Best, and worst, airlines.

[Pipbin]

I've just come back from holiday and flew Virgin for the first time.
We were flown out by Delta, who were brilliant.
We were flown back by Virgin, who were dreadful - I had been lead to think they were better than most.

So, who do you recommend and who should we avoid?

I avoid Ryanair wherever possible as they treat their passengers like dumb animals who they can flog tat to.

Singapore airlines are the best we have ever flown with

Iberia were the worst

Oh Ryanair and Easy Jet are a given.
I am a dreadful snob and not ashamed to admit it.
I like the flight to be part of the holiday and with Delta it really was.
They only fly to America though from the UK.

Long Haul

Nothing but good experiences with Virgin. Ethiad & Emirates both bery good. BA is hit & miss. Virgin over BA for LA if given the option.

Short Haul

Ryanair ok as long as your expectations are low take your own water, coffee, sandwich & you'll be fine, ditto Easyjet. BA - never had a problem flying SH with them - customer service is slick, never had a delay etc.

I avoid chartered flights like the plague - Thomson, Thomas Cook, Monarch & the like after too many bad experiences to count. May be a coincidence, but still.

Swiss air give you chocolate! Also when I've flown with them at mealtimes they gave out food - pain au chocolat at breakfast, and bread twists or a cheese/ham and cheese roll thing for lunch - all very nice too! They are not exactly a luxury airline, but I always appreciate the little extras being treated as standard.

Bery - very
LA - Long Haul

reminds self to use the preview button before posting

Love Virgin, Emirates.....worth upgrading if poss!

Virgin - pretty good

Lufthansa - not great. No air con thingy and no masks or ear plugs handed out on night flight. Food is awful.

Delta - fab all round. They are very generous with the wine

BA hit and miss

Easy Jet - absolutely fine. Never had any issues.

American Airlines - ha ha ha ha ha!

I must have been the only one with a duff Virgin flight then. Or perhaps it was because I was spoiled by Delta.

Honestly, I think most of the airlines are ridiculously variable.

I've flown with KLM in the past and they've been utterly dire but I flew with them recently and they were pretty good. The snacks offered on short flights are much, much better than BA's crappy basket of snacks.

I just flew with BA and they were mediocre to shit. Their customer service is very poor when something goes wrong (hint: don't pretend that you're doing the customer a favour when you rebook them on a later flight because your rescheduling decisions caused you to bump them off the flight they were supposed to be on; say sorry instead). The food was absolutely dire too. Some of it was completely inedible (I'm not even fussy) and there was a breakfast with truly mystery components.

I've flown (on a major transatlantic route) with American and they managed to source us a plane direct from 1985 (totally lacking any updating since then). Luckily we'd anticipated the lack of entertainment and the food and customer service were actually pretty good. I can't think when I've had better airline food.

Virgin were ok when I flew with them, in a completely unmemorable way.

Alaska airlines are a fairly basic experience, but fine.

Jet2 are fairly rubbish, but that's all they really promise you so you aren't disappointed about it. The seats are very uncomfortable and they didn't even have blinds on the plane.

Did you get a plane from your childhood too on AA, girlinacoma? Or do they only ply you with food and drinks to make up for the fact that they should have refitted the thing 15 years ago (at the latest?

Actually, American Airlines have the most spectacularly inept and frustrating customer service imaginable. We booked our not good at all BA trip through American and they were not helpful. Their systems are very poorly integrated so the partnership causes customers all sorts of problems. And they give you completely the wrong information when you phone them, which means that you get to make several additional frustrating phone calls and then they won't bloody let you complain.

Delta couldn't do enough for me! I managed to order a vegetarian meal via Twitter.
I know I sound like a Delta fan here, I honestly don't work for them.

Emirates are my favourite but I also like Air New Zealand, as you can order wine by pressing a button on your TV screen. And decent NZ sparkling included

Yes just asked DH and he said best were Singapore airlines and Air New Zealand and worst was Iberia

Iberia were terrible. Virgin were ok.

South African Airlines were really good. Emirates great too.

Have just flown with Avianca over Easter and was really impressed, given I'd never heard of them before.

Hmm a few votes of Singapore airlines.

I am fortunate to have flown longhaul frequently both to the States and Australia.

BA I have found to be brilliant, particularly when we flew with young children. Singapore would be on the same level as are Cathay Pacific.

Below both of them are Emirates and Thai Airways and also

I don't rate Qantas and I think Virgin are a dreadful airline and would avoid them at all costs. In fact with Virgin I'd go so much to say that if they were the only airline to that destination I'd change destination!

Great - Air NZ, Cathay, Singapore
Short haul - Bangkok airlines was really good - hot meal on a 75 minute flight
Lufthansa - staff are generally unfriendly and rude
China Eastern - short haul only
Most budget airlines are ok as my expectations are virtually zero so difficult to be too disappointed!

I really dislike Ryanair, from checking in to the journey, just grim.

I watched a drunk passenger being hit repeatedly by their partner on the flight and told the cabin crew as i felt they should have intervened.
they just thought it was hilarious because it was a man being hit by his girlfriend.

I flew with Meridiana last year from Sardinia.they are an Italian budget airline but they were great.
I would definitely use them again.

Have flown to the US on BA and Virgin. both times were fine, no complaints.

I'm flying with Thai airways this summer. I'm hoping they will be ok, Its a long flight.

Worst by far were Iberia. Also hate Ryanair but will happily fly Easyjet.

Loved Virgin on the one time I flew with them. Best flight ever was to West Africa with Air France. Fabulous 4 course meal with amazing wine. Felt thoroughly spoilt.

I am flying to Japan with Swiss air so hopefully they are good, it will be my first long haul flight with a child, I did my research briefly prior to booking the flights but the fact that they flew from the airport that is closest to my house trumped it

Virgin Upper Class to the USA was fabulous, Virgin economy on the return flight was dire as dire can be. The lack of legroom was unbelievable.

Never had a problem with BA on short haul or Easyjet. Alitalia were fine but on a 2 and a half hour flight at lunchtime I'd have at least like to have the option to purchase something to eat beyond the 'biscuit' that was based on an ancient Roman design. It tasted like it was made by the Romans back then too.

I will never fly Ryanair again. Dreadful company.

Air Canada are usually v good - plenty of legroom (DH is 6'4") and were really helpful and kind to me getting a last minute flight home when DF was dying years ago.

Recently flew WestJet for the first time and they were great - fab staff.

Best
Emirates
British airways
Air Canada

Worst
Easy jet (used them once never ever again)
Vigin, I was so disappointed after all the hype

I hated Air France - not the service but the pilots seemed to do really extreme manoeuvres. Never been in a plane at near 90 degrees before.