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Question:

> >Why don’t you check out British or KLM or Swissair?  I think any three >of them is a better choice than either Delta or Sabena.  Swissair will >be my first choice if the price is comparable. > If I were going to Rome, I’d try and use TWA over Delta or Sabena.  TWA > flies nonstop JFK to Rome.

Delta also flies non-stop JFK to Rome, using a 767-300ER. If you were to fly SWissair you would have to go through Switzerland and may even get stuck on a Delta fligh over to Europe. — Peter Hollingsworth The Grand Scale Earthly Destructor WWW: http://apts19.residence.gatech.edu

Response:

>If I were going to Rome, I’d try and use TWA over Delta or Sabena.  TWA >flies nonstop JFK to Rome.

 So does Delta, a N/S 767-300.               Jeff            *Please don’t email me, thanx!*

Response:

>Why don’t you check out British or KLM or Swissair?  I think any three >of them is a better choice than either Delta or Sabena.  Swissair will >be my first choice if the price is comparable.

If I were going to Rome, I’d try and use TWA over Delta or Sabena.  TWA flies nonstop JFK to Rome. — Chris Stone "Isolationism must become a thing of the past."  – Harry S. Truman

Response:

If you can fly British Air I would highly recommend them.  I flew them from Seattle/London/Barcelona in Bus. Class and they are super! Excellent service, food, very professional and accomodating. Delta used to be as good, but their cost cutting frenzy has made them very mediocre and not in the same class as BA. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I’m trying to decide between flying Sabena or Delta from Boston to Rome, and >would appreciate any opinions on the reliability, safety, comfort level, >etc. of each.  I’ve never flown either, but was told by a couple people that >Sabena had lost their luggage (on one-leg flights)–and in one case it was >never recovered.  Does Delta have a better luggage-handling record?  I’m >also very interested in each airlines’ safety record–(am terrified of >flying, in general.)  Thanks! >Sheryl

Response:

 BRANDAL> I’m trying to decide between flying Sabena or Delta from Boston  BRANDAL> to Rome, and would appreciate any opinions on the reliability,  BRANDAL> safety, comfort level, etc. of each.  I’ve never flown either,  BRANDAL> but was told by a couple people that Sabena had lost their  BRANDAL> luggage (on one-leg flights)–and in one case it was never  BRANDAL> recovered.  Does Delta have a better luggage-handling record?  BRANDAL> I’m also very interested in each airlines’ safety record–(am  BRANDAL> terrified of flying, in general.)  Thanks!  HTR> I’d choose Delta, for this one reason: chances are your Sabena  HTR> flight would be USA -> Brussels -> Rome, while the Delta flight  HTR> would be USA -> Rome direct (probably transitting New  HTR> York/Kennedy). While Kennedy can be nightmarish, at least the  HTR> nightmares are in English.  HTR> Brussels is a nice airport, but it’s a bit daunting if you speak no  HTR> French or Flemish. It was also a bit cramped last time I was there  HTR> (but I’ve heard it’s better since the renovations were  HTR> complete). Sabena is also a bit disorganized as an airline (like  HTR> most government-owned airlines). I hate following up to my own posts. My husband and I flew through Brussels/Zaventam in 1994. Our luggage was broken into while transitting Brussels. When we reached our destination (London/Heathrow), the Aer Lingus (they are Sabena’s agents at LHR) representative didn’t seem a bit surprised. Just a point of reference. –Helen

Response:

>With this in mind, I have some reservations about their >[Delta's] maintenence.

