MAXjet Airways - by Tanya Swire

13 February 2007

I just wanted to add to my coments that I posted. We finally reached a higher contact at MAXjet and she was helpful. They have offered to fly us to New York so that we may keep our previously scheduled honeymoon plans. So, it looks like they may have redeemed themselves.

MAXjet Airways - by Barry Freestone

8 February 2007

Further update on our Maxjet experience. On our return to the UK, spoke with the VP of Customer Service. He could not have been more helpful and has resolved all our problems.

MAXjet Airways - by Tanya Swire

8 February 2007

MAXjet left me out in the cold by cancelling my honeymoon flight! My fiance and I won tickets from a radio contest to fly on MAXjet out of Dulles. I booked my flight in September of 2006. This trip was booked for our honeymoon after our wedding taking place on June 2nd. In the meantime I also booked a non-refundable hotel in London as well as tickets for several shows. However, when looking at MAXjet's website 2 days ago I discovered that my flight was no longer on there!! So, I contacted customer service via phone and they assured me that my flight would be fine. In the meantime I also sent an e-mail inquiry. My fiancee called that evening and he was told that they are updating their system, but was also told that our flight should be fine. So, imagine my surprise when I received a response to my e-mail saying that there are no flights from Dulles until 5/23/07 (we are scheduled to fly June 5) AND there are no more Tuesday flights - the flight around which we booked our entire honeymoon!!! My fiance called again this morning to question this and was told AGAIN by a customer service rep. that our flight should still be taking place!! Then when confronted with the e- mail response she spoke with a supervisor who then confessed that there are no flights from Dulles until May 23, 2007. We were never contacted and advised of our cancelled flight! So, we have our honeymoon dates booked which cannot be changed and they offered to put us on another flight. However, this is not possible due to our pre-paid hotel booking and tickets purchased for shows. They will not compensate us because the tickets were a prize. So, needless to say, I am at my wits end with MAXjet! Their customer service (if they even deserve that title) department needs to be aware of changing circumstances within their company and they need to inform their customers when their flight is cancelled! Maybe they think I don't deserve proper service because the tickets were a gift, but my whole honeymoon is now uncertain because of their incompetence!! I was so excited to be flying on MAXjet for my honeymoon, now I am just at a loss and fed up!

MAXjet Airways - by Barry Freestone

5 February 2007

We took our first flight with Maxjet on 25 January. The lounge at Stansted was what I expected from a business class lounge, so was very satisfied. The flight to JFK was exceptional. I liked the stand alone in flight entertainment system. Then we arrived at JFK and everything started to go wrong. I had a disabled passenger with me and we had to connect to an internal flight. We were picked up at the gate and then dumped at baggage reclaim. That was as far as we got until someone from American Airlines helped up out - so no check through reciprocal arrangements really lets the airline down, although it has to be said that JFK is the only airport where this has happened before. Then it all go worse. I appreciate that Maxjet operates on the EasyJet mode - the later you book, the more expensive it gets - I did not expect to be so heavily penalised when I had to make a change to our travel arrangements - having to change to a flight a day later. American handled the change with a minimum of fuss and a minimum of cost - $60 dollars to make the change. However, Maxjet charge £1024.00 to make the change, citing that there were not tickets available in the range that we had originally purchased and that with the change charge and the additional fare, this was the total that had to be paid. If you are going to offer a business class service - this should cover all aspects business class, not just the seating arrangements. It is unlikely that I will fly Maxjet again.

MAXjet Airways - by Brian Wall

1 February 2007

We booked our STN to Dulles flights in Nov 2006, departing May 16th 2007 and made Hotel, Airport Parking and Hire Car booking around that flight plan. The next communication we received from Maxjet was last week with an invitation to enter a competition, which we ignored. We then received a phone call from Maxjet last weekend advising us that Washington flights had been cancelled and was offered the alternative of flying out of Heathrow with Virgin. As we had already paid for non cancellable hotels and airport parking we had to accept their offer of flying to JFK and then with Jetblue down to Dulles. This translates as an extra hour flying time to the US and an extra 4 hours travel time on my overall journey. We asked the reason and were told under booking. We asked about compensation and were told that it would be 60gbp per person and to contact Customer Care - this seems a churlish sum considering the amount of disruption and stress the cancellation has caused us. The peculiar coincidence is that we flew on the exact same dates/days in 2006 and was given the technical problems excuses and had to fly via New York instead of direct to Dulles, on that occasion Gary, the CEO, personally apologised and offered free flights as compensation. I note the Customer orientated CEO has left and the new CEO has a history in the Air Cargo business. It is a shame because once you board the experience is excellent.

MAXjet Airways - by Stuart Brown

26 January 2007

Stansted - Dulles: 3 hours late taking off due to 'maintenance issues' ie: replacing the electrical generator in the engine. Not too bad for me, but those with onward US connections faced a stop-over at Dulles and an early flight the next day and were not happy. Lounge at Stansted very nice however, and food/service on plane good. Dulles - Stansted : On time and experience as advertised, although there is no escaping the underlying tattiness and age of the aircraft. Due to the problems on the way out I'd had a very nervous week constantly checking the MaxJet website to see how the week was progressing, maintenance-wise and wondering if I'd get home for the weekend. Overall, a great concept, but flawed by the lack of back-up (from other carriers) at Stansted and geriatric jets. Operating a schedule like this with 3 aircraft is OK, but not with 20+ year old 767s who've spent most of their lives bouncing around Australia! Business travellers simply will not tolerate this level of unreliability and the premium leisure market will not be big enough to sustain them, long term. Hopefully they will get through this difficult period and raise enough capital to buy new aircraft. However the load factors I witnessed (~20 UK-US, ~30 US-UK) suggest the omens are not good. I wish MaxJet well and will watch their progress with interest - from my BA/Virgin premium economy seat.

MAXjet Airways - by W Oosthuizen

26 January 2007

E-mail sent to the CEO of Maxjet on January 04, 2007. No response received. My partner and I were booked to fly with MAXjet Airways December 22 on Flight MY0100. This flight was delayed for many hours. Unfortunately, my partner and I are of the opinion that MAXjet had somewhat mishandled events surrounding this travel delay. We confirmed our flight prior to leaving for the airport and checked your Maxjet website for information on the flight. There was no delay listed and we then left our home for the airport. When we arrived at the airport we were informed by MAXjet staff member that the plane had not even left England. She claimed that the website contained information and that we would probably have been e-mailed information on the delay. This was not the case. She informed us that because it was a weather delay your company was not at all responsible. We requested help with sorting out our connecting flight in London which we were sure to miss. Your airline would not assist us. Furthermore your staff also did not stand ready with options for hotels in the area we "stranded" passengers could make use of until we were sure of the actual departure time. The plane eventually left approximately twelve hours later. We missed our connection in London, shelled out money for a hotel in Stansted, and then paid again for airline tickets in order to get to our final destination. Had we been informed of the (obvious) delay we could have had our travel agent rework our travel plans to cater for this delay. At no time did we feel that Maxjet actually cared about us as passengers. This incident has left us with a negative first impression of MAXjet. The flight itself was somewhat pleasant even though we did not consider the plane to be clean. Unfortunately on our return, Maxjet flight MY0101 on January 01 was delayed by approximately two or more hours due to some technical issue. At this point I am sure you understand our frustration with an airline that bills itself as business class. We need say no more. We have come across (mostly) negative reviews about your airline and it seems highly improbable that you will respond to this e-mail. This is your challenge then.

