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Air
Canada  |
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A good alternative to United States carriers but then again, not
that different. I flew them a couple of times from BC to California. |
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Air India |
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Never flew them, but I thought I would when I went to India. However,
if I were flying to India from North America, I would choose an
East Asian carrier and transfer with a several day layover. Not
only will this be cheaper, but chances are, the plane ride will
be a lot nicer. If I were coming from Europe (which I never have)
I would fly a Middle Eastern carrier and do the same brief layover. |
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Air
China |
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Constantly getting better. None of the horror stories I heard about
this carrier materialize on my one flight from Chengdu to Lhasa.
In fact, I was treated to some decent food, friendly staff and a
good vibe all together. May not be Asia’s best airline, but don't worry
if you have to fly Air China; there are much worse options. The great thing about Air China is that once you are on the plane, you are in China with all its privileges and annoyances. Enjoy… |
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Air France |
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Not my favorite for trans-Atlantic flights, however, inter-Europe
seems quite nice (at least the stewardesses did.) That 747-200 I
flew from LAX to Paris was so jam-packed with passengers that I
almost got a broken nose every time the person in front of me stretched.
Then again, they got me there safely and when I landed, the first
thing I did was go to the Eiffel Tower. Can't beat that, can you? |
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Air
Madagascar |
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Namako
Rewards |
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[ fleet ] Affectionately known as Air Mad, the best thing about this airline
is that half the time you fly them (internationally) you land in
Madagascar. Other than that, this no frills carrier doesn't gleam
high on the rankings. They do have an excellent fragile handling
capacity, so if you do manage to buy a djembei or a huge model ship,
chances are it will arrive undamaged at the other end. Some of the
staff will be pushy and rude if you get to the gate more than 30
minutes before departure. |
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All Nipon
Airways |
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Coach on this airline is as good as business on most others. Flying
ANA on their state-of-the-art Boeing 777 was a pleasure indeed.
Coach meals included salmon teriyaki, muscles & maguru sashimi,
salad, bread, etc. In addition each and every seat had its own entertainment
system meaning I could start and stop moves and play various games
on my time. ANA has the friendliest attendants as well. |
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Asiana Airlines |
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I flew these guys from LAX to Shanghai with a stop in Korea. The
long-haul was on a B747-400. The plane was typical, but the food
was great. The Korea to Shanghai flight was on a new 777 and I loved
every minute of it. I have since opted for the 777 every time I
fly. |
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Biman Bangladesh
Airlines |
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Frequent
Flyer |
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[ fleet ] Rated as “the worst airline on the planet” this company
still chugs away offering the best trans-Asia fares. Sure, their
planes are a bit old, but I would have to disagree with their reputation.
In actuality, I found the staff to be the friendliest in the industry.
They even took me out for drinks the night before the flights. No
airline has ever done that and probably ever will. The food is OK,
and some prefer not to eat it. And yes, some of the seat and tray
tables don't stay up. Then again, the pilots are highly trained
and fly continuously in heavy monsoon conditions without problems.
Some of the planes are new and some are old. I got the chance to
fly on a Fokker 28, a plane (almost) as old as I am. I suggest a
brief four-day layover in Dhaka. You will never forget it. Don't
worry about flying with these guys, and if you do have the opportunity,
remember, you will be taking-off and landing in some of the most
exotic countries on the planet. Enjoy! |
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British
Airways |
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oneworld |
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This is a highly-connected airline that was once the largest in
the world. Still, these guys (and gals) fly to most places in the
world, including some way-off-the-beaten-path spots in Africa and
the Middle East. There are ample drinks and decent food on board,
and once they even let me sit in the cockpit of a 747 for and hour
while enroute to London — best sunrise ever. |
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China
Airlines |
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Dynasty
Flier |
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Other than having a tendency to hot-rod 747s across the Atlantic,
this carrier is one of the better Asians, and therefore one of the
better in the world. You get hot towels and good food served by
sexy stewardesses. The only improvements I see are the need to update
all their aircraft with the individual entertainment systems that
they have some of the inter-Asian flights. The food is good and
the staff is friendly enough. |
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Egypt
Air |
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[ fleet ] The pride and glory of Egypt, Egypt Air. My flight was on a Boeing
767 from Cairo to Asmara, Eritrea. The flight left at 3:40A right
on time, unlike anything else in Egypt. The plane was new, the staff
were brilliant and the food (I chose the veggie option) was terrible.
