Emirates

Being a pretty much lifelong Tottenham supporter, to fly with Emirates made me feel a bit unclean, but once I got over it, it was actually the best price, the best flight time and good connections - what's there to lose? (apart from my dignity)

As bad luck would have it, the day of our flight was the day of the evil snow which ground London to a halt - our cab couldn't make it so suggested we took the train - but all the train lines south of Croydon were closed - and even as we made it to Gatwick, we'd missed our flight. Fortunately Emirates customer services got us onto the next flight the following day from Gatwick. Unfortunately Gatwick closed the following day. I ended up almost on first name terms with the lovely people at Emirates, they organised a taxi for us (two adults, one fifteen month old) but it couldn't make it through the snow and we'd have missed our flight (at Heathrow this time). We eventually made it onto the flight three days later - and with excellent customer service along the way.

We were allowed to take our stroller right up to the plane, where it was then checked in the hold - fortunately at Dubai they have millions (no exaggeration) of strollers you can use when you're changing flights - so we didn't see it until we landed in Perth a day or so later - and it was intact too (not bad, especially as it was one we got on Freecycle - we didn't want to spoil our proper buggy).

In-flight wise the entertainment was good, but travelling with a toddler you're not going to see very much really - a lot was keeping her amused - she refused to wear the headphones. I heard you could get kids ones, and did ask a couple of times but nobody brought us any which was a shame - although to be fair H just liked looking at the screens - the Mr Men went down very well, as well as endless repeats of The Wiggles and Zingzillas.

Food-wise and H was offered a jar of mush at the start, which we declined as she eats the same as us, though that was kind. When her child meal arrived it was crisps, chocolate, nasty things... so we had a swift change around - I had a vegetarian meal at the same time so I'd get the nasty things and she'd get my yummy vegetarian dishes... it felt a bit of a weird meal combo for a child, surely it'll get them a bit hyper? There was fruit and veg too, and when hubs's meaty one arrived we did more swapping - however, we found the tray wouldn't fold down on H's seat as we'd brought a car seat on board with us - so that was another challenge - I just had to finish my food before he got his!

Staff were friendly and a lot were lovely to H, however that myth about them taking baby off your hands for a walk down the plane.... well, it happened once. H wasn't a particularly cranky baby (apart from when we missed naptimes - our fault there, we had no idea of the time) but to get five minutes to reorganise ourselves was great.

Changing nappies wasn't too difficult either - there was enough space (even with the mucky ones) although nothing to actually hold her on so you had to get everything out of the changing bag first, rather than one thing at a time.

The plane from Dubai to Perth was slightly smaller than the London to Dubai one, although it didn't make a lot of difference - we weren't allowed bassinet seats as H was too big for a bassinet, and we'd paid for a seat for her - so it made me a bit cross to see people without kids occupying those spaces - the airline said they held them open for families who need that extra space. Well we definitely could have used it - especially with the car seat!!!

All in all, I'd fly with Emirates again, there were no truly bad experiences, and it was our first time flying with a toddler. The food was okay, and should we fly again and with another baby I'm doing it when bub can lie in the bassinet and H wont need as big a car seat so it's a lot smoother. Then again, I read that last sentence back and think I'm actually insane for thinking about flying again with a small person, let alone two.

7/10 - the food for H let us down the most, plus the lack of space.

Singapore Airlines

a quick review from a blogging friend!

"Singapore Airlines are one of the best IMHO. Fantastic food, games, personal TV screens, good choice of movies/TV programmes and FREE SOCKS! :-) Very very helpful staff, both in-flight and at the check-in desks. 10/10."

Air India

ahh, I remember this flight well. It was the cheapest on offer, to get to NY one April-time. The meals on board were predominantly curries - and it was too tempting not to try it. Flying out on my birthday added to the sense of occasion.

So, we're on the plane, going up the runway. Seriously, I felt like the plane wasn't going fast enough to take off. Then suddenly - you know the point where the plane moves up - the whole plane just glided up, so beautifully, I barely realised we'd taken off. Possibly the most fantastic take off ever - it was like we were on a magic carpet.

The curry was fantastic too.

The drinks trolley came around, and they asked me what I'd like to drink. Tradition says I order a vodka and tonic, but Air India didn't have any vodka - so we ordered a whiskey and coke, well, I ordered two for me and my husband, that is. Nice polite stewardess lady gave us two each. It was actually quite funny.

The only downside of Air India was the in-flight, but quite frankly, with food like we got, I'm willing to let it go - plus we did get some weird Bollywood film, of which the whole working out what was going on, actually became essential time-in-the-sky-killing-time-ness. So really, while I can safely say none of it appealed to me, I stuck with it to the end.

I don't remember getting any sleep, but the landing was as good as the take off, and the service on the flight was top notch - so with that, I'm awarding Air India 8.5/10. A damn good flight.

