Most Commercial Airlines Flown and Dodgiest Airline Flown
Feb 4, 2009, 8:52 pm
#121
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: Star Alliance, One World, Skyteam, BR, GA, EK, VX, SPG, Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IC
Posts: 4,065
Airlines I've flown:
International:
1. EVA Air
2. KLM
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Northwest Airlines
5. United Airlines
7. JAL Group (JAL Express, JALWays, etc)
8. Hawaiian Airlines
9. Continental Airlines
10. Alaska Airlines (I'm not sure, regional or international?)
11. Thai Airways International
12. Alitalia
13. Garuda Indonesia Airlines
14. Qantas Airways
US Domestic Airlines:
15. Virgin America
Regional Airlines:
16. Silk Air
17. Valu Air
Indonesian Domestic Airlines:
18. Lion Airlines
19. Batavia Airlines
20. Mandala Airlines
21. Garuda Citilink
22. Merpati Nusantara Airlines
23. Sriwijaya Airlines
24. Wings Air (subsidiary of Lion)
I know it's not that much.. So, I'm trying my best to expand the numbers.
I don't really know about dodgiest, quite possibly all indonesian airlines are dodgy..
International:
1. EVA Air
2. KLM
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Northwest Airlines
5. United Airlines
7. JAL Group (JAL Express, JALWays, etc)
8. Hawaiian Airlines
9. Continental Airlines
10. Alaska Airlines (I'm not sure, regional or international?)
11. Thai Airways International
12. Alitalia
13. Garuda Indonesia Airlines
14. Qantas Airways
US Domestic Airlines:
15. Virgin America
Regional Airlines:
16. Silk Air
17. Valu Air
Indonesian Domestic Airlines:
18. Lion Airlines
19. Batavia Airlines
20. Mandala Airlines
21. Garuda Citilink
22. Merpati Nusantara Airlines
23. Sriwijaya Airlines
24. Wings Air (subsidiary of Lion)
I know it's not that much.. So, I'm trying my best to expand the numbers.
I don't really know about dodgiest, quite possibly all indonesian airlines are dodgy..
Feb 5, 2009, 5:23 am
#122
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold PC Plat Hilton Gold
Posts: 107
Airlines I have flown
1. British Airways
2. British Midland
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. Easy Jet
5. Ryanair
6. Logan Air
7. Monarch
8. Britannia
9. Flybe
10. Go
11. Aer Lingus
12. SAS
13. Air Malta
14. Swiss
15. Air France
16. Austrian Airways
17. Lauda Air
18. Iberia
19. Lufthansa
20. KLM
21. Spanair
22. TAP
23. LOT
24. Alitalia
25. Areoflot
26. Estonian Air
27. Czech Airways
28. Air New Zealand
29. Freedom Air (New Zealand)
30. Cathy Pacific
31. Ansett
32. Virgin Blue
33. Qantas
34. Thai Airways
35. Singapore Airlines
36. Garuda
37. Sri Lankan
38. Comair (South Africa)
39. Kulula (South Africa)
40. South African
41. American Airlines
42. United
43. Delta
44. US Airways
45. Gulf Air
46. Air China
Dodgiest Airline Areoflot: internal flight form Moscow to Saint Petersburg about 12 years ago.
1. British Airways
2. British Midland
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. Easy Jet
5. Ryanair
6. Logan Air
7. Monarch
8. Britannia
9. Flybe
10. Go
11. Aer Lingus
12. SAS
13. Air Malta
14. Swiss
15. Air France
16. Austrian Airways
17. Lauda Air
18. Iberia
19. Lufthansa
20. KLM
21. Spanair
22. TAP
23. LOT
24. Alitalia
25. Areoflot
26. Estonian Air
27. Czech Airways
28. Air New Zealand
29. Freedom Air (New Zealand)
30. Cathy Pacific
31. Ansett
32. Virgin Blue
33. Qantas
34. Thai Airways
35. Singapore Airlines
36. Garuda
37. Sri Lankan
38. Comair (South Africa)
39. Kulula (South Africa)
40. South African
41. American Airlines
42. United
43. Delta
44. US Airways
45. Gulf Air
46. Air China
Dodgiest Airline Areoflot: internal flight form Moscow to Saint Petersburg about 12 years ago.
