NationStates Jolt Archive

I would rather you go by factors other than extras added by the airline. (i.e. don't factor the DirecTV on Jet Blue or the SAM defenses on El Al)

For my favorite, I'm going with the Boeing 777-200. I just flew on one to and from Tel Aviv and loved the aircraft. For one thing, the aircraft has so much overhead capacity. There were four very large bins for every nine people in economy class. It was the first time I have never seen anyone not have room in the bins.

The cabin's ceiling was high enough that I did not even begin to feel cramped despite sitting in back of one for the twelve hour flight from Tel Aviv to Newark.

The aircraft was very quiet. Boeing invested a lot in quieting technologies for the 777 when they built it. The quiet is amazing considering each of those two engines can produce 92,000 lbs of thrust.

The final reason I loved the aircraft is that it did not take a long time to disembark. I have been on a 747-400 (also with El Al) and it took a long time for everyone to get off of that aircraft. The 777 is almost as large as the 747 and took much less time to get everyone off.

I could go on forever on reasons why the 777 was so amazing to fly in. Given how Boeing got everything right on it, I cannot wait to see the 787.

My least favorite plane to fly is one which is no longer in service. It would be the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. I flew it to California a few times in the 90s. I was fairly young then, but even I knew that the aircraft had serious issues with it. I am really surprised that the FAA did not require airlines to withdraw the monster from service in the late 70s or early 80s. I am equally shocked Northwest flew the coffins as recently as last year.

As for current aircraft I do not like to fly, I would have to go with the Airbus A-320. The fact that the FAA has not required Airbus to fix the nose gears is scary.

least favourite would be Boeing 737 if only for the emotional scaring of my childhood flying in those things

how does one have a favourite aircraft? do some serve amazing food?

I don't really like flying commercial airliners, mainly because you feel like a can of sardine. I always laugh when Boeing or Airbus comes out with a new aircraft model and they show a spacious aircraft with waterfalls, meeting areas, a Casino etc. I laugh because I know what it's going to really be like. Rows and rows of cramp seats.

That's why I fly myself in the Piper Cherokee 180.

DC-9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG2sVLSippc)

I don't really like flying commercial airliners, mainly because you feel like a can of sardine. I always laugh when Boeing or Airbus comes out with a new aircraft model and they show a spacious aircraft with waterfalls, meeting areas, a Casino etc. I laugh because I know what it's going to really be like. Rows and rows of cramp seats.

That's why I fly myself in the Piper Cherokee 180.

I know exactly what you mean with the part about how the roll-outs are different from the ones going to the airlines. The 777 did not make me feel like being packed in a can though. It actually was not cramped.

Learjets rock.

Learjets rock.

Actually LearJets are business jets and fall more into the Private Aircraft Cat. than Commercial.

Actually LearJets are business jets and fall more into the Private Aircraft Cat. than Commercial.

Passenger aircraft doesn't have to mean commercial use does it?

Passenger aircraft doesn't have to mean commercial use does it?

Good point. I withdraw my statement lol

Good point. I withdraw my statement lol

Phew I thought I was going to be told that 'passenger aircraft' was an aviation term used specifically for commercial flights.

Flying Transatlantic with Northwest is nice in the A330. Quiet, roomy, and private entertainment systems.

Also, Continental sucks major balls. I went down to texas for a few days during break, and every single one of my legs was delayed at least a half hour. And they lost my luggage.

Flying Transatlantic with Northwest is nice in the A330. Quiet, roomy, and private entertainment systems.

Also, Continental sucks major balls. I went down to texas for a few days during break, and every single one of my legs was delayed at least a half hour. And they lost my luggage.

To be fair to Continental, wind storms in Newark fucked up their other routes. I had issues getting from O'Hare to EWR for my El Al flight to Tel Aviv.

Be glad Northwest has those A330s. Just two or three years ago, that flight would have been on a DC-10 (and thus inherently unsafe)

To be fair to Continental, wind storms in Newark fucked up their other routes. I had issues getting from O'Hare to EWR for my El Al flight to Tel Aviv.

Be glad Northwest has those A330s. Just two or three years ago, that flight would have been on a DC-10 (and thus inherently unsafe)

I know KLM was still flying DC-10s when I was there during the summer. A wonder why they don't replace them.

And Continental still sucks.

A380

No thanks. I don't want to wait an hour in the back of the plane waiting to leave after we land.
K. That's your choice. I appreciate the space, bars and the higher cabin air pressure. To each his own.

A380

No thanks. I don't want to wait an hour in the back of the plane waiting to leave after we land.

...which will be promptly torn out on most airlines to make room for a few more cattle-class seats.

I admit that flying on that monster intrigues me greatly.
Well, it s great fun. It's not the plane's fault what the airlines do with it. It has potential for classy airtravel.

K. That's your choice. I appreciate the space, bars and the higher cabin air pressure. To each his own.

...which will be promptly torn out on most airlines to make room for a few more cattle-class seats.

I admit that flying on that monster intrigues me greatly.

...which will be promptly torn out on most airlines to make room for a few more cattle-class seats.



Ding! We have a winner. The 747-100 had the same promises when it was rolled out. It took only two years or so for all the amenities to be stripped for more seats.

