Safest Airlines

[WhamBam]

Who are you booked with?

After the latest incidents with aeroplanes crashing (or being blown from the skies) I noticed the list of safest and worst airlines to fly with.

Air New Zealand coming in at #1

Thai Airways Intl #47

Malaysian Airlines #34

Lion Air come last at #60

full list here

http://www.jacdec.de/safety-ranking-2014/

Does safety factor into your booking when you make it to fly hither and thither or are you more interested in the cost only?

[craigt3365]

There are many airlines I do my best to avoid, some I won't fly no matter what.

[Thaiberius]

Don't avoid any of the long-haul due to safety as they are all pretty safe, contrary to what some might think.

Avoid any Indian airline (high probability of having to sit next to someone who smells) although Kingfisher was good while it lasted. Saw a stewardess climb over a couple of seats to whack a punter a few years back.

KLM/Air France ok but it's a lottery over the cabin crew, some totally ignorant, some can't do enough. On one flight an AF steward kept me full of beer even when I didn't ask for it. The really annoying thing about KLM are the constant announcements about this and that about nothing in particular even when halfway though the flight and everybody was fast asleep;

Thai, not used them since I travelled in that old 747 they had with a movie screen on the bulkhead. Documentary about Drew Barrymore, wanted to top myself the whole journey. Worst journey of my life.

Eva Air, big fan of their Premium Economy, nice staff. Easy to build up points (unlike Flying Blue) and you can use them to reduce the price of a ticket on their website, unlike Flying Blue where doing anything like that on the website is like trying to operate the space shuttle navigation software.

Turkish, undercurrent of dislike towards the passengers although when I used them to Iraq they were fine but with no booze on the Iraq legs. Istanbul a happening airport to change.

Cathay Pacific - Absolutely awful contraption of a seat. To stop the passenger leaning back it is in a fixed position but you can lower the seat where your bottom is and move it forward, then a net comes out to help your lower back. Once the contraption is fixed it's like sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you.

China Airlines - let's just say the are still in the seventies with their IFE but the food in business and economy is good. Had my first and only caviar ever with them in business.

Etihad, don't like the prayer they play before take-off - freaks me a bit. Much the same as Oman, Emirates, Gulf Air, etc in the Middle East. Not bad but when changing it's a nightmare if the airport is full. Planes and IFE not bad.

BA and Qantas very much the same as KLM and AF, quite sanitised and if you upset the cabin crew early on be prepared to be ignored for 12 hours.

Vietnam Airlines were quirky. I couldn't quite get the hang of what was going on the entire journey. Main meal served when everybody was asleep, drink was given out in such quantities I had to use the next seat to store my stash. The cabin crew appeared to be eating pots of noodles from take off until landing. Nice uniforms.

Out off of them all I have to go for Eva, got a free upgrade to business which was not expected last year. Just a really good airline.

Flown with China Southerm, Eastern etc on legs in Asia and to be honest I'm just pleased they landed with all passengers still alive.

[Spoonman]

Malaysia Airlines has killed 537 people in the past 6 months, how the <deleted> are they not on the bottom of that list ?

[Thaiberius]

Malaysia Airlines has killed 537 people in the past 6 months, how the <deleted> are they not on the bottom of that list ?

I don't think the second crash was due to Malaysian Airlines. Most people can differentiate between an unexplained event and being blown out of the sky in a war zone.

[craigt3365]

Malaysia Airlines has killed 537 people in the past 6 months, how the <deleted> are they not on the bottom of that list ?

I don't think the second crash was due to Malaysian Airlines. Most people can differentiate between an unexplained event and being blown out of the sky in a war zone.

Having flown well over 1MM air miles, I've only had problems with a long haul carrier one time, and that was with Air India. What a mess and quite scary. Aeroflot had some pretty dodgy equipment. I've had a few "interesting" moments on very small regional carriers.

Poor Malaysian Air. Nobody really knows what happened the first time (though seems some dodgy stuff was done by management). The second time was just plain bad luck. I've flown with them before and they seemed OK.

[Noi657]

Flown with BA twice, didn't like the attitude of the cabin crew!

Thai Air I always found the cabin crew to be good but stopped flying because the crap entertainment! Don't know if this has now changed.

Flown Eva for 6 years, 90% of the time they are the cheapest and by far the best service!

[dddave]

Cathay Pacific - Absolutely awful contraption of a seat. To stop the passenger leaning back it is in a fixed position but you can lower the seat where your bottom is and move it forward, then a net comes out to help your lower back. Once the contraption is fixed it's like sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you.

Yes and no. I agree that the sliding down seats are not quite as comfy as standard lay-back seats but not having the seatback in front of you reclined into your lap more than makes up for it.

Actually, the last few times I flew CX earlier this year, the seats were back to standard and seemed a touch more spacious. Maybe they discontinued the slide-down seats because they proved unpopular.

[rakman]

Malaysia Airlines has killed 537 people in the past 6 months, how the <deleted> are they not on the bottom of that list ?

I don't think the second crash was due to Malaysian Airlines. Most people can differentiate between an unexplained event and being blown out of the sky in a war zone.

One point still being investigated is why the pilots turned towards the danger area and not stayed on the "normal" course. If ATC says go, the pilots still have the final say.

[Thaiberius]

Malaysia Airlines has killed 537 people in the past 6 months, how the <deleted> are they not on the bottom of that list ?

I don't think the second crash was due to Malaysian Airlines. Most people can differentiate between an unexplained event and being blown out of the sky in a war zone.

One point still being investigated is why the pilots turned towards the danger area and not stayed on the "normal" course. If ATC says go, the pilots still have the final say.

Good point, I noticed my last flight from Bangkok to CDG a couple of weeks ago on Air France before this tragedy took a route south of the Crimea over the Black Sea.

[PaPiPuPePo]

Out off of them all I have to go for Eva, got a free upgrade to business which was not expected last year. Just a really good airline.

Flown with China Southerm, Eastern etc on legs in Asia and to be honest I'm just pleased they landed with all passengers still alive.

I've only flown with EVA once, US to Hong Kong via Taipei (of course). At Taoyuan we had an "exceptional" plane change, not the one listed on the ticket but an old narrow-body Boeing or AirBus. But I gathered they did this every time.

I'll second not using mainland Airlines (China Eastern, Southern, or Air China) unless absolutely necessary. I've had worse experiences with all of them than pretty much any other airline I've flown, and since I usually buy the cheapest ticket I've sampled a number of the low-budget carriers. If you fly into or within China though you're usually stuck with one of the three. A Chinese businessman told me Eastern is best avoided, of the other two Air China is better, that's been my experience too. I do avoid Aeroflot, Air Astana, or any other I've never heard about, though some small carriers--Hainan Airlines comes to mind--get good reviews.

I've only flown AirAsia once, so excuse me for not knowing you have to pay 30 baht for a small bottle of water. That kind of pettiness and the fact that my luggage looked like it was dragged on the ground (I started using a nylon cover after Air China chewed a bag up, AirAsia then burned a big hole through the cover) means I won't ever fly them again if I can avoid it. You have to vote with your dollar IMO.