*ALLIANCEALLIANCE – not sure what you mean by this:
Aberdeen: Pushing it here for a U.K airport, but I quite like this little place.
Which country do you think it is in? But I like it as well. Also
Meaning I can’t think of any particular airport in the U.K to add to my “best” list but I have included ABZ at a push.
*ALLIANCELove these questions….
Favourite:
Singapore Changi: Very spacious, efficient and clean. Silver Kris lounge at T3
Kuala Lumpur: Big airport with very little traffic in ratio to it’s size, super quiet and it has a rain forest inside.
Munich: Easiest place in the world to transfer Star Alliance to Star Alliance.
Aberdeen: Pushing it here for a U.K airport, but I quite like this little place.
Helsinki: Only been through on early morning flights but appeared organised and was clean.
Worst:
Heathrow: Awfull, dirty, overcrowded armpit of an airport. Delays common and a general feeling of unhelpfulness off fed up airport staff.
Frankfurt: VERY poor signage in this a massive airport. I find this place like a maze and seem to unearth a new part
everytime I go. Also don’t like the busy Lufthansa lounges.
Zante Greece: Incredible what goes on there in peak summer season. Standing outside in blazing sun waiting to get into the place.
Warsaw: Crazy at peak times and unorganised queus.
May I add that I think the overall airport experience depends largely on which terminal you use. Some places eg JFK have very poor terminals and a couple of not bad ones.
*ALLIANCEI’m an aviation and travel fanatic……I want to be able to do what I do as economically as possible.
Likewise
There is no doubt that LoCos have made flying and travel a lot more accessible to a lot more people. To be honest I very rarely fly with these airlines (I have done Four flights with Ryanair, and they passed without any trouble). My biggest gripe with them and there low fare strategies is that “legacy” carriers are slowly picking away and “enhancing” there domestic/short haul operations in an effort to lower overheads and reduce prices. Were all going to be flying with the same type of service by the looks of things anyway.
It’s down to personal preference in the end, but I still look at flying as something a bit special. I want some of the nicer things that used to be offered, complimentary hot breakfasts on early morning domestic flights and so on. At least WestJet are looking at bringing some of the fun back into domestic flying.
Im not anti Ryanair/Easyjet and the like, I just don’t like how they are forcing other airlines into the same way of operating
Good on you WestJet. Hope it works out.
*ALLIANCEThose windows are HUGE… The electro tinting(it has a fancy name but it escapes me) will be a nice feature. I hate having to put my window shade down and missing the views.
*ALLIANCESounds like a good way to do things. Even if it’s is more expensive than the equivalent euro lo-cos your always going to pay more for flexiblity. I like that they will accommodate on weather related delays/cancelations. Important in that part of the world.
*ALLIANCELooking back I would say my worst had to be a charter with Iberworld. Left Glasgow at 11.55pm routing to Gran Canaria, after being awake all day I boarded the plane already grumpy. Alot of PAX were drunk and rowdy, really tight legroom and crew were doing there best to hide behind the galley curtain. I guess those few things just added up to p##s me off.
Also used to fly Thomas Cook quite alot for hols with the Mrs. Consistantly crap would be my description of there entire opperation. The legroom on the 757s was boarderline criminal. Cabin crew looked uninterested most of the time. I understand leg room is now improved on TCX flights.
One thing that does seem to stand out from the posts on this thread is that one bad experience can ruin an airlines reputation from a personal point of view. I guess it’s hit and miss when we base our opinions of an airline on it’s crew, but it does seem to follow that most poor crews have a bad airline behind them.
While I remember, I felt somewhat let down with BA. Only took 6 flights with them but they all rate quite low on my scoreboard in terms of quality/service. Quite dirty interiors too.
For the record Singapore Airlines are at the top of my list with SWISS a very close second(both Long Haul and intra-European)
*ALLIANCEMAN definitely closed at various points during Sunday afternoon. Some quite interesting chat on the scanner. It would appear that they would shut for 45mins to clear the active runway only to be hit with a heavy snow shower as it was about to re-open. Problems also with T-Storms in the vicinity of DAYNE and ROSUN affecting holding. Most aircraft seemed to be being sent south to TRENT for the hold.
