Unlike my 10 Best Flights of 2017 post from earlier today, I’d say this list is a bit more controversial. After all, how bad can Lufthansa First Class be…or any premium product for that matter?
But listing my 10 worst delayed domestic flights would hardly be worth a post. So here are my 10 worst flights of 2017, with the caveat that I am limiting my list to longhaul or international flights.
1. United Airlines, LAX-SIN
There was nothing wrong with the seat, food, or service onboard the flight…I just got very sick onboard. It’s the first time I’ve ever been this sick on airplane and was an absolute nightmare of a 17hr flight.
> Full Review: United Airlines 787-9 Polaris Business Class Los Angeles to Singapore (Inaugural)
2. Uzbekistan Airways, JFK-TAS
I’m not a wine snob, but this was the absolute worst wine I’ve ever had (red wine…no white was boarded). More importantly, the cost/benefit analysis of this flight really drove me crazy…I paid over $2K for what amounted to be an extremely mediocre business class experience. You know a flight is bad when you cannot stop thinking about getting off the plane hours before landing.
> Full Review: Uzbekistan Airways 787 Business Class New York to Tashkent
3. Somon Air, DYU-DXB
Smoking. I just cannot stand the smell of cigarette smoke from 36,000 feet. Although Somon Air has great potential and offered a competitive product for a short flight, the smoking ruined it for me.
> Full Review: Somon Air 737 Business Class Dushanbe To Dubai
4. Aerolineas Argentinas, CUN-EZE
It’s sad when FAs simply don’t give a you know what. The business class seat onboard the A340 is ancient, the food more fit for economy class, but the service just left so much to be desired.
> Full Review: Aerolineas Argentinas A340 Business Class Cancún to Buenos Aires
5. United Airlines, HKG-ORD
A 14hr flight in the back of the plane is absolutely brutal. Throw in poor onboard food, limited IFE choices, and extremely crowded lavoatries and you have a flight worthy of forgetting.
> Read More: How to Survive 14 Hours in Economy Class
6. Iberia, MAD-LAX
Service matters to me. The flight was pleasant enough and the food very much above average, but when a FA rudely prohibited me from taking pictures, it gave me no desire to fly Iberia anytime soon.
> Full Review: Iberia A330-200 Business Class from Madrid to Los Angeles
7. Vietnam Airlines, BKK-SGN
Communication is key. After warning us that due to bad weather our aircraft would potentially divert, the captain never made another announcement. We landed (thankfully in Ho Chi Minh City) with my heart pounding, not knowing if I would make my onward Qatar Airways connection or even whether I would be busted for not having a visa.
> Full Review: Review: Vietnam Airlines A321 Economy Class Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City
8. Air Serbia, LHR-BEG
Even a good flight can be disappointing. This one, by most measures, was a great flight for European business class. But unbeknownst to me, Air Serbia had torn out its “real” business class seats on this aircraft only a week before and never bothered to notified me. I paid extra for business class only for the seats…not for a meal or better service.
> Full Review: Air Serbia A320 Business Class from London to Belgrade
9. SWISS, LAX-ZRH
Once again, a service issue. While the seat was great, the food was abysmal and one FA I deemed incredibly rude. Unfortunately, it truly left a foul taste in my mouth. That’s sad for an otherwise exceptional business class product.
> Full Review: SWISS 777-300ER Business Class Los Angeles to Zurich
10. Lufthansa, LAX-FRA
Sometimes even Lufthansa First Class falls short, though this flight cannot be blamed on Lufthansa itself. This was the flight with the smelly, boisterous passenger who made a scene when he thought the purser was targeting him for his race. In reality, she was targeting him because he came out of the lavatory having literally bathed in perfume and stinking up the entire cabin. It was toxic!
> Full Review: Lufthansa 747-8 First Class Los Angeles to Frankfurt
CONCLUSION
I’d say #1 was 10x worse than all the other flights put together. It is horrible to be sick on a flight and that flight represents not just the worse flight of the year, but the worst flight of my life.
What was your worst flight in 2017?
I missed your LH review but I’m positive I flew with that same guy in the funny blue shirt who stunk like cheap cologne on a flight this summer, FRA-LOS. The guy was in business class and extremely rude to everyone. Who do you think he was? Some
crazy African dictator??
LOL, I’m sure it was the same guy. Sorry you had to go to LOS. That’s where he was headed. For this trip, it would have been June 29th he would have continued on to Lagos.
What’s your policy on publishing photos of airline personnel or other passengers? (flight #7)
I ask FAs before I take pictures. For example, on Turkish a couple weeks ago they declined any close-ups or mention of names. And I respected that wish.