Author Topic: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?  (Read 48353 times)

Offline m65

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #40 on: August 24, 2017, 06:39:33 AM »
i flew them about a month ago, smack in middle of the "incident"
no incident at all, but in my mind i was fidgeting

Offline Proisrael

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #41 on: August 24, 2017, 08:10:34 AM »
i flew them about a month ago, smack in middle of the "incident"
no incident at all, but in my mind i was fidgeting

Was your flight mostly Arabs or where there plenty of Jews around?

Offline Denverite

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #42 on: August 24, 2017, 10:12:27 AM »
Was your flight mostly Arabs or where there plenty of Jews around?

Im also curious to know how it was.  I'm considering flying it with my kids without my husband on the flight.  I'm not worried about safety per se, just a socially uncomfortable 10 hours.

Offline m65

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #43 on: August 24, 2017, 05:30:34 PM »
i flew tlv-amm-txl
the flight from tlv to amm had a few israelis on it who were transferring to other destinations, though none of them were obviously jewish except me.
the flight from amm to germany had no jews except for me, although there were some palestinians who spoke hebrew
the service was fine and the lounge in amman is gorgeous

Offline skyguy918

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #44 on: September 05, 2017, 03:14:52 AM »
Im also curious to know how it was.  I'm considering flying it with my kids without my husband on the flight.  I'm not worried about safety per se, just a socially uncomfortable 10 hours.
I did JFK-TLV roundtrip with my family. I wouldn't recommend it for families, but mostly because of the stopover. It's almost 5 hours on the way there, which is rough with young kids (I have 3 boys 5 and under), even if you're in the lounge. Also, while the food on the way there was great, on the way back it's the same as regular Elal - ie plain rabanut. No activity packs for kids like you'll find on several other airlines. The IFE was good at least.

Other than that, I thought it was fine. I didn't really feel all that uneasy surrounded by arabs. I put on tallis and tefillin for shachris on JFK-AMM. Didn't feel particularly uncomfortable, though I did try to be as discreet as possible. There were at least 2 other fairly noticeable Jews on JFK-AMM, plus what I assume were non-frum Israelis. AMM-TLV had some other frum Israelis that must have been connecting from elsewhere. The whole way back I didn't really see any Jews, though I would say the crowd was more diverse overall (ie less arab/muslim feeling).

For some reason on the way there I thought you had to go through security an extra time to get to the Crown lounge, so we only hung out at the Petra lounge. On the way back I figured out where to enter the Crown lounge, which was much nicer and larger (and emptier). Of course you basically can't eat or drink anything. There's water and fruit (apples, oranges, and bananas). Everything else (including sodas and juices) has no hechsher, except maybe the booze.

On board service was just okay. We booked ABC and then A&C one row back. Both JFK-AMM and AMM-JFK we lucked out and had the second B seat empty (flights were actually pretty full). AMM-TLV was a much smaller plane and seemed completely full, while TLV-AMM was a 787 for some reason, and had maybe 50 people on it. Everyone sat wherever they wanted. We did have a significant delay AMM-JFK, and it wasn't communicated very well by RJ.

One other thing for families to keep in mind - I always thought gate checking strollers was a standard process. You give it to them right before you get on the plane, and get it back right when you get off the plane. On the way there, in AMM they initially told us it's being sent through to TLV underneath the plane. Before you go through security to get to the departure gates, there's a transit desk, and I was able to have the stroller brought up there. I then gate checked it again and received it at TLV just outside the gate as usual. On the way back, I gate checked in TLV, and didn't bother asking for it in AMM. Big mistake. At JFK we waited and waited for the strollers. They told us it would come on the oversize belt, but 5-10 minutes after the last bag came out on the regular carousel and still nothing. In the end it delayed us by at least 20 minutes after we'd already had all our luggage. I suspect that if I had asked for the stroller at AMM and re-gate checked it, it would've been brought up at the gate at TLV.

Offline Denverite

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #45 on: September 05, 2017, 11:34:42 AM »
I did JFK-TLV roundtrip with my family. I wouldn't recommend it for families, but mostly because of the stopover. It's almost 5 hours on the way there, which is rough with young kids (I have 3 boys 5 and under), even if you're in the lounge. Also, while the food on the way there was great, on the way back it's the same as regular Elal - ie plain rabanut. No activity packs for kids like you'll find on several other airlines. The IFE was good at least.

