Best airlines BNE - > LHR for unaccompanied minors?

[greenfish]

Did a few sectors with EY down the back of the bus this time last year and was very impressed with how they treated children, I would put markis10jr on them with no concerns. Another concern is the various charges airlines now make for the UM service, QF is $90 per flight.

That's good to know. My main reason for disregarding EY is the single flight per day ex BNE.

 

[mannej]

According to airlineratings Air India has a rating of 6/7. MH has 5/7. The last accident involving fatalities with air india was back in 1985. 30 years ago. MH as far as I'm aware has not changed it's position that airlines such as itself should be able to focus on comfort and food rather than the safety of the air corridors they fly through. (Those are the words of the MH Commercial Director.) MH's view on military intelligence? That is is an 'oxymoron'.

Whilst Airlineratings does give AI 6/7, the system indeed has been questioned as to how they do determine the ratings. Yes it may have been 30 years since the last fatality, but that doesn't negate the poor regulatory environment in India (fake licenses, corrupt practices etc, FAA demoting India's rating in 2013), a number of poor safety practises involving AI, AI's low cost carrier having had an accident involving fatalities in 2010. I could go on.

FWIW, do we really know what information that MH had in terms of information leading to MH17? No we do not. Until we are in a position with the facts in front of us, we are speculating are we not?

That is my observation, but I guess we are all entitled to an opinion.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

FWIW, do we really know what information that MH had in terms of information leading to MH17? No we do not. Until we are in a position with the facts in front of us, we are speculating are we not?

we know most of the information MH would have had available, or easily able to determine had it wanted to. And as stated, it is not just the incident, it is MH's continued statements of reluctance to accept proactive and personal responsibility for the safety of the routes they fly over in the future. The 'future' element is the critical one.

 

[TheRealTMA]

What's all this anti MH rant to do with flying two UMs to UK? Take it to another forum.

 

[Princess Fiona]

What's all this anti MH rant to do with flying two UMs to UK? Take it to another forum.

Agree, it's way off topic

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What's all this anti MH rant to do with flying two UMs to UK? Take it to another forum.

It was a statement suggesting MH be ruled out on safety grounds + the transit at KUL (not as nice as SIN). Those are valid considerations to determine a suitable carrier for your family.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Rubbish. It was a rant

 

[dajop]

These MH discussions are now in many many threads. I think it's high time a thread be started called the "ultimate MH safety discussion thread" and when the need to comment on MH's safety arises (ie. when someone suggests MH as an option) a link to that thread can be provided so the "discussion"/debate
Is not repeated again and again every time.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Excellent idea. Threads that go rogue should be put down.

 

[burmans]

These MH discussions are now in many many threads. I think it's high time a thread be started called the "ultimate MH safety discussion thread" and when the need to comment on MH's safety arises (ie. when someone suggests MH as an option) a link to that thread can be provided so the "discussion"/debate
Is not repeated again and again every time.

But Mel_Traveller clearly believes his opinion gains more value if repeated ad nauseum across multiple threads?

 

[mannej]

But Mel_Traveller clearly believes his opinion gains more value if repeated ad nauseum across multiple threads?

To be fair, I did prod about the legitimacy of the advice about MH considering that said member was happy to fly an airline that was within an earshot of MH17, and advocated another airline that wasn't that far away either.

 

[NM]

[Mod Hat]
Ok, lets stick to the topic here. While airline safety may be a consideration, it is up to the OP to make that determination. Lets not drag this interesting and valuable topic into yet another debate on the merits of specific airline's safety records. As others have noted, there are plenty of other threads where that is on-topic discussion, so keep this thread to the stated topic please.
[/mod hat]

 

[cmon0005]

Thanks PF. It's good to know they're thorough. My main concern with QF is the need to transit SYD / MEL which adds an extra stop and extends the trip by a few hours, so I'm casting a wider net.

