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Round-trip
1 adult
Economy
Fri 3/3
Fri 3/10
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Good to know
Low season | February |
|---|---|
High season | August |
Cheapest flight | $377 |
Average price round-trip | $1,187 |
Good deal round-trip | $818 |
Good deal one-way | $536 |
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 5% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 18% increase in price.
Flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo to New York John F Kennedy Intl
(avg. price over the last 2 weeks)
or less
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FAQs for booking flights from South Africa to New York
Top 5 airlines serving from South Africa to New York
Scores according to KAYAK customer reviews8.3
Qatar AirwaysOverall score based on 10882 reviews
8.3Boarding
8.2Comfort
8.6Crew
8.3Entertainment
8.0Food
Airline reviews
Cons: "My flight time was changed but I didn’t receive any email regarding the change"
Cons: "My flight time was changed but I didn’t receive any email regarding the change"
Cons: "Wearing a face vizor on top of the face mask is silly"
Pros: "no"
Cons: "respect"
Pros: "Decent seats. Good amenities for a long flight - entertainment, pack with toothbrush/mask/earplugs/socks."
Pros: "Good service from the crew and good food."
Cons: "Flight was delayed and there are a lot of redundant checks before entering to the gate. No internet service and the flight was very long. (14 hrs)"
Pros: "The crew was exceptional! Seat was comfortable and extra seat not occupied next to me giving me extra elbow room also in addition to sufficient leg room."
Cons: "I would have a few suggestions but it would rise the price of ticket significantly. We got what we paid for."
Pros: "Crew is good. Flight got delayed"
Cons: "Food is good."
Pros: "Crew as very helpful"
Cons: "passenger seated next to are rude"
Pros: "Everything was GREAT!"
Pros: "Service by the crew was outstanding, but special mention to Deepika who made sure I had a Business Class experience out of this world, always smiling and checking if I needed anything"
Cons: "The food and the wine selection did not impressed me. Qatar needs to make some changes."
Pros: "On time. No problems"
Cons: "Be aware! "When customers purchase tickets they are paying for transportation for the specific class designated on their ticket and not for specific seat assignments. Seat assignments can never guarantee." This is what they emailed me when they did that to me on my pre-selected & confirmed seats!!"
Pros: "Service was fantastic as usual for me however it seems women are not treated equally service wise as wife on all 4 legs did not get all the things i was afforded. Lighting, pajamas, bed mattress, meal choice queries etc"
Cons: "The need to pull out boarding passes multiple times-like 6 times- and having to be screened Twice. To even buy some mouthwash i had to show boarding passes. Ridiculous"
Cons: "Internet bad"
Cons: "Did not make this flight. How can I confirm that my ticket is still valid for the return trip?"
Pros: "Qatae Airways is second to non as always"
Pros: "The on flight entertainment is great. It’s very accommodating especially for long flights."
Cons: "Onboarding was ridiculous. They merged two gates together with no instructions to the large crowd of people boarding the plane. We were scheduled to start boarding at a certain time and we didn’t actually board until 45 minutes later. When we asked the attendants when we would begin boarding and did they have any instructions they were extremely rude, laughing with one another and taking selfies. When we we asked for the third time they brushed us off with a time frame. It was extremely disappointing."
Pros: "I flew Qatar from Doha to NYC and the meal quality and options were excellent. I also enjoyed the amount of new Hollywood movie releases and music options."
Cons: "n/a"
Pros: "Everything."
Pros: "Older plane Older entertainment system"
Cons: "Older plane Older entertainment system"
Cons: "carry-on did not fit on center overhead compartment unless I put it side ways (Same carry-on suitcase fit nicely on Emirates airplanes, so the carry-on overhead compartments have been made smaller on Qatar on purpose or by engineering error, and I will not fly Qatar airlines again. Less food options. I went to the Gally and they only had kitkat bars for food. Emirates offer fruit, sandwiches, and many choices at ALL TIMES of the flight for economy class passengers. Entertainment computer (Android based system) ran slow and out of memory at times. Seats were not comfortable for 12hrs flight. My butt was starting to hurt. I did not have this issues on Emirates flights."
Pros: "Very comfortable wii sleeping compartment"
Pros: "Comfortable, on time"
Pros: "Hindu meal only be vegetarian"
Cons: "All is good"
Cons: "Seats on this flight are awful, wonder why they have these seats for long haul flights, not yet all comfortable to sleep on these , I got back pain by the time I got out of the plane."
Pros: "Excellent service from the crew. Flight on time."
Cons: "Some crews are not accommodating."
Cons: "While stay in Doha the did not give any food vochcher for 21 hours what they think no body eat in 21 hours I go to counter they refused next time I will not travel"
Cons: "The food options were good, but twice our family could not get the items we wanted as they ran out of them."
Pros: "Again, the crew were top notch"
Cons: "Comfort and available entertainment were so-so"
Cons: "They announced everything in English and Arabic and repeated the same announcement multiple times. The entertainment is good but frustrating that it is constantly interrupted with announcement about everything. I have never heard that many on any other plane. The announcement about customs paperwork was long and done 2 times in English and 2 times in Arabic. There safety video is soooo long and again is done in two languages. It was just all too much. Besides that everything was great."
