Let us know your most outrageous thoughts on any topic about flying

[Max Samuels]

Obviously it is all very subjective, and I cannot find a list that is the same... but here are some random links I selected and EK is, at worst, #6

Top 10 world's best airlines for flying First Class

Here's my selection of the world's 10 best airlines for flying First Class, offering superb lie-flat seats, high-end amenities & fine dining.

theluxurytravelexpert.com

The World's Best First Class Airlines

Expert ranking on the world's best first class airlines from someone who has flown all of them. Here are the top 12 first class products.

onemileatatime.com

World's Best First Class Airlines 2023 | SKYTRAX

Check and compare which airlines provide the best first class experience rated by travelers in the global airline passenger satisfaction survey.

www.worldairlineawards.com

But back to my original point..... when Bob from Dapto complained about EK's First not being that great (it's #2, #1, #6 according to the above lists...) it sounded more like self-entitled whining than actual constructive criticism.

I am very surprised though to see Garuda in the top 10...... maybe keeping the aircraft in the sky isn't taken into account when rating the product

 

[Max Samuels]

I must admit to some amazement that QF did it so well, back when my better half was QF Platinum. Our bags always came out very very near the front, in the first dozen or so.

I have never experienced QF priority bags. In fact, when I can be bothered, I count the number of bags that come out before the First Class tagged bags.... just so i can put it in my feedback form

 

[drron]

Well I now travel paid F on BA for my Asia trips.Not because it is the greatest F but because my BA sale fare is so much cheaper than flying QF J on their recent sale fare.The QF J price is more than 50% dearer for the QF J.
And to be more outrageous at least 3 of the AA F crews I have flown in would be in my top 10.One is the best.The BA F crew a few days ago would also make my top 10.One QF crew also makes it.JAL,SQ and ANA all make it.
Of course how you would rate crews is also very subjective.

 

[Pleb Status]

Obviously it is all very subjective, and I cannot find a list that is the same... but here are some random links I selected and EK is, at worst, #6

Top 10 world's best airlines for flying First Class

Here's my selection of the world's 10 best airlines for flying First Class, offering superb lie-flat seats, high-end amenities & fine dining.

theluxurytravelexpert.com

The World's Best First Class Airlines

Expert ranking on the world's best first class airlines from someone who has flown all of them. Here are the top 12 first class products.

onemileatatime.com

World's Best First Class Airlines 2023 | SKYTRAX

Check and compare which airlines provide the best first class experience rated by travelers in the global airline passenger satisfaction survey.

www.worldairlineawards.com

But back to my original point..... when Bob from Dapto complained about EK's First not being that great (it's #2, #1, #6 according to the above lists...) it sounded more like self-entitled whining than actual constructive criticism.

I am very surprised though to see Garuda in the top 10...... maybe keeping the aircraft in the sky isn't taken into account when rating the product

Most 'reviews' and 'rankings' on commercial websites are paid for (directly or indirectly) by the airlines. They should be seen as another form of advertising and nothing more. EK has a very big advertising and sponsorship spend so....

I will have to organise a beer with my mate Bob next time I am near Dapto as I agree with him. On every occasion I have flown long haul EK F, the actual product and service provided has come nowhere close to the 'hype'. Sometimes ingorance is bliss, as maybe Bob was able to call it as he saw it and not as the advertising wants him to see it.

 

[ajd]

Most 'reviews' and 'rankings' on commercial websites are paid for (directly or indirectly) by the airlines. They should be seen as another form of advertising and nothing more. EK has a very big advertising and sponsorship spend so....

I will have to organise a beer with my mate Bob next time I am near Dapto as I agree with him. On every occasion I have flown long haul EK F, the actual product and service provided has come nowhere close to the 'hype'. Sometimes ingorance is bliss, as maybe Bob was able to call it as he saw it and not as the advertising wants him to see it.

I've flown EK F once, SYD-CHC. It was fancy, with the showers, and all the compartments with all the F paraphernalia, and the massive IFE screen, and the nicer bed than J, etc.

But if EK's F is among the best in the world, I cannot understand why anyone would actually pay cash for F, it's not so much better than J as to justify paying so much more for it. I can understand why someone might think it's been a bit overhyped.