MAXjet Airways - by Robin Evans

26 January 2007

STN-LAS-STN. Flight out exceptional, 80% full, service excellent, food good, entertainment flexible, seat akin to OLD Virgin Upper Class 4 years ago but with more leg room. Return flight delayed to following day. 45 Passengers transfered to Las Vegas Hilton, given dinner, drinks, breakfast then back to LAS for return flight. Maxjet sent empty 767 to LAS for 45 of us! Communication could have been better but overall the delay was dealt with extremely well and we enjoyed our bonus night in Vegas. Maxjet is new and they offer a quasi-Business Class product at reduced prices to mainstream carriers. As with any new venture, problems will arise however our experience, even with the delay was fantastic.

MAXjet Airways - by Stefano Liberati

26 January 2007

STN - LAS for Christmas and excellent experience in both directions, starting with quick check-in, fast track through security, nice lounge with good food/drink and then great service onboard. Impressed with attentiveness of cabin crew and quality of food. The seats were very comfortable for a tall chap like me at 6'4" with great legroom and recline, although the older style sleeper seat. Maxjet provide a great service when everything is operating as it should, but I understand from other comments on here that this is not always the case. The aircraft we flew on had a white fuselage, so I suspect it was the newest addition to the fleet and a little newer than the aircraft operating the shorter routes, as the interior was immaculate and in excellent order, which doesn't tally with other comments. I hope these guys succeed as they offer a superb in-flight product for a fantastic price - it is a shame they didn't delay the launch and invest in some newer aircraft.

MAXjet Airways - by Alek Perovic

26 January 2007

JFK-STN and back in June of last year, both flights went flawlessly, in addition to being a bargain at $750 round trip! Have read the comments, it is clear the airline's survival is in question. Pity though, as the concept seemed to work quite well - too few (old) planes prone to breaking down, hasty expansion with routes, further aggravating mechanical issues, perhaps? I'm planning another trip to England, and dare not fly Maxjet, again, not worth the trouble! EOS looks like a way to go.

MAXjet Airways - by Tanya Swire

13 February 2007

I just wanted to add to my coments that I posted. We finally reached a higher contact at MAXjet and she was helpful. They have offered to fly us to New York so that we may keep our previously scheduled honeymoon plans. So, it looks like they may have redeemed themselves.

MAXjet Airways - by Barry Freestone

8 February 2007

Further update on our Maxjet experience. On our return to the UK, spoke with the VP of Customer Service. He could not have been more helpful and has resolved all our problems.

MAXjet Airways - by Tanya Swire

8 February 2007

MAXjet left me out in the cold by cancelling my honeymoon flight! My fiance and I won tickets from a radio contest to fly on MAXjet out of Dulles. I booked my flight in September of 2006. This trip was booked for our honeymoon after our wedding taking place on June 2nd. In the meantime I also booked a non-refundable hotel in London as well as tickets for several shows. However, when looking at MAXjet's website 2 days ago I discovered that my flight was no longer on there!! So, I contacted customer service via phone and they assured me that my flight would be fine. In the meantime I also sent an e-mail inquiry. My fiancee called that evening and he was told that they are updating their system, but was also told that our flight should be fine. So, imagine my surprise when I received a response to my e-mail saying that there are no flights from Dulles until 5/23/07 (we are scheduled to fly June 5) AND there are no more Tuesday flights - the flight around which we booked our entire honeymoon!!! My fiance called again this morning to question this and was told AGAIN by a customer service rep. that our flight should still be taking place!! Then when confronted with the e- mail response she spoke with a supervisor who then confessed that there are no flights from Dulles until May 23, 2007. We were never contacted and advised of our cancelled flight! So, we have our honeymoon dates booked which cannot be changed and they offered to put us on another flight. However, this is not possible due to our pre-paid hotel booking and tickets purchased for shows. They will not compensate us because the tickets were a prize. So, needless to say, I am at my wits end with MAXjet! Their customer service (if they even deserve that title) department needs to be aware of changing circumstances within their company and they need to inform their customers when their flight is cancelled! Maybe they think I don't deserve proper service because the tickets were a gift, but my whole honeymoon is now uncertain because of their incompetence!! I was so excited to be flying on MAXjet for my honeymoon, now I am just at a loss and fed up!

MAXjet Airways - by Barry Freestone

5 February 2007

We took our first flight with Maxjet on 25 January. The lounge at Stansted was what I expected from a business class lounge, so was very satisfied. The flight to JFK was exceptional. I liked the stand alone in flight entertainment system. Then we arrived at JFK and everything started to go wrong. I had a disabled passenger with me and we had to connect to an internal flight. We were picked up at the gate and then dumped at baggage reclaim. That was as far as we got until someone from American Airlines helped up out - so no check through reciprocal arrangements really lets the airline down, although it has to be said that JFK is the only airport where this has happened before. Then it all go worse. I appreciate that Maxjet operates on the EasyJet mode - the later you book, the more expensive it gets - I did not expect to be so heavily penalised when I had to make a change to our travel arrangements - having to change to a flight a day later. American handled the change with a minimum of fuss and a minimum of cost - $60 dollars to make the change. However, Maxjet charge £1024.00 to make the change, citing that there were not tickets available in the range that we had originally purchased and that with the change charge and the additional fare, this was the total that had to be paid. If you are going to offer a business class service - this should cover all aspects business class, not just the seating arrangements. It is unlikely that I will fly Maxjet again.

MAXjet Airways - by Brian Wall

1 February 2007

We booked our STN to Dulles flights in Nov 2006, departing May 16th 2007 and made Hotel, Airport Parking and Hire Car booking around that flight plan. The next communication we received from Maxjet was last week with an invitation to enter a competition, which we ignored. We then received a phone call from Maxjet last weekend advising us that Washington flights had been cancelled and was offered the alternative of flying out of Heathrow with Virgin. As we had already paid for non cancellable hotels and airport parking we had to accept their offer of flying to JFK and then with Jetblue down to Dulles. This translates as an extra hour flying time to the US and an extra 4 hours travel time on my overall journey. We asked the reason and were told under booking. We asked about compensation and were told that it would be 60gbp per person and to contact Customer Care - this seems a churlish sum considering the amount of disruption and stress the cancellation has caused us. The peculiar coincidence is that we flew on the exact same dates/days in 2006 and was given the technical problems excuses and had to fly via New York instead of direct to Dulles, on that occasion Gary, the CEO, personally apologised and offered free flights as compensation. I note the Customer orientated CEO has left and the new CEO has a history in the Air Cargo business. It is a shame because once you board the experience is excellent.

MAXjet Airways - by Stuart Brown

26 January 2007

Stansted - Dulles: 3 hours late taking off due to 'maintenance issues' ie: replacing the electrical generator in the engine. Not too bad for me, but those with onward US connections faced a stop-over at Dulles and an early flight the next day and were not happy. Lounge at Stansted very nice however, and food/service on plane good. Dulles - Stansted : On time and experience as advertised, although there is no escaping the underlying tattiness and age of the aircraft. Due to the problems on the way out I'd had a very nervous week constantly checking the MaxJet website to see how the week was progressing, maintenance-wise and wondering if I'd get home for the weekend. Overall, a great concept, but flawed by the lack of back-up (from other carriers) at Stansted and geriatric jets. Operating a schedule like this with 3 aircraft is OK, but not with 20+ year old 767s who've spent most of their lives bouncing around Australia! Business travellers simply will not tolerate this level of unreliability and the premium leisure market will not be big enough to sustain them, long term. Hopefully they will get through this difficult period and raise enough capital to buy new aircraft. However the load factors I witnessed (~20 UK-US, ~30 US-UK) suggest the omens are not good. I wish MaxJet well and will watch their progress with interest - from my BA/Virgin premium economy seat.