Cons: "I will never ever fly Qatar airlines again. The boarding for this flight in Doha was horrendous. I and a random group of passengers were made to wait with no explanation AFTER our electronics were already cleared to go through yet another security check. They said we were selected for screening but all the other people they took before us were screened the exact same way. It was stressful and traumatizing to stand for 45 minutes with no clear explanation. The crew were clearly new at their job or ill trained. On top of that they consistently ran out of food they were serving and was forced to take the vegetarian option when it's not what I wanted. I could not wait to leave Doha and exit Qatar airways. I hated my experience traveling with Qatar. It was stressful and traumatic. I want a full refund. I will also be advising all my friends to never fly Qatar. It was the WORST!"
Pros: "same"
Cons: "same"
Pros: "The was very hospitalty"
Cons: "Every thing was amazing"
Pros: "Everything was good!"
Cons: "More movies, no wifi, better food"
Pros: "Good, comfortable and smooth flight. Food was better than expected."
Cons: "Some of the flight attendants seem to be bias towards passengers. Had some loud passengers on one of our flights and noone told them to be quiet. Was also asked to move my seat up so that the person behind me could eat, yet the person in front of me was not asked the same thing"
Pros: "Great airline...nice staff, very attentive and polite."
Pros: "SPECIALLY THE CREW SERVICE EXCELLENT"
Pros: "Service & cleanliness."
Cons: "Nothing I remember."
Pros: "Considering how long it was, not much could have been better. It wasn't too crowded, so the seat next to me was free, which made getting some sleep easier."
Pros: "Very spacious, good food & service"
Cons: "Check in to the boarding lounge was a bit chaotic and there were a lot of angry customers yelling at airline staff. The process needs to be improved."
Pros: "everything!"
Pros: "The Steward on this flight was excellent. Very attentive and pleasant. He asked at the end of my flight how was everything. Food was good ."
Cons: "This flight was better than the flight going out to Doha , then to Abu Dhabi. You guys were late landing,and as a result I almost missed my connecting flight, was rushed thru the airport like a lunatic by one of your Reps. Then was told my luggage may not be in Abu Dhabi when I arrive, which it was not. My paid for seat wasn't available and had to sit in the back. Had to fill out a lost luggage report in Abu Dhabi. Was promised my luggage by 4:30 pm . Didn't receive it until 2:30 am next day. Missed my whole first day of vacation as I had no clothes , toiletries, etc . Very angry, and feel I should get a substantial discount on my next flight in March to Dubai. Totally unacceptable !!!!!!!"
Pros: "Absolutely nothing!!!!!"
Cons: "Again, our flight was cancelled without notification!!!!!"
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "The first flight of my journey was delayed which made me late for my next two connecting flights. I arrived on vacation a day late. Paid for a hotel and activities that I never used. My bag arrived 5 days late. I had to buy clothes on a daily basis which ate up more time and fun money. The airline gave me nothing except empty promises and dismissive apologies."
Cons: "No entertainment service from Doha to New York"
Pros: "nothing"
Cons: "price and comfort"
Cons: "N/A"
Pros: "Good meals, comfortable seat with fantastic entertainment options."
Pros: "Food was good"
Cons: "Flight attendants could have been nicer. Seats were not that comfortable."
Pros: "Good"
Cons: "NA"
Pros: "The crew was very polite and professional."
Cons: "There could be more legroom."
Pros: "A vast amount of entertainment"
Cons: "Cabin crew was not the best. Some were very forgetful and did not return to provide us with drinks with our meal. Some did not ask passengers to raise their chairs during meal time and we were constantly forced to do it yourself."
Cons: "Everything was great It’ was a long flight and the seats are not comfortable I wish the first class tickets were more reasonably priced for a normal person that wants to be more comfortable in a long flight. But everything else was perfect!! Thank you."
Pros: "Crew was great. Boarding was great"
Cons: "Less air condition towards the end."
Pros: "Plenty of leg room and the crew were very helpful and attentive."
Cons: "None which I can recommend."
Pros: "Service"
Cons: "N/A"
Cons: "Nothing as such"
Pros: "Professional behavior of staff and overall cleanliness."
Cons: "Airport helpers at both airport are not dealing properly. Newark wheelchair employees were demanding for big money as tips. Why money is charged to use trolley to move luggage????"
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Service, seats in bad shape, screen not working, ......"
Pros: "Crew was attentive Pilot steered a smooth flight"
Cons: "Seats were a little cramped"
Pros: "We went almost 4hours without water served"
Cons: "Baggage claim in Newark horrible and slow. Not the brightest people here."
Pros: "good entertainment, great staff"
Cons: "plane a little older, but all in, it was fine"
Pros: "the people working on the plain and airport."
Pros: "Great service. Very comfortable. Good food."
Cons: "N/A"
Pros: "The crew was up during the whole trip, offering refreshments and taking a really good care of all passengers"
Cons: "n/a"
Pros: "I must admit....this is one of the best experiences I have had flying and I fly this route a lot. I was traveling with an Elder who required a wheelchair and every step of the way it was smooth and the crew was attentive."
Pros: "Flying on economy Emirates was a fantastic experience. It should be the industry standard."
Cons: "The entire experience"
Pros: "The cabin crew was attentive and helpful."
Cons: "The flight seemed crowded and did not have enough room for carry on baggage."
Pros: "Good selection of movies. Nice staff- some of which were able to handle difficult customers better than others."
