hour gap between the scheduled arrival time in HK and the departure of my flight to my final destination (also operated by Cathay Pacific), so:

- What happens if my first plane is delayed and this means I miss my second leg?
- Do I have to go through security again, or collect and check-in my bags during the layover?
- What do people normally do during a 2 hour layover?

Thanks

[I've been a good boy]

Hi guys, I have a long-haul flight coming up this week, and I’m a bit ignorant as to what exactly to do, having only done direct flights before:

- Anyone flown Cathay Pacific before, are they any good?

I’ve got a layover in HK, with a two hour gap between the scheduled arrival time in HK and the departure of my flight to my final destination (also operated by Cathay Pacific), so:

- What happens if my first plane is delayed and this means I miss my second leg?
- Do I have to go through security again, or collect and check-in my bags during the layover?
- What do people normally do during a 2 hour layover?

Thanks

They’re one of the best airlines in the world, up there with the likes of Qatar, Emirates and Singapore. You definitely won’t be disappointed.

Not too sure about that first one as I’ve never experienced it. I think in most cases they just put you on the next available flight as long as there are seats available. Or maybe put you on a partner airline going to that same destination.

Nope, your bags will go straight onto the second plane, no need to check-in or collect yours bags. Once you get off the place, you just need to follow the signs for transfers,  don’t exit the terminal.

I personally just grab a bite to eat, browse around a few shops, watch the planes and before you know it, you’ll be ready to board. Bear in mind you need to be at the gate about 40 minutes prior to a long haul flight.

[JovaJova]

Hi guys, I have a long-haul flight coming up this week, and I’m a bit ignorant as to what exactly to do, having only done direct flights before:

- Anyone flown Cathay Pacific before, are they any good?

I’ve got a layover in HK, with a two hour gap between the scheduled arrival time in HK and the departure of my flight to my final destination (also operated by Cathay Pacific), so:

- What happens if my first plane is delayed and this means I miss my second leg?
- Do I have to go through security again, or collect and check-in my bags during the layover?
- What do people normally do during a 2 hour layover?

Thanks

To the first question, Cathay is an excellent airline. Far superior to most of the airlines you will fly in Europe.

If both flights are with Cathay or a sister airline then they will just check your bags the whole way through. You should be able to find the answer with a bit of research.

Also a two hour layover isn’t very long at all by the time you factor in delays, time to get off plane, board the second flight etc. It is actually pushing things very fine.

If it is two Cathay flights I have seen them delay the second flight before to wait for passengers if the first flight isn’t delayed by much.

[red vinyl]

As the 2 posters above have said,Cathay Pacific are good mate. I flew Manc to HK last year and will be doing again soon.

[Weescotty]

Flew with Qatar when we (wife and kids) came back to the UK on a holiday back in April.
NEVER AGAIN.

A380 Sydney - Doha
B787 Doha - London
So 'modern' planes.
Ditto on the reverse flights.

ALL 4 flights had problems with the seat reclining mechanism (not just us but various passengers).
Doha airport is mentally expensive!

On the way out the Doha - London flight left from a different gate than the one the passengers were told to go to.
So...
They had a shuttle bus.
Or at least for the first group they did, then it disappeared.
When they finally got more, they crammed all us cattle class onto a couple, and the 20 or so 1st Class got one to themselves.
On the way back on the 787 the IFE didn't work.
They also bumped my eldest away from the family to allow a husband/wife to sit together.
We had reserved a seat for him on the outside as he is 6ft+ tall, he was bumped into a center seat, 5 rows back.
Tried to explain to the flight attendent, may as well have spoke to a wall, they weren't interested.
Service is SLOWWWWWW.
They always do the seats in the same order, so if you have a seat in the wrong place you never get a selection, just whats left.
Thoroughly horrible experience, have no intention of EVER repeating it.

Oh by the way, don't bother wasting your time complaining to the head office.


Recommend Emirates and Cathay Pacific.

Avoid - Qatar, Jetstar, and even Qantas (expensive for what you get)

[great power rising]

Anyone have any recommendation for loyalty programs and points earning?

For Australians, the Qantas program really is great. Picked up an ANZ card and a WestPac card and got 200,000 qantas points with that.

It was enough from Business class Malaysia Airlines Australia -> India and Emirates first class India -> Kenya.

Fucking chuffed.

I see Etihad has a great program as well but I'm looking for something with Singapore Airlines hopefully!

[J_Kopite]

Thanks for your help guys!

[Elmo!]

Thanks for your help guys!

Others have answered the checked in bags question but on going through securuty, majority of the time you won't have to but some airports including Heathrow will often put you through security even when you are transferring from one flight to another. Just follow the flight connection signs though and you will find out though.

[CaseRed]

I am going LHR-IST with Turkish airlines on a 777 on Monday.

Economy unfortunately.

Anyone used them before? Heard they are decent.

[I've been a good boy]

I am going LHR-IST with Turkish airlines on a 777 on Monday.

Economy unfortunately.

Anyone used them before? Heard they are decent.

Not as good as the aforementioned Cathay Pacific, Qatar or Emirates but still very good. Flew Manchester - Istanbul with them and their seats were nice, IFE was quick but their food, wow. Best airline food I've ever had. Service was ok, their staff aren't great English speakers.

[Livbes]

Can echo the praise for Turkish. I often do Manc to Istanbul with them, always decent and I agree very good airline food.

Doing that flight next Wednesday actually, first time into the new airport. 

[MrGrumpy]

I think BA still have a number of 747s in service that are 27/28yrs old.

BA have a huge fleet of 747s, they probably finished paying for them years ago and while fuel prices are low, they are not too expensive to run. These come in 2 x configurations

1, 14F/52J/36W/235
These are used on routes like Heathrow to Miami. The interior probably has not had much money spent on it since the late 1990s and they feel dated. I think BA are replacing these with A350s next year, hopefully the new planes will make the experience of an overnight flight from Miami and Terminal 3 in general less horrible.

2,  14F/86J/30W/145Y
These are used on routes where the airline sells a lot of business class seats such as Heathrow to San Francisco. BA refurbished these recently and lots have WiFi. In economy, they are a nice place to be, I prefer these over the A380 on transatlantic routes.

[BigAl24]

Reviews on Air Canada anyone? Flying with them in 3 weeks, LHR-TOR