Based on what evidence? — Chris Stone "Isolationism must become a thing of the past."  – Harry S. Truman

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > BRANDAL> I’m trying to decide between flying Sabena or Delta from Boston > BRANDAL> to Rome, and would appreciate any opinions on the reliability, > BRANDAL> safety, comfort level, etc. of each.  I’ve never flown either, > BRANDAL> but was told by a couple people that Sabena had lost their > BRANDAL> luggage (on one-leg flights)–and in one case it was never > BRANDAL> recovered.  Does Delta have a better luggage-handling record? > BRANDAL> I’m also very interested in each airlines’ safety record–(am > BRANDAL> terrified of flying, in general.)  Thanks! >I’d choose Delta, for this one reason: chances are your Sabena flight >would be USA -> Brussels -> Rome, while the Delta flight would be USA -> >Rome direct (probably transitting New York/Kennedy). While Kennedy can be >nightmarish, at least the nightmares are in English. >Brussels is a nice airport, but it’s a bit daunting if you speak no French >or Flemish. It was also a bit cramped last time I was there (but I’ve >heard it’s better since the renovations were complete). Sabena is also a >bit disorganized as an airline (like most government-owned airlines).

I just flew Delta between Boston and Brussels on a Sabena-operated flight.  My weather-delayed flight on an Airbus A310 out of Boston returned to Boston after ten minutes into the flight due to mechanical problems.  They kept us in the plane for two hours before they decided to let us go (and gave us hotel and taxi vouchers) at around 1:30 in the morning.  Also, my luggage was damaged.  They sent a B747 the next day, and my arrival in Brussels was delayed by more than 30 hours.  In this whole ordeal, I was not impressed by how Delta and Sabena handled the "crisis".  The only positive experience I had was with the agent to whom I reported my luggage damage.  She was extremely apologetic and friendly.  I had an extremely bad encounter with the Delta supervisor at the check-in counter the second day.  I arrived at Logan four hours before the flight and was second in line.  However, it took more than 45 minutes to get my boarding pass because either Sabena or Delta did not properly transfer the record from the previous flight, and the supervisor was not helpful at all.  (I called Sabena three times, and Delta three times before I went to the airport, and they still did not get the record straight, what a shame!) Also, on all Sabena-Delta code-shared flights, there is one Delta attendant.  It seemed to me that the Delta attendant worked a lot harder than the Sabena attendants.  However, comparing to airlines like Singapore or Cathay, the inflight service is mediocre at best. Sabena’s planes were well-kept and clean (well, the lavatories weren’t really clean).  The leg-room in the economy class seemed to be better than average.  After having enjoyed Singapore Airlines’ Kris World, an interactive inflight entertainment system for all classes, I was surprised to see the archaic video/audio system on the Sabena aircraft.  (I expected at least an electronic headphone.)  Furthermore, the control unit was badly designed.  Another thing that puzzled me was the dinner menu.  They put it on the serving tray.  Thus, I learned about the choices only after I got the food, and the attendant did not tell me about the choices.  It’s really silly, isn’t it?  Thankfully, my return flight was uneventful and was on time. BTW, Swissair owns 49.5% of Sabena, so Sabena is not totally government- owned.  Also, Brussels Airport is a fine airport.  I don’t speak any French nor Flemish, and I don’t have any problem at the airport.  I don’t know if going thru JFK is better than going thru Brussels. Why don’t you check out British or KLM or Swissair?  I think any three of them is a better choice than either Delta or Sabena.  Swissair will be my first choice if the price is comparable.

Response:

As a million Miler on Delta and a licensed pilot, I would choose Sabena at this time. Delta is going through some problems, i.e. worse on time record in USA, and their lost luggage record is terrible. With this in mind, I have some reservations about their maintenence.

Response:

>I’m trying to decide between flying Sabena or Delta from Boston to Rome, and >would appreciate any opinions on the reliability, safety, comfort level, >etc. of each.  I’ve never flown either, but was told by a couple people that >Sabena had lost their luggage (on one-leg flights)–and in one case it was >never recovered.  Does Delta have a better luggage-handling record?

