Aviation Discussion

[fowler9]

You may be better with one that sent you to sleep

Ha ha, true. I was about to say something really negative before I posted what I did and then I thought I could probably be tempted with a budget airline to Rhode Island, lets say something positive. It is the kind of trip I would make that baffles people I work with, mind you many people I work with would question why you were flying to anywhere other than Orlando or Alicante. I once got asked if I was a Communist because I go to Poland so often. Go figure.

 

[wls1]

Pakistan flight departs Karachi standing room only

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39081476

Pakistan International Airlines is investigating how seven extra passengers were allowed to stand in the aisles on a flight to Saudi Arabia, a spokesman told the BBC.
The passengers were allowed on the 20 January flight to Medina despite every seat being filled, the airline said.
Details of the flight have only emerged now because of extensive investigations by Dawn newspaper.
Staff had issued additional handwritten boarding passes, the paper reported.
Such an over-crowded flight would have caused problems in an emergency evacuation, aviation experts said, and passengers would not have had access to oxygen if it was suddenly required...

 

[fowler9]

Pakistan flight departs Karachi standing room only

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39081476

Good grief, they re going to get themselves banned from Europe!

 

[me123]

"I am sorry to learn that your flight was delayed; I can fully appreciate the inconvenience this must have caused you, especially as you missed your onward train home and incurred further costs as a result. I am pleased to offer you a payment of £70 to cover the cost of your taxi fare"

That's what they said

Good to hear that it's been a positive outcome. Whilst we could all argue that it's ultimately your own responsibility to get yourself home, and that the airline offers no official connection to the Scotrail network, the delay obviously made it impossible for you to get home without incurring a significant expense. I'm impressed.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Good grief, they re going to get themselves banned from Europe!

Fingers crossed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good to hear that it's been a positive outcome. Whilst we could all argue that it's ultimately your own responsibility to get yourself home, and that the airline offers no official connection to the Scotrail network, the delay obviously made it impossible for you to get home without incurring a significant expense. I'm impressed.

I am too - perhaps a recognition that Flybe's main competition (I won't use the slightly insulting name I tend to use for them as they deserve credit in this case) is the railway domestically, and the railway will tend to fork out in such cases even where well in excess of the fare paid.

 

[J-2739]

Hi guys,

Taking easyJet to Belfast International coming Thursday. I''ll be sure to give you good people an update of my trip. Can't wait!

How good you guys say easyJet is, compared to Ryanair?

 

[Bletchleyite]

How good you guys say easyJet is, compared to Ryanair?

A lot, lot better. easyJet is more like BA on the cheap than Ryanair.

 

[me123]

^ I'll agree with that. easyJet are a budget airline, but nowadays that places them on a par with just about every other short haul airline. I've always found them to be reasonably comfortable, great staff, and I've never had any significant complaintsl. FR, on the other hand, I've never really got on with.

 

[Bletchleyite]

^ I'll agree with that. easyJet are a budget airline, but nowadays that places them on a par with just about every other short haul airline. I've always found them to be reasonably comfortable, great staff, and I've never had any significant complaintsl. FR, on the other hand, I've never really got on with.

There are some things EZY do *particularly* well - passenger information is certainly one - their app and website has a direct link to their Control which supplies information at the kind of quality of TOC Twitter/JourneyCheck, which is quite something when most airlines like to give you the mushroom treatment and come out with useless nonsense like "the late arrival of the inbound aircraft".

If you've got a smartphone it's well worth downloading their app - it really does enhance the travel experience.

 

[jon0844]

There are some things EZY do *particularly* well - passenger information is certainly one - their app and website has a direct link to their Control which supplies information at the kind of quality of TOC Twitter/JourneyCheck, which is quite something when most airlines like to give you the mushroom treatment and come out with useless nonsense like "the late arrival of the inbound aircraft".

If you've got a smartphone it's well worth downloading their app - it really does enhance the travel experience.

Flying with them tomorrow morning (7am) and agree, the app is very good.

Nothing more frustrating than when you're told by some airlines the flight is on time, or delayed nn minutes, but they won't even show the incoming flight is still on the runaway at another airport - so everyone knows it will be delayed. Ryanair is a good example (albeit a few years back now).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Flying with them tomorrow morning (7am) and agree, the app is very good.

