Flying to Mauritius - which airline?

[Leroy]

Hi to all Forumers, !!!!

Yepp, i can´t see nothing wrong wiv AF too....We have taken our flights to MRU every time from AF, nice service, and last october when flight was delayed from MRU to Paris, we were late our flight to Finland, so AF paid our hotel, dinner, taxi etc......Then next day we continued to Finland, ....I really can´t complain bout´AF service....Co- operation wiv Finnair is working well too.....

Wiv Best Regards, and hoping nice and safely flights to all,

Leroy and Jay

[TAKETHE5TH]

I have just booked Air France didn't think thet were that cheap at £650 each now i am nervous about flying with them and thinking of changing my booking to a different airline...
Any positive points to air france would be most welcome.

[anet]

That sounds quite a lot for the flight, depends when you are going but BA have special offers on flights, might be worth a look.

[Terrence]

Air France - lost my bag and only gave me 600mru rupees compensation til they found it. Flights via Paris average at best. Very limited films etc for English speakers. Booked as the cheapest - won't make that mistake again.

Air Mauritius. Better than Air France in every respect. Still a bit limited on the entertainment front.

British Airways. Excellent - can't fault them. Food nice, 18 film channels to choose from (if the flight was twice as long I would not have run out of films to watch!), quick check in using the machines at Heathrow. When we had a problem (not really BAs fault) they gave me 50,000 airmiles compensation. Suffice it to say we're flying BA to Mauritius next month and I won't even be checking the prices of the other two airlines.

[TAKETHE5TH]

My tickets were bought from air france but it says on tickets operated by mk does anyone know what that means .Im hopeing it means that we fly air mauritius as the flight dtails are the same. Any help?

[Archoes]

I suggest that you choose British Airways. They definitely provide a good service for their passengers. In fact, the service is always friendly when they serve food to their passenger.

[Gerard]

Hi to all members of the forum,
Contrary to all the posts by members of the forum on this topic, i have had an enjoyable experience by travelling by Air France from Newcastle to Mtius for the past three years. I must explain however that Air France do a "codeshare" with Air Mauritius(my favourite airline) and they actually use an air Mauritius plane from Paris to the island most of the time and you can actually check the courier used before you make the booking!..........i have paid an average of approximately £200 less doing it that way!.....as i said , for three consecutive years, i actually flew on our national airline from Paris with the codeshare arrangment made between Air France and Air Mauritius!, but the booking was made through Air France.....
Regards,
Gerard

[ud]

Hello,
Just wanted to share my personal experience regarding my travels from Europe. There are currently 6 airline companies providing travel services from Europe to Mauritius, most of which from Heathrow terminal UK. If I would list them in my order of preference then it would be as such:
1) Air Mauritius
2) Air Emirates
3) British Airways
4) Air Seychelles
5) Virgin
6) Air France

I will try to detail the pros and cons of each of them.

1) Air Mauritius

Pros: Very good service, on flight entertainment OK, recently changed from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 so less hassle and bulky areas to board. Direct flights from Heathrow are available although most of them go through Paris, Charles de Gaules. They use the Airbus A340-300E for the travels. The leg room is OK if your height is under 180cm/6ft and weigh under 100kg ( ). Another thing to mention I think is that there is at least a flight every 2 days if someone could confirm this. Some new services to Milan and other European countries.

http://www.airmauritius.com/productoffering.htm#AirbusA340300EDetails

Regarding the seating arrangement, I choose 37A or 39 for extra leg room and space.

http://www.airmauritius.com/aboutus/a340eseatmap.pdf

It's close to the self service too so you can always nip at the back in for a quick drink or have a chat with the nice air hostesses like I usually do. It's close to the toilets too. May I also point out that your chances of survival in a place crash is 67% if you are sat at the back.

Cons: Good deals expire too fast and they usually go to people/relatives to agencies first. The terminal 4 at Heathrow is more difficult to reach. They don't offer you the option of seat arrangement so you need to make sure you tell them where you want to sit.
The food by the supposingly famous though never heard chefs are not that good, if fact you can get stomach upset if you are not really into spicy/creole food. Would save you a few trips to the toilet.

2) Air Emirates

Pros: Best service I've found. Around 5 flights a week to Mauritius. You get to travel through Dubai. Not sure if you can do duty free shopping there but if you can then that's a bonus. Good for people who can't withstand 12hr direct flights. The connection flight through Dubai might suit some people to rest a bit before taking their next flight to Mauritius. The seat arrangement depends on the planes which vary. It's either the Boeing 777-300 or the Airbus A330-200 depending on demand I guess. Seat arrangement is fine by me. Plenty of leg room on the Airbus. I can't remember

http://www.emirates.com/uk/english/index.aspx

Cons: Tiring because it is a connection flight. I personally hate connection flights as they give me panick attacks. Terminal 3 is jam packed. Deals are rare and you need to constantly check the websites.

