Is OK (Czech Airlines) OK?
 

I am considering a mileage run/sightseeing trip to PRG with Czech Airlines out of JFK.
Does anyone have recent experience since they joined SkyTeam on OK? I am a PM and was wondering whether the OK folks would do courtesy upgrades if Business was empty or do they also suscribe to SGB. Anyone with firsthand knowledge?

No, but PRG is a good place to buy crystal, cigars (Hilton Hotel), etc.

OK was very OK for me last time I flew them in C-class. They were offering excellent service even on an one hour flight (PRG-AMS). I think they were outranking the major EU-airlines. I don't think the change of 'friendly' upgrades is so big. So don't count on anything. I would rather see what their best price in C is. Sometimes they can be amazingly affordable. EUR. 900 AMS-PRG-DUB once.

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Cheers,

Brenno.

I had a very good experience on OK. I went to Prague from Jackson. I flew OK in C-class YUL-PRG and PRG-JFK. You can read about it in my trip report.

In the Summer of 2001 made reservations on Czech Airline to fly from FRA to PRG. The actual flight was on Lufthansa and was a very nice flight. Received FF miles for the round trip. Don't know if this type of switching carriers happens often, but this was very nice flight.

I am pretty sure that I recently saw a $550 M fare JFK-PRG if that intrigues you further. Check out the "fare listing" section of Travelocity as I am sure it had restrictions like a 7 night stay...

Just flew Prg/cdg. Absolutely dreadful. Packed 737 with no legroom at all. Good thing we had 3 seats or would have been really claustrophobic. Long check in lines in Prg. If flying this route, recommend AF and not the 9:30 am codeshare. Also, a miserable landing.

Robert-

I flew OK on the AMS-PRG-AMS bit last December. I wasn't PM at the time, so I know nothing of courtesy upgrades, and I know nothing of their trans-Atlantic product, but overall, I was very happy with my experience. The FAs were polite, attentive, and *fast* (in < 1 hour, they served a beverage and breakfast to a completely packed 737.) Also, the check-in line at PRG wasn't quick, but I felt that it was average for a European airport.

FYI, I found the trip on DL metal to AMS then OK to PRG to work out *very* well.

Czech Air Safety and Comfort?
 

Anyone flown Czech air? Should i pay more to fly another carrier?

Czech Airlines (CSA) uses Airbus 300 on there long haul flight from Prague to N. America and the Far East. They are 15 years old so they are begining to look a littel weathered. As for there service, I have flown in there economy class as well as there business. Business is nothing to write home about. wider seats, bottled beer a good food but nothing special. Economy a little cramped, stale & dry air in the cabin and no tv's in the seats.

Flew Czech Air last year between Prague and Paris. It was an experience I would not care to repeat. The aircraft was very dreary and felt old. We were in economy class and it was extremely cramped, even though it was low season & the flight was not full. I do remember the food was inedible. The FA's were quite pleasant, though. The landing in Paris was one of those several-bounce jobs. I would seek an alternate carrier, if possible. FYI, our flight to Prague was on AF & it was extremely pleasant. Thus, the contrast was pretty stunning.

Problems on CSA Czech Airlines
 

Good morning FlyerTalkers!

I just got back from my first all-SkyTeam European trip (DL-coded ticket; JFK-CDG-VIE on Air France; PRG-JFK on Czech Airlines). No problems whatsoever on the outbound flights, but when we arrived to check in at Ruzyne Airport, we encountered some trouble.

Despite holding paper tickets and a confirmed reservation (which I booked two months in advance), the CSA agents informed my girlfriend and I that our reservation (and seat assignments) had been canceled. After being sent to a second counter (and then returning to the first), we waited nearly 30 minutes for two Czech-speaking agents to finally determine that we could PROBABLY board OK50 for JFK.... so long as a connecting passenger from Bratislava wouldn't mind moving his seat to accomodate us.

I didn't really understand why that was necessary, but then again, I didn't understand much of what the agent was telling us. Ultimately, we went from an aisle and window seat in the front of the plane to a middle and aisle seat in the last row of the A310... next to the lav.

Does anyone have any idea why our reservation would have been randomly canceled? And has anyone ever had overbooking/cancellation problems like that on SkyTeam flights before? (My inclination as a frequent DL passenger was to begin bargaining for a rebook through another EuroHub like CDG or MXP, but I got the impression that the CSA agents weren't used to passengers recommending booking methods).

Thanks much!

Although it is not exactly the same thing as yours, I flew a CSA codeshare (operated by SkyEurope) from Prague to Kosice in Slovakia last summer. There were no problems, and the miles (1.5x the 500 min.) showed up on my DL account within a week. I don't think from my experience that Prague is a particularly bad airport to fly into and out of.

Maybe they follow the old practice of requiring reconfirmation. I couldn't see a definitive statement of policy, but the CSA website states:

Clipper i've had a similar experience lately. In March i'm travelling JFK-AMS-PRG on KLM and KLM coded/CSA operated flight between AMS-PRG. Twice the CSA leg has been cancelled from my itinerary. Called NW (booked thru them) and they say that for some reason CSA is not getting the ticket numbers, resulting in the segment being cancelled.

Perhaps that's what happened to you too.