Nothing more frustrating than when you're told by some airlines the flight is on time, or delayed nn minutes, but they won't even show the incoming flight is still on the runaway at another airport - so everyone knows it will be delayed. Ryanair is a good example (albeit a few years back now).

Quite. While EZY now show you your aircraft in Flightradar24 inside the app!

 

[J-2739]

Thanks guys, for the opinions,

I was suspecting easyJet would be better than Ryanair. I've seen some pics of the easyJet interiors, and it looks nicer with the warm orange and black colour tone, and relaxing ambience, as opposed to Ryanair's ugly yellow and blue combo, and the rather busy looking ambience. I guess it doesn't matter though, as I am making a very short distance flight just for Rugby fixtures!

Also my first time on an Airbus product, so rather excited!

 

[miami]

A lot, lot better. easyJet is more like BA on the cheap than Ryanair.

BA on the cheap sounds far worse than ryanair. Surely easyjet is modern BA done right?

Ryanair's colours are hideous though, no doubt. Easyjets are a little better, but it's about the one area BA actually wins.

 

[Bletchleyite]

BA on the cheap sounds far worse than ryanair. Surely easyjet is modern BA done right?

You could argue that, yes.

Ryanair's colours are hideous though, no doubt. Easyjets are a little better, but it's about the one area BA actually wins.

I quite like easyJet's colour scheme...indeed I just redid my kitchen with orange walls and dark grey cabinets (it's not quite easyOrange, though, it's more of a darker terracotta) - though the reason I knew it'd work was because I've already seen it on their aircraft!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Also my first time on an Airbus product, so rather excited!

Way, way better than the crude, old-fashioned, noisy and rough Boeing 737.

 

[dievoyagerdie]

The new EasyJet cabin is really attractive. Slim line seats give more space, and are quite supportive. They're also a much darker great and feel almost like denim. The A320s are being converted but the A319 will keep the classic cabin, which is a little cramped.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The new EasyJet cabin is really attractive. Slim line seats give more space, and are quite supportive. They're also a much darker great and feel almost like denim. The A320s are being converted but the A319 will keep the classic cabin, which is a little cramped.

Hint for the 320s - an extra row is being added in the rear section (this is the motivation for making the change of seats), so if you want a bit more space but don't quite need the exit row select a seat in the front section in front of the exit row. At least some of those seats are available for the basic selection fee.

I do like the seats themselves, though, even if I'm most likely in 12/13 A or F

 

[J-2739]

I quite like easyJet's colour scheme...indeed I just redid my kitchen with orange walls and dark grey cabinets (it's not quite easyOrange, though, it's more of a darker terracotta) - though the reason I knew it'd work was because I've already seen it on their aircraft!

Oooh, a true easyJet fan!

Way, way better than the crude, old-fashioned, noisy and rough Boeing 737.

The 737s I took with Ryanair last year were pretty loud at takeoff, and rather bumpy on landing, but then again, isn't every narrow body airliner?

 

[cactustwirly]

Way, way better than the crude, old-fashioned, noisy and rough Boeing 737.

I've never noticed any difference tbh.

I've never flown with FR (they don't really offer any decent destinations from LGW) but Norwegian are the best LCC IMO (even though they are slightly more expensive than Easy Jet)

EasyJet are quite good from my experience with them.

 

[fowler9]

You could argue that, yes.



I quite like easyJet's colour scheme...indeed I just redid my kitchen with orange walls and dark grey cabinets (it's not quite easyOrange, though, it's more of a darker terracotta) - though the reason I knew it'd work was because I've already seen it on their aircraft!

I've just done my house out in Blue and Yellow because I hate myself. (Only kidding. What the hell are Ryanair thinking, is the plastic just cheaper?)

 

[fowler9]

I've never noticed any difference tbh.

I've never flown with FR (they don't really offer any decent destinations from LGW) but Norwegian are the best LCC IMO (even though they are slightly more expensive than Easy Jet)

EasyJet are quite good from my experience with them.

Would love to try out Norwegian but they don't fly from Liverpool, they did fly briefly to Copenhagen but I couldn't afford to go there.

