Gulf Air - experiences?

I'm due to have a break over xmas/new year in Bangkok and Phuket, and am due to book the flights shortly.

From reading a.net, there seem to have been some very bad reviews of service, IFE and food on GF, and am thinking of booking on Etihad instead (which are also coming out cheaper), and miss a miles earning opportunity.

Has anyone any good experience of GF in y class. I am a silver FC member - does that help in any way flying with them?

(incidentally, SQ, BA and QF prices are too high, so they are not an option!)

Cheers folks!

Hi Richard

Found a few threads where this has been discussed before, if they're any use to you:

http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1973
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1947
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=506

As far as earning any FC benefits, you get mileage, but no TPs - see:
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/flying_club_partner_airlines.view.do#12

Dunno if Silver will help with anything else though

Cheers

Michael

(Edited cos the search terms caused link "weirdness" - and editing them didn't work proper like. Yes, that's a technical description )

Hi - my son is in Thailand at the moment and flew Gulf Air. His flight out apparently was appaulling! He had no video the entire flight and as if to add insult to injury they ran out of "food" by the time they got to the back of the plane where he was!![:0]

He complained bitterly (great lessons learnt from his Dad)and said that given the fact he'd had no seat back video, they might at least have given him some thought with the food!!! They disappeared for a while and came back with some from First Class! Very nice, but whoah not good really! He was also 2 hours delayed in Bahrain on his way to Bangkok. He's due to fly back on Saturday so I'll keep you posted on Sunday what the flight back was like!

He's only home for 24hours and then leaves with us for a great trip to the US on Virgin Atlantic UC - it's a surprise and he doesn't know!!!:D:D:D