This summer, I am planning to travel from New York JFK to (Hyderabad, India). As of right now, Etihad is the cheapest option out there. I am a big Emirates fan. But Emirates is more expensive than Etihad. About 500-1000 dollars more. And finally, Qatar, is the most expensive out of the three. I have also heard that Etihad has pretty bad service. If you were me, which airline option would you choose? Do I might as well go with the cheapest? Or spend the extra money?
Choose what’s right for you. If Etihad offers bad service in your belief, then choose Emirates. It’s about quality and not about the quantity. :)
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It really depends on if you want the more premium experience or the cheaper price. This video may help you decide. To summarise, Qatar is the winner out of the 3, but you should still consider price etc.
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You could just fly direct to India :P
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Welcome aboard Air India ;)
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@Balloonchaser none of those airliners operate direct from the U.S to India… and the only ones that do are Air India and United from very few destinations. Unless you’re flying those two airlines there’s a pretty good chance you’re gonna be flying another airline and making a stop somewhere else.
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Yeah I totally get it… Also, if I got a chance to fly on a A380 over a B77L!.. I would so go for the A380 on Emirates!
From where are you flying from?
I just came back yesterday from India. I had taken Delta and Jet Airways outbound (JFK-AMS-BLR) then Air France and Delta inbound (BLR-CDG-JFK). This was my first time taking one of these airlines as I always fly Emirates. I was blown away by how much more superior Emirates was to these airlines, but to be honest, in terms of flight time and jet lag, European connections are way better. I hopped on the 2am Air France flight allowing me a peaceful 6 hours of sleep in the 9 hour journey to France.
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In my opinion, having personally flown on an Emirates 773, I loved their service. Economy is excellent, the food and the IFE was outstanding. And I loved the hospitality of the Emirates flight attendants. One of the best long haul experiences I’ve ever had.
And trust me DXB is an amazing layover hub.
However if it comes down to cost, I’m not exactly sure what the best option is. I have yet to try Qatar or Etihad. Qatar flies out of Atlanta, where I live, but I have yet to try them out.
I’d say, give Emirates a try, in my opinion, they are outstanding :)
New York JFK to Hyderabad… I don’t want to travel Air India because it will go nonstop to either Mumbai or Delhi and then I will have to go through immigration there and also collect my bags and go to the domestic terminal. I want to fly internationally into Hyderabad.
I want say emirates bc they have the service and you would have a blast. But if it doesn’t fit your budget they choose something that would. You never know Etihad might just please you :)
Air India dosen’t fly internationally into Hyderabad
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Why don’t you fly the other way via Asia. Cathay or any Japanese airline seems like a great option
$$$ That’s a lot of mulah $$$
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Hey buddy! I can’t wait to see you in Hyderabad!
Okay, maybe that’s too much hype.
Why don’t you just fly from Newark to Mumbai on Air India and then Mumbai to Hyderabad in Air India again? That would seem a better option for me. Additionally, you might also get to fly on a B744 from Mumbai to Hyderabad which is really rare these days ;) If you want to stick to the Middle Eastern Airlines, I would say Emirates because of personal experience. My friend has also been to a HYD-DXB-DFW flight and said the flight(s) were really comfortable.
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I know, but if I do Newark to Mumbai or JFK to Delhi, I have to pick my luggage and do immigration itself in Mumbai or Delhi correct?–that can be hectic… especially picking up your luggage there and then going to the domestic terminal. Or will my luggage get checked in right through until I reach Hyderabad?
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You’ll have to check all that out on the website of the Airline, I’m not an expert at baggage stuff lol. Sorry I wasn’t of much help :’(
@Vignesh_S, Personally, I wouldn’t take any of those carriers, but instead if you do want to take an A380, fly Air France through Paris and you’ll get an A380 from JFK to CDG. This was my best flight experience to India as we got upgraded to La Premiere. We took the A380 from JFK to CDG and then a 777 to Delhi. My favourite airline, KLM also offers a 787-9 from JFK to AMS, then either a 787, 747, or 777 to Delhi. This would be my number one choice to India if I went today, as KLM has amazing service and Amsterdam is a lovely layover. Back when we went through Amsterdam to Delhi in 2008, however, we flew on an MD11 (it was great)
To sum it up:
Take KLM if you want amazing service and great food
Take Air France if you want an A380 and Delicious French food
Take Alitalia if you want to take a risk that they may not be in business by the time you fly, but have the best in-flight food I’ve ever had
I wouldn’t take any of the middle eastern carriers not because I’m racist, not because they are bad airlines, but because of the new American legislation that says you can’t take a laptop or tablet on a middle eastern carrier flight from the U.S. Also, KLM and Air France are far superior to Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar in my opinion.
Hope this was helpful!
He said he wants to fly internationally into Hyderabad rather than stop in Delhi/Mumbai!
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