 

[jon0844]

Thanks guys, for the opinions,

I was suspecting easyJet would be better than Ryanair. I've seen some pics of the easyJet interiors, and it looks nicer with the warm orange and black colour tone, and relaxing ambience, as opposed to Ryanair's ugly yellow and blue combo, and the rather busy looking ambience. I guess it doesn't matter though, as I am making a very short distance flight just for Rugby fixtures!

Also my first time on an Airbus product, so rather excited!

I was in seat 26E at the very back of the plane and it was incredibly cramped. Seats seem narrower in that row. I didn't want to pay for a seat, so can't complain I suppose.

 

[J-2739]

I was in seat 26E at the very back of the plane and it was incredibly cramped. Seats seem narrower in that row. I didn't want to pay for a seat, so can't complain I suppose.

That's low cost, low frills for you.

 

[WestCoast]

A lot, lot better. easyJet is more like BA on the cheap than Ryanair.

I have started flying Ryanair a lot more as their route network from Manchester has grown, I find them more flexible on hand baggage nowadays that easyJet. I was coming back from Hamburg last week on easyJet and got told off for having a small laptop bag in addition to my cabin case, I had forgotten this was not allowed on easyJet. Also, Ryanair's newest 737s with the Sky Interior are quite swish actually.

Norwegian short-haul is the nicest I find; flexible hand baggage, ability to check in at the airport, connections on one ticket and wifi/video entertainment onboard. Flew Alicante to Manchester for 29 EUR in January, brilliant!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I was in seat 26E at the very back of the plane and it was incredibly cramped. Seats seem narrower in that row.

The back row is usually tighter than other rows on many airlines.

See this item from the BBC back in 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4665194.stm

Wearing a fake beard and pretending to be Richard Branson's brother - people will try anything to get a free upgrade on flights. So what's the secret?

The lure of leg room and free champagne can make passengers go to great lengths to get a free upgrade on their flight. Attempts include baking check-in staff a cake and wearing a plaster cast to fake a broken leg, according to one travel survey.

Staff at Virgin Atlantic even reportedly had one man turn up wearing a fake beard and claiming to be the brother of the airline's chairman, Richard Branson.

In particular this near the bottom of the list of comments under the article itself:

I actually turned down an upgrade on a Heathrow - Paris BA flight once [ about 10 - 12 years ago ] simply because I had a window seat in economy and the 1st class one I was offered wasn't a window seat. To me, being able to see out properly is the more important factor!
Peter Mugridge, Epsom, Surrey, UK

Before anyone asks, it was a 767 and yes I was in the very back row...

I'm nothing if not consistent...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've just done my house out in Blue and Yellow because I hate myself. (Only kidding. What the hell are Ryanair thinking, is the plastic just cheaper?)

I don't understand what they were playing at keeping the yellow seat back tops in the Sky Interior. The original proposal using blue only actually looked nice.

Has anyone noticed that both cheap flights and cheap furniture come in blue and yellow?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oooh, a true easyJet fan!

Well I have flown with them over 200 times in the last 10 years or so. No, that's not an exaggeration.

Though that's not why I chose those colours specifically...my house is generally done in bright colours anyway, I can't stand magnolia and boring white. I just knew the combination worked (having already picked the grey units) because of the EZY interior

The 737s I took with Ryanair last year were pretty loud at takeoff, and rather bumpy on landing, but then again, isn't every narrow body airliner?

I find Airbuses that little bit smoother and quieter.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

In particular this near the bottom of the list of comments under the article itself:

Before anyone asks, it was a 767 and yes I was in the very back row...

I'm nothing if not consistent...

Now that is dedication. I for one would probably consider following you though, can't fly without a window, would just be weird.

I've never been offered an upgrade, closest I got was the exit-row seats on a couple of short hauls that connected into long-haul flights.

 

[bradders1983]

Couldnt help but noticed some Facebook outrage this week regarding the new Norwegian flights from Edinburgh/Belfast (and some Irish cities) to Boston and New York starting from this summer...except the flights arent actually to New York and Boston but to ones miles away. In the instance of "Boston" the flights are actually to the state of Rhode Island and an airport in Providence

I suppose you cant really moan if the flights are dirt cheap and you know the location of the airports before booking, although late afternoon departures from Edinburgh (1715 and 1730) arent overly attractive if you then have hours to travel at the other end.