Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Giovanni Sacco

18 March 2006

Economy class LHR-AMM on an A310, then onwards to BKK on an A340-200. I used because they were cheap and I wanted to see the old Iraqi Airways planes that have been stored there since 1991. Check-in at LHR handled by Air Canada staff. I was first to check in, but AC staff could not give me the seat number I had been assigned nor could they confirm that my seat number would be honoured on the AMM-BKK sector, nor could they issue a boarding pass. It was not looking good. I did have a window seat on the LHR-AMM sector, but a short stop-over in AMM was not looking too good as I knew the flight to BKK was full, so I was resigned to what the seat gods would have in store for me on that sector. I did not feel as if the check in staff at LHR was pleased that I was there early to bother him. My first contact with RJ staff was at the departure gate, and I found them friendly. Onboard the A310 the only thing outdated was the movie screen, the rest of the interior was clean, and cabin crew were friendly and welcoming. The toilets at the rear at huge, and there is no need to carry a shoe horn on this plane! There were 3 choices of meals, I found my choice (beef) to be good, but I'm only used to economy, so probably don't know any better! Plenty of drinks to choose from and trays cleared quickly, and a push of the attendant button answered in less than 3 minutes. I found the transit signs at AMM easy to follow, but they could make the procedure easier by issuing the boarding cards in advance, especially when there is so little time between arr & dep flights. To my relief I was given my boarding pass quickly and with my confirmed seat number. Still puzzles me why the chap from AC could not assign my reserved seat! After receiving my boarding card it was a short walk up to the departure gate, and first had to go through security screening. This can take some time, and needs to be improved. On this sector my main gripe was with the time the security procedure takes, and how rude some of the guards are. A340 I flew was an older -200 version which came to RJA via AF and the interior had no signs of its Gallic past - clean and comfortable with drop down tv screens providing moving maps and IFE. The main difference on my return sector was that I stayed overnight in AMM at the Alia Hotel courtesy of RJA. This time on the ground at AMM the staff were not efficient or friendly and more of the I can`t be bothered variety. No information is given by ground staff about your luggage in transit, and you are not allowed to collect it, but they did allow me to get a change of clothes, etc out of my case (after arguing). There were a number of us stranded there looking for the bus sign. "Sir, just go right" then after all walking right "Sir, just go to the left" in the end decide to walk left again for half the distance and I saw a small dark sign with "alia hotel" on it. We all waited there, but then we were all ushered back into the terminal again! Eventually the bus came along, and we departed towards the hotel. There is a security check before you are allowed into the hotel. A sign of the times I suppose, but it was handled politely and efficiently. Reception staff could do with a refresher course in customer service. They offer no information about what is included, and good job I know how to ask questions! They did not seem happy to answer them. It was nice of RJA to put me up for the night while in transit, but more information is needed for the pax in transit. The flight back to LHR was also good. In general for the money I paid and for the service I received on board all my flights with RJ I would recommend them. Their FAs work hard and are pleasant, but they need to improve the quality of their customer services on the ground, which is severely poor and lacking of the standard it needs to attract the business class customer (and also economy ones). At the check-in stages, especially, I found the attitude of some of their ground personnel at AMM shocking, full of self importance, and lacking of any kind of customer care. For any of you that are interested to know, I did "spot" the Iraqi aircraft, but they have been moved to a remote part of the airport, past the maintenance and cargo hangars. There are 4x B727s, 2x B707s of IAW. 1x Rich Intnl L1011 & 1 Jordan Wings B727 all stored there. Sit on the left hand side for take off! Enjoy your flights with RJA, but try and avoid ground services at AMM!!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Hannah Crossley

5 March 2006

Economy class LHR-AMM, AMM-BKK return. Based on my experiences with Royal Jordanian on these four flights I will definitely not be using them again. The meal, which was poor in quality was EXACTLY the same on all four flights, as was the in-flight "entertainment". The planes are very old, (they still have ashtrays in the toilets) extremely uncomfortable and you will be very lucky if your headphones work (provided you don't mind watching the same episodes of Top Gear and Creature Comforts over and over again). The FA's were fine on the outbound LHW to AMM flight and on the return BKK to AMM, however, AMM to BKK outbound and return they seemed to totally lose the plot - I sat there waiting for them to clear away my empty dinner tray for nearly an hour, when I rang the bell mid-flight to ask for a glass of water she looked at me as though I had said something highly offensive about her mother. I was so enraged by one of them that I named her in the comments card given out at the end of the flight. BKK to AMM was an hour earlier than scheduled and lots of people missed the flight. Putting the flight forward an hour did not affect check in time however, we were waiting for them to open the check in gates for well over an hour, we could see them milling about having a chat and generally not worrying at all that there were queues of customers waiting for them. The return stop over in Amman was pretty hellish, it was a 7 hour wait so they provided hotel accomodation - absolutely no information of this was provided at immigration and the wrong information was given on the flight so we were wandering around getting stared at for some time. If you are a young female then be prepared to be unashamedly gawped at and have comments made to you by the male airport staff, not pleasant at all. The security checks we had to go through seemed rather excessive, I had to empty my bags out 5 times, get felt up and remove my shoes etc, not really what you want when you've already been through this twice in Bangkok and spent 9 and a half hours on a seriously uncomfortable flight and have a 7 hour wait in Amman and another 5 hour flight to look forward to. If you're travelling for more than 3 hours then do not fly with Royal Jordanian, they are miles behind airlines like Emirates, it really is worth paying the extra money.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Ronnie Shahar