Cons: "Both flights to Athens and returning to New York were very delayed. As a result, passengers were annoyed and staff members looked obviously stressed as well. On the whole my impression is that this airline keeps up appearances very well but is in fact somewhat disorganized."
Cons: "Newark airport is depressing. Lighting in boarding area is simply awful. Also, cab fare to and from NYC is much too high. Midnight departure time of the flight to Greece is inconvenient. It is just too late. Getting through customs at Newark is a chore. There are not enough computers for passengers to report what they have to report. Also, many passengers I saw did not know how to use a computer."
Pros: "quality and friendship"
Cons: "Electronic Entert can be more accessible More access to news"
Pros: "Tons of movies!"
Cons: "No complaints."
Cons: "Seats a bit tight"
Pros: "The service the movies the food"
Pros: "The staff are extremely friendly and accommodating. The plane itself was clean and there were plenty of bathrooms. It was great to have two free meals, drinks and entertainment making a 10 hour flight go by faster. I love the eye masks and ear plugs to make sleeping on a plane easier. All around success and would fly again with them!"
Cons: "On the flight home the crew seemed a little confused who was in charge of my row. I had to go get myself the customs forms and a pen. Also the front of the plan was extremely hot compared to the back."
Cons: "Takeoff was a bit delayed, but the biggest problem is that we waited over an hour for our bags in Newark."
Pros: "Love it. Classy flight attendants, great service."
Cons: "Crying baby"
Cons: "Same movies"
Pros: "everything was very nice!"
Cons: "Space very cramped."
Pros: "Service and crew were excellent!"
Cons: "Movie selection somewhat limited"
Cons: "Seats very uncomfortable for a transatlantic flight"
Pros: "Everything very, very good!!!"
Pros: "The flight attendants were very professional, friendly and attentive. We were also impressed with the amenities -- every passenger received free headphones, drinks, pillow and blanket."
Cons: "The overhead lights did not seem to align with the correct seats."
Pros: "The staff & the service"
Cons: "The entertainment set up was dated and malfunctioning"
Pros: "Overall a pleasant and comfortable flight."
Pros: "The crew was fabulous. Beautifully dressed; impeccable makeup; very professional. Very friendly, helpful. PILOTS were amazing!!! GREAT FLIGHT, LITTLE TURBULENCE. LOVE the stickers found in the bag with the earphones, ("WAKE FOR FOOD", "DO NOT WAKE FOR FOOD", etc) but they were never mentioned by the crew. Found them by myself. I think more people would use if they knew about them. LOVE the gift bag with eye mask, etc. Very welcome gift."
Cons: "Seats are too small. Very difficult to stand up and get out of your seat. Even young people have trouble getting up and out into the aisle. The aisle is TOO NARROW! At least one seat on each row should be eliminated, as well as one row to give economy class room. I was on the aisle (seat D), and was unlucky to have a woman and her husband (seats E & F) ask me to get up several times (because passenger in seat G was asleep). I was not at all happy with the movie choices; they were mostly modern and violent. Food selection was unavailable. Menu choices were chicken & fish. Chicken was NOT AVAILABLE."
Pros: "Times were great! Food was decent for airline food comfortable seats great selection of movies"
Cons: "I liked everything"
Pros: "Overall very good"
Pros: "Finally, a great airline with a direct flight from New York to Athens and very reasonable fares. I hope they keep it that way. Also, Newark is a much better airport to fly to and from than JFK."
Cons: "Crew was ok but could have been a little better, and the drinks selection could be improved."
Pros: "Highly recommend Emirates"
Cons: "Food baf"
Pros: "Trip was shorter by at least one hour than projected."
Cons: "Very dissapointed with return flight. It was like a different airline experience than first leg of trip to Athens"
Pros: "The food was good, the entertainment was good"
Cons: "There needed to be more snack options.. a mid-flight sandwich or cheese and crackers. There were only two drink carts that went by on a an 11 hour flight and these were with the 2 meals that were served. Alcoholic drinks were difficult to order except with dinner. Overall, there are more amneties, foods and drink on Delta airlines."
Pros: "When traveling overseas, I believe Emirates is by far one of the best airlines to travel with. From check-in to arrival the staff is extremely professional, polite and helpful. I will look to travel with Emirates every possibility I get."
Cons: "I think the meals can be simplified a little. Wasn't a big fan of the food, but I rarely eat on the plane so it didn't matter anyway."
Pros: "Friendly crew, comfortable plane"
Cons: "Luggage lost, unhelpful Kigali Helpdesk. Johannesburg VERY helpful"
Pros: "Helpful friendly crew, reasonable ticket prices."
Cons: "Luggage was delayed by 24 hours, customer service desk in Johannesburg EXTREMELY helpful, in Kigali they were clueless. Transit area very crowded, humid and stuffy."
Pros: "The two check in bags rule."
Cons: "Not applicable"
Pros: "I was happy to avail of Wifi in the sky."
Cons: "No entertainment! For an major international flight, one expects some seatback entertainment"
Pros: "New plane, fresh feel. Food is ok."
Cons: "Airline feels basic and no frills."
Pros: "Crew members are extremely polite and friendly. Flight was delayed leaving Kigali captain spoke to each passenger and apologise - great professionalism."
Cons: "Entertainment was limited."
Pros: "The Flight attendants are all awesome and undesrtanding...and the open wifi ate Kigali airport was great."