 

[Forg]

^ Law of diminishing returns; it costs a lot more because there’s nothing wrong with the thing it costs more than, so not that many people will pay the extra, which in turn makes it disproportionately more expensive.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am very surprised though to see Garuda in the top 10...... maybe keeping the aircraft in the sky isn't taken into account when rating the product

I'm content with GA's safety record, taking into account their route network and the flying conditions they fly in. You have to go back 23 years for their last international accident, an overrun at cough (with three fatalities of 275 on board). For domestic flights I'd take GA over others. And yes, they do actually have a fantastic on board produc!

Well actually I struggle to find one good thing written about BA's first product - I dare you to find a glowing review of BA from the past 5 years! When I said "go away" I meant that these airlines used to be the standard of excellence... that they have gone away from the top - not ceased operating. Anyway your logic is flawed - the operating revenues of the airlines is irrelevant as to whether or not the F product is the best (which is what we are talking about). By your logic, AA should be at the top... and I think nobody here will support that idea!

I know you didn't mean 'cease operating' My point is this... when BA first introduced fully flat beds (not the first airline to do so in the jet age, but the first with an extensive world-wide network) they were routinely hailed as being at the top of their league. Lots of press coverage. Lots of excitement. Well... since then the service is pretty much the same. The lounges have improved. The on-board amenities have improved. The service is just the same. What's changed is that a bright shiny new seat and shower has come along from another airline and taken all the attention. Did BA and the likes 'ever go away' from offering a good product? 'Probably not' was my argument. And the same applies to LH and AF. Did their product ever drop, or did others take the attention? The TATL revenue is perhaps important because it means a lot of people fly BA premium TATL. If their product really was as bad as we would believe, the sales wouldn't be there.

 

[TonyHancock]

Well actually I struggle to find one good thing written about BA's first product - I dare you to find a glowing review of BA from the past 5 years! When I said "go away" I meant that these airlines used to be the standard of excellence... that they have gone away from the top - not ceased operating. Anyway your logic is flawed - the operating revenues of the airlines is irrelevant as to whether or not the F product is the best (which is what we are talking about). By your logic, AA should be at the top... and I think nobody here will support that idea!

I don’t fly half as much as most here but in 60 F sectors, over the last fours years with BA I have to say it is OK. The recent changes in the dining experience are a massive improvement. Service is a bit variable but better. The hard product is well below the middle eastern airlines. It is still better than any business class product I have flown....apart from the QR Q Suites.

 

[TonyHancock]

I don’t fly half as much as most here but in 60 F sectors, over the last fours years with BA I have to say it is OK. The recent changes in the dining experience are a massive improvement. Service is a bit variable but better. The hard product is well below the middle eastern airlines. It is still better than any business class product I have flown....apart from the QR Q Suites.

My name is Tony I am a sufferer of Frequent Flyer Stockholm Syndrome

(BAEC is an excellent FF program though)

 

[Matt_01]

The comments are getting are somewhat interesting but after

I don’t fly half as much as most here but in 60 F sectors, over the last fours years with BA I have to say it is OK. The recent changes in the dining experience are a massive improvement. Service is a bit variable but better. The hard product is well below the middle eastern airlines. It is still better than any business class product I have flown....apart from the QR Q Suites.

My name is Tony I am a sufferer of Frequent Flyer Stockholm Syndrome

(BAEC is an excellent FF program though)

My name is Matt, I fly 130+ sectors per year with QF, I am a sufferer of Frequent Flyer Stockholm Syndrome.....

 

[Max Samuels]

I hate to throw a spanner in the works but wasn’t GA actually banned from flying into the US and EU because their safety was cough? Wasn’t that a thing?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I hate to throw a spanner in the works but wasn’t GA actually banned from flying into the US and EU because their safety was cough? Wasn’t that a thing?

The EU put a ban on ALL indonesian airlines flying into the EU in 2007. That ban was lifted in 2009 for a very small number of Indonesian carriers who could demonstrate acceptable standards. Garuda was one of those.

The EU currently has a ban on the 737MAX. Ten years from now - in 2029 - the world will probably have moved on (even if we are still suffering another variant of the 737 ).