I would fly them again, and despite recent problems, this is a decent
carrier. The only problem I had (which was a big problem) was trying
to buy a one-way flight out of Egypt. They absolutely refused to
sell one-ways. Finally, though, they succumbed and issued a one-way
for me to Eritrea. |
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El
Al |
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Matmid
Club |
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[ fleet ] Definitely the safest airline in the world. Once I was seated
on the plane, after my interrogation, I felt as snug as a baby.
I really did. Yes, they do question every traveler and they scrutinize
high-risk individuals. At the time, I was an early twenty-something
traveling alone with Arab stamps in my passport— prime suspect.
But don't worry, they won't question everyone like they did me.
I didn't care actually, I knew the plane wouldn't leave without
me, and it showed me how safe they really are. Rumors have it that
some of the planes have antimissile technologies. Pretty neat. All
the pilots are highly experienced ex-military. The food isn't anything
to write home about, but the praying rabbis on the plane is. All
in all, if you have a chance to fly them, choose them, you will
never forget it and you will have a better time. |
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Ethiopian
Airlines |
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ShebaMiles |
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[ fleet ] I have to say that I like this company. Not only is it the biggest
and one of the safest carriers in Africa, but every time I ride
with them it was shear excitement. From taking off on dirt runways
to sky-bomb dive landings, this company gets you where you need
to go in the most remote sections on earth. Most of the pilots are
ex-airforce and may need to be reminded that they are no longer
flying fighter planes. Other than that the planes are in new to
decent conditions and remembering what the toilets where like on
the ground, I often sometimes waited to get on board to use the
lavatory! |
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EVA |
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Evergreen
Club |
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[ fleet ] I flew EVA from Bangkok to LAX on their 747-400Combi plane. I
don't like this configuration as the whole point of flying on a
big airplane is to have a big airplane. This plane was cut in half,
the front for passengers and the back for… who knows what?
Other than that the service was perfect and the food outstanding. |
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Jet
Airways |
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Jet
Privilege |
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[ fleet ] India's best airline. This company mimics other low-cost yet comfortable
airlines with its fleet of new 737s. If you have to fly in or around
India, chose them, it is worth the extra ten bucks. |
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KLM |
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KLM took me to Amsterdam. I liked the company mainly because I
like most things Dutch. Other than that, nothing is really too exceptional
about this carrier. Then again, nothing to exceptional about any
European carrier that I have flown. |
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Malaysian
Airlines |
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Another great airline, maybe one of the best. From the moment you
step on, even in coach, the treatment is superb. Everyone gets a
little toiletries bag and a menu. The food ranks up there as some
of the best and the staff are quite sincere and caring. The planes
are in great condition. One of the best Asian carriers and therefore
one of the best in the world. I love this airline. |
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Mexicana |
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This is your typical north American carrier in all regards except
for one difference. The gigantic and free flowing bottle of Sauza
tequila that sits plush in the middle of the drink cart. The food,
I thought, was excellent to. Chicken enchilada and good, slow cooked
refried beans. The planes are decent and in good condition. |
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Philippine
Airlines |
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This is not my favorite Asian airline. The check-in is quite militaristic
in that they weigh all your bags down to the ounce. Anyone ever
slightly over is charged an instant $100 extra. The food on the
planes is good enough and the staff are nice to foreigners. The
planes don't have any frills. |
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| Shanghai Airlines 上海航空公司 |
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[ fleet ] I think you are allowed to check about 20 pounds of gear, beyond that, anything you saved on the ticket price will be handed over to the check-in agent at the airport. Nonetheless, a decent no-frills airline with a good safety record. Enjoy your time in China |
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Singapore
Airlines |
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Have you ever wanted to not get off the airplane? Well,
I experienced that here. Singapore is really the best. The ratings
don't lie. They practically carry you onboard, even in coach. You
get the hot napkin treatment prior to wonderful meal and every seat
has its on individual entertainment center. The staff is perfect,
proper and still warm and friendly. I am just dying to see what
first-class is like… |
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Sri Lankan
Airlines |
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Skywards |
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A sweetheart of an airline. Nice planes, good food, friendly staff.
The only really problem was getting a ticket from India, which was
a true pain in the ass. I was told that coach was entirely sold-out
and was persuaded to fly first. So I did, but upon entering the
plane, I realized that I may have been sold a more expensive ticket
unnecessarily. First-class was great though and included a special
line for immigration. My bags were the first out in the claim area
as well. Now that's a first! |
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Thai Airways
International |
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Smooth as silk indeed. The food on this airline is quite possibly
the best in the world (for coach.) The stewardesses are darling
and the planes are (mostly) new. I was disappointed that my seat
didn't have the individual entertainment system, even though each
seat has a monitor and a joystick for the functionality. Maybe they
weren't finished upgrading all of their planes. Definitely in Asia's
top five best carriers.
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