19 February 2006

RJ Crown class AMM to BKK. The only good thing about RJ crown class on the airbus A340 were the lie flat seats. However the Inflight entertainment is of a poor standard as the system is over 10 years old.! They offer you a portable Sony 8mm video Walkman which is also about 10 years old with poor quality headphones and small screen of less than 6inches! Food is not of a business class standard with few options. Wine list a joke with only 2 choices! RJ still ignores Customer complaints, and does not have a service mentality. AMM airport is a joke with slow immigration clearance. Furthermore the check in counters are poorly organized.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by John Charlesworth

10 February 2006

If they were to upgrade the cabins, the food, the entertainment, you could think you were flying on a Gulf country or European airline. I found cabin staff friendly and helpful, aircraft clean and flights punctual - a cost-effective alternative to other carriers. If you are using them for a longer flight, try to arrange a stopover - Jordan had a lot to offer.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by David Higgs

10 February 2006

LHR-BKK via Amman return. Fairly ancient A310 LHR to AMM. Seats fairly worn, plane rattly and screens a joke! FA's fine, food OK, drinks okay Plane about half-empty so this was a bonus. Change at AMM was fairly quick, to newer A340 to BKK - which was full. Better aircraft, food and service OK. Staff at AMM not very friendly or helpful. No major complaints and fare was the lowest I could find LHR-BKK. BKK-AMM also A340 (older), left on time, about two thirds full. Offered transit hotel in AMM although wait was only 6hrs. Beware taxi drivers hassling you while you wait for the transit bus to the hotel Alia: bus-stop is clearly marked (but unlit on this dark morning) as is the bus. Got to hotel at 05.50hrs and was woken at 08.30hrs to return to airport for 11am flight - far too early! Hotel basic, a bottle of drinking water in the room would be good and would cost very little. Be warned that your boarding pass is retained and you must collect this at the RJ transit desk (which no-one tells you about), many of my fellow-passengers were trying to board the flight with their overnight visas and were sent back to find their passes. First experience of RJ - planes are oldish, but one cannot complain for the price. The 6-hr stop-over on the return flight is tedious, and is the main thing that puts me off. I would use RJ again on this route (LHR-BKK) if their fare was significantly below the direct flight fare.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Richard Simmon

12 January 2006

BKK to GVA. RJA gets the job done and nothing else. Good side, the food portions were good, and edible - and they were very generous drinks wise. Bad side, the concept of customer service is not there - some FA`s had a I'm too good for you attitude. Their hub at Amman airport is a joke. The only amusement there was seeing the constant parade of rather shady types on their way to Iraq. It got me there from A to B at a low price.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Tom Barclay

7 November 2005

After my unsuccessful visit on Oct 25th I tried again on Oct. 26th. I arrived at exactly 2:30 and the sales person was closing the door. I stuck my foot into the crack and refused to remove it, despite repeated attempts by the employee to force the door closed. After three painful attempts, she opened the door and allowed me in. Now let me remind you, they don't officially close until 3:00 but she wants to walk out the door at 3, hence slamming the door on my foot repeatedly at 2:30! I was able to make the changes to my ticket but my request to add my passport information and to get assigned seats went undone so now I am headed back over to the office for round three. I wish RJA could read this. Customer service is non-existant in Amman Jordan and I have the marks on my foot to prove that statement is true. They only care about themselves and their time tables, not the customers! If you have a choice don't chose RJA!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Jane Fletcher

7 November 2005

LHR Amman Colombo and back with Royal Jordanian. Check in at LHR was excellent and flight to Amman very good - we had 16 hrs to wait in Amman and were put up in the Alia Hotel by RJ. Transfer was quick and efficient - hotel was very basic, but clean. We were given an upgrade from Amman to CMB which was wonderful. Cabin crew were friendly and the food excellent. Return from CMB to Amman was good, we had 45 mins to get the connection AMM to LHR and this went smoothly and when we arrived at LHR so did our luggage. It was a very good experience, given the very cheap price of the tickets - maybe we were just very lucky!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Robert Matahen

6 November 2005

What is going on with RJ, are all these complaints falling on deaf ears?! I’m a frequent flyer with RJ (NEW YORK- AMMAN), and despite all the mishaps take place in each flight, I believed in RJs respond to these problems, and capability in addressing them accordingly, Disappointingly RJ has let me and hundreds of other passengers down. The headache starts form the moment of reservation; no matter what time of the year you always hear the same answer it’s a heavy season and the ticket cost more due to the high demand, and the flight is full, while the reality is completely the opposite. Once you get to the airport, you have to deal with the ground crew, who lack professionalism and basic communication skills, not to mention the complete chaos as if this is their first time dealing with passengers. Boarding procedure is very disorganized. Although I reserve a particular seat with confirmed seat number provided by the travel agency, RJ NEVER respected any seat reservation, you get seated any where, while listening to the same rude respond accompanied with attitude (RJ doesn’t reserve seats). The seats are so worn out and lack any real padding; you might as well set on the floor. The audio/video system is a joke, nothing is working properly. Quite honestly words can’t convey the true picture, one has to go through it in order to get better grasp of the most annoying, uncomfortable and horrible experience. 10 years and I have yet to experience a comfortable flight with RJ, therefore I strongly recommend using different airlines, until RJ rethink and restructure their customer service policies and procedures - if they have any ?