MAXjet Airways - by W Oosthuizen

26 January 2007

E-mail sent to the CEO of Maxjet on January 04, 2007. No response received. My partner and I were booked to fly with MAXjet Airways December 22 on Flight MY0100. This flight was delayed for many hours. Unfortunately, my partner and I are of the opinion that MAXjet had somewhat mishandled events surrounding this travel delay. We confirmed our flight prior to leaving for the airport and checked your Maxjet website for information on the flight. There was no delay listed and we then left our home for the airport. When we arrived at the airport we were informed by MAXjet staff member that the plane had not even left England. She claimed that the website contained information and that we would probably have been e-mailed information on the delay. This was not the case. She informed us that because it was a weather delay your company was not at all responsible. We requested help with sorting out our connecting flight in London which we were sure to miss. Your airline would not assist us. Furthermore your staff also did not stand ready with options for hotels in the area we "stranded" passengers could make use of until we were sure of the actual departure time. The plane eventually left approximately twelve hours later. We missed our connection in London, shelled out money for a hotel in Stansted, and then paid again for airline tickets in order to get to our final destination. Had we been informed of the (obvious) delay we could have had our travel agent rework our travel plans to cater for this delay. At no time did we feel that Maxjet actually cared about us as passengers. This incident has left us with a negative first impression of MAXjet. The flight itself was somewhat pleasant even though we did not consider the plane to be clean. Unfortunately on our return, Maxjet flight MY0101 on January 01 was delayed by approximately two or more hours due to some technical issue. At this point I am sure you understand our frustration with an airline that bills itself as business class. We need say no more. We have come across (mostly) negative reviews about your airline and it seems highly improbable that you will respond to this e-mail. This is your challenge then.

MAXjet Airways - by Robin Evans

26 January 2007

STN-LAS-STN. Flight out exceptional, 80% full, service excellent, food good, entertainment flexible, seat akin to OLD Virgin Upper Class 4 years ago but with more leg room. Return flight delayed to following day. 45 Passengers transfered to Las Vegas Hilton, given dinner, drinks, breakfast then back to LAS for return flight. Maxjet sent empty 767 to LAS for 45 of us! Communication could have been better but overall the delay was dealt with extremely well and we enjoyed our bonus night in Vegas. Maxjet is new and they offer a quasi-Business Class product at reduced prices to mainstream carriers. As with any new venture, problems will arise however our experience, even with the delay was fantastic.

MAXjet Airways - by Stefano Liberati

26 January 2007

STN - LAS for Christmas and excellent experience in both directions, starting with quick check-in, fast track through security, nice lounge with good food/drink and then great service onboard. Impressed with attentiveness of cabin crew and quality of food. The seats were very comfortable for a tall chap like me at 6'4" with great legroom and recline, although the older style sleeper seat. Maxjet provide a great service when everything is operating as it should, but I understand from other comments on here that this is not always the case. The aircraft we flew on had a white fuselage, so I suspect it was the newest addition to the fleet and a little newer than the aircraft operating the shorter routes, as the interior was immaculate and in excellent order, which doesn't tally with other comments. I hope these guys succeed as they offer a superb in-flight product for a fantastic price - it is a shame they didn't delay the launch and invest in some newer aircraft.

MAXjet Airways - by Alek Perovic

26 January 2007

JFK-STN and back in June of last year, both flights went flawlessly, in addition to being a bargain at $750 round trip! Have read the comments, it is clear the airline's survival is in question. Pity though, as the concept seemed to work quite well - too few (old) planes prone to breaking down, hasty expansion with routes, further aggravating mechanical issues, perhaps? I'm planning another trip to England, and dare not fly Maxjet, again, not worth the trouble! EOS looks like a way to go.

MAXjet Airways - by R Griggs

21 January 2007

This airline can't continue like this. The bad reputation will cause prospective customers to flee back to the established carriers.

MAXjet Airways - by Karen Lamb

21 January 2007

We had a very good experience on Maxjet, leaving January 6th and returning the 10th from DC. We shared the Northwest lounge going out and it was noisy (lots of kids) but fine. The plane was 15 minutes late but they went out of their way to apologize. The Stansted lounge is really nice and the people were really agreeable. Service going and coming was very good, as was the food and drink. The plane was about half full going over, but coming back there were virtually more flight attendants than passengers.

MAXjet Airways - by R Griggs

21 January 2007

This airline can't continue like this. The bad reputation will cause prospective customers to flee back to the established carriers.

MAXjet Airways - by Karen Lamb

21 January 2007

We had a very good experience on Maxjet, leaving January 6th and returning the 10th from DC. We shared the Northwest lounge going out and it was noisy (lots of kids) but fine. The plane was 15 minutes late but they went out of their way to apologize. The Stansted lounge is really nice and the people were really agreeable. Service going and coming was very good, as was the food and drink. The plane was about half full going over, but coming back there were virtually more flight attendants than passengers.

MAXjet Airways - by Tanya Swire

13 February 2007

I just wanted to add to my coments that I posted. We finally reached a higher contact at MAXjet and she was helpful. They have offered to fly us to New York so that we may keep our previously scheduled honeymoon plans. So, it looks like they may have redeemed themselves.

MAXjet Airways - by Barry Freestone

8 February 2007

Further update on our Maxjet experience. On our return to the UK, spoke with the VP of Customer Service. He could not have been more helpful and has resolved all our problems.

MAXjet Airways - by Tanya Swire

8 February 2007

MAXjet left me out in the cold by cancelling my honeymoon flight! My fiance and I won tickets from a radio contest to fly on MAXjet out of Dulles. I booked my flight in September of 2006. This trip was booked for our honeymoon after our wedding taking place on June 2nd. In the meantime I also booked a non-refundable hotel in London as well as tickets for several shows. However, when looking at MAXjet's website 2 days ago I discovered that my flight was no longer on there!! So, I contacted customer service via phone and they assured me that my flight would be fine. In the meantime I also sent an e-mail inquiry. My fiancee called that evening and he was told that they are updating their system, but was also told that our flight should be fine. So, imagine my surprise when I received a response to my e-mail saying that there are no flights from Dulles until 5/23/07 (we are scheduled to fly June 5) AND there are no more Tuesday flights - the flight around which we booked our entire honeymoon!!! My fiance called again this morning to question this and was told AGAIN by a customer service rep. that our flight should still be taking place!! Then when confronted with the e- mail response she spoke with a supervisor who then confessed that there are no flights from Dulles until May 23, 2007. We were never contacted and advised of our cancelled flight! So, we have our honeymoon dates booked which cannot be changed and they offered to put us on another flight. However, this is not possible due to our pre-paid hotel booking and tickets purchased for shows. They will not compensate us because the tickets were a prize. So, needless to say, I am at my wits end with MAXjet! Their customer service (if they even deserve that title) department needs to be aware of changing circumstances within their company and they need to inform their customers when their flight is cancelled! Maybe they think I don't deserve proper service because the tickets were a gift, but my whole honeymoon is now uncertain because of their incompetence!! I was so excited to be flying on MAXjet for my honeymoon, now I am just at a loss and fed up!

MAXjet Airways - by Barry Freestone

5 February 2007

We took our first flight with Maxjet on 25 January. The lounge at Stansted was what I expected from a business class lounge, so was very satisfied. The flight to JFK was exceptional. I liked the stand alone in flight entertainment system. Then we arrived at JFK and everything started to go wrong. I had a disabled passenger with me and we had to connect to an internal flight. We were picked up at the gate and then dumped at baggage reclaim. That was as far as we got until someone from American Airlines helped up out - so no check through reciprocal arrangements really lets the airline down, although it has to be said that JFK is the only airport where this has happened before. Then it all go worse. I appreciate that Maxjet operates on the EasyJet mode - the later you book, the more expensive it gets - I did not expect to be so heavily penalised when I had to make a change to our travel arrangements - having to change to a flight a day later. American handled the change with a minimum of fuss and a minimum of cost - $60 dollars to make the change. However, Maxjet charge £1024.00 to make the change, citing that there were not tickets available in the range that we had originally purchased and that with the change charge and the additional fare, this was the total that had to be paid. If you are going to offer a business class service - this should cover all aspects business class, not just the seating arrangements. It is unlikely that I will fly Maxjet again.