Cons: "THERE WAS MEAT INSIDE MY "VEGETARIAN" MEAL!!! This is totally unacceptable!"
Pros: "Food and in-flight services"
Cons: "Entertainment package"
Pros: "The crew members are very polite and professional"
Cons: "The food is not very nice, the drink is don’t taste so great either . The airline seats are too small"
Pros: "Friendly service"
Pros: "I think that I appreciated all the details during the trip. As I get my kayak app in my IPhone, i firstly received a notice that the check in started.... At each step, I could see the time discounted through my phone"
Cons: "As I said, I liked everything. From the departure to the landing"
Cons: "My luggage was broken into and stolen. They sawed off the zip on my suitcase and broke the handle. Stole a number of personal items including a belt, perfume, t-shirts and cash."
Pros: "Fligh was on time, front desk staff were very helpfful, flight staff were friendly"
Pros: "That there were not many people on the second leg and that the plane was clean"
Cons: "The fact that we had an itinerary change with an extra stop (unannounced until 15 minutes before I boarded the flight) that delayed us by 1+ hours, that we were delayed from leaving Kigali by 1.5 hours and none of the crew could explain what was going on, that the rwandair staff was rude. I mean... It's Rwanda so I didn't expect much customer service (they are generally particularly bad by African, European, Asian or American standards) and I definitely wasn't impressed"
Pros: "Everything was perfect. On time arrival."
Cons: "Loud Nigerian co-passengers"
Pros: "Timeliness, Service, Cleanliness Comfort"
Pros: "The food initially given at 2:00am IST was really good and so I didn't even have to wake up again to eat."
Cons: "The breakfast was not as appetizing."
Pros: "The aircraft was nice, clean and seemed new. The staff was very professional, immaculate uniforms and appearance. Great attention to detail. We traveled from US - Nairobi - Kigali - Johannesburg, changing planes four times. These were some of the nicest planes. I felt very safe traveling this airline."
Cons: "Too much bread in the meals. The meals were adequate in quantity but each meal came with two rolls, which was excessive. Just a note - for the boarding area in the airport. Please have restroom facilities in boarding area, past security so you can use the restroom without having to go through security again. Also, if food and beverage is available for sale in the boarding area more passengers would make purchases."
Pros: "Good and clean planes, good service"
Cons: "We had couple of ours delay and not well communicated"
Pros: "Friendly staff, decent snacks and entertainment options"
Pros: "The plane was nice and the captain gave good info."
Cons: "Why was dinner served at 2AM? They woke me up three times to serve drinks and food and the cabin lights were never turned off, for an overnight flight! The Kigali airport waiting area is awful, and the holding area made it so that every child had to use the bathroom as soon as we boarded."
Cons: "The food options were unclear- they didn't announce what was in each meal, aside from the type of meat. It wouldn't kill you to have a vegetarian option on hand either, especially since your website doesn't work."
Pros: "the snack was terrific!"
Pros: "My sister and I were travelling to and from Tanzania through Kigali. The crew was great and our flight was easy."
Pros: "What did you like? the attendants were very kind"
Pros: "Good"
Pros: "Was good on time"
Pros: "Very slow check in. Bit slow and chaotic at gate. Pleasant enough service but not excetional. Smooth flight. Informative pilot. Silly short bus ride to terminal. Very very long wait for baggage."
Pros: "Good food, friendly and professional staff, a new and sparkling clean plane, swift retrieval of luggage upon arrival in Kigali. Thank you!"
Pros: "The crew was very welcoming"
Cons: "We had a delay of 40 minutes at Kigali airport without prior announcement"
Pros: "Overall comfort and staff friendliness"
Cons: "Landing was a bit turbulent"
Pros: "Rwanda air crew"
Cons: "Lagos international airport"
Pros: "Like Kigali it was clean and efficient."
Cons: "Food is almost inedible"
Pros: "Planes were great and flight crew excellent."
Pros: "Everything went well as expected..."
Cons: "Too cold on the plane - way, way too cold"
Cons: "We were delayed by 1 hour because more cargo was being loaded on to the plane. When we arrived in Kigali, we found that our bags had been left behind to make room for other cargo. We arrived and checked in well before the 1 hour cutoff and we were under the weight limit, so there was no reason for our baggage to be left behind. We were informed that our bags would NOT be delivered to us at our next destination, that the burden was on us to retrieve them AND there was no stipend or any type of refund to compensate us for the inconvenience. Since we were continuing our travel by road to Uganda, we had to pay extra to have a driver return to the airport the next day to retrieve and deliver our bags. This is very, very poor customer service!"
Pros: "RwandAir flew us to Nairobi instead and I thought that was good of them to make that change for us. The above evaluation pertains to the flight to Nairobi."
Pros: "The Rwandair plane was modern and clean. Kigali airport has a nice cafe, and check-in was efficient. The plane left a few minutes early."
Cons: "Check-in closes one hour before your flight. Economy class: Food was a clingwrapped sandwich. The attendant gave me two bottles of a good South African wine. Security has gotten quite uptight at Kigali airport. They now stop your cab a couple hundred meters short of the airport, and have a dog check the vehicle. You have to pass through another security checkpoint at the entry to the airport building, and a third security into the boarding area. The final security check even takes away any empty bottles you have. And don't take any fingernail scissors in your handcarry, even if they have blunt points. You may have an hour or more wait in preboarding, and without water or bathroom excess. So takke care of these needs in advance."