3) British Airways

Never travelled with them sorry. But I heard they are OK and the second alternative I would go for after Air Mauritius. Can anyone share their experiences with BA?

4) Air Seychelles

Pros: Reasonably good service and some very very good deals on prices available. Some new services to new European countries. Leg room reasonable.

http://www.airseychelles.com/en/home/index.php

Cons: Seating arrangement not available from their website so legging can be a bit of a problem I would imagine on the Boeing. You are obviously stranded in a paradise island while in transit to another paradise island but the thing is you want to go and visit but you can't leave the terminal.

5) Virgin Not flying at the moment?

Pros: Luxurious service. Nice enternainment and plenty of leg room. That's all I can think of. They have started flying people in space now, maybe they better stick to that instead of their ridiculous prices.

Cons: They have stopped the flights now??

Expensive for no reason whatsoever. One flight a week I think. Only use as a last resort.

6) Air France

Avoid like the plague, that's all I've got to say. I haven't heard a single positive feedback from people I know who have travelled with Air France, only complaints about leg room, the food e.t.c.

Well, that's a summary of what I think anyway,

Kind Regards

ud

[locallady]

Just a correction re Air Mauritius flights from Heathrow --please note they now fly out of terminal 4 not terminal 5 as stated by ud and also operate 5 direct flights Heathrow to Mauritius-an additional flight is currently operating during the festive season. You can book your seat whilst booking the flight. In flight snacks , coffee and tea available plus alcoholic/non alcoholic drinks.

[Stony]

I just came across an interesting article about Air Mauritius:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201101070673.html

Air Mauritius, Thank You!

Rodney Philips, 7 January 2011

I have so much to be grateful for to our national carrier I don't know where to begin. First of all, thank you for turning my recent flight from London into a wonderfully enlightening social experiment. You allowed me to experience first-hand democratic principles in ways that no Bolshevik revolution could possibly do. By squeezing so many passengers into such a tight seat confi guration, you demonstrated the fundamental value upon which Mauritius as a nation was built - tolerance! By having a newborn cry all night, an old man dribble on my shoulder, and by inhaling flatulence from the charming adolescent to my immediate right, you have proved to me what valuing diversity truly means.

By sandwiching me down the middle aisle, you helped me understand the challenges of disability. Unable to move any body parts from the neck downwards for over eleven hours, I will now be more generous when the tin comes round on Handicap Day.

Malfunctioning ventilation systems was a chance to internalise the concept of global warming. The plight of polar bears stranded on fl oating icebergs pales to insignificance compared to passengers loosening collars, desperately reaching for air vents, gasping for breath, and hoping yellow oxygen masks would fall from the ceiling. But the only things to fall from the ceiling were loose items from over-stuffed luggage bins.

Unlike worldly, superficial airlines like Emirates, you have demonstrated the fact that the physical beauty of cabin crew is irrelevant to a pleasant flight. In fact, you are right to recruit your staff from among those fellow citizens battling with overweight or hair loss or acne, or all three. Well done for applying so rigorously the equal opportunities act! The sense of national pride they showed, despite their personal problems, often manifested itself in rude remarks, road rage with food trolleys, or total absence.

Wouldn't you be grumpy or violent or asleep if you were on medication for a chronic disorder? I am pleased to note that the airlines' caterer is now Weigh Less Mauritius. Given the high incidence of non-communicable diseases among the Mauritian population, and high obesity levels among foreign passengers, the policy of serving non-substantive meals, or no food at all, can only be applauded.

Showing social responsibility in forcing a weight management programme on economy passengers is the equivalent of British Airways' Change for Good. My sincere gratitude springs also from the fact that the entire entertainment system failed to operate.

Those passengers who complained seemed unable to grasp the opportunity offered by the airline to engage in self-refl ection and prayer.

Mind you, there was the distinct mumble of prayer during turbulence over Sudan. But in a world bombarded by flickering images, booming sounds and media hype what could be more comforting than the gentle snoring of a total stranger using your shoulder as a pillow?

But, best of all, thank you Air Mauritius for showering me with the generous sum of Rs 2000 when you lost my luggage. With that kind of money, I was able to rush out and buy myself a top-of-theline toothbrush, designer deodorant, synthetic underwear and recycled flip-flops.

I know my family was disappointed that they received no gifts, but they too learned that denouncing materialism is the greatest gift of all.