I am an American flying for Ethiopian (there are about 40 expats there) and I can tell you that the safety level is very high. The airplanes are in good shape and there is good cockpit discipline. Cabin service is good, but nowhere near as good as Emirates, Etihad, or Qatar. Those are "five star" airlines as far as customer service goes, and they make USA airlines look like dogs. SAA is also a good option, but I have no recent first hand experience with them.

 

There is nothing attractive about flying through LHR - ever. Worst airport in the world in my book.

I've also heard good things about Ethiopian (no personal experience), and I'd fly them JUST to avoid LHR.

 

Well, I think that I could name several US ones that are no better or even worse; IAD, JFK, MIA for starters.

Furthermore, if a flight was chosen via LHR with BA, you would transit via Terminal 5, which is a world class terminal, and an order of magnitude better than any other at LHR, with its own station with fast links to central London, but I doubt you've been there.

Anyway back to the point, I actually meant that it might be quite attractive to have 6 spare hours or so to mooch around the sights of London.

 

I've done this a few times going through London and Paris. Two thumbs up.

 

Couple points that may seem contradictory:

I detest, loathe, despise, abhor….. (get my point?) LHR security both as a passenger and as operating crew. I’ve been through LHR many times as a passenger and as crew. They are truly evil and this is the only place that I do not even say hi or hello. They go out of their way to make the security checkpoint as unpleasant as possible. I have personally heard one agent say disappointedly to the next that she couldn’t believe that not one of my airlines’ crew was selected for additional screening. The entire Heathrow experience is tainted for me due the security staff. I can say that LHR is not the best airport in the world, but it’s certainly not the worst.

That said, when my family came to visit me, I paid full-fare on BA with a connection through LHR as they are probably my overall favorite airline in the world. I will pay more to travel on BA as a passenger even across the Atlantic where I can’t earn my AA frequent flyer miles on those segments. When I non-rev, they have always exceeded what I consider good hospitality. They have done their absolute best to not leave me behind.

BA is also holding the line against further erosion of this profession; I believe they should be rewarded with our business when possible.

Additionally,I’ve never had a bad time in London. As suggested earlier, a few hours out of the airport may be worth your while.

Regarding the other airlines mentioned:

You can expect good service from EK.

I haven’t flown South African in over 5 yrs, but I have flown approximately 10 sectors with them over the years and the onboard service was excellent.

I don’t expect great service from any of the US carriers. Not a swipe at them, they are just catering to the demand they have.



P.S. I haven’t checked any schedules.

 

Hi!

I would avoid Ethiopian, because of their cabin interiors/entertainment. On their 767s, which is their long-range plane, they do not even have in-flight entertainment on 1st class, not to mention coach! Every plane I flew on needed a complete cabin interior overhaul. The service was very nice (but not as good as Kenya Airways).

EK is very nice. On an interesting note, they are often the cheapest. From NBO to Europe, EK was usually the cheapest way to get back and forth.

cliff

 

I flew SAA domestically last year. They were fine. Certainly far better than you'd get domestically in the US.

Emirates may have good service but I wouldn't fly them for the same reason that dundem suggests that you do fly BA. While BA is holding the line against erosion of the profession, Emirates is leading the charge to further erode it.

 

BA...hands down. Service from LHR to DAR, Kili, NBO....you can pick. I did the 16 hour layover in London on my way to Nairobi and took the Tube into Piccadilly and spent the day seeing sites and even got a nap in at Green Park.

Service was impeccable. I had a coach seat on a 777. Security was tight, but I had no problems.

If Dar is your only destination, that should suffice.

Out of Dar, Precision is probably the best...they are 49% owned by Kenya Airways.

Coastal--if you're ok on Single Cesnnas.