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Biman Bangladesh review - by Terry Dryden

10 February 2006

New Delhi to Dhaka: without doubt the worst airline I've ever flown. On a scale of 0-10 with 0 the worst and 10 the best, Biman rates -10. My check-in experience was horrendous. There was no order or organization and the process took over an hour - a good thing the flight was running a few hours late. I had to fight to keep people from cutting in line in front of me. The staff didn’t seem to know what they were doing and there didn’t seem to be enough staff. The excess baggage fee was highway robbery - I checked two bags and paid just over $125. And they don’t take credit cards. I was thankful that I had kept my Indian rupees so that I was able to pay the huge excess baggage fee. I can understand a shop in remote village not taking VISA but not an international airline. Their handling of cash would give an accountant a coronary. Make sure you keep good records of what you pay and who you give your cash to. I would have sworn that the antique looking Airbus 310 I flew Delhi to Dhaka was built back in the 19th century - never cleaned or maintained since. The unusual mechanical noises during taxi, take off, flight and landing were unnerving. The seats are small and tightly squished together - pity anyone taller than me (I'm 5'10"), I have no idea where they will put their legs. I was struggling to find someplace to put mine - heaven forbid if the passenger in front of you decides to recline back into your lap and face. I doubt I could have read a book on the flight. There wasn't room for one! Plus the pages would have burst into flames due to the extremely hot temperature inside the cabin (I had a thermometer with me), it was over 91 Fahrenheit (33 Celsius), and there was no air circulation which made it seem even hotter. If you don't have any natural padding don't expect to find any in the seats. And pray you don't have to use the restrooms during the flight. Many have over the years and most seem to have missed their target. After landing I really expected to look back (as if I could really see though the filthy dirty windows) and see wing parts, debris, one of the engines and all our luggage spread out behind the aircraft as we taxied roughly off the runway. After arriving in Dhaka only two and a half hours late I hoped my return flight would be better. But after reading the negative comments on this web forum I didn’t have much hope for a better flight back to Delhi. I just hoped I would survive! And a recent article in the local paper about Biman flights experiencing 50 hour delays in New York and multi day delays in Europe didn’t encourage me any. If anyone ever suggests that you fly on Biman, walk instead. If you arrive at your destination you will be required to reconfirm your return flight at least 72 hours before your flight or your confirmed ticket will be canceled. That may be good or bad depending upon your perspective. Reconfirmation is another huge hassle with Biman. It took me six tries; once by phone as stated on their web site, and twice at their office in Chittagong and I tried again without success at a travel agency. The lines at the Biman office were long and not moving, maybe they had staff working the counters and maybe not, it was hard to tell looking through the multitudes of people waiting in the dark room. I ran out of time during both attempts at the Biman Chittagong office and had to leave. When I got to the Chittagong airport I went to the Biman ticket counter and they couldn't reconfirm my ticket there. Finally a local friend spent several hours getting my return ticket reconfirmed for me in Dhakha. I don't see the logic of having to reconfirm already bought and paid for confirmed tickets. My return flight went better than my first one did. My experience at the check out counter went well. I thought it was interesting that my excess baggage fee was less than half what I paid on my first flight considering that I had a few more kilograms on this flight. The flight left on time and arrived on time in Delhi. I had some friends who flew from Mumbai to Dhaka the other day and their flight was fourteen hours late. The aircraft was an old DC-10 and this flight was not stuffed full. In fact I had an open seat next to me which gave my legs someplace to spread out to. The food was not as tasty as the first flight but so far I’ve not gotten sick. The cabin temperature was comfortable only during take off and landing. During flight the air temp was around 85 Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) without any air circulation, still way too hot for my taste. I didn’t brave the restroom on this flight. I don’t plan to fly with Biman again. The hot cabin temp, very tight seating space, excessive excess baggage fees and the reconfirmation hassles are enough to keep me off their planes in the future. Seriously, fly on another airline when you visit Bangladesh. The few dollars saved with Biman Bangladesh Airlines are not worth it.