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Tom Barclay

25 October 2005

RJA is typical of the additude I have experienced here in Jordan. There is no sense of urgency and no customer service. Today I was told by the telephone reservation center that the ticket office was open until 3 PM. I arrived at 2:45 to find the door locked. The women inside would not open the door or explain why they closed early. Finally after repeated knocking, a manager came to explain that yes, they close at 3 PM but that means they walk out the door at 3 so they close the doors whenever they want to to ensure that they leave at 3 PM. No one cared that I had driven for almost an hour to get to the office. No one cared that I had to leave work early to drive for an hour to get to the office. That's the key, no one cared. I hope the mechanics don't have the same poor work ethic or this plane will never stay in the air.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by A Atkinson

7 October 2005

Heathrow to Amman, Amman to Delhi, Delhi to Amman and Amman to Heathrow. We found ground and aircrew staff to be polite and helpful. We were travelling economy class and did not expect any luxuries. The food on all flights was similar to that of other economy class flights that we have had on previous medium/long haul flights.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Ghaleb Safadi

2 October 2005

I flew Crown Class (Business class) on Royal Jordanian from Detroit, MI to Amman return. For the price of the ticket, I think it was an excellent value. The food was excellent and the service was professional and friendly.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Josef Fischer

28 July 2005

I have flown RJ roundtrip from Bangkok to Amman half a dozen times in the past 2 years so my comments are drawn my various experiences: The aircraft are ancient, the seats are worn out (use 3 or 4 pillows next time), the video systems are useless, and the food is marginally acceptable. I have had good experience with the flight crews, but I am an easy-going passenger by nature. The airport in Amman is indeed a joke - coming or going. Flight information is difficult to find, the route from check in to the gates is bizarre (and not due to multiple rounds of remodelling). I have no choice but to fly RJAir because I work for the Royal Court, but for those of you who do have a choice, I suggest shopping around or preparing yourself psychologically for discomfort on the trip.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Yasar Uckun

5 July 2005

IST to BKK via AMM return.It was first experience for us with RJ and we really enjoyed the flight. We flew to AMM with A320 and to BKK with A340. Check-in was simple, quick and well organized. Boarding was orderly and speedy. Flights took of on time. Offered accomodation in AMM every transit leg by RJ. Pillow and blanket service for all pax. Enough space between seats even in economy, cabin interior appearance was clean and gave a good impression. Cabin crew appeared well groomed. The announcements made during the entire flight were adequate. Order of beverages and meals served met my expectations. Variety of drinks was satisfactory and the meals offered tasted good and quantity was sufficient. On each leg flight attendants were very kindly. Pursers were very helpful and polite. I have special thanks to purser, french flight attendant and turkish flight attendant from BKK to AMM - they displayed a pleasant and kind attentive attitude throughout the flight.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by P Garay

7 June 2005

Booked Royal Jordanian from Amman to Beirut...8 hour delay as some of the aircraft had been chartered for Hajj flights, and some were delivering humanitarian aid to Kosovo - I do not have a problem with either, but there was almost zero communication with passengers about what was really happening, and we were simply given sandwiches to appease us. One loud American who raised a raucus was given admittance to Royal Jordanian's posh Club room or whatever they call their exclusive lounge at Queen Alia Airport, and I should have probably been loud and obnoxious too, that way I would have gotten more than just a sandwich. The flight was not non stop either, made a stop in Damascus. I would have been in Beirut earlier travelling by land.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Yousuf Kadril

29 May 2005

JFK-AMM-CAI-AMM-JFK. I was aware that my connection in AMM was 7 hours. But RJ was the cheapest at that time. What a mistake I made by booking with them!! I arrive at JFK 4 hours before departure only to find that the inbound RJ flight from AMM was cancelled and therefore we had to wait until tomorrow evening. Which was odd because when I called the Royal Jordanian office in Manhattan to re-confirm my reservation I asked if the flight would depart ontime and they said it would. Anyhow, annoyed and frustrated, I left my bags with the RJ ground staff as they said "We will hold it for you for tomorrows flight." Next evening, I arrive 4 hours before the said departure time. The flight from Amman did in fact arrive and we were issued boarding passes. The boarding procedure of RJ flights are VERY disorganized!! The aircraft was an A340, there were no PTV's and the plane didnt seem too clean. The FAs were surly and unhelpful. We did leave at our scheduled departure time HOWEVER we arrived 3 hours late into Amman, it wasnt a problem for me because that only shortened my connection time making it now only 4 hours. Queen Alia Airport is a disaster. The Amman-Cairo flight was on an A320 aircraft. This aircraft was slightly cleaner than their A340. The FAs were much more hospitable for the 2 hour hop from Amman to Cairo. However, upon arrival in Cairo when I went to claim my bags I found that they didnt come out on the carosel! I went to the RJ counter in the departures buildng only to find my bags were left at JFK!!! This was an extremely big messy situation now. But they said that it will be sent on Thursday's flight which meant it would reach Cairo Friday evening. And it was only Sunday! No conpensation of any sort was given by the airline at all!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Michelle McTiernan