Pros: "Nothing."
Cons: "This airline is an operational nightmare. I purchased a ticket with a connection, and the second flight being a codeshare, two months in advance. On the day of travel, I checked in, checked two bags, and headed to the gate. An hour before the flight, a Rwandaair agent approached me to inform me that they were no longer code sharing with precision air, the second flight. Chaos ensued, my bags got lost, I got stuck in Nairobi, etc. in Nairobi, one of the Kenya airways agents literally said to me 'avoid Rwandaair and precision airlines - they are both airlines that do not follow any regulations, and not just operational, but safety as well.'"
Pros: "The flight times were perfect and the seats were comfortable."
Cons: "The food was just ok"
Pros: "Everything was excellent, service, cabin, food."
Cons: "First announcement cockpit was just before landing. Would have liked some information before takeoff and once in the air"
Pros: "Orderly, organized, courteous"
Pros: "I always appreciate the cleanliness of Rwanda! This carries over to their planes too. Good staff on the plane. Too short of a flight for entertainment- it was amazing they even served the quick drink and snacks they did! Good on-time flights."
Cons: "After I bought my tickets the flights were rescheduled, giving us an 8 hour layover between flights... some in our party were stuck in the airport with nothing to do, and there is nothing to do in that airport. One question, when will passengers learn that listening to music or movies on the plane without headphones is really uncool?"
Pros: "It was a short flight and all went well. We even had time for a snack."
Pros: "Service! Smooth ride and good food!"
Pros: "Flight was on time, arrived on good time"
Cons: "No entertainment on the flight, no headphones for music"
Pros: "It was great. Quick 45 minute flight."
Pros: "What did you like? time management was great, and the service on board was superb,"
Cons: "What didn't you like? so far so good"
Cons: "Reckless and inconsiderate airline. The only carrier refusing to modify travel due to Covid-19 pandemic"
Cons: "Nothing"
Pros: "Staff was very friendly and loved the food."
Cons: "For economy class, nothing."
Cons: "The plane waited 40 minutes for delayed connecting flights to arrive. It's great for some passengers because they don't miss the transatlantic flight, but it causes others to miss their connections on the other end. It added to very stressful deplaning."
Pros: "Awful!!!"
Pros: "The AC was working well during the flight. Food was so much better than United and crew was very nice and helpful."
Cons: "The seats in economy class are horrible, I had to get up every hour for a short stretch. The entertainment system remote control was very sticky, quite disgusting. Good think I carried some disinfecting wipes."
Pros: "The expedited transfer from late flight out of Rome was an amazingly efficint process, much appreciated. Was very stressed when I thought I could not make the transfer, but Swissair really had it covered. My compliments"
Pros: "Food was great, creww was very nice"
Cons: "Following our request, such has being seated next to each other and not only having one person being upgraded when we're two."
Cons: "The food was really bad. I prebooked an AISLE seat and of course I was given the WINDOW!"
Pros: "nice flight"
Pros: "Seat was ok, crew was friendly"
Cons: "Movie options were limited"
Pros: "Staff, food, on board entertainment all very impressive. Great flight."
Cons: "Because we missed our connection on our incoming flight, due to a delay leaving Newark by Swiss, Swiss cancelled our returning flights. So when we got to the airport on our return day, we were not booked on any flights. We were required to stay overnight and take a United flight home. Will avoid Swiss in the future."
Cons: "Entertainment system was not working"
Pros: "The airplane was cool and the time for arriving was correct as well as easy to check in. The pilot was good and they told us who won on the World Cup tournament I liked that. There was a younger crew memeber she was reaaally nice."
Cons: "I asked when i got my ticket for a window seat and he said he gave me one but he did not in the two flights I got. I requested the crew for a window seat if possible since I had been feelin nauseated, it did not help that the guy sitting next to me had a really bad breat and smelled bad. They offered me a sit in the middle of the plane, that did not work well because I was feeling sick, being in between a big guy and a bigger lady was not going to help at all. There was an older crew member and she seemed to be kinda discussed with the trash even though she was using gloves. Food was ok but not the best. To top it off I told them that the headphones connection wasn’t working and they only brought me a pair of new headphones. I tried mine and they didn’t worked, so the whole 8 hrs of flight I was watching movies with sound only from on side. They didn’t even bother, I guess cuz I am economy? Not sure I did see some free chairs in the lanes between economy and first class but they didn’t even suggested that so I decided to suck it up and sit on my assigned chair. The bathrooms where dirty and smelled reaaally bad from the beginning that really was disgusting to be honest. I can let go many things but not that. I had to help the passenger sitting next to me cuz he didn’t know how to do anything and didn’t speak English, he was an older man, with signs I was able to show him how an airplane works. I never complain about flights but this one was tooo many little things. Oh and what about an international flight where I have to pay for a second bag! Really? I did it on my way to Europe and I thought I payed both and then I had to do it again. Whatever money I thought I could save was a lie because I ended up paying a lot more adding the bags and additional transportation for home based on the airports. I am not satisfied at all with the flight experience"
Pros: "The food was quite good and the crew was perfectly friendly. The entertainment choices were useful on such a long flight."
Cons: "It was extremely warm on the flight; consequently, I was unable to sleep. This was my second overly warm Swiss Air flight. After numerous complaints on the first flight, the temperature was lowered, but the second flight remained warm."
