_ The world’s FIVE star airline- Taking you more personally
Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 109 destinations using 103 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 20,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include 5 Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied). The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. In China, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and Guangzhou (7 flights a week), Beijing (4 flights a week), and Shanghai (7 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 101 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. In November 2011, Qatar Airways commenced services to Chongqing 7 times a week from Doha using the Airbus A330 aircraft with a two-class configuration (Business and Economy Class). Qatar Airways was proud to have been named Asia’s Most Preferred Airline Brand at the 2011 Asian Leadership Awards in October 2011. As mentioned by CEO Akbar Al Baker: ‘Over 30 per cent of Qatar Airways’ global coverage is in the Far East, South East Asia and South Asia’. The awards covered more than 20 categories, including business innovation, human resources, corporate responsibility and products and services. I was on the flight from Doha to Shanghai Pudong on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-300ER to check out their Business Class seat, cabin and service. So enjoy the 5-star experience from SEAT 1E of this beautiful aircraft, and airline: Route: DOHA (DOH) to SHANGHAI PUDONG (PVG) Departure date and time of flight: February 2012, 01:00am local time (Doha) Flight number: QR888 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 888 heavy”) Flight duration: 8 Hours and 25 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3DZER (16 aircraft in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-300ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-BAB (First flight 11th December 2007) Aircraft Name: Um- Alamad Engine Type: 2 x GE90-115B (each engine can power a Boeing 747-400 all by itself!) Aircraft Serial Number: 36103 - line 686 Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 42 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 293 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Comments on the check-in process, and any issues: This was a connecting flight, and I had already checked in at London Heathrow Airport. Any baggage issues: Qatar Airways allows a checked-in baggage of maximum 30kg per passenger in Business Class, 40kg in First Class, and 23kg for Economy Class. Passengers can also take two pieces of hand luggage on board the aircraft, not to exceed 15 kg in total (or 50 x 37 x 25 cm). Passengers may carry liquids, gels, pastes, and aerosols in containers up to 100 ml (3.4 oz) in their hand baggage (I always take a small mouth wash bottle, contact lens solution, mouth spray, anti-perspirant, and an eau de toilette for long flights). Passengers are provided with a transparent, resalable, quart- or litter-sized bag no larger than 20 x 20 cm at the security at the Doha gates. I was so relieved to get rid of my HUGE luggage bag (weighed less than 30kg) at the check-in desk. Punctuality of the flight, and flight route: Departed on time, and landed on time as well. The flight path taken was typical of most flights that are on the Middle-East to Shanghai route. We were provided with splendid views of the Ganges over India, Northern Thailand, Burma, and then entering the Chinese airspace around Kunming. Surprisingly, considering the hazy visibility I was expecting, I did however manage to get beautiful views of Wuxi, Wuxi Airport, Suzhou SIP area, and Guiyang. We landed on runway 17L at Shanghai Pudong Airport, which meant a long taxi (nearly 35 minutes!) into the arrival gate. The taxi from the runway to the gate took just as long as it took to get from Wuxi to Shanghai Pudong Aiport (took flight route A470 directing to 'dotmi' VOR/IFR). Click HERE to see the photos of this flight (and the one before this flight). Premier Terminal Experience at Doha: After landing from London Heathrow (on my previous connecting flight), I, along with other Business Class passengers, was transferred to the Premier terminal (the Economy Class passengers were transferred to the normal terminal). My experience of the Premier terminal is listed below. Doha airport is simply an art of sophistication. It’s located only 5km away from the centre of Doha, but the airport may itself be considered as an oasis city itself. There are FOUR lounges at Doha Airport: Privilege Club Gold Lounge Provides a true 5-star service in all the elements that it offers. This lounge is to be used by Privilege Club Gold Card holders (irrespective of the class they travel in). Members will find a warm welcome and world-class facilities in this stylish lounge.
Privilege Club Silver Lounge The Silver Lounge has all of the facilities as the Gold Members Lounge except baggage storage. Oryx Lounge This is 5-star lounge with all of the above mentioned facilities, and can be used by passengers travelling on first or Business Class on any other airline except Qatar Airways. Premier Terminal This is the exclusive Lounge for those travelling on First or Business Vlass with Qatar Airways. Its looks and feels like a 5-star hotel rather than an airport lounge. Complete with luxurious bedrooms, Jacuzzi, nursery for kids, storage space, office facilities (fax, internet, and telephone), massage facilities, separate mosques for men and women, sauna facilities, and a Mecca for dining with a true 5-star service. You can eat whatever you like. The Premier Terminal has its own duty-free shop on the ground floor. Buses whisk passengers to/from their planes. Overall there was an excellent atmosphere right from the conception phase to the point I had to take the connecting flight. If only airport lounges were of this excellent quality. Service was exceedingly friendly. As I have mentioned numerous times, the staff all are well trained and offer a genuine hospitality. It shows clearly that the staff care for the customers from their heart. Their smile is a real one and not just to show that you are a customer of Qatar Airways. Its to make you feel special because they understand that: 1. It is not easy to fly Business or First Class 2. Not everyone flies First or Business Class, and those that do have to be felt special because they deserve it (because they or their companies have invested in flying First or Business class). It’s all about providing a service where the staff offer a an amazing attention to detail, and this is remarkable. Selection of both hot and cold food is available in myriad quantities as if there is no tomorrow. I was comfortably able to take a shower and jump into the Jacuzzi in the excellent shower room with quality amenities and excellent staff (Spa is the superlative part of the terminal which is unbelievably first-class). All toiletries in the bathroom, and showers are provided by L'Occitane en Provence. In case you are not kept track of your flight, then don’t worry because you will be accordingly invited to board in a timely manner. The First Class lounge is not as busy as the Business Class lounge, nevertheless both are amazing. Perhaps the best lounge experience that I have had on any airline in the world. What you normally find is that some airlines are good, but their lounges are not good, but Qatar Airways is ahead of their game. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Passengers in Business Class were offered hot towels and boiled sweets prior to departure. Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, champagne, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each Business Class seat there were a set of noise cancellation headphones, a rich cotton blanket (each one weighs 2KG!), 100% cotton pajamas, a luxury amenity kit containing the Molton Brown toiletries, slippers, eye-shades, and a pair of Qatar Airways designer socks. The pajamas came handy for this long flight. They are very useful if you want to freely toss and turn in your flatbed while you sleep because wearing your normal cloths while sleeping on a plane is not comfortable at all! Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Business Class can savour the outstanding in-seat service geared to suit their body clock. Passengers can pre-order and can choose to dine, breakfast, or enjoy a light snack at anytime they wish. I took a glass of bubbly (Champagne Laurent Perrier Brut 2000 France), and plenty of water (2 litre bottle!), and orange juice as this was an early morning flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). The orange juice had a pleasingly fresh-squeezed flavour, and came with a fresh slice of an actual orange. The Champagne can be perfect for caviar smoked salmon lobster. A plate pleaser with uramaki sushi with ginger pickles and wasabi was provided to go along with the drinks service. The generous portions of the food provided on Qatar Airways are enough to put some other airlines to shame. You cannot go wrong when hideously delicious food like this is on offer. Comments regarding the first meal: Hot towels were handed out prior to the first meal. Inspired by culinary treats from around the world, Qatar Airways’ Business Class in-flight a la carte dining experience offers mouth-watering dishes created by award-winning chefs. A light snack was served around 40 minutes after take-off. Since this was a early morning/late night flight, so the meal service was not so heavy. The choice of dishes included: · Stir-fried egg noodles with braised oriental prawns, Chinese greens accompanied by pearl chilli sauce. · Classic Arabic mezze · Warm tandoori chicken sandwich served with mint chutney · Assorted seasonal fresh fruit I wish I had a huge stomach because even though I was hungry, there was no way I could have eaten all of the above dishes. The cabin crew were very hospitable and friendly. As I had eaten enough food on the previous flight in from London Heathrow to Doha, so for this night time flight I opted to go for the ‘warm tandoori chicken sandwich served with mint chutney’. A simple yet artistic dish that looked more like a Mexican fajita wrap surrounded by saffron leaves and a healthy portion of mint chutney. The succulent chicken breast pieces tasted great. It was just the perfect portion for a night time snack. Airline meals were never really too healthy because healthy eating used to mean being condemned to a round of virtuous but dull meals. Modern in-flight meal chefs, however, are competing with one another to please their passengers (especially in First and Business Class), by producing airline meals that are light on calories, high on healthy ingredients AND above all, are delicious, and tasting fresh. Healthy food is one that keeps all its natural nutrients and flavours. Qatar Airways certainly does not fail in this department. The gastronomic rejuvenation came to a finale with the healthy dish of freshly cut seasonal fruit. Slices of rich and exotic fruit such as dragon fruit, wild red grapes, melon, grapefruit, and pineapple were presented. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Tempting drinks such as Martini Rosso/Dry, Campari, Glenfiddich Single Malt Solera 15 years old, Chivas Regal, Baileys, and many more were available. Qatar Airways is proud to offer the finest wines from around the world. Every flight route has a different selection of wines. It’s another minor but important thing like this that differentiates Qatar Airways from the other airlines in the world. Wines and beverages available by the bottle on this flight included the following: · Champagne: Laurent Perrier, Brut, 2002 (France) · Chardonnay: Vincent Giradin, AC Meursault, Vieilles Vignes, 2007 (Burgundy, France) · Sauvignon Blanc: Villa Maria, Celler Selection, 2010 (Marlborough, New Zealand) · Riesling: Markus Molitor, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Spatlese, 2007 (Mosel Valley, Germany) · Meritage- Merlot & Cabernet blend: Chateau Le Bon Pasteur, AC Pomerol, 2006 (Bordeaux, France) · Sangiovese: Poggio Antico, Altero, 2005 (Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy) · Shiraz: Hollick, 2009 (Wrattonbully, Australia) · Twany Port: Kopke, Colheita, 1974 (Douro Valley, Portugal) Passengers in Business Class could go to the galley and get free flowing drinks, fruit, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs), Godiva chocolates, and a variety of hot pot noodles. I had some English Breakfast tea with a few packets of Walkers shortbread biscuits (un-resistible!). Comments regarding the second meal: Qatar Airways are one of the few airlines to serve two meals during a six-hour flight. The second meal, offered around an hour and half before landing, was heavier, and more options were available than the first meal. I was just wondering how I would eat all that! A quick visit to the hotel style toilet to clean my teeth and refresh myself before the second meal felt good. The beauty of sleeping in the Business Class cabin is that it really is a similar (if not equal) feeling to waking up in a hotel bed except that on a plane you may feel some slight turbulence, and the noise of pressurisation (use ear plugs!). The cabin crew started handing out hot towels prior to the breakfast a la carte. To revive we were offered a selection of some fresh fruit juices. Check these tempting options: · Freshly squeezed orange juice · Date, and banana energizer. · Cranberry juice I opted for my favourite drink (I LOVE orange juice...got to love that pleasant balance of sweet and tart). Qatar Airways have sourced out the