When an airline says they have no money to make a refund, you have to wonder how they are handling airframe maintenance? Safety would be a concern to me.
It was a clear case of initial disappointment followed by the extra delight of seeing the 'pre-boarders' still waiting in their busses. Any reasonable airline would skimp on this delight offered by TAAG by simply boarding (or bussing) first class passengers, well, first.
Ah, memories...back in the mid-90s, flew TAAG Paris -Luanda overnight on their one and only (back then) 707. Was given a voucher for a meal at CDG because no food would be served on the plane. Three hours into the flight, somewhere over North Africa, pilot announced we were turning around and going to Lisbon because of a mechanical issue. Got herded into a deserted lounge for a couple hours then herded back aboard and off we went again, arriving about 8 hours late, but hey, we got there in the end. Fun times.
My wife has really gotten into your videos while watching them with me and asked me if we could do a cheap flight challenge like you. So next week, we are off to SE Asia having secured the cheapest business class tickets. And those tickets would determine where we are visiting. So it’s off to Taipei, Singapore, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur!!! We both can’t wait.
Fun fact, customer support over WhatsApp seems to be getting more and more common, when i was trying to figure out how much i'd have to pay for a 2nd checked bag with KLM, they directed me to WhatsApp to speak to an agent (because they didn't do phone calls) and thats like, KLM, a pretty big popular airline lol.
I had a terrible experience dealing with the KLM support over whatsapp and messenger when my flight was cancelled. It took upwards of 5 hours for replies, and the whole process of getting another flight sorted took over 4 DAYS. The agents were clueless and kept trying to mislead me into getting a much worse flight, tried making me pay AGAIN for seats and luggage. It was a really long and annoying process and I finally got it sorted when I made them escalate the matter and I got put through to 'actual' KLM support. Over the past couple years I noticed KLM cutting costs everywhere, you even have to pay to select seats during check in now, which is ridiculous considering they're not a low-cost carrier. They fell off, and now I try to avoid them as much as I can.
This is like my biggest pet peeve with customer service over the past few years. When I was working my way through college in my 20s, I was a call center CSR. Those jobs don't seem to exist anymore because companies seem to have decided it's cheaper just to abandon the human element of customer service.
@@josephnelen3601 Whatsapp is NOT popular in all countries around the world. In some countries it's all about FB Messenger, etc. In my country, nobody uses Whatsapp and I have never seen any company offer support over it. We have plenty of customer service over chat though. I live in a wealthy Western country where iPhone is the dominant brand. Schools have their own apps for children and parents, kindergartens their own apps for the parents, sports clubs run on their apps, etc.
This was quite the video, Noel! The airline that had no money to issue you a refund, the scratched up first class seat you had on the plane overnight, to the fancy Porsche your drove to your hotel! I loved this..thanks for sharing with the audience. I love living vicariously through your adventures around the world.
21:46 “As the sun started to rise, out of the window we were treated to a beautiful sunset” And at what altitude was Noel flying that he could see the sun rise and set at the same time?! 🤔
hahaha I even checked flightradar because I got confused as I didn't understand how a flight from angola leaving at midnight could land for sunset in lisbon
I think you misunderstood the WhatsApp. Sounds like the Angolan government treasury has restrictions due to a shortage of foreign capital which limits how much Angolan Air is allowed to send outside of the country.
Exactly. The entire country has a problem with hard currency, ie dollars, Euros, pounds, or really any real hard cash. They just don’t have enough as a country. So once it goes in, they really don’t want it going back out unless it’s for something the country really needs. Or the politicians need. Sadly, you see this in several countries.
Noel, in a recent episode you almost get locked in a aircraft bathroom, now you risk your life in on a shady airline and aircraft. Respect!!!! You are one of my favorite aviation UA-camrs!
You are very polite and humble. I see at least 10 thank you in all of your videos from the drivers to check in staff and people that recognize you. Very honest and sincere. 👍
I worked in Angola from 1983 to 1985 (Gulf Oil), we would fly overnight from Charles de Gaulle in Paris to Luanda. The in flight service was a can of Budweiser and a blanket :) When we arrived in Luanda the airport security was the military who checked us on to our next flight to Cabinda.The Angolan people were friendly and a pleasure to work with, Luanda airport has certainly changed since we were there! Love the videos Noel, keep em coming.
You must remember that there are exchange controls in Angola - it can be a challenge to send money outside. The new airport in Luanda has just started with 1 destination currently.