MAXjet Airways - by Brian Wall

1 February 2007

We booked our STN to Dulles flights in Nov 2006, departing May 16th 2007 and made Hotel, Airport Parking and Hire Car booking around that flight plan. The next communication we received from Maxjet was last week with an invitation to enter a competition, which we ignored. We then received a phone call from Maxjet last weekend advising us that Washington flights had been cancelled and was offered the alternative of flying out of Heathrow with Virgin. As we had already paid for non cancellable hotels and airport parking we had to accept their offer of flying to JFK and then with Jetblue down to Dulles. This translates as an extra hour flying time to the US and an extra 4 hours travel time on my overall journey. We asked the reason and were told under booking. We asked about compensation and were told that it would be 60gbp per person and to contact Customer Care - this seems a churlish sum considering the amount of disruption and stress the cancellation has caused us. The peculiar coincidence is that we flew on the exact same dates/days in 2006 and was given the technical problems excuses and had to fly via New York instead of direct to Dulles, on that occasion Gary, the CEO, personally apologised and offered free flights as compensation. I note the Customer orientated CEO has left and the new CEO has a history in the Air Cargo business. It is a shame because once you board the experience is excellent.

MAXjet Airways - by Stuart Brown

26 January 2007

Stansted - Dulles: 3 hours late taking off due to 'maintenance issues' ie: replacing the electrical generator in the engine. Not too bad for me, but those with onward US connections faced a stop-over at Dulles and an early flight the next day and were not happy. Lounge at Stansted very nice however, and food/service on plane good. Dulles - Stansted : On time and experience as advertised, although there is no escaping the underlying tattiness and age of the aircraft. Due to the problems on the way out I'd had a very nervous week constantly checking the MaxJet website to see how the week was progressing, maintenance-wise and wondering if I'd get home for the weekend. Overall, a great concept, but flawed by the lack of back-up (from other carriers) at Stansted and geriatric jets. Operating a schedule like this with 3 aircraft is OK, but not with 20+ year old 767s who've spent most of their lives bouncing around Australia! Business travellers simply will not tolerate this level of unreliability and the premium leisure market will not be big enough to sustain them, long term. Hopefully they will get through this difficult period and raise enough capital to buy new aircraft. However the load factors I witnessed (~20 UK-US, ~30 US-UK) suggest the omens are not good. I wish MaxJet well and will watch their progress with interest - from my BA/Virgin premium economy seat.

MAXjet Airways - by W Oosthuizen

26 January 2007

E-mail sent to the CEO of Maxjet on January 04, 2007. No response received. My partner and I were booked to fly with MAXjet Airways December 22 on Flight MY0100. This flight was delayed for many hours. Unfortunately, my partner and I are of the opinion that MAXjet had somewhat mishandled events surrounding this travel delay. We confirmed our flight prior to leaving for the airport and checked your Maxjet website for information on the flight. There was no delay listed and we then left our home for the airport. When we arrived at the airport we were informed by MAXjet staff member that the plane had not even left England. She claimed that the website contained information and that we would probably have been e-mailed information on the delay. This was not the case. She informed us that because it was a weather delay your company was not at all responsible. We requested help with sorting out our connecting flight in London which we were sure to miss. Your airline would not assist us. Furthermore your staff also did not stand ready with options for hotels in the area we "stranded" passengers could make use of until we were sure of the actual departure time. The plane eventually left approximately twelve hours later. We missed our connection in London, shelled out money for a hotel in Stansted, and then paid again for airline tickets in order to get to our final destination. Had we been informed of the (obvious) delay we could have had our travel agent rework our travel plans to cater for this delay. At no time did we feel that Maxjet actually cared about us as passengers. This incident has left us with a negative first impression of MAXjet. The flight itself was somewhat pleasant even though we did not consider the plane to be clean. Unfortunately on our return, Maxjet flight MY0101 on January 01 was delayed by approximately two or more hours due to some technical issue. At this point I am sure you understand our frustration with an airline that bills itself as business class. We need say no more. We have come across (mostly) negative reviews about your airline and it seems highly improbable that you will respond to this e-mail. This is your challenge then.

MAXjet Airways - by Robin Evans

26 January 2007

STN-LAS-STN. Flight out exceptional, 80% full, service excellent, food good, entertainment flexible, seat akin to OLD Virgin Upper Class 4 years ago but with more leg room. Return flight delayed to following day. 45 Passengers transfered to Las Vegas Hilton, given dinner, drinks, breakfast then back to LAS for return flight. Maxjet sent empty 767 to LAS for 45 of us! Communication could have been better but overall the delay was dealt with extremely well and we enjoyed our bonus night in Vegas. Maxjet is new and they offer a quasi-Business Class product at reduced prices to mainstream carriers. As with any new venture, problems will arise however our experience, even with the delay was fantastic.

MAXjet Airways - by Stefano Liberati

26 January 2007

STN - LAS for Christmas and excellent experience in both directions, starting with quick check-in, fast track through security, nice lounge with good food/drink and then great service onboard. Impressed with attentiveness of cabin crew and quality of food. The seats were very comfortable for a tall chap like me at 6'4" with great legroom and recline, although the older style sleeper seat. Maxjet provide a great service when everything is operating as it should, but I understand from other comments on here that this is not always the case. The aircraft we flew on had a white fuselage, so I suspect it was the newest addition to the fleet and a little newer than the aircraft operating the shorter routes, as the interior was immaculate and in excellent order, which doesn't tally with other comments. I hope these guys succeed as they offer a superb in-flight product for a fantastic price - it is a shame they didn't delay the launch and invest in some newer aircraft.

MAXjet Airways - by Alek Perovic

26 January 2007

JFK-STN and back in June of last year, both flights went flawlessly, in addition to being a bargain at $750 round trip! Have read the comments, it is clear the airline's survival is in question. Pity though, as the concept seemed to work quite well - too few (old) planes prone to breaking down, hasty expansion with routes, further aggravating mechanical issues, perhaps? I'm planning another trip to England, and dare not fly Maxjet, again, not worth the trouble! EOS looks like a way to go.

MAXjet Airways - by R Griggs

21 January 2007

This airline can't continue like this. The bad reputation will cause prospective customers to flee back to the established carriers.

MAXjet Airways - by Karen Lamb

21 January 2007

We had a very good experience on Maxjet, leaving January 6th and returning the 10th from DC. We shared the Northwest lounge going out and it was noisy (lots of kids) but fine. The plane was 15 minutes late but they went out of their way to apologize. The Stansted lounge is really nice and the people were really agreeable. Service going and coming was very good, as was the food and drink. The plane was about half full going over, but coming back there were virtually more flight attendants than passengers.

MAXjet Airways - by Roger Ellis

21 January 2007

You can never truly count on a small start up low cost carrier. They have no back up plan. They contract out anything they can to the lowest bidder. I went to look at flights to Dulles and none operating again until end of May. I feel sorry for anyone who had made plan to travel on them and are now routed through NYC. With all the convenience and ease of travel that Stansted provides there is no back up. At least with Heathrow and Gatwick there is BA, Virgin, United, American, USAirways, Delta etc to get you just about anywhere in the US. These airlines also provide the best mileage plans. Sure you may save a few bucks now, but really in the long run what are you getting.

MAXjet Airways - by Peter Cox

19 January 2007

Logged on to the MAXjet website, in order to book a return flight to the States - luckily, found this page, before making a reservation! Having read the above comments, I'm not willing to risk any of the bad experiences that the passengers appear to have been through, it's just not worth the stress and frustration. Back to Virgin, I'm afraid!