What I would suggest is flying with them to Sydney for piece of mind, then seeing them off at Syd Intl with QF.
My example is not quite UM, but my elderly mother in law who lives overseas, is quite afraid of flying, gets nervous with all the processes to remember(fill in arrivals form.etc), is very old fashioned, and has trouble negotiating transit airports(Yes even SIN). However everytime she comes here by herself we call QF to organise 'Meet and assist' and the ground staff & FA's have been fantastic with her, by helping navigate airport queues, helping fill her arrival card., checking her on board frequently.etc. Now my mother in law only wants to fly QF all the time as they take good care of her, and we know she is in good hands incase anything goes wrong.

 

[greenfish]

Just a quick update. I decided to go with Singapore Airlines due to the multiple flights ex BNE and the requirement for only one stopover. I made a phone reservation on the 2nd of February.

After numerous calls and completion of 8 pages of UM forms (2 pages per child, in each direction), this still isn't ticketed 2 weeks later.

The SIA contact centre seems pretty terrible, with real communication/comprehension challenges. I'm beginning to lose confidence in using SIA at all, given how bad the experience has been so far. Despite speaking to the contact centre yesterday, I have no idea what is happening.

I'm tempted to switch to QF, looks like there are now two red-eye flights to AKL (QF and JQ) which would allow me to take the kids all the way to the gate for QF9 (not to mention allowing an hour or two in the F lounge first).

 

[TheRealTMA]

Not pushing any barrow here, but why is not Emirates the best choice for you? Quite direct AKL / BNE / DXB / LHR. Nice A380's and EK seem to have a very good UM policy with nice special UM lounge in DXB and escorted transfers etc. Plus there are several flights a day from DXB - LHR so less chance of missed connections etc.

 

[greenfish]

Not pushing any barrow here, but why is not Emirates the best choice for you? Quite direct AKL / BNE / DXB / LHR. Nice A380's and EK seem to have a very good UM policy with nice special UM lounge in DXB and escorted transfers etc. Plus there are several flights a day from DXB - LHR so less chance of missed connections etc.

I like Emirates a lot, particularly flying on a QF code .

I went with SQ as there are multiple flights (4 I think) to their hub each day. I decided to reconsider QF as it is the same plane all the way through, so the only chance of a missed connection is if the plane goes technical in Dubai. EK to BNE - only one direct flight a day, though I guess the via SIN flight does give some options in the event of a misconnect.

In the back of my mind is a trip my kids and wife did in 2005 on EK; AKL --> MEL (plane iced, over night) --> DXB (overnight, misconnect) --> MAN. 55 Hours with two overnights.

The AKL part is just me using a cheap flight to allow me to escort the kids to the plane (I'm BNE based these days as are the kids).

 

[TheRealTMA]

Actually EK have two flights a day from BNE - DXB. One is the 380 direct and the other the 777 but via SIN so there's a (small) safety net.

 

[greenfish]

Actually EK have two flights a day from BNE - DXB. One is the 380 direct and the other the 777 but via SIN so there's a (small) safety net.

I know -

"only one direct flight a day, though I guess the via SIN flight does give some options in the event of a misconnect"

I've flown both direct and via SIN. So worth considering - but not top of the list for me personally. SQ for number of flights, QF for the kids as 1) Known service quality 2) kids are PS and know QF well 3) Same A380 all the way there.

I'm amazed at how poor the SQ Contact Centers have been. Long hold times, automatic diversion to call-back services, erratic responses and no call backs when promised. Not confidence inspiring.

 

[dajop]

Not sure if you are using an Australian contact number for SQ, but a generally accepted tip on flyer talk for calling SQ (admittedly from the US) is that if you are being diverted to a "difficult" call centre, directly calling their Singapore number (using skype or the like) may yield better results. But of course, individual experiences do vary.

 

[greenfish]

Not sure if you are using an Australian contact number for SQ, but a generally accepted tip on flyer talk for calling SQ (admittedly from the US) is that if you are being diverted to a "difficult" call centre, directly calling their Singapore number (using skype or the like) may yield better results. But of course, individual experiences do vary.

A kind AFF member pointed me in the direction of the Brisbane Ticket Office. One call and the tickets are ready to be issued. They need me to visit the office to verify the credit card, which is no chore as they're only 200m from where I work.

So looking good for SQ. I'll report back on the kids' experience.