MooNoi Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Which is your favourite long-haul aircraft to fly on? I know it depends on the airline, legroom, etc. etc., but in terms of things like: number of lavatories per passenger, cabin noise, cabin ambience, "feel safe" factor etc. etc., which is your favourite? For me, its a toss-up between an Airbus A340 and Boeing 777. The Boeing has great interior space inside the cabin, but the "four-engine factor" of the A340 makes me feel a little more comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torrenova Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 I can't believe that you've stuck an MD11 up there. Once I saw that, I was looking for the DC9/10 but then remembered that all their engines fell off back in the 80's. Seriously though, they still make 747's but the original 747 100's started in 1969 and didn't Air Asia buy (or attempt to buy) the one that fell out of the sky on its last outing for Air China / China Airlines (or similar) ? Apparently some really dodgy planes and helicopters in Cuba though and even Garuda hasn't dropped one since 1997. Not to mention Turkish or Egyptian. World's most dangerous plane - statistically = Concorde. www.airsafe.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 I can't believe that you've stuck an MD11 up there. Once I saw that, I was looking for the DC9/10 but then remembered that all their engines fell off back in the 80's. It was American Airlines you were thinking of, over Chicago, and I knew a family onboard that flight. Seriously though, they still make 747's but the original 747 100's started in 1969 and didn't Air Asia buy (or attempt to buy) the one that fell out of the sky on its last outing for Air China / China Airlines (or similar) ? It was Orient Thai who were awaiting delivery of that fine bird, and I don't know anything about the the aircraft procurement process or insurance but, to me, it raises more red flags about them than China Airlines. What I mean is, I'd have a mechanic check out a used car before I'd buy it, and that aircraft had already been bought. I'm not so worried about older aircraft (and Orient Thai have a bunch of 'em) but maintenance standards are critical, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Just answered my own question with the thought that Orient Thai probably purchased the aircraft through SunbeltAisa.com I wonder if there is a checkpoint in the certification process that brings the aircraft to 'Thai' standards, or if they could just continue to operate the aircraft under the Taiwan registration without any scrutiny from the Thai authorities. I'm thinking aloud here, I really don't know this stuff, but I'm sure some readers here do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash999 Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 USVirgin said:It was Orient Thai who were awaiting delivery of that fine bird, and I don't know anything about the the aircraft procurement process or insurance but, to me, it raises more red flags about them than China Airlines. I knew a Thai stewardess for China Airlines whose Taiwanese friend was on that flight. She told me that the plane was well known for being a piece of crap- the trolleys didn't roll straight, the overhead bins wouldn't latch correctly and would drop when the plane touched down or in turbulance, etc etc. They could see from airplane code on their schedule which plane was on each route and would dread being assigned to that particular one as it was a pain. I thought about this story the last time I went to Phuket and saw an Orient Thai 747 at the gate. Scary! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stars99hk Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Just a quick disclaimer, what I write below is not first hand knowledge it is second hand although thru' what I consider a good source some of it is fact and some of it is hearsay, so read into it what you will. What I know about Orient Thai is from a friend of mine who works for Cathay. Orient Thai is actually owned by Kampuchea Airlines or some sort of convoluted ownership structure that ends up at Kampuchean and is not Thai owned, half the fleet is registered in Kampuchea (XS registration) and are gradually being changed to Thai (HS registration) thru some sort of shady deal since according to my friend most of the aircraft would not meet international standards. The 747's they have now used to be JAL owned and they are some of the oldest in existence. The pilots are mostly Philipinno ( as are cabin crew), some used to be ex Cathay pilots but the ex Cathay guys left after seeing the maintenace of the fleet ( or lack of it). Apparantly even the cockpits do not have certain manuals that are usually carried, so every take of they do is a max power since the recomended power/weight settings are not available to them. His opinion of Orient Thai maintenance is not good, it is said they do not fix minor defects whne they occur, although they are signed of as fixed in the logs, they just wait for the once a year major overhaul to fix everything, he says they are decidedly dodgy ( his words "no one at Cathay would ever fly with them they are an accident waiting to happen"). In fact a month or so ago a big chunk of wing fell of an Orient Thai 747 in Hong Kong. As for the China Airlines 747 that dropped out of the sky on its way to Hong Kong, last thing I read was suspected possible cause was an incomplete repair from a tail strike ( tail hits ground on take off) causing some kind of structural failure, they had put on a temporary patch but not completed full repairs ( this from memory from one of the aviation web sites so could be wrong) although China airlines say the repair was completed no records have yet been provided to verify this. Anyway back on topic favorite long haul aircraft difficult to say so much depends on the airline and the type of seating. Cathays new economy class is so much superior to the old but you only find that on the new 777 and A340 not their older planes. But overall i think 747 top deck for business and for economy any airline with a "super economy" as for first......... well I wish i knew . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras67 Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 It depends on the configuration but if you get a 747 with seating all the way to the tail, choose of the last 2/3 outside rows. They put 2 abreast because it is too narrow for 3 seats and you get more elbow space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stars99hk Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Yeah you are 100% correct where the tail starts to curve in at the back and the seats are only two abreast at the windows, you get more legroom and more elbow room. And only one prson to jump over if you need to take a trip to the bathroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 I like the 777s Not really sure but they seem fasterthat the 747s ??? They are all NEW in relative terms, and after watching the documentary on it's design and testing a couple of times, I'm convinced it's a safe a plane, or more so, than anything up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Hi I don't like the long haul flights... Send the staff on those Flown most carriers and all classes..SYD/BKK. My longest flight was with Lauder on a new 777. Sydney to Vienna via KL.. Good seats leg room was ample ,big screens and onboard phone etc. The food and wines and general service was top notch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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