We need to go to Frankfurt and back, possibly at the end of May. Air India seem to be the cheapest and the flight times are okay ... anyone got any views ... like not unless hell freezes over, a friend mentioned!!

ha ha ! Maybe your friend remembers incidence of rats on board. There are so many better alternatives and I personally would rather pay extra on another airline just for the reduced risk of having to suffer from acute body odour of your fellow passengers in such a confined space

Edited April 24, 201313 yr by Asiantravel

ha ha ! Maybe your friend remembers incidence of rats on board. There are so many better alternatives and I personally would rather pay extra on another airline just for the reduced risk of having to suffer from acute body odour of your fellow passengers in such a confined space

Generalisation. The smelliest passengers I have ever encountered were a party of Brits on a Bangkok Airways flight from Samui, they had been partying on Phangan and hadn't stopped for a shower in between, they even came with dried vomit.

Air India is ok if ou want to save money and if it's a significant saving.If the "we" includes a Thai wife though you might want to check out how she feels about the smell of Indian curry though, to some Thai's it's an absolute no-no.

Edited April 24, 201313 yr by roamer

After my wife's experience with them a few years ago, Air India is a no go. Massive decompression at altitude, emergency landing, non working oxygen masks....forget it.

My wife's friend was meeting her at the airport here and the staff there had no idea why the plane didn't show up. I called their call center in India. All they said was the plane was in BKK. Come to find out it was in Hong Kong. It was a tough night for me not knowing where my wife was!!

IMHO, spend the extra money for another airline.

I flew AI BOM-FRA-BOM, packed, marginal in-flight-entertainment, video/audio on-demand but poor English choice, I watched Ben Hur all the way through for the first time in my life

Our Indian friends do have an aroma all their own (not necessarily unwashed) which some people find offensive (much the same as we Westerners smell bad to some Asians).

Indian airline food is mediocre at best, the choice is always veg (veg curry) or non-veg (chicken curry) unless you book a special.

Indian airports for the stop, no redeeming factors.

Unless money is the overriding factor go with one of the Middle Eastern airlines.

I have flown with them a few times, and while there have been issues, I would certainly fly with them again if it ment saving 5000+ baht

Have flown with the Middle Eastern airlines, and in all honesty have not been impressed or found them exceptional

I have flown with them a few times, and while there have been issues, I would certainly fly with them again if it ment saving 5000+ baht

Have flown with the Middle Eastern airlines, and in all honesty have not been impressed or found them exceptional

Don't think a saving of 5000 bht would tempt me away from an airline like Qatar.

While Qatar are definitely slightly-better, I myself still view their Economy-class in-flight experience as being fairly cattle-class standard in many ways, and the old-terminal/bussing-experience at Doha is another gripe, so since I save Baht 8-10k return flying on Jet Airways (of India) via Delhi compared to Qatar Airways, will continue to use them BKK-LHR-BKK. AI seem to be generally slightly-cheaper than Jet.

With the Baht so strong, and the Pound so weak, needs must I'm afraid !

Qatar also give 23 kgs hold-luggage (without ff-card), whereas Air India allow 2-bags of up-to 23 kgs each, and Jet 30 kgs total, another consideration when loaded-down with goodies returning home to Thailand.

Edited April 26, 201313 yr by Ricardo