Other than that, I thought it was fine. I didn't really feel all that uneasy surrounded by arabs. I put on tallis and tefillin for shachris on JFK-AMM. Didn't feel particularly uncomfortable, though I did try to be as discreet as possible. There were at least 2 other fairly noticeable Jews on JFK-AMM, plus what I assume were non-frum Israelis. AMM-TLV had some other frum Israelis that must have been connecting from elsewhere. The whole way back I didn't really see any Jews, though I would say the crowd was more diverse overall (ie less arab/muslim feeling).

For some reason on the way there I thought you had to go through security an extra time to get to the Crown lounge, so we only hung out at the Petra lounge. On the way back I figured out where to enter the Crown lounge, which was much nicer and larger (and emptier). Of course you basically can't eat or drink anything. There's water and fruit (apples, oranges, and bananas). Everything else (including sodas and juices) has no hechsher, except maybe the booze.

On board service was just okay. We booked ABC and then A&C one row back. Both JFK-AMM and AMM-JFK we lucked out and had the second B seat empty (flights were actually pretty full). AMM-TLV was a much smaller plane and seemed completely full, while TLV-AMM was a 787 for some reason, and had maybe 50 people on it. Everyone sat wherever they wanted. We did have a significant delay AMM-JFK, and it wasn't communicated very well by RJ.

One other thing for families to keep in mind - I always thought gate checking strollers was a standard process. You give it to them right before you get on the plane, and get it back right when you get off the plane. On the way there, in AMM they initially told us it's being sent through to TLV underneath the plane. Before you go through security to get to the departure gates, there's a transit desk, and I was able to have the stroller brought up there. I then gate checked it again and received it at TLV just outside the gate as usual. On the way back, I gate checked in TLV, and didn't bother asking for it in AMM. Big mistake. At JFK we waited and waited for the strollers. They told us it would come on the oversize belt, but 5-10 minutes after the last bag came out on the regular carousel and still nothing. In the end it delayed us by at least 20 minutes after we'd already had all our luggage. I suspect that if I had asked for the stroller at AMM and re-gate checked it, it would've been brought up at the gate at TLV.

Thanks so much for all this info. It's really helpful.

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #46 on: January 17, 2019, 09:10:41 AM »
My son is currently in flight TLV-amm-JFK. He davened in TLV and had his tefillin with him as he was only going with carry on. When he's got to Amman they took them apart Justice traps  and  the boxes out of  the cases threw them down took his Siddur ripped it apart and threw it on the floor.
I don't even begin to know where to start with this. Other than it being a 19 year olds first real anti-semitic experience. I'm all for giving them the benefit of the doubt but there is nothing here that can allow this. I believe American Airlines through which I booked this award ticket should have a warning along with its hazardous material warning that religious articles other than Islamic articles are prohibited entry into Jordan. Anyone with advice on how to proceed or if to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
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Offline Emkay

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #47 on: January 17, 2019, 09:43:11 AM »


I believe American Airlines through which I booked this award ticket should have a warning along with its hazardous material warning that religious articles other than Islamic articles are prohibited entry into Jordan.

   That wouldn't be true though. I've been through there numerous times and never had an issue. I've davened in the airport and got through security with obviously religious items every time.
   There are many thousands of frum Jews that fly through there and your case seems to be the exception. I have no idea what prompted this but it's definitely far from common.

