Not an advertisement for Middle East Airlines. Lebanese Airlines are still called Middle East Airlines, and that is false advertisement. The name comes from a time when Lebanese Airlines was truly a Middle East Airlines, but not anymore. Gulf region airlines are now among the best in the world. Emirates airlines (Amer tells me) is now the best rated worldwide. Qatar airways is pretty good too. Middle East Airlines is by far the worst airlines that you can ever take. They are also obnoxious. They insist on delivering every message to the passengers in Arabic, English, and French. So that triples the annoyance. And their very instructions in Arabic are grammatically incorrect. But if you like to be surrounded by vomiting kids, this airline is certainly for you. Also, if you really appreciate filthy bathrooms, then by all means make your reservations now. Once in the late 1980s, I was traveling to Beirut, and there was heavy fighting. We were not allowed to land as the airport was being shelled. So we were circling the skies hoping for the shelling to stop. Do you know what the highly trained MEA (male) flight attendant did: I kid you not. He, the one who is paid to keep control of the cabin and to keep everybody calm, started yelling: "We are not going to make it. We are all going to die. We are all going to die." Finally, the current CEO (Muhammad Al-Hut) fired hundreds of workers upon assuming the job, and once smiled after delivering the news of his latest firing. I could never forgive him for that. I knew him when he took a World Bank training course in the 1980s in DC, and did not like him. His colleague and my friend Yusuf (who also took that course): would suggest that he accompany us on our outing then, and every time I would refuse. I detested him back then. Conclusion: avoid Middle East Airlines, but if you are a vegetarian, you will particularly enjoy the unidentifiable peace of suspicious "thing" they put in your plate.