Pakistan International Airlines

We decided to fly with PiA to Karachi as they had the most convenient flight timings for our hectic travel schedule. Even my Pakistani colleagues at work had warned me: "don't fly PiA! Even Pakistanis try to avoid it!" But, as hardened, brave (and slightly budget-concious) travellers we covered-up, dress decently, had one last strong drink at the airport and boarded the plane...PiA flies to the following cities in Pakistan:Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Sukkur & Quetta.On March 11 of 1955, Orient Airways merged with the Government's proposed airline, becoming Pakistan International Airlines Corporation.To be on the safe side, we had packed all our clothes as carry-on luggage. As we were attending a traditional wedding & would be wearing Saris, I didn't want to take the risk of my bags taking a subcontinental detour and not reaching us in time for the event. Some friends that had previously travelled on PiA had also given us this advice so we gladly obliged.In the end, we were pleasantly surprised. We had purchased our economy class return tickets for Dhs 900 each (US$ 245) and it would've been even cheaper if the Islamic holiday of Eid al Adha hadn't been in that following week. The plane to Karachi was relatively new, albeit slightly cramped. The machine on the way back to Dubai was large, spacious, food (we ordered vegetarian meals) was OK and service wasn't friendly but also not rude.I could imagine that domestic flights might not be so "sophisticated", but for our travel purposes (flight time from Dubai is only 1 hr 45 min after all) PiA was more than sufficient. I definitely have no qualms about recommending PiA as a quick & budget-friendly way to reach Pakistan.NOTE: Before landing in Karachi you will be asked to fill-in a form with your flight number, passport details and lodging information in Pakistan. This is then checked at Passport Control at the airport.