Biman Bangladesh review - by Iain Maciver

19 December 2005

I never thought an airline could be this pathetic. Missed my Emirates connection from Dubai to Dhaka and put onto the Biman flight. Unreal! Lavatory doors broken - in the open position, total seat fixed in place by many coats of paint, last owner was spanish as all the signs etc were in that language (as though the Bangladesh passengers understood it) , excrement on the floor, no air movement inside the cabin, told to pull shades down to keep heat out. No food, no drink, no nothing for the entire flight. It was a sweat box by the time it landed. Surely ICAO should ground this outfit!!! Avoid this airline, your life may depend on it!

Biman Bangladesh review - by Thierry de Borchgrave

10 December 2005

We tried to get to Bangkok with Biman Bangladesh, starting from Paris Orly. We should have left from Paris on Sunday, but the flight to Dhaka was cancelled. No announcement, no information, nothing. We managed to find a Biman representative who told us the flight would leave Monday morning. We could stay at a hotel close to the airport terminal, paid by Biman. We (and some more people that slept on the airport floor, because they did not find the well hidden Biman representative) left on Monday, but not straight to Dhaka. First to Rome to pick up some other passengers that got stuck there. Finally we took off to Dhaka and landed there in the middle of the night. Tickets and passports were taken and we could stay in a dirty hotel until the morning because the flight to Bangkok was leaving on Monday morning. The bus to the airport never picked us up. No flights to Bangkok on Monday ! You will fly tomorrow morning, we were told with a great smile. Finally we arrived in Bangkok Tuesday instead of Sunday. Return flight to Brussels via Dubai was okay, only three hours delay - first time and last time ever with Biman Bangladesh.

Biman Bangladesh review - by Jimmy Yu

1 November 2005

Before takeoff, the normal checks on passengers' safety belt was not carried out. There was a door latch that was unserviceable in the pantry. Before takeoff, the cabin crew placed boxes in front of this door in the attempt to prevent it from flipping open. The exterior of the airplane was very dirty. The interior décor of the cabin is poor. The seat covers, which have floral designs, are old and tattered. A making tape was found pasted on one of the in-flight screen monitor. This monitor was suspected to have cracked at its edge. There was also a foul smell of lavatory in the cabin throughout the flight. Despite sound system being built in the seats, earphones were never distributed to the passengers. No movie were screened during the flight. Other that the in- flight magazine, ‘Digonto’, no other reading materials were available in the cabin. Orange juice was served before the flight. After airborne, dinner which consists of only one meat puff and two springs rolls were served immediately. This meal was accompanied by hot beverage and plain water. The female cabin crew wears traditional ‘sari’ that gives the passenger an exotic South Asian feel. Only basic and essential service, like food distribution, was rendered to the passengers and nothing more. The cabin crew never smiled throughout. The standard of Biman cannot be comparable on the world stage -services are tolerable for very short haul flights but not suited for passengers intending to travel international beyond 5 hours of flight.

Biman Bangladesh - by Mehtab Rahman

15 August 2005

DAC-CGP Business Class. Flight delayed by two hours. The smell of aircraft fuel lingered onboard throughout the flight. The business class, with its infamous floral seat covers, in tatters. The seat configuration 2-3-2 on an airbus A310. Seat pitch poor (tighter than any other J class I have flown - pitch similar to WT+ on BA). Inflight service is minimal; pax offered water, sweets, pan masala and Biman's trademark 'Mango Bar' (which is quite good). Overall, an ok flight - nothing to write home about. Biman should consider revamping their aircrafts - they are horrible. I don't believe Biman will be purchasing a new fleet of B777s and A330/340's anytime soon, so better not keep hopes high. A poor airline, Biman should get its act together as quickly as possible.