I flew TAAG last week from Cape Town to Lisbon via Luanda. What a pleasant surprise. Ontime departures, polite staff and crew, acceptable catering, clean and seemingly well-maintained aircraft. No inflight entertainment but otherwise, pleasant experiences on both sectors. I look forward to my return flights to Cape Town.
Been as an 5 year old with a SAA 747 to Luanda in 1974. In those days 747’s had to make a stop in Luanda and Tenerife to take on fuel at the journey from Johannesburg to Amsterdam.
That must have been shortly before the Revolution… it’s still the same terminal we built. They renovated the interior in around 2010, but it’s still the same damned terminal.
2 years ago my wife had to fly to Brazil to visit her mother. At that time the only airline flying to Brazil from Southern Africa was TAAG. She paid extra to book a good seat, but when she checked in at the airport she was told that the seat had been given to a member of staff. When she asked for the fee to be refunded, they just laughed at her. According to her, the aircraft was filthy and everything seemed to be broken, including the entertainment system. An airline to be avoided if at all possible.
it's always fun if you think about how these videos are filmed. for the shot at 25:20 Noel had to get out, put the camera down, get back into the car, drive 5 meters, grab the camera again.
I've flown them from Cpt- Sao Tome just as the pandemic was starting. The CPT - LUA flight was a packed 777, the Sao Tome one was a packed 737. In flight service was fine, airport was a horror show. Before the SA - Brazil flights restarted they were the only option to fly to South America without flying 10 hours in the opposite direction to the middle east first. Also a popular SA - Lisbon route as Amsterdam and London are 2 hours past Lisbon. Seems like Taag's maintenance has taken a beating as there was an incident when CPT airport was closed for an afternoon after their one 737 spilled hydraulic fluid everywhere.
Have done the Johannesburg to luanda route many times and used to be on the oldest 747s left in the sky at the time, I believe they have retired them now. I remember they once came around with the drinks trolley and just parked it in the aisle and left it there as self service.
As an angolan most of the people fly with TAP(portugal) mostly to europe, i always used to fly with TAAG from 2015 to 2018, cuz they were kind of new and they were way cleaner than they are now....And yes the tv or entertainment on board used to work,
Logo on the food is because of Air Chefs in Johannesburg, they label the packets with an airline logo so as to ensure the correct meals land on each flight, as the airlines pay per meal based on ticket sales. Rolls of pre printed labels with an airline logo on are pretty cheap, especially as you only have a few airlines, and once you have the set of printing rollers done, it is easy to run off more rolls of labels cheap. Very likely the printer of that label still has a set of printing plates for old defunct airlines that used to fly into South Africa sitting on a shelf, just in case somebody buys the old airline name, and starts to fly into JIA again. Pre printed thermal transfer labels can come in for under 2c US each, in medium quantities, if you only want a single colour, and for a little more if you want a 4 colour print. Printer is moderately expensive, but very robust, and low cost to operate, you only are buying the dye sublimation ribbons it uses.
I have flown with TAAG a few times between Jo'burg, Luanda and Lisbon, and I must say that I have never had a bad experience. Their aircraft are beginning to show their age, but they are acquiring new ones, and their first A220 arrived last week. It's like a glorified bus service that gets you from A to B at a reasonable price. If you want luxury and obsequious crew, this is not the airline for you (at least for now).
16:53 - the airline you'd never heard of before (Bestfly) - interesting in that Bestfly of Angola has only 2 flying planes - this E190 and an ATR 72. You managed to video half of their fleet. 😎
That airline reminds me of Spanair. They've gone bust and no wonder. I was surprised they even flew. Spanair took a whole new meaning to no frills airline. As to them, no frills also include no maintenance. I remember flying with them from Tennerife to Madrid. You could see through the fuselage. All the cables from the cockpit to the tail were fully visible and easily accessible to anyone. It was a miracle that it flew. I'm saving and planning for a big trip in 5 years' time. If I see Angola Airlines pop up, I'm running the other way. Lol.