MAXjet Airways - by M Kamarck

19 January 2007

One doesn't expect (or pay for) same level of service on MAXjet as on Eos or business class on better conventional carriers. With that caveat, they seem to do OK -- except for what seems to be their perennial maintenance problems. My flight from Stansted to JFK was cancelled, and I was put on Virgin (coach, of course) 5 hours later. In the interim, staff were uncommunicative, cold and defensive. Not at all a happy experience. The very next day my wife and mother-in-law were substantially delayed on the same flight, due again to maintenance problems. Seems to be a roll of the dice: if the chewing gum and baling wire hold, then the experience is as advertised. If the maintenance gremlins run amok, then the experience can be, at best, aggravating and, at worst, hellish.

MAXjet Airways - by Tina Connell

12 January 2007

Stansted-Las Vegas. Quick check in, great fast track through security, nice lounge, pleasant staff. Flight was at first delayed by 2 hrs, then another 2 hrs, given vouchers for food, then finally told at 6.30pm we would not be departing due to technical problems with plane. Put in Hotel next door, previous to this was told by the manager that he would get me and my two teenage children on the Virgin flight on saturday morning from Gatwick - and he would call me in approx 2 hrs time. 3.5 hours later I get a call to tell me I was booked on the New York flight with Maxjet and then down to Vegas with Jet Blue. The flight going out to JFK was no problem except that we couldn't even sit together - when I asked at the desk prior to boarding I was told the seats were just across from each other. Lies! we were rows apart and all separate! Arrived at JFK, got luggage, no Maxjet reps to help us, Checked in on the Jetblue flight - all separated again! Considering this was supposed to be a "Business class flight" We spent 5.5 hours, on Jetblue, with nothing to eat except being offered packets of crisps and nuts! Soft drinks, beers to be paid for! After leaving home Thursday morning at 8am, we finally arrived at Las Vegas, on Friday night at 10.30pm (our time 6.30am saturday morn.) The return flight was great, except there is no business class lounge at Las Vegas, no fast track security. The breakfast was awful - when I asked where the muffin was, I was told "we are all out of them! A word of warning - think very carefully about flying with them as they have no back up, and customer service on the ground is a shambles.

MAXjet Airways - by Mitch Sonies

12 January 2007

Absolutely the worst customer service experience I've had. I called them one minute after making a reservation on the Web to say the reservation date was off by one day. I was told I could change it the next day without penalty. I called the next day and was told it had been 27 hours, not 24 hours, so I'd have to pay a change penalty. Two days after escalating, I got a message that the penalty would be waived. I called to change the reservation and I was told that although the penalty would be waived, I would have to pay a fare difference, which was more than the original fare! Since the comments on this forum indicate that the flight is likely to be half a day late or canceled anyway (should have checked before making the reservation in the first place - my mistake!), I decided I'm better off paying $300 to cancel and fly another airline. What is unbelievable is that customer support didn't even try to talk me out of this, despite the fact that I'm a first time customer. Really unbelievable. I must have told at least ten people about Maxjet when I first made the reservation.

MAXjet Airways - by A Thomas

12 January 2007

Excellent service to and from the US. Both flights were on time. Only snag seems to be with interconnecting US internal flights for other operators eg, USAir and United do not have reciprocal baggage forwarding arrangements, which meant that we had to collect and hump luggage between terminals.

MAXjet Airways - by Kevin Mackintosh

9 January 2007

STN-IAD, 22/12/06. Fog in South East England and the Maxjet website says our flight will leave Stansted at 00.20 on 23/12/06, 9 hours late. The 0800 message provides NO information and is updated late every time an update is promised. There is no human being to talk to in Stansted and despite 8 calls to Maxjet in the US the humans there are vague about what is actually going on. At 18.15 I suddenly work out what is happening. Maxjet can't land in fog and have diverted to Manchester. I and the family (wife + 3 year old) drive frantically to Stansted, arrive after 1.45 hours with the check in closed, and no-one to ask where to go. Another call to the US results in us going to the Radisson Stansted to discover all the London Maxjet reps hiding there having sent everyone by coach to Manchester. They have apparently had a battering from the JFK and IAD passengers, have made NO calls to anyone (they said they'd spend all day on the phone if they did) and finally added a meaningful message on the 0800 number at 6pm. If you live west of Reading as I do this is useless. 1 Maxjet taxi to Manchester later we check in and depart for IAD at 04.30, 23/12/06, arriving 14 hours late. Flight, crew, food for outbound excellent, entire return experience as if travelling on proper airline, crew, food and flight excellent. Since STN is Maxjet's international hub why is the ground operation such a shambles ?

MAXjet Airways - by E Funnell

9 January 2007

Stansted-Dulles return. We had exemplary service, including on-time flights. The lounge at Stansted was pleasant, and the NW lounge at Dulles was more busy, but had a quiet area and tasty snacks. The main irritation was a screaming baby on the overnight return flight. Otherwise we couldn't have asked for better or more polite service. Perhaps less service on the overnight flight would make sleep easier on those reclining seats. Who really wants a full meal at 11pm - and then cooked breakfast offered at the equivalent of 4am? The footrest needs to extend more though, for tall long legged passengers! We feel that Maxjet is trying hard, and being sabotaged with bad press. We were very lucky, and would certainly fly Maxjet again.

MAXjet Airways - by Russell Downe

9 January 2007

Travelled to Dulles on 1 November, received a telephone call the early evening before advising that flight had been cancelled and we were rebooked on Virgin business class from Heathrow. No problem at all as this is closer for us. We did not really like configuration in Virgin business seats and prefer the more conventional. The lounge in Dulles belonged to NW Airlines and was poor. Preferred the seat configuration on Maxjet, and food / service was excellent. One little point, when the seat in front was thrown right back it could trap ones toes! It is not the same as the larger airlines but neither is the price - those of us in the senior citizen (80 and 72) bracket who have long retired find it an excellent compromise. The staff both ground and flight were always helpful and we would recommend it to our friends.

MAXjet Airways - by C Brown

9 January 2007

Rattly old planes. Quite noisy compared to latest eg: 777 or A346, but with ear plugs in was fine. Adequate but not the latest in seating. Loads of room. Great crew. Departed Xmas day for Vegas on time & arrived about 90 mins early. Similar on the way home except it took about an hour longer than scheduled, despite on time depart. Would likely use again if standards don't decline.

MAXjet Airways - by Robert Wagner

9 January 2007

STN-JFK-STN : on time departure outward and inbound. Service rivaling other players on the transatlantic. The lounge at Stansted is amongst the best I have experienced and at JFK was adequate. Maxjet represented excellent value for money.

MAXjet Airways - by J Jacobson

4 January 2007

To sum up the customer service and overall experience it up in a word - dreadful. I will echo what others have said - great concept, however, flying on 20+ year old planes they have major delays. I would rather shell out the money for reliability! The in-light experience was good - canapes, drinks, inflight entertainment. However, when waiting almost a half a day to board the flight and sitting in an airport chair with pizza, anything would have been a plus to just get home!!

MAXjet Airways - by William Bethell

27 December 2006

This is my first experience with Maxjet and I have not even gone to the Airport!! An early morning message told me that the 11:45am to JFK was delayed to 5pm so I have missed my connect flight to San Juan and have had to book a hotel at JFK. The message told me that I would be updated but I have heard nothing. Looks like a journey to Stanst aed in the hope that I will be able to board the incoming Maxjet flight on a quick turnround. Their customer service stinks as there is no one to talk to just an answer phone which tells me about yesterday's flight! I am not looking forward to this at all!

