General Reports

[Syzygies]

What did Singapore Airlines do to ruin you? One of the most respected airlines AFAIK.

My favorite airline is Lufthansa. For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection. However, Taipei airport is one of the most boring in the world so even a 2 or 3 hour layover can be torturous.

Lufthansa is not my favourite, although the airline itself and the staff are not the problem. It's the passengers that are the problem.

It is very hard to get a seat getting up towards Christmas, when you need to change flight dates. So I prefer to be on Thai Inter. Lufthansa flights get a bit too full, for my liking. Plus older German passengers have little regard for others. They don't care if they are over weight and encroaching seriously into my seat space. They always lean very heavily on the back of my seat, causing "earthquakes", they don't care if crash into you while walking down the isle. Americans maybe loud, but are far more polite. Generalising, but many Germans act like they are kings of the world, and do as they please. Personal liberties. Just if they had a bit more consideration for others, but they are not really brought up that way. I think the younger generation are better.

Still they are probably low of the scale of passengers who stink (under arm BO), so some blessings. Being seated next to a stinky is the worst luck you can have I guess, or having drinks spilt on you by passengers standing with drinks.

My two really big hates are babies screaming or young children jumping around uncontrolled by parents, and if get unlucky to be close to a really stinky passenger. The airline with the worst staff maybe British Airways. Bad attitude. E. g. I asked for a tomato juice. They served it dark brown, with loads of Worchestershire sauce added and not sure what else. I simply said sorry but I ordered a plain tomato juice. They refused to give me a new one. That was just one thing. I was entering a plane doing something with mobile. The stewardess said I can't do that. Fine. She then started with a great lecture holding up those entering the aircraft. I said simply I know very well, I have turned it off, I don't need a lecture. She then started about she could have me thrown off the airline.

At one time I liked sitting behind a door for extra leg room, but this brings its own problem, If you have extra leg room, other passengers will start to insist on standing in your leg space, and naturally crash into you preventing sleep possibilities. If seated behind a bulkhead, many passengers will try to cross to the other side over your legs. Very irritating.

My conclusion. There are lots of thoughtless passengers on flights and certain nationalities are worse than others, generalising.

[Mogwai]

For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection.

Unfortunately EVA is now charging a fee if you want to select a seat more than 48 hours before departure. Within 48 hours it's still possible to select a standard seat for free.

https://www.evaair.com/en-us/booking-and-travel-planning/fare-family/introduction-of-fare-family/#seat (click on 'Charges')

[Sydien]

I'm spending 11 days in Thailand and wondering how I should break it up between Bangkok and Pattaya. From what I've read here Pattaya is a little cheaper, less crowded but the woman aren't as attractive. Does anyone have advice on how many days I should spend where?

[Stykler]

Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.

What did Singapore Airlines do to ruin you? One of the most respected airlines AFAIK.

BB. I think you might have missed the humor in Pointy Stick's response.

[CzarNicholas]

This is priceless. US airlines are so bad that even Soviet airlines are better. US airports are mostly awful too. First time I landed at O'Hara after leaving from BKK to HKG I felt like I couldn't touch anything without bathing in hand sanitizer. A GF from China is coming to visit this summer and I can't wait to hear her reactions to US transit systems and the poor girl is flying United.

In the USA transit unions are very very strong, wages are very very high.

That keeps profit margins very low.

Many foreign airlines can offer superior products because their overhead espec labor costs are miniscule (I'm guessing insurance is dirt cheap as well LOL) and dirt cheap airport fees and taxes.

Public transit is shitty because pro business politicians don't want to fund it (altho the unions are strong and wages are very high in major cities).

They prefer you use the pvt sector for any needs (include travel).

Most USA airports suck.

Because anti tax politicians don't want to pay billions for non stop upgrades, nor do the airlines.

Because they don't want to pay for something they don't even own.

Most of the rich don't use airport terminals they fly on pvt jets or the terminals would be much nicer!!

Lax is a garbage airport.

So this is their solution.

https://theprivatesuite.com/the-experience/

[MichaelSamuel]

This is priceless. US airlines are so bad that even Soviet airlines are better. US airports are mostly awful too. First time I landed at O'Hara after leaving from BKK to HKG I felt like I couldn't touch anything without bathing in hand sanitizer. A GF from China is coming to visit this summer and I can't wait to hear her reactions to US transit systems and the poor girl is flying United.

