March 27, 2012

Best Airlines Award

With the travel bug biting me and several others around me in the past few days, I started to think about all the airlines I have flown till date. I thought about the names along with my experiences with each one. When I realized that the list was about to overflow my brain,  I decided to sit and jot down the names of each of the airlines that I could remember flying with at some point on a piece of paper.

Interestingly, when I got done making a written list, I realized that I had flown a total of 26 different airlines which was kind of funny because 26 happens to be a number that constantly shows up in my life for some reason. I was even born on the 26th of the month. Sometimes, I wonder if 26 is a lucky or an unlucky no. for me. But then I just laugh because I don't necessarily give a crap about such things but it's just amusing to me how my life often gets associated with the number 26.

Anyhow, here are the 26 airlines that I have flown with till date (in no fixed order):

  1. Austrian Airlines
  2. Air France
  3. Alitalia
  4. Air India
  5. Delta
  6. American Airlines
  7. Continental (now part of United)
  8. Unites Airlines
  9. Lufthansa
  10. Emirates
  11. Jet Airways
  12. Kingfisher Airlines (now bankrupt and closed)
  13. Spicejet 
  14. Gulf Airways
  15. Royal Jordanian
  16. Virgin Atlantic
  17. KLM
  18. British Airways
  19. Air Seychelles
  20. Indian Airlines
  21. AirTran Airways
  22. Kuwait Airways
  23. Northwest Airlines (now part of Delta)
  24. Royal Nepal Airlines
  25. Southwest Airlines
  26. US Airways

As I went through the lucky/unlucky 26 airlines in the list above, I thought about my personal experiences with each one. With all the analysis done in my head, I decided to give my personal BEST AIRLINES AWARD to Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Out of all the airlines I have flown with, I believe Virgin Atlantic has and provides the absolute best to a flyer in terms of their service, staff knowledge and friendliness, food choice and quality, smooth flying and landing, comfort seating, great in-flight entertainment and overall flying experience.

While I was going through all this analysis in my head, I happened to be at my favorite bookshop to pick a new book to read since I had just finished the last one the night before. I started to fiddle around with the different books wondering what I should pick up next. The bookshop owner, a well-read man, who has always recommended amazing books to me since I was a kid, continued to blabber on about some new science journal he thought I might be interested in since he knew I had recently finished reading Michio Kaku's Physics of the future. But right then, my eyes went on to a stack of autobiographies (a kind I love to read) and fell right upon Richard Branson. It suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at the autobiography of a man to whom I would love to give my best airlines award. So I took no time in reaching up to the stack, pulling out the book that was interestingly called 'Losing my virginity' and checked out shortly thereafter.

I started reading the new book just yesterday and I have to say that so far, it has my attention. Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group of Companies, and known as a hardcore business tycoon, actually comes out as a very passionate family man rooted deep in his love for his wife, Joan and kids Holly and Sam. In his book, he is simple, witty, straight to the point and downright honest which I believe makes the book a great read. There is lots to learn from Richard Branson especially for those who are, as he calls them, 'virgins at business'. I am only a couple of chapters through and I think I am going to enjoy the flight.

So, for any of you planning to travel soon, I recommend you book a ticket with my personal favorite airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and pick up your copy of 'Losing my Virginity', the autobiography of the man who made it all happen, to read on-board. Safe travels and have a wonderful flight! :)

Virgin Atlantic Flight In Air

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