May 11, 2009, 8:12 pm
#123
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Redmond, Wahington
Programs: British Air, Virgin, Alaska, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 154
Worst airline, hands down for me--AEROFLOT
. I flew Newark to Cologne and it was atrocious. We used more than the entire runway for takeoff, in fact I'm sure we were close to hitting the fence at the end. There was condensation streaming down the interior walls, so that you actually got wet if you leaned up against them. The food was what I would expect from the Gulag.
. I flew Newark to Cologne and it was atrocious. We used more than the entire runway for takeoff, in fact I'm sure we were close to hitting the fence at the end. There was condensation streaming down the interior walls, so that you actually got wet if you leaned up against them. The food was what I would expect from the Gulag.
May 11, 2009, 11:59 pm
#125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
When I make comments on an airline I especially like to eep it current and in the realm of reality. 12 years ago Aeroflot was horrible, everyone knows that, they aren't anymore. I'm also about 99.99999% sure that Aeroflot has never ever flown from Newark to Dusseldorf, considering the fact that they have never even flown from Newark with any scheduled service, maybe you mean LTU??
May 12, 2009, 12:25 am
#126
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: USA
Programs: UA/CO(1K-PLT), AA(PLT), QR, EK, Marriott(PLT), Hilton(DMND)
Posts: 9,538
Someone upthread said something like airlines run by Juntas and dictators were invariably dodgy. Just wanted to point out that what is arguably the greatest airline in the world today, was also the greatest airline in the world when it was run by the Nazi administration of Greater Europe and North Africa. The Junta made sure LH's planes were clean and ran on time. Just a thought.
May 12, 2009, 1:18 am
#127
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,236
I can not imagine how you guys can remember the names or even the destinations of so many of those flights. I too have flown many dozens of airlines. Many times in jump seats, pilots seats (no I'm not an airline employee) and even in the cargo area on occasion. I have gone under, around and over hurricanes. The closest I have flown to a tornado is about 1/4 mile on a landing that should have been aborted in 1983 on Big Sky Airlines.
I have flown a lot in Russia and without a doubt I am positive that some poor pre-1991 Russian frequent flyer has had the greatest variety of flights, airplanes and scares and that all might have been on the umbrella of Aeroflot which in the 1980's flew one out of 4 passengers in the world every year. That same poor schmuck may have also racked up the most airlines as Aeroflot broke up into over 600 different airlines according to an article I once read but couldn't find tonight. Some of those unregulated airlines that rose from the ashes of Aeroflot only flew one flight. Some were as simple as a pilot selling tickets on an airplane they knew had fuel abandoned at an airport and then abandoning the airplane at the destination airport because it was out of fuel.
It must be noted that the current Aeroflot International Airline is a really great airline with a few exceptions like the airline representative who tried to comfort the JFK bound passengers uprising in February with the statements like "It's not such a big deal if the pilot is drunk," "Really, all he has to do is press a button and the plane flies itself. The worst that could happen is he'll trip over something in the cockpit." link or the Hong Kong bound crash when the kid took the controls, or the September drunken crash.
My personal most interesting airline flight had to be Loyd Aereo Boliviano in 1985 that cost around $3 for a series of connecting flights from Cochabomba Bolivia to a town on the Brazilian border in the jungle. The flight started out pretty good in a 727 that had a 1960's interior until shortly after takeoff when I figured out why the plane was corkscrewing up when I looked out the window and a saw farmer pushing a wheelbarrow full of hay fly past us at several hundred miles per hour. I still can not believe we cleared that mountain we were climbing over. The look on that farmers face is still an image frozen in my mind.
