Royal Jordanian Airline
- By: Qwaider
- On:Sunday, October 29, 2006 1:46:53 PM
- In:Thoughts
- Viewed: (20251) times
- Currently 4.4/5 Stars.
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Rated 4.4/5 stars (202 votes cast)
Throughout my life, I've been hearing horror stories about Royal Jordanian airlines (AKA Alia) but how much of that is fact and how much of that is fiction?
Many have said to me things like,
- ALIA means "Always Late in Arrival"
- They treat people like cattle
- Too many children on the flights
- Too many infants on the flight
- Poor service
- Poor on board choices for media and food
- Bad customer service on the ground
- Wasta System galore
- Lost luggage
- Lost connection flights
- Noisy environment
- "Smoke odors" in the bathrooms
- Disgusting seats, bathrooms, utensils, hostesses ... just about everything
The list can go on forever. But frankly, despite the many shortcomings, I have never (and I repeat NEVER) had a single bad experience boarding an RJ flight. Either to the Arab world or Europe/USA. On the other hands I had bad experiences with:
- Lufthansa:
Worst stewardesses, too arrogant and hostile, Frankfurt airport is junk. Bad experience all over
- British Airways:
Missing connection flight (+No apology), Food poisoning in Heathrow. Dinky little room when they missed my flight, No transportation to the hotel!
The pilot landed so roughly in Beirut airport that he broke the landing gear. And we were stuck in the plane for several hours before they managed to get it replaced! WHY oh why did we get the pilot in training!?!?!? (but this was British mediterranean)
- Olympic airlines:
Yikes! We were REALLY collected and driven like a horde of cattle. Forced to share rooms with total strangers (mine was awesome with a south African chick who came out naked from the shower!!!! So I'm not complaining, but many had horrible experiences mainly a south African chick who came out from the shower to see this crazy Arab guy staring with a stupid smile on his face)
EVERYONE was SHOUTING at me! (not just me, but at EVERYONE ELSE) I wasn't used to this kind of rude behavior. I felt so abused!
We were waiting for over 12 hours in Athens airport before they decided to allow us some food and later go to the Hotel. 12 HOURS!!! Children were starving, people were tired and they just kept on dragging, instead of allowing us to rest when they obviously screwed up!
- Turkish Airlines, needless to say, I wasn't scared as much in my whole life ... The plane almost fell from the sky few times ... it's true, "if you want to die, fly with THY"
- Royal Wings.... Argh ... This one, was so noisy I couldn't hear my own self shouting! (and besides had a nasty college from collage working on it!)
- KLM! With 18 hours of layover in Amsterdam, this is one of the horrible connections to Jordan. But can't really complain much otherwise
Now, on RJ, I always had the joy and luxury of meeting new people. Treated acceptably. Tolerated my over-sized, heavy luggage. Allowed to carry on things that would probably not be allowed anywhere else. Besides, my cousin (AKA Fat Bastard) flies one... God, that's a scary thought!
The best part, when I board Royal Jordanian, Jordan starts at terminal 4 in Chicago. That's 12 hours earlier than Arriving in Amman
Many think that I'm over optimistic and that because I've been away for too long I just miss the place and I'm not being realistic about things. But the fact of the matter (when it comes to flights) is that EVERYONE SUCKS! Every single carrier is BAD or WORSE
Since 9/11 we don't even dare say "water is too warm" without being looked at and scrutinized by the attendants who probably contemplate the thought of calling security to have us continue the rest of the flight in handcuffs! So we just remain silent ... and EXTRA ... EXTRA ... EXTRA ... nice!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to my flight to Amman .. and looking forward to boarding that plane in Chicago .. It will be awesome ... counting the days ..