Pros: "Everything was very good. From the staff, to the food and comfort. Excellent!"
Cons: "All of it"
Pros: "Swiss is famous for the punctuality, I actually love the airport too in Zurich, is super clean and modern, very efficient. Food on board was great in Economy as well!"
Cons: "the seats are not spacious enough. I barely had the seats in front on my basically on my laps.. a little bit too claustrophobic!"
Pros: "Cabin crew were friendly, efficient, courteous Refreshments generous and excellent. Good movies."
Cons: "Rather than boarding economy passengers by row number, there is a free-for-all at the gate, and tedious blockage in the aisles as passengers wait for others to place carry-on luggage. More leg-room than United, but still a bit crowded for tall people. VERY BAD DESIGN of arm-rests, which do not go up all the way into the seat but instead jut out at an angle."
Pros: "Great flight. Lots of good food."
Pros: "The service and food are very good."
Cons: "Tight space for business class."
Pros: "Good film selection -which unfortunately I couldn’t watch. To be fair I got a 50 CHF discount for my next flight with Swiss."
Cons: "Entertainment system wasn’t working in my row. Food was not great, not the standard I’m used to from Swiss. Took them forever to turn on air handling after boarding, plenty of time for All the people with colds and coughing fits to infect everybody else."
Pros: "Food is excellent... nice variety plus dessert. Everything was hot & delicious & used metal utensils which was much nicer than plastic."
Pros: "Nice staff and inflight service. seats were great"
Pros: "good service, patient with passengers"
Cons: "For 9 hr flight the space between the seats in economy class was way too small. Im 1.75cm (medium) and I felt squeesed and very unconfitable not like in Lufthansa airplane flying from Newark to Dussldorf. (Flight only 6:15min) In addition, when front passenger moved his seat back on me I had a lot of difficulties with getting in and out of my seaat."
Pros: "Seats were comfortable, air crew was friendly, helpful and patient. The food was actually really quite good. Entertainment kept my little ones occupied and seated."
Cons: "There were quite a lot of in-flight announcements by the flight crew - which disrupted the in-flight entertainment and irritated the little ones. The garbage dispenser in the bathroom seemed a bit small for the task."
Pros: "Outstanding service. Friendly flight attendants."
Cons: "Was sent through two redeem security screenings. In Zürich. I doubt this was the airline's fault but it had been a very early morning and it was challenging to remain patient."
Pros: "Legroom is too little"
Pros: "Food a, entertainment and crew were really good!"
Cons: "Boarding was chaose and seats were tight."
Pros: "I was concerned the connections would be too tight but it worked out great!"
Pros: "The flight attendants are great and their aircraft are very clean and comfortable. I especially appreciated the request for passengers to raise their seat backs during meal times."
Pros: "Staff & service were super nice & friendly. In this day & age that airline travel is getting really hectic, it was a breath of fresh air to see friendly & dedicated staff who clearly enjoy what they are doing."
Cons: "Can't think of anything"
Pros: "Attention to details from flight attendants"
Cons: "The food was not to my liking except for the crackers, ice cream and water!!"
Cons: "Expired cheese. Loudest plane I have ever been on."
Pros: "Even though the flight felt like forever, the cabin crew did such a wonderful job at making us all feel comfortable. The food selection was great and the fact that the staff was approachable was also a great plus. Will definitely fly again using Swiss air. Thank you"
Cons: "On the flight to Zurich the passenger behind me gave me a difficult time about reclining my seat back but keep in mind he had his reclined. Coming back to Newark the gentleman behind my boyfriend made a comment how he didn't have room due to his seat being reclined. The passenger next to us was arguing with the passenger in front of her because she didn't want that person to recline their seat back. I have never experienced such rude people on a flight and I realize this is beyond your control. It made for a very uncomfortable and stressful flight. Maybe signs can be posted or a message when booking your flight that ALL passengers have a right to recline seats and if space is an issue for your comfort then upgrade to business class for more room."
Pros: "I cannot check in online for us flights so I need to get my seat at the check in. I am flying with swiss every month between Zürich and New York but a lot of Ines I get a shitty seat even if I am silver status As a frequent flyer I expect a priority handling which is not the case . No upgrade poaaibility due to wrong booking class (even if flights are very expensive) if this continues to go that way I will change airline alliance This is more a miles and more issue but it is really annoying me in a way that I really consider changin"
Pros: "Everything except the earphones was great"
Cons: "The earphones are bad and connector is 2 pins, so couldn't use mine."
Cons: "Unorganized and hectic at the gate; personnel were rude and unhelpful. I was asked numerous times to Leave and let them do their work" when I asked why I was on standby and what that meant."
Cons: "Better seats"
Pros: "General good service, food was good"
Cons: "Airplane wasn't clean, we had hair on the headrest cover and asked one of the crew members for new headrest cover but was ignored."
Pros: "This direct flight from Zurich-Newark is pretty comfortable, especially if you get the two seats at the either sides of the plane (it's a 2x4x2 config in Coach). The food is really good, they are generous with drinks and the crew is really friendly and smiling! Would take this flight again without any reservations in future!"
