Best and worst experiences in Y class

[OATEK]

From the same trip in 2008:

Best: SQ322 SIN-LHR in the upstairs Y in the original A380. Had a 2 seater on the side, good pitch, great food and service. Every time we discuss economy travel with family of friends, this is always our most positive example.

Worst: QF6 SIN-SYD in an old un-refurbished 747, lousy pitch, uncomfortable seat, rubbish food and lousy service and the entertainment system crashed.

A very close second worst, saved by great service and food, was on CX (A330/B747) SYD-HKG-LHR-HKG-SYD back when they had those horrible sliding seats in Y.

 

[OZDUCK]

From the same trip in 2008:

Best: SQ322 SIN-LHR in the upstairs Y in the original A380. Had a 2 seater on the side, good pitch, great food and service. Every time we discuss economy travel with family of friends, this is always our most positive example.
.

Agreed. We had two flights in the side exit row seat upstairs on those SQ 380. About 2 metres space in front of us - when the crew weren't strapped in and "only" 1 1/2 metres then. That smaller cabin was only about 60% occupied so very quiet and with excellent service. An excellent way to travel to/from CDG. Definitely one of my best Y trips.

 

[SL21]

My worst was definitely in 2002 on a Sydney Seoul leg on Korean Air worst ever. As soon as the seat belt signs were off it was a free for all in the aisles as in laying down sleeping in the aisles! The poor FA’s were struggling to get them out so they could at least do service. Once that was done they were right back at it I had a head at my foot the whole time and the woman acted like I was in her way!!!

 

[bashworth]

Worst: Air Canada, Heathrow - Calgary
I had my usual aisle seat centre section (Row of 3) A family came down the aisle with three children under 10. Both parents sat on one row with the youngest child and the two other children were on the same row as me. Wasn't helped by the Flight Attendants no care attitude.

Best: Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong to Heathrow
Travelling a few weeks after the September 11th Attack everyone on a 747 had a row of seats to themselves.

 

[leadman]

One of my worst flights was one that did not get off the ground. Effectively we sat on the tarmac for a total of 9 hours through a whole snow blizzard in ICN. It was a CX flight and we had just left the terminal as the first snowflake fell and for some reason there was planes continually taking off, and we were lining up with everyone. For some reason we were taken out of the line and sat by ourselves. Then the snow came and planes were still taking off, as i remember watching Delta going up. We actually got lost going back to the terminal in the snow and was taken back by the tow truck. We all got off after about 3 - 4 hours, then re-boarded 2 hours later. Even worse. We went out to the de-icing area and watched plane after plane being de-iced, except for us. Finally after all this mess we were dragged back to the terminal after a few passengers wanted to get off. Problem is i felt they were right as the communication from the coughpit was absolutely pitiful and that was putting it lightly. Even worse he was an Australian! When the rowdy passengers were removed, he then announced, his third in 9 hours, that because he breached his time limit he could not fly. I was lucky to be in J as Y was jam packed and i felt very sorry for them.

They were arranging the hotel for us, but i just got back in a cab and went back to the Marriott. I knew others would be waiting hours for a bus to the hotel. Only benefit was they give us US$200 gift vouchers to spend in Duty free

 

[leetripper]

Worst was BA SIN-LHR in 2013. We had originally booked on QF about 12 months prior but then QF cut flights from SIN and we were transferred to BA. Instead of the exit row I had booked I found myself on the window in a full row. A/C was not functioning and the FA's response when I eventually got someone to answer the buzzer was "it's sometimes a bit slow kicking in but don't worry it'll be working soon" - it remained unoperational the whole sticky crowded miserable flight.We never saw the flight crew again. Didn't answer our buzzers and never came through the cabin until "breakfast". I guess they had to catch up on some sleep after a big day in SIN. BA never fails to disappoint.
One of the best was pre-9/11 on one of those early evening QF domestic legs SYD-MEL in a nearly empty 747 being ferried down for the start of a MEL-LHR run. They had squeezed about 40 passengers into 4 rows at the front of economy - and I was in a middle seat. I must have looked pretty p----d off because the FSD came up to me and says "hi Mr Smith, how's your day been so far?" I answer "not that great actually" FSD says "well let's see if we can change that shall we? Would you like to come up to the coughpit and sit in the jump seat for take off over Sydney tonight?" I say "I believe I would - thank you!" After a spectacular take-off the FSD says "sorry there's no catering available but you're welcome to stretch out in business class if you like!"

 

[harvyk]

Worst? Easy - AA from MIA to LAX. The crew didn't want to be there, and they made sure everybody knew it. (Close second worst, BA JFK-LHR, same deal, FA hated her job)

Best? Difficult - I've actually had quite a few good Y flights, and no particular flight stands out more than any other ones. Of course the Y flights which are then op'd-up are the best, but I kinda don't think that's in the spirit of this thread. I'm typically a fan of any flight on a big bird (with 747 my favourite), and long haul.

 

[emirates777]

Best. Numerous Singapore Airlines flights. There is too many to mention

Worst: Colombo - Singapore in 1999 on board an Air Lanka L1011 Tristar. No IFE, things were rattling around constantly throughout the flight, was very noisy, service was average and meals was forgettable.

 

[suze2000]

Worst: Actually a close tie, both of them being Emirates. Winner DXB-CDG. I was in a narrow middle seat adjacent to three babies that screamed the entire flight. This was the second leg of a hop to Europe and I was exhausted and desperate for sleep but the little monsters would only be quiet in their parents' laps... only mum and dad didn't want to nurse a baby the whole way and kept trying to dump the cretins into the bassinets, whereby the screaming would start again and all of them would go out in sympathy with the other. And the FAs did sweet FA to help, encourage the parents to attempt to quiet the monsters (apparently these parents believe in scream therapy on planes) and refused to move us. I was hysterical with exhaustion when we arrived at CDG only to (once again) be bused 100miles to the terminal in 35C heat with no AC, and queue on the tarmac because the arrivals hall was too full to fit us in! (and when we got in, it was so poorly airconditioned that people were fainting. Appalling)

Best: Lauda Air 1996 Vienna-SIN. Half empty plane. Great service. Enough said.

 

[Spongbob]

Best: Lauda Air 1996 Vienna-SIN. Half empty plane. Great service. Enough said.

I agree, Lauda Air Y was very good. Flew with them a few times SYD-VIE when my employer had an arrangement with Ansett, so traveling to Europe was with Lauda on the (then) new B777.

Worst: For long haul it would QF 107 SYD-LAX on an ageing B747 in 2011. Food terrible. Service poor. Seat pitch poor. Middle seat horrible.

 

[laffer]

What a fantastic question.

had been chatting with a flight attendant on a dating app and as we both had busy schedules the first time we could meet was in Dubai. So, dinner was all set up and then 24 hours beforehand she got cold feet and deleted me from the app. I took it as a blessing as I gathered that if she was going to treat me like this then we weren't going to be a great fit anyway and promptly forgot about it. A few days later, i boarded QF10 to come home, took my seat and guess who was the flight attendant in my section...

What happened? Find love?

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

What happened? Find love?

I did, but not with the flight attendant. The flight was fine, she was shocked and a bit embarrassed. Later during the flight I popped up the back and was having a chat to one of the other attendants during the flight - alas she was too embarrassed to chat to me.