Middle East Airlines

[Pdoggg]

Do you guys like flying the Middle East airlines?

Emirates has a reputation for being a high end airline.  Does it's service match its hype?

Do you guys strongly prefer non-stops  or does a layover in the Middle East give you a chance to stretch your legs and smoke a fag? 

I prefer non-stops for lots of reasons but I'll put up with a layover to save money.

Here are links to three major Middle East carriers on our sister website:

Middle East Airline Links

 

[pentire]

Give me non stop every time, especially when I’m feeling flush and have secured a business class seat for under £2000.00 return from London on EVA or Thai. Sure I could have done it for £2-300 less if travelling via the desert on Etihad or Emirates, but in biz on a flat bed underneath a duvet with my own pillow, I’m a good sleeper, especially after a few beers and bottle of champagne .

 I don’t appreciate being woken up after seven hours with a mild hangover to get out of bed for landing then transit security checks followed by 2-3 hours in a Lounge and once again that lengthy boarding process. Chances are I won’t get back to sleep again for the next leg so I’ll arrive in Bangkok tired and grumpy.........I may as well have saved my money and flown economy.

[duke007]

If Thai or BA flew direct from Manchester then I  would probably fly with them, unfortunately they don't. 

 

That means I am stuck with non direct flights, I have tried via Heathrow a good few years ago and would never do.it again, Heathrow was a nightmare with a connection and a shithole imho. maybe it's changed now but I still wouldn't bother.

 

So we have the Middle Eastern airlines and I  have flown with Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways

 

I flew with Etihad Airways to start with because I  did not know any better and it was the thrill of travelling to the LOS back then plus they were cheap.

 

Then along came Emirates and it was a different kettle of fish, what s difference to Etihad, I  realised then what a shitty airport Abu Dhabi compared to Dubai is and the service and the planes of Emirates far superior, the space and the IFE system is excellent on their A380's. 

 

I  then decided to give Qatar Airways another go, mainly  because of the £330 airfare, it was too good to refuse.

 

I  flew with Qatar many years ago when they were at the old airport, I was not that impressed having to transit on the tarmac but Qatar were an up and coming airline back then.

 

I  have flown with Qatar Airways on my last 4 or 5  trips bar once trying Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong.(who were superb)

 

I cannot fault Qatar Airways in any way and the Hamad International airport in Doha is probably the best or if not in the top 3 airports in the world. the transit is so easy and quick.

 

The cabin crew on Qatar are very proffesional and better than Emirates imho.

 

Qatar also have the choice of three meals on their flights unlike most other airlines.their fleet is one of the youngest age wise too.

 

If some were going to have a moan it would be the IFE box in front of you under the seat in front of you in seats A,C,D,F,G &K on their 787's,  tbh it has never bothered me at all and I have plenty of legroom..

 

I tend not to sleep that much on a plane so paying Business Class prices to get a kip doesn't interest me, I  don't need a bed.

I got upgraded once with Etihad to BC and didn't sleep once.

Also Champagne doesn't do anything for me at all and I can get just as much Red wine in cattle class as I  could get in BC, the food on Qatar Airways  also tastes very good in a tin foil container imho and we get metal cutlery too 

 

So to my verdict

I won't fly Etihad again until their aircraft improve from Manchester and they get a new airport at Abu Dhabi, plus their connection times are shit, (sometimes over 4 hours) and getting from one gate to another during transit can take a long time

 

Emirates you can get all 4 legs of a journey on a A380 which is good , however I find the service has lowered, Dubai airport can be crammed at times and transit longer, plus you have to go through scans again.

 

The downfall now with Emirates is now that you have to pay between £20 to £35 to pick your seats per leg, with 4 legs in my case that is quite an extra on price unless you leave it until checking in online up to 48 hours before departure then it's free, it's free for the posh seats anytime of course.

 

The winners at the moment for me by quite a way are Qatar Airways, their service is excellent, their planes are great, website no problem, check in online 48 hours before the flight, you can choose your seats free of charge on completion of booking your flight through their website, the cabin crew are fantastic and I have not had a bad one yet, if you want something nothing is not too much trouble.

 

The departure and arrival times are also excellent both ways.

