AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS Passenger Reviews and Customer Trip Reports

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AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review :  23 January 2010 by B Humphrey (UK)

Crew dreadful, food cold - delays from start to finish on outbound and inbound. Tripoli is the filthiest most hostile place and staff bully passengers especially female. We were delayed for 8hrs and no one would help. They all smoke in the no smoking areas, the toilets have to be seen to be believed. Brand new planes are good but there the value stops - it is just not worth the saving on flight costs.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review :  23 January 2010 by H Brant (UK)

London Gatwick-Tripoli-Johannesburg return. I booked on price, so my expectations were fairly low. The first three sectors were more or less on time, fourth just under 30 minutes late. I was pleasantly surprised to find LGW check-in desk open nearly 4 hours before the scheduled departure time! Airline food is rarely very good in economy, but Afriqiyah's compared quite favourably with most. My only criticism is that a couple of dishes were quite spicy - and a choice was not always offered. I was pleasantly surprised by the in-flight entertainment, which had a modern touch-screen interface, and seemed to be reliable. Legroom was good. For me the only negative issue really was Tripoli Airport. The departure lounge is small, and not very comfortable. There were people smoking, despite "no smoking" signs. Maybe smoking is only allowed in certain areas, but the smoke carries everywhere. The toilets are in serious need of modernisation too. I was glad I didn't have to spend long there. The staff there were pleasant and helpful though. I would consider flying with Afriqiyah again if the price is right, especially once the expansion and upgrading of Tripoli Airport is complete.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review :  20 January 2010 by A Regan (UK)

In June 2009 I booked a trip from London to Cape Town (via Tripoli) with Afriqiyah Airways leaving on Christmas day for about £400 - a pretty good deal. However, in September they decided to stop in Johannesburg instead, and booked us a transfer from Johannesburg to Capetown. Alas, on our way out, after an unscheduled stop in Paris to pick up "a few passengers" and a 4-5 hour unexplained delay in Tripoli, we missed the connecting flight and had to pay £200 each for new tickets - despite reassurances from Afriqiyah Airways in Tripoli that they had transferred us onto later flights. In the end we were travelling for over 24 hours. On the way back the travel documents we used to travel out were not accepted in Johannesburg airport and we had to call the UK from a mobile to get further details. Once again we got stuck in Tripoli airport for over ten hours due to snow at Gatwick. Tripoli airport is awful - it is one giant ashtray with disgusting toilets. Despite the lovely planes this was the worst airline experience I have had.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review :  14 January 2010 by Stephanie McVicker (UK)

I flew to Johannesburg via Brussels and Tripoli, return. Flight attendants great who provided a cheerful and competent service. One even went to the business class to get me a lovely cup of coffee when he realised coffee was crucial to my travelling pleasure! Yes there were delays in Tripoli - but immigration officials were welcoming and we were kept fully informed as to the reasons for hold up. Toilets in Tripoli are as bad as everyone else suggests - do avoid. Useful to know that they accept Euros in their Duty Free and cafe.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review :  19 October 2009 by Michael Redman (UK)

I have used Afriqiyah Airways for four return trips, Gatwick - Accra, over the last 14 months. Treatment has been unfailingly good. Yes, there have been delays, but informed of the reasons for the delays and on one occasion we were given drinks while we waited to go into the airport. The cabin crew are excellent, and value for money is good.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review :  8 October 2009 by Jordan Mandoza (UK)

London-Tripoli-Johannesburg. Tripoli airport toilets are so bad you really have to be desperate to use them. Airline good value for money. Cabin crew not very cheerful looked tired all times. The only reason I would fly with them again is value for money but more friendly and cheerful cabin crew needed. A330 plane has good leg room and clean but the A320 plane not much leg room and needs cleaning up.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review :  24 August 2009 by B Quigley (UK)

Tripoli - London Gatwick - Tripoli. New plan, good entertainment, attentive service. No problems apart from painfully slow Check-In at Gatwick, and no alcohol.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 17 July 2009 : by L Olonode

Customer Rating : 4/5

Dakar-Tripoli-Gatwick. Fantastic seats and legroom. Food was good, as was in-flight entertainment. Friendly, efficient cabin staff. Late departure but arrived on time. Price lower than alternative carriers.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 5 May 2009 : by B Ajinibi

Customer Rating : 3/5

Lagos to Tripoli was ok except the deplorable condition of the toilet, no inflight entertainment, cabin crews were boring beyond description, meal was ok. Landed at Tripoli airport on time and cheerful ground crew. I have never seen a worse and appalling toilets like what I saw at the Tripoli airport. Tripoli to Gatwick flight was ok, a better and newer aircraft, more responsive cabin crew, inflight entertainment though without headset, arrived Gatwick on time. Return flight was almost a replication of the inbound flights except that there was headset for inflight entertainment. Afriqiyah should replace aircraft flying Lagos leg, its below international standard, and they dare not fly such aircraft to Gatwick. Will fly them if they improve on the hygiene

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 28 April 2009 : by Peter Higgins

