and if the curfew is not enough ... British Airways

BA with its "on and off" strike is now "on". Officially, they can go on strike now but wish to negotiate with management. To no avail, I suspect they will strike. So, anyone travelling to Thailand has a double whammy if they are travelling BA.

why would anybody choose to fly with BA?

.... a lot of people don't I know, and their cabin crew might be a bit snotty at times, but BA are "up there" when it comes to health and safety, rigorously trained cabin crew etc and everything else, well at the moment anyway, dunno what will happen in the future with "Willie Walsh's" idea of cutbacks etc.

[Beachlover]

Easy. Don't use BA. I would avoid booking with BA for now. Strike or no strike, the high potential for strikes is enough to put me off them when there's other good airlines competing.

[Beachlover]

why would anybody choose to fly with BA?

I suppose because they are the cheapest (I've noticed this when I book flights but it may be different for other routes).

But their planes are old, service isn't very exciting and there's good potential for strikes now... so for an extra $100-$200 I'll fly Singapore Airlines, Emirates or Qantas.

dont forget that the seat spacing is terrible - a few years ago, I had the displeasure of having to fly with them from SYD-BKK. I had to spend the flight sitting at an angle to avoid digging my knees into the back of the seat in front of me. I am just over 6', not unusually tall. the worst flight I have ever had.

[Beachlover]

dont forget that the seat spacing is terrible - a few years ago, I had the displeasure of having to fly with them from SYD-BKK. I had to spend the flight sitting at an angle to avoid digging my knees into the back of the seat in front of me. I am just over 6', not unusually tall. the worst flight I have ever had.

Oh... well don't ever do any long hauls on Jetstar, Tiger or Air Asia then or you'll beat that record lol.

I don't know if BA seat spacing is any worse than Qantas or SIA though. But the sooner Qantas clears out its old aircraft and replaces them with the 380 the better.

[lonelywombat]

Friends of mine who fly only Qantas were shocked when I told them the flight I recently had LHR/SYD was a London based crew that did not include one Australian. Probably ex BA .
The quality of service was much different to my A380 trip to LAX [747 return] from Aussie crews. Much more friendly and eager to please.

After I posted the above I found this answer to a question on seating in The Age. The link to seatguru is very interesting.


Q Where is the best place to sit on a long-haul flight such as on a 747 if you are tall? How far in advance can I request this seat?

I have it on good authority that first-class seating is not too shabby. But dreaming aside, you're probably sitting where I usually am, in economy. And there is no simple answer to this question as airlines configure their 747s - and every other passenger aircraft - to suit their own requirements.

There are, however, a couple of ways you can shoehorn yourself into superior seating for your next flight. Log on to SeatGuru (seatguru.com), key in your airline and flight number and the server comes back with an overview of the aircraft you'll be flying on, with premium real estate colour coded. Seat Expert (seatexpert.com) does much the same thing.

Next, check your airline's website and locate the page with check-in options, which should tell you when you can book your chosen seat. This also varies between airlines and you need to get in smartly.

But here's one of the best-kept secrets of the professional traveller. Regardless of which airline or aircraft you're flying with, when you're travelling in economy, you want to be placed in an exit row, where the seats have valuable extra centimetres of leg room.

Several airlines allow you to pre-book exit-row seats for a modest surcharge - and it's well worth it. I'm about to fly from Sydney to Adelaide and Virgin Blue is charging me $35 for an exit-row seat, which gives an extra 20 centimetres of stretch-out space. On an international flight, say from Sydney to London, an exit-row seat with Qantas will cost $160 extra one way - and that's a rolled-gold bargain.

well, there is in the end an advantage being a short guy lol

besides, i always take down sleep pills a couple hours after take off so i sleep on average 8/9 hours straight so i don't even know how uncomfortable the plane is...