Biman Bangladesh - by Jamal Ullah

9 August 2005

London-Dhaka-Sylhet. We were a group of 17 and booked 4 months in advance. After check-in we were hurried to board the plane, and was one of the last to board. Upon entering the plane I was disappointed with the interior, flowery seat covers and it looked like something from the seventies. This was the Airbus A300, the National Express coaches in England look a lot smarter! There was a lot of confusion with seating and my family was split up, they wanted my 4yr old daughter and my 3yr old son to sit some distance away from us, the crew constantly saying let us take off then you can swap seats with anyone. In the end a compromise was found with another family. The flight was ok and surprisingly on time. Entertainment was nothing at all, food not bad, all I can say is they should improve the look of the planes interiors and modernise things or they are going to lose a lot of business to other carriers. The only reason a lot of people use Biman is because of convenience of landing in Sylhet airport (Biman does not allow any other international flight to land in Sylhet, yet 90% of Biman passengers are Sylhetis)

Biman Bangladesh - by Asif Ahmed

6 September 2004

London to Dhaka return. Was given a complementary/promotional local return ticket either from Dhaka/Chittagong or Dhaka/Sylhet, which unfortunately I did not get time to utilise. Arrived early at Heathrow so check-in was a breeze, staff still fresh and frendly! Cabin was ok. Though had to change seats so that a family could be seated together, not a problem for me as I was travelling alone. Biman always seem to seat families far apart - even though they are supposed to give families priority seating arrangement. Food was good, cabin crew were polite, but seemed quite rude with some of the passengers. WC, as always, was barely usable, after a couple of hours. In-flight entertainment poor. Some confusion at check-in/customs at Dhaka. Usual 'offer' to retrieve baggage by customs officials - I politely refused, though did not have to wait long for luggage. Problems seem to occur when several international flights land at the same time at Dhaka (as had occurred at an earlier travel there). Return journey, was one of the best - very polite crew. Although check-in was chaotic - mostly due to some passengers not having correct documentations and still insisting on getting on to the aircraft! Transit stop-over in Dubai was ok - delay taking off as some transit passengers went walk-a-bouts and were late re-boarding. Overall, I could see that the experience for a lot of my fellow passengers can be very fraught, for me personally Biman provides more convinience when traveling to Dhaka, which I do frequently.

Biman Bangladesh - by O Rahim

18 August 2004

Delhi-Dhaka. Forced to take Biman as no other flights. Paid top fare as no discounts - in fact same fare as London-Delhi! Crew were awful. They ignored requests for blankets for the infant, ordered passengers around and were very unhelpful with the pram. The screen did not work (on both ways) and so could not see any of the security demonstrations but it did not bother them. They made us sweat in the plane for absolutely ages before we had any aircon. The food was very poor quality and the drinks choice was lemonade, cola or water - that's it! Filthy plane with ripped fittings. The crew did not check seat belts or close any trays and were no help at all with the infant belt. There seem to be many ranks of crew who ordered the lower ranks around! Many seats are taken up by free passengers who work for the airline or government. Use this airline at your peril!

Biman Bangladesh - by Matthew Taylor

18 May 2004

I can echo a lot of the comments already made about Biman. Our flight was delayed with no information being made available to passengers. We made stops en route that where not scheduled (at least not that WE were aware of). Due to delays we missed our connecting flight and spent Christmas day in a run down hostel with our tickets and passports taken away from us. On returning to the airport the following day, we were told that our passports and tickets had been sent to the hostel - who decided not to tell us! We got them back with 5 minutes to spare! The staff are rude. Planes are falling apart (one member of our party complained that his seat would not stay upright and kept reclining - solution : "Well don't lean back then!". There was a strong smell of kerosene and the fascia on the emergency exit kept coming away from the door.

Biman Bangladesh - by N Hussain

28 March 2004

I recently flew Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Bombay to Dhaka on J Class. The flight in to Mumbai from Dubai was over 2 hours late. Biman did not bother informing the passengers and repeated phone calls to Biman's Mumbai airport office went unanswered. Check-in was a nightmare without any dedicated counter for J class passengers. Once on board, the cabin was extremely dirty and the toilet in the front of the plane was simply filthy. The food was sub-par for J class. Most of the passengers in the J Class cabin seemed to be Biman staff. No apologies for the delay either. Very disappointed with the service which seems to be on a downward spiral as of late.