The next dozen or so flights were canceled at a connecting airport in the jungle. At the end of the day I spent a while going through the bags in a baggage hanger before realizing I was alone in the Bolivian jungle with nothing but the clothes on my back. I walked through town going door to door begging for a place to sleep. I found a family to take me in then returned to the airport the next day for more flights.
The pressurization on the next plane had not worked in years. During that time they had learned how to regulate a tiny oxygen bottle so low that 15 passengers could pass it around for the entire flight without anyone passing out. Due to the oxygen deprivation I don't remember much else until a guy I met on the plane swept by on a motorcycle and picked me up with my backpack that I found in the field the plane landed in as a young cop with a big gun was trying to get me to go to the police station with him for an investigation. I was so happy to be reunited with my backpack.
I choose Loyd Aereo Boliviano link
as the dodgiest airline I have flown on. However in all fairness after 82 years of service they never had a reported fatality despite some fabulous crashes.
I have flown a lot in Russia and without a doubt I am positive that some poor pre-1991 Russian frequent flyer has had the greatest variety of flights, airplanes and scares and that all might have been on the umbrella of Aeroflot which in the 1980's flew one out of 4 passengers in the world every year. That same poor schmuck may have also racked up the most airlines as Aeroflot broke up into over 600 different airlines according to an article I once read but couldn't find tonight. Some of those unregulated airlines that rose from the ashes of Aeroflot only flew one flight. Some were as simple as a pilot selling tickets on an airplane they knew had fuel abandoned at an airport and then abandoning the airplane at the destination airport because it was out of fuel.
It must be noted that the current Aeroflot International Airline is a really great airline with a few exceptions like the airline representative who tried to comfort the JFK bound passengers uprising in February with the statements like "It's not such a big deal if the pilot is drunk," "Really, all he has to do is press a button and the plane flies itself. The worst that could happen is he'll trip over something in the cockpit." link or the Hong Kong bound crash when the kid took the controls, or the September drunken crash.
My personal most interesting airline flight had to be Loyd Aereo Boliviano in 1985 that cost around $3 for a series of connecting flights from Cochabomba Bolivia to a town on the Brazilian border in the jungle. The flight started out pretty good in a 727 that had a 1960's interior until shortly after takeoff when I figured out why the plane was corkscrewing up when I looked out the window and a saw farmer pushing a wheelbarrow full of hay fly past us at several hundred miles per hour. I still can not believe we cleared that mountain we were climbing over. The look on that farmers face is still an image frozen in my mind.
The next dozen or so flights were canceled at a connecting airport in the jungle. At the end of the day I spent a while going through the bags in a baggage hanger before realizing I was alone in the Bolivian jungle with nothing but the clothes on my back. I walked through town going door to door begging for a place to sleep. I found a family to take me in then returned to the airport the next day for more flights.
The pressurization on the next plane had not worked in years. During that time they had learned how to regulate a tiny oxygen bottle so low that 15 passengers could pass it around for the entire flight without anyone passing out. Due to the oxygen deprivation I don't remember much else until a guy I met on the plane swept by on a motorcycle and picked me up with my backpack that I found in the field the plane landed in as a young cop with a big gun was trying to get me to go to the police station with him for an investigation. I was so happy to be reunited with my backpack.
I choose Loyd Aereo Boliviano link
as the dodgiest airline I have flown on. However in all fairness after 82 years of service they never had a reported fatality despite some fabulous crashes.
May 15, 2009, 4:29 am
#128
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: SK Gold, ITA Executive, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,163
Since my last post here, I've addef few airlines on the list - and one of them seemed particularly dodgy - Regional Airlines, operating internal flight on behalf of Royal Air Maroc.
It was an old ATR42, which, as check in agent told me, was supposed to be phased out from March, because it was unsafe.
And she told me just before I was about to board the aircraft
It was an old ATR42, which, as check in agent told me, was supposed to be phased out from March, because it was unsafe.