Look, I can guarantee you right now that at some time or another, *both* Sabena and Delta have lost luggage.  Once in a while, lost luggage happens; it’s in the nature of the business. You can take steps to minimize the chance that your luggage will be lost or damaged.  Make sure you have your name, address, phone number, and so forth clearly affixed on a permanent tag both outside and inside your luggage.  If there are any loose straps that you can remove, do so.  When checking in, watch to see what destination tag the clerk puts on your bags, and make sure the three-letter code conforms to your destination.   Avoid curbside check-in. In my view, it is entirely unrealistic to choose between Delta and Sabena on the criterion that "Sabena once lost a friend’s luggage."  I very much doubt there are significant (if any) differences in the two carriers’ luggage-handling capabilities. Once in a while, the carrier might be relevant — in 1992, I heard a lot of stories about Aeroflot employees pilfering through luggage in Moscow, for instance, in search of hard currency.  I have also heard stories of porters at curbside check-in deliberately misdirecting bags because passengers failed to give the porters a tip.  In the Middle East, I was warned to give even check-in clerks a tip lest they misdirect bags. These situations are the exceptional ones, however.  In general, it is neither realistic nor fair for people to expect to force a major international airline out of business for loosing a piece of luggage, particularly when the luggage in question is often eventually delivered. Both Sabena and Delta have excellent safety records; Sabena is the flag carrier of Belgium, and Delta is a major American carrier.  You don’t need to be afraid of flying either one.  Presumably you would have to change planes in Brussels is you fly Sabena; I don’t know what routing you’d have with Delta. — Chris Stone "Isolationism must become a thing of the past."  – Harry S. Truman

Response:

> I’m trying to decide between flying Sabena or Delta from Boston to Rome, and > would appreciate any opinions on the reliability, safety, comfort level, > etc. of each.  I’ve never flown either, but was told by a couple people that > Sabena had lost their luggage (on one-leg flights)–and in one case it was > never recovered.  Does Delta have a better luggage-handling record?  I’m > also very interested in each airlines’ safety record–(am terrified of > flying, in general.)  Thanks!

Depending on the routing, you may actually fly Sabena or Delta when booked on the other. The have a few code sharing agreements. On lost luggage, I’m not sure, but a general rule is the larger number of tight connections, the greater the chance of loosing your luggage. On safety. Don’t fear, neither airline has had a fatal hull lose in recent years, and Delta has never lost an international flight. — Peter Hollingsworth The Grand Scale Earthly Destructor WWW: http://apts19.residence.gatech.edu

Response:

 BRANDAL> I’m trying to decide between flying Sabena or Delta from Boston  BRANDAL> to Rome, and would appreciate any opinions on the reliability,  BRANDAL> safety, comfort level, etc. of each.  I’ve never flown either,  BRANDAL> but was told by a couple people that Sabena had lost their  BRANDAL> luggage (on one-leg flights)–and in one case it was never  BRANDAL> recovered.  Does Delta have a better luggage-handling record?  BRANDAL> I’m also very interested in each airlines’ safety record–(am  BRANDAL> terrified of flying, in general.)  Thanks! I’d choose Delta, for this one reason: chances are your Sabena flight would be USA -> Brussels -> Rome, while the Delta flight would be USA -> Rome direct (probably transitting New York/Kennedy). While Kennedy can be nightmarish, at least the nightmares are in English. Brussels is a nice airport, but it’s a bit daunting if you speak no French or Flemish. It was also a bit cramped last time I was there (but I’ve heard it’s better since the renovations were complete). Sabena is also a bit disorganized as an airline (like most government-owned airlines). –Helen — Helen Trillian Rose                      Systems & Networks Administration http://www.kei.com/homepages/hrose/       http://alberti.mit.edu/4.207/ I like: DL, WN, VS, Boeing, Canadair     I don’t like: NW, Airbus

Response:

I’m trying to decide between flying Sabena or Delta from Boston to Rome, and would appreciate any opinions on the reliability, safety, comfort level, etc. of each.  I’ve never flown either, but was told by a couple people that Sabena had lost their luggage (on one-leg flights)–and in one case it was never recovered.  Does Delta have a better luggage-handling record?  I’m also very interested in each airlines’ safety record–(am terrified of flying, in general.)  Thanks! Sheryl

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