Egon Ronay ranks the airlines
Oct 30, 1998 | 11:57 am
#16
Commander Catcop
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 10,259
Actually Merry Flyer, I am American with French, German, English, Polish, Russian,
Italian, Canadian and probably many other routes. But the family name is french and I
think Paris is my favorite city.
The cats would eat the frogs.
But I consider myself "international" -- a person of many nationalities and interests
and friends and loves so I can cover everything!!!
Please Merry Flyer, it's no big deal. I'm still CATMAN!
Italian, Canadian and probably many other routes. But the family name is french and I
think Paris is my favorite city.
The cats would eat the frogs.
But I consider myself "international" -- a person of many nationalities and interests
and friends and loves so I can cover everything!!!
Please Merry Flyer, it's no big deal. I'm still CATMAN!
Oct 31, 1998 | 1:37 am
#18
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London,UK. Ok, about 100 miles from London really, but how many Americans know where Market Harborough is?
Posts: 409
Baobab: Ok you asked so I am going to tell you a little story...
The name Merry is very unusual, there are not a lot of us about, and those that exist are related.
The name can be traced back to Henry VIII, when his '7 day wife' Lady Jane Grey had her court banished to Bradgate Park in Leicestershire (about 5 miles from where I live) she needed something to keep her spirits up, and it was her Court-Jester who did this for her.
Lady Jane Grey was so pleased with her Court Jester that she honoured him with the name MERRY.
Well there you have it. The name Merry origionated in Leicestershire from court.
I bet you wish you hadn't asked now don't you.
Not a hint of French or anything else for that matter!!
Ahhhhhh... the relief.
MF
The name Merry is very unusual, there are not a lot of us about, and those that exist are related.
The name can be traced back to Henry VIII, when his '7 day wife' Lady Jane Grey had her court banished to Bradgate Park in Leicestershire (about 5 miles from where I live) she needed something to keep her spirits up, and it was her Court-Jester who did this for her.
Lady Jane Grey was so pleased with her Court Jester that she honoured him with the name MERRY.
Well there you have it. The name Merry origionated in Leicestershire from court.
I bet you wish you hadn't asked now don't you.
Not a hint of French or anything else for that matter!!
Ahhhhhh... the relief.
MF
Nov 2, 1998 | 2:07 pm
#20
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 1,433
MF - that is a fine tale - a true blue Englishman indeed.
Makes me think that instead of being the Machiavelli of the FlyerTalk court you should be the jester, as befits your pedigree...
Makes me think that instead of being the Machiavelli of the FlyerTalk court you should be the jester, as befits your pedigree...
Nov 3, 1998 | 1:13 am
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi all
I realsie that these airlines don't fly thr route chosen but I thought if we were discussing airlines we should have some south east asian input.
To date I have flown Cathay, Ansett, Air New Zealand & Qantas Domestic. I would rank them overall as follows
1. Cathay
2. Ansett or Air New Zealand (tied)
3. Qantas
I should add I have also flown Compass (Mark 1) which was quite exceptional but alas is no more.
I flew Cathay from Melbourne to Sydney to Hong Kong and then back Hong Kong to Brisbane to Melbourne. I was genuinely impressed with the standard of service provided and felt that the staff were genuinely concerned with the welfare of their passenegers. I do not recall the standard of food (my flight was in 1990) but would not hesitate to fly Cathay again. Given that the airline was started by an Australian I am not surprised at the above results.
cheers Peter
ps I shall be flying United soon, about whom I have heard good things. It will be interesting to compare to with the other I have flown.
I realsie that these airlines don't fly thr route chosen but I thought if we were discussing airlines we should have some south east asian input.
To date I have flown Cathay, Ansett, Air New Zealand & Qantas Domestic. I would rank them overall as follows
1. Cathay
2. Ansett or Air New Zealand (tied)
3. Qantas
I should add I have also flown Compass (Mark 1) which was quite exceptional but alas is no more.
I flew Cathay from Melbourne to Sydney to Hong Kong and then back Hong Kong to Brisbane to Melbourne. I was genuinely impressed with the standard of service provided and felt that the staff were genuinely concerned with the welfare of their passenegers. I do not recall the standard of food (my flight was in 1990) but would not hesitate to fly Cathay again. Given that the airline was started by an Australian I am not surprised at the above results.
cheers Peter
ps I shall be flying United soon, about whom I have heard good things. It will be interesting to compare to with the other I have flown.
Nov 3, 1998 | 1:20 am
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
Oh and one other thing should Cathay be reading my posts
Whilst I am not in any way influenced by freebies, gratis flights or other complimentary gifts I will happily accept two complimentary return tickets Melbourne to Hong Kong so that I can show my wife what great service Cathay gives and what a great place Hong Kong is.
cheers Peter
[email protected]
Nov 3, 1998 | 1:48 am
#23
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London,UK. Ok, about 100 miles from London really, but how many Americans know where Market Harborough is?
Posts: 409
Peter: Excellent!
Only one problem, Cathay although HK based is privatly owned by the English, therefore I am affraid you stand very little chance of a freebie.
We English are all as tight as... well you can work that bit out.
But I think you are very lucky having access to the Airlines you do, they are all world class!
