Worktowander

Ariana Air (Afghanistan's national airline).

Full disclosure: I can't vouch for this one myself, but DH flew them into and out of Kabul almost exactly this time last year. Scary experience, he said.

What I can vouch for is the fact that he said he's never felt more uncomfortable on a flight - he was the only westerner on the airplane and his Asian female business associate was the only woman. He's not very paranoid about unusual travel destinations, but he said it was obvious they were personas non grata among the crew and passengers.

And that was the flight into Kabul. The flight out was worse. After they changed his flight time out of the country but didn't say to <i>when</i>, he called me via satellite phone from Kabul to try to have me run interference with their customer service people (he had no luck with the local number). This was important because he (a civilian) was being dropped off at the airport by a military escort. The military folks didn't want him there alone for long because of a spate of hostage-takings of western civilians right about then. So the flight time was crucial.

First, I check Ariana's Web site. Joke. So I dutifully call the U.S. Ariana Air customer service number, which was answered by a guy on a cell phone. He referred me to a Canadian customer service desk (???). And I left a message on that guy's cell phone (!) - twice. When he called me back (also from his cell phone) I got no information and a, shall we say, brusque &quot;how should I know? I'm not in Kabul!&quot;

This was bad. DH now was on his own, waiting several hours in the airport, being searched and questioned repeatedly, with no information about when his flight would actually leave.

He couldn't wait to get home, and I couldn't help him. Nervous time. But he finally got on his flight.

And then the airplane door wouldn't close....

rkkwan

Reviving this thread:

simpsonc510's friends will not fly BA, as their luggage always got lost.

emd

And rkkwan, sunshine007 should be added to that BA list too...

JaneB

Qantas, Qantas, Qantas! Flight crew showed up at the LAX airport one hour after departure time, surly gate personnel, flight attendants who disappeared completely for entire flight to Auckland after serving &quot;dinner meal&quot;.

sunshine007

Here, here, EMD!

I must say I'm thinking of trying Luthansa for the January move to Cairo instead of BA. The one way tickets are decent and they don't fly through Heathrow or have an admittedly out of date luggage handling system.

rkkwan

esd and her husband will never fly Delta again.

RufusTFirefly

I gave up crossing airlines off my list years ago. Otherwise I'd have to give up flying totally. They've all messed up at one time or another in my 40 years of travel.

Jed

Any comments about Olympic Airline?

ChristieP

I remember booking flights on Olympic for my employees when I worked in telecom, and they HATED it because they still allowed smoking!! That was in 2001...has it changed?

Kevey

Martinair - flew return from Amsterdam to orlando in Aug 05.

Chose this airline because it saved us approx &pound;500 to fly from Heathrow to Orlando - we didn't mind flying to Amsterdam first - in fact thought it would be quite a novelty to do the flight this way.

Well, the outbound flight was just about acceptable but the return leg was the worst long haul flight we have experienced.

The leg room was very cramped, food disgusting, and FA's rude - the electrics were not working in the Aisle seats for approx 10 rows in front and behind us therefore we could not put a light on to read ( night flight therefore all lights were switched off), could not put head phones on as no point as not working therefore could not listen to music or watch the movie. When we informed the FA of this problem she said &quot; I am not an engineer you know &quot;.

My advice - if travelling to USA from Europe - do NOT use Martinair.

Finally, our friends who were aprox 20 rows in front of us, had water dripping onto them from the air conditioning unit above their heads

Although, I have to say that the saving did pay for our Disney tickets !!

hemmia

Anyone flown to and from Canada with Zoom or Transat? Any comments?

nospam

Alitalia, when they fly that is...Had my flight outright cancelled and had to fight to get rescheduled the next day (Signora, you must fly back next week...). Luggage is a mystery, and the service is questionable -- witnessed an onboard, inair screaming match between one passenger (who asked to have his cold dinner replaced or reheated) and a flight attendant (&quot;I AM ITALIAN AND YOU MUST EAT YOUR DINNER AS IS...&quot; or presumably, NO DINNER FOR YOU!). I have been asked whether I would like pork or fish, and replied pork, only to be told that there IS no pork left (then why ask the question?). I could go on and on, but don't want to bore you...

soccr

I only fly &quot;Sky High&quot; -- http://www.skyhighairlines.com/

(oldie but goodie)

nospam

OK, so that website is HYSTERICAL!!!! Thanks for posting!

rickker20

is there an airline that lets you carry chickens aboard? hahahha

pat

Air India. Very crowded, disorganized, and they also change the schedule without letting you know. I missed a flight because of them, then they reschuled me at the wrong airport. So I ended up missing 2 flights coming home

rkkwan

Curt on the US board will not fly United, as they use Indian phone agents.

esm

The &quot;skyHigh&quot; site is fun. I like the Pulet Ulator 1000 but not the fares!

jamaltay

I haven't flown Continental Airlines since 1987 and will never fly them again. We were flying from Phoenix to New Orleans (when there still was a New Orleans) and the tickets (back in the paper ticket days) read breakfast flight. So we naturally skipped breakfast before flying. On the plane we were offered for breakfast a choice between an apple, a muffin or a child size box of corn flakes. Not all of the above, but a choice of one. I was soooo p***ed that I told them to forget the food and bring me a beer. On our return trip we ate breakfast before leaving the hotel. Good thing. On the plane they offered the same apple, muffin or corn flakes. It wouldn't have bothered me except that they advertised the flights as breakfast flights. I would have eaten before going to the airport. That incident ended my relationship with CO.

mrwunrfl

Wow, a nineteen year-old grudge. That would have been a year after coming out of their 3-year bankruptcy protection. And it would be the year that they grew by &quot;consolidation&quot; a difficult transition, I suppose.
http://www.continental.com/company/h.../1978-1990.asp

These days, you'd be paying $5 for that breakfast beer.