Now your mileage WILL vary ... each one has their own experience. But mine so far (knock on wood) has been very positive... Go ahead ... share yours
Fadi: الله يرحمها و يجعل مثواها بعليين و يجمعك معها بالجنة بعد عمر طويل
بلوجر بالعربي: looks very good
Noura: Different home, but same longing and nostalgia .. it seems we are chasing a mirage , Beirut of my dreams does not exist nor the people i miss .. i don't know if my gains were worth the losses ? I 
price waves repeat: The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a 25 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now broken 
Sara: You can say that again!God Bless🕊
ياسمين حميد: كما هي طبيعتنا نحن العرب، عند الانتقال بين منصة وأخرى لا نحتفظ بالأولى بل نتركها ونهجرها. الأمور عندنا خاضعة ل
Qwaider: These possessions are meaningless as you said, but it's still painful to let go :( May Allah grant you all you wish for and unite you with your loved ones
Nicolas: The rapid increase in intelligence within this generation is responsible for completely unforeseen phenomena that academicians are not prepared for.Some of these classic TV shows remained 
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Fadi:الله يرحمها و يجعل مثواها بعليين و يجمعك معها بالجنة بعد عم%
بلوجر بالعربي:looks very good
Noura:Different home, but same longing and nostalgia .. it seems we are chasing a mirage , Beirut of my dreams does not exist nor the people i miss .. i don't know if my gains were worth the losses ? I
price waves repeat:The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a 25 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now broken
Sara:You can say that again!God Bless🕊
ياسمين حميد:كما هي طبيعتنا نحن العرب، عند الانتقال بين منصة وأخرى لا نحت%
Qwaider:These possessions are meaningless as you said, but it's still painful to let go :( May Allah grant you all you wish for and unite you with your loved ones
Session=
Memories....
I still fly RJ with all their faults, and they have many. You can never beat the time it reaches Amman from Chicago and back..two sleeping pills and you are there!!
The food SUXXXXXXX! this is beside the fact that they surve pork only!
terrible landing methods, wallah I prefered to get down with a parachutte.
Athens Airport is more like a mall than an airport! kidos everywhere in coffeeshops!
my flight from amman to athens then was around an hour and a half, and from athens to bucharest (which is half the way to amman) was 4 hours and a half!!!!!! the plane was Boing on the ticket and a small ATR in reality ,,, people where talking through their mobiles in it!
hehe, 3o2bal ma tjarreb the romanian airlines, Tarom .... the amman-bucharest ticket costs as an Amman-london ticket, but the difference that you feel that the plane is more like a romanian made truck.... terrible shakes in the interior, and very noisy (PS: its a boing 737) ... & they are terrible in parking the planes in the airport, the last time I came with it the pilot spent 20 minutes just trying to park the plane in amman, forward and backward!
Kudos to RJ!
Worst stewardesses, too arrogant and hostile, Frankfurt airport is junk. Bad experience all over
Worst stewardesses ==> I totally disagree! in all the times i flew with LH (and im talking here about nearly 20 times - including the domestic ones inside Germany), the stewardesses were extremely nice, so sweet and keep smiling the whole time -- keep in mind that the flight departs and arrives to Amman after midnight!
If you miss any meal while sleeping they make sure that you get one when you wake up... and they're too quiet.. once while i was flying with EK (Emirates) I couldn't sleep because the stewardesses kept on talking and laughing in a really loud annoying voice.
too arrogant and hostile ==> This I think because they speak a different language.. I once had a problem in Amman's airport and the flight was delayed 15 miutes because of me and the minute I stepped inside it the captain and the stewardesses came to talk to me and made sure that im feeling ok!
Frankfurt airport is junk ==> I enjoy it sooo much to the degree that i like to go there and do some shopping! It's nice, clean... and people are just so friendly! Everyone is so helpful!~
Bad experience all over ==> one bad experience, so you just can't generalise!!!
On the other hand.. think of all the positive points! Lufthansa is classy, accurate, safe, the seats are made of leather and so comfortable, the silver and yellow colors put you in a relaxing mood, and always on time!!!
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We only fly Lufthansa anymore, because they are cheap and have a generous family plan for mileage. All our kids flew free to the US last summer. The flight attendents have been great, they don't laugh at my bad German. Oh yea, then we can visit our friends in Frankfurt for free.
Nasimjo, I flew Tarom. Once. Kinda like I flew Aeroflot...once.
Air France is my favorite to pick on. The airline who always sends your luggage to Thailand.
Qwaidar, I love O'Hare airport!
Tab at least throw in some promotion to the readers :D
I'm planning a trip to UAE,Kuwait and Amman then back to the US.
I wonder should I take Emarates or Lufthansa?
Peace
Are you bringing the family? Then we can have a JP FAMILY meet-up!
as u said samer...they all suck, after travelling many different airlines back and forth amman-usa...i would say it is up to u to weigh what u wanna have and decide which one to fly...
as for RJ, they have the last priority for taxing to/from terminal and that is why it s a must to miss ur connection flight from there....just a remark....
peace all and sorry if i sounded so harsh....
Kinzi, no in March I'm traveling solo. In August the whole flock is coming. Get those BBQ sticks ready :-)
leaving to Amman from London,
I already feel i'm in Jordan the minute I step right in the plane!