 

As I have said Hamad International Airport is amazing and transit is very quick, connection times with Qatar are around the 2 hour mark which is very good imho, time to get some Duty Free 

 

The price I have paid for my flight in November is £462 which is the highest that I have paid with Qatar Airways,  I am not complaining one bit, the saving that I  have made if say I booked BC equates to 16 nights of fully paid up fun, frolics and accommodation in Pattaya.

 

I am very fortunate that I only live a 20 minutes drive by taxi from Manchester Airport at £12.

 I get the bus home on my return which drops me virtually on my doorstep , takes 25 minutes and costs £2.40p

All in all very good 

 

 

[Woodie]

When I was flying to Europe quite a bit, I always used Emirates. That was a few years ago and they were great. Then slowly they started to falter. Had a few things go wrong with service on a couple of flights and i just lost interest.

Since going to LOS I use Thai or Singapore. Both very good. maybe Singapore just shades Thai, but not by much.

[williethepimp]

Ive flown with Etihad many times,I'd recommend them,never with Emirates.....I flew Qatar to Mumbai once (2006?) and was scammed at the airport in Mumbai by crooked Indian staff.....the last days of paper tickets....I never recieved any compensation from Qatar and since  then have refused to fly with them....saying that,if they came in with a really cheap flight to Los from Manchester,then I would have to review my high moral principles ,and book the flight.....

The big plus with Arab airlines is ......Theres no chance of them being hijacked by Isis/AL Q ,or any other mad muslims

[duke007]

@Willie

Qatar Airways from 2006 to what they are now is a vast vast difference, and for me now the best ME airline.

If the cheap tickets are on offer then I would highly recommend going for it mate, and yes you have the added bonus of it not being hijacked by the muzzies....lol

I am interested to know why you would not fly Emirates again and don't you think the airport in Abu Dhabi is a pain in the ass?

[williethepimp]

On 5/23/2018 at 9:35 AM, duke007 said:

@Willie

Qatar Airways from 2006 to what they are now is a vast vast difference, and for me now the best ME airline.

If the cheap tickets are on offer then I would highly recommend going for it mate, and yes you have the added bonus of it not being hijacked by the muzzies....lol

I am interested to know why you would not fly Emirates again and don't you think the airport in Abu Dhabi is a pain in the ass?

No ive never flown with Emirates,I would if the price was right...I've had issues with Qatar......Abu dhabi and Doha are both shit airports....i refuse to eat or drink anything there,overpriced and the poorest of quality food 

[duke007]

7 hours ago, williethepimp said:

No ive never flown with Emirates,I would if the price was right...I've had issues with Qatar......Abu dhabi and Doha are both shit airports....i refuse to eat or drink anything there,overpriced and the poorest of quality food 

When was the last time you flew with Qatar Airways? 

If it was pre 2014 then you haven't experienced the new Hamad International Airport which is brilliant imho

I do agree though that the current Abu Dhabi Airport  is absolute shite 

[duke007]

Here you go Willie 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5807791/Worlds-best-worst-airlines-airports-revealed-London-Stansted-comes-second-bottom.html

 

The world's best (and worst) airlines and airports revealed: Qatar named No1 airline, Hamad gets the gong in the airport category - and London Stansted comes second from bottom

The top airport is Hamad International Airport in Doha, which knocks 2017 winner Changi into fifth. UK airports fare badly, with LondonStansted coming second bottom out of 141, Manchester coming 136th and Edinburgh 131st.

 

[williethepimp]

On 6/6/2018 at 7:32 AM, duke007 said:

Here you go Willie 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5807791/Worlds-best-worst-airlines-airports-revealed-London-Stansted-comes-second-bottom.html

 

The world's best (and worst) airlines and airports revealed: Qatar named No1 airline, Hamad gets the gong in the airport category - and London Stansted comes second from bottom

The top airport is Hamad International Airport in Doha, which knocks 2017 winner Changi into fifth. UK airports fare badly, with LondonStansted coming second bottom out of 141, Manchester coming 136th and Edinburgh 131st.

 

once again ,one of these "best of " lists prove how shit these "best of " lists are .....What criteria do they use  to give a shit airport like Doha number 1 spot? How many guys in white dresses you can  spot.....? .....Manchester's a cracking airport,one of the best.....miles better than either Heathrow or Gatwick.....I have a theory mr Duke....they give these jerk off journalists who compile these jerk off best off lists free fuckin holidays in abu fuckin dhabi or wherever to give their wanky airports number one slot......

best airport I was ever at?...Copenhagen.....worst....?....Domodedovo in Moscow.........both times I had long layovers,thats when you can really check an airport out........BTW-Ive had long layovers at Doha also......fuckin hate the place...number 1 my arse...