Starting with the agent at 4:34 I am impressed by how they avoided eye contact so consistently. The "double" at the entrance to the aircraft, with no eye contact by the front air hostess, followed by the "shush shush" hand gesture, to get you into the cabin (I guess) very especially impressive. Exiting first flight also an impressive "combo" 😉😂. The heartwarming service level will soon fill that business class cabin up, not least considering the amazing in flight entertainment and the ease of booking and hassle free interactions and flexibility, when wanting to change ticket. Return policy second to none 🤣 Come on, this were Monty Python level and Noel said: "Not to bad, really" 🤣🤣🤣 I am rolling on the floor laughing,😀
I flew TAAG once from Cape Town to Lisbon, worst mistake ever. It was a total nightmare, the food no inflight entertainment, drunk people fighting and I can go on. On the way back home they were on strike, fortunately I managed to get a flight to Cape Town on another airline the next day. Lesson learned, you don’t fly African airlines.
I spent two weeks travelling through Angola in 2017 and the refund saga doesn't shock me. Outside Luanda there is nothing. It's bush scrubland and tiny, unimaginably poor villages with barely navigable dirt tracks between them. The picture of the waterfall in the first class cabin is of Calandula Falls, probably the only reason to visit Angola.
As an Angolan I would like to say that what you just said is not true at all, although we don’t have much, if you knew how to look for the other sides of the country or at least had a competent guide, you’d be fairly surprised. Knowing for a fact that you didn’t travel every corner of the country, and not to mention that it was 7 years ago, it’s very insensitive of you to make such a declaration. Unfortunately my country just doesn’t know how to use and advertise its resources.
Really enjoy watching the last three uploads south to north poles plus the flights to Lisbon Porsche 911 … Best regards to Rachel and you’d family .. thank you for sharing means a lot to see the world through your channel . Places I’ll never go ( for now ) regards Monica in the UK
Great video , shame you never came back to U.K. get some fish and chips a nice pint and the U.K was a huge part of your life , superb content as always, I also love the way you’ve embraced your new life in the USA , how many times do we say when you move to another country become part of them and embrace the culture . You certainly have and that’s a great thing to do
Getting head flushed in the toilet... we called that a "swirly" when I was in school. It was a way that some kids were bullied. Also I think your channel serves to alleviate anyone's fear of flying since your flights are uneventful even on the most sketch airlines. 👍
True, but airlines are exempt from them. They need to pay for parts and foreign operations And must give flight crews accommodations and spending cash!
@@NorthernMike-1yes and no. Airlines would have a few offshore operations that would be used to keep offshore amounts and pay foreign monies. Crews would be paid local currency but get their allowances from an offshore account. We had an operation in Angola and paid all expat allowances from the Isle of Man. Similar situation in our Nigeria operation.
@@achmadosman9807 well the fact is, that normally offshore ticket sales, are kept in hard currency. No company is going to exchange hard currency, for worthless toilet paper. Furthermore, if he disputed the charge with his credit card, they will simply charge back the airline. They don’t give a fu@k about their issues or constraints
We’d never know the half of it with airline travel if you didn’t explore it for us Noel. This ep was a ripper, such a different approach to everything. It was great you got some sleep in first class ❤❤❤
Luanda has a lot of western expats because of all the mining that goes on in Angola. Think they might have oil & gas too apart from the usual gold and diamonds. That’s why Luanda is one of the most expensive cities in the world (for expats), and I assume that’s why their planes have so many business seats. Not sure why your flight was so empty though
Years ago I was supposed to visit Luanda for work from my home office in Houston. I briefly considered TAAG since they had a unique route flying though Rio De Janeiro crossing the Atlantic to Luanda. Bypassing Europe all together. I reconsidered last minute. 😂
Use to know it as Late and maybe when I lived in Mozambique. Especially flying from Beria to Maputo. Used to get drunk and sober waiting for the plane to arrive 😂.
Bloody hell Noel! There’s no wonder you had that beer 😂 3K invested for that ticketing palaver and you seemed so calm. Your medal is in the post! Deserved! I do really like the livery of TAAG aeroplanes. Glad you’re having a break and understandably opted for Portugal for that break and not rainy Britain. As always, safe journeys and thanks for making your videos, love ‘em ❤
There used to be an oil charter from IAH to Luanda on a carrier known as SonAir (perhaps part of the state oil company SonAngol) using either MD-11s or B744s
This is definitely omg experience. Because the customer service is terrible. The plane is falling apart. Too much business class. Definitely a business model that will not last. Gladly you got there safely. A nightmare scenario. Much love and safe travels Noel ❤
Pineapples can mean luxury, hospitality, or Jensen Beach, Florida (for a few years, where pineapples sold on the eastern seaboard of the United States usually were grown).