+ I get to meet people, talk to them, especially tourists who are visiting Jordan -- I become like a delegate from the Board of Tourism! LOL
YOU GO QWAIDER
AND LET'S BOYCOTT THE ZIONIST LUFTHANSA
hahahahahahahaha -- JK
Some people might actually read it ast "Loof Thansa"
it's "Looft Hanza" right? LOL
* ALIA means "Always Late in Arrival"
I can't really tell since by the time I arrive I'm just glad I arrived safe, but they were late on departure from Chicago everytime I went with them.
* They treat people like cattle
Never got that impression. However, the fact that their flights from/to the US are always full of families with tons of kids give anyone the impression that cattle are being transported. In other words, they don't treat people like cattle, people come to them the way cattle wanna enter the barn :D
* Too many children on the flights
Wa ana ashhad!
* Too many infants on the flight
Wa ana ashhad martain!
* Poor service
It was ok. Not great, but not the worst.
* Poor on board choices for media and food
Yeah it wasn't that great.
* Bad customer service on the ground
Their ticketing office is the worst I dealt with. They are the only airline I know of that still asks for re-confirmation, not confirmation, re-confirmation. And for God's sake get an online ticketing system before buying new airplanes.
* Wasta System galore
Never affected me personally.
* Lost luggage
Not lost, but my bags didn't make it. The people in Chicago were helpful though when I called them from Amman. I was able to wait on the phone while the lady asked a guy to go look for the bag and I heard their conversation on the walki-talkies. They were able to find it while I was on the phone and they put it on the next flight. So thanks for that.
* Lost connection flights
I always have the direct flight, so I wouldn't know.
* Noisy environment
Because of the kids, and the parents who like to yell at them.
* "Smoke odors" in the bathrooms
Didn't notice it.
* Disgusting seats, bathrooms, utensils, hostesses ... just about everything
Maybe on some destinations, but flights from/to the US were on pretty new planes that were pretty clean. Restrooms are dirty in almost every airline.
attacking other airlines does not make RJ better. Obviously you never flown Lufthansa or simply you are bad mouthing a world class airline. I have been flying Lufthansa for over 15 years and yes I go out of my way to book on Lufthansa because they are professional, serious, on time, and incredibly efficient. I have NEVER lost any luggage on Lufthansa. I wish with all my hear that RJ one day would be like Lufthansa.
Denouncing Frankfurt airport as Junk is laughable, what's so junk about it? clean and spotless toilets? clean and spotless floors ? Efficient handling? Come on You wish to live in a place like Frankfurt airport, one of the best airports in the world. I also wish that QAIA can become like Frankfurt.
Now let get to RJ, I fly RJ business class so I get the best treatment, Never had any problems on the aircraft, however checking in and transfers, specially in QAIA is a degrading experience.
First, thank you very much for taking the time to offer us your feedback on the whole matter.
As a matter of fact, I have flown in Lufthansa many times in the past, and my experience wasn't as good as yours.
I'm not just badmouthing Lufthansa, some of my most amazing moments were on top a lufthansa where I was riding in the cockpit from Greece to Amman. It was a fascinating experience. However, there were many issues with Lufthansa and Frankfurt Airport. That is not particular to either of these two...
I don't just praise RJ because it's RJ, I'm not biased that way, in fact, I have scolded RJ before: (read: Neither Royal, Nor Jordanian)
I think it's very obvious that in the post 9/11 era, the flight experience have no longer been as entertaining as it used to be. Many of the airlines are taking the new laws to their advantage. And if any passenger as much as complain or nag, they would be ... well .. I'm sure you've heard the horror stories.
My current favorite is France Air .. they're really nice, friendly, punctual and reasonably priced. Charl De gaul Airport on the other hand is .. OK not that great but acceptable!
Now can you explain to me, how did you find it "Offensive"?
Ripping other airlines and generalizing over the status of international airports can be considered offensive. Misleading is probably a better word.
Your comment regarding Turkish airlines for example is utterly untrue, and any reasonable person can consider it an exaggeration. I have flown THY a few times (DXB -IST , WAW IST ) and the service is impeccable, the aircrafts brand new , I wonder how long ago you have flown THY ?
Qualifications as junk, dump and deadly is not a distorted way to describe world class facilities such as Frankfurt airport. And yes I am a loyal Lufthansa flyer, actually a Star alliance Senator cardholder.
I agree with your assessment of post 9/11 flying envenoming, and yes most airlines do take advantage of the situation, however a high fare paying customer can pretty much demand that the aircrew stand up and listen being German or other wise. and let me tell you, some Lufthansa staff can be snotty, but you need to know how to put them in their place politely.
