to all those who's applications have been completed and have traveled and still use this forum, I would like to ask which airline did you travel by and how good / bad was your experience ?
Apologies as this is not an immigration question but I'd just like to get some advice. Thanks
I have travelled with PIA, Etihad and Emirates. It depends on who is coming and how and what their needs are. PIA allows 2 bags of 28kg each (people have brought in as much as 30Kg easily; they did reduce it to 23Kg once, but since their flights declined they bumped it up to 28 again). Etihad and every other flight only allows 2 bags of 23 KG. Also an extra bag on PIA costs 110 USD, on Etihad and Emirates it costs you 225 USD if you tell the airlines 24 hours before (or maybe 48, I'm not sure). If you tell them on the airport the fee is more. PIA's rate is fixed, so you can go to the airport and just pay 110 USD and you are good. However there is no kind of in flight entertainment on PIA. They do have the system installed but it rarely works. On the other hand, Etihad and Emirates' have great in flight entertainment, and in addition to that you can plug your laptop in to the power outlet on your seat and use it during the whole flight (i watched mr robot while binge eating caramel popcorns
)
Food of these middle east carriers is not that good. I love spicy food and theirs is not. I liked PIA's food though, however it comes less frequently. For first time travellers I would highly recommend PIA, since all you need to do is take the flight and boom you are in Canada. For all other air carriers you will be taking a connecting flight and landing in an airport where no one speaks your language, which is not fun for first time flyers (my sister lives in the UK and had a really bad experience with the Turkish airways, not with the flight itself, but her experience at the turkish airport was really bad. she was not flying for the first time. And I have heard stories of staff at turkish airport not knowing english, so you get lost easily). However I did not face such an issue with either emirates or etihad (my friend who lives in Montreal travels with qatar and he did not complain about such issue on the doha airport either)
Similarly if you have kids with you I would recommend PIA again as it can get hectic with kids when you have to have a long layover.