I think i only flew with BA once or twice in my life, ten or so years ago when low costs milan-london didn't exist, i dunno in what route they are so much cheaper.. apparently none of those i've been taking for the past 10 years.. i always seem to get my best deals with Emirates and Qatar airlines... and their crew are always very willing to accomodate requests..... VERY WILLING :occasion9:

[Chuai-Duai]

This is the result of a pole of passengers who traveled from Thailand in the ten months up to April. Rated for overall quality etc.

1. Asiana Airlines
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Qatar Airways
4. Cathay Pacific
5. Air New Zealand
6. Etihad Airways
7. Qantas Airways
8. Emirates
9. Thai Airways
10. Malaysia Airlines

I certainly wouldn't go near British Airways which is second only to Garuda as my candidate for the worst airline.

[maisoui]

.... a lot of people don't I know, and their cabin crew might be a bit snotty at times, but BA are "up there" when it comes to health and safety, rigorously trained cabin crew etc and everything else, well at the moment anyway, dunno what will happen in the future with "Willie Walsh's" idea of cutbacks etc.

Oh do tell which airlines don't have properly trained cabin crew with respect to health & safety. The primary purpose of cabin crew is to ensure passenger safety. So all you are saying is that BA have got to first base.

This morning on the BBC Breakfast show Mr. Walsh alleged that there was a culture of bullying and intimidation amongst BA cabin crew. That certainly accords with treatment I received on a flight from Washington to London a few years ago.

[Wesley]

Just for service and accomidations I have found no one better than Cathay Pacific

[Beachlover]

I certainly wouldn't go near British Airways which is second only to Garuda as my candidate for the worst airline.

The company just reported a 500 million pound annual loss (that's around a billion in US or Australian dollars).

Ironic to hear their staff are threatening strikes for pay.

The company just reported a 500 million pound annual loss (that's around a billion in US or Australian dollars).


GBP 500,000,000. = US $720,900,000. AUS $870,472,000.

http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/

Accuracy is not your forte, is it?

[Beachlover]

Oh hello, Homintern.

It (UK pound) used to be worth much more. I ballparked it because I can't be arsed looking up something so trivial.

Oh hello, Homintern.

You're even less observant than I thought.

Oh hello, Homintern.

You're even less observant than I thought.

At least he knows what you look like now, LOL. I'm sure he's laughing his ass off at your ugly bald head right now.

[goji]

What the hell does BA have to do with anything? Do people still fly with this third rate outfit? Surely not!

Why put up with militant lazy staff when you can just choose another airline?

This is the result of a pole of passengers who traveled from Thailand in the ten months up to April. Rated for overall quality etc.

1. Asiana Airlines
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Qatar Airways
4. Cathay Pacific
5. Air New Zealand
6. Etihad Airways
7. Qantas Airways
8. Emirates
9. Thai Airways
10. Malaysia Airlines.



SOURCE OF THIS POLE?

Poland?

:occasion9:

[Beachlover]

Oh hello, Homintern.

You're even less observant than I thought.

Hehehe... Square spectacles... bald head... three chins.

Don't forget those big ol' yellow teeth.

SOURCE OF THIS POLE? Poland?
[X] http://www.worldairlineawards.com/

http://bi.gazeta.pl/im/7/7759/z7759447X,Rosyjscy-sledczy-na-miejscu-katastrofy.jpg
Near near Smolensk North Military Aerodrome, Russia: VIP transport along the lines of the Polish Air Force.
Two Polish hunters from Cleveland hired a pilot to fly them to Canada to hunt moose. They bagged four. As they started loading the plane for the return trip home, the pilot tells them the plane can take only two moose. The two Poles objected strongly, stating, "Last year we shot four moose, and the pilot let us put them all on board, and he had the same plane as yours." Reluctantly, the pilot gave in and all four were loaded. Unfortunately, even at full power, the little plane couldn't handle the load and crashed a few minutes after takeoff. Climbing out of the wreck, Stanis┼Вaw asked W┼Вadek, "Any idea where we are?" W┼Вadek replied, "I think we're pretty close to where we crashed last year."

http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/4117 ... sh-51.html (http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/411701-polish-government-tu154m-crash-51.html)

Polish president's homophobia outrages the Irish. By Tony Grew тАв February 21, 2007 - 12:14
Remarks about homosexuality during a state visit to Ireland have caused more trouble for the controversial President of Poland. Speaking to an audience at Dublin Castle on the final day of his three day visit, Lech Kaczynski said that the [/size]promotion of homosexuality would lead to the eventual destruction of the human race. Politicians across the political spectrum in Ireland lined up to pour scorn on the Pole's comments yesterday, which came as the country's parliament was debating legislation to recognise gay marriages.

