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Iceland Express
by evian1983 I wasn't going to write this review as I didn't actually fly with the airline. Then I thought what the purpose of a review was, to which I believe is to help people make an informed decision about a product or service based on personal experience. So, this is what I am doing. Before you decide that this review will be ... irrelevant as it doesn't cover the actual flight, I beg you to reconsider as it will cover aspects with which you come in contact before anything else including their staff, customer service and online system. You will encounter their staff and experience their customer service before, during and after you fly so thus this review should be of importance to you. BOOKING We booked our return flights from Gatwick to Reykjavik online through the website which was simple and straightforward. The price was marginally over £250 per person. If you need to ask or were thinking; the flights were booked well in advance before any talk of volcano eruptions and travel restrictions. THE PROBLEMS BEGIN We were due to fly out on the Friday afternoon (16/04/10) but the day earlier, UK airspace was closed due to the volcanic eruptions. News channels, travel agencies and airports were advising people not to travel to the airport but contact the airline. I expected an extended delay in getting through on the phone to a representative from Iceland Express due to the travel chaos. After about 30 minutes on hold I got through and I asked whether we should still make our way to the airport. I stressed that it would be a considerable journey on our behalf and would appreciate if they could advise us on the situation and hopefully save us a needless long trip. The representative was very uncooperative and more interested in requesting our name, flight booking details, address details etc than addressing the issue. The answer we received was that we could go to the airport if we wanted but she would not give us any other information. When asked about the current status or the likelihood of flying, we were coldly told that it may or may not fly. This information was completely useless and did not progress our situation in the slightest. Would not provide any details about changing dates of flights or seeing if we could get a refund. This call was no help whatsoever. I thought it may have just been me so a friend phoned up later just before were about to leave for the long journey to the airport. Again, the same useless responses that we could go to the airport if we wanted and the flight could leave or it could not. Nothing else was offered even with prompting. All other airlines and airports were requesting people stay at home and not travel to the airport. Iceland Express provided no direction or information meaning one would have to travel to the airport regardless as if the flight was delayed but departed, we would receive nothing. DEPARTURE (Well almost) Arriving at the airport, we anticipated that the flight would be either cancelled or delayed. But with silence from customer service, we had to make our way to the airport on the off chance that the flight would depart albeit severely delayed. After a couple of hours at the airport and no further information from Iceland Express despite other airlines, the airport and NATS updating travellers, we approached the airline desk when it opened. At the Iceland Express desk we were advised that the flight would not be flying and we could rebook or get a refund. We asked for a refund and were told that they could do nothing and we needed to contact customer service on the phone and rebook or request a refund via their online system. The desk would not do this for us. A wasted couple of days off from work, a wasted journey to the airport and hours waiting for non forthcoming information from the airline at the airport. VERDICT I appreciate and understand the disruptions caused but to fail your passengers by saying silent and offering no information is terrible. I fully understand that it is a low cost airline but even Ryanair managed to inform their passengers and issued quick refunds. So while the airline may be fine to use, the silence and lack of information which is critical to your travel is very worrying especially in times of difficulty. This was my first experience with the airline and now likely to be the last. Read the complete review |
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Norwegian.no
by ALM1 Last year, I was standing on an airbridge at Bergen's Flesland airport, waiting to board a flight to Oslo Gardermoen on the first leg of a two sector journey to Edinburgh. As I stepped onto the aircraft and turned into the aisle I noticed a smell - not an unpleasant smell - but the heady aroma of new leather. I looked around the ... passenger cabin. Gone were the tired seats and fittings and instead I saw a light, airy and spacious looking interior - off-white bulkheads and cabin fittings and smart charcoal grey leather covered seats. That was the moment the thought struck me.......I had been using this airline for over two years and had come to regard it as a reliable and reasonably priced carrier which has been improving continuously. It was time I got myself organised and wrote a review about Norwegian Air Shuttle, or 'Norwegian' as they have now branded themselves. So what is it that impresses me about this airline? Booking Assuming you have internet access, booking could not be easier. I book flights online regularly with several carriers and this is among my favourite websites for speed, ease and clarity. Go to "www.norwegian.com" and the homepage will offer you the choice of booking your chosen destination and date immediately or looking first at the Fare Calendar. This latter choice is worth trying if you can be