23 February 2005

London to Bangkok via Amman on 4th February returning on 19th February. Overall, the experience was very good - all flights were on time, food was good, staff were helpful and in most cases very friendly. Transit in both directions was very well organised. The airport in Amman was not a modern international airport - but it wasn't that bad, it had a very good duty free shop and toilets and facilities were fine and in general the people working there were very helpful - as a woman travelling on my own I did not experience any harrassment. The Queen Alia Hotel where I stayed for a few hours on the way home was functional and satisfactory - it was clean and gave me the opportunity to catch up with some sleep, I found the staff there efficient in getting us to our rooms. Overall, I thought the RJ flight was excellent value and would fly with them again. I fly most weeks on business and I felt that the RJ flight was comparable with business flights I have taken on supposedly more reputable airlines!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Tracy Kellett

13 January 2005

I travelled to Colombo from London via Amman and on the way there it wasn't too bad - had to stay a night in the Alia Gateway Hotel which wasn't ideal but I think we were lucky to get one of the slightly better rooms. Coming back however was a completely different story. We had about an hour in transit and even though the flight from Colombo took off late we were told that they would hold the London plane for us. Not so - we got to Amman only to be told by the extremely rude transit manager that that flight had already gone "London departed. Next flight tomorrow. You stay in Alia Hotel". Not bloody likely mate! There were about 10 of us who had to get on it and we were furious. However the worst part was the rudeness of the transit manager and the rest of the staff who were unhelpful and acted like it was our fault that we missed the flight. We demanded that we speak to someone in charge and he got the station manager who, although patronising, was at least a bit more polite. They were quite inflexible to begin with and said that we would have to stay at the Alia Hotel but we eventually pressured them into putting us up at the Meridien, which was nice but ultimately we would have liked to be back in London at the original time. The excuse given for the plane's departures without us was that it always had to take off precisely on time to meet a certain slot in London. Needless to say this was a lie as it took off half an hour late the following day. I can without a doubt say that Royal Jordanian is the worst airline I've travelled on - rude ground staff, hatchet-faced cabin crew and poor food and entertainment (how can you call your fleet modern if you don't have seat-back TV screens?). I guess the old adage is true - when you pay peanuts you get monkeys!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Alan Barton

28 November 2004

JED-AMM-LHR-AMM, AMM-BKK-AMM-JED. The flight from Jeddah to Amman left on time and we were served a hot breakfast. Queen Allia Airport is a dump, there is only one toilet open in the whole airport and its guarded by an attendant who distributes toilet paper for a payment. The flight to London was on time, Lunch was served soon after take off , 3 choices of food plenty to drink and good cabin crew. London to Bangkok via Amman again no complaints transit in Amman was well organized and the flights left exactly on time. Bangkok to Amman a hot meal was served shortly after take off, again 3 choices and plenty to drink. Just before we arrived in Amman we were served a hot breakfast. I had a wait of 3 hours for the connection to Jeddah so wandered around the duty free which is the only glamorous part of the airport. 