And she told me just before I was about to board the aircraft
May 15, 2009, 9:10 am
#129
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Normally CDG, but BOS for now
Programs: FB GLD, AA GLD, HH Silver, UA GM
Posts: 155
Greetings
Number of airlines flown: 28
Dodgiest airline: Cubana domestic from Cayo Largo to Havana in an old russian plane (cannot remember which). This was the only time I had been scared in a plane.
Dodgiest place: toilettes at the old international terminal in ALG. Thank God, the new terminal exists....
Number of airlines flown: 28
Dodgiest airline: Cubana domestic from Cayo Largo to Havana in an old russian plane (cannot remember which). This was the only time I had been scared in a plane.
Dodgiest place: toilettes at the old international terminal in ALG. Thank God, the new terminal exists....
May 15, 2009, 3:49 pm
#130
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: DFW
Programs: OWE AA EXP;*A TK Gold; Marriott LTT; Hyatt Globalist; IHG Plat; National VIP
Posts: 3,097
Worst airline, hands down for me--AEROFLOT. I flew Newark to Cologne and it was atrocious. We used more than the entire runway for takeoff, in fact I'm sure we were close to hitting the fence at the end. There was condensation streaming down the interior walls, so that you actually got wet if you leaned up against them. The food was what I would expect from the Gulag.
. I flew Newark to Cologne and it was atrocious. We used more than the entire runway for takeoff, in fact I'm sure we were close to hitting the fence at the end. There was condensation streaming down the interior walls, so that you actually got wet if you leaned up against them. The food was what I would expect from the Gulag.
May 15, 2009, 6:41 pm
#131
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego, CA USA
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 3
Well, this is my first post but I'll chime in. Ihave flown the following (I have to list them to count them). I am not yet up on all the airline codes...but will try on some.
1. BA
2. AA
3. DL
4. Air New Zealand (YMX-LHR, no less)
5. CO
6. Southwest
7. People's Express
8. Tower Air
9. UA
10. Aloha
11. Hawaiian
12. AC
13. Olympic (OA?)
14. Jet Blue
15. AF
16. Canadian Airlines
17. US Air
18. Alaska Airlines
19. Eastern
20. Air Lingus
I think that's it. Dodgiest? Probably Tower Air. The flight from LAX-JFK went off the runway while taxiing after landing. Into the mud we went and had to be towed out. Only time I sat in the upper deck, though. I am flying BA LAX-LHR in J (CW) coming up and LHR-ROM on BA in CE if anyone wants me to post a trip report....
1. BA
2. AA
3. DL
4. Air New Zealand (YMX-LHR, no less)
5. CO
6. Southwest
7. People's Express
8. Tower Air
9. UA
10. Aloha
11. Hawaiian
12. AC
13. Olympic (OA?)
14. Jet Blue
15. AF
16. Canadian Airlines
17. US Air
18. Alaska Airlines
19. Eastern
20. Air Lingus
I think that's it. Dodgiest? Probably Tower Air. The flight from LAX-JFK went off the runway while taxiing after landing. Into the mud we went and had to be towed out. Only time I sat in the upper deck, though. I am flying BA LAX-LHR in J (CW) coming up and LHR-ROM on BA in CE if anyone wants me to post a trip report....
Last edited by epicure3; May 15, 2009 at 10:11 pm Reason: Forgot one.
May 15, 2009, 7:45 pm
#132
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 499
Here's a list, maybe a couple missing, not using current codes, N/A anyway in some cases.
CAL (the original!)
Continental
Pan Am
Panagra
Western
Eastern
National
Capital
TWA
United
PSA
Icelandic
Icelandair
KLM
Cruziero do Sul
North Central
Republic
Northwest
Braniff
American
Delta
Frontier
Southwest
Air West
US Airways
USAir
Allegheny
Alaska
Commuter Carriers:
Pinnacle
Mesaba
CO Express
Delta Connection
Can't Remembers (interesting the aircraft type sticks and the line does not):
Amsterdam-Stanstead (BAC-111)
Juneau-Sitka AK (Catalina flying boat)
Lima-Cuzco Peru (DC-4)
Bergen-Forde Norway (?)