[rxpharm]

Having flown out of Hamad International Airport several times, and Changi Airport a few times, there's no way that HIA can beat out Changi. Changi has been number 1 a number of times and is consistently in the top 5.

[duke007]

I will just stick to HIA as my stopover (2 hours), its more than ok for me and could not care less what other people think tbh  

[duke007]

 From the US to Armenia with Qatar Airways 

 

 

[Woodie]

I am looking at options to fly to Manchester in early June from Aussie, returning with a stopover in LOS. Could not miss that!.

Dont know whether to book soon or leave it until this virus thing is over. Airlines might cut their prices in a month or so. The routes I am on have not changed in price for the last month or so. Been keeping an eye on them. In fact a few days ago they went up slightly.

Looking at Etihad on the way over, then Oman to BKK, ( one option for that leg is Finnair. Not heard much about them), and whatever back home from there. Probably Jetstar because of the price. Dirt cheap!. Mind you one of my return flights with them on the 787 was the one from hell. No legroom and nowhere else to move to. Stood up for 3 hours.For any one with long legs these economy seats are bad news. Only consolation is that once you get home you forget about it until next time.

One thing for me to consider is that I have to take a large box with me on the Manchester and BKK legs. Never had a problem with Singapore, Thai or Emirates on previous flights.

 

[Quietguy]

On 5/13/2018 at 5:29 PM, Pdoggg said:

Do you guys like flying the Middle East airlines?

Emirates has a reputation for being a high end airline.  Does it's service match its hype?

Do you guys strongly prefer non-stops  or does a layover in the Middle East give you a chance to stretch your legs and smoke a fag? 

I prefer non-stops for lots of reasons but I'll put up with a layover to save money.

Here are links to three major Middle East carriers on our sister website:

Middle East Airline Links

 

I've flown from London with Etihad, Emirates and Qatar. I thought Qatar was the best, most comfortable seats and shortest stopover, only one hour. Actually on second time I used them it was only a few minutes. The flight from London was late getting in and we had to run through the terminal to get to connecting flight to Bangkok which was held until we boarded.

Also the second leg from Doha was fairly empty so I got a row of seats to myself.

These days I prefer direct flights taking only 11-12 hours and go with Eva, Thai Airways or BA whichever is cheapest - usually Eva. 

[annat555]

Really must stop agreeing with you Qatar are simply the best

they fly from Cardiff but over 24 hours on return trip

just too long for this old man

8 hours ago, Quietguy said:

I've flown from London with Etihad, Emirates and Qatar. I thought Qatar was the best, most comfortable seats and shortest stopover, only one hour. Actually on second time I used them it was only a few minutes. The flight from London was late getting in and we had to run through the terminal to get to connecting flight to Bangkok which was held until we boarded.

Also the second leg from Doha was fairly empty so I got a row of seats to myself.

These days I prefer direct flights taking only 11-12 hours and go with Eva, Thai Airways or BA whichever is cheapest - usually Eva. 

 

[duke007]

7 hours ago, Annat said:

Really must stop agreeing with you Qatar are simply the best 

they fly from Cardiff but over 24 hours on return trip

You are wrong, try searching harder on departure and return dates from Cardiff to Bangkok they differ from day to day....no way over 24 hours on return if you want 

You won't get a better service than Qatar Airways out of Cardiff price wise and time wise  

Have you ever flown out of Cardiff with Qatar Airways?? 

[annat555]

10 hours ago, duke007 said:

You are wrong, try searching harder on departure and return dates from Cardiff to Bangkok they differ from day to day....no way over 24 hours on return if you want 

You won't get a better service than Qatar Airways out of Cardiff price wise and time wise  

Have you ever flown out of Cardiff with Qatar Airways?? 

Please get off my case you are becoming a very critical pain

I do not look for hours to get the cheapest flight. That what i saw when I looked at the dates in march I wanted

I jhave just been on Skyscanner put in my dates in June/July so I miss as few as possible saturdays to play cricket

All 3 flights back are 21+ hours against 12 hours on Thai or 16 hours on KLM

I am not a travel agent and know what i want with the flights I take - under 18 hours at a reasonable price

I am a big supporter of Qatar as I have said.