Kaczynski was challenged over his homophobic views, and his decision to ban a gay rights march in Warsaw in 2004. He replied: "If that kind of approach to sexual life were to be promoted on a grand scale, the human race would disappear.
"Imagine what grand changes would occur in mores if the traditional links between men and women were set aside."

Labour party members, who brought forward the gay marriage legislation, said they were puzzled by his comments.
"He kept on saying that the Poles and us were so alike. I'm not so sure about that," Senator Mary Henry told the Irish Independent. The Mayor of Dublin, who hosted a lunch for the Polish President yesterday, said he totally rejected Kaczynski's comments: "Those beliefs are of a bygone age," Vincent Jackson told the Independent. "If you don't have a belief that all sections of society have a right to co-exist, you will have intolerance and xenophobia. That would be a tragedy for Poland, which has gone through so much with occupation from neighbours on both sides."

Other Irish politicians went further. Senator David Norris, who founded the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform with current President of Ireland Mary McAleese, called Kaczynski a disgrace. "It is certainly completely inappropriate for the president of a friendly state to promote his own ignorance at the expense of Irish citizens who have fought very hard to establish their human and civil rights," he wrote in the Irish Independent. "His nonsense about the threat posed by homosexuality has shown his very limited intelligence and was a betrayal of decent Polish people."

Kaczynski has a history of homophobia. The former leader of the ruling Law and Justice Party, he has long opposed lesbian and gay people's rights to expression and assembly. When serving as mayor of Warsaw, he attempted to ban Gay Pride marches in 2004 and 2005. He refused to meet with the parade organisers, saying, "I am not willing to meet perverts." During his presidential campaign, Mr Kaczynski said that he would continue to ban gay demonstrations, as "public promotion of homosexuality will not be allowed."

When Warsaw marchers defied the ban and peacefully demonstrated in 2004, skinheads associated with the far-right All-Polish Youth assaulted them. The All-Polish Youth is affiliated with the League of Polish Families, and was founded in 1989 by Education Minister Mr Giertych. In April 2006, demonstrators from the All-Polish Youth also attacked a "March for Tolerance" in Krakow, pelting it with stones and eggs. In August 2006, after being questioned by the EU about intolerance and human rights violations in Poland, President Kaczynski's twin brother, who is the country's Prime Minister, claimed that his country was being misrepresented.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting in Brussels with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Jaroslaw Kaczynski said: "Please do not believe in the myth of anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic Poland this is a media thing тАУ it is not real." It seems that the EU were not convinced that the reported spike in homophobic and racist sentiment in Poland is a myth.

At Dublin Castle yesterday, President Kaczynski claimed that he is not a homophobe. "Among my personal friends there are individuals affected by this different sexual orientation, or homosexuality, but they enjoy full rights, they are able to move forward in various spheres of life," he said, according to the Independent. "This is a tendency, an orientation that has always existed, I don't know why. "I do not intend to combat it, to force them into therapy. But at the same time, I don't think it's appropriate that they should promote their sexual orientation." http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3768.html/

Kaczynski was challenged over his homophobic views, and his decision to ban a gay rights march in Warsaw in 2004. He replied: "If that kind of approach to sexual life were to be promoted on a grand scale, the human race would disappear.
"Imagine what grand changes would occur in mores if the traditional links between men and women were set aside."

One would certainly hope so.. at least there would be less idiots like this guy...