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Mark Binnie

6 September 2004

London to Bangkok via Amman. Heathrow T3 check-in - this was chaos. They shared the desk with Canadian Airlines and the queues were massive - at least 50 mins to check in. When we arrived at the check in desk they were helpful and polite, offering to change seats so that out group could all be together. Cabin crew - Mixed reception. Some went out of their way to help, others were obviously in the wrong job. There were an number of loud and disruptive children and adults on the plan and the cabin crew did nothing to control it. In flight entertainment - Very poor. 2 of the over head screens didn't work, and many people complained that the head phones didn't work either. They did show one film but they put in it on too late and it didn't finish before the plane landed ! Leg room - very good. 34 inches. Punctuality - All flights were on time (HRW-AMM and Amman to Bangkok). Chair comfort - very bad. Of the six in our group, 2 were faulty and nearly all lacked any real padding. I have flown long haul at least 12 times and this was the most uncomfortable I have experienced. Pre-booking - no problems pre booking the return seats in Bangkok. Got through on the telephone 1st time, and the person spoke v.good English. We pre-booked meals for children which we received. Food/drink - Mixed. Of the 4 meals we had, 2 were considered acceptable. The other 2 were grim. Drinks served regularly (including Alcohol). Safety - it was the only airline I know where you can still walk about and go to the toilet when the plane is only about 2000ft above Heathrow ready to Land ! When the plan landed about 7 people got out of the seats and started collecting their bags. We all try and out the seat a bit early but on this occasion the wheels had only just touched the run way ! The attendants just ignored it. I wouldn't have much faith in the cabin crew if there was a real emergency. Amman - Queen Alia Airport. Without question the worst airport I have ever visited. RJA put us into a hotel (Queen alia Hotel), because there was a gap in our connecting flight from Amman to Heathrow. Be careful of touts escorting you to the courtesy bus. They were in RJA clothing and insisted on money. Just refuse - they go away eventually. The hotel is an experience I never want to go through again. It is a dated filthy mess and in the middle of no where. (about 2 miles from the airport). The airport is a nightmare. I am quite tolerant of most things, but this place pushed me to the edge. There are 2 shops, one duty free and a coffee shop. There are not enough chairs for everybody and they only let you go through to departures when the plan is in and almost ready. No that it is any better when you get through to departures. There is nothing that side. You just have to sit there until they call your group number on the boarding card. Verdict - cheap. Tatty and uncomfortable planes. Avoid Amman airport if possible. If there is an alternative Airline at a similar price I recommend you take it. RJA are fine if you want the cheapest seat you can get and don't mind their poor service, uncomfortable seats and the experience of Queen Alia airport. Would I use them again ? No - and especially if it meant going via Queen Alia airport with a stop over in the hotel that RJA use. My experience was mild to some comments I have read, but it was enough to make me not want to use them again. I certainly would never take the family on a RJA long haul flight again. Based on my experience I definitely get what I paid for.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Allan Morgan

18 August 2004

Flew with this airline from London to Bangkok via Amman. A mixed reaction to my experiences. On board, much was made on the outdated video screen system about "our A340 aircraft". In truth, their aircraft are ancient by other airlines' fleet standards. The outbound service to Amman was uncomfortable because the cabin temperature was set at greenhouse level. I note that others have commented on this aspect. I wonder if Royal Jordanian ever bothers to read critical sites like this one? Likewise the cabin crew's attitude was, at best, surly. How different the attitude of the Bangkok crew who flew the connecting service to Bangkok. They were hard-working and attentive. Empty food trays were promptly collected and passengers were well attended to. And, oh, bliss, a cabin temperature that was sensibly set and relaxing! A similar experience on the return leg to Amman. The return from Amman to London was an experience I shall never forget! While the cabin temperature was too high on the outbound service, the inbound was set at Gas Mark 9. (For those non-British reading this, a truly high oven temperature!) We roasted!! Despite complaints, we were told that we must grin and bear it, and perhaps ask for water. Never again!! If you like cabin temperatures over 35 degrees centigrade - fly Royal Jordanian. Otherwise, I would seriously reconsider your booking options! As for the airport at Amman, I think enough has been said in other comments.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Ahmad K Shawa

13 August 2004

I have flown RJ business class from Vienna to Amman on August 5th and return on August 10th. The cabin and seats were clean, the service comparable to any other business class service and the on board food was fine. HOWEVER Amman airport is a dump, the passport control is an insult, baggage claim is a disaster area and the staff unhelpful. rude and dirty looking. The return journey started with the nightmare going through Queen Alia airport check in and rude security. I had to endure rude ground staff and security personnel. The flight itself was a treat and the service was very friendly and professional. Avoid going through QA airport at any cost.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by James Crocker

23 July 2004

I am waiting for RJ to put me on a flight two days later that the one I booked. They say I may get on it if I'm lucky. The reason ? They overbook all their flights and then tell some passengers their bookings were cancelled because they didn't reconfirm. Royal Jordanian are terrible! At Amman airport I was swarmed on by their porters who snatched my bag even though I told them I didn't need help and not to touch my bag. When I recovered my bag a few minutes later, the porter demanded a tip and when I refused, sent his friends over to hassle me for money on his behalf. The porters then hung around for the 45minutes we waited for the shuttle bus to the nearby hotel, making lurid comments to the western women. Don't fly Royal Jordanian!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Ammar Abbas

12 June 2004

I flew Royal Jordanian Airlines from London Heathrow to Khartoum. The booking in staff at LHR were demonstrating a mixture of ignorance and arrogance. Having being made to pay £80 for 5Kg excess weight, I expected at least to arrive with my luggage. I arrived into Khartoum on without luggage and had to make a good half a dozen trips to the airport to get hold of my luggage 11 days later after being located in Bangkok (S.E Asia)! No apologies by staff and over the period of 11 days, I only received one phone call lasting 30 seconds. No compensation! I found that there were at least four or five reports of lost luggage after every flight and that RJ staff could not care less. I think Amman airport must have a black hole in it. Overbookings are all too common and have been experienced by four colleagues on four different occasions. The in-flight service and flights punctuality however, were not bad at all to my surprise. In fact, the food was very good. I have written to RJ passenger service twice requesting an apology but have not heard back.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Shaher Samrah