Great video - funnily enough, my Dad used to work in Angola many years ago, although not sure if he ever flew with Taag Angola. Used to connect through Johannesburg. Unlike you, I'm definitely a "car person" - that Porsche would have been the highlight of the trip for me, how on earth did you blag that😂
The loo review was epic, just seeing what were these behind the mirror :) And drove the Porsche 911 is just lots of fun, you made a right decision in Portugal rather than England :)
Hello Noel, good vid and wonderful wheels. I miss you showing your route of flight right after take off. A few years ago when you were in the UK I remember thinking how cool it was seeing where you were in the world. My 2 cents. Will we see you at Oshkosh this year? Cheers
I remember years ago on a video , can't remember time or place anymore, that an airline made an unexpected stop for some reason and the crew did not have a way to pay for the fuel (some foul up with credit accounts or something like that). The pilot actually took up a collection amongst the passengers to pay for the refueling and off they went. The video didn't say if the folks were paid back. It was so funny.
When an airline says they have no money to make a refund, you have to wonder how they are handling airframe maintenance? Safety would be a concern to me.
Me too
Nothing to wonder about, they likely aren't doing the required maintenance, that's almost guaranteed.
That is exactly why some countries do not approve of an airline flying into their country, mostly due to Safet concerns.
I agree, I would be worried about flying on that 2nd plane. Good review Noel.
Makes me wonder if any of the staff have received a paycheque recently
having to wait for all passengers to get to the busses first and then get a private Shuttle is hilarious 😂
It was a clear case of initial disappointment followed by the extra delight of seeing the 'pre-boarders' still waiting in their busses. Any reasonable airline would skimp on this delight offered by TAAG by simply boarding (or bussing) first class passengers, well, first.
Bamboo Airlines is doing the same...
T.I.A. 😂
Ah, memories...back in the mid-90s, flew TAAG Paris -Luanda overnight on their one and only (back then) 707. Was given a voucher for a meal at CDG because no food would be served on the plane. Three hours into the flight, somewhere over North Africa, pilot announced we were turning around and going to Lisbon because of a mechanical issue. Got herded into a deserted lounge for a couple hours then herded back aboard and off we went again, arriving about 8 hours late, but hey, we got there in the end. Fun times.
My wife has really gotten into your videos while watching them with me and asked me if we could do a cheap flight challenge like you. So next week, we are off to SE Asia having secured the cheapest business class tickets. And those tickets would determine where we are visiting. So it’s off to Taipei, Singapore, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur!!! We both can’t wait.
Enjoy!!
cool! have fun!
Welcome to Taipei!
I read that comment up to the word could….😂
You will LOVE Taipei!
"As the sun started to rise we were treated to a beautiful sunset"? Obviously you didn't get enough sleep the day you did the voice over Noel.
it’s 1:40 am right now….i had to make sure I heard that right lol
Fun fact, customer support over WhatsApp seems to be getting more and more common, when i was trying to figure out how much i'd have to pay for a 2nd checked bag with KLM, they directed me to WhatsApp to speak to an agent (because they didn't do phone calls) and thats like, KLM, a pretty big popular airline lol.
Very common in most of the world. Not suprised
I had a terrible experience dealing with the KLM support over whatsapp and messenger when my flight was cancelled. It took upwards of 5 hours for replies, and the whole process of getting another flight sorted took over 4 DAYS. The agents were clueless and kept trying to mislead me into getting a much worse flight, tried making me pay AGAIN for seats and luggage. It was a really long and annoying process and I finally got it sorted when I made them escalate the matter and I got put through to 'actual' KLM support.
Over the past couple years I noticed KLM cutting costs everywhere, you even have to pay to select seats during check in now, which is ridiculous considering they're not a low-cost carrier. They fell off, and now I try to avoid them as much as I can.
This is like my biggest pet peeve with customer service over the past few years. When I was working my way through college in my 20s, I was a call center CSR. Those jobs don't seem to exist anymore because companies seem to have decided it's cheaper just to abandon the human element of customer service.
@@josephnelen3601 Whatsapp is NOT popular in all countries around the world. In some countries it's all about FB Messenger, etc. In my country, nobody uses Whatsapp and I have never seen any company offer support over it. We have plenty of customer service over chat though. I live in a wealthy Western country where iPhone is the dominant brand. Schools have their own apps for children and parents, kindergartens their own apps for the parents, sports clubs run on their apps, etc.
@@josephnelen3601 yup cheaper than having a 1800 number
This was quite the video, Noel! The airline that had no money to issue you a refund, the scratched up first class seat you had on the plane overnight, to the fancy Porsche your drove to your hotel! I loved this..thanks for sharing with the audience. I love living vicariously through your adventures around the world.
