Pakistan Airline anyone?
 

My travel agent found me this incredible deal on PIA:

CDG- BKK (via KHI) in C for 6950 FRF (990 USD)

I'm not suspicous by nature but this seems too good to be true.

Did anyone fly PK?

Only if you don't care if you leave/arrive anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days late.

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speedbird001

I've never known anyone who has flown them but some of have said the joke that the letters for Pakistan Air (PIA) stand for Panic In Air.

And if you look for their website thinking it is www.pia.com - instead you get the
The Parachute Industry Association. Go figure as this too coincidental.

I used to know someone who flew them once in "C". 2 months after the flight he swore he would never ever fly them again (apparently it took him 2 months to get over the shock http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ). The price was a bargain flying QF economy and PIA in biz. As it turned out there were mice running around the cabin on his flight from Pakistan to London http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif !! The cabin was like a trash bin and food was worse than anything imaginable. Service... what service?? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I can vouch for Spider's words. I've taken PIA DEL-Lahore-DEL, and while they gave us basic but complete amenity kits in C on the 1.5 hour 737 flight, it was the worst food I have ever had on an airplane by several orders of magnitude.

Service was not good, either. I have very little trust of their mechanical competencies, either.

People who've met me can say vouch that there aren't too many meals where I won't eat a little bit, but these - I took a look, had 1 bite and put the foil cover back on.

If you can only afford this PIA flight, I would very seriously reconsider whether this is a trip you must take.

Greg

I haven't flown them since a trip to Pakistan in 1991, but here are a few impressions. Perhaps they've gotten better since then, but don't count on it.

Boarding was a nightmare, which came down to a shoving contest to determine who was the next on the plane. Once loaded, the screens were dropped. I was expecting a safety video; instead we were treated to a prayer from Allah for safe travels.

There was "meal" service, but as to what I consumed, I neither know nor would ever like to discover. Otherwise, service was infrequent and spartan, which seemed to suit the age of the 747 we were aboard.

We arrived in Islamabad only 7 hours late, which didn't seem to faze anyone. On a positive note, my bags made it too.

However, they wouldn't honor my return, claiming that I never reconfirmed (although both my travel agent and AMEX had done so). Ended up flying home in F on Lufthansa (only seat I could find), and while it took 14 months, AMEX somehow got PIA to repay me for the cost of that ticket.

so from all the positive comments, they will be runners up for a Freddie award http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

DEL- Lahore- DEL !!!!! When did THAT happen?????

PIA = Please Inform Allah ! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif
They used to have a $250 RT fare ZRH-JFK, still nobody I knew even considered taking them...

I wonder if they are one of the "scheduled airlines" you can wind up on via Priceline?

Sorry to correct all of those that have thrown around what the PIA acronym stands for, but, PIA = Perhaps I Arrive... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

How about any comments or opinions on PIA's friendly neighbor, Air India? Anyone ever flown them? I heard someone mention they launched a frequent flyer program a few months ago. Not freddie grade, but its there!

Flew PK from Lahore to DXB.

The plane was two hours late and instead of a scheduled direct flight we landed at Peshawar.

Result four hours late on a three hour flight. Also very comforting when they play the "Glory to God" before you take off.

My advise - pass

Now now - invoking Allah isn't indicative of a problem. Let's not think of it that way. (Yup, I'm one of them Muslims). It's tradition for 'em - if it makes you uncomfortable, fly an airline that is a good bit more secular. Heck, everytime I'm on certain airlines, I pray - and if the Captain wants to, figure might give us a better shot.

That having been said - the only PIA trip I have ever enjoyed (mercifully only 2 round trips: JFK-CDG-FRA-Karachi-Jeddah; CAI-FRA-CDG-JFK; and JFK-FRA-DXB (change) DXB-Karachi-DXB-FRA-JFK) was an Airbus 300 flight from DXB to Karachi where (through a family friend) we were up on the flight deck, getting that real sense of speed as you look out the pilot's view, instead of from your window. Gives you a real understanding of how fast air travel can be.

But all in all, I wouldn't fly 'em on a dare.

2 stories to add:

CP wanted to trade 4 747-200s to PK in return for 4 DC-10s in the mid-80s. Reportedly the DC-10s were in such bad shape CP had to revoke the deal.

My only flying experience on PK came in 1978 or so. BA flight from HKG-LHR landed in Teheran and blew an engine on take off. Most pax stranded but I managed to get onto a PK flight to LHR. In F too. Most memorable was that no food was served on that flight (5-6 hrs).