Gulf Air - Overview of Services
Written: Apr 20 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Equipment, Flight Attendants
Cons: Stopovers, Passengers
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| apasha's Full Review: Gulf Air |
Having traveled Gulf Air for a period of 21 years (2 years - 23 years) I have seen the good and the bad on Gulf Air. I have to admit that the last trip I took was back in 1996 but talking to friends who travel it, seems like things haven't changed much.
Before I go into the good and the bad on gulf air, remember like a lot of Asian/middle eastern airlines, depending on the route the quality of services changes. I will talk about both and try to compare it to the other airlines I have flown (last count: 20+)
Flight Attendants: Probably some of the better flight attendants, especially when you compare them to some of the attendants on US Airlines. They are pretty professional and helpful. They must not have sex-discrimination laws because they all seem to be young and pretty. But depending on the routes flown it changes. For example, on routes within the Middle East and to the Asian sub continent, the attendants are from those countries and are not as helpful as ones found on major international routes.
Food: Probably the best part about gulf air is the food. I usually used to fly them from London to Middle East/Asian Subcontinent and they had some great Pakistani/Indian food. Stuff like Biryani (rice pilaf), Kheer (rice custard) etc. Always fresh and warm.
Passengers: You can find some of the worst passengers on any airline on Gulf Air. I don't mean to offend anyone but even on premium class on routes like Abu Dhabi - London I have seen more drunk (pathetically drunk) people on the plane than in most bars. Alcohol is free and believe me some people make full use of it. I have had drunk people sit next to me on major US and other airlines but Gulf Air took the lead.
Equipment: Gulf Air has always flown some of the best equipment out there. Maybe only Emirates is better than they are. Comfortable and clean planes that are pretty new.
Route/Network: Gulf Air has a network that spans most of the major areas in the world (except US where they codeshare with American Airlines). They go Middle East, Asia, Europe etc. The MAJOR problem here is that they seem to operate more like Greyhound than an airline. For e.g. London to India/Pakistan can have 2 or even 3 stops in the Middle East. Also, these stopovers can be long, sometimes extending to 10-12 hours. They operate four hubs within a few hundred miles (Qatar, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat) and maybe that contributes to these problems. Sometimes they make stops even though they are not listed on the iterinary. Sounds unbelievable but numerous passengers have experienced this.
Usually they have the cheapest fares, and thus full planes. Unless you are strapped for cash or Gulf Air is providing a better connection, I would chose another airline.
Please note, I have given my opinion details based on my last 3 years of lying with Gulf (1993-1996)
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
apasha
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Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 0 members
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