After my rough check-in and passport control experience at Algiers, I was admittedly anxious to board my Air Algérie flight to Doha. Would the onboard experience be bad too? Even my driver had warned me earlier that Air Algérie is the “worst airline in the world.” But instead, I was met with a great surprise onboard.
A Surprise Onboard Air Algérie
There’s really so little about Air Algérie on the internet. The carrier has several Airbus A330 jets and I was not even sure what business class would like onboard. More importantly, I wondered if I would be scolded (or worse) at the outset for taking pictures. There’s little value in a flight review without pictures…
But I am very happy to report that was not the case on this flight. Quite the contrary, actually. I was not the first passenger to board, but among the first and was welcomed onboard curtly in French. Turning left, I entered the business class cabin.
There, I received a warm greeting from Emelle and Nazim. Their English was perfect and their smiles were delightful.
I asked if it was okay to take pictures, noting I was excited to fly Air Algérie for the first time. Not only did they bless my photography, Nazim told me to turn on my video and then offered me this warm welcome:
What a night and day experience. To go from a check-in agent yelling at me with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth to border guards having fun at my expense to this.
I’ll shortly share my first impressions of the flight and I’ve got to tell you, it was lovely.
I mused over the weekend that people make or break an airline in terms of how I review it and this flight on Air Algérie was absolutely the surprise of the year when it came to the onboard experience.
Some airlines have really revamped themselves in certain sectors post-covid. It’s almost like certain sectors of employees of airlines have had a complete 180 from their previous reputation.
For me, it was Air France. Before 2020, despite flying in J or LP, the FAs had a “chic” personality which often translated to being cold and not that welcoming in general. I used to avoid flying them. However, post-pandemic, they’ve become friendly and more proactive regardless if it’s a short hop or on a longhaul at least in my experience.
I found tbe majority of their FAs warm and welcoming even before the pandemic.
It was hit or miss for me, even on LP pre-pandemic and I probably flew 75% in LP. Most of my flights were JFK-CDG or occasionally LAX-CDG when I had a meeting on the west coast.
Agreed… I have an AF purser in my family (married to a cousin) and even he says AF can either be a luxury cruise or steerage with little middle ground. Example: during an economy flight from CDG to IAD, no one could eat the mess of a meal. The purser came through the cabin and basically denied the evidence of dozens of barely touched rays. He offered no apology, rather, he implied we were all somehow colluding in denigrating the service – which had been terrific notwithstanding the meal quality. On a separate occasion from IAD to CDG, AF personnel were absolutely terrific, charming, outgoing and just great. As a matter of policy AF switches every crew so there is not a lot of cohesion developed between crew members which can be reflected in the varying levels of service and attitude.
@Matthew any chance they were expecting you and put their best crew on there for your benefit as happened with you and Ben on China Eastern?
Maybe you bring out the best in crews?Kenya Airways,Air Algeria,etc.I could imagine others going on about how miserable they were.Its great you have positive experiences!