best partners when it comes to providing excellent food, and their orange juice with the orange bits and skin parts is just awesome. It is good enough to wake you up refreshed. To commence the breakfast adventure, there were the following two dishes (in the order of writing): · Tropical fruit with Greek yoghurt · Balik style salmon, and breakfast salad with pink grapefruit, spicy lemon dressing. I opted for the ‘breakfast salad’. A very colourful dish with a generous decorative portion of salmon that will take your breath away. The vibrant salmon is bathed in the not so spicy lemon dressing. The vibrant combination of the different ingredients, such as the pink grapefruit and the rocket salad, is just magical. Following on from the above starters there was a choice to indulge into one of the following dishes: · Creamy salmon omelette, button mushrooms, and sugar snap peas* · Congee with steamed Japanese scallops · Apple and cinnamon pancakes with sour cherry compote and vanilla sauce · Classic Arabic breakfast * Passengers could add their choice of seared vine cherry tomato, fresh roesti potato, and herb chicken patty. It’s very tempting to try every dish on the menu. However, I opted for the ‘creamy salmon omelette’, with an added option of herb chicken patty. The colour of this dish is a bright pale straw like indicating a slight youth of the taste and a deep stainless steel cooking style. The delicious salmon is neatly tucked inside the omelette so that with every mouthful you taste both the salmon and the freshly made omelette. The rectangular shaped omelette is surrounded by a few pieces of button mushrooms, and plenty of snap peas. The snap peas are boiled and fresh, but their colour tends to fade a bit (perhaps because it’s a in-flight meal). None of the meals on Qatar Airways contain any artificial colours or excess preservatives are used in the cooking of all the meals on Qatar Airways. In actual fact a Business Class meal on a major airline as Qatar Airways should feel as close as possible to eating at a good quality restaurant (even though the saturated fat may top more than twice of what the recommended daily fat intake of 70g!). Various types of bread rolls, pain du chocolate, croissant, and brown and white toast were provides from the bakery basket. A final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English Kreakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the business class cabin. The HUGE 33cm by 22cm (15.6-inch) PTV screen, which can be easily folded away into the right hand side armrest, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. Qatar Airways has three different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Mainscreen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (Overall IFE has over 1000 Video and Audio on-demand options in Business Class). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. PTV AVOD is fitted on board all Airbus A330s and Airbus A340s. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Airbus A340-642 aircraft is not touch screen (as that’s only available on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft). The good thing is that on the Boeing 777-300ER all the seats have AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crew members face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. Though night time flights are usually easy to handle for the crew as almost everyone goes to sleep! On our flight, we had cabin crew from China, India, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Slovakia, and, Iran. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Slovak, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin Chinese. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Qatar Airways have 42 Business Class flatbed seats on their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a 2-2-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 78 inch recline and is 22 inches wide. Generous legroom allows you to stretch comfortably and the built-in massager helps you relax. I had a wonderful sleep for around 5 hours in between the two meals. Slept like a log with my head on the soft cotton pillow. The senior purse even gave me a hand to cover me with the Qatar Airways blanket- such is the amazing service of the cabin crew. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a huge 15.6-inch PTV display screen, in-seat reading light, in-seat drinks holders, and in-seat power units. In Business Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, moisture cream, and a hand cream (all by Molton Brown). Passengers in Business Class are provided with cotton-lined pure wool blankets and 100% cotton sleeper suits. Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Mood lighting is used throughout the flight to keep the passengers in touch with the time zones. So blue, orange, red and yellow shades of the mood lighting is used to highlight the different time zones (dawn, night time, evening and, afternoon). This is so that passengers’ eyes and body can adapt to the different time zones. All the Business Class seats have an electronic touch pad control system allowing them to easily control the seat settings. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A340-642 aircraft have the world ‘QATAR’ painted on the belly of the fuselage (it is easily visible from the ground when a plane is flying). In addition, there is the Qatar Airways’ Oryx logo on the winglets of the Airbus A340-600, and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Special thanks to Qatar Airways _Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 109 destinations using 103 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 20,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include five Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied).
The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. Qatar Airways announced that in 2012 the company will introduce seven new routes. These are Perth in Western Australia, the Finnish capital Helsinki, Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb, Gassim in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and three East African cities – Zanzibar, Kigali and Mombasa, in Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, respectively. Operating from the airline’s hub in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, all seven new routes will be launched over the next few months. They will join previously announced Baku and Tbilisi, the capital cities of Azerbaijan and Georgia, respectively, which have become part of Qatar Airways’ family of routes since February 1st. In the United Kingdom, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and London Heathrow (28 flights a week), and Manchester (14 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 109 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. I was on the flight from London Heathrow to Doha on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A340-642 to check out their Business Class seats! Now, here is the trip report from SEAT 10A of flight QR008!: Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) to DOHA (DOH) Departure date and time of flight: February 2012, 15:00pm Flight number: QR008 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 008 heavy”) Flight duration: 6 Hours 55 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A340-642 (4 in service) Unit cost of each Airbus A340-642: US$275.4 million (£168.25 million or €190 million) (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-AGC (First flight 13th October 2006) Engine Type: 4 x RR Trent 556-61 (ROLLS-ROYCE) Aircraft Serial Number: F8C42Y216 - 766 Aircraft Name: Ras Ushairij Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 8 flat bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration (6.5 Feet legroom) Business Class: 42 lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 256 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration Presently the Airbus A340-642 is the only aircraft where Qatar Airways offers First Class cabin. However the CEO of Qatar Airways Mr. Akbar Al-Baker has announced in 2010 that Qatar Airways plans to eliminate First Class cabins from existing A340 aircraft, as well as new aircraft deliveries, except the A380 aircraft (of which Qatar Airways will have 5 aircraft in service). In fact all the Business Class seats on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offer the same features that are offered by most airlines in most their First Class cabins (such as in seat massage, extra legroom, and more entertainment channels). Any baggage issues: Qatar Airways flies from Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport, which tends to be quieter and much hassle free than the chaotic Terminal 3 (from where all the major international airlines fly from)! No issues regarding the baggage. For Business Class Qatar Airways have a checked baggage allowance of 30 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the London to Doha route, they have a 30KG luggage policy. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Comments on the check-in staff and flight route: At the time of writing, Qatar Airways customers can check-in at Zone A, (from desks 115-122). The check-in staff were very polite and swift in processing the check-in process. Non-EU citizens, can claim Value Added Tax (VAT) before they check-in, at the VAT desk which is accessed by the lift in Zone G. If you want this service then it is wise to add an extra hour to your check-in time for this process. Therefore overall it is wise to be at the airport at least 3 hours before departure (though you may get away with only 2 hours before your flight, but considering it is Heathrow- I would not risk it for the sake of missing your flight!). After check-in, proceed straight to security (which can take a long time at Heathrow), and within the departure lounge you will find iconic British brands such as Harrods and Burberry, as well as other brands such as Cartier and Gucci. Considering that I departed on a daytime flight, there was hardly any hustle or bustle that you would normally expect at Heathrow on a busy rush hour period. The check-in process went smoothly (there was NO queue!) and quickly. It must have taken less than 20 minutes to get from the check-in desk to the aircraft gate. Because of the large number of flights between London and Doha, the flights are not that full. On our flight, there were only around 50 passengers on a plane that can carry up to 250 passengers! While all 8 seats in First Class were taken, Business Class was around 40% empty, and likewise for Economy Class. When checking in for Qatar Airways, passengers are provided with one of the three types of boarding passes depending on where they are going, and which class they are flying in. So passengers whose final destination is Doha will be given a blue boarding pass wallet. Passengers that are flying Economy Class & transferring at Doha Airport are given a yellow boarding pass wallet, and passengers that are flying either Business or First Class & are transferring at Doha Airport are provided with a burgundy coloured boarding pass wallet along with an invitation card to the exclusive Premier Terminal at Doha Airport. From Terminal 4, we had a short taxi to the active runway (runway 09R), and even there we did not come across the long wait for take-off. The aircraft ahead of us was also a Airbus A340 belonging to Qatar Airways Amiri flight (VIP plane used by the Qatar government and Royalty). It was a straight approach to the threshold piano keys and an immediate take-off. Our flight took us from London Heathrow towards a Dover departure, and then reached cruise level of FL350 (35,000 feet), at around Maastricht control. Wonderful views of London were presented right after take-off with all the major sites of London clearly visible (Houses of parliament, Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Battersea Power Station, and much more). You can check the photos by clicking here. As this was an evening-night flight, so as we approached the Qatar peninsula, near the border of Iraq, one can easily see the huge oil fields in the desert with flames gushing into the Arabian sky. This land is full of oil...billions of cash just lurking under the ground (and that’s what has made Qatar into a rich state over the past few years). Click HERE to see the photos for this trip. Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 If you are flying Business or First Class internationally, then airport Lounges are great. You can munch away on finger food, cheese and some luxury food while waiting for a flight. One airline has taken the concept of airline lounges to a whole new level that has never been seen before by any other airline. Opened in January 2012 at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4 the spanking new Premium Lounge by Qatar Airways for Business and First Class passengers looks and feels rather more like a boutique 5-star hotel! Ideally located within a 5-minute walk to the gates, and about the same time from the customs security check, the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge is the first Lounge that the airline has installed at an airport outside of Doha International Airport in Qatar. London is a prime destination for most Qataris (and also for most non-Qataris connecting to London with Qatar Airways), so it makes sense for London Heathrow to be the place for their first Lounge outside of Doha. One thing is for sure, this Lounge is all about you, the passenger, and if there is one airline that is striving its best to bring back the hey days of luxury flying, then it has to be Qatar Airways. The distinction of the Lounge is portrayed finely as one enters it. There is no conventional reception desk but rather a similar feeling to that of entering a five star hotel foyer laid with calming spaces, and certain discreet greeters noting your wishes for dining, wining, and relaxation choices on their iPads. It is so easy to become attracted to the culturally inspired fountains, and the luxurious touch of a Middle Eastern Palace that the Lounge presents. There is plenty of Arabic calligraphy on the walls, the carpets, the mosaics, and the gentle sounds of the fountains in the background. Would you believe it? The designers have even taken the trouble to put in scents of real olive trees and herbs around the dining areas just to make you feel attached to the culture of the country’s airline you would be taking. Who could resist temptations such as a signature Wine and Martini bar, a luxury 5-star restaurant complete with an open Global Brassiere, and a dedicated Delicatessen? All in all you’ll be spoil for choice when it comes to wining and dining- and the good things can go on for as long as you want (and don’t worry- you won’t miss your flight because someone will escort in case you forget while having too much fun). So is there a downside? Well, the only thing that could let you down is a flight delay. But then again would you care when you are in such cosy and pampering surroundings? Everything for the modern human life is taken care of, that includes complimentary Wi-Fi internet, iPod sockets, private showers with heated floor and mirrors (supplied with L’Occitane en Provence toiletries). So if you are flying business or first class then it’s perhaps best to make the most of this special experience that you don’t get to enjoy everyday. You just end up wondering whether future airport Lounges will end up looking the same? Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time, however we landed around 15 minutes late due to the air traffic at Doha. Doha only has one runway and so it can get busy during the airlines peak hours (which are at night time). Time is money when it comes to the aviation industry as fuel costs, combined with landing fees, take-off slot fees, and airport management fees pile on rapidly the longer the aircraft stays on the ground. Qatar Airways, and the ground-handling agents at Heathrow, are very efficient in what they do and how they operate on time. The captain had plenty of fuel in the tanks in case we had to do a fuel dumping (god forbid!), and everything was well managed for this flight. Once we arrived in Doha, I had minutes before I had to catch my connecting flight to Shanghai Pudong. It was a straight into the security check at the Premium Terminal and onto the plane for the next flight. There was hardly any time to shop around or wander around the Premium Terminal (which I have seen before). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Once you enter the aircraft, the Qatari hospitality makes sure that you have an authentic experience of their culture and customs. Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, champagne, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each Business Class seat there were a set of noise cancellation headphones, a rich cotton blanket (each one weighs 2KG!), a luxury amenity kit containing the Molton Brown toiletries, slippers, eyeshades, and a pair of Qatar Airways designer socks. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in business class can savour the outstanding in-seat service geared to suit their body clock. Passengers can pre-order and can choose to dine, breakfast, or enjoy a light snack at anytime they wish. There was also a antipasti which consisted of fresh olives (without the seeds). I was also provided a small bowl of nuts to go with the champagne drink I had. For lunch I took a glass of water and orange juice as this was an afternoon flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). I opted for my favourite drink, orange juice. If you worship orange juice, like I do, then there is no reason to doubt this beautiful liquid sunshine offer by Qatari!. Qatar Airways have sourced out the best partners when it comes to providing excellent food, and their orange juice with the orange bits and skin parts is just awesome. It is good enough to wake you up refreshed, and with just the right amount of pulp, no wonder why it tastes like a cross between a real orange, and a orange smoothie drink! Comments regarding the first meal: Late lunch was served around 40 minutes after take-off from London Heathrow. We must have been somewhere over northern France. The following tempting options were offered: · Broad bean and zatar soup with lightly salted mini croutons · Seafood cocktail with smoked tuna, saffron prawn, marinated crayfish medallion, fresh tarragon potato salad · Classic Arabic mezze I went for the healthy option of ‘seafood cocktail’. It was literally an extravaganza of colourful seafood portions blended in well with potato salad. A truly flavourful dish that has enough of its inclusion of wonderful tastes that would linger onto your tongue until you want to try more. Pungent, but well balanced and scrumptious, it was a testament to the creativity behind the menu at the kitchens of Qatar Airways in Doha. Truly wonderful. Following on from the commencement options were three choices for the main lunch dish: · Stuffed chicken breast with pesto ricotta cheese with red pepper coulis, lentil rice, and roasted Mediterranean vegetables. · Pan-fried seabass with green tea and bonito flake lemon butter soba noodles, braised shitake mushrooms, and asparagus tips. · Paneer jalfrezi, dhal makhani and safed pulao. I went for the healthy option of ‘pan-fried seabass’. These fish are free of the growth hormones that are customarily fed to farmed fish. The fish is pan fried at high heat using butter to give a strong delicious flavour. This allows the fish to retain all of its natural flavours and juice as well as its minerals and vitamins producing a lower cholesterol level. The dark coloured soba noodles add a hint of lemon flavour to the tongue. While the asparagus and the tiny shitake mushrooms provide a good presentation for the whole dish. The romance of this dish is inspired by Mediterranean and Arabic traditions. Every passenger was provided with a generous portion of the bread from the bakery basket containing various brown and white toast. After the main meal a cheese plate with an individual plate of Cornish double cream brie, vale of bevoir stilton and mull of Kintyre cheddar. The cheese went nicely with a glass of fine Shiraz (Hollick, 2009). A sweet finale included a selection of the following dishes: · Warm pumpkin and sultana brioche pudding with raspberry cream · Sliced fresh fruit · Vanilla ice-cream and rosewater pomegranate sorbet with forest berries. I went for the first option. A little bit heavy as it may have been but it was worth every bite, especially as it was taken on a plane. You don’t get to eat delicious food like this everyday on the ground, and even if you do then the enjoyment and ambiance is not the same as that of eating healthy and delicious food like this. The presentation was immaculate. For the best taste and enjoyment, dip each piece of the brioche into the raspberry cream, then close your eyes and enjoy! Luxury food in the sky never tasted so good. Lunch was followed with a final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Tempting drinks such as Martini Rosso/Dry, Campari, Glenfiddich Single Malt Solera 15 years old, Chivas Regal, Baileys, and many more were available. Qatar Airways is proud to offer the finest wines from around the world. Every flight route has a different selection of wines. It’s another minor but important thing like this that differentiates Qatar Airways from the other airlines in the world. Wines and beverages available by the bottle on this flight included the following: · Champagne: Lanson, Brut, 1998 (France) · Chardonnay: Chartron et Trebuchet, Meursault, 2008 (Burgundy, France) · Sauvignon Blanc: Villa Maria, Celler Selection, 2010 (Marlborough, New Zealand) · Riesling: Markus Molitor, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Spatlese, 2007 (Mosel Valley Germany) · Meritage- Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot: Chateau Brane Cantenac, AC Margaux, 2nd growth, 2007 (Bordeaux, France) · Grenache, Carinena, Syrah, Torres, Salmos, 2008 (Priorat, Spain) · Shiraz: Hollick, 2009 (Wrattonbully, Australia) · Twany Port: Kopke, Colheita, 1974 (Douro Valley, Portugal) These are quality wines where the fermentation to achieve a beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity. The exotic notes of various fruits such as peaches and apricots are evident all around in the perfumes of the wines. Passengers in Business Class could go to the galley and get free flowing drinks, fruit, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs), Godiva chocolates, and a variety of hot pot noodles. Comments regarding the second meal: A late dinner snack commenced around an hour and a half before landing at Doha Airport. The following tempting goodies were offered all in one plate: · Reception sandwiches · Petit steak and cheese pie · Plain and fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve · Selection of petit fours · Forest berries Small cute portions of forest berries, and various petit fours. Now, effectively these miniature versions of the actual dishes are quite filling. The flavours project positive synergy from all corners of the dish. Most of the emphasis comes from the high expectations of flavour and health as well. The light snack was followed with a final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. The HUGE 33cm by 22cm (15.6-inch) PTV screen, which can be easily folded away into the right hand side armrest, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. Qatar Airways has three different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Main screen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (Overall IFE has over 1000 Video and Audio on-demand options in Business Class). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Airbus A340-642 aircraft is touch screen. Just like on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the Airbus A340-642 aircraft have all the seats with AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. On our flight, we had cabin crew from Thailand, Bhutan, India, Mauritius, United Kingdom, Italy and, China. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Thai, Chinese, and Italian. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The A340-642 aircraft has an on-board lounge near the First and Business Class compartments. Priestmangoode, (famous for Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa seating), designed the lounge. Building on traditional Qatari hospitality Priestmangoode has developed the design of the on-board lounge to be an extension of the airline’s airport lounge. The overall aim of the design was to generate the feeling of a integrated VIP corporate jet. The lounge offers cream leather sofa seating for six passengers and standing room at the bar. There is also a small mini-bar with spotlight mood lighting, and some space for magazines to be placed. In the 2009 and 2010 Skytrax Awards, Qatar Airways Economy Class was named best in the world. Qatar Airways have 42 Business Class flatbed seats on their Airbus A340-642 aircraft with a 2-2-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 78 inch recline and is 22 inches wide. Generous legroom allows you to stretch comfortably and the built-in massager helps you relax. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a huge 15.6-inch PTV display screen, in-seat reading light, in-seat drinks holders, and in-seat power units. In Business Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, moisture cream, and a hand cream (all by Molton Brown). On this daytime flight passengers in Business Class were provided with cotton-lined pure wool blankets (100% cotton sleeper suits are only provided on night time long-haul flights). Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Mood lighting is used throughout the flight to keep the passengers in touch with the time zones. So blue, orange, red and yellow shades of the mood lighting is used to highlight the different time zones (dawn, night time, evening and, afternoon). This is so that passengers’ eyes and body can adapt to the different time zones. All the Business Class seats have an electronic touch pad control system allowing them to easily control the seat settings. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A340-642 aircraft have the world ‘QATAR’ painted on the belly of the fuselage (it is easily visible from the ground when a plane is flying). In addition, there is the Qatar Airways’ Oryx logo on the winglets of the Airbus A340-600, and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Air China (中國國際航空公司) is the national flag carrier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight, and mail and the provision of ancillary services. Air China operates to 185 destinations around the world (including domestically in China), with a fleet of 285 aircraft (with another 258 aircraft on order, including 15 new Boeing 787-7 aircraft). Air China’s latest destination in May 2012 will be London Gatwick Airport. In addition to flying to London Heathrow from Beijing, the airline will take advantage of the high number of Chinese, British, and foreign visitors travelling to London from Beijing.
