Which airline to Oz?

bwglaw · Feb 27, 2006

Anyone been to Aussie? I am planning to go this time next year.

I am at present undecided which airline to book with for that long journey. I am planning to go First/Business Class but Singapore Airlines are 2000 pounds dearer than Qantas for 2 people.

Can anyone recommend an airline for a trip to Aussie?

Thanks

Jonathan

Cornish Steve · Feb 27, 2006

Singapore Airlines is probably the best airline in the world for personal service. I wouldn't pay that much of a premium though. British Airways (if you can put up with their flight attendants) and Virgin (if you prefer to be more informal) both fly to Sydney

If price is your principal driver, I'd go with any of the major airlines.

By the way, as a brief anecdote about British Airways: I was waiting for a connection in Gatwick Airport about a year ago. An African lady was obviously confused about the gate for her flight and asked the BA counter agent for help. Rather flustered, the poor lady took off in the wrong direction. In typical BA fashion, the counter agent shouted to her at the top of her lungs: "Come back, you stupid woman. You're going the wrong way!" Needless to say, everyone within hearing distance turned their heads to see what was happening.

A few minutes later, I went up to the counter and corrected the agent, telling her - in no uncertain terms - that if an employee of mine ever acted so rudely, she's be fired on the spot. The agent and her colleagues became very defensive, clearly surprised that someone would pull them up for doing this. Maybe this extreme example is not the norm, but I have encountered several instances of BA staff behaving rudely, arrogantly, and being unnecessarily overbearing. It's such a shame because BA is one of the more reliable airlines.

creospace · Feb 27, 2006

Thats the kind of thing i'd expect to hear on a ryan air flight.

Infact i did as the last one i was one i heard 'For the hard of hearing, SIT DOWN' most of the flight was latvian and she was glaswegian , even I couldnt understand her!

Gary

Jayne · Feb 27, 2006

This is a problem all over the UK at the moment. Big lack of manners! I really don't like rude people, they is no need for it what so ever!

Some shops you go in now, you are lucky if you get a grunt from the assistant. No Good Mornings etc! It's like the life has just been sucked out of them and left you with an empty shell.

Sorry Jonathan, going off on one again :lol:

Jayne

lorraine1 · Feb 27, 2006

Here here Jayne. The lack of basic manners is shocking.

I try and shame people in to being polite, ie. saying to them "you are welcome" when holding the door open for them while they waltz past you without a mumur (usually to be faced with a blank look in return). :evil: :evil:

It's all how to do with how you are brought up. Blame the parents.

Here endeth the rant....

Thank you for reading this :lol:

LindseyMHC · Feb 27, 2006

I can vouch for the service on Singapore Airlines being second to none.

In a past work life I used to travel to Singapore every other year - Business Class - and the flight was fantastic with gorgeous food (but noodles for breakfast can take some getting used to!) and wonderfully polite staff. However .... I wasn't paying for it and have no idea how much the flight cost!!

Isn't Quantas an OK airline? Never flown with them personally, but can't recall anyone saying anything against them.

Lindsey.

bwglaw · Feb 27, 2006

Singapore Airlines quoted me 5700GBP for 2 in Business/First Class, whereas Qantas quoted 3300GBP for the same.

I am waiting to read of any complaints about Qantas...I am hesitating about BA for a long-haul flight but they are OK for European flights in my opinion. Virgin don't go to Brisbane according to their website.

Ryanair are not the most 'disability-friendly' airline after such a legal battle when a wheelchair user took them to Court and won! Thankfully they don't fly to Aussie!

Come on, anyone flown with Qantas?

Jonathan

Mortime Business Software · Feb 27, 2006

handsongroup said:
Anyone been to Aussie? I am planning to go this time next year.

I've done that run 22 times so far. It is very tiring, and gets progressively worse if you don't take a stop-over.

For me, the airline which alleviated the misery most was Malaysian Airlines (or Airways). The stewardesses were just lovely and wore permanent (and I reckon genuine) smiles upon their beautiful faces for the entire 27 hour journey. They just couldn't do enough for us.

My Number 2 is North West, an American airline based in Minneappolis. The stewards were lovely and the food was very good.

QANTAS and British Airways were my worst flying experiences. As Steve has already indicated, their staff were downright ill-mannered and arrogant, and they were the most expensive. The last I heard is that BA owned 25% of QANTAS. It's probably more now. And the fact that QANTAS has never had a disaster doesn't statistically mean it is the safest because it is nowhere near the largest.

Another that sticks in my memory is the Greek airline Olympic. I don't know about business class, but in economy class, all they feed you on is plants!

Most importantly, make your journey in two parts with a stop-over.

Dave

Shelley · Feb 27, 2006

Afraid bad experiences with quantas, and have heard quite a few similar.Wouldnt recommend them Singapore airlines are suppose to be great, but havent used them personally. But heard good reports.

Cornish Steve · Feb 27, 2006

Dave Mortimer said:
My Number 2 is North West, an American airline based in Minneappolis. The stewards were lovely and the food was very good.

Northwest is suffering from a lingering labour dispute that threatens to shut them down. Just be aware if you are making long-term plans.

Mortime Business Software · Feb 27, 2006

Oh and I forgot to mention, when an Olympic plane lands, all the Greeks give the pilot a huge round of applause - as if they are grateful for making it back to earth in one piece!!! Seriously.

Dave

Cornish Steve · Feb 27, 2006

Dave Mortimer said:
Oh and I forgot to mention, when an Olympic plane lands, all the Greeks give the pilot a huge round of applause - as if they are grateful for making it back to earth in one piece!!! Seriously.

