Since this is the travel forum and a few of us, are heavy travelers, it would be a greatly beneficial to all and specially to those of us who do travel frequently, to have a thread (perhaps even a sticky) where we would review and share our experiences with each airline we've flown with. This way, we'd know which ones offer great service, great food and a pleasant experience as opposed to a bad one.
I'll start:
On my recent trip to Thailand from which I just returned on Monday, I had 4 legs and flew ith 3 different airliines to get me from Canada to Thailand and back.
Toronto-Narita: 13 hour flight with Air Canada. Is it me or is the service on Air Canada, even on international flights is getting worst and worst by day? When I used to fly with them to São Paulo, the food was decent and the service with a smile (mind you not a smile in the Thai sense) but still acceptable, specially for North American standards. Food was acceptable at best. On the positive, their inflight entertainment is among the best in North America. And Air Canada is rated as the best North American carrier.Verdict: 6/10
Narita-BKK: 6.5 hour flight with All Nippon Airways ANA. Superb service, comfy chairs, real cuttleware and delicious food. Just the steak they served during their meal would put to shame steaks you'd get from a place like the Keg. And their flight attendants were very friendly, very sexy and always checking to see if you are ok or need anything. All in all, impeccable service. 8/10
BKK-Hong Kong: 2.5 hour flight with Thai Airways International. I would say without hesitation that Thai Airways, has been so far and by far, the best airline I've flown with (Etihad being a very close 2nd). First, they greet you with the biggest, widest and warmest smile you can imagine upon boarding. Flight attendants are very good looking and the women are dressed in traditional Thai attire which is very beautiful by itself and when you add the Thai manners and feminity, it is just incredible. The food is oustanding. It could easily pass for gourmet food. Overall oustanding. Yes, they're more expensive to fly than say Air Asia (LOL), but as they say, you do really get what you pay for here. 9/10
Hong Kong-Toronto: 15 hour flight with Air Canada.. What a freaking long and uber boring flight (15 hours non stop). The food was the worst I've had in a very very long time. Their lunch meal after take off was mediocre at best. The kicker was when for dinner, they offered us those noodles that you can buy at any supermarket for 2 or 3 bucks per pack with a little tiny sandwich that wouldn't even feed a toddler. Are you freaking kidding me? And then to make things even worst, for breakfast, they had the audacity to give rice purridge? That crap is disgusting. It's a scandal for Air Canada, to charge extorsion-like fees for their flight and to offer food that even inmates at high risk prisons wouldn't even touch. It doesn't take much to offer quality food. It wouldn't cost them more than a lousy 20 bucks to offer good food, they could offer food that is food and that is eatable. And when they charge a minimum of 1500 to 1700 for a flight to Narita or Hong Kong, the least they can do to justify those crazy prices is to provide good food. I paid 2K for that flight and I was aghast and furax by the quality or lack of thereof of their "food" and overall service, specially on that HKG-YYZ flight. As a comparison, even on a 1 hour flight from BKK to Krabi on Thai International, the snack was waaay better than all the meals served by Air Canada on both flights to Narita and from Hong Kong. That is a scandal. And if this is the so called best airline in North America, then God helps us as far as the quality of food on american carriers...It's been ages since I flew with a US carrier (last time was American Airlines to Fortaleza and the food I remember was acceptable). 3/10
BKK-Krabi return with Thai International, 1 hour flight each way. Oustanding service. Awesome food, the snack was like gourmet food. Delicious chicken sandwich and an awesome pastry mix between a donut and a cake. Yummy. Unlimited drinks throught the short 1 hour flight. Service always with a wide and warm smile. 9/10.
For my next flight to Asia, I'd be looking at other alternatives to Air Canada. Can those who have flown with Cathay chip in about their experiences flying to Asia with them in terms of their quality of their service and their food? I know that flying Etihad or Emirates would be a great alternative as usually the best airlines in the world in terms of quality of service and food are by far the airlines from the Middle East and Asia and the worst are those from North America. I was under the impression that Air Canada was a cut above from the rest of crappy carriers from NA but now, regrettably AC has sunked to the level of the rest of North American carriers. How about European carriers like say Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Swiss International, AlItalia, British Airways? I haven't flown with a European carrier in ages so how is their services and food on international flights? And how would you rate/compare them with Asian and Middle Eastern carriers who are the gold standard in the world?