I feel like this is the airline version of Nigerian romance scammers 😂
Yep. "Go to their office and pay cash". Sure.
You seem to get more out of the airline at least XD
What if the romance scammers aren't trying to scam anybody? What if they're all just desperately trying to get past this airline?
21:46 “As the sun started to rise, out of the window we were treated to a beautiful sunset”
And at what altitude was Noel flying that he could see the sun rise and set at the same time?! 🤔
I heard that too 😂
They were flying at a higher cabin altitude than recommended, to save fuel. Just a case of mild hypoxia. 😏
@@NanaYPea And me!
hahaha I even checked flightradar because I got confused as I didn't understand how a flight from angola leaving at midnight could land for sunset in lisbon
You really don't want to see a sunrise to the west.
I LMAO when you showed the model missing an engine!!!! lol
I think you misunderstood the WhatsApp. Sounds like the Angolan government treasury has restrictions due to a shortage of foreign capital which limits how much Angolan Air is allowed to send outside of the country.
But they’re happy for as much capital as possible to come into the country no doubt..All going into the pocket of the politicians for sure..
Exactly. The entire country has a problem with hard currency, ie dollars, Euros, pounds, or really any real hard cash. They just don’t have enough as a country. So once it goes in, they really don’t want it going back out unless it’s for something the country really needs. Or the politicians need. Sadly, you see this in several countries.
That's how I read it
Noel, in a recent episode you almost get locked in a aircraft bathroom, now you risk your life in on a shady airline and aircraft. Respect!!!! You are one of my favorite aviation UA-camrs!
The large model of the 777 missing an engine.
I’m rolling. 🤣
Maybe that’s how they save on money… single engine 777s
Those b777-200er are undergoing maintenance for a while now.
13:43 Having a model airplane missing an engine in the lounge is not confidence inspiring.
You are very polite and humble. I see at least 10 thank you in all of your videos from the drivers to check in staff and people that recognize you. Very honest and sincere. 👍
I worked in Angola from 1983 to 1985 (Gulf Oil), we would fly overnight from Charles de Gaulle in Paris to Luanda. The in flight service was a can of Budweiser and a blanket :) When we arrived in Luanda the airport security was the military who checked us on to our next flight to Cabinda.The Angolan people were friendly and a pleasure to work with, Luanda airport has certainly changed since we were there! Love the videos Noel, keep em coming.
You must remember that there are exchange controls in Angola - it can be a challenge to send money outside.
The new airport in Luanda has just started with 1 destination currently.
Noel out here risking his LIFE for good travel content. Salute you, sir! 🫡
"Not too shabby"- proceeds to show all the shabby. Love your work, Noel!
I flew TAAG last week from Cape Town to Lisbon via Luanda. What a pleasant surprise. Ontime departures, polite staff and crew, acceptable catering, clean and seemingly well-maintained aircraft. No inflight entertainment but otherwise, pleasant experiences on both sectors. I look forward to my return flights to Cape Town.
Been as an 5 year old with a SAA 747 to Luanda in 1974. In those days 747’s had to make a stop in Luanda and Tenerife to take on fuel at the journey from Johannesburg to Amsterdam.
That's a long way around
That must have been shortly before the Revolution… it’s still the same terminal we built. They renovated the interior in around 2010, but it’s still the same damned terminal.
Always look forward to another vicarious adventure with my Sunday morning tea!
2 years ago my wife had to fly to Brazil to visit her mother. At that time the only airline flying to Brazil from Southern Africa was TAAG.
She paid extra to book a good seat, but when she checked in at the airport she was told that the seat had been given to a member of staff. When she asked for the fee to be refunded, they just laughed at her.
According to her, the aircraft was filthy and everything seemed to be broken, including the entertainment system.
An airline to be avoided if at all possible.
The condition of the plane is shameful. I love your extremely entertaining videos, keep em coming
Glad you like them!
it's always fun if you think about how these videos are filmed. for the shot at 25:20 Noel had to get out, put the camera down, get back into the car, drive 5 meters, grab the camera again.