You seem to want to prove me wrong on everything - you must have a lot more time in your life to play around on the computer or work for the airline

Do you use Cardiff airport? answer no because the price or time does not suit me.

I live in Wales and am keen to support my national airport - do you live in Wales

Now this was done quickly I sure as you say if I had spent more than 20 mins working on it I could have found a better flight, next time I shall ask you and save a heap of time

 

 

 

 

 

 

[duke007]

I was actually trying to help you out Annat, but don't worry I won't bother again. 

Btw... Do you suffer from paranoia?

But you are right, I do have better things to do in my life than try and help ungrateful people like yourself out 

Have a nice day now. 

[JustSumGai]

On 5/13/2018 at 5:03 PM, pentire said:

Give me non stop every time, especially when I’m feeling flush and have secured a business class seat for under £2000.00 return from London on EVA or Thai. Sure I could have done it for £2-300 less if travelling via the desert on Etihad or Emirates, but in biz on a flat bed underneath a duvet with my own pillow, I’m a good sleeper, especially after a few beers and bottle of champagne .

 I don’t appreciate being woken up after seven hours with a mild hangover to get out of bed for landing then transit security checks followed by 2-3 hours in a Lounge and once again that lengthy boarding process. Chances are I won’t get back to sleep again for the next leg so I’ll arrive in Bangkok tired and grumpy.........I may as well have saved my money and flown economy.

if it were a case of a few hundred dollars or so, sure, but any time I've looked it's more like a $1000 difference for me.  That's just for biz, ain't no way to go halfway around the planet non stop.  Wish there was :) that'd shave about 7 hours or so off the 27 to 30 hour flying time.  Lotta money for a bedlike experience. If you pay max to they still come down the aisle every half hour pestering you about a drink or something, like the duty free cart. argh.

I can see why Brits are a big group in LOS, about half the cost $500.

Annat, try the Kayak search site, really.

[Woodie]

A thing I dont understand about these sites like Skyscanner, (which I use by the way). They have cheaper economy seats at say $600.00, but if you scroll down to the 3rd or 4th page that same or very similar route has them for $5000.00 or so. Who in their right mind would pay that?. Does not appear to be a difference in stopover times or anything. No logic in it.

[JustSumGai]

hey, it don't hurt to ask, some dope MIGHT pay it. On one or two occasions I got a decent fare looking at the Kayak info and booking with the airline.

[Quietguy]

On 3/3/2020 at 8:23 AM, JustSumGai said:

On one or two occasions I got a decent fare looking at the Kayak info and booking with the airline.

I keep price alerts on Kayak and Skyscanner, but book direct with the airlines when I see a good price. The 'bucket shop' agency prices might be a bit lower but you can't usually chose your seat, the agency seats are generally allocated at the rear of the plane. You can't change your booking if necessary, and you don't get the ponts if you have loyalty reward membership. 

[Pdoggg]

1 hour ago, Quietguy said:

I keep price alerts on Kayak and Skyscanner, but book direct with the airlines when I see a good price. The 'bucket shop' agency prices might be a bit lower but you can't usually chose your seat, the agency seats are generally allocated at the rear of the plane. You can't change your booking if necessary, and you don't get the ponts if you have loyalty reward membership. 

Same here.  Skyscanner gives me a good overview and is my starting point for all searches.   But if Skyscanner shows a bucket shop with a price slightly lower than their price with the airline, I'll go with the airline.

Hey guys if you use Skyscanner we'd appreciate it if you use our link on our sister site as anytime someone clicks through to the specific final deal we earn a small commission whether you actually book it or not.  It helps defray the operational costs of LBR.

http://thailandtravelfun.com/links/ 

[Woodie]

1 hour ago, Pdoggg said:

Same here.  Skyscanner gives me a good overview and is my starting point for all searches.   But if Skyscanner shows a bucket shop with a price slightly lower than their price with the airline, I'll go with the airline.

Hey guys if you use Skyscanner we'd appreciate it if you use our link on our sister site as anytime someone clicks through to the specific final deal we earn a small commission whether you actually book it or not.  It helps defray the operational costs of LBR.

http://thailandtravelfun.com/links/ 

I will be booking in a week or two. I have checked again. The prices are not moving. Is there any truth in the theory that they can see you checking it and alter the price accordingly?.