MAXjet Airways - by Robert Merrick

20 December 2006

I flew out from Stansted on the 3rd Dec and the check in service was ok but nothing special, fast track security was a bonus and the lounge was pleasantly surprising with everything that you needed however I wouldn't like to be stuck there for a long time! Maxjet insisted on us boarding the plane an hour before take-off and then once we were on the plane decided to tell us that they were running 40 mins late so after 2 hours on the board we got to take off. The flight was good and the service excellent and food wise there was more choice than the recent Virgin Upper class flight I had been on - on the way out I would rate them 7/10. On the way back from JFK on the 9 Dec we arrived at the airport early to see that the plane was delayed on the way in, but apparently after a quick turn round we would be only slightly impacted which was fair enough. We checked in and made our way to the business lounge which was also good and pleasant enough to kill a few hours. It was here that we found out about the previous nights flight being cancelled and it all went horribly wrong. we were called to the gate about an hour and a half late and then continually given excuses about the plane being delayed by airport ground staff as the MAXjet staff were not willing to tell us what was happening. Eventually the pilot came out and told us the flight would not be flying. While all this was happening myself and my colleague were sitting down and waiting patiently thinking that shouting and threatening the staff like the other passengers wouldn't get us anywhere. However when they did finally admit the flight was cancelled they started handing out tickets for the virgin flight the next morning in Upper class to those who had shouted loudest and those who has waited patintly were offered a horrible hotel for the night and the possibility of a flight the next day. I eventually booked myself a Virgin flight home as MAXjet customer service was so bad that I couldn't handle being told anymore lies by them. This was my worst flying experience ever.

MAXjet Airways - by Allan Biggs

17 December 2006

STN - IAD return. The flight out could not have been better. I had noticed the comments in this forum so was keeping an eye on the flight status page a few days before my return on 10 Dec. I noticed that flights the previous Friday were cancelled and that the morning flight into Dulles on the 10th was cancelled but when I left the hotel at 2 pm the evening flight still said "on time". At about 4pm I got a call from MaxJet to tell me that my flight was cancelled. My alternatives were to transfer to Virgin Atlantic, my money back or to be re-booked onto the MaxJet flight on 12 December. I chose to transfer to VS22. Later I found that the 10 Dec flight (my flight) did arrive at STN but 2 hours late - did this go via JFK? I also noticed that the 12 Dec flight (one of my alternatives) was also cancelled. I cannot fault the service from the MaxJet call centre or the staff at Dulles ; they informed me early enough for me to take the earlier flight. I do however think that MAXjet should follow up with passengers - perhaps offer free flights - offer help with Hotel bookings missed etc. A good idea will wither if passengers are not tempted back. I for one am reluctant to chance it again.

MAXjet Airways - by Mark Williams

17 December 2006

Due to fly STN-Las Vegas December. Arrived at lounge (nice lounge), but no 767 to take us to Las Vegas. Told by Maxjet staff that plane still in hanger, receiving maintenance. 1300hrs departure time passes - told plane would be towed on stand by 1600hrs. No plane. Pilots & Crew sitting outside with no additional info. 1800hrs - still no plane. Finally told at 1830hrs flight cancelled - fuel monitoring technical problem that had kept the plane on the ground and in the hanger at Stansted since the previous Monday - cancelling Monday's Vegas flight and subsequent Dulles flights. Shambles of poor communication & poor management of passenger expectations. Many of us 'in the know' knew that plane was not going to be passed airworthy on December 14th- so why pretend or hope otherwise ? They should have conducted a formal assessment with the Engineers days before and contacted passengers to advise likely to be delayed / cancelled. Maxjet = good concept, but 20 Yr+ tired 767's operationally letting them down. Question is will 2007's 2 new 767 arrivals make things better - or even worse ?

MAXjet Airways - by Stuart Morris

15 December 2006

I have travelled Maxjet 3 times and was impressed until my last experience when they failed to get me home from JFK. My Friday night flight was cancelled. Events rapidly developed info a farce when we realised that the previous days flight had also been cancelled and the passengers from that flight were still waiting to fly home. On the Friday evening it took nearly four hours from the departure time for a Maxjet representative to arrive and formally inform us that the flight had been cancelled. Up until that time there had been no reliable communication of what was happening. We were instructed to collect our baggage and transfer to the Ramada hotel with no further instruction or contact point for what was going to happen next. Like many of the other passengers I spoke to I resorted to getting myself home courtesy of BA. I have still had no explanation from Maxjet and am now trying to get a refund for my cancelled flight. It is disappointing that the service they offer in the sky is not replicated on the ground.

MAXjet Airways - by Jonathan Duff

15 December 2006

London – New York. We were travelling 2 weeks after the big airports scare, so queues for flights wound round the entire building. But the fast track ticket meant we were sitting in the lounge, sipping hot good coffee 12 minutes after we arrived in the airport. For anyone parking their car or taking an early day flight, I would heartily recommend the SAS Radisson attached to the airport. We had a superior king room, including breakfast for two and 3 weeks secure parking for £305. Extraordinarily good value as they also bring your car back to the front door on the day of your return. Flight out was fantastic. Planes are old and feel it, but it is more than made up for by the service and the roominess. Seats are comfortable and have a very good pitch and most importantly; I am 6 feet tall, and sitting comfortably in my seat, if I stretched my feet out I could not touch the seat in front. THAT much room. Food was nothing special but perfectly edible. Entertainment packs were fun and well stocked, even if the films on offer were much older than on other airlines. Staff were fabulous and could not do enough to help. Because of the relatively small number of passengers, arrival at JFK was a breeze. Very short queues for customs and our bags being quite literally the 1st off the plane meant we were sitting in a cab 15 minutes after touching down. Great flight. Return flight was unfortunately the polar opposite. JFK was fine – Maxjet share their lounge with KoreanAir and it is perfectly comfortable, providing drink, snacks and computers for those of us without WiFi laptops. Most of what happened was not technically Maxjet’s fault, but they dealt badly with the problems when they did arise. We left 3 hours late due to very bad weather, and the 1st hour was so turbulent that the stewards could not get up to serve the food. But when they finally did the service was poor, rushed and inadequate. When flustered, many of the staff became quite rude, which was a shame. I gathered that this was the 2nd leg of the flight from Washington, so it was a very long shift for the crew, but nonetheless they should have dealt better. As we came into land, a piece of plastic moulding covering the luggage-hold above my head fell down on me, which didn’t do much to improve my mood or feelings towards the airline. All in all though, a commendable effort and worth the price. It seems Maxjet’s biggest problem is with consistency. Our 1st flight with them I can rate as amongst the best experiences I have had, the 2nd one of the worst.

MAXjet Airways - by Andrew Baber

12 December 2006

In my brief, only experience, Maxjet lurches wildly from superb service (outbound, Monday 4th Dec 2006) to hopeless, inept perfidy (inbound from JFK, Friday 8th December). To describe the local ground-staff and management as "incompetent" is to grossly undervalue a useful word. When the guy who may or may have not been a manager suddenly resorted to sign language to announce, mid-sentence, that he had lost his voice and had no choice but to turn and flee through the departure gate, the non- flying passengers assembled around the departure gate desk were so stunned that no one reacted quickly enough to grab him. I suspect few of my fellow passengers would have been anywhere near as angry, had the airline's representatives been open and honest from the very moment they realised the plane would not be leaving anytime on Friday; had they done so, everyone would probably have secured a seat on another flight. But they didn't: for two hours they were evasive, hiding and absent - only finally admitting the truth 30 minutes after the pilot and his crew had stepped back through the departure gate to announce the aircraft was unfit to fly. By that time, the airport was closed, with no more flights until the following morning.