It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.

[Crocodilexp]

The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp.

No, it is not, the entry stamp they put is a permission to stay. Different thing altogether.

Visas are issued by consulates / embassies abroad, with the exception of visa-on-arrival that a few nationalities (like the Indians or Chinese) can get at the airport and need to pay for. Visas are usually stickers, though sometimes a big stamp (half page) is used.

Visa is basically a document allowing you to attempt to enter a country, while an entry stamp (or an extension issued at immigration) is an is the actual permission to stay for a specified period.

Immigration can refuse you entry even if you have a valid visa (uncommon, but happens), or let you in without a visa (as they do for most Western citizens, for 30 days).

[Banana Boi]

Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.

What did Singapore Airlines do to ruin you? One of the most respected airlines AFAIK.

My favorite airline is Lufthansa. For an Asian airline Cathay is the best although EVA is generally much cheaper and offers great flexibility in date changes and free seat selection. However, Taipei airport is one of the most boring in the world so even a 2 or 3 hour layover can be torturous.

[Pointy Stick]

I flew BA from Sydney to Singapore and it was decent. I usually fly Airasia or Scoot so I have a high tolerance for hardship so things which make ordinary people go into a rage on full service airlines do not even register with me. Also flew Singapore which completely ruined me.

It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.

[Rob Jones]

Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.

The correct terminology here in Australia is free Visa exemption, but a lot of people call it VOA, myself included, because you do not have to apply before travel.

[CzarNicholas]

Czar.

Beg to differ British Airlines is a horrible airline. Both their 1st class and business class are crappy products. Frequent breakdowns and staff that absolutely does not give a shit plus there are the fuel surcharges.

Really hate to see someone recommend BA. I have flown 6 Soviet airlines that do a better job.

Fly some of the Asian airlines, UAE or other European airlines and you will never look back at BA.

Best.

Guido88.

It was an awesome experience from start to finish, I must say I haven't flown those airlines you post but have heard very good things about them.

I must say BA was best compared to what I have flown over the last 51 yrs LOL.

I guess I need to get out more LOL.

They were super super nice from check in, in the USA to landing in the USA several mos later.

Awesome people, awesome service, awesome airline.

I'm just not accustomed to that!

I will say the British passengers are huge assholes but I can't hold that against the airline LOL.

[Franciscass]

When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa.

Actually S. You do as do all non Thai's fill out a form which shows your name, passport no. Age nationality where you are staying among other questions I. E. The TM 6. You may want to argue whether the TM 6 is a form or not but what else is it if not a form.

This is checked and used as the basis of your passport stamp allowing you to enter the country.

Also Visa on Arrival is a totally different process from both Embassy provided visa's and entry for citizen's from visa exempt countries. Its a similar process to applying at an embassy but it happens on arrival and is restricted to a limited number of countries.

The distinction of what is a visa is largely a matter of semantics but as I mentioned in another post I refer to the bible I. E. Cambridge Dictionary.

[Franciscass]

Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.

The term "visa exempt" can be confusing as it suggests the word does not apply to the stamp on your passport when not required to apply for a visa outside a country or upon arriving in the country I. E. The so called visa on arrival. However I bow to the superior authority on all such matters.

Cambridge dictionary: Visa. An official mark usually made in a passport that allows you to enter or leave a particular country.

Ergo Any stamp on your passport allowing you to enter is therefore a visa.

[Smoothy]

I just flew British airways round trip USA to Moscow.

I don't like anything about London, but I think they may have the best airline on the planet.

I think British Airways is pretty crappy.

The best flight USA to Moscow used to be Singapore Airlines, and it was dirt cheap. Unfortunately, they stopped having that flight due to it being almost empty every time. I loved it because I could sleep across 4 economy class seats. Singapore Airlines is the best airline on the planet. It's normally expensive, but that one leg was cheap due to lack of Russian interest it seemed. I think it wins best airline in the world almost every year. And deservedly so.

[Mogwai]

The stamp that immigration puts in your passport is in essence a visa stamp. How can you enter Tland without a visa?.

When I arrive with no Visa and get a 30 days stay automatically for free, others may call that Visa on Arrival, but since we filled out no forms, I did not regard that as a Visa.

Actually the stamp for a 30 day free stay is a visa exemption. So it's not a visa nor a visa on arrival.