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #48 on: January 17, 2019, 09:47:09 AM »

   That wouldn't be true though. I've been through there numerous times and never had an issue. I've davened in the airport and got through security with obviously religious items every time.
   There are many thousands of frum Jews that fly through there and your case seems to be the exception. I have no idea what prompted this but it's definitely far from common.
Well I'm not sending him through there again I have no idea what prompted it. And if something like this can happen once for me that's enough to require a warning. It was a Transit passenger not even entering the country. We know that if you enter the country with tefillin they give you all sorts of problems. That's been reported many times.
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Offline mmgfarb

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #49 on: January 17, 2019, 09:53:16 AM »
My son is currently in flight TLV-amm-JFK. He davened in TLV and had his tefillin with him as he was only going with carry on. When he's got to Amman they took them apart Justice traps  and  the boxes out of  the cases threw them down took his Siddur ripped it apart and threw it on the floor.
I don't even begin to know where to start with this. Other than it being a 19 year olds first real anti-semitic experience. I'm all for giving them the benefit of the doubt but there is nothing here that can allow this. I believe American Airlines through which I booked this award ticket should have a warning along with its hazardous material warning that religious articles other than Islamic articles are prohibited entry into Jordan. Anyone with advice on how to proceed or if to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
Wow, that's crazy, I only flew through once but I had a perfectly pleasant experience. This seems very strange, I would assume the rest of the flight was also full of Jews, none of them had problems?
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Offline hvaces42

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #50 on: January 17, 2019, 10:33:51 AM »
Wow, that's crazy, I only flew through once but I had a perfectly pleasant experience. This seems very strange, I would assume the rest of the flight was also full of Jews, none of them had problems?
Not many frum Jews according to him. I dont know if they did or didnt have problems. RJ only has 3 flights a week to JFK now in the winter so its not the optimal for connecting. They were delayed an hour and a half because of the weather in TLV and they held the plane for them in AMM. He lands at 4pm today so I guess I will hear more later. I was on the phone with him at 3am our time trying to calm him down. He's not easily rattled and he really sounded shaken.
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Offline Proisrael

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #51 on: January 17, 2019, 10:53:30 AM »
Not many frum Jews according to him. I dont know if they did or didnt have problems. RJ only has 3 flights a week to JFK now in the winter so its not the optimal for connecting. They were delayed an hour and a half because of the weather in TLV and they held the plane for them in AMM. He lands at 4pm today so I guess I will hear more later. I was on the phone with him at 3am our time trying to calm him down. He's not easily rattled and he really sounded shaken.

This is a story to bring to the Embassy and complain. That is pure harassment.

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #52 on: January 17, 2019, 10:57:57 AM »
This is a story to bring to the Embassy and complain. That is pure harassment.
Which embassy should he bring it to?
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Offline shwarmabob

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #53 on: January 17, 2019, 11:40:15 AM »
Which embassy should he bring it to?
US Embassy Amman, you can also contact the State Department here in the US.

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #54 on: January 17, 2019, 11:41:34 AM »
US Embassy Amman, you can also contact the State Department here in the US.
Thanks. Will try.
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Offline KSMH

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #55 on: January 17, 2019, 04:25:51 PM »
Make sure to file formal paperwork.

I flew thru AMM with abvisiosly religious items, there were guys on my flight with black hats and white shirts, and didn't seem like they had any issues.

There is always a risk!

Always praying for delayed baggage.

Offline moko

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #56 on: January 17, 2019, 04:29:29 PM »
My son is currently in flight TLV-amm-JFK. He davened in TLV and had his tefillin with him as he was only going with carry on. When he's got to Amman they took them apart Justice traps  and  the boxes out of  the cases threw them down took his Siddur ripped it apart and threw it on the floor.
I don't even begin to know where to start with this. Other than it being a 19 year olds first real anti-semitic experience. I'm all for giving them the benefit of the doubt but there is nothing here that can allow this. I believe American Airlines through which I booked this award ticket should have a warning along with its hazardous material warning that religious articles other than Islamic articles are prohibited entry into Jordan. Anyone with advice on how to proceed or if to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
Uh Oh... I have ORD-AMM-TLV booked on the 27th...

Offline Luvisrael

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #57 on: January 17, 2019, 06:23:46 PM »
Uh Oh... I have ORD-AMM-TLV booked on the 27th...
whats the worry? u see everyone besides one on here had a positive or neutral experience

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #58 on: January 17, 2019, 06:25:53 PM »
Well he made it home BH. Bad experience for him and he never wants to fly through there again. No great loss.
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Offline KSMH

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Re: Is Royal Jordanian Safe?
« Reply #59 on: January 17, 2019, 06:28:27 PM »
Full story?
Always praying for delayed baggage.