Pros: "I was supposed to visit my father who was just put in a nursing home for a few days and the day of my flight I received an email from Swiss that they had rebooked me for the next day! So frustrating! The trip would have gotten so short that it wasn't worth it so I had to reschedule it 6 weeks out. It got my dad really upset! Thank god his health is stable at the moment."
Cons: "The boarding process at Zurich airport was a mess. There was no communication at the gate to tell passengers what to do or where to stand"
Cons: "Flight was delayed 4 hours. Asked 3 different personnel at Zurich airport at no one could help with wifi or how it could be accessed since both wifi scanning machine in Gate E area weren't working. It just seemed that they were incompetent or weren't willing to help. Crew on flight were very nice. Vegetarian food options better than chicken / meat options."
Pros: "Cabin crew was very nice and organized."
Cons: "Flight delayed , and while waiting for long time I was not sure which gate to wait infront."
Pros: "Great service on the board service, plenty of drinks during flight, decent food on economy class, spotless clean plane."
Pros: "The staff were friendly and helpful, even more so as we traveled with two small kids. Very professional, high standards even for economy!"
Pros: "The crew was friendly, the food delicious, and the plane itself in highest quality and state-of-the-art."
Pros: "Amazing !"
Cons: "Nothing all good really"
Cons: "Very cramped aisle seat and I kept being knocked by passing crewe including knocking over a cup of water."
Pros: "Crew was generally nice and caring."
Cons: "Of course coach seat was not super comfortable. And speaker and screen at my seat did not work."
Pros: "Premium economy was perfect, smaller cabin with less people, great flight."
Cons: "Seats were really old and outdated"
Pros: "Crew were great! Neck cushions on chair aren’t adjustable and not comfortable."
Pros: "The crew was maybe average, that was still the best point."
Cons: "Extremely tight space. The food was almost inedible. Awful."
Cons: "Getting home 5 hrs later than planned"
Pros: "Meals were excellent and plane was very clean. Economy delight is definitely an upgrade worth considering with extra leg room and space in front of you in general."
Cons: "Boarding can get crowded so don't be in a rush"
Pros: "Provides the service you'd expect from an international carrier. Boarded on time, seat actually reclines, meals, baggage, seat assignments are included in the price. Staff treat you well and the price isn't bad."
Cons: "Virgin website is slow and not intuitive. Couldn't get seat assignment until i was at the gate. No explanation why. Boarding announcements delivered via ESP. Half of the passengers were still in the boarding area because no one heard announcements. Arrived 30 min early but had to wait on the tarmac for 45 min for a parking gate. Baggage delivery at JFK took forever."
Pros: "Service, pilot updates, and seating were all great!"
Pros: "The flight crew was phenomenal, especially Daniella. Somehow we wound up with seats right next to the bathroom door, which would have been a pretty uncomfortable situation for a variety of reasons, but the flight wasn't full, and she helped us find a suitable place to sit. Also, my wife and I usually take our tea with honey vs. milk and sugar. Even though honey is usually one of the options for tea, she found a way to accommodate our request. The lunch meals were the best I can remember in a long time on an airline flight. They might have been the best I've ever had. The chicken curry was authentic, flavorful and spicy. Frankly my outbound flight had problems. My luggage got damaged. The transfer experience in Manchester left a LOT to be desired. I wasn't planning to use Virgin Atlantic again, but this flight crew (Daniella especially) redeemed Virgin Atlantic. They were attentive, pleasant, diligent."
Cons: "Only thing I didn't like about this flight was the boarding area. Once you get into that the area, you don't really have access to appetizing food (only vending machines) or even restrooms. That's one thing that could be improved."
Pros: "Friendly staff, so much food/snacks were offered. Good movies available."
Cons: "Nothing"
Cons: "Queue at boarding gate for upper class ticket holders Bus transfer to plane - Virgin is not a LoCo airline! Upper Class Service was slow - understaffed?"
Pros: "Service, meals, friendly and attentive FAs"
Pros: "The crew were friendly."
Cons: "The food was okay. There were more tasty options traveling to Heathrow versus from Heathrow to the NYC. The boarding process was a mess. We had to wait in an enormous line and then take a bus to the flight."
Pros: "The cabin crew were excellent!"
Cons: "I paid extra for Economy Delight seats for me and my wife. Shortly after take-off, our calm and comfortable more or less empty section of the aircraft was colonised by an extended family of Orthodox Jews in a kind of airborne West Bank situation. They weren’t in our section of the cabin at all to start with, and I don’t know why they were apparently able to get a free upgrade that I had to pay £100 for. We went from being in an almost empty cabin to being basically sat in the middle of an Orthodox Jewish kindergarten. It was awful! They were noisy, messy, were constantly getting in and out of their seats, the back of my seat kept getting kicked, and there was even a baby crawling around the aisle. We were surrounded. I have no idea whether this is characteristic of Orthodox Jewish family life, or just a completely inconsiderate family. They didn’t exactly ruin my flight, but they didn’t make it enjoyable either. I asked to be moved. The cabin crew were great and acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. My wife lost her window seat but at least we still had the legroom and peace and quiet."
Pros: "2 bags each 23 kilogram each total 46"
Cons: "Coffee. I don't know what it was but the worst coffee I have ever had and I tried it 3 times"
Pros: "The service, the drinks, the crew were friendly and professional. Entertainment choices were excellent.0"
Cons: "The space was a bit cramped and the poxket in front of the chair to jeep things was broken."