A380Same here.

Least favorite: turbo prop commuter planes.

They make me sick with all the juddering around.... yuck.

Oh, and I hate flying Delta anything. One of my more memorable times involved me between a crying baby and a fat person (yes, middle seat) in the back of a first generation 737. You know, the ones with the really small, noisy low bypass 2nd generation turbofans? Yeah, that was me. I nearly took the Cyanide pill.

I'd have to second the 777-200, for the same reasons.

(Not to mention my dad's company produces around 80% of the fuel pumps used in all commercial aircraft, especially Boeing. They're now part of the Eaton corporation, but used to be independent before being purchased last year.)

707's

Hands down the 777-200 is the best large passenger plane I've flown on. Fast embarking and disembarking times, pleasant atmosphere and lighting and good speed...not to mention that it can land at CAK, if they really want to.

The A380 just can't rate high, if you ask me. It's got awful embarking/disembarking times, and it can't land at CAK, which is ridiculous, because CAK can even take 747's now.

Flying Transatlantic with Northwest is nice in the A330. Quiet, roomy, and private entertainment systems.

Also, Continental sucks major balls. I went down to texas for a few days during break, and every single one of my legs was delayed at least a half hour. And they lost my luggage.

American is horrible too. They've fucked me over several times...

First time, I was flying to Costa Rica...we were supposed to go JFK to Miami to San Jose...flights were delayed (understandable, and not their fault). They proceeded to tell us they could fly us from Laguardia...so they start to bus us over. Laguardia calls the bus driver, tells them that flight had been canceled hours before, but there was one out of Newark. So we head that way. We get to Newark. The flight is full. But there is one out of JFK to Dallas, with a connecting flight to San Jose. So we go back to JFK. Well, there was no flight to San Jose till the morning, but it was getting late and we were running out of options. Mind you, part of our group was already in San Jose at this point. So we fly into Dallas, and they give us hotel rooms. But no food. Oh, and lost five of our bags. Turns out that if they had just let us wait for our original flight, we would have made it no problem. Go figure.

This most recent time was less than a week ago. We were scheduled to leave at 9:20 PM. Flight is delayed out of Dallas. It keeps getting pushed back an hour. They give us vouchers for food and drink, which is nice, but they closed every shop in the security area. we all go buy water, then are told we can't bring it in. Flight finally gets canceled at 1:45 AM because the captain was too tired to do another flight. The next direct flight is 9:20 the next night. So we fly to Newark and have to get to Hartford on our own. They get us a hotel room that is 15 minutes away from the airport, and a bus that fit about 15 people (the flight was fully booked). On the bus trip, I was talking with the captain, and he told us that he had emailed the company at 10:00 to tell them to cancel the flight. We got to the hotel around 3, and had to leave by 4:30 to make our new flight. We get there and try to check our luggage. They tell us it will be 80 dollars per bag because we already have bags checked. We don't. They tell us we have five bags checked on a flight from Miami to Hartford. We tell them we are still in Miami with our five bags. They never checked the bags off the flight from the previous night. That finally got cleared up, and we (barely) made our flight.

Yeah. I hate American.

I normally fly Northwest, and I've never had a major problem with them. Of course they have delays and occasionally luggage doesn't arrive until the next morning, but I've never experienced a catastrophic travel delay like you have.

Perhaps I'm just lucky. Or good. Probably lucky.

Hands down the 777-200 is the best large passenger plane I've flown on. Fast embarking and disembarking times, pleasant atmosphere and lighting and good speed...not to mention that it can land at CAK, if they really want to.


Every airline is scrambling to get the 777s right now. There is a reason Boeing is taking far more orders on them than they can fill each year.

Don't Fly US Airways if you're going overseas. One time my parents went to Italy, and they took US Airways. They lost their luggage in Pittsburgh, but a day later US Airways dropped them off at our house. However, when we went to London and Paris, and came back through the same way, we never saw our luggage again. My luggage had some of my most favorite shirts on it. :(

777s are maybe the most comfortable, and I've never had a bad experience on one of Southwest's 737s. I have very fond memories of zooming around in an Embraer something. Disembarking on the tarmac is fun, I've done it in a 777 once and an Embraer lots of times.

I like the Boeing 747-400, simply because it's the only jet I've ever flown in.

Worst aircraft ever has to be the little Brazilian Embraer puddle jumpers AE flies. They make the big cattle cars look roomy.

My favorite has been the little Cessna 172 Skyhawk I made a short commercial passenger flight on from Seldovia Alaska to Ancorage.

American is horrible too. They've fucked me over several times...

-snip-

Yeah. I hate American.

Never had a single problem with AA.

I normally fly Northwest, and I've never had a major problem with them. Of course they have delays and occasionally luggage doesn't arrive until the next morning, but I've never experienced a catastrophic travel delay like you have.

Perhaps I'm just lucky. Or good. Probably lucky.

OTOH, I've had the most problems with Northworst. The last time (ever) I flew NWA was when I came back to the US in 2005. On the flight from Osaka to Chicago, they ran out of food. Going from Detroit back to Osaka, they ran out of drinks - several hours before landing.

I'd say... Pan Am 103. That wasn't a good airplane to be in.