Biman Bangladesh - by Rebeka Boolaky

15 March 2004

We recently flew by Biman Bangladesh with our 4 year old son and 6 month old baby - all I can say that it was an absolute nightmare from start to finish. We had requested a cot, which we did not get. Met by rude, unhelpful cabin crew and were in a filthy plane - on the return trip we were told that we were not on our flight because we had to re-confirm ? We are professional people with jobs to come back to, not idle people who can stay for a few extra days/weeks! In Dhaka the staff were even more rude, and to make things worse thay tried to make my 4 year old son sit on his own away from us - this I am sure is illegal, and caused us a huge amount of stress !

Biman Bangladesh - by Basit Ahmed

9 March 2004

I have flown Biman on the London-Dubai route many times. My belief is that service provided by Biman 20 or even 10 years ago was far superior to the service currently on offer. The reasons for this is that the DC-10s in use were younger at that time - cleaner and smoother. The main problems with Biman are that it has failed to modernise it's old fleet (root of all delays), failed to introduce modern in-flight entertainment (seatback videos), failed to address unprofessional hostesses, failed to deal with it's corrupt booking officials and above all failed to appreciate the loyal customers which have kept it flying. I fly to Bangladesh regularly and since 1997 have been using Emirates which is truly a world class airline.

Biman Bangladesh - by Sonya Mercado

25 January 2004

Flew BG from Dhaka to Calcutta. The 737 (new to BG) was a filthy mess -  all kinds of substances could be found on the seat pockets in J class. Legroom in J class which has a 3x3 seating was horrible. Food comprises of a box rudely thrown out at you. Dhaka airport is a nightmare and the airline hostesses just do not care.

Biman Bangladesh - by Ewoud Dekker

7 January 2004

Brussels - Dhaka - Bangkok: Business Class. The flight was not too bad. I had to sit on a different seat than on my ticket, the movie they played was terrible and the VIP lounge in Dhaka was terrible - but compared with the flight back it was not bad at all. The flight back started with a 3 hour delay. Because of the delay we missed the flight to Brussels -  but they promised us a flight via London. In Dhaka we were forced to stay for 24 hours (tickets and passports were taken). We were promised a flight to Brussels. Bad luck, after 24 hours in a crappy hotel, a stop in Dubai we were stranded in London (the day before new year). We were told that there were no seats to Brussels or Amsterdam available at any airline. Internet told us different. Next excuse 'We do only business with a selected group of airlines.' So stuck in London after two nights of almost no sleep. The '5 star' Hotel was a 3 star Hotel and we had never a possibility to phone home at Biman's costs.

Biman Bangladesh - by Khan Huq

8 November 2003

New York-London-Dubai-Dhaka: Economy Class. On December 2000. The aircraft was one of Biman's DC- 10's. I expected the interior of the cabin to be a bit brighter and nicer compare to other airlines. I was disappointed to observe that the seat covers were the same as they were in the mid 80’s. The officers at the ticket counter at JFK were very rude, they forced me to check-in my 21”x13”x9” carryon, I was told that its too big - I was charged $35. There were no video or audio entertainment, we were told that the headphones were stolen. I was very surprised to see that the flight wasn't a non-smoking flight, what even surprised me more was to see passengers who were in non-smoking area were smoking. There was not enough overhead space for carryon. One positive side was the food, it was good and frequent. Unless it’s an emergency, I will not fly Biman ever in my life.

Biman Bangladesh - by Mehtab Rahman

12 October 2003

Chittagong - Dhaka : Business Class. The aircraft was one of Biman's leased DC-10's  with the Canadian Airlines colours. Having flown Biman quite a lot of times, it was the first time I was flying Biman in its 'Canadian' livery. I expected the interior of the business cabin to be a bit brighter than the dingy old cabin of Biman's own DC-10's - but was disappointed to observe it to be exactly the same! The seat covers were the ugly 70's flowery design ones - I also noticed a 'Club Empress' sign on one of the overhead bins - interesting. On the bright side  the cabin was spacious, the cabin crew quite friendly and departure right on time. The seats are the same old Biman DC-10 seats, which whilst nowhere near to BA's old business seats, are quite big and spacious. On this 30 minute hop, service was almost non-existent, but they did provide J class pax with a pre- ake off drink, and later with Biman's mango bars and some sort of unappealing milk candies. The air crew looked a bit tired, as they had just flown in from Muscat to Chittagong, and were continuing to Dhaka. Biman has definitely improved - although it is no BA or SQ, its not the worst airline either.