24 May 2004

Chicago to Amman (direct flight). 12 hours flight. It was the worst flight experience ever. The flight was late for 3 hours on departure (We left 2:00 AM) instead of 11:00 PM. The service was terrible. They don't care about you. Some mention no smile service - I do not think that really matters. They feed you twice, once upon leaving and the other one was right prior arrival. The unbelievable thing is how they leave your trays for at least one hour before they pick it up. They even shout at the passengers sometimes. I will never take them again. It used to be a lot better in the past.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by J Grimley

18 May 2004

I flew to Bangkok via Amman on 21.03.04 returning 6.04.04. I had read some of the feed back about Royal Jordanian Airways. I was pleasantly surprised to find a clean and tidy aircraft with plenty of leg room, pleasant staff and good meals. The flights were on time (more or less). On our return journey we were put up in a hotel in Jordan due to the transit time being extended after booking. This was a little chaotic but gave the opportunity for a proper sleep and a shower. I would fly Royal Jordanian again. (Though I'd try to avoid Amman airport if poss!)

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Jude Bellingham

15 April 2004

Having flow to Mumbai with no hassle,  I flew back on RJ111 from Amman to London - (from Delhi first) The problems began with the stay in the Queen Ali hotel, where I got covered head to toe in bed bug bites. This was made even more uncomfortable on the flight with heating not adjusted and myself and the majority of the cabin uncomfortable and unable to sleep because of the heat. I buzzed for assistance, to mention the heat and get a drink. I buzzed several times and like the rest of the cabin, gave up and walked up to the stewards - where we were greeted with some rude cabin staff, who seemed to begrudge their 'work'. Overall the food and entertainment were passable, but attitude of the staff and lack of help was a disgrace, not to mention the standards at the Queen Alia. Its worth paying the extra money to fly with another airline, for any slight improvement in comfort on a long haul flight.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Diane Taylor

10 April 2004

I flew to Bangkok via Amman from Heathrow on 22nd March returning 6th April. My flights were all pretty much on time. The food was fine. The service was fine, though not necessarily with a smile all the time - some of this I put down to cultural differences in customer service. Attendants always came promptly when the call button was pressed and met requests. I did not find them treating passengers from different countries any differently. I was given a hotel in Amman due to a long stopover, though brought back to the airport earlier than I felt necessary this was useful for some proper sleep and a shower. The provision of a snack or at least some water would have been good at this point as we were obviously unable to buy anything in Jordan. On the way out I was concerned about reconfirming my flight so asked the check-in staff member who was very helpful and even gave me his business card to contact him if I had any trouble. I reconfirmed my flight by phoning the Bangkok office and this was fine.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Eric Wear

6 April 2004

I flew from LHR to Amman on RJ0112, the Booking In section was a complete shambles and we were queuing for almost one and a half hours to get booked in, I don't think this is acceptable practice do you? The service on the aircraft was dreadful as your staff only appeared to give any service to the Arabic passengers, being surly and uncooperative to the rest, myself included. The onward flight from Amman to Bombay on RJ0186 was no better, the attitude of the flight crew being exactly the same as the first flight. We were told we must reconfirm our return flight at least 72 hours before the due date I attempted to do this 4 times on the web site. The codes that were asked for by your site were rejected. I attempted to reconfirm by email this has not been acknowledged to this date, and my attempt to telephone the (Bombay) Mumbai office were futile as no one answered the telephone. I eventually had to go to the added expense of paying a travel agent in India to reconfirm the flight it took him 2 days to do this. The flight from Bombay to Amman RJ0187 was not too bad but again the flight crew were not pleasant. On arrival in Amman we had to get to the transfer desk for the Boarding Passes for our onward flight. There was one man working at this desk, passengers were herded like sheep and were told very abruptly to form two lines. At this time no passengers were told that the two lines were for different flights so as you queued in one line when you got to the desk you were told you were in the wrong queue and to move. All the time this was happening we were having to stand as there were no seats available, so again we were standing for about two hours within this chaotic area and no help from any of the airline employees. I would not fly with Royal Jordanian airline again unless it was a dire emergency.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Linda Seymour

26 March 2004

I flew with Royal Jordanian from London Heathrow to Bangkok via Amman. Never again I found the service from the check in staff and crew to be very poor, the food awful and the whole experience a nightmare. I pre-requested exit seats due to my partners height and long legs on both flight outbound and inbound and was advised over the telephone that the seats had been requested and given a booking reference. On check in we were also advised that the seats were confirmed as exit seats - once we boarded the flight we found that we did not have exit seats at all and were actually seated the middle two seats from the seats of four in the middle section. As you can imagine the journey was uncomfortable for my partner and I along with the bad service and the awful food we were delighted to finally reach our destinations and depart the aircraft I will never fly or recommend this airline again.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Phil Heron