flexible with your dates as you might just find a bargain. What you will not see are those wonderfully tempting give-away fares only to be disappointed when you see the final bill. Norwegian include the taxes and transit fees at the outset so you are spared the shocks. As with all "low cost" carriers, however, you will have to pay a modest fee to check-in luggage - more on that later. You are also able to reserve the seat of your choice at this stage if you wish - again for a fee. This website can be viewed in ten languages (including English) and you can choose to see your fare displayed in six different currencies including the GB pound and the Euro. If internet access is a problem for you then telephone 0047 21 49 00 15 or book through a travel agent. Check-in My check-in experiences have always been problem free though this, of course, is largely due to the handling agent. All relevant information from Norwegian seems to get to the right place at the right time, however. Fast check-in via kiosk is available at some of the destinations served by the airline. Luggage Allowances For a "low cost" airline, these must be some of the most generous weight allowances around. Yes, as with carriers of this type you must pay to put luggage in the hold but £6 per piece per sector for an international flight (European) is not excessive and for this you may carry up to 20 kg. However, should you wish to check-in a second piece of luggage then you may...although that will incur a further £6 per sector. This added flexibility can be extremely important for some travellers. You may take hand-luggage on board up to 10 kg at no added cost. Aircraft Norwegian came into existence in 1993 as a regional airline within Norway. They have been growing ever since into the fifth largest "low-cost" carrier in Europe. Since 2008 they have been taking delivery of Boeing 737-800 aircraft (48 are currently on order) adding to the existing 737-300s and MD80s they had been operating. By 2014 they propose to operate - in their words - "the most modern and environmentally friendly fleet" in Europe. On-board Service and Crew On-board service is consistent. I have come to expect the crew to be smart and courteous. All staff speak English well. The food service on-board is fairly standard for a "low-cost" carrier and, of course, you will have to pay if you wish to partake. On flights longer than one hour there will be a trolley service offering hot, cold and alcoholic drinks, sandwiches, salads and snacks. Warm snacks such as panini or burgers will only be served on flights of longer than two and a half hours duration. Expect to pay 20 NOK (approx £1.90) for a hot or cold drink and 45 NOK (approx £4.20) for a cold sandwich. (This is a better deal than you will find at a Norwegian airport.) The quality of the food and drink is perfectly acceptable although I would describe the choice as standard rather than inspired. (Having said that I find the cinnamon buns hard to resist!) On longer flights - over three and a half hours - entertainment is available in the form of music channels and current, family-friendly films. (A headset will cost 40 NOK - approx £3.75) Punctuality Speaking entirely about my own experiences I can say that the flights I have taken with Norwegian have taken off on time and have landed on time, a little early or, at the most, ten minutes late. Space Ah yes, the space question. This is the only real negative I can find about Norwegian. I cannot tell you the precise seat pitch but I can say I feel that there is a little less space between seat rows with Norwegian than I have found with some other carriers. Having said that I find the design of the cabin feels spacious (and I suffer from claustrophobia!) and I have no difficulty stretching my legs out under the seat in front of me. But sometimes the seatback facing me feels quite close. Apparently the airline is making a small reduction in the number of seats in the cabin to bring about some improvement in this situation. So, if you'll pardon the pun, I'll be watching this space. Cost This is where Norwegian is proving to be a winner. Yes, you pay a little to check-in your suitcase and you pay for your cup of tea but these small things aside, I feel as if I am flying regular-scheduled-carrier with this airline. There is little of the "low-cost" carrier feel about this company. However the fares are good. Here's an example. My journey from Bergen to Edinburgh cost me £110 (including luggage). The next best fare I could find with any other airline was £163 - and the journey would have been one hour longer. Norwegian have 178 routes between 84 destinations in Scandinavia, Europe - including the Canary Islands and Greek Islands - and also to Morocco and Dubai. I find I get a good choice of routes, convenient flight times and good service for the price and the fare is very often the lowest available for a given route. Occasional offers can be attractive too - at the moment a fare of (from) £29 is being offered from London to Oslo or Copenhagen (one way). Even if you want to take to a suitcase and have a coffee and a cinnamon bun on board you will still get change out of £40. I think that is fairly attractive. Safety I am not employed in aviation and I know I am not qualified to make any definite proclamations here. However, I have twenty years experience as a frequent flyer - in both commercial and small private aircraft and I can say I feel confident when I fly with Norwegian. They are currently showing a safety demonstration video prior to take-off in the form of a 3d animation rather then have crew members provide the briefing. I am rather impressed with this. It cuts across language barriers and holds your interest - important especially for frequent flyers as we can get little blase about this part of the flight. Occasional articles