Biman Bangladesh - by Asif Chaudhury

25 September 2003

Calcutta - Dhaka business class. Except for the terrible Calcutta airport and repeated security checks, the journey was comfortable. Crew were ok. The aircraft was one of the new 737's. Seating was average.

Biman Bangladesh - by Paul Ross

28 June 2003

Flew Biman Bangladesh London to Bangkok. Was by far the cheapest ticket. Plane itself was comfortable enough, but we had lots of stop overs (London -Paris -Dhaka, change at Dhaka, then Dhaka->Rangoon -Bangkok). Food was excellent, best airline food I've ever had. Cabin crew were not the friendliest. In fact I thought a fight would break out between a passenger and one of the cabin crew. Somebody got on from France with stinking feet, which stank the whole plane out. The stewardess came on with deodarant and sprayed everyone in the feet compartment. Then a cabin crew member walked past and said something to a french guy who lifted his foot in the air for the cabin crew guy to smell (I'm not sure what it was about, but he was sort of messing around saying it's not my feet). Anyway the cabin crew guy absolutely lost it, I thought a punch up was about to start. After that his superior came over to slime it all over, but the damage was done. Don't mess with the cabin crew, violence could ensue. Bangladeshi's on the plane were pleasant enough. On the way back our plane was delayed and we were put up in a hotel at the airport's expense. Also dinner was provided at Dhaka airport. Was average tandoori house curry with an expensive bottle of beer. If it were London it would be a passable ruby murry. I'd fly again, if it wasn't for the stops. Nowhere near BA or Virgin but adequate.

Biman Bangladesh - by Koyas Uddin

25 April 2003

After several bad experiences flying with Biman from London to Dhaka I have not flown with them since. The cabin crew are rude and unprofessional and seem to treat the paying passenger as an unwelcome burden. The planes are old, uncomfortable and unreliable, leading to far too many delays. I constantly hear stories from people who have similar or worse experiences with Biman, but who continue to fly with this airline. If it is patriotism then it is extremely misplaced and only serves to encourage Biman to continue as they are. However, I think a lot of Bangladeshis continue to use Biman only because it is the only airline that flies to Sylhet without the passengers having to change aircraft. Although flying with an alternative airline is thereby less convenient, I still refuse to use Biman. And the sooner it loses its monopoly on this route the better off passengers will be. Bangladeshis who have bad experiences with Biman should not fly with it. This would force Biman to change or disappear. It is currently a very poor reflection on Bangladesh and Bangladeshis.

Biman Bangladesh - by Abdullah Talukder

13 April 2003

I have flown on many airlines including Biman. I have also travelled on Business Class. My last experience on Business Class was the worst, I have as such, decided never to travel on such a bad airline, and recommend others not to do so also. Basically, the service was spoilt by the cavalier attitude of the air hostesses. I was asked to move from my seat, so that my seat could be given to someone else (an aquaintance of the hostesses). The food could have been better, in fact, there was not much difference between economy and business food . In my opinion, Emirates economy class is far better than Biman business class. Even though the country is poor, it does not cost anything for the hostesses to give a courteous and good service.

Biman Bangladesh - by Asif Chaudhury

31 October 2002

You cannot compare Biman with other international airlines. The Biman seating and inflight entertainment are very poor, but the cosiness Biman offers cannot be beaten. Seating is average and Biman executive class isn't anything to say much about. Biman is surviving due to Bengali's going home!

