Kingseat

I don't particularly like flying them but since we flew Emirates last month they now don't seem too bad!

Syedney

Strange as I have seen many people here on this forum heap praises on Emirates, although have never flown with them...

It's really like someone else said it already: you could spend whole day arguing which airline has got the best service and yet on the day, even those considered to have an outstanding service, can have an off day and you end up with a crappy service...

Although some airlines have more off days than others...

No names mentioned "Best airline in the sky" !

Kingseat

We thought they were dreadful. We flew them this time to see Dubai and for their baggage allowance but the food was pretty much inedible. If you wanted a drink you had to get up and ask (with the exception of the first and only time they came round with the bar). We had to wait over an hour for them to bring the cot for my son - the list goes on. Unless they have a great deal on I'd never fly them again.

I (unlike loads of people on here) can find no fault at all with BA!

As you say it just depends on the day!

bcworld

Totally - so often on here you see people bagging an airline after a single flight. Fair enough, but all airlines have off days, and good ones too.

Like you, I too like BA - sure they've let me down a couple of times but I've flown with them a lot and on balance think they're pretty good. I bag Qantas because I got so tired of their crappy service at BNE airport (and elsewhere) it wasn't just a one off - in the air I've found them much like BA - totally dependant on the crew onboard.

I have to say, my experience of Emirates catering is that it's the best I've had in economy! Have always been very well looked after in the bar department as well. The worst crew I had on Emirates was when the cabin was looked after by a pack of young Aussie 'chicks' - totally indifferent, unprofessional service - I'd still fly em again though as the same can happen on almost any airline.

slipshot

HhHhmmmmm - totty. Like the sound of that. Well worth travelling with them then for a nice bit of totty on a 24 hour flight, even if they will insist on saoking themselves in fragrance every hour.

Still totty though...

Safin

having flown emirates, BA and qantas with 3 youngish kids this year emirates won hands down for them. on demand entertainment worked fine, kids meals reasonably healthy but appealling to kids with special snack bags too in between and lots of little bits and pieces for them to do.

BA were ok - not good not bad

Qantas on demand failed on 3 deifferent flights each time more than once and the handsets were faulty in 3 of 15 seats we used. Food for kids was worse than adults meals - should have just not bothered ordering kids meals and on two flights no toys/colouring pack etc whatsoever. Attitudes were consistently about doign what they had to and no more. If they were lots cheaper I'd put up with it again but otherwise not

Beachband

British Airways are as good as any, For international flights , have used Emirates(a smelly drab plane) couldn't take to the food.
Qantas was fairly good, smooth plane, video equipment a bit dodgy though.
Virgin - its like a plastic plane, they tried to make it something it ain't, ambitious looking interior though.
British Airways - probably was every bit as good as Qantas.

Again its the flight and crew you get on the day is what its all about with any airline.

DadAgain

I've flown QA/BA a lot over the last 10 years and rarely had problems with either - [I've also flown with Aeroperu, Aviana (Colombian), JAL, Thai, Philippine Airlines, Tarom (Romanian), Ryan air and a few others, but mostly my long haul flying has been done with BA/QA for QFF reasons].

With my kids I've found that on the rare occassions assitance was requried all I had to do was ask. Meals have been good (we dont order kids meals) and I've never had broken in flight entertainment.

Having said that our last Qantas flight to the UK the chief steward (Bursar/Service Manager or whatever the official job title is of the 'head trolley-dolly') did advise extreme patience when he first switched the entertainment on and seemed surprised at the end of the flight that we'd got through the entire duration without the system crashing.

If you're really unsure about Qantas, read this in depth description of a typical return trip:
http://www.*************/forum/transp...ng-report.html

In summary - I dont think theres anything wrong with Qantas for long haul and ultimately all airlines are much of a muchness. Qantas are consistently amongst the cheapest and often have the shortest journey times due to good connections through Singapore. Qantas domestic can be a different story and the costs of flying to some regional areas can be astounding (I've done abit of this for work).