SBA-LAX (Shorts 330)
CAL (the original!)
Continental
Pan Am
Panagra
Western
Eastern
National
Capital
TWA
United
PSA
Icelandic
Icelandair
KLM
Cruziero do Sul
North Central
Republic
Northwest
Braniff
American
Delta
Frontier
Southwest
Air West
US Airways
USAir
Allegheny
Alaska
Commuter Carriers:
Pinnacle
Mesaba
CO Express
Delta Connection
Can't Remembers (interesting the aircraft type sticks and the line does not):
Amsterdam-Stanstead (BAC-111)
Juneau-Sitka AK (Catalina flying boat)
Lima-Cuzco Peru (DC-4)
Bergen-Forde Norway (?)
SBA-LAX (Shorts 330)
May 15, 2009, 9:59 pm
#133
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: BOS/YYZ
Programs: Marriott LT Plat by proxy, Sephora VIB, I have a low AA FF#...
Posts: 951
American and subsidiaries
Delta and subsidiaries
Pan Am
Eastern
Carnival
Northwest (and subsidiaries?)
Continental and subsidiaries
US Air(ways)
United/Ted/Shuttle
TWA
Southwest
Aer Lingus
Air Canada
JetBlue
ATA
and the extremely dodgy Pilgrim, which I swear wasn't supposed to have flown the STT-SJU route but did in 1985 - it was pouring, it was turbulent, and my sister had pneumonia. I was scared bleep-less.
Delta and subsidiaries
Pan Am
Eastern
Carnival
Northwest (and subsidiaries?)
Continental and subsidiaries
US Air(ways)
United/Ted/Shuttle
TWA
Southwest
Aer Lingus
Air Canada
JetBlue
ATA
and the extremely dodgy Pilgrim, which I swear wasn't supposed to have flown the STT-SJU route but did in 1985 - it was pouring, it was turbulent, and my sister had pneumonia. I was scared bleep-less.
May 17, 2009, 8:13 pm
#135
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Nevada
Programs: DL,EK
Posts: 1,652
I think this is most of them... 41 in all. Best was Emirates, worst was Lao Airlines.
AA American
AF Air France
AQ Aloha Airlines
AZ Alitalia
BA British Airways
BD BMI
BE Flybe
CO Continental
CX Cathay Pacific
DL Delta
EA Eastern Airlines
EK Emirates
G9 Air Arabia
GF Gulf Air
HA Hawaiian Airlines
HM Air Seychelles
LH Lufthansa
LO LOT
LX Swiss
NG Lauda
OK Czech Airlines
PA Pan Am
PG Bangkok Airways
PS PSA
QF Qantas
QQ Reno Air
QV Lao Airlines
QX Horizon Air
RJ Royal Jordanian
RW Hughes Airwest
SR Swissair
SU Aeroflot
TK Turkish
TU Tunisair
TW TWA
U2 EasyJet
UA United
US USAir
WA Western Airlines
WN Southwest
ZQ Anset New Zealand
AA American
AF Air France
AQ Aloha Airlines
AZ Alitalia
BA British Airways
BD BMI
BE Flybe
CO Continental
CX Cathay Pacific
DL Delta
EA Eastern Airlines
EK Emirates
G9 Air Arabia
GF Gulf Air
HA Hawaiian Airlines
HM Air Seychelles
LH Lufthansa
LO LOT
LX Swiss
NG Lauda
OK Czech Airlines
PA Pan Am
PG Bangkok Airways
PS PSA
QF Qantas
QQ Reno Air
QV Lao Airlines
QX Horizon Air
RJ Royal Jordanian
RW Hughes Airwest
SR Swissair
SU Aeroflot
TK Turkish
TU Tunisair
TW TWA
U2 EasyJet
UA United
US USAir
WA Western Airlines
WN Southwest
ZQ Anset New Zealand
Last edited by DesertNomad; May 18, 2009 at 2:48 am