No, I heard he streams it to Texas where it gets saved and then he leaves the camera there. Much more easier and effective
I've flown them from Cpt- Sao Tome just as the pandemic was starting. The CPT - LUA flight was a packed 777, the Sao Tome one was a packed 737. In flight service was fine, airport was a horror show. Before the SA - Brazil flights restarted they were the only option to fly to South America without flying 10 hours in the opposite direction to the middle east first. Also a popular SA - Lisbon route as Amsterdam and London are 2 hours past Lisbon. Seems like Taag's maintenance has taken a beating as there was an incident when CPT airport was closed for an afternoon after their one 737 spilled hydraulic fluid everywhere.
Have done the Johannesburg to luanda route many times and used to be on the oldest 747s left in the sky at the time, I believe they have retired them now.
I remember they once came around with the drinks trolley and just parked it in the aisle and left it there as self service.
As an angolan most of the people fly with TAP(portugal) mostly to europe, i always used to fly with TAAG from 2015 to 2018, cuz they were kind of new and they were way cleaner than they are now....And yes the tv or entertainment on board used to work,
Logo on the food is because of Air Chefs in Johannesburg, they label the packets with an airline logo so as to ensure the correct meals land on each flight, as the airlines pay per meal based on ticket sales. Rolls of pre printed labels with an airline logo on are pretty cheap, especially as you only have a few airlines, and once you have the set of printing rollers done, it is easy to run off more rolls of labels cheap. Very likely the printer of that label still has a set of printing plates for old defunct airlines that used to fly into South Africa sitting on a shelf, just in case somebody buys the old airline name, and starts to fly into JIA again. Pre printed thermal transfer labels can come in for under 2c US each, in medium quantities, if you only want a single colour, and for a little more if you want a 4 colour print. Printer is moderately expensive, but very robust, and low cost to operate, you only are buying the dye sublimation ribbons it uses.
Congrats on the Porsche. Amazing luck!!! I was expecting red… but that dark color is much nicer.
Great content as always.
Glad you enjoyed it
I have flown with TAAG a few times between Jo'burg, Luanda and Lisbon, and I must say that I have never had a bad experience. Their aircraft are beginning to show their age, but they are acquiring new ones, and their first A220 arrived last week. It's like a glorified bus service that gets you from A to B at a reasonable price. If you want luxury and obsequious crew, this is not the airline for you (at least for now).
13:42 I like that their airplane model display has lost an engine.
16:53 - the airline you'd never heard of before (Bestfly) - interesting in that Bestfly of Angola has only 2 flying planes - this E190 and an ATR 72. You managed to video half of their fleet. 😎
I am from Namibia and that is classic africa for you
I may have skipped through & missed them, but I really enjoy your usual flight map showing the route taken & hope they are brought back
That airline reminds me of Spanair. They've gone bust and no wonder. I was surprised they even flew. Spanair took a whole new meaning to no frills airline. As to them, no frills also include no maintenance. I remember flying with them from Tennerife to Madrid. You could see through the fuselage. All the cables from the cockpit to the tail were fully visible and easily accessible to anyone. It was a miracle that it flew. I'm saving and planning for a big trip in 5 years' time. If I see Angola Airlines pop up, I'm running the other way. Lol.
Spainair is a name that I didn't hear since their accident on 2008.
Fuel most probably needed to be paid before they would fill the plane
Starting with the agent at 4:34 I am impressed by how they avoided eye contact so consistently. The "double" at the entrance to the aircraft, with no eye contact by the front air hostess, followed by the "shush shush" hand gesture, to get you into the cabin (I guess) very especially impressive. Exiting first flight also an impressive "combo" 😉😂. The heartwarming service level will soon fill that business class cabin up, not least considering the amazing in flight entertainment and the ease of booking and hassle free interactions and flexibility, when wanting to change ticket. Return policy second to none 🤣
Come on, this were Monty Python level and Noel said: "Not to bad, really" 🤣🤣🤣 I am rolling on the floor laughing,😀
Africans are not sepecially educated, even less so with whites
I’m 6’1 I will never complain again after finding out our 6’4 makes your videos even more impressive 💪
Thank you for the clarification on the pineapples 🤣
Hey there Noel! I commend your generosity for retrying Tag Angola after your previous experience..Great vid!
Even on a 737 that would still be considered a light load. 42 pax on a 777 - 300 ER just seems highly inefficient.
Welcome to another edition of the Noel Philips "what could go wrong" show!!!
That’s my reason for being here! 😂
I’ve nick named him “Bad Luck Noel”
Poor planning show
@@jamesbartle6816you’re really gullible if you don’t think this is part of Noel’s shtick.
I mean, “How hard can it be?” 😂
I flew TAAG once from Cape Town to Lisbon, worst mistake ever.
