General Reports

[D Cups]

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.

Ya, babies you almost have to put up with but screaming kids who are uncontrolled by their stupid parents no excuse for. On my last flight cross country to Atlanta on Delta the broad next to me was so fat her blubber actually pinned me against the side of the airplane for five hours. She was ugly, too, and had no tits. It was all blubber. Airlines should force obese passengers to pay for two seats or upgrade to first class. Sheesh.

[BKKguru]

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')

Just like baggage fees, this is fast becoming standard practice.

Lufthansa charges a fee for advance seat assignment (Economy Class only).
There is NO fee if you select the seat 23 hours before departure.

For airlines, this is another revenue opportunity, although much less than the Baggage fee lottery.

BKKguru

[Smoothy]

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.

Lufthansa? Haha. I haven't flown it in about 10 years, so maybe it has improved, but I have flown it about 10 times and I think that's one of the worst airlines Internationally. They have the smallest distance between economy class seats of any airline I have flown on International routes. I'm short, and my knees touch the seat in front of me on that airline. That's crazy. I can handle it for shorter flights like Jakarta to Bangkok, but I flew Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Buenos Aires once, 16 hour flight. I had the window seat and the guy seated next to me in the middle seat was around 6 foot 6. His knees had to be spread into both my seat area and the seat area of the guy in the aisle due to lack of space. Miserable flight, miserable airline. They did used to have the cheapest flight from Jakarta to Bangkok for only $200 usd roundtrip about 15 years ago so I would take that flight once in a while, but had it not been far cheaper than the other airlines I would not have taken it. I equate Lufthansa with the US carriers. Crap. When I fly business class on it, it's fine, but business class is fine on almost any airline other than Egypt Air or Air India.

Cathay is about equivalent to Singapore airlines (although Singapore Airlines has hotter stewardesses and is a bit better overall in my opinion, also I like the Singapore airport better than Hong Kong). Eva is good and a favorite of mine since it is cheap as well as good. The bread rolls on Eva are the best on any airline, not that that matters much. I like ANA too, but I don't like the Japanese food they serve. Korean air is also not bad. It does seem I prefer the Asian airlines, but Qatar Air, Emirates, and Etihad are all quite good as well.

All of the US carriers are crap as far as service, leg room, and amenities. I also don't like many of the European airlines. I avoid pretty much all of them including Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways and Air France. The best I have flown out of the European airlines was Swiss air. There are some good airlines in Australia, but the stewardesses are rarely ever attractive. All of the African carriers are crap. Even South African Airways is nothing special. Kenya airways is supposedly one the best in Africa other than South African Airways, but they always lose my luggage. I hear good things about Ethiopian Air, but I have never flown it. I haven't found a South American carrier that I would say is great, but there are some decent ones. When I'm down there, I just pretty much roll the dice and fly whatever has the best flight times.

Of course, all of us probably have a different opinion on the airlines based on personal experiences.

[Syzygies]

You forgot to mention the large guy that sits next to you and snores loudly. Even with headphones on it is very disturbing. I gave up on economy seating, it's all business class now. At my age I'm not putting up with all the bullshit in economy. Premier econ is a little better but the seats are to small, not long enough to get real comfortable.

I had a not so fat German guy right next to me in Business class. I wanted to sleep. He kept ringing the bell for service, loud ding again and again, order another drink, noisy packets of nuts or crisps or whatever. Eventually after all those drinks he fell asleep, and then the snoring started. Was hopeless for me to sleep.

Snoring is bad but not one of the top most frequent big problems. You can try to stuff your ears with noise blocker (but only semi effective). Noise cancellers don't work for snoring I think. Wrong frequencies.

I eventually decided it is better to fly mainly in daytime so does not matter if did not get a good sleep. Hardly ever skip a fuck on first day / night in Thailand. I generally don't do extra long haul. 12 hour max flights for me these days. London to BKK is about my worst.

[Robert Long]

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.

You forgot to mention the large guy that sits next to you and snores loudly. Even with headphones on it is very disturbing. I gave up on economy seating, it's all business class now. At my age I'm not putting up with all the bullshit in economy. Premier econ is a little better but the seats are to small, not long enough to get real comfortable.

And above all never book a flight on the mainland Chinese carriers, it will be the worst experience ever. The Chinese are new to travel and they are young with children that cry constantly. China Airlines is ok, Taiwan owned so more sophisticated, as is EVA.

If your spending 18-23 hours getting to BKK, give yourself the pleasure of business class, you will arrive rested, well fed and get the fast pass thru immigration. A little more money but your on your way to the big Asian money pit.

RL.

[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.