I'll start:
On my recent trip to Thailand from which I just returned on Monday, I had 4 legs and flew ith 3 different airliines to get me from Canada to Thailand and back.
Toronto-Narita: 13 hour flight with Air Canada. Is it me or is the service on Air Canada, even on international flights is getting worst and worst by day? When I used to fly with them to São Paulo, the food was decent and the service with a smile (mind you not a smile in the Thai sense) but still acceptable, specially for North American standards. Food was acceptable at best. On the positive, their inflight entertainment is among the best in North America. And Air Canada is rated as the best North American carrier.Verdict: 6/10
Narita-BKK: 6.5 hour flight with All Nippon Airways ANA. Superb service, comfy chairs, real cuttleware and delicious food. Just the steak they served during their meal would put to shame steaks you'd get from a place like the Keg. And their flight attendants were very friendly, very sexy and always checking to see if you are ok or need anything. All in all, impeccable service. 8/10
BKK-Hong Kong: 2.5 hour flight with Thai Airways International. I would say without hesitation that Thai Airways, has been so far and by far, the best airline I've flown with (Etihad being a very close 2nd). First, they greet you with the biggest, widest and warmest smile you can imagine upon boarding. Flight attendants are very good looking and the women are dressed in traditional Thai attire which is very beautiful by itself and when you add the Thai manners and feminity, it is just incredible. The food is oustanding. It could easily pass for gourmet food. Overall oustanding. Yes, they're more expensive to fly than say Air Asia (LOL), but as they say, you do really get what you pay for here. 9/10
Hong Kong-Toronto: 15 hour flight with Air Canada.. What a freaking long and uber boring flight (15 hours non stop). The food was the worst I've had in a very very long time. Their lunch meal after take off was mediocre at best. The kicker was when for dinner, they offered us those noodles that you can buy at any supermarket for 2 or 3 bucks per pack with a little tiny sandwich that wouldn't even feed a toddler. Are you freaking kidding me? And then to make things even worst, for breakfast, they had the audacity to give rice purridge? That crap is disgusting. It's a scandal for Air Canada, to charge extorsion-like fees for their flight and to offer food that even inmates at high risk prisons wouldn't even touch. It doesn't take much to offer quality food. It wouldn't cost them more than a lousy 20 bucks to offer good food, they could offer food that is food and that is eatable. And when they charge a minimum of 1500 to 1700 for a flight to Narita or Hong Kong, the least they can do to justify those crazy prices is to provide good food. I paid 2K for that flight and I was aghast and furax by the quality or lack of thereof of their "food" and overall service, specially on that HKG-YYZ flight. As a comparison, even on a 1 hour flight from BKK to Krabi on Thai International, the snack was waaay better than all the meals served by Air Canada on both flights to Narita and from Hong Kong. That is a scandal. And if this is the so called best airline in North America, then God helps us as far as the quality of food on american carriers...It's been ages since I flew with a US carrier (last time was American Airlines to Fortaleza and the food I remember was acceptable). 3/10
BKK-Krabi return with Thai International, 1 hour flight each way. Oustanding service. Awesome food, the snack was like gourmet food. Delicious chicken sandwich and an awesome pastry mix between a donut and a cake. Yummy. Unlimited drinks throught the short 1 hour flight. Service always with a wide and warm smile. 9/10.
For my next flight to Asia, I'd be looking at other alternatives to Air Canada. Can those who have flown with Cathay chip in about their experiences flying to Asia with them in terms of their quality of their service and their food? I know that flying Etihad or Emirates would be a great alternative as usually the best airlines in the world in terms of quality of service and food are by far the airlines from the Middle East and Asia and the worst are those from North America. I was under the impression that Air Canada was a cut above from the rest of crappy carriers from NA but now, regrettably AC has sunked to the level of the rest of North American carriers. How about European carriers like say Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Swiss International, AlItalia, British Airways? I haven't flown with a European carrier in ages so how is their services and food on international flights? And how would you rate/compare them with Asian and Middle Eastern carriers who are the gold standard in the world?