Dave

As a member of the Olympic frequent flyer program, I understand the emotion!

I'm also a frequent flyer with Aeroflot, the Russian airline. My confidence was not boosted by my frequent flyer number: 000000002.

Mortime Business Software · Feb 27, 2006

goldctrsteve said:
My confidence was not boosted by my frequent flyer number: 000000002.

Hee hee! That was funny Steve!

I flew with Aeroflop once. Never, ever, again, because there was no loo paper and the steward buttons didn't even work. We couldn't even get a cuppa coffee when we had to change at Belgrade. It was like a ghost town. I was thinking that maybe some nearby nuclear reactor had blown its top or something!

Dave

Mwebb · Feb 27, 2006

I flew all around the world last year....
Virgin are great, unless you get the dippy b**ches i had on the way back from New York,
Singapore Airlines are one of the best i flew with. But not worth a great deal more than virgin..

British airways, didn't fly with them, but i don't think i heard anything good, or bad...so neutral on that i am affraid!!

michael

DarrenC · Feb 27, 2006

Jonathan, I'd recommend Malaysia Airways, and stop off in Kuala Lumpur is highly recommended... if you need any advice, you know where I am.

(been twice so have plenty of tips!)

Darren

EDIT. Oh and Qantas were excellent too - flew with them six times in 4 weeks period, and had no problems!

Cornish Steve · Feb 27, 2006

DarrenC said:
Jonathan, I'd recommend Malaysia Airways, and stop off in Kuala Lumpur is highly recommended.

When I was last there, maybe eight years ago, the airport in Kuala Lumpur was awful.

DarrenC · Feb 27, 2006

Steve,

Really? I was there last year, I understand the current airport is fairly new, but I wouldn't know if it was the one you went to.

Did you go into Kuala Lumpur?

Darren

Mwebb · Feb 27, 2006

I was there last year.....the airport was very new. You go down a big ramp into the main building...very modern looking building lots of glass etc......loverly city. Get up to penang if you are going to malaysia though...truely gorgeous.

Cornish Steve · Feb 28, 2006

It's good to learn that the airport buildings have been rebuilt since I was there. I remember waiting in an area with few seats and no air conditioning. Clearly, things have improved a lot.

Yes, I went into KL city. They were just finishing the twin towers, so that'll give you some idea of when I was there. Actually, I count myself very lucky. I stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. Mosquitos found their way into the rooms, apparently from a building site across the street. My colleague was bitten and contracted Dengue Fever. He spent over a week in serious condition in the local hospital. I managed to escape the same fate.

multilingual · Feb 28, 2006

For those of you who are feeling less than happy with BA, I would suggest you take an internal flight within Russia using Aeroflot.

Might just put things into perspective.

We flew from Moscow down to Yerevan in summer 2004 with a 20 month child. They still allow smoking on internal flights and we did point out to the stewards that our baby was breathing in a lot of smoke which was drifting over from nearby passengers. The steward just said 'so what' and walked off.

The food was crap, the seats were awful, the service was even worse.

As for the toilets, I don't even want to think about them. Suffice to say I was desperate to use them but waited three hours because I simply couldn't go in them.

When I got to the airport in Yerevan, I ran to the first convenience I could find, and walked straight back out again. I will not say what I saw when I got in there.......... :shock:

Shock is not the word.

Give me BA anyday.

JB

ajm1966 · Feb 28, 2006

As I am an Aussie living over here since 1998 I have done the journey many times.

I would recommend Emirates everytime - the service is great, the food is better than most and the planes are new so you get lots of new gadgets to play with which is always important.

ajm1966 · Feb 28, 2006

As I am an Aussie living over here since 1998 I have done the journey many times.

I would recommend Emirates everytime - the service is great, the food is better than most and the planes are new so you get lots of new gadgets to play with which is always important.

Cornish Steve · Feb 28, 2006

multilingual said:
For those of you who are feeling less than happy with BA, I would suggest you take an internal flight within Russia using Aeroflot.

Might just put things into perspective.

I once made a day trip from Moscow to Yekaterinburg. We walked up the steps at the rear of the plane and filled the plane in order: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, etc. In other words, you ended up sitting next to the person in front of you. One of my colleagues was quite large: over six feet tall and well built. Another colleague, seated next to him, was really squashed. He spent the entire flight in a fetal position (no room for his feet) and pressed against the window (due to the colleague beside him). A couple of times I glanced at him and smirked.

On the way home, we climbed into the bus taking us from the terminal to the plane. Next to me on the bus was a giant of a man. He made my colleague look like a dwarf. He must have been over seven feet tall and very big and imposing. To my horror, he walked up the steps of the plane behind me. My squashed colleague from the outbound journey could hardly contain his laughter as he saw my plight.

Things worked out OK, however. This giant literally could not sit in a regular seat. He had to wait until everyone else had boarded the plane and was then given one of those fold-down seats normally used by a flight attendant. The journey home, which could have been two hours of sheer hell, turned out to be purgatory only.

bwglaw · Feb 28, 2006

I have flown with Cuban Airlines to Cuba from London. A 10 hour flight and a nightmare. Could not sleep and coffee/food was served 30 mins after take off and then 30 mins before landing. Nothing in between. In-flight entertainment was a blue screen - actually was the atlantic showing where we were!

It is for this reason I wish to choose a good airline this time for the longest journey ever. You all have given me some options to think about and need to decide where we want to stop-over and explore. I did not know you could fly direct.

Jonathan

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