Biman Bangladesh - by Azmol Hussain

24 October 2002

I have travelled extensively with Biman Bangladesh, and almost always use this airline when travelling to Bangladesh. However their standards in all aspects, ranging from quality service to food and safety, have not improved. Flight schedules are very unpredictable and I have encountered numerous and frustrating delays especially when flying with their older aircraft, the DC10. To make matters worse, the staff at Dhaka airport are extremely unprofessional and will always delay security baggage checks - in return for a bribe. Biman needs to make some very drastic changes ,buy new aircraft as they plan, and provide a world class service- or risk losing some loyal customers!

Biman Bangladesh - by Mark Caruana

4 October 2002

I flew London to Kuala Lumpur on Biman. The price was good, but it was a long and tiring journey both ways, involving a lengthy wait at Dhaka, which is an airport that has only one advantage - it's small so there isn't much walking involved! Otherwise airport facilities are very poor, the air conditioning only just about seemed to be coping with the heat, transit staff seemed under a lot of pressure and there is little to do except just sit and wait. As for the flights themselves, they were OK although the DC10s seem alarmingly old. The food and refreshments in economy were adequate in content if not in quantity, though I couldn't help noticing the cabin crew didn't seem particularly friendly or cheerful on any of the flights. The only real advantage I found to this airline, apart from the London-Dhaka leg, was lots of empty seats, particularly on the Dhaka -Kuala Lumpur sectors. The return leg Dhaka -London was terrible involving two stops at one of which (Frankfurt) we were not even allowed off the plane. All in all, Biman was a bit better than I had feared, but it still would be far from my first choice for this route, and I only used it on this occasion as there was no reasonably priced alternative.

Biman Bangladesh - by Rana Isham

28 September 2002

I have flown with Biman 5 times over the last 20 years and must say that the standard has not improved at all. It is a great shame because this airline is representing a beautiful country but their poor service does not reflect this beauty.

Biman Bangladesh - by K Kruger

11 July 2002

Being my first time travelling Biman I was extremely nervous due to all the stories I had heard, but I found the flight excellent and very comfortable (due to hardly anyone being on the flight). The attendants were pleasant and the food also tasty. The downfall from them is the numerous stops on the way. We went from London, via Paris, Dhaka, Chittagong and Burma to get to Bangkok, very frustrating and tired. As for the state of Dhaka airport "shocking". Also travelling in economy class the toilets were a bit of a mess and I also found the Bangladesh people to be very unfriendly, even though we tried our best to be cheerful and friendly. I would travel with them again - if it was not for the numerous stopovers.

Biman Bangladesh - by T Harjit

11 July 2002

After flying with a string of airlines, my wife (who is 6 months pregnant) and I decided to fly Maslin Class to Bangkok from Singapore. The flight to Bangkok was great, the crew attentive and very perceptive when my wife felt a little uncomfortable. The A310-330 we travelled in was slightly old but it was smooth. Nothing much to write about the J class toilets, which had used combs and no toiletries. But it was a rather comfy flight. The flight back to Singapore was totally horrible. All the crew were too busy entertaining the Captain and his family who were flying in Maslin class. The food on the menu were not available but we were given meals from Economy. Request for a blanket was refused as the Captain in Maslin class took the only wrapped one and we were offered a used one. If they would get a more professional crew with good inflight service skills, I would believe Biman can get somewhere.

Biman Bangladesh - by Michael Sharman

25 January 2002

I have now flown Biman twice from London to Bangkok, travelling in Maslin Executive Class and have to say that generally the flight experience is very good. The problems seem to be the delays seeing that Biman flights have numerous stops en-route. The seating is fairly adequate although nowhere near the standards of many other airlines I have travelled, and lack of foot rests is a pity. The food is disappointing both in standard and variety, but who cares after a few glasses of champagne, and wine. The fares are low and the standards reflect this. Having paid less than an economy ticket on BA, to travel business class with Biman, I think they do a good job. I've also heard that Biman are deciding whether to replace their DC10's with newer aircraft either 777's or A340's, let me tell Biman, the sooner the better. I take my next flight in March to BKK, and hope that Biman do not let me down, and lose a generally satisfied customer

Biman Bangladesh - by Abijit Sakar

24 January 2002

I flew for the first time by Biman to CCU via Dhaka. To make a long story short, I was quite satisfied with the level of service and the price that I paid. A lot of people are reluctant to fly with Biman, having heard many horrific rumours. But, that's history, I think. Biman is an airline with decent service and reasonable fares.