Beijing Capital Airport is the hub for Air China, and Air China Cargo. The third largest building in the world, Beijing Airport is second only to Atlanta in terms of passenger movements in the world. In 2009 it was voted by Conde Nast magazine as the most popular airport in the world. Second biggest terminal to Dubai and you can fit all of Heathrow’s five terminals inside it – and still manage to have 17% to spare! Air China occupies part of the main terminal with their separate domestic and international terminals. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, and Shanghai Pudong International Airport are the other two hub airports for Air China. I had the pleasure of flying with Air China from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Beijing Capital Airport (China) on one of their brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. I flew Business Class. After Beijing, this aircraft was going to make its long flight to San Francisco. Route: SHANGHAI PUDONG (PVG) - BEIJING (PEK) Departure date and time of flight: January 2012, 11:30am local time (Beijing) Flight number: CA985 (ICAO callsign: “Air China 985”) Flight duration: 2 Hours 15 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-39L(ER) Aircraft registration: B-2088 (First flight 13th December 2011) Aircraft Serial Number: 38668 - line 979 Engines: 2 x GE GE90-115B Frequent flyer programme: Phoenix Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 12 seats 2-2-2- configuration Business Class: 49 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration Economy class: 244 seats in a 2-5-2 configuration Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in process was a smooth one with no hassle or long queues. I was met at the taxi rank by the Air China representative, who took me straight to the special VIP First Class counter. It was a hassle free and rapid process. The security gates are also well organised and manned by the local staff. First and Business Class passengers can pass through the fast track security lane. The staff were very polite, and efficient in processing the security procedures of all the passengers smoothly and in a punctual manner without any problems. Shanghai Pudong is a ultra modern airport where the smoothness and procedures of the check-in process to the boarding process has to be one of the best in the world. Most people do speak English as well (even if they do not then most signs are written in English and Chinese). Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. Passengers travelling First Class with Air China are allowed a generous 40KG free of charge, and 30 kg (66 lbs) for Business Class. For domestic flights, each piece of checked baggage must not exceed 50 kg (110 lbs). LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Shanghai Pudong Airport: Air China has a number of lounges at Shanghai Pudong Airport. The lounges are located on the second floor in the same area as the main departure gates providing fascinating views across to the tarmac and beyond. These lounges are known as the Air China VIP lounges. Phoenix miles members (Gold, and Platinum) can use the lounges upon showing their cards. There are separate lounges for Business and First Class passengers. While both the Business and First Class lounges have buffet food (Chinese only), comfortable relaxing chairs, and a small cinema (25 seats maximum), the main difference between the Business and First Class lounges is that the First Class lounge also has beds. First Class passengers can hire the bedrooms (each room comes along with a single bed) for up to as many hours as they want. There are also shower facilities available in all the lounges. There are many options for hot and cold Chinese food, though western food is not available in the lounges at Shanghai Pudong Airport at the time of writing. Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time, and landed on time (rare in China!). First Class passengers are collected from the lounge, and taken to the VIP shuttle bus (or the gate). In this case we were taken to the waiting VIP shuttle bus that took us straight to the plane. We were lucky to have excellent weather conditions, and not a long queue. A straight in taxi to runway 17L made sure of a smooth departure into the China Sea before making our way towards the north. The landing into Beijing was a bit bumpy due to the intensive pre-Chinese New Year fog that lurked around the capital city (could hardly see beyond 500 feet!). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: First class passengers are offered a selection of drinks including champagne, apple juice, orange juice and a variety of teas (Chinese and Western). Passengers are also handed out hot towels prior to departure to refresh up. The cabin crew took the orders for the lunch service from all the passengers in the First Class cabin prior to departure. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: The meal service commended with air hostesses handing out hot towels. A selection of fine nuts was offered along with a choice of drink (orange juice, apple juice, and a selection of teats). Comments regarding the main meal: There were two options for the main meal: - Chicken with rice, and vegetables - Beef with rice, and vegetables. I opted for the chicken with rice, and vegetables. For a dish that looked more like a chicken biryani, but one that could have tasted and smelt better (rice sautéed with half boiled vegetables and minute diced chicken pieces). The accompanying vegetables went well with the dish. There was also a bowl of Chinese vegetables (delicious!), and a bowl of fresh fruit (mangos, melons and grapefruit). Rather interestingly, a pot of fresh plain white yoghurt was also offered. Delicious soft and hard bread rolls were offered from the basket. All meals were served on fine bone china, and came with Air China chopsticks, and Air China stainless steel cutlery. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Hot and cold drinks were served after the main meal. These included Chinese and Western tea options, as well as soft drinks. Alcohol was also served although it perhaps was not the right time to drink alcohol. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has no individual TV screens (not even in Business/First Class), only the bigger screens at the front of each compartment. However, the new interactive entertainment system offers hundreds of movies and music selections, plus a whole range of online games. Most of the high tech gadgets are only available on the latest Boeing 777 aircraft, and perhaps also the Boeing 737-800NG aircraft. For most of the flight we were shown the route map. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and friendly. Air China is very particular on how their cabin crew staff should be like. They have to be of a certain weight, and height, and must be acquainted to beauty with a smile (this is what I was informed!). The cabin crew at Air China represent all the 56 minorities of China, and most of the cabin crew do speak good English (especially those in Business/First Class). Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The First Class seats on Air China’s Boeing 777 aircraft have a 83-inch pitch and are 21.5 inch wide, the Business Class seats have a 60-inch pitch and 20.5 inch width. The Economy Class seats have a 33-34-inch pitch, and an 17 inch width. Business Class seats feature a reclining angle of 170 degrees. For such a short domestic flight, passengers were offered a pair of luxury cotton slippers, and a thick cotton blanket. The cabin had a pleasant smell, and was very clean. All the seats in the Business/First Class section are covered with a luxury grey cloth that comes embedded with the phoenix bird logo. It creates a sense of comfort, elegance, and belonging to the Chinese culture. It also gives a very warm, fresh, spacious, modern, and touching feeling when you enter the cabin. Air China logo and livery: The red phoenix bird is the brand symbol of Air China, and is proudly displayed on the tailfin of every aircraft. The symbol has been present ever since the airline first commenced operations in 1988. The phoenix logo is also the artistic transfiguration of the word “VIP”. Air China is one of the few world airlines that still has a cheat line going through right the way across the whole fuselage. Two dark blue cheat lines run from the nose of the plane to the back of the tailfin, essentially wrapping the aircraft. The top cheat line is slightly thinner than the bottom cheatline. The national flag is proudly displayed near the first door, and following the national flag are the words in capitals, and black colour ‘Air China’ in English, and then in Mandarin Chinese. The belly of the aircraft is painted in a light grey. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 101 destinations using 100 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 18,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include 5 Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied).
