In response to tom D’s best ariline poll I thought I would start a worst airline poll
Easily the worst would be Air France… when i used to be a vegetarian I had ordered and confirmed a special meal… When they didn’t have the meal I asked if they could maybe put something together at which point I got the biggest what the F— do you want me to do about it… so much so I started thinking the time spent in jail would be worth the satisfaction from strangling this person right now
Air tran… can’t put my finger on it but the flights on airtran have been the most uncomfortable flights I have ever been on… but damn cheap.
Northwest got a little love in the best airline poll, so I have to weigh in on the worst side. Whenever I have flown Northwest either one of two things happens: 1) they lose my luggage 2) they cancel my flight (or the flight is more than 1 hour late). I have never had a good experience with them.
Yeah, that’s why many in Detroit and Minn call them “NorthWorst”. Here in Northern VA, Independence Air started flying out of Dulles last year. Their rates are great but every single flight I’ve been on with them was delayed for at least 2 hours…Not Good!
Delta partner Atlantic Southeast. I’ve described them before as Satan’s commuter airline (as determined by a major US customer satisfaction survey- it’s not just me- really!). Always at least a half hour behind schedule. Bad luggage handling skills. Solid chance of ending up at some other airport than where you’re supposed to fly to and then getting bussed to your final destination. Their employees are surly and clueless and seem to have gotten reassigned there for screwing up while working at the Delta mothership. It’s the only airline I’ve flown where I’ve felt like I needed to buy/download a copy of the airline’s contract of carriage and have it on hand in the airport just to show them their own rules.
I don’t have many airline options in my neck of the swamp, so I have pretty low standards these days.(Heck, I like Northworst) ASA doesn’t even manage to meet those low standards.
I flew with delta each time when coming back from France. They lost my bike each time (3) and damaged my wife’s…not flying with them anymore.
now if Qantas or Singapore Airlines start a direct flight between EP and Paris, that’d be cool! (very unlikely, but cool)
Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Regional carrier for Delta. Absolutely horrible airline. Cancelled/delayed flights due to lost aircrews, all manner of mechanical ‘issues’, crappy customer service (especially at Hartsfield International).
Overall I have had pretty good luck with United followed by Northwest and American. Between the three there was really very little difference. I have had probably the worst luck with Delta.
Man I flew Delta once in the last year… I got to check in and there were 4 people in line in front of me… I then proceeded to wait somewhere around 30 - 40 minutes… that’s efficiency!
ATA by a landslide in my book. Cheap fares, and as they say, you get what you pay for. Or more applicable in this case, you don’t get what you don’t pay for.
the thing that bothers me about ATA is that everytime you get on the plane they are playing the ATA theme song “you gonna fly easy with ATA…” Bleh I flew them on several occasions often in a row during interview season and now the song has been seared into my head… When I am old and not with it I will surely by singing that song
Delta- I would rather stick a banana up my ass and run around a cage of monkeys than get on one of their shitty planes… unbelievably poor service and rude staff at Atlanta, their hub. My hatred for them is so immense I am paying $100 more to fly an alternative airline to San Fran to Vineman…
the thing that bothers me about ATA is that everytime you get on the plane they are playing the ATA theme song “you gonna fly easy with ATA…” Bleh I flew them on several occasions often in a row during interview season and now the song has been seared into my head… When I am old and not with it I will surely by singing that song
One of my director friends back at our hub in Detroit left us to become a vice-president for customer service with ATA. That was definitely a bad move on his part, I’d say.
He’s still hanging in there, but if what you guys say about that airline is true, if I was him I’d start shopping my resume around.
I’ve actually got a soft spot for PIA last (and to be fair only) time I flew with them I loved that they are the only airline to dispense with the reassuring safety announcement and just have a video-led prayer session instead. You always hear that no-ones ever been saved by an airline life vest so maybe this is the way to go?!
My nomination is air jamaica - I was owed $480 dollars refund by them for a flight back from Cuba on Boxing Day 2003. Sounds dubious but it was a very straightforward claim not compensation or litigation just a stright refund that they promised to put in the post on January 3rd 2004. I finally got the cheque last week.