Yea, as has been said before, its quite poor how we handle bad weather situations in the U.K. We dont have the equipment for these events, but for the low number of times were hit, it would be hard to justify to the bean counters the expense of buying anything too advanced.
*ALLIANCEI have started to use the check in machines but must say if I can I check in at a desk, face to face with a real person I do. I have no real problem with self service check in. I guess I just prefer the old way.
Maybe people are a touch worried about the “responsability” of doing something, which until recently has been done for them? And with no real understanding of what the check in agent was doing typing away behind that desk we just think “ahh I would prefer them to do it”.
Also, again they don’t seem to be the most reliable of contraptions. I have had a few blank passes spat out at me, and made the odd one or two crash. They also don’t seem to like complex routings.
I think there will always be a need for a human to watch over the check in area if the machines take over, so I can’t really see a point to them. Even more so when you have to check your bags with a real person after the “fully automated experience”. I find it funny how bmi see face to face check in as a perk reserved for there elites, while a regular Joe Shmoe has no option but to use self service!!! Looks like they don’t have much faith in there automated service!
*ALLIANCEThanks for your kind words as always Steve.
Just to note i have added a video to the report of the landind in Zurich.
Hope your miles post soon Cloud 9….bmi can be really bad in this area.
Cheers
Lee Shaw
*ALLIANCEI can sort of see that the way there is no defined exit may lead to a moments confusion, i really cant see it lasting more than a few seconds. Ok in an extream circumstance, its your 1st visit to the airport, your not a regular flyer and your 1min away from boarding closing and chasing your ass to make the flight, maybe its not the best help in the world to be confronted with a scaled down Trafford Centre with no exit signs. Nearly every airport in the world has its own little quirks, and as flying public we will just have to expect that most alterations to the airports we use, will be to aid said airports to encourage us to spend money in there. Lets see what the layout at EDI will be when the renovations are complete. Im guessing more shops and bars and less general seating areas. Its just the way it works unfortuneatley. I dont disagree with your comments, but it does seem a bit harsh on MAN to slate it when its being compared to airports that are for the most part doing/or looking to do the same thing.
*ALLIANCEI understand the constraints, I am involved in airport business and work alongside one of my colleagues on airport design work. As a result I also understand that this is classically poor airport design. I fly regularly through T1 for work, and hate it everytime, as I say, they’ve eased the situation a little, but if I was an airline, I wouldn’t be happy with that arrangement.
Do you mean you hate the whole terminal layout, or just the duty free area? Surely if you use T1 alot you know the quick way through the shopping area.
Also why would the airlines be bothered as to the layout of a terminal building at somewhere the size of T1 at MAN?
I not a Manchester fanboy by any means, but I think the place is alot better now. As for confusing airport terminals its hardly in the same league as somewhere like Frankfurt.
*ALLIANCEUnfortunately for us as customers that duty free store is there to make money. The last thing we will be shown is an easy way out of there. Its become a slightly annoying fact at airports the world over that they are now just shopping malls with aircraft gates attached. The way i see it is if you use the airport alot you know the easy ways through the shops. If you only use it a few times a year for holidays and so on, your probably going to have a schmooze around the place anyway.
*ALLIANCEI have to say im quite impressed with T1 at MAN. I thought they would make a hash of it, but no, its all good in my eyes. Well done.
*ALLIANCEV and L also fall into 50% miles earning bucket. Did a quick calculation and your getting 1350 miles(give or take). When you fly you will get 1350 in a pot towards your status (silver,gold etc) and 1350 miles into a pot to redeem on flights,car rental,hotels and so on. BD silver is ok and will award you some nice comforts when flying BD (lounge access,priority boarding). For me its the VERY generous redemption rates that is the main draw for diamond club. Keep an eye out for some almost ridiculously generous offers to earn destination miles. Sign up for the bmi credit card and bag 20k miles, there was an offer early this year where a £12 magazine subscription got you 9k miles. Ps sorry for this all being a bit bunched up but im writing this on my mobile phone and it wont let me use paragraphs.
*ALLIANCEAt £182 rtn i would say your fare will book you into a W or T booking code earning you 50% mileage. Minimum of 600 miles per segment (300 miles on your ticket) so at least 1200 status/destination miles.
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