The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. As the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, says: ‘Travel by air has reached the point where it is now taken for granted in most corners of the globe. With a larger number of passengers and more choice available in the skies today, airlines looking to maintain or grow their position in the marketplace must provide high-quality service with ever-increasing efficiency.’ In 2011, some new interesting destinations for Qatar Airways include Chongqing (in Sichuan Province where hot and spicy Chinese cuisine derives from), and Shiraz in Iran. The sixth biggest city in Iran, Shiraz is the site of the country’s first solar power plant and was the birthplace of Shiraz wine hundreds of years B.C. It is not the same grape variety as the French Syrah (as served on this flight) because there is no chance of it having migrated there from Iran (the Iranian grape was a white one, and the French is a deep red). In the United Kingdom, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and London Heathrow (28 flights a week), and Manchester (14 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 101 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. I was on the flight from Doha to London Heathrow on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-300ER to check out their Business Class seats! Now, here is the trip report from seat 1A of flight QR11!: Route: DOHA (DOH) to LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) Departure date and time of flight: September 2011, 07:45am local time (Doha) Flight number: QR11 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 11”) Flight duration: 7 Hours 40 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3DZER (16 aircraft in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-300ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-BAN (First flight 14th March 2011) Engine Type: GE90-115B Aircraft Serial Number: 38246 - line 925 Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 42 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 293 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Punctuality of the flight, and flight path: Departed on time, and landed on time (surprisingly that for Heathrow there are normally delays, but this time it was a straight in approach). Our plane roared off runway 16 into the Arabian Sea, heading initially towards Bahrain control, before making our way towards Kuwait, Iraq (passed over Baghdad), Kurdistan, southern Turkey, Hungry, Austria, Germany (Nuremberg and Frankfurt), Paris, Brussels, Maastricht, North Sea, Lydd Airport, Lambourne control, Bovingdon control, and then finally into runway 09L at London Heathrow. ILS localiser was established somewhere over Slough (7 miles DME from runway 09L), and we had clear views of Windsor Castle (Ma’am was not in the Castle..perhaps she was too busy dealing with her young grandson (the ginger one I mean)!). All throughout the route, we were welcomed by clear blue skies, and lovely sunshine! London was experiencing the hottest late September weather for ages. It felt like summer. Any baggage issues: I was in transit in Doha on an incoming flight in from Guangzhou (China). Qatar Airways allows a checked-in baggage of maximum 30kg per passenger in Business Class, 40kg in First Class, and 23kg for Economy Class. Passengers can also take two pieces of hand luggage on board the aircraft, not to exceed 15 kg in total (or 50 x 37 x 25 cm). Passengers may carry liquids, gels, pastes, and aerosols in containers up to 100 ml (3.4 oz) in their hand baggage (I always take a small mouth wash bottle, contact lens solution, mouth spray, anti-perspirant, and an eau de toilette for long flights). Passengers are provided with a transparent, resalable, quart- or litter-sized bag no larger than 20 x 20 cm. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: I was in transit in Doha on an incoming flight in from Guangzhou (China), so not required to check-in. However I did need to register at the Premier Terminal once I landed, and had to check-out before boarding for the flight to London Heathrow. Everything at Qatar Airways works smoothly like clockwork, with every staff member trained for every possible situation that passengers may occur. Premier Terminal Experience at Doha: After landing from Guangzhou (on my previous connecting flight), I, along with other Business Class passengers, was transferred to the Premier terminal (the Economy Class passengers were transferred to the normal terminal). My experience of the Premier terminal is listed below. Doha airport is simply an art of sophistication. It’s located only 5km away from the centre of Doha, but the airport may itself be considered as an oasis city itself. There are FOUR lounges at Doha Airport: Privilege Club Gold Lounge Provides a true 5-star service in all the elements that it offers. This lounge is to be used by Privilege Club Gold Card holders (irrespective of the class they travel in). Members will find a warm welcome and world-class facilities in this stylish lounge.
Privilege Club Silver Lounge The Silver lounge has all of the facilities as the Gold Members Lounge except baggage storage. Oryx Lounge This is 5-star lounge with all of the above mentioned facilities, and can be used by passengers travelling on First or Business Class on any other airline except Qatar Airways. Premier Terminal This is the exclusive Lounge for those travelling on First or Business Class with Qatar Airways. Its looks and feels like a 5-star hotel rather than an airport lounge. Complete with luxurious bedrooms, jacuzzi, nursery for kids, storage space, office facilities (fax, internet, and telephone), massage facilities, separate mosques for men and women, sauna facilities, and a Mecca for dining with a true 5-star service. You can eat whatever you like. The Premier Terminal has its own duty-free shop on the ground floor. Buses whisk passengers to/from their planes. Overall there was an excellent atmosphere right from the conception phase to the point I had to take the connecting flight. If only airport lounges were of this excellent quality. Service was exceedingly friendly. As I have mentioned numerous times, the staff all are well trained and offer a genuine hospitality. It shows clearly that the staff care for the customers from their heart. Their smile is a real one and not just to show that you are a customer of Qatar Airways. Its to make you feel special because they understand that: 1. It is not easy to fly Business or First Class 2. Not everyone flies First or Business Class, and those that do have to be flet special because they deserve it (because they or their companies have invested in flying First or Business Class). It’s all about providing a service where the staff offer a an amazing attention to detail, and this is remarkable. Selection of both hot and cold food is available in myriad quantities as if there is no tomorrow. I was comfortably able to take a shower and jump into the Jacuzzi in the excellent shower room with quality amenities and excellent staff (Spa is the superlative part of the terminal, and I had massage, which was unbelievably first-class). All toiletries in the bathroom, and showers are provided by L'Occitane en Provence. In case you are not kept track of your flight, then don’t worry because you will be accordingly invited to board in a timely manner. The First Class lounge is not as busy as the Business Class lounge, nevertheless both are amazing. Perhaps the best lounge experience that I have had on any airline in the world. What you normally find is that some airlines are good, but their lounges are not good, but Qatar Airways Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Once you enter the aircraft, the Qatari hospitality makes sure that you have an authentic experience of their culture and customs. Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, champagne, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each Business Class seat there were a set of noise cancellation headphones, a rich cotton blanket (each one weighs 2KG!), a luxury amenity kit containing the Molton Brown toiletries, slippers, eyeshades, and a pair of Qatar Airways designer socks. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Business Class can savour the outstanding in-seat service geared to suit their body clock. Passengers can pre-order and can choose to dine, breakfast, or enjoy a light snack at anytime they wish. For breakfast I took a glass of water and orange juice as this was an early morning flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). To revive we were offered a selection of some fresh fruit juices. Check these tempting options: · Freshly squeezed orange juice · Apricot and bran breakfast shake · Cranberry juice I opted for my favourite drink (if you worship orange juice, like I do, then there is no reason to doubt this beautiful liquid sunshine offer by Qatari!). Qatar Airways have sourced out the best partners when it comes to providing excellent food, and their orange juice with the orange bits and skin parts is just awesome. It is good enough to wake you up refreshed, and with just the right amount of pulp, no wonder why it tastes like a cross between a real orange, and a orange smoothie drink! Equally well, the breakfast bran shake was well worth to wash down the throat- it’s just sheer luxury food like this that gives a true meaning to living the good life. Comments regarding the first meal: Breakfast service commenced around 35 minutes after take-off from Doha. We must have been somewhere over northern Bahrain (or near enough to Kuwait). The following tempting options were offered: · Toasted Muesli · Fresh fruit and fruit compote with yogurt · Salad plate of Gravlax and branade of salted cod I went for the healthy option of having muesli with full cream full. Its good to have this kind of food with a significant attention paid to the high fibre in a highly pressurised environment such as an aircraft. What do I think of this? I thought it was out of this world! Following on from the commencement options were three choices for the main breakfast dish: · Ricotta hotcakes, raspberries with crème fraiche, maple syrup · Three cheese frittata with field mushrooms and roasted capsicum sauce and spring onion potato cake · Classic Arabic breakfast * and with a choice of Japanese grilled salmon, spring onion potato cake, or veal burger. I went for the ‘three cheese frittata’, with a spring onion potato cake which went really well with tomato ketchup and Tabasco sauce. The palate is just gorgeous medium sweet and sour, exceptionally smooth flow to the cheese, with powerful mozzarella, red Leicester, and spring onion flavours. The cheese melts away in your mouth with each spoonful, and the amazing complexity of the capsicum aromas and the flavours develops. It’s a journey for the senses to savour. This only allows the finest tastes to touch your stomach as a finale. Don’t rush, but take your time to enjoy the moment that you have with this luxury food. Though I just tried a spoonful of the tempting Arabic breakfast, it had this awesome high quality finish that you would expect along with a strong thread of the spices and aroma of Arabic flavours. Priceless dish to tuck into. Every passenger was provided with a generous portion of the bread from the bakery basket containing a croissant, banana muffin, and a brown and white toast. Breakfast was followed with a final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks : A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Tempting drinks such as Martini Rosso/Dry, Campari, Glenfiddich Single Malt Solera 15 years old, Chivas Regal, Baileys, and many more were available. Qatar Airways is proud to offer the finest wines from around the world. Every flight route has a different selection of wines. It’s another minor but important thing like this that differentiates Qatar Airways from the other airlines in the world. Wines and beverages available by the bottle on this flight included the following: · Champagne: Lanson, Brut, 1998 (France) · Chardonnay: Chartron et Trebuchet, Meursault, 2007 (Burgundy, France) · Sauvignon Blanc: Saint Clair, Pioneer Block 11, 2010 (Marlborough, New Zealand) · Riesling: Fritz Haag, Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Spatiese, 2008 (Mosel Valley, Germany) · Meritage- Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot: Chateau Brane Cantenac, AC Margaux, 2nd growth, 2007 (Bordeaux, France) · Grenache, Carinena, Syrah, Torres, Salmos, 2007 (Priorat, Spain) · Shiraz: Brokenwood, 2007 (Barossa Valley & McLaren Vale, Australia) · Taylor’s, 20 Year Old Twany (Douro Valley, Portugal) Passengers in Business Class could go to the galley and get free flowing drinks, fruit, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs), Godiva chocolates, and a variety of hot pot noodles. Comments regarding the second meal: SIX options for the second meal were offered- I say again- SIX options! Well, if you are with Qatar Airways then its not hard to believe because they are one of the few airlines that offers a second meal within a 6 hour flight. On this flight, I actually felt as if Qatar Airways was feeding me like as if there is no tomorrow (quick eat everything before it runs out, Navjot!). So the six options for the second meal were as follows: · Soup of wild mushroom and pearl barley with gremolata lavosh · Tandoori king prawns served on seasonal garden salad · Classic Arabic mezze · Warm Arabic lamb and cheese sandwich, tomato herb sauce · An individual cheese plate of farmhouse aged cheddar double cream brie and mild blue I opted for the ‘classic Arabic mezze’. Mezze is the combination of the myriad dishes of the splendid hors d’oeuvres to traditional Arab meals, comes from the Italian word mezzano. A extravaganza of all the traditional Arabic delicious such as Hummus with meat, plain pitta bread, Pastirma (curried beef), rocket salad, Tzatziki, and plenty of köfte. The tandoori king prawns tasted just like mum’s cooking. These marinated prawns are traditionally cooked in a tandoor, but it seemed like the chefs at Qatar Airways cooked them very quickly in a frying pan. Brightly coliured due to the food colouring the tantalising garam masala, this gem of a dish was just perfect to go with one of the posh wines on offer during the flight. I wish I had the stomach to eat the remaining dishes and try them out, but I was too full. But looking at the names of the dishes, I hope you get an idea the kind of high quality food that is served in Business Class at Qatar Airways. They really do take their in-flight catering seriously and to high standards. Lunch was followed with another round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system : Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. The HUGE 33cm by 22cm (15.6-inch) PTV screen, which can be easily folded away into the right hand side armrest, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. Qatar Airways has three different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Main screen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (Overall IFE has over 1000 Video and Audio on-demand options in Business Class). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft is touch screen. The good thing is that on the Boeing 777-300ER all the seats have AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crew members face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. Therefore, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. On our flight, we had cabin crew from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Philippines, United Kingdom, Italy and, Morocco. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Thai, German, Italian, and Tamil. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort) : Qatar Airways have 42 Business Class flatbed seats on their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a 2-2-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 78 inch recline and is 22 inches wide. Generous legroom allows you to stretch comfortably and the built-in massager helps you relax. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a huge 15.6-inch PTV display screen, in-seat reading light, in-seat drinks holders, and in-seat power units. In Business Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, moisture cream, and a hand cream (all by Molton Brown). On this daytime flight passengers in Business Class were provided with cotton-lined pure wool blankets (100% cotton sleeper suits are only provided on night time long-haul flights). Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Mood lighting is used throughout the flight to keep the passengers in touch with the time zones. So blue, orange, red and yellow shades of the mood lighting is used to highlight the different time zones (dawn, night time, evening and, afternoon). This is so that passengers’ eyes and body can adapt to the different time zones. All the Business Class seats have an electronic touch pad control system allowing them to easily control the seat settings. Qatar Airways logo and livery : Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A340-642 aircraft have the world ‘QATAR’ painted on the belly of the fuselage (it is easily visible from the ground when a plane is flying). In addition, there is the Qatar Airways’ Oryx logo on the winglets of the Airbus A340-600, and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best) : 10 Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 101 destinations using 100 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 18,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include 5 Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied).