British Airways

I kept a blog when I flew BA. Here's what I wrote.

1. vegan meals are preferable on flights to Australia. You get nice Tofu and vegetable meals. Nice! Plus they serve you your food 20 minutes before everyone else.
2. long flight, a good 8 hours sleep (I think)
3. British Airways had The Breakfast Club as one of their films, but I fell asleep. Watched a bit of the last Charlie's Angels too, which was ok. So tired but I couldn't do proper sleep
(and after the flight back)
4. Qantas had games (I played Tetris several times) and better films. BA were rubbish. Their seats were cramped too. Ugh. I'm never flying with them again (plus Virgin will be flying to Oz soon). I like Virgin the best.
5. and get on a lovely Qantas flight, which had games on the tv screens - so I played Tetris loads of time and the journey took no time at all.
6. Had to re-check in, annoyingly. We didn't have to do that on the way in. So headed to the desks, had to get a queue number and wait, but got seen eventually, which meant we had no time to shop around the airport, annoyingly. Wandered around for a bit, my legs were hurting a bit, then got to our gate, got seated eventually, and ohh how cramped. Boo.

I think that'll be a 6/10 as well there, then.

Air France

First Air France complaint - I had to change at Charles De Gaulle, in Paris, my single most hated airport. Having been stuck in the budget airlines part too many times, waiting for a late Ryanair plane, I didn't want to spend too much time waiting around. Sadly, this happened, as our plane waited at Heathrow for one passenger, who was late, which in turn made us late, and meant we all missed our connection to Boston. Quite literally getting to the gate, as the plane pulled away.

Lucky for us, they stuck us on the next flight, and gave us a few francs worth of refreshment vouchers (although we all had no idea how much it was worth, which didn't matter, as the people refused to give us change, so you got all your refreshment there and then).

First Air France compliment - the space! I'd read not long before I flew, that Air France had the best legroom on a flight - and boy, did they? I was able to lie on my side! Granted, I was a bit thinner then, but still. It was possible! Amazing.

Second Air France complaint. No veggie meals for me. My meal was on my first flight, and hadn't been transferred across with my rescheduled booking. Good job it was only Boston I was going to, and not San Francisco- I may have cried. I remember being given two meals, and told to eat what I could from them both. Nice. Thumbs down.

Still, I got to Boston in one piece, just starving.

The flight back was pretty uneventful, other than I had two bags of things, as Christmas in Boston means presents, so I had more to carry. So much more in fact, my bag was a godsend. But unlocked.

Some swine stole some perfume and CD's I'd stupidly not put in my locked case. Lucky for me I had insurance though! On putting in a claim, for 10 CD albums, and a full bottle of Clarins Perfume which was a gift, I was told by Boots, taking into consideration "wear and tear", they'd enclosed a cheque for £2.36. The first £25 of excess payment had to be covered by me. Oh, and they don't insure CD's. Pah.

So that coloured my Air France experience. That and the fact my luggage was lost somewhere in transit, and eventually turned up at home two days later, minus those things previously mentioned.

I don't even remember the In-Flight.

So, taking into consideration the missing things isn't strictly an Air France thing, but the delayed bags is, but I had good legroom, Air France get 6/10. I don't think online check in existed at this point.

Virgin

Virgin are always known as "the best" - and I'm not about to pull that apart. Why Virgin aren't winning In-Flight awards (they have Nintendo Games and decent movies), I'll never know. When I'm travelling for 12 hours, I want something to distract me, and Virgin have plenty of that. Films will start when you want them to (ie, you don't get the message telling you it's half way through), and if your terminal on your seat breaks, then kind stewards will lend you a film from First Class, to keep you occupied, which is pretty nice*

Virgin have online check in. Hurrah! You can change your seat! You can make sure you're sat with your friends (handy when there was 10 of us on one flight, back in 2005), you can update your meal preferences - and what's more - it works!

In fact, having flown with Virgin many many times now, I'm really racking my brain, trying to think of any possible criticism of them. The stewards and stewardesses didn't forget anyone. You get a decent in-flight package of stuff (which even includes a pen, handy!), which has reduced in size since I first flew with Virgin - however, it's still good. No balm though. Shame.

I even got lucky on my last flight back, and had two seats to myself - and was able to sleep! Amazing - only the second time I've slept well on a flight like that in my life (the first being Air France, around 1999, when I had so much space, I was able to lie on my side!)

The Vegetarian meals were again, nice - tasty. In fact, nope. I'll have to come back to this. I can't find a fault with anything Virgin-wise. Other than they only fly to Sydney, for our next Australia trip. A quick look at their website though, and it appears Singapore Airlines are a partner airline - might have to try them for the next big trip...

So with that, and only because they don't go to Perth, I'm giving Virgin Atlantic 9/10. Thank you Virgin, I can't fault you. Or at least, if I could, I've forgotten.