MAXjet Airways - by Greg Coyle

11 December 2006

IAD-STN-IAD, flew out of Dulles on Sunday 3rd, half-full flight, delayed about 1 hour due to some technical problem. I've flown Maxjet return 5 times now and have come to expect delays, generally never more than 2hrs, and always due to technical issues. The service is pretty good for the price and this time was no different. What disturbed me on the outbound leg was the sticking tape around the emergency exit which I was seated next to, these planes are old. On my previous flight 2 weeks prior, there had been a 2 hour delay due to a fuel-pump failure, the captain informed us that he had the appropriate paperwork to enable us to continue, not very reassuring. I had already resolved not to fly Maxjet again when I arrived at STN at 11am on Friday 8th December for my return flight to Dulles. The flight was due to depart at 3pm. On arriving at check-in, I was told that there had been a technical problem with the aircraft and our flight would be delayed 11 hours. I was told that the flight would 'probably' depart at 2am. I was offered the option of waiting until 2am or going to JFK on the Maxjet departure at 4pm, no other options were offered. I elected to take the 4pm to JFK. Check-in staff assured me that they would arrange connections from JFK to Dulles and I would be informed of the details before boarding. To cut a long story short, despite numerous requests, I was not given connection details prior to boarding. After a 90 minute departure delay, due to missing paperwork, the crew on the aircraft had no knowledge of what I and the 20 other Dulles passengers were to do when we arrived in JFK. Arriving in JFK, I stood in line in immigration for 40 minutes before eventually spotting a passing Maxjet representative who I made take me to the front of the line. Arriving at the transfer desk, I stood in line for another 30 mintues to be told by the Maxjet rep. that my name was not on any list she had and no connection arrangements had been made. I was offered a 9am JetBlue flight to Dulles and a room in the Ramada hotel, despite asking, no booking reference could be provided for the JetBlue flight. Spent another 40 mintues waiting on a charter bus, with 20 other Dulles passengers, then another 25 mintues in a check-in line at the Ramada Inn. Hotel staff had no knowledge of our arrival and none of our details. Spent the night in a grimy room, arrived next morning at JetBlue counter to find no Maxjet representative. Spent another 40 minutes in line as I had no booking reference, JetBlue staff very helpful and eventually arrived in Dulles at 10:30am on Saturday morning, 16 hours late. My advice, never fly Maxjet, I know I never will again.

MAXjet Airways - by Paul Oliver

11 December 2006

STN-JFK-STN. A surprisingly pleasant experience. Stansted is a veritable oasis compared to LGW or LHR. Quick check-in, fast-track through security and into a pleasant dedicated lounge. We boarded on time, but the on-time departure announcement was quickly changed to accommodate some last-minute cargo, leaving us sitting on the tarmac and an hour late leaving. Food and service was surprisingly good and the portable IFE system is a great idea enabling you to stop and start a good selection of entertainment at will. The return flight was equally pleasant and precisely on-time. Although the seats are not lie-flat, personally I found them more comfortable than BA beds. In the fully reclined position, they have a slight 'cradle' shape, meaning the pressure is taken on your back so that after a few hours sleep, I did not wake to the usual numbness. The huge seat pitch also gives easy access and a great feeling of space. Although overall not quite a premier business class service, it is pretty close and considering it costs less than half that of the major carriers, very well worth it. I would certainly use them again.

MAXjet Airways - by Graeme Leys

10 December 2006

I did not know what to expect from an "all business" airline. As it turned out my two flights to Las Vegas from London Stansted were amongst the best I have ever experienced. The staff were faultless from beginning to end. They were generous with all aspects of the food and beverage service which offered high standards in all areas. Flights not as punctual as I would demand if travelling on business (1 hour late outward - 2 hours late return) and the planes are a bit tired. The only real complaint I would make is the cabin noise. I use noise cancelling headphones but even with these the sound was excessive. I was in row 1; which is normally the quietest and cannot understand why it was noisier than the back cabin that was nearer the wing mounted engines. Overall, it was a good experience that in terms of service exceeded BA Club but in terms of facilities was more like BA in the 1980's - eg.the inflight complimentaries are sub-economy. If they continue - and continue to offer the kind of special deals that I enjoyed then I would travel with them again. If there were only few hundred pounds between Maxjet from Stansted and BA Club from Gatwick then I would revert to type and stay with BA. There is a market for Maxjet but it is more economy moving up than business economising.

MAXjet Airways - by Fraser Campbell

27 November 2006

STN-JFK-STN. Outbound flight check-in swift and efficient - fast track security a blessing given the hordes at the regular security line. Lounge a welcome oasis from the crowded hell of Stansted airport - don't bother hanging around in the main terminal - get to the lounge and enjoy the peace and views of the runway! Flight was full and the staff seemed a bit "tired" and harrassed with the boarding procedures. Food service took 2-3 hours but wasn't a major problem as the flight time was 8.5 hours due to storms in the Atlantic. Several passengers had problems with portable IFE but staff (sometimes grudgingly) fixed/replaced. Food so-so and not up to standard of major carriers business class. Seats/environment fine - all in all acceptable given the prices charged. Return flight checkin took 3 mins and lounge was fine. Flight was much emptier and the staff seemed less tired and grumpy - indeed they were almost too energetic for this evening flight! We had 4 hours before our connection on arrival and the free showers and breakfast at the Radisson SAS 2 mins from the airport were excellent! All in all would recommend those spending their own money to use the Maxjet product - far better than premium economy for about the same price.

MAXjet Airways - by Jeanne Devine

17 November 2006

JFK-STN-JFK. I flew out on November 1, 2006, which happened to be Maxjet's anniversary. I got a free t-shirt and they were having a nice party in the Korean Air Lounge which Maxjet used. Cake and champagne. I thought the other refreshments in the lounge were fine. I don't normally fly business class so this was a treat for me at the sale price of $999 RT. The plane took off on time. They did come through the cabin with the hors d'oeuvres and champagne and chocolate cupcakes. The flight attendants were friendly, and even showed me how to use that portable entertainment player they provide. The seats were comfortable, and I was amazed at how much space is between you and the seat in front of you. The flight was about 2/3 full. The only complaint on the outbound flight is that the egg omelet served for breakfast was terrible. My return flight was not so smooth, but because of these postings I allowed myself an extra day to get home. It's good that I did. I didn't check with Maxjet before I left London to go out to Stansted. That could be viewed as good or bad. They called my US cell phone to advise me the plane was delayed, but it doesn't work overseas. When I got to the check-in at 945am for the 1145am departure, they advised me the plane was delayed due to air traffic. However, they immediately offered me a day room at the Radisson next door and a free lunch. I jumped on that offer because I was tired from partying and a nap sounded just fine to me. One of the representatives even walked me to the hotel lobby. The lunch was a buffet at the Italian restaurant, and it was delicious. They told me to be back at the airport lounge at 530pm for the new departure time of 7pm. I had a few drinks and some hors d'oeuvres while waiting. About 630pm, they advised us that the plane was here, but it had a mechanical problem they weren't sure could be fixed. About 730pm they said they could not get the part for the plane and the flight was cancelled until the next day, November 10th at 10am. They then immediately offered us overnight rooms at the Radisson, a 25 pound allowance for dinner, and 6 pounds for breakfast the next morning. I believe they handled this problem very well. I have been stranded before and this is high on the list of the best treatment I've received. They also offered a free round trip, which I haven't received yet, but I will follow up to make sure I get it and will fly on Maxjet again!

MAXjet Airways - by Jo Lea

12 November 2006

STN to IAD. We asked for help at check-in regarding how to carry insulin and a member the MAXjet ground crew was quick to check with Stansted security and he then escorted us through security. The lounge at Stansted was excellent and the champagne delicious, a really relaxing start to the flight. Boarding the plane the service we received was first rate, when a glass was empty the cabin staff were quick to offer us another drink, in fact we were spoilt for the whole flight. The recline functions for my seat (2C) was broken and I was quickly offered the pick of the spare seats, but due to the Maintenance Manager being on the flight he was asked to look at my seat and then demonstrated how to operate the recline manually. Unfortunately there was a problem with our plane for the return journey, we were sent an email 2 days beforehand asking us to contact Maxjet to re-arrange flights. We were offered flights in Virgin economy on our expected return date with free flights or Upper Class on Virgin the following day. We took the Upper Class option and enjoyed a night at the Hyatt Dulles. We checked in for Virgin the following day and although Virgin offers a more expensive service with the Clubhouse and flat beds, I would have preferred to return with MAXjet.