22 March 2004

Amman to Bangkok on 5th Feb. Flight delayed in Amman for 6 hours because of a delay with a connecting flight. Very good service with RJ, gave me a bed at Alia airport hotel. They also fixed my connecting flight to Chiang Mai. Good flight to Bangkok. Return Bangkok to Amman on 28th Feb. Wow, what a difference. RJ must be only airline that makes you re-confirm at least 72 hours ahead. I didn't confirm until 48 hours, naughty me. RJ staff at Bangkok said no problem, my ticket was re-confirmed. Get to check in "sorry sir, you didn't re-confirm. Yes I did. No sir you are lying (I kid you not, this was from the mouth of the Manager of RJ office in Bangkok) so your seat was cancelled and re-sold". Not just me, about 30 people also in same situation. One group I was talking to reconfirmed 72 hours ahead, 2 had seats, 2 didn't. Lots of other people also had re-confirmed 72 hours ahead, but they were booted also. Are we all useless and didn't re-confirm? No hotel in Bangkok from RJ because I didn't have a seat (so they said). They got me on the next flight standby but there was about 15 people on this flight who were booted also. I am still fighting with RJ for the cost of a hotel and meals in Bangkok because of their ineptitude. If they had told me on 25th when I rang to confirm that I was too late and my seat was cancelled, I could have made other arrangements. Lesson to be learned - they might be cheap tickets, but they are cheap for a reason, they know nothing about normal airline service. Don't use them if you can help it

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Scott Christiansen

10 March 2004

Recently, we flew from Norway to Khartoum, Sudan. The Paris-Amman-Khartoum legs were on Royal Jordanian. The onboard service were very good and the hot meals served in Economy Class were excellent. On our return, however, the flight from Amman to Paris on January 8,2004 was delayed at departure by ca. two and one half hours. In Amman, we were told to contact their agent in Paris in the event we did not get there in time to catch the last connection that day to Oslo. We would then be provided with overnight accommodations. No Agent of RJ was to be found and we were left to book an airport hotel on our own. RJ refuses to compensate. They simply claim they have no legal responsibility to render assistance connected with delays. This is true, but all other airlines of good repute have indeed applied a broad concept of service, and have normally provided overnight accommodation. We would never take the risk of travelling Royal Jordanian again

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Gunnlaugur Stefansson

9 February 2004

We had a very comfortable flight with Royal Jordanian January 9th LHR-AMM-BKK and return January 29th BKK-AMM-LHR. The service onboard was excellent, food was good and we got very well what can be expected during a flight. All flights were exact on time, dep. and arrival. We have had flights with many international airlines in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Royal Jordanian could be proud of itself in service according to our experience in comparison to other international airlines. The only thing they could improve is the information on the ground.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Saswata Banerjee

4 February 2004

I travelled with Royal Jordanian Airlines on 2nd January 04 from London Heathrow to Kolkata, India (CCU) via Amman. The flight from Amman to Kolkata (RJ1860) was diverted to Mumbai when the aircraft was approximately half hour distance away from Kolkata. This was stated to be due to adverse weather conditions (namely poor visibility due to fog) at Kolkata airport. The aircraft landed at Mumbai International Airport at approximately 0230 hours on 3rd January. The passengers were informed that the same aircraft would leave at 0930 hours for Kolkata. We were allowed to leave the aircraft and told that further instructions would be issued in the transit lounge. The transit lounge had an Information counter that was manned by Air India officials. These officials were not briefed by the Royal Jordanian crew and therefore could not provide any clarifications. We were repeatedly told by officials at the information desk to wait for crew from the airlines who would organise and officiate arrangements. Many of the passengers were with young children and were left to fend for themselves. As the transit period was more than 6 hours, requests for transfer to a hotel were made. This request was apparently refused by Royal Jordanian crew, which was communicated by airport officials. During the period in Mumbai we were not briefed even once by Royal Jordanian crew. This simply showed an obvious lack of concern, care and respect for the passengers. A stay for more than six hours in a transit lounge is not acceptable and goes against convention. We met the crew shortly before security and boarding the aircraft. They were rested and some even claimed to have slept for four hours or more. Total nonchalance and contempt for passengers only comes to my mind. My return journey was due to start from Kolkata on 18th January 04 with RJ 1861 due to leave at 0130 hours. When reconfirming the reservation I was informed that the itinerary had been changed and the flight to Amman would leave on 17th January 04 at 1140 hours. The reason provided for the change was not clear as some Royal Jordanian officials stated it to be ‘adverse weather’ whereas some officials said that it was necessary to accommodate more pilgrims to Mecca. Flights from Mumbai were leaving at original times and requests for re-routing were refused by Royal Jordanian. Endorsing passage on a different airline (like British Airways) was also refused. I was also told that cancelling the return sector of my ticket would not result in a refund of half the cost of the ticket. The airlines had the audacity to say that cancellation would result in only a 25% refund of the price of the return sector. Requesting extension of validity of the ticket was again met with a negative response. The stubbornness and contempt was again very apparent. Fourteen hours of the trip was again lost for dubious reasons. Most of the passengers I travelled with have expressed that unless compelled, they would never travel with Royal Jordanian Airlines again.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Hayley Bickford

18 January 2004

Bangkok to Larnaca with RJ with a stop in Amman. As a regular flyer I can honestly say it was the worst flight ever! The plane was old and service was terrible - I wouldn't give the food to a dog. There certainly is nothing Royal about it at all! Our plane was delayed and we nearly missed our connecting flight in Amman, this meant our luggage was not on board, however we were assured it would be on the next flight! We turned up at Larnaca for our luggage but it was not on the plane - eventually we got it 3 days later. It arrived on a Cyprus Airways flight as they had to intervene and managed to recover it for us! If you want service with a smile, something edible to eat and your luggage when you arrive fly with another airline!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Bridget Harte