As for Air France, I do hope you have taken an air freshener with you on their flights, the French do not believe in bathing frequently. Have you ever taken AF flight in the summer ?
But I see you're generalizing as well regarding french people. Don't you think?
Now, unless you're directly related to the company there's nothing offensive or misleading here. There's no reason why anyone would hold back their criticism on the fear of something being offensive to a business
There're no hard feelings here .. it's only business. I as a customer would like to see it improve
It seems that you have had many bad experiences flying, I am sorry about that.
As a final point , I would like to stress that you can not compare a 16 aircraft airline like RJ and a 260+ aircraft airline like Lufthansa, apple to oranges. And NO I am not a shareholder of Lufthansa, but I can recognize a world class airlines when I see one.
And I am not generalizing about the French, try to fly from Nice airport in the summer.
So let us return to the subject at hand : El Malakieh El Urdunieh god bless them. I fly RJ 2-3 times a year, Vienna Amman Vienna. I work for an American multinational and I am based in Warsaw at the moment. The main reason that I fly RJ is because I find it as an exotic alternative, I enjoy watching the idiosyncrasies of the whole show. RJ business class is adequate, with amusing details such as the 4711 cologne they offer on take off. The cabin service is fine however nothing to compare with the standard of other airlines such as YES Lufthansa, BA or Emirates.
The horror of RJ is actually on the ground, the check in, the airport passport control, the boarding. And their ability to nickel and dime their best costumers. Luckily when I purchase a ticket to fly Vienna Amman, it is an Austrian airline ticket as RJ codeshares with them, so I refuse to be nickled and dimed by the RJ staff.
RJ is a marginal carrier, over staffed by unqualified personnel, with many holding their position due to family connections, run by a self-serving security apparatus.
Ok, it is the weekend now, so I will be off, too bad we do not have Kalha in Warsaw.
Recently, I didn't have a good experience with RJ and decided I'm not flying them (check the link I provided earlier) But I'm still not flying Lufthansa, they suck! (no offense, they sucked for me :))
My current favorite is France Air, I haven't smelled anything "funny" so I won't get into that. And I'm sure the french showering is a nice joke but I doubt it's true
THY Airlines is the most well qualified and the safty airlines in the world and the most biggest airlines. Because other people dont like Turkish people i think it is not good to say that is isnt safty airlines to go on
As of your obnoxious and offensive style and your accusation about eating from the hand of Jordan, well let me inform you that I have never eaten anything from the hand of Jordan. I have never lived in Jordan. Whenever I visit Jordan I spend massive amount of money in hotels, restaurants and shopping , beside a few thousands of dollars for business class tickets that I pay to RJ( they are not free you know). there is no need to be offensive and nationalistically narrow minded. I am angry at RJ because they nickel and dime their best clients. Yes they do offer me excellent service once on board, but their ground service is terrible.
But I would like to draw a distinction between patriotism and Royal Jordanian airlines which is a business. They should be separate things.
When someone directs criticism to a Business it means something. It means someone was dissatisfied with the services rendered.
I have been on Royal Jordanian recently, and didn't have a very good experience. I even complained about it to Samer Al MajaliNeither Royal, Nor Jordanian
Additionally, lets not get into racial words like "Pure" Jordanian, as the purity of someone's genes is really not something to boast about, in fact I view it as a very negative thing and we should never engage in.
Good service isn't something imprinted in someone's genes Saif, it has nothing to do with Jordanian Jordanian, or Jordanian from any other origin. Let's keep it at that!
I'm as pure a Jordanian as any other proud Jordanian is, and I will not accept such view of my allegiance to Jordan. You have your own reasons to be patriotic, I have my own. There's nothing wrong there as long as the best interest of the nation is at heart!
Royal Jordanian just like any business out there, may do well on things and need to improve on others. It's exactly like that. We have the duty to send them the feedback on the areas where we feel they're lacking.
I had many bad experiences, I also have decided to use other airlines, and my recent trip on Air France was a delight. I will probably travel on it again. But I will continue to be reluctant to travel on RJ for many reasons.
some pple say its shity some say its excelent, and i know y, almost all my mothers side of the family work for RJ and so we always fly it, the service is usually great for us and i thinks this is because the flight attendants are picky, ive realized there nicer to all the arabs on board and its sorta obvious thats why most of you guys are not enjoying your flight, there treating some ppl with patience and then treating you like crap, theres some nice ones to everyone and then theres some bithcs!!! I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY YOUR NEXT FLIGHT!