An uncharacteristically brutal review: Air Algerie's A330neo business class has decent seats, but the service, food, and amenities are among the worst the author has ever flown.
While I can't say this entirely surprises me (Algeria and Algerians have a dreadful reputation here in France), the product really is comically bad, almost parody-like. The one thing North Africa has going for them should be food, and I was expecting them to deliver on this point at least. Sad.
@ VladG -- I do think "comically bad" sums it up perfectly. I just found the whole experience to border on funny, because it was shortcoming after shortcoming after shortcoming.
Reminds me of Copa Air 6 or 7 years ago. Worn out plastic seats, traces of 'pulled whatever' and two overripe cherry tomatoes, non-definable cheese, and a blank stare when I ordered a gin&tonic.
Well, the French don’t have such a great reputation in Algeria, either.
As for “North African food,” I would be careful about generalizing too much. Moroccan food is brilliant but bears little relation to Algerian or Tunisian cuisine, which I find bland beyond belief. Then there’s Egyptian food, which is great when it’s Lebanese food.
The airline quite possibly spends a decent amount on Business Class catering.
WHERE does the money land is worth looking at.
Haha. But it can be said the order way around as well, can’t it? The French don’t have a stellar reputation anywhere and frankly they should be kinder to the immigrants, who are running the country at this point. I’ve been coming to France since the eighties and it’s disappointing to see the state of affairs. Except for the traditional French working in some of the high tech areas, they have stopped trying altogether. Now, all technical and vocational employment is being fulfilled by the immigrant population, while the French spend more time on rioting about the state of education or unemployment benefits. Not to mention, even within France, people from the different regions do not like the other. Therefore, hardly worth mentioning they don’t like Algerians or immigrants, unless the immigrants help them win the World Cup. The French are big hypocrites - I love coming to France but not interacting with the French. However, I’ve learnt that an air of arrogance and authoritative attitude gets the job done here.
What did you expect ? lol. Imagine what economy was like
I may need to reconsider the ethics of reading OMAAT given how often your pain becomes our pleasure at this point...
Sorry you suffered but it is entertaining for us!
Given you started from Canada how do they manage to have such poor food? Or is it catered from Algeria? Does the Canadian caterer say, 'yes sure, we can make a really bad meal service with dirty trays especially for your airline?!?'
This was exactly my thought. How is it possible to find such a bad caterer in Canada?
This is such an interesting angle!
I've flown AV to/from YUL, and the food ex-YUL was way better than ex-BOG. So, yeah, I don't think any reputable caterer at YUL would be able to create "stuff to plop on dirty trays" on demand.
I almost felt guilty laughing throughout as i read this. But sweet baby Jesus have i laughed. Ben your descriptions are hilarious.
This really is the true definition of taking one for the team (us OMAAT readers).
Imagine what the food and service in economy class is if this is what they offer in business class.
Next time try a comparison of their prison menu. How much worse could that be? Serious street cred was earned for this review.
Welp, that answers the ‘which adventure’ question when Ben said “I'm off on a quick adventure” in yesterday’s Weekly Review post.
“raw dogging”
@Ben is very good at managing his pain. He can always remember previous amenities or delicacies, such as JX's Loro Piana blanket or a Rum Baba at AF's F lounge.
The pain disappears immediately 😉
Third attempt at posting, even changed browsers for this!
As with your Royal Jordanian reviews, I feel that you're being a bit unfair with the airline, not because this is a good service level (it clearly isn't), but because it's quite a short overnight flight and I suspect their regular business class pax wouldn't care a lot about the food or service as they'll have eaten in the lounge and be keen to maximise their sleep onboard.
Perhaps you can challenge yourself to fly them all the way to KUL- that flight's twice as long, it departs early evening and should benefit from hub catering. It might well mean an improvement from comically bad to just about mediocre.
I mean, the same applies to all airlines. Why should these airlines specifically get a pass? In any case, that’s only really a defence if the airline has lower fares in combination, and it does not sound like that’s the case here.
@ Throwawayname -- If only! The cabin was full, and everyone I saw was up for both meals. The thing is, they turn the cabin lights so bright and even announce two hours out how they're going to serve breakfast, so it's kind of hard to sleep through.
Honestly, I would've walked away from the flight with a more favorable impression if they had just said "this is a quiet, no service flight, everyone go to sleep," rather than spending five of the under seven hours just providing the most underwhelming service imaginable.
@Ben , in that case your comments are more than fair. It really does sound like the worst of both worlds- no sleep and no premium experience either!
@AceQuik , I suspect there are a fair few long domestic/regional flights in the USA, and possibly elsewhere too (Russia?) that are about the same length and offer an similar, or even worse, passenger experience...which might still be less bad overall than what you get on airlines like SAS and LOT when flying Eurobusiness to faraway destinations such as Tenerife and even Kazakhstan!
It’s a 7hr flight… that’s not “regional” or Eurobusiness length. That is formly long-haul territory.
Russia ? Aeroflot's Business Class, whether on short European trips (when allowed), cross country 8 hour flights to Khabarovsk, or long range intercontinental flights, is worth close to 6 stars in Skytrax (which only has 5 levels).
The Aeroflot of communist years when the country was the USSR is long gone.
This makes Air Koryo worth at least 3 stars. (I never understood the "One Star" slapped on them, since they seem to offer better than spartan service on 2-hour flights).
I don't think I had mentioned Aeroflot in my comment, and they certainly don't have a monopoly on domestic flights like they used to during Soviet times!
I live for these reviews that might invite imprisonment!
I do think that speaking English is important for flight attendants.
But, since this flight was departing Québec, local public opinion would be happy enough with the flight attendants speaking French and not worried at all with their lack of English.
Actually good point. I guess Ben could not come up with even a few words in French to get his point across.
“ Look, I don’t want to be dramatic.”
Sure, Jan.
I think that flight you took with ZIPAIR in the business class was better than this, and they’re an LCC lol
@ Aaron -- 1000%! I'd choose ZIPAIR's non-business class over Air Algerie business class eight days a week.
So sad to see the state of Air Algerie especially since the country is actually gorgeous and the food delicious, having lived there for five years. Fortunately, during those five years, never once did we fly Air Algerie. What a poor introduction to an otherwise wonderful country.
I do hope you’ve left Algeria before posting this…
I'm surprised you felt comfortable drinking the water, as the tank was likely disgusting even by airline standards. Hope it came from a bottle and you witnessed the bottle being opened. I would have stuck with Sprite despite not liking it. Hope you feel OK.
They probably failed launching an airline because of the French colonisation...
Truly, no area can ever rise above colonization to make a good airline. Just look at Singapore...
It sounds better than all AA flights from JFK to South America since at least the Air Algerie crew wasn't actively rude.
Raw Dogging and a language barrier…
sounds like a fun time
This would be hilarious if this were reviewed in Noel Philips video style