16 January 2004

Royal Jordanian airlines over Christmas 2003 Jan 2004. The outgoing flight had no hiccups. But wait for it: in Delhi the ground staff resold our reconfirmed flights and the flights of at least 8 other people. Unashamedly this was done in front of us, and their reasoning was !, you may have reconfirmed but you have no seat numbers ,so please go form another queue somewhere else. So this is where the queue swapping became like an episode of "Monty Python". The situation got worse and worse, but the ultimate had to be an Indian Lady with an Indian passport and her English husband with an English passport - who had a small baby with them. They were treated so very badly. As a group we put our heads together and while some of us held tough and insisted we that the mess be sorted out, others caught sight of the computer system and saw us all listed on the reconfirmed list, long before all the seats were taken up. And I rang the local Jordanians airlines office (by the way which had 4 numbers and 3 of those are incorrect). They girl confirmed we were due to get on the flight, I asked her to phone the airport and sort out the mess. Which she did not. We were in the check in queue 3 hours before take off and they managed to move us from pillar to post during these 3 hours. They flight was eventually called and we were not on it. Only for the persistence of us as a group we were transferred to other airlines, we missed all our connecting flights. Surprise surprise and I can only guess that the others had similar problems. The bottom line about this airline is, they have not trained their Indian staff in the ways of a major airline, and those staff have that mentality that is so rife in India (especially Delhi) and that is (they are only foreigners and lets see how much money we can get out of them). Royal Jordanian Airlines would want to take a good look at the staff training programs in Indian before I would recommend anyone to even think about using their Airlines. I think if enough people let them know exactly what had happened to them , then they could not ignore it. What goes around comes around and they are going to loose a lot of passengers if they don't get there act together.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Steve Taylor

5 January 2004

Bangkok to London return. The return flight was overbooked and the passenger service rep was not available to speak to. I have spoken to friends who have also been bumped from Jordanian flights. Amman Airport has very poor facilities.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Ibrahim Ghubbar

17 November 2003

I flew on RJ's Crown Class from MUC to AMM and return. The service was excellent but I have to say that the seats in the Airbus 320-200 don't provide the room which is provided in the A310 or A340!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Tony Sandland

12 November 2003

An observation on Royal Jordanian Flight to Amman 25.10.03 and return Royal Jordanian RJ112 due to depart 17-05 - delayed 2.5 hours. Although plenty of legroom the economy seats are the most uncomfortable/ painful seats ever encountered in 40 years of flying. Caused bruising to buttocks. This problem compounded by stony faced attitude of cabin staff all in need of a personality transplant who demonstrated they didn’t know or care about promoting good customer service. Inward to UK - same problem with seating mentioned by a number of passengers - base of seats possibly faulty or badly worn. A painful introduction/and exit from Jordan!

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by M Doyle

27 October 2003

Chicago-to-Amman route in September, returning in October. I booked an economy class ticket, and found RJ's service overall to be very good. The A340 Airbus was not new, but all personnel, from the airport counter representatives to the flight attendants, were extremely courteous, friendly, helpful and professional. Hot meals and beverages were served in a timely manner, and the quality of the food was quite decent. The in-flight entertainment was good, with a nice mix of recent films. I must admit that the bathrooms needed some attention, at least by midway through the flight, and lacked adequate cleaning and supplies.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Ian Wijesinghe

22 October 2003

Flew between Amman and London in October - our experience was generally just fine. There was a mess-up in communication between the London and Amman office when we needed to get a local flight on short notice - left us out of pocket about 60 GBP. But flights were on time - staff, while not as friendly as some airlines, did a reasonable job.

Royal Jordanian Airlines - by Hugo Duran

25 September 2003

Royal Jordanian Airlines Amsterdam to Bangkok via Amman as part of a holiday package . We knew a change of planes was due in Amman with a long waiting time for the connecting flight but were surprised to learn that a stop in Brussels was also included. This was not visible in the flight details on the timetable site. With the extra stops on our way to Bangkok we had to wait about 1.5 hrs in Brussels and another 4 in Amman and at take off to Bangkok we stood an extra 2 hrs somewhere on the airfield because some repairs had to be made. On flight back to Amsterdam we had to wait an extra 2.5 hrs. for the connection flight. The service on board was excellent, even during the short hub from Amsterdam to Brussels a snack and something to drink was served. The other meals served were of a good quality and tasteful - within limits you can expect on a plane. To our amazement next to the soft drinks, wine, beer and liquor was served and the coffee was the best we had onboard a plane -  staff very friendly. On flight to Amman it was messy on board because only in Brussels a cleaning crew chased through the cabin and we were not allowed to leave the aircraft therefore a lot of garbage was not removed. We did enjoy the extra legroom, which left about 15 up to 20 cm free space between our knees and the seat in front.