Pros: "Legroom, lovely staff and all round good flight"
Cons: "Older media entertainment screen with hard to use touch interface."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "I had to run for almost 2 miles every time I had to change the flight. On the way to India they lost my one bag, and on the way back to US they lost my both begs."
Pros: "Quite a big choice of movies and TV shows to watch, more than enough for an eight hour flight. Normal headphone plugs so you can use your own."
Cons: "I booked together with my wife, yet we were allocated seats apart and were not able to be reassigned together. The leg room was so tight that I could not pick up things off the floor without putting my head in the next persons lap. Though the cabin crew were smiley and friendly, it was hard to get their attention when needed. The PA system is much louder than the entertainment, so announcements were ear bursting. The dinner selections ran out early, so a good proportion did not get their choice."
Pros: "Everything went very fast and smooth. I didn't have to queue for the boarding. The Sita were very comfortable, the crew very friendly and halepful and the selection of the movies A+."
Pros: "Choice of movies was good, but told the flight over was better. I flew another airline. Had no issue checking one bag in for free, but I think that is standard on an international flight."
Cons: "Entertainment systems take up foot/bag space underneath the seats. Was not able to get more than one glass of wine, even though I missed the first beverage service, that is my fault though, but I don't recall it being an issue getting a drink between services. Entertainment systems had contrast issues and it seemed like a lot of people 8 - 10 had issues since they were using iPads instead of the built in monitors. A lot of wear showing on the entertainment systems remotes."
Pros: "The speed of boarding, then the frequency of service. Cabin crew were very dedicated. All in all, a very smooth flight. Ps. my first Virgin was called Carole. ;)"
Cons: "The food left a lot to be desired, but apart from my flight on Emirates to Auckland, Airoplne food does tend to be somewhat......mmmm not sure what the word is, but room for improvement describes it."
Pros: "Efficient service"
Cons: "Entertainment screens were of poor quality"
Pros: "The staff was so helpful and upbeat and somehow they stayed that way the whole 8 hour flight. This was economy btw! More good things: Comfy seat, personal entertainment screen, really nice food. One free checked bag, bathroom was bigger, (it may have been a handicapped bathroom)."
Cons: "Nothing was a problem at all. (I saved "excellent" for the things I really wanted to emphasize)"
Pros: "Entertainment system worked well. Good choices."
Cons: "Food decent, but not enough fluids offered during flight . Was very dehydrated by end."
Pros: "Food was great, plenty of it also"
Cons: "I'm 6'4" and there was no acknowledgement by the crew that I was squashed into a tight seat."
Pros: "Food"
Cons: "Seat reclining happens even during meal time and landing! I had to ask crew to get passenger in front to put seat back upright during meal time!!! Crew should've noticed themselves and ask the passenger without my prompting!! So annoyed!! I complained to VA too"
Pros: "They were were very kind and helpful to all passengers"
Pros: "Staff was friendly and welcoming."
Cons: "There was nothing not to like."
Pros: "New Dreamliner aircraft was very comfortable with loads of leg room for a tall person like myself at 1.76m"
Cons: "My seat was directly under the aircon and it was blowing very cold all night which made it quite uncomfortable. Fortunately I had an extra blanket which I could wrap over my head."
Pros: "Plenty of leg room Open area for self-serve snacks and non-alcoholic drinks Food was very good Super friendly attendants"
Pros: "Easy check in and boarding."
Cons: "Uncomfortable seats and poor food."
Pros: "Virgin Atlantic had a very attractive decor.Food was great& staff as well. Polite and professional ."
Cons: "The seat I had was a bit snug leg wise and recline wise. Could not get comfortable at all."
Pros: "The space you have with your legs is sufficient and the chairs are very comfortable. The food was really nice. I enjoyed the trip, although it was a long one."
Pros: "I liked the entertainment system, free adult beverages and boarding process"
Cons: "I don't like that they have you pay extra for picking seats that have no extras. No preboarding. No extra legroom."
Pros: "Service, food, etched all fine"
Cons: "Fees to assign seats in advance are very high. Sat on the Tarmac a while before takeoff and after landing."
Pros: "Food and beverage choices excellent"
Cons: "Cold draft at all times."
Pros: "Top notch for a long economy class flight. Great new plane!"
Pros: "The crew was very good with the passengers and attentive"
Cons: "The leg space is very tight, it was very hard to sit specially for longer flights it's not that comfortable"
Pros: "free wine, good food, and friendly cabin crew? what more could you want? oh, a good variety of entertainment. I watched two documentaries and "The Lobster" a great choice, never would have seen it otherwise."
Cons: "The seat cushions are really hard and not very comfortable to sit on for a long flight. If you could get a higher density foam that would be great. my bum was a bit sore/uncomfortable."
Cons: "45 minute delay on runway after landing was very very frustrating."
Pros: "Staff were friendly and flight was clean. Lots of movies to watch."
Cons: "The seats gets smaller each year. For a seven hour flight, the seats are very uncomfortable, no space to move. The flight with the hand held remote control TV had poor visual quality. It was hard to watch movies with dark background."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "The food I had food poisoning"
Pros: "Extremely uncomfortable seats in the Economy section and a very confusing remote control to maneuver the entertainment screen. The crew was excellent so it's not their fault. The food was passable but those white bread rolls got to go. My luggage didn't arrive so let's hope they bring it today."
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