I remember my first plane flight when I was 10 or 11 years old and our family was flying to Las Vegas so my father could attend a Lions Club convention. My elder brothers teased me because I didn’t know what to expect and I was gripping the armrests and probably turning a bit ashen on take-off. All I remember about that flight is that it was scary at first, but then a blank afterward.
Fast-forward many, many years, and flying has become a way of life for my family and I now. I fly for this magazine as well as for personal reasons, my son flies back and forth from Cambodia to France for school and as I write this my wife has just left for France to visit her elderly mother. At the ripe old age of 62, I’ve come to grips with flying and of course spend a lot more time thinking about it because of my job as editor of Asian Aviation.
I’ve come to realise that flying is great, except when it isn’t. Flying is not “freedom” as the International Air Transport Association used to claim in all its press releases. Flying is necessary for business, fun for personal reasons, and trips are often smooth and hassle-free. But more often than not, depending upon which part of the world you’re in, flying is something to suffer through until you arrive at your destination. But Buddha said all life was suffering so we fly…in metal/carbon fibre tubes over thousands of miles.
A few thoughts on the various parts of commercial flying today that I love and loath:
BOOKING TICKETS
For the most part, this is pretty easy on most airline websites. On the odd occasion when it’s not smooth however, don’t send me to an “AI” chatbot. Let me talk to a real human.
Upgrades should be easier. If I have the points, let me upgrade. Don’t limit the seats for people with points. They show I’m a loyal customer. Keep me loyal. Make it easy.
AIRPORTS
Self-check-in. Every company that makes or sells self-check-in technology claims passengers “love” checking themselves in at the airport. No, they do not. All the times that I’ve tried the system, it always fails, and I have to go stand in yet another line to get help from a human. Save the money, employ human beings, and ditch the self-check-in. Passengers do not like it.
Airports can either be the best or worst part of the trip. For my money, Changi in Singapore is the best airport in the world. Doha is OK, Dubai is OK, Bangkok is a mess, Phnom Penh is good for a smaller airport. The worst airport in my book has to be Dallas/ Fort Worth, mainly because of the TSA and a decided lack of customer-facing facilities on the landside in the international terminal.
Best/Worst smoking lounges. Yes, I know, smoking is a terrible habit and this year I had the good sense to quit. But people do smoke, and some airports accommodate this better than others. Changi in Singapore again tops the list, Dubai is OK, Phnom Penh is OK, and Delhi, Hong Kong, and Jakarta also come in ahead of others. Bangkok fails.
ON THE PLANE
To all the women in the world who are really named Karen you have my sympathy, but my latest guilty pleasure is watching all the out-ofcontrol “Karens” on YouTube being filmed getting kicked off planes or out of airports because of their (usually drunken) behaviour. No sympathy either for passengers who take their shoes and socks off and plop them on your armrest. Kick them off.
Bad staff. Staff can also be a cause of a miserable flight, especially on US airlines. There seems to be no sense of “service” in the US anymore.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (AIRLINES THAT IS)
The worst airline I’ve ever flown on is AirAsia hands down. I once flew from Singapore to KL on AirAsia. The experience was so bad that instead of flying AirAsia back to Singapore, I hired a car and driver at my own expense to drive the 4-5 hours back to Singapore. I’ll never fly AirAsia again.
Singapore Airlines on the other hand is the best in my book. The service is great and the food is good (outstanding in First Class and Business Class).
Qatar comes in a close second behind Singapore Airlines. The food and service (especially in Business Class) is usually good, but not outstanding. Service could be improved. Maybe things will get better with new leadership on board.
Now this obviously is a personal list of things liked and disliked by me. I’m sure there’s plenty of people who like AirAsia or who will think Dallas/Fort Worth is a great airport (most likely the mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth). I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at matt.driskill@asianaviation.com and let me know what you think.
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