The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. As the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, says: ‘Travel by air has reached the point where it is now taken for granted in most corners of the globe. With a larger number of passengers and more choice available in the skies today, airlines looking to maintain or grow their position in the marketplace must provide high-quality service with ever-increasing efficiency.’ In China, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and Guangzhou (7 flights a week), Beijing (4 flights a week), and Shanghai (7 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 101 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. In November 2011, Qatar Airways will commence services to Chongqing 7 times a week from Doha using the Airbus A330 aircraft with a two-class configuration (business and economy). Qatar Airways was proud to have been named Asia’s Most Preferred Airline Brand at the 2011 Asian Leadership Awards in October 2011. As mentioned by CEO Akbar Al Baker: ‘Over 30 per cent of Qatar Airways’ global coverage is in the Far East, South East Asia and South Asia’. The awards covered more than 20 categories, including business innovation, human resources, corporate responsibility and products and services. I was on the flight from Doha to Guangzhou on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-300ER to check out their Business Class seat, cabin and service. So enjoy the 5-star experience from seat 1A of this beautiful aircraft, and airline: Route: GUANGZHOU (CAN) to DOHA (DOH) Departure date and time of flight: September 2011, 01:30am local time (Guangzhou) Flight number: QR877 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 877 heavy”) Flight duration: 8 Hours and 25 minutes (we shaved off 30 minutes- original flight time was 8 hours and 55 minutes) Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3DZER (16 aircraft in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-300ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-BAF (First flight 16th September 2009) Engine Type: GE90-115B Aircraft Serial Number: 37661 - line 815 Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 42 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 293 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Comments on the check- in process, and any issues: Though I had checked-in online from my home in Suzhou (Qatar Airways passengers can check-in online 36-hours prior to departure), I still had to drop my luggage. My handpicked seat (1A) was firmly confirmed. Guangzhou Baiyun Airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and, Terminal 2. The latter is used for international flights. There are two major zones for aircraft gates- Zone A and Zone B. For international flights, gates in Zone A are used for arrivals and departures (Qatar Airways normally uses gate A110). The flight departed at 1:30am, so the check-in desks opened at 10:30pm, allowing plenty of time for passengers to do duty free shopping or stroll around the airport premises. I actually arrived at the airport at around 8pm (from another connecting flight), Therefore, with the Pullman Hotel located only a 3-minute walk away from the check-in desk area, I decided to relax with a drink and while away the relaxing time. If you are travelling business class with Qatar Airways then you can even leave your baggage for free with the concierge, and they’ll take you to the departure lounge using the electric buggy when it’s the right time to check-in. Everything with Qatar Airways works smoothly like a clock’s magical dial. While Qatar Airways has done everything they can do facilitate the 5-star service at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, however just like in every other corporation in China the problems of staff not speaking good English, and ending up in serious misunderstandings with the customers (i.e. passengers) is evident, and it is not difficult to observe. On the whole the staff at Qatar Airways are more professional and work with as much integrity as they can then they would with other airlines. Part of this success comes from within the excellent amounts of investment that Qatar Airways has put in place for training their staff. The basic reason why some check-in staff get angry with passengers quickly is because they (the staff) have not been trained properly by their airline companies. I have a lot of examples (especially at Guangzhou Airport) where check-in staff lose their professionalism and integrity if they are under pressure- and that’s basically due to the fact that they have not been managed properly. This is a key area that Qatar Airways takes very seriously, and its easy to see that all the staff at Qatar Airways are all enjoying their job. Hence the reason why their customer service is one of the best in the skies (and on the ground). In a customer service business, the customer comes FIRST- everything else is secondary. Sometimes things cannot be changed, but if someone takes time to explain in a cool, calm courteous manner to the passengers why things are not working as they should (could be anything from a flight delay, or why they cannot take extra baggage etc.), then there would be no problems (as with Qatar Airways). Any baggage issues: Qatar Airways allows a checked-in baggage of maximum 30kg per passenger in Business Class, 40kg in First Class, and 23kg for Economy Class. Passengers can also take two pieces of hand luggage on board the aircraft, not to exceed 15 kg in total (or 50 x 37 x 25 cm). Passengers may carry liquids, gels, pastes, and aerosols in containers up to 100 ml (3.4 oz) in their hand baggage (I always take a small mouth wash bottle, contact lens solution, mouth spray, anti-perspirant, and an eau de toilette for long flights). Passengers are provided with a transparent, resalable, quart- or litter-sized bag no larger than 20 x 20 cm at the security of Guangzhou gates. I was so relieved to get rid of my HUGE luggage bag (weighed less than 30kg) at the check-in desk. In the sheer heat and humidity of Guangzhou (and that of a big airport like Guangzhou), it’s not easy for a single man to carry a laptop, my camera, and plenty of duty-free shopping!!. I was exhausted. I actually felt like I had been to the gym in my suit! Punctuality of the flight, and flight route: Departed on time, and landed 35 minutes ahead of schedule. We narrowly avoided the typhoon that was heading in from the Philippines towards the southern China border (close to Hong Kong and Shenzhen area). Our plane roared out of Guangzhou’s runway 02R, and landed 35 minutes ahead of schedule at Doha International Airport. Our flight path took us from Guangzhou towards Guilin, Yunnan (Kunming), New Delhi, Karachi, Arabian Sea, Dubai, and then making our way towards Doha at around 4.30am in the morning. Guangzhou Baiyin Airport gets exceedingly busy at nighttime, especially with all the international flights heading towards the western hemisphere. Along with Qatar Airways, there is also Emirates, Sri Lankan, Ethiopian, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, and Kenya Airways who all have flights departing late in the evening (or early morning). With this in mind, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport looks more like an airport in Africa or the Middle East as the large number of passengers is from the African continent, or from the Middle East returning to their home counties from a trade visit to Guangzhou. Essentially the main reason why Guangzhou has prospered as a prime destination for many international airline companies in recent years is because of the city’s strong trade links with Africa and the Middle East. Guangzhou has been for hundreds of years the hub of all kinds of trade, and also hosts the Canton Fair two times a year (April and October)- which provides BIG business for the airline industry as all flights are fully booked. Once we landed at Doha, a bus was waiting to take the Business Class passengers from the plane directly to the Premium Terminal, which has a wide atrium and divided into the Business Class section and First Class section. Qatar Airways keep their planes flying on the go. Our particular plane was schedule to fly onto Johannesburg (South Africa) 2 hours after we had landed at Doha. Lounge Experience (Guangzhou): A medium size lounge that can house around 200 passengers is located on the corner of the Gate A100. The Lounge is operated by China Southern Airlines, and , at peak hours when flights are departing to all over the Middle East, and Africa, does tend to get slightly crowded. There is a sufficient choice of hot and cold foods (mostly Chinese food), generous choice of wines (All Chinese wines), beers (Chinese beer), and soft drinks. Wifi has to be paid for. Large choice of newspaper and magazines in English and Chinese, and TV screens showing the Chinese state operated CCTV (in Chinese). There are a few massage chairs that one may find comfortable. I have been through Guangzhou Baiyun Airport numerous times, and the fact is that the lounge needs to be managed properly. I am sure it must baffle Skyteam officials as to why China Southern have not maintained the high standards of quality that are required from an international business lounge. On a good note, I am glad to see that the toilet facilities have improved a lot at Guangzhou Airport in recent years. There are western style toilets, complete with soap and tissue paper (you may think it’s normal, but sadly in China not many public toilets have tissue paper and soap- except in 5-star hotels, western restaurants, and airports). Let’s hope things can change soon for the better. One minor but important thing to note at Guangzhou Airport is that there is no currency exchange after security, and there is no ATM machine after security either. I have personally ended up being left without foreign currency after security, and by that time it’s already too late to go back to the main terminal. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Once you enter the aircraft, it feels like you have already arrived in Doha! The true Qatar Airways experience begins once you step your foot onto the aircraft. A welcome in either English or Arabic confirms that you have stepped into the oasis of Qatar in the sky. The Qatari hospitality makes sure that you have an authentic experience of their culture and customs. In a nutshell, outside the aircraft it may have been Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, but within that metal tube, we were ‘effectively’ in Qatar! Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, champagne, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each Business Class seat there were a set of noise cancellation headphones, a rich cotton blanket (each one weighs 2KG!), 100% cotton pyjamas, a luxury amenity kit containing the Molton Brown toiletries, slippers, eyeshades, and a pair of Qatar Airways designer socks. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Business Class can savour the outstanding in-seat service geared to suit their body clock. Passengers can pre-order and can choose to dine, breakfast, or enjoy a light snack at anytime they wish. I took a glass of bubbly (Champagne Laurent Perrier Brut 2000 France), and plenty of water and orange juice as this was an early morning flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). The orange juice had a pleasingly fresh-squeezed flavour. The champagne can be perfect for caviar smoked salmon lobster. A plate pleaser with mixed oriental vegetable crepe, and mango salsa was provided to go along with the drinks service. The generous portions of the food provided on Qatar Airways are enough to put some other airlines to shame. You cannot go wrong when hideously delicious food like this is on offer. To have a mango salsa on an in-flight meal is just fantastic. It was so good that one portion was not enough (!). Comments regarding the first meal: Inspired by culinary treats from around the world, Qatar Airways’ Business Class in-flight a la carte dining experience offers mouth-watering dishes created by award-winning chefs. A light snack was served around 45 minutes after take-off. Due to the typhoon in the South China Sea, and a slight storm in the Chongqing area, there was slight turbulence around 40 minutes into the flight. Since this was a early morning/late night flight, so the meal service was not so heavy. The 4-course dinner service consisted of (in order of service): · Cream of chicken and wild mushroom soup · Mixed fresh garden salad served with warm marinated prawns, and coriander vinaigrette · Warm toasted focaccia with smoked turkey with mango slice and mozzarella cheese · Assorted seasonal fresh fruit I wish I had a huge stomach because even though I was hungry, there was no way I could have eaten all of the above dishes. The cabin crew were very hospitable and friendly. They politely asked me to try every dish, and hence I did. I commenced the in-flight gastronomic adventure by tucking into the rich and filling ‘cream of chicken and mushroom soup’, which came with a small trendy bread stick to dip into the soup. One can easily taste the smooth yet strong flavours of garlic, onions, diced chicken, carrot, and, celery (all whisked into a cream). Be astonished, and more importantly be filled with good food. A soup like this is always good before a big meal. It’s one of such prestige appellation to the mouth, especially for an in-flight meal. Following the delicious soup was the healthy ‘mixed fresh garden salad served with warm marinated prawns and coriander vinaigrette’. Lovely crunchy salad with a neat decoration of croutons, and plentiful of freshly cooked sea prawns. Presentation was immaculate. There were a variety of salad dressings (provided by Plate Monte Vibiano), accompanying this wonderful dish. These included ‘spicy lemon dressing’, ‘harrisa dressing’, ‘extra virgin olive oil’, and ‘tomato chilli dressing’. If one can compare the meal service to a cricket match bowling (I know, it’s a weird combination), then these first two dishes can be considered to be the ‘looseners’. The meaty part was still to come, by which time I was already too full. Qatar Airways really feed you like there is no tomorrow- and its proof that in-flight standards are immaculately high with some airline companies. The ‘warm toasted focaccia with smoked turkey with mango slice and mozzarella cheese’ was enough to put a blush on your face. With a well cooked and presented dish like this it’s so easy to lose your composure- lovely melted cheese bits, ham, and roasted tomato slices insisting on sticking out of my mouth! Nature took its toll, and my mouth said ‘I want more!’. It was the perfect way to complete a lovely dinner somewhere over Kunming (Yunnan Province). While the rest of China was asleep (you may assume so), yet here were 290 odd passengers tucking into a 5-star meal 38,000 feet in the sky at 2.30am in the morning local time! Oh, and we were travelling at 1900kmh, so much for the word ‘fast food’ on the go as well! The gastronomic rejuvenation came to a finale with the healthy dish of freshly cut seasonal fruit. Slices of rich and exotic fruit such as dragon fruit, wild red grapes, melon, grapefruit, and pineapple were presented. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks : A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Tempting drinks such as Martini Rosso/Dry, Campari, Glenfiddich Single Malt Solera 15 years old, Chivas Regal, Baileys, and many more were available. Qatar Airways is proud to offer the finest wines from around the world. Every flight route has a different selection of wines. It’s another minor but important thing like this that differentiates Qatar Airways from the other airlines in the world. Wines and beverages available by the bottle on this flight included the following: · Champagne: Laurent Perrier, Brut, 2000 (France) · Chardonnay: Vincent Giradin, AC Meursault, Vieilles Vignes, 2007 (Burgundy, France) · Sauvignon Blanc: Saint Clair, Pioneer Block 11, 2010 (Marlborough, New Zealand) · Riesling: Fritz Haag, Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Spatiese, 2008 (Mosel Valley, Germany) · Chateau Monbousquet: 2002 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (Bordeaux, France) · Sangiovese: Poggio Antico, Alter0, 2005 (Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy) · Shiraz: Brokenwood, 2007 (Barossa Valley & McLaren Vale, Australia) · Taylor’s, 20 Year Old Twany (Douro Valley, Portugal) Passengers in Business Class could go to the galley and get free flowing drinks, fruit, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs), Godiva chocolates, and a variety of hot pot noodles. Comments regarding the second meal: Qatar Airways are one of the few airlines to serve two meals during a six-hour flight. The second meal, offered around an hour and half before landing, was heavier, and more options were available than the first meal. I was just wondering how I would eat all that! A quick visit to the hotel style toilet to clean my teeth and refresh myself before the second meal felt good. The cabin crew started handing out hot (or cold) towels prior to the breakfast a la carte. To revive we were offered a selection of some fresh fruit juices. Check these tempting options: · Freshly squeezed orange juice · Peach, mango, and banana energizer. · Cranberry juice I opted for my favourite drink (I LOVE orange juice...gotta love that pleasant balance of sweet and tart). Qatar Airways have sourced out the best partners when it comes to providing excellent food, and their orange juice with the orange bits and skin parts is just awesome. It is good enough to wake you up refreshed. To commence the breakfast adventure, there were the following two dishes (in the order of writing): · Tropical fruit with honey yogurt · Breakfast salad with smoked salmon, chicken devilled egg, avocado, and emmenthal cheese. The ‘tropical fruit with honey yogurt’ is the kind of breakfast opener that you wish you can eat everyday. A celebration of kiwi fruit, papaya, grapefruit, and pomelo grapefruit drowned in a generous pool of luxury honey milk yogurt. Every spoonful is perhaps the closest thing to be on a tropical faraway island. I enjoyed its level of sweetness and found it seriously appetizing. The ‘breakfast salad’ is the one with the ‘Wow!’ factor to it- both in terms of taste, and presentation. It’s the egg, and the vibrant colours of the smoked salmon, and the avocado that took my breath away. A perfectly boiled egg cut in half is overly filled with a beautifully coloured yellow yolk paste, and sprinkled with peppers. The vibrant combination of the different ingredients is just magical. Following on from the above starters -I say again- starters (yes, hard to believe but the above were just the starters!), there was a choice to indulge into one of the following dishes: · Garlic egg fried rice, stir fried beef with ginger and spring onion, shitake mushroom, choy sum, and carrot · Peach pancakes, mixed berries and mascarpone cream with maple syrup · Cheddar cheese omelette, mushroom, chive ragout with asparagus tips, roasted red capsicum* * Passengers could add their choice of seared vine cherry tomato, fresh roesti potato, and herb chicken patty. I am sure that if I had a big enough stomach, I would have tried to taste all of the dishes! However, for a medium guy like me, I ended up opting for the ‘cheddar cheese omelette’, with an added option of fresh roesti potato. The colour of this dish is a bright pale straw like indicating a slight youth of the taste and a deep stainless steel cooking style. The richly thick potato tasted like a delicious mashed potato pasty- very smooth to the tongue and just scrumptious! While the colours of the roasted tomatoes and the asparagus may look very bright and shiny, it can be confirmed that no artificial colours or excess preservatives are used in the cooking of all the meals on Qatar Airways. In actual fact a Business Class meal on a major airline as Qatar Airways should feel as close as possible to eating at a good quality restaurant (even though the saturated fat may top more than twice of what the recommended daily fat intake of 70g!). Various types of bread rolls, pain du chocolate, croissant, and brown and white toast were provides from the bakery basket. A final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. The HUGE 33cm by 22cm (15.6-inch) PTV screen, which can be easily folded away into the right hand side armrest, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. Qatar Airways has three different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Mainscreen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (Overall IFE has over 1000 Video and Audio on-demand options in Business Class). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. PTV AVOD is fitted on board all Airbus A330s and Airbus A340s. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Airbus A340-642 aircraft is not touch screen (as that’s only available on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft). The good thing is that on the Boeing 777-300ER all the seats have AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. Therefore, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. On our flight, we had cabin crew from Thailand, India, Malaysia, Philippines, United Kingdom, Germany and, Morocco. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Thai, German, Malay, and Tamil. The Captain was nice enough to invite me to the cockpit for a small chat and a tour of his beautiful office of this Boeing 777-300ER. Interesting to see that both the Captain and the Senior First Officer cleaned the yolk stick, seat handles, and the throttles with a germ free disinfectant prior to departure. Now it makes sense why some pilots (especially Japanese pilots) wear gloves when they are taking-off or landing (so that the yolk and throttles don’t get germs on them). Cockpit photos are attached. The Captain also drank a whole 1-litre bottle of water prior to take-off (to stay away from dehydration during the night flight). That inspired me to drink water too- alcohol and coffee don’t go too well during long flights! Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Qatar Airways have 42 Business Class flatbed seats on their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a 2-2-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 78 inch recline and is 22 inches wide. Generous legroom allows you to stretch comfortably and the built-in massager helps you relax. I had a wonderful sleep for around 5 hours in between the two meals. Slept like a log with my head on the soft cotton pillow. The senior purse even gave me a hand to cover me with the Qatar Airways blanket- such is the amazing service of the cabin crew. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a huge 15.6-inch PTV display screen, in-seat reading light, in-seat drinks holders, and in-seat power units. In Business Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, moisture cream, and a hand cream (all by Molton Brown). Passengers in Business Class are provided with cotton-lined pure wool blankets and 100% cotton sleeper suits. Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Mood lighting is used throughout the flight to keep the passengers in touch with the time zones. So blue, orange, red and yellow shades of the mood lighting is used to highlight the different time zones (dawn, night time, evening and, afternoon). This is so that passengers’ eyes and body can adapt to the different time zones. All the Business Class seats have an electronic touch pad control system allowing them to easily control the seat settings. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A340-642 aircraft have the world ‘QATAR’ painted on the belly of the fuselage (it is easily visible from the ground when a plane is flying). In addition, there is the Qatar Airways’ Oryx logo on the winglets of the Airbus A340-600, and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight, and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.