* I don't know about other airlines, as it's only happened the once

Qantas

they won my vote, after having possibly one of the best flights ever, from Singapore to Perth, back in 2003. See, the flight we were on, was a British Airways one, which was okay, but not the greatest flight ever. For 12 hours, I'd have expected better in-flight entertainment, and indeed, from Singapore onwards, when we switched to a Brand New Qantas Plane, things were on the up.

Games!!! TV Programmes whenever you wanted to watch them!!!! Comfortable seats!!!!!!! Yep, I was sold.

Fast forward to December 2005, my most recent there-and-back-flight-experience. Firstly, I'm a little miffed to find that on a flight with Qantas, you are unable to change your seat. You get your seat, that's it. So my online preference of a window seat (with my husband on the aisle, hoping we'd get the good seats on the side where there's only two people, right at the back) didn't happen. Despite it being the only thing I seemed to be able to do online. Disappointing. We were stuck in the middle of a row, next to a three year old (who was surprisingly well behaved, apart from when he fell asleep and kept kicking me in the ribs, but do you wake up a cranky three year old on a 12 hour flight, or just put up and shut up?), who got some great goodies, including a Wiggles Etch A Sketch. Qantas look after kids - this is good. He was kept occupied for large chunks of the journey.

Unfortunately, being in the middle of a row, there was nothing for me to lean on, so a little sleep was completely out of the question (add to that small child and my ribs), good job we've got the In-Flight Entertainment, eh? Looking online, Qantas have won awards for their In-Flight stuff. Marvellous. Except the film choice was a bit rubbish really. There were good films - oh, but only if you have the new In-Flight system, which this plane didn't have. Bah. Lucky they have games then, eh?

Except their version of Tetris, was one where you get rows in multiples of five, as the bottom of the screen moves upwards. The game name may have had the word "Magma" in it. I wanted to cry! I wanted 30 minute Tetris games, where I didn't have to think. Add to that my control was a little on the stiff side, and well, after 4 hours of playing games, I had a huge great big blister on my thumb. Not good.

Meals-wise, the vegetarian meals were dished out quickly, which was good. They were tasty too - although I would like to point out in BIG CAPITAL LETTERS

NOT ALL VEGETARIANS LIKE MUSHROOMS. WHEN YOU'RE STARVING, AND YOU GET A MUSHROOM LASAGNE, IT CAN MAKE YOU WANT TO CRY.

There. I just swigged wine, and took mouthfuls of the lasagne, pretending it was an Aubergine (eggplant). Seemed to do the trick.

To be fair, cause I've probably been really unfair so far, the flight wasn't bad - indeed, the return flight, which was the same plane all the way back, wasn't at all bad. Well, apart from the fact 'Just Like Heaven' s sound kept cutting out for 10 seconds at a time (apparently corrected from Singapore onwards), my overhead light didn't work, and as previously mentioned, the attendants completely forgot our row, when handing out the in-flight snacks (nice touch though, doing these - I've never had this with other airlines), and with the coffee after a meal. Now, I know stewards and stewardesses are probably overworked on flights, trying to please everyone, so it's no criticism. Just a little communication between the two of you, would have resolved this. Yep. That's all.

So, the good stuff. On the way out, from Singapore to Perth, we got a really good Qantas plane! With the new In-Flight system! Sadly, because of lack of sleep on the way out though, I wasn't able to really play with it. Apart from Tetris - YES! They had normal Tetris!! Tetris and Solitaire were all back to normal, with a newer controller, which didn't hurt my already heavily blistered thumb. Plus the meal was really nice!

So, big smiles for Qantas, from Perth to Singapore, and previous flights. Big frowns for Qantas, on the same flight all the way.

I'd give Qantas a 7/10 for both journeys - and it was only upped to a 7 because of the new plane. Please roll out the new In-Flight to all your planes. I think you'd see a lot more happy travellers.

Hello.

I decided to set up this blog, mainly because I forget - way too easily, in fact - just how annoying flying can be.

I'm not the worlds greatest flyer, however, I have flown with a number of airlines, and as the older flights disappear into that part of my brain, never to come back, I wonder to myself, each time I book a flight "who shall I fly with this time?". I always take the easy option (ie cheapest), and wonder why I'm not happy at the end of it.

All I ask for, when flying is legroom, good in-flight entertainment (games are necessary), and an online check in facility. Hell, with just those three, I can live with being ignored by stewardesses, who accidentally forget our row (twice) when handing out refreshments and snacks (Qantas, 2006). Sadly, Qantas don't offer online check in, which moves them down the top 10.

So, this is mainly for my reference, but hey, if you find it useful too, then thanks. Please let me know any airline hell stories you might have - I probably only get to fly once or twice a year if I'm really lucky, so it's not like this'll be updated very often!