in the airline's in-flight magazine are designed to inform and educate the passenger about safety issues. I find this to be an indication of how seriously Norwegian view safety and security. Facilities for Disabled People I am able bodied and although I have escorted mobility-impaired people in the past I have no experience with this carrier. Therefore I cannot give an objective view of how well disabled people are assisted by Norwegian. Their website gives specific information for people with special requests for their flight, so I would recommend talking to the airline's staff before you book to make sure your requirements can be accommodated. Frequent Flyer Programme The frequent flyer programme introduced in December 2009 has two schemes; one for the individual traveller called "My Reward" and the other for companies to use, labelled "Corporate Reward". Under the "My Reward" scheme, if you buy a full-price, fully flexible ticket you will receive 10 percent of the value in "CashPoints" and if you use the low fares you will receive 2 percent in "CashPoints". When the time comes to exchange your points, each "Cashpoint" is equivalent to 1 Norwegian Kroner (NOK). This all sounds very generous, but when you consider that currently 1 NOK is the equivalent of 11p in Britain the rewards are put in perspective. On the positive side, though, is the fact that you can begin to use your points immediately - no need to save up to a certain amount. You can make a part-payment with your points not only for flights but also for the 'extras' such as checked-in luggage costs. Nonetheless, I cannot see this benefitting an occasional holiday-maker at all. It is, as it states, a scheme for frequent flyers. The Conclusion.... In summary, I would now choose this airline, not only because of the competitive fares but also because of the choice of routes and their consistency of service. Based on my experience and that of my family and friends, I would not hesitate to recommend this company. (NB: this review appears on other sites under the name of ALM1 or The Travelling Geordie) Read the complete review |
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Thai Airways
by alvinturvey I have recently returned from my honeymoon in Phuket and we flew with Thai Airways in Economy class from Heathrow to Bangkok as well as the internal flight down to Phuket and again for both flights on the way home. The downside of the outbound journey was that we sat next to an incredibly uninteresting man in his 50's from ... Manchester who spent most of the flight telling us about his "girlfriend" in Thailand. As he mentioned on about 14 occasions during the flight, he was supposed to fly out from Mancheter airport but had travelled down to Heathrow because of the snow. He had supposedly been out to visit this young lady every 6 months during their 4-year relationship, yet still went into a fit of hysterics when we encountered a short period of mild turbulence mid-flight. Luckily my wife works as cabin crew for another airline so she was well qualified to explain that it was completely normal. If his story was true, surely he would have known this! As most reviews will tell you, the in-flight entertainment with Thai Airways leaves a lot to be desired. There are no TV screens in the back of the seats but large central screens that serve about 10-12 rows of passengers. It really depends on where your seats are located whether you get a good view or not. The seats are 3-4-3 across and we were in two of the three at the side which made it difficult with the glare on the screen but a little better when the window blinds were shut. Obviously sitting further back would cause a problem too. It is safe to say that our fellow passenger provided us with more amusement than the entertainment supplied by the airline. The seats were surprisingly comfortable. There was a generous amount of legroom and a better recline facility than any other plane I have been on. Strangely, the firmness of the seats seemed to vary from one to another. My seat was softer on the way out than the way back and vice versa for my wife. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Something we noticed on both the flights and the holiday itself was that Thai people really want to look after you and tend to be very apologetic if you have the slightest complaint. This is something we were not used to experiencing in England. My wife is used to consuming large amounts of water on a daily basis and tends to have very bad side effects if she is dehydrated. The stewardesses did not hesitate to supply her with 2-litre bottle of water, even though every other passenger was given small plastic cups. We all know that airline meals are far from gourmet but this is the first flight I have been on where we were given a menu with a choice of two options for each course and the quality of the food itself was not bad. I have to point out that we actually booked the honeymoon with Virgin Holidays and most people would assume that this meant Virgin flights. At the time of booking, the operator did give us a choice of flight times and the Virgin flights were more inconvenient for us which is why we went for Thai Airlines. Having flown with Virgin before, the in-flight entertainment was so much better but the customer service, the comfort and the quality of the food was very much the same. My recommendation would be that if you are prepared to forget the in-flight films and take your own entertainment (a good book, an iPod, a laptop or a portable DVD player) with you, use Thai Airways if it saves you a lot of money spend it on shopping in Thailand instead. I hope you all find this review helpful and please don't hesitate to ask any questions. Thanks for reading. Read the complete review |
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