I think if I were to rank my favorite airlines for Business/First service it would look like this:
1. BRITISH AIRWAYS(you can't image how long I agonised over truth and loyalty with that one).
2. EMIRATES (I give the free pottery to my colleagues, it reduces my feeling of guilt).
3. CATHAY
4. MALAYSIAN
5. SINGAPORE
6. SWISSAIR (I love those grey leather seats).
That should make Rudi (oops IDOR) a happy bunny.
MF
Only one problem, Cathay although HK based is privatly owned by the English, therefore I am affraid you stand very little chance of a freebie.
We English are all as tight as... well you can work that bit out.
But I think you are very lucky having access to the Airlines you do, they are all world class!
I think if I were to rank my favorite airlines for Business/First service it would look like this:
1. BRITISH AIRWAYS(you can't image how long I agonised over truth and loyalty with that one).
2. EMIRATES (I give the free pottery to my colleagues, it reduces my feeling of guilt).
3. CATHAY
4. MALAYSIAN
5. SINGAPORE
6. SWISSAIR (I love those grey leather seats).
That should make Rudi (oops IDOR) a happy bunny.
MF
Nov 3, 1998 | 5:28 am
#24
Guest
Posts: n/a
Interesting to see such support for Emirates. They just had a 2 for 1 offer here in Melbourne. $A777 got you two return tickets Melbourne to Singapore - an awesome price. If I wasn't going to NZ already I woudl have jumped at the offer. I have only heard good things about Emirates from my friends. I'm a bit lost on the pottery bit.
Perhaps an Emirates representative reading this post will feel inclined to give me a couple of free tickets Melbourne to Dubai return. I've already failed with Cathay so may as well have a dip with Emirates!
Actually there are a couple of interesting reason why I'd like to fly Emirates. 1. To see whether their air hostesses do in fact wear veils a la I Dream of Genie 2. To find out more about this free pottery and 3. To see whether the service in Economy is really as good as everyone keeps telling me. My friends reckon you get your own video screen on which you can see takeoff and landing!
cheers Peter
[email protected]
Who knows
Nov 3, 1998 | 5:31 am
#25
Guest
Posts: n/a
Interesting to see such support for Emirates. They just had a 2 for 1 offer here in Melbourne. $A777 got you two return tickets Melbourne to Singapore - an awesome price. If I wasn't going to NZ already I woudl have jumped at the offer. I have only heard good things about Emirates from my friends. I'm a bit lost on the pottery bit.
Perhaps an Emirates representative reading this post will feel inclined to give me a couple of free tickets Melbourne to Dubai return. I've already failed with Cathay so may as well have a dip with Emirates!
Actually there are a couple of interesting reason why I'd like to fly Emirates. 1. To see whether their air hostesses do in fact wear veils a la I Dream of Genie 2. To find out more about this free pottery and 3. To see whether the service in Economy is really as good as everyone keeps telling me. My friends reckon you get your own video screen on which you can see takeoff and landing!
cheers Peter
[email protected]
Who knows
Nov 3, 1998 | 5:33 am
#26
Guest
Posts: n/a
Interesting to see such support for Emirates. They just had a 2 for 1 offer here in Melbourne. $A777 got you two return tickets Melbourne to Singapore - an awesome price. If I wasn't going to NZ already I woudl have jumped at the offer. I have only heard good things about Emirates from my friends. I'm a bit lost on the pottery bit.
Perhaps an Emirates representative reading this post will feel inclined to give me a couple of free tickets Melbourne to Dubai return. I've already failed with Cathay so may as well have a dip with Emirates!
Actually there are a couple of interesting reason why I'd like to fly Emirates. 1. To see whether their air hostesses do in fact wear veils a la I Dream of Genie 2. To find out more about this free pottery and 3. To see whether the service in Economy is really as good as everyone keeps telling me. My friends reckon you get your own video screen on which you can see takeoff and landing!
cheers Peter
[email protected]
Who knows
Nov 3, 1998 | 2:03 pm
#28
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Arlington, VA, USA
Posts: 858
This language thing is interesting. I learned Russian back in the '50s, thinking that there was going to be a war, and I'd be able to talk to the winners. Still speak it like a Russian, and what good is it doing me? I can talk to the winners!
Nov 4, 1998 | 1:08 am
#30
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London,UK. Ok, about 100 miles from London really, but how many Americans know where Market Harborough is?
Posts: 409
Peter: Emirates do have individual video-screens, with channels that show a front and rear video shot from the aircraft, they also have a map which shows you which way Mecca is!
I'm affraid they only wear national dress in First Class, quite why I don't know, most of the in-flight staff always seem British to me, so you may be a bit dissapointed on that score.
MF
PS: The pottery bit is if you travel Business/First you can choose a free pottery model of a Middle Eastern Building (Houses/shops/mosques/souks etc), I think there is about a dozen to collect.
I'm affraid they only wear national dress in First Class, quite why I don't know, most of the in-flight staff always seem British to me, so you may be a bit dissapointed on that score.
MF
PS: The pottery bit is if you travel Business/First you can choose a free pottery model of a Middle Eastern Building (Houses/shops/mosques/souks etc), I think there is about a dozen to collect.