Looking for a reliable round-trip flight Paris-Delhi (page 2 of 2)

Before bowing out of this dialogue of the deaf, I just want to remind everyone of something essential. The thread starter is asking for a reliable airline because they want to avoid Gulf carriers, whose flights can be impacted at any time by the conflict in the region. It’s not an unreasonable request, given that this happened two or three months ago and could easily happen again. And yet, the replies are all about how this or that Gulf carrier has great service and a great menu. Not sure that’s super helpful...

This is a forum, I was replying to Michel—are you the site admin? Have a good evening! 😉

We're on a forum, and personally, I was also chiming in. VF admin? Not likely 😄

Gulf airlines have always had attractive fares and a well-deserved reputation for service. I’m speaking broadly here, but the three Gulf sisters (Qatar, Etihad, and Emirates) are clearly ahead. Interestingly, they’re also the ones that handled this crisis the best.

When it comes to finances, it gets into political, managerial, and corporate governance debates that I won’t dive into.

One thing’s for sure: fuel is very affordable, and for comparison, a liter of 95 octane is at 3.69 Emirati dirhams, which is 0.88 €. Renting a car and filling up the tank is pure joy 😋 And there’s a single price across the UAE.

Plus, there’s an attendant who cleans your windshield and smiles at you. What else? 😄

Yes, like anywhere in the world, problems can happen. I was affected in March when I was supposed to go to Australia with Qatar Airways. There were several discussions about it, and I had to adapt, which is the least of the issues. Of course, thousands of passengers were impacted during their layovers and all around the world. I’m not denying that.

But what I want to say is that here, there’s NO tension or sign of anything wrong. Is it ignorance about the exact situation? Maybe I’m not in on the world’s decision-makers' secrets. Relatives tried to convince me not to come, citing articles in *Le Monde* and news reports. Everyone lives their life as they see fit. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying myself and having a great time. It’s the low season here due to the extreme heat, but there are still tourists and business travelers. Yesterday morning at breakfast, I chatted with a Spaniard who comes here several times a year and said his business hadn’t changed—just adapted to the peak of the crisis.

So maybe I’ll get hit by a drone or a missile in an hour, or my flight tomorrow morning from Abu Dhabi will be canceled for some random reason. I’m pretty fatalistic about it. Others might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time during some madman’s or terrorist’s act.

I’m planning to return to Abu Dhabi in two weeks, and if I can’t for whatever reason, I’ll adapt, and Etihad will sort me out.

Stay zen, have your tea or coffee, and take a deep breath 😊. If this is my last post on VF, you can say, "He lived happily and made the most of it until the very end."

When it comes to the financial side, it requires diving into a political, managerial, and corporate management debate that I won’t get into.

I don’t understand why you’re bringing politics into this. A company’s business model fundamentally has nothing to do with politics. Well, maybe a little, since in this case, it’s about the geopolitical situation 🙂 And if you’re running a business, how do you manage to pay salaries and suppliers? A company does have operating costs, right?

Who decides on professional taxes and fees, for example? Some countries have fewer than others. The same goes for the nationalities of flight crew (PNT) and cabin crew (PNC). How many Emiratis are on board Etihad and Emirates flights? Same with Qatar. And yet these airlines promote excellence as some of the best in the industry.

Others are excellent too, like Turkish Airlines (Michel / Tatra can talk about it at length). It’s a great alternative for India, for example.

I took Qatar Airways in early September 26. It was the cheapest. Everything went well. Air India, avoid. The service is good, but it never leaves on time. Air France only serves Bangalore.

Personally, if peace of mind is worth a few dozen euros, I’d go for Air France or Air India direct. Right now, with the situation in the Middle East, avoiding a layover in the Gulf seems pretty wise. That said, for a trip from December to April, I’d focus more on the modification and refund conditions than the ticket price. Saving a few euros can quickly cost you in stress if the flight gets messed up.

Hi Totally agree with you—avoiding the Emirates region is safer, especially for a December departure. The conflict isn’t improving and has become even more uncertain with the Saudi Arabia/Houthi war adding to the Iran/US tensions. Either book a modifiable and cancellable ticket if you’re routing through there, or take a direct flight or an airline that doesn’t fly over that area. 😉

Hi, Lufthansa is a decent airline with flights like Paris-Munich, a short layover of about 1 hour 15 minutes, then Munich-Mumbai or Delhi direct. No layover in the Gulf. On average 400 € cheaper than Air France and just as comfortable.

Hey Patrick,

I was still in Abu Dhabi last Saturday, and the situation is completely normal. There are people (tourists and business travelers) in the hotels and restaurants. No one talks about what’s happening in the surrounding areas, and life goes on as usual. No change since early September when I was there, as well as in Al Ain and the Liwa Oasis near the Saudi border.

The only problem right now is that it’s still *so* hot 🥵 For example, at 2 AM yesterday (Sunday), it was still stifling 🥵 As soon as I stepped out of the hotel, my sunglasses immediately fogged up 🥵



The airport in the middle of the night was like rush hour—packed with people. Just like on the way there, my Etihad flight to Brussels was nearly full, with only one seat left in business class and about ten in economy. For a 787-9, that gives you an idea of how many passengers there were. And, of course, the vast majority were connecting with duty-free bags from Bangkok, Cochin, Hanoi, etc.



We all know no one can predict the future, and things could escalate quickly if one of the players crosses the line. Given the current situation in this region, buying a flight ticket might come with an extra factor to consider, which could complicate the decision a bit. In this case, with Delhi as the final destination, there are still plenty of options. Airlines outside the region probably realize they’re picking up extra passenger traffic, so prices are likely going up as a result.