10 Airlines To Avoid Flying With

Flying is the ultimate in luxury when it comes to travel. In order to cater to their customers, many airlines pride themselves on punctuality, great customer service, and compelling VIP programs for their most loyal flyers.

However, not all airlines strive to live up to these high standards. In fact, some even boldly claim that service is secondary to filling seats, which could be disastrous for the unknowing customer. Therefore, before you confirm your next flight, consider the airlines you may want to avoid booking a reservation with…

Korean Air

Over the last few years, Korean air has been awash in bad press – namely, the nut rage incident in 2014. While this airline gets good marks for in-flight service, many of the planes feature overcrowded rows, limited food choices, and a defined lack of punctuality that don’t sit well with frequent fliers.

easyJet

In past years, easyJet has been revered as one of the top 10 safest airlines you can fly with. Even so, is safety enough?

Currently ranked the second-worst airline in the world, easyJet has a reputation for making it difficult to process lost luggage claims, and having poor customer service to match their low ticket prices. Of course, this is in spite of having higher prices on food and water during the flight.

Norwegian

The largest airline in Norway, Norwegian is good at getting its passengers to their destinations on time and seems to have decent in-flight service. This has earned them a somewhat impressive 3.5 out of 5.0 rating on TripAdvisor.

Unfortunately, the airline also has a reputation for handling lost luggage claims in a sluggish and unfriendly manner. Passengers frequently complain of overcrowding and tired, overworked staff that aren’t given a single moment to rest.

Transavia

With eyes set on fostering growth for their brand, Transavia is stymied by unfriendly check-ins, surprise fees, and owners more concerned about portfolios than about offering a variety of routes.

In spite of being the second-largest airline in the Netherlands, Transavia’s sheer size alone may not be enough to bring the growth they’re hoping for.

Adria Airways

At the end of September 2019, Adria Airways filed for bankruptcy and cancelled all flights, after operating with leased planes for years. In the end, the Slovenian airline left the industry a whopping $98.3 million in debt.

Many reviews on TripAdvisor show just how hard up the airline was for money before filing for bankruptcy, with some even reporting that water was the only refreshment offered during long flights. Nonsensical routes and poor claims services mentioned in recent reviews would suggest that not much has changed.

Thomas Cook Airlines

In September 2019, after an ill-fated merger with MyTravel, Thomas Cook Airlines’ long history ended in disaster. Accumulating close to $2 billion in debt almost overnight, the sudden fallout left 600,000 stranded, as passengers arrived for their flights only to be told that all flights had been cancelled. Since then, Thomas Cook Airlines have officially ended all operations.

Kuwait Airways

Kuwait Airways does get good reviews for service, but seems to trip up when it comes to processing claims and getting flights off the ground on time.

In 2018, Kuwait Airways reported losses close to $435 million, far outpacing the cash saved through massive cost-cutting efforts. These efforts included using a 40+ year old Airbus, and confusing a connecting flight with an “extra meal,” according to one passenger.

Ryanair

After briefly losing its status as the largest airline in Europe to Lufthansa in 2018, Ryanair seems to have recently bounced back and reclaimed this distinction. However, bigger does not always mean better.

Top complaints among passengers include that the airline tries to nickel-and-dime customers, sells scratch cards or lottery tickets, and attempts to catch passengers exceeding their baggage allowances.

Laudamotion

With help from its new benefactor, Ryanair, Laudamotion launched plans to have a fleet of 30 planes by Summer 2020. Formerly owned by Formula 1 racer Niki Lauda, the company can now only boast about good in-flight service. The other aspects the airline is known for include what one TripAdvisor reviewer calls a “chaotic atmosphere,” and a priority passenger line that seems to include every single passenger scheduled to fly.

Aerolineas Argentinas

Openly admitting to ignoring customer service, Aerolineas Argentinas placed their primary focus on filling seats. In recent years, however, they’ve acknowledged a need to shift their efforts to offering better quality service.

While they have been getting good marks for service these days, other issues such as long waits, no wi-fi, and poor claims processing continue to drag down this Argentinian airline.