1. Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Occasionally you’ll be able to score a good deal flying on a short flight around South Asia on Biman Bangladesh Airlines – which may not be much to worry about. But if you’re thinking about booking a long-haul flight on Biman you can expect some not-so-ideal extras.
- Poor on-time performance is common. Some routes experience regular delays or ‘re-timing’ as they call it. Allow plenty of extra time (at least 4 hours) for any onward connections when flying with Biman Bangladesh.
- Their in-flight entertainment is pretty much non-existent. So if you’re into playing games on long-haul flights or need to watch a movie to fall asleep you may be out of luck.
- Passengers report that the flight attendants can be rude to passengers. This isn’t a luxury airline and you should be prepared for treatment that even Ryanair might not approve of.
2. Uzbekistan Airways
There are several fine airlines serving Central Asia, including Asiana, Turkish Airlines, and Lufthansa. When traveling to Central Asia Uzbekistan Airways can have some pretty attractive deals on airfares, but be aware of their reputation before you fly. Passengers report filthy planes, rude staff and sub-par in-flight entertainment. The extra comfort you might get on a different airline could be worth the extra price, so be sure to double check.
3. American Airlines
It may be surprising to find a major U.S. based airline scoring among the likes of Uzbekistan Airways for overall quality. But this airline has been through tough times recently – something that is reflected particularly in the attitudes of their cabin crew. American Airlines flight attendants have been known for their rude remarks to passengers and generally disgruntled attitude and appearance. Just remember the airline is squeezing every drop out of their employees to cut costs during their recent bankruptcy issues, so who can really blame the flight attendants who look half asleep for making nasty sarcastic comments about their passengers?
Read more: How to Easily Save 20% on Flights
Also, since the food served in economy class isn’t freshly prepared, we suggest grabbing a meal in the airport or bringing a sandwich from home. You won’t regret it!
4. Bahamasair
Bahamasair ranks among the worst North American airlines. The national airline of the Bahamas get a mere 2 out of 5 stars from airline rating agency Skytrax. At the time of writing, 57% of Bahamasair flights arrived late over the last 3 months. Delays lasting 5 hours or more are a regular occurrence with the airline’s short hops to Florida. Even if you run into a sticky situation don’t expect much of an apology from the airline staff. Passengers report rude airport staff and no compensation for delays. Need an alternative? Check out SkyBahamas instead.
5. Nepal Airlines
The national airline of Nepal seems to make a genuine attempt to please passengers at times, but the facts are clear. In the past 3 months (at the time of writing), over 20% of flights on this airline were cancelled. Technical problems cause frequent delays with the airline. In at least one case the airline resorted to slaughtering “two goats to appease a Hindu god, following technical problems” with a Boeing aircraft.
On the plus side, the Nepal Airlines’ cabin crew get high marks. Passengers appreciate the friendly and helpful attitude of the staff onboard, despite the delays and lack of inflight entertainment.
Thinking about a trip to Nepal? Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based AirAsia has very reasonable fares to Kathmandu, Nepal (KTM) from Kuala Lumpur. Book in advance to get one-way fares for $80 or less.
