Let’s face it- not all airline carriers are created equal. And when it comes to quality, you often get what you paid for.
According to Far and Wide, a travel company called AirHelp, “which helps travelers get compensated for flight delays, wanted to find out how dozens of airlines around the world stacked up against each other. The final list accounts for the quality of amenities, on-time arrivals and how well the airlines resolve flight-delay compensation claims.”
It has been quite a time as far as flight cancellations are concerned. Southwest Airlines dominated the news for an unprecedented amount of cancellations over the Christmas period. Delta and Spirit Airlines also had cancellations at that time. But as of Monday, Dec 26, Southwest made up “73% of the 3,800 canceled flights,” prompting an investigation by The Department of Transportation (DOT). Now, the carrier is facing a class action lawsuit.
It’s a nightmare scenario for any carrier and any passenger unfortunate enough to get caught in the shuffle.
You can see the full list of questionable airlines by Air Help here.
First, Which Airlines Ranked The Best?
As explained by Far and Wide, Air Help gave Qatar Airways glowing reviews, and “high marks across the board. It is followed by American Airlines and Aeromexico.”
There was even a “Dishonorable Mention” category, which consisted of two carriers not included on Air Help’s list: Spirit and Frontier.
Far and Wide wrote, “both are notorious for cheap fares and horrible service. Expect to be treated like cattle being boarded onto a plane to the slaughterhouse. Nothing is complementary, not a tiny cup of water nor the smile of an employee. If an emergency were to occur, we half suspect they’d ask you to pay before letting you use the oxygen mask.”
El Al Israel Airlines
This carrier got high rankings for quality of service, as noted by Far and Wide. But some passengers expressed displeasure.
One person said on Trip Advisor that if it was possible to give zero stars out of five, he would.
He complained about airline staff trying to move him to economy due to overbooking, even though they paid for a Business Class ticket. They scathingly added, “I would rather swim to Israel next time than fly with El Al. Terrible!”
Olympic Air
This carrier services mainland Greece and the islands, and is connected to Aegean Air.
For the most part, these flights are on time, and received high marks from Air Help. But this seemed to contrast with what passengers had to say.
One wrote, “delayed every time. No communication. Check-in was easy, but that was the end of it. Both flights were delayed for over an hour, and no announcements were ever made. Chaos and confusion occurred in the tiny airports with huge lines going nowhere.”
Far and Wide reported, “Olympic Air is apparently really bad at processing claims.”
Aeroflot
This Russian airline has the distinction of being among the oldest ever. It was founded in 1923.
Far and Wide wrote, “like Olympic Air, if it weren’t for its abysmal claims processing record, the airline would probably rank as one of the better ones. Its on-time performance and quality of service scores are impressively high. However, when it comes to solving problems, it receives a paltry 4.5.”
One passenger, Denis, wrote, “thieves and pirates. Canceled all the flights and officially rejected to return the money, including insurance. No one cared.”
Pegasus Airlines
Named for the winged horse of myth, Far and Wide reported, “this Turkish low-cost carrier is a good way to travel around Turkey on a budget.”
“However, keep your expectations low, as the airline will give you the absolute minimum for free. You’ll have to pay for luggage and food, and there is no in-flight entertainment available. Thankfully, you can download Netflix shows and movies onto your phone or bring a book with you.”
“Do not choose Pegasus Airlines,” warned Shohreh D. “It does not understand common courtesy.”
Iceland Air
This budget carrier was described by Far and Wide as “pretty decent.”
But this isn’t the carrier for passengers looking for culinary greatness. “Food options being scarce and definitely not satisfying,” the publication explained. “The airline’s on-time performance score isn’t all that satisfactory either.”
