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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 Onboard the A310 the only thing outdated was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.
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