Biman Bangladesh - by Javed Khan

03 January 2002

I flew home by Biman only once. The flight from New York to Dhaka and Dhaka to New York was similar in quality. Very good food. The staff were not rude, but they could be more professional. The air hostesses tried their best to make our journey enjoyable, but they need to be more professional. The toilets are awful (economy class). One good thing is Biman almost never has empty seats. Not too bad service along with the patriotism of Bangladeshis will keep this company alive. In the economy class it can be little noisy. But it gave me the feel that we are in Bangladesh. No delay in our flight.

Biman Bangladesh - by J Rulal

19 December 2001

I travelled with Biman business class between London and Hong Kong.On the way back I had a transit stopover of 6 hrs in Dacca and was taking a connecting Biman flight to Dubai. In Hong Kong during the baggage check in I asked the station manager of the airline whether the cases will arrive safe and sound in Dubai and was told that everything will be fine. Upon arrival in Dubai, I realised my cases had been interfered with and locks opened and re-closed with valuable items missing. I immediately contacted the station manager of the airline at Dubai airport and met him. He offered me his sympathy and asked me to make an official complaint on one of their standard forms. What surprised me was that when he stated that there is epidemic level of thefts at Dacca airport by the baggage handlers. According to him, whenever the management puts forward the issue to the baggage handlers union, they threaten the airline with lightening strikes and because of it the management has not been able to eradicate the thefts. I eventually received a letter from the managing director offering nothing much in compensation or explanation. I definitely will not travel with Biman, considering the experience I had.

Biman Bangladesh - by G Wouter

15 October 2001

I took Biman in business class - after all the scary reports it is my obligation towards Biman to send some positive words. All the flights were exactly on schedule. Luggage wasn't lost or damaged but perfectly transferred from Brussels over Delhi, Dhaka and Bangkok. The service was great on board in business class. The food was better than most I got from all sorts of western airliners. Bengali food is recommendable. Check in was done within a minute. The DC10's were old but clean enough. The seats are spacious with so much distance you cannot touch the seat in front of you. The minus points are first of all the rude behavior of Bengali people on board, complaining about details. Another point of possible complaints is that there are many babies on board travelling with their Bengali mothers, making quite some noise. In business it was still bearable but I heard some backpackers who travelled economy complain about it in transit. Dhaka airport is run down, luckily enough the free food and drinks in the business lounge make things better. But avoid the toilets! The transit personnel was very unpleasant, until I as a westerner smiled friendly and gave a positive note. We used the 14 hours connecting time Dhaka -Bangkok  with the free hotel room to tour Dhaka. A nice experience. In general I would say 622 US dollar for a return ticket Brussels-Bangkok in business class makes you accept the minor problems and the long waiting time in Dhaka. My Thai wife wouldn't use this flight again if she was alone or if the long delay in Dhaka couldn't be overcome. I would take it again if the long delay in Dhaka could be shortened. And I would book again the business seat.

Biman Bangladesh - by Mehta Arahman

11 October 2001

Biman Bangladesh Airlines should be made the airline of the week - although having losses of millions of dollars every year due to administrative corruption, it has continued to fly in the skies for its loyal passengers, who fly Biman regularly, and upholding the nationalism among the people of Bangladesh. I is the carrier that is the global ambassador of Bangladesh all over the globe.  Biman Bangladesh has always been a very friendly and competitive airline, and has a good share of passengers in every destination it flies to. In fact, I have never seen a single seat on Biman Bangladesh heading out empty, both in business and economy - in Europe, Mid East, Nrth america and the Far East!!  Apart from that, the air crew in Biman is extremely friendly, and more than happy to help anytime, both onboard and in the airport.  Biman has a wide range of inflight entertainment, including 14 channels audio programmes, 6 channel video and seat back televisions on every 'Maslin' business class seat in its Airbus flights. Well done, Biman - I am pretty certain that the airline is suitable to be the airline of the week.