Customer Rating : 3/5

Dubai - Tripoli - Dakar. All in all the flight experience was a pleasure, with very good food, good seat space and regular drinks - the spare seat next to me also helped. It was also good not to have the flight constantly interrupted by announcements of one kind or another in three different languages as seems to be the trend these days. Tripoli airport isn't a pleasure, but no worse than you would expect and every landing seemed calmer than I am used to on the bigger planes. Two big faults though: firstly we had to turn the plane around for a sick passenger, and no one made any announcement until about 5 seconds before landing, which made most of us think we had turned around for a plane fault. Secondly on the outward flight, my bags arrived two days late. Not a disaster for me, but certainly it could have been for some people. No apology, no attempt to trace me when the bag arrived (though they said they were just about to). Also, only 3 movies for 26 hours of flying. Very cheap and comfortable.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 2 February 2009 : by Rob Sidley

Customer Rating : 4/5

London - Tripoli - Accra. Have to say that in both directions a pleasant and trouble free flight. Onboard catering was fine and Coach class seating exceeded standard specs, both pitch and quality of seats. New aircraft but remember that this is a dry airline so no alcohol available. Overall, I would be happy to fly with them again.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 6 January 2009 : by Dan Harvey

Customer Rating : 3/5

The airline has improved since I first started travelling with them4 years ago. The airplanes are new, food is great, seats comfortable and staff are improving. However, the baggage service is a big disgrace. At the airport in Mali the service is useless, and at the office in Bamako, they cannot tell us anything. So until Afriqiyah can improve this, I will not be travelling Afriqiyah again.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 22 December 2008 : by A King

Customer Rating : 3/5

Gatwick to Accra. I was not disappointed with the quality of service - time, seat, cleanliness, entertainment and food. Each section of the trip proceeded smoothly and I felt comfortable. Whilst the airline was superb, I was disappointed with the toilet facilities at Tripoli. On both the outbound and the inbound flights, I have never seen an international airport with deplorable and unhygienic toilets like the ones I saw in Tripoli.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 11 November 2008 : by F Mahmood

Customer Rating : 3/5

Ouagadougou to Gatwick - the plane which was due to leave Ouaga at 1.00 am arrived at 4am & departed at 5am. I asked one of the ground staff before departure if I could possible catch the connecting flight at Tripoli which was due to leave at 8.30 am considering that it was a 4 hours flight to Tripoli and 2 hours time difference in advance. I was reassured more than once that I will catch the plane and even a message had been sent to wait for me there. I boarded the plane with a lot of apprehension and when we arrived at Tripoli I was not surprised to find that the plane had left without me 2 hrs earlier. I contacted Afriqiyah staff and they looked embarased and didn't know what to do with me - I had to stay in the airport lounge till the next day when one of the staff took somehow pity on me & upgraded my ticket to the first class. Food is not bad, inflight service good and 48 kg baggage allowance for somehow modest ticket price.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 7 November 2008 : by S Anutika

Customer Rating : 2/5

I travelled London Gatwick-Tripoli-Douala with Afriqiyah recently. Arriving 4 hours late, at 01.00 hours, I discovered that my luggage, and that of most of the other passengers, was not on the plane. I could get no information from staff at the airport, but was told that I would have to wait until Monday for the next scheduled flight, to see if it was forwarded. With my schedule completely ruined, and no change of clothing, I had to book a hotel, at my own expense, and wait till Monday. I spent most of Monday at the airport, trying to get information, without success. Finally, at 22.30, I was reunited with my luggage. Some passengers on that flight also, did not get their luggage. I will not be using this airline in future, even if it is still the cheapest deal.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 19 September 2008 : by Michael Redman

Customer Rating : 3/5

Gatwick-Accra-Gatwick and found the journey up to expectations. On time, both directions and the onboard staff very attentive without being fussy. The let-down was Tripoli airport on arrival from Gatwick: very scruffy and down-at-heel, and staff bullying passengers into line for us to obtain Boarding Cards for the Tripoli-Accra leg of the journey. Information was less than brilliant too. The return transfer was a better, but that's probably because I knew what to expect! Afriqiyah Airways are good value in my opinion.

AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS customer review : 27 August 2008 : by T Cisse

Customer Rating : 4/5

London-Tripoli-Dakar, returning in June. Much better than charter flights from Paris or charters to Gambia. Very few people on all legs of the flight meant that everyone could stretch out over 3 seats, fast and efficient check-in, I was told I could have taken 40kg, but the ticket issued through last minute.com only said 23kg. Entertainment good, western and arabic films, interesting documentary, and tapes of Koran. Staff responsive but dont fuss, laid back, will give extra food, plenty of drinks. Food all Halal and more'real than that served on 'western flights' but the same on return. Delay at Gatwick but they held all connecting flights in Tripoli. Planes modern and clean. Staff helpful and responsive in Dakar in changing return flight for under £50. Good cheap way to get to West Africa. This is an airline that caters for ordinary people and adequately meets those needs.