The Worst Airlines

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From Cheapism:
Air travel used to be glamorous. Back in the 1930s, you’d board a flight in your finest suit, stretch your legs, and enjoy a seven-course meal on fine china. Today, you’re lucky if you can get a bag of pretzels.

Of course, the trade-off is that flights are far cheaper than they were in the glory days of air travel. But still, some of today's carriers are so inhospitable that they make Southwest look like a luxury airline. That’s especially true for this list of seven stinkers, which made Redditors’ list of the “worst airlines.”



Air Canada Canadians say it sucks, but I have flown them several times, including a biz class from Toronto to Santiago, Chile. It was more than acceptable, the flight staff was great, and the food was more than passable. While not quite a lie-flat bed, it was comfy and a decent snooze to Chile and back. Why did we fly from SFO to Toronto, then Santiago? I don't remember why. Air France So very French is this airline, they have perfected not giving a sh*t to an art form, to quote the article. I flew from Athens to Paris to Clermont Ferrand with a huge layover between flights. I had to leave the airport (deGaulle) to get a decent meal, then nearly had my backpack stolen (twice) on the Paris Metro. The Air France waiting area for domestic flights is a sight to behold. It must be from the 50s!!!

Aeroflot You would think that the great reputation that Russians have for engineering would rub off on the national airline. But it does not. Service and snacks are about as spartan as the Red Army. During the Cold War, it was known as the world's deadliest airline with 721 incidents in 44 years! Fortunately, it was a short flight from St. Peterburg to Frankfurt. But not short enough! They should rename it Gulag Airlines!

United The "friendly skies" airline is always on any kind of list, good, bad or indifferent. Yes, we bash the airlines, but they offer flights to places that are hard to reach. And their prices are often more competitive than American Airlines. I have probably flown a million miles with United, some have been great, some absolutely dreadful. Take your pick! Can you believe they once had a huge luncheon buffet, and a soft serve ice cream sundae machine on board??

Spirit I don't think I have ever flown Spirit, but I only hear bad things.

Frontier I was once stranded in Denver and had to fly Frontier the rest of the way. We made an emergency landing in Kansas City during a terrible storm and had to deplane and wait several hours for another. They did not offer us anything! We were over 6 hours late to wherever we were going. I swore I would never fly them again. I kept my promise.

Ryanair I don't think it is as bad as everyone says. Yes, it is rather spartan, but clean with decent service, and mostly on time. I just hate having to get bussed out on the tarmac for most of their flights. So, never try to make a tight connection. But they are the cheapest flights in Europe, though be careful since they often fly to secondary airports. I can name one more that is probably worse than any of the above.

Yes, you remember our flight to see Mount Everest when we were in Katmandu, Nepal? We flew Buddha Air from an old, converted hangar. After a 4-hour delay, they called us to the flight, but not on the public address system. A guy from the airline tried to round up as many of us that were left in the terminal to board the flight. Once in the air and near Everest, the pilot invited everyone to the cockpit, causing the plane to sway significantly. Why? Just about everyone (mostly tourists) on the plane decided to head for the cockpit! It was not pretty! From flying the worst (Buddha Air) to the best (Singapore), I think I have seen it all. But at least I am here to tell you about it.

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