MAXjet Airways - by Duncan Jones

5 November 2006

The flights were good, pity about the rest! My wife and I had our return flight from Washington to Stansted postponed a day, then it was cancelled. We only found out about the cancellation when I phoned Maxjet (when in Washington) on the morning prior to our evening flight (Oct 13th). The Maxjet operative offered us a connection to JFK, New York or to delay from Friday to their next flight out of Washington on Tuesday. We opted for the United connecting flight, which they said they would book and pay for. Maxjet had not done so. So we had to buy our tickets (the last 2 available!) and then we made it to JFK in time. But realised that Maxjet had not allocated us seat numbers for their flight out of JFK, so phone call needed from just before United flight to get us seats - indeed, had not been allocated, and were last 2 again. Close one! Am trying to get Maxjet to reimburse me for the connecting flight, as their operative said they would, but they have ignored all correspondence/e-mails. The flights were satisfactory, but it is a small airline which seems to be struggling, with cancelled flights 'due to technical problems' (too few passengers?) and no back up; so unreliable. Communication around the flights was abysmal. A great pity, as a good idea but not working well enough. Will not fly with Maxjet again.

MAXjet Airways - by Peter McLennan

2 November 2006

Update to comment 27th October, refund via credit card received 1st November, and I now have a personal contact looking after me in customer care at Maxjet, so they seem to be catching up at last.

MAXjet Airways - by Janice Swayne

2 November 2006

Stansted-JFK-Stansted. Just returned from five day trip with my daughter to New York. Will certainly travel with Maxjet again - great value. Delayed 1.5 hours on return flight but not Maxjet fault as due to large volume of traffic out of JFK. Quality overall better than premium economy although perhaps not meeting the full 'business class package' but then again nor was the price! Airport lounges disappointing and not worth bothering with - these were well below the normal business lounge standard. Seat spacious on plane with good reclining facility and helpful cabin crew. Individual free standing dvd players a good idea.

MAXjet Airways - by Steve Sulik

27 October 2006

Booked IAD - STN 13 Oct return 22 Oct. Both flights were cancelled. Our options? Business Class from NY to Stansted and return, or Premium Economy from Dulles, Economy return to Dulles. Hobson's Choice, esp on the return, since onward booking from JFK to Dulles could not be guaranteed same evening. No refund offered (only free ticket for future flights). Isn't this "Bait and Switch?"

MAXjet Airways - by Peter Mclennan

27 October 2006

STN-IAD-STN Cancelled 3 times never got to fly with Maxjet -total disaster. My wife and I made reservations to fly to Washington 11th October returning 19th October. Day before departure checked flight time on website to find it had been put back 2 hours, checked by phone and told yes-sorry you were not informed. Just before leaving for airport checked again and found return flight had been cancelled for the Thursday and we were put on the Friday flight , on arriving at Stansted check-in asked what was happening and they did not even know, the best they could do was send an internal e-mail to Maxjet USA and told me to contact again before flying back. Waited in Lounge for flight and just before departure time we were told the outbound flight was cancelled due to "Technical maintenance problems", the plane was stood outside looking very sad! Offered switch to Virgin following day or a full refund, in view of doubts over return flight we chose refund option. Made separate arrangements and did trip both ways with Virgin-no problems. On return no sign of refund just further e-mails telling us flights on 19th and 20th had been cancelled!. Have sent e-mails faxes etc. still no refund after 2 weeks, still trying. The flight experience based on other reports looks great but reliability is zero. If you need to be there on a certain day or time, choose another airline.

MAXjet Airways - by Laura Rabney

27 October 2006

We had an awful experience with Maxjet. Our flight to and from Stansted (from Dulles) was cancelled, we had to fly Coach as they would not pay for first class, and we had to make our own arrangements, without them offering to pay. They offered to pay for us to fly to airports other than Dulles, but we were financially responsible for getting to Dulles.

MAXjet Airways - by Gill Cooper

19 October 2006

Stansted-JFK-Stansted. Had a wonderful trip to New York last week, and the MaxJet experience was a great contributing factor. Stansted is by far our preferred airport as it means we don't have to do battle on the M25. Having never flown business class before MaxJet certainly surpassed our expectations. Nice lounge at Stansted - and the toilets are about 10 metres away and not busy so it's no hardship that they aren't within the lounge itself. Canapes and champagne as soon as we boarded. Nothing was too much trouble for the cabin crew, I found them friendly and attentive. The food was fantastic and entertainment options were good enough for me to stay awake the whole way without getting bored! It is wonderful to recline your seat all the way back and still wiggle your toes without touching the seat in front. Going back to "cattle class" will be tough enough for short haul trips; next time we visit the US we will definitely use MaxJet. I don't like flying but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this flight.

MAXjet Airways - by Leon Mills

22 September 2006

STN-JFK, IAD-STN. Second round trip on Maxjet this time routing the return from IAD. Outbound from Stansted, clearly they have listened to comments, the lounge now contains drinks and snacks appropriate to a morning departure (pasteries, coffee and juice etc.) and not just the alcohol last time I flew. Also wireless internet just works and doesn't need a BT voucher anymore. The Northwest lounge at IAD was crowded but I manged to find a PC desk and get online right away, no problems there. The canapes and drinks on boarding were haphazard both directions. The outbound flight was full and I was one of the last to board and didn't get anything offered, not too fussed, we were delayed a bit so I just wanted to get going probably like everyone else on board. On the way back it was half full and most of the passengers were in the front section. I was offered a canape but no drink even though the tray passed by a few times. The point is, if you are going to offer it, then do it right, otherwise don't bother because it looks bad from the customer perspective. On the outbound flight the safety briefing was muddled through just like my previous flight, but on my return flight (2 months later) a smart breakthrough. Pre-recorded safety briefing with both US and UK voices intermingled which the cabin crew just have to mime to, it all looks much slicker. Meals in and out were very good just as I had experienced 6 month previously, a big fat steak on the return flight for dinner and on waking a fruit plate which was very fresh. As per my last round trip the cabin crew were exemplary when you needed anything, on my flight to JFK they knew I was to connect to JetBlue and I rushed out the door first, cleared immigration in 15 mins. Then when trying to work which direction to take the transit train to the JetBlue terminal one of the crew members now out of uniform spotted me and came over to assist. Once again the bottom line is the price (one up from cheapest fare both ways)and the cabin crew once you are on board. Both very good. The Las Vegas flight looks very interesting, as a self funded tall person this will offer a potentially comfortable way to get to the west coast. NB. that comment from Sam Wolfe: "MAXjet cancelled their IAD-STN flight on my planned travel date (quite clearly so that they can use the same plane for the new Las Vegas route)" impossible, the route doesn't start until November. just an observation.

MAXjet Airways - by Sam Wolfe

16 September 2006

MAXjet has an extremely good product at a great price. The seats are comfortable, the food good quality, the service is professional - I enjoyed traveling with them a lot, once on the plane. However, a recent review below describes a similar incident that affected me - MAXjet cancelled their IAD-STN flight on my planned travel date (quite clearly so that they can use the same plane for the new Las Vegas route). What was offered was an ECONOMY flight on Virgin to Heathrow (uhm...HOW is this comparable?) or routing through JFK. I chose the latter - they stuck us on JetBlue, JetBlue lost my bags, the bags missed my connection and I spent 3 days in Europe trying to get JetBlue to get the bags to MAXjet who then took 2 days to get them to me in Vienna. This is where the power of an independent, small airline really shows. Disappointed with what should have been a wonderful trip.