It was a total nightmare, the food no inflight entertainment, drunk people fighting and I can go on.
On the way back home they were on strike, fortunately I managed to get a flight to Cape Town on another airline the next day. Lesson learned, you don’t fly African airlines.
Ethiopian is the only one I would fly, which I have done several times.
Yet another great and insightful video from Noel. Keep these coming!
Nice to see the Qantas next to you on pushback! End September Qantas started flying the A380 to and from Sydney, that would be one for Noel to try!
I spent two weeks travelling through Angola in 2017 and the refund saga doesn't shock me. Outside Luanda there is nothing. It's bush scrubland and tiny, unimaginably poor villages with barely navigable dirt tracks between them.
The picture of the waterfall in the first class cabin is of Calandula Falls, probably the only reason to visit Angola.
As an Angolan I would like to say that what you just said is not true at all, although we don’t have much, if you knew how to look for the other sides of the country or at least had a competent guide, you’d be fairly surprised. Knowing for a fact that you didn’t travel every corner of the country, and not to mention that it was 7 years ago, it’s very insensitive of you to make such a declaration. Unfortunately my country just doesn’t know how to use and advertise its resources.
Hope you enjoyed that Porsche! It’s a beautiful car and driving experience.
I did!
Great video Noel, petrol head is the expression i think you mean 😅.
Hope you enjoyed your few days in Portugal x
Brussels basically told me they didn't have the money to reimburse me during Covid. Took a whole 2 years to finally get the refund.
Well that at least made some sense in that period, they were all loosing a bunch of money.
I had to wait 3 years for a refund from Tapair, and we had 13 plane tickets
Better than qantas
That’s why you always buy your ticket with a credit card and dispute the charge!
During convid
I'd love Ray Winston to do the endorsement for this airline.
"Get on Taag, you slaaaaag!"
Portugal looks great especially from that beautiful Porsche. Juhaptergee
You’re a hero flying with these airlines Noel
"as the sun started to rise, we were treated to a beautiful sunset" 21:45
I saw a trio of these B777’s on a spotting visit in Lisbon a few years ago . Certainly an attractive colour scheme.👍
You forgot to show the flight maps for both flights. I also enjoyed the the model plane missing an engine...
Really enjoy watching the last three uploads south to north poles plus the flights to Lisbon Porsche 911 …
Best regards to Rachel and you’d family .. thank you for sharing means a lot to see the world through your channel . Places I’ll never go ( for now ) regards Monica in the UK
Great video , shame you never came back to U.K. get some fish and chips a nice pint and the U.K was a huge part of your life , superb content as always, I also love the way you’ve embraced your new life in the USA , how many times do we say when you move to another country become part of them and embrace the culture . You certainly have and that’s a great thing to do
I watched a video of yours that was 5 years ago. You affectionately. called your children as little monkeys …love it.
You broke the IFE when you closed the panel in the loo. 😄
At least we now know what fun things are hiding behind the mirror in a 777. Question being is the mirror locked, or just needs some gentle persuasion?
Loving the Noel's African shenanigans. 😉
Very entertaining as usual, I enjoy your narration and sense of humour.
Glad you enjoyed it
I ❤ Portugal, good to see you’re having a well deserved break in luxury too 😊
Getting head flushed in the toilet... we called that a "swirly" when I was in school. It was a way that some kids were bullied. Also I think your channel serves to alleviate anyone's fear of flying since your flights are uneventful even on the most sketch airlines. 👍
Bog wash
Lol the rental place always sticks me with a ford escape. Glad you had a nice trip!
The fact that you issued the video from Lisbon suggests that that lovely aircraft actually got there. We are all happy about that Noel.
25:31 The ocean looks stunning.
Angola, like many other African states, has very strict foreign exchange restriction
True, but airlines are exempt from them. They need to pay for parts and foreign operations
And must give flight crews accommodations and spending cash!
@@NorthernMike-1yes and no. Airlines would have a few offshore operations that would be used to keep offshore amounts and pay foreign monies. Crews would be paid local currency but get their allowances from an offshore account. We had an operation in Angola and paid all expat allowances from the Isle of Man. Similar situation in our Nigeria operation.
@@achmadosman9807 well the fact is, that normally offshore ticket sales, are kept in hard currency.
No company is going to exchange hard currency, for worthless toilet paper.
