THREE REASONS of why I only fly ASIAN AIRLINES (even outside of Asia)
WHY I ONLY FLY ASIAN AIRLINES I will do this video using my iPad mini again. I fly a lot, especially internationally with most of my trips to Asia. Because of this, you would think that would be the number one reason as to why I only
Fly Asian Airlines, but that is not the main reason. But first, let’s set some guidelines and clear up any misconceptions. By Asian Airlines, I mean airlines that are headquartered in the continent of Asia. Some example airlines include ANA headquartered in Japan, China Airlines headquartered in
Taiwan, Cathay Pacific headquartered in Hong Kong, and Singapore Airlines headquartered in Singapore, . And by Asia, I primarily mean East Asia, but I will include the broader scope of what is considered Asia also, such as the Middle East, such as Qatar Airlines.
That being said, I do also fly non-Asian airlines, so the title of this video is slightly misleading. I have flown Southwest Airlines, Alaskan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Norwegian Airlines before over the years. But I would say that 95% of all my flights are via Asian-based airlines. I will explain the reason now.
There are 3 main reasons why I only fly Asian Airlines. The first main reason is service. Yes, service. According to Skytrax, six out of the top ten best airlines are East Asian airlines with Singapore Airlines being #1, ANA being #3, Japan Airlines being #5, Cathay Pacific being
#8, Eva Airlines being #9, and Korean Airlines being #10. However, if we include Middle Eastern airlines also, as they are part of Asia, then we can include Qatar Airlines at #2, Emirates at #4, and Turkish Airlines at #10. Turkey is considered to be in both Asia and Europe.
That means 9 out of the top 10 best airlines in the world are headquartered in Asia. The only outlier is Air France at #7. I’ve flown maybe 6 of the top 10 best airlines and I can anecdotally say that the service is not just good, but very good.
Sure some people will always have bad experience even on the best airlines, but generally speaking, you will be pleased. What do you not see in the top ten best airlines? No United Airlines, no Southwest Airlines, no Delta Airlines, and no American Airlines.
Yes, none of the main domestic airlines did not make the top 10. This is not to say that the airlines based in the US have bad service. Far from it. Service is good. But Asian Airlines are a step ahead or maybe two to three steps ahead sometimes.
It starts with the boarding process which is often more orderly than others, the sincere smile, and way that the flight attendants handle requests and serve the food. It is very good. And if you disagree with me, take Singapore Airlines just one time and you will see how you are dead wrong.
I remember Luke from Lukespointandmiles remarking how good Singapore Airlines was in one of his previous videos. This is why that even when US domestic carriers such as United and Delta fly to Asia directly, I will not choose the flight.
But, if I see a flight from LAX to Japan via United using a code-sharing flight with ANA, for example, then I will for sure choose the ANA flight 110% of the time. That way, I can rest assured that not only I will have good service, but great service. Let’s give an example here.
I have Expedia pulled up and I will search from LAX to Tokyo on two random dates: departing Jan 23rd and returning on January 30th. Click the non-stop button. Here I see 21 different flights: Zip Air, United, United operated by ANA, Delta, United
Operated by ANA, United, ANA operated by United, and just ANA by itself. As you can see, they are all practically the same price: $747 and $751. Barring any time issues, I would definitely choose the United flight operated by ANA.
This one here, or ANA by itself, because I know that my experience will be just a little bit better. And when you are cramped on an airplane for almost 13 hours, every little bit helps. Everyone is a bit different and a top ten list is just a list.
As matter of fact, my favorite airline that I fly on a regular basis is not part of this top ten list. I will explain what is my favorite airline and why in a future video. So service is very important to me. It is my number one reason.
The second main reason is where I fly. I mainly fly internationally to Asian countries. Over the last 5 years, not including Covid time, I have flown multiple times to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, South Korea Singapore, and Vietnam. I have flown once each to Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia also.
You may think that my second main reason should be my first main reason because US domestic airlines don’t often fly to Asia. US domestic airlines do fly to Asia sometimes by themselves or via code-sharing flights, but it is often much easier to book a flight using an Asian Airlines within Asia.
There is just a lot more availability. For example, if I wanted to go from Hong Kong to Tokyo, I could wait for Delta or United to have a code-sharing flight or fly directly themselves, or I can get catch another flight
Using Cathay Pacific that departs pretty much every hour or two to Tokyo from Hong Kong. Take a look at this picture. 18 one way flights on a random date in January from Tokyo to Hong Kong. That is availability! No need to wait. The third main reason is less nickle-and-diming issue.
I’ve flown US domestic airlines before such as Southwest, Alaskan Airlines and European Airlines like Norwegian Airlines and I’m shocked at how much they nickle-and-dime their customers. Want a checked bag? Pay more money. Want food on airplane? Pay more money. Everything you need to pay. It is aggravating.
So much so that American Express Platinum cards have a credit for these so-called airline incidental fees. I prefer to call them nonsense fees myself. These nonsense fees do exist in Asian airlines, but they are far less prevalent.
I cannot speak for every Asian Airlines as I have not tried all of them, but you do often get free food, you do often get free checked bags. Yes, that is plural form. Checked bags. You often get 2 checked bags. You do get a free pillow on board.
You do get a free blanket. You do get free drinks, etc, etc. The only thing that you need to pay for is WIFI and that is only sometimes. Some airlines give it to you for free, at least a limited usage one.
That is why the American Express Platinum card in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan do not have an airline incidental fee credit. It would be silly to have so when flying an Asian Airline. There is less nickle and diming issue here.
I even had my flights changed of my own doing several times and got the fee waived for myself. Now that is service. No lame airline incidental fees for me. So these are the three main reasons of why I primarily fly Asian Airlines. I only fly domestic airlines when flying domestically.
If I do fly internationally, such as to Europe and if I find that an Asian airlines flies there, then I will choose that instead of any US domestic airline or even any European airline. I may choose Middle Eastern airlines, which is also part of Asia, such as Qatar Airlines or Emirates.
I really hope to try the last two airlines later for when I fly to Egypt this year or next or sometime in the future. My wife wants to see the Great Pyramids in Egypt. I will now enjoy my almonds and kumquats now! Thank you.
I only fly Asian Airlines. By Asian Airlines, I mean airlines that are headquartered in the Asian continent.
I even only fly them when other domestic airlines also fly to the same destination.
Let’s take a walk with me and find out the THREE main reasons why~~
Skytrax link: https://www.worldairlineawards.com/worlds-top-10-airlines-2023/
Special thanks to @LukesPointsandMiles for taking Singapore Airlines before and giving me an idea for my video here.
Special thanks to @TheCreditFrog and @MarkReese for inspiring me to make my own videos by watching their videos.
All of my travels will use my own money, own points, and own miles. I do not use points/miles/money earned from any referrals. I have zero referrals.
I will not have any of the following in the description or in any of my videos:
1) No credit card referral links;
2) No sponsorships;
3) No referencing credit card management applications;
4) No recommendations of any shopping portals where I receive a kickback;
5) No funny or confused faces in the thumbnail of my video; and
6) No asking anyone to like and subscribe to my videos, although I hope that you do so.
#credit #pointsandmiles #cathaypacific #allnipponairways #chinaairlines #taiwan #taipei #hongkong #singaporeairlines #qatarairways #kumquat #americanexpress #travel #travelvlog