Airlineratings gives Garuda the highest 7 star safety rating: Garuda Indonesia - Airline Ratings

 

[juddles]

Peoples,

in deference to the thread, I wish to share another outrageous idea/concept. Outrageous only within this forum, as anyone on the outside would not think it so....

I have managed to change my life from extreme frequent flying to NO flying, and by God I am enjoying it. Over the past few years I was averaging about 400,000 km per year, which meant over two hours of every single day of the year was actually airborne. IE I was spending more than a month at altitude. Taking into account airport time, etc it was almost half my waking hours. Half my food was onboard or in lounges. And of course I "enjoyed" the super status that comes with that. P1 on Qantas, Diamond with Avianca, Black with Latam, etc. Simultaneously. But it became absolute shiite.

It is now a few months since I have set foot on a plane. All my hard-earned status levels will implode if this keeps up. But am loving it.

I would really like to know if there is a single other P1 out there who has not set foot on a plane in almost 5 months?? Part of me thinks this is a "waste" of status. But really, it is all just a sad game for those that chase it, and a feeble attempt at making shiite a bit more able to be swallowed for those that have to travel.

Getting to the outrageous, I actually enjoy the prospect of OVERCOMING SOFT LANDINGS, and getting back to square one. Where I can actually appreciate a slightly less punishing seat. Somewhere that the entrance of a lounge is again a joy.

Flying is cough. All the bells and whistles about status or F vs Y are just different levels of pain. It costs about $10,000 to spend 12 hrs in F on a long haul flight. That same money buys you a few days of relaxation on a beautiful 5 star resort such as Lizard Island or similar.

I just feel sometimes that perspective is lost.

 

[Max Samuels]

Totally agree.
When i was super important mr busy business I had the option of flying J and hit the ground running, or flying Y and having a couple of days off at either end at their expense... I almost never took the J option

 

[TonyHancock]

It costs about $10,000 to spend 12 hrs in F on a long haul flight.

Now that is utterly outrageous. If you were paying that there is no wonder you want to enjoy not flying.

 

[Matt_01]

.....But if EK's F is among the best in the world, I cannot understand why anyone would actually pay cash for F, it's not so much better than J as to justify paying so much more for it. I can understand why someone might think it's been a bit overhyped.

Sometimes it just depends on the route you are travelling and at times F is not as expensive as some think. Take @drron example AU-UK on BA F, if purchased during sales these can be cheaper than QF J. I have paid to fly EK F MEL-SIN return on a couple of occasions as the F codeshare was cheaper than the QF J plus you are now earning SC and Points at an F rate.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Sometimes it just depends on the route you are travelling and at times F is not as expensive as some think.

Take Europe to Australia - F for $9K return. Business on SQ for $3600 return. We pay a hefty 'Autralia tax' from here that really isn't justified by wages or fuel or anything else.

 

[ajd]

Sometimes it just depends on the route you are travelling and at times F is not as expensive as some think. Take @drron example AU-UK on BA F, if purchased during sales these can be cheaper than QF J. I have paid to fly EK F MEL-SIN return on a couple of occasions as the F codeshare was cheaper than the QF J plus you are now earning SC and Points at an F rate.

Perhaps my opinions on F pricing are impacted by the fact that I have never paid for J, nor does my employer pay for anything higher than flex Y no matter the flight length...

 

[Forg]

Take Europe to Australia - F for $9K return. Business on SQ for $3600 return. We pay a hefty 'Autralia tax' from here that really isn't justified by wages or fuel or anything else.

Yep, it’s the old “what the market will bear” thing. I guess the reason a carrier doesn’t just waltz in & totally own the market by taking US fare-level profits per-seat (and yet be selling >50% of all seats to the Australian market) is because as soon as one did it others would easily be able to match; so they’d rather just keep us a cash-cow.

 

[Matt_01]

Most outrageous.It seems QF QLD have learnt how to do PB and Priority luggage.
Both TSV on Friday and BNE yesterday most of the premium line boarded before the first from Y line.
Not only that bags out in first 10 both times.

What am I going to be able to complain about now.

Must have been a very short trial or the staff boarding you must have failed their OJT and have since been through remediation training. QF seems to have gone back to the way they do boarding i.e all boarding at once. You, I and many others will still have something to complain about.