Furthermore, if he disputed the charge with his credit card, they will simply charge back the airline. They don’t give a fu@k about their issues or constraints
We’d never know the half of it with airline travel if you didn’t explore it for us Noel. This ep was a ripper, such a different approach to everything. It was great you got some sleep in first class ❤❤❤
Dunno why but the "Loo Review" is my favorite part.
You're very courageous👏🏼
Luanda has a lot of western expats because of all the mining that goes on in Angola. Think they might have oil & gas too apart from the usual gold and diamonds. That’s why Luanda is one of the most expensive cities in the world (for expats), and I assume that’s why their planes have so many business seats. Not sure why your flight was so empty though
It’s because only a lunatic flies TAAG. The oil executives fly European carriers, or private jets.
Hi Noel,
I am happy you had a safe trip on both airlines. Love your socks too. Portugal is beautiful. ❤
TAAG is my number one hope for a new airline at Heathrow
Years ago I was supposed to visit Luanda for work from my home office in Houston. I briefly considered TAAG since they had a unique route flying though Rio De Janeiro crossing the Atlantic to Luanda. Bypassing Europe all together. I reconsidered last minute. 😂
Use to know it as Late and maybe when I lived in Mozambique. Especially flying from Beria to Maputo. Used to get drunk and sober waiting for the plane to arrive 😂.
Flour & egg treatment or 'birthday cake' at my school on your birthday in the 80's. Same treatment on the last day of term too!
Bloody hell Noel! There’s no wonder you had that beer 😂 3K invested for that ticketing palaver and you seemed so calm. Your medal is in the post! Deserved!
I do really like the livery of TAAG aeroplanes. Glad you’re having a break and understandably opted for Portugal for that break and not rainy Britain. As always, safe journeys and thanks for making your videos, love ‘em ❤
Great vlog Noel, keep up the great work, leave the Petrol Head, or indeed, Farming stuff to Jeremy 🤣😂🤣😂
You are a very brave man!
There used to be an oil charter from IAH to Luanda on a carrier known as SonAir (perhaps part of the state oil company SonAngol) using either MD-11s or B744s
You had me at the Porsche 911
Per usual, great content! TAAG experience was interesting though.
Really enjoyed your video Noel….as ever you take everything in your stride……👍👍
This is definitely omg experience. Because the customer service is terrible. The plane is falling apart. Too much business class. Definitely a business model that will not last. Gladly you got there safely. A nightmare scenario. Much love and safe travels Noel ❤
Really enjoyed that video. Fascinating your flight to Angola .
Glad you enjoyed it
They used to say the same at my school, although like you I never remember anyone actually getting flushed 😂
Pineapples can mean luxury, hospitality, or Jensen Beach, Florida (for a few years, where pineapples sold on the eastern seaboard of the United States usually were grown).
Great video - funnily enough, my Dad used to work in Angola many years ago, although not sure if he ever flew with Taag Angola. Used to connect through Johannesburg.
Unlike you, I'm definitely a "car person" - that Porsche would have been the highlight of the trip for me, how on earth did you blag that😂
You are a brave man Noel! Not sure I would have been happy getting on a plane....great video, thanks!
I enjoyed this journey Noel. Looking forward to the next week.. have a fun week
The loo review was epic, just seeing what were these behind the mirror :)
And drove the Porsche 911 is just lots of fun, you made a right decision in Portugal rather than England :)
Who knew! Next plane ride for me, I'm gonna see if the mirror opens! (rather than just flops open like here)
Love Praia del Rey! Obrigado Noel.
Hello Noel! Nice to see you here in portugal. TAAG...no comments! The best to you!
Them little tubes of toothpaste reminds of being in hospital this year I had the small toothpaste as well. I love watching your plane trips keep it up
You're a braver man that I, Gunga Din.
My brother had the head flush over 55 years ago at a school in Richmond, London. A very British thing I think
Hello Noel, good vid and wonderful wheels. I miss you showing your route of flight right after take off. A few years ago when you were in the UK I remember thinking how cool it was seeing where you were in the world. My 2 cents. Will we see you at Oshkosh this year? Cheers
Thank's Noel as usual most enjoyable greetings from Ireland well done looking forward to the next one 👍
I remember years ago on a video , can't remember time or place anymore, that an airline made an unexpected stop for some reason and the crew did not have a way to pay for the fuel (some foul up with credit accounts or something like that). The pilot actually took up a collection amongst the passengers to pay for the refueling and off they went. The video didn't say if the folks were paid back. It was so funny.