I had the pleasure of flying with British Airways from London Heathrow Airport (U.K.), to Beijing Capital Airport (China), on one of their Boeing 747-400 aircraft. I flew Club World Class, which is the name given to business class on British Airways. On 13 November 2006, British Airways launched Next Generation New Club World, featuring larger seats. This was my first time ever I sat at the upper deck cabin of a Boeing 747-400, so it was very exciting to experience the service and flight from a different angle of an aircraft that I would normally fly in. In mainland China, British Airways flies to Beijing (Six flights a week), and Shanghai (Six flights a week) using the Boeing 747-400, and the Boeing 777 aircraft. So enjoy the flight experience from seat 63A on the upper deck of this splendid Boeing 747-400 aircraft! The Beijing route used to be flown by the Boeing 777, but due to extra need, the flights are operated by the Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) - BEIJING (PEK) Departure date and time of flight: October 2011, 16:45pm local time (London) Flight number: BA39 (ICAO callsign: “Speedbird 39 heavy”) Flight duration: 8 Hours 45 minutes Class: CLUB WORLD (BUSINESS CLASS) Aircraft type: BOEING 747-436 (51 aircraft in service) Aircraft registration: G-BYGA (First flight 4th December 1998) Aircraft Serial Number: 28855 - line 1190 Seat configuration for this aircraft: - First Class: 14 seats in a 1-1-1 configuration on the main deck - Club World (Business class): 70 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration (2-2 configuration on the upper deck), - World Traveller Plus (Premier Economy class): 30 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration - World Traveller class (Economy class): 177 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. The baggage limit is 3 bags (of 32kg each) for those flying in Club World to Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and connecting journeys between India and USA/Bermuda/Canada. For passengers travelling to all other destinations with British Airways, passengers travelling in Club World can carry 2-luggage bags up to 32kg each in the hold (no extra charge for extra weight). Comments on the check-in staff: Checking in at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is an effortless affair because of the large numbers of check-in counters, and the abundance of electronic ticket (E-ticket) counters available on site. The whole checking process was a very quick and smooth one, having taking only around 20 minutes for me to get from checking in my baggage to the duty free area. LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Heathrow Terminal 5: British Airways has not just one lounge, but eight lounges at Heathrow (six at Terminal 5, and 2 at Terminal 3). Lounges are available at Terminal 5A North (Galleries Lounge after security), Terminal 5A South (Galleries Lounge after security), Terminal 5A (Galleries Lounge at gate side), and Terminal 5B (Galleries Lounge at gate side). The British Airways Lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is not just ordinary Lounge, but rather similar to a 5-star hotel. You can have breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can sleep in one of the many small ‘sleeper’ rooms, take a shower (20 shower suites available), watch some movies, catch up on the latest current affairs, have a massage, facial treatment, or just go shopping. The lounge caters for passengers transferring at Heathrow, as well as those departing as well. For those travelling in First and Club World class (and for Gold Executive Club members flying long haul), British Airways can have a complimentary two-tier treatment menu at the Elemis Travel Spa at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, or Terminal 3. At Terminal 5, there is even a 20-seat cinema for live sporting events and tailored entertainment. Wireless internet is available free in all the lounges. Punctuality of the flight, and route taken: Departed on time, and landed on time. London Heathrow Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, and certainly gets busy during the peak hours unlike some other airports around the world. Considering that Heathrow only has two runways (27L/09R, and 27R/09L) where one is used for take-offs, and the other for landings, so therefore there tends to be a long queue of aircraft waiting to take-off (as was in this case). However, if you are an aviation enthusiast, then Heathrow is heaven for you because you can see airlines from all around the world (and going away to all corners of the world). In the line to runway 27L, we had the following aircraft ahead of us Qantas A380-800 (the big ugly looking Super Jumbo), Kenya Airways 777, Etihad Airways A340-600, Air India 777-200LR, British Midland A320, and an Alitalia A321. When I was younger, I used to listen to the ATC on my VHF radio, and used to copy the different accents of the pilots as they communicated with the Heathrow ATC. The comical ones were always those where English was not the first language for the Captain (or First Officer). Like Aeroflot, LOT Polish, Malev, Air China, and others. We departed on a Clacton departure towards Ipswich, then North Sea, Scandinavia, North Russia, Siberia, North Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and then finally into Beijing (landing on Runway 36L). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Passengers’ in Club World are offered hot lemon scented towels prior to departure. This is followed by a drinks service, which consists of some of the world’s finest wines, and champagne. Passengers are also treated to a bag of Macadamia Nuts (dry roasted and salted from Kenya). The huge nuts go well with any wine. I opted for a glass of Chardonnay (Barwick Estates Black Label Chardonnay 2009, Margaret River, Western Australia 1997). The high flow of the fruit juices dance as they make down your throat. It’s a sheer delight to drink high quality wine like this on a flight. Many of the British Airways classics are greatly adored by passengers around the world. Nothing less is expected from an airline that was once known as ‘World’s favourite airline’. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Around about 25 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with another helping of the huge Macadamia Nuts. I opted for the Champagne this time (Taittinger Brut Reserve NV, Champagne 1734). There was also the celebrated British Airways complimentary bar service, including various alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks. Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and camomile with honey. Comments regarding the first meal: British Airways have taken their in-flight menu to new heights, and indeed, it is called ‘Height Cuisine’ menu. The recipes used have been specially developed using the ingredients that are naturally high in a fifth taste known as Umami (after sweet, sour, bitter, and salt). The taste of Umami was identified in Japan, and it offers a pleasant savoury taste in many foods such as tomatoes, seaweed, and parmesan cheese. British Airways claims to source their ingredients locally wherever they can. Whereas East-West fusion cuisines are considered exotic as part of most in-flight meals, at British Airways they have a more common presence in their in-flight dining on flights to the Far East. Dinner service consisted of the following: Starters: - Smoked salmon and trout roulade with radish and fennel salad. - Mushroom parfait with red onion, marmalade, and watercress salad (vegetarian) I opted for the stylish looking smoked salmon. The dish has carefully adopted characteristics of Asian cuisines, such as matching beautifully created roll of the salmon, a bit like a big wrapped sushi with elegant garnish of radish and fennel salad. It is exactly this openness to new ideas and respect for tradition, which has enabled British Airways to not just survive, but also gracefully thrive when it comes to providing a 5-star quality in-flight meal in the 21st century. Main Course: There were four options for the main course, including: - Asian style chicken and pumpkin curry with snow peas and jasmine rice - Slow braised British beef with rosti potatoes - Beetroot and horseradish risotto with ruby chard. - Chilled main course salad of grilled king prawn with Thai noodles and cashews. I opted for the ‘Asian style chicken’ dish. As well as upholding the traditional and authentic taste of the Chinese cuisine, this dish also incorporated certain herbal concepts. The slow-cooked chicken with the pumpkin curry, for example, is actually seasoned with traditional Chinese herbs to neutralise it’s undesirable heat when eaten at high altitude (even in a pressurised environment). The sweet essence of the jasmine rice gave way to a soft and elegant sweet smell that blended in neatly with the snow peas. The presentation off the dish was immaculate and just as it should be. A variety of freshly baked bread was served from the basket. Perhaps I should have also tried the traditional British option of beef and rosti potatoes (Yummy!). I am not a big fan of beetroot (very English indeed), however would not have minded tucking into that dish either. The main course came with a large bone china bowl containing a generous amount of fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette. Dessert: - Pear and caramel delice with caramelised pear compote. - Ice Cream (Beechdean farmhouse dairy ice cream from jersey cows) - Blue Wensleydale, and smoked cheddar served with Jacobs English biscuits - A selection of fruit and Lily O Brain’s luxury chocolates. I could easily have gone for a Chinese option such as the plate of fresh fruit with exotic fruits such as kiwi, watermelon, grapefruit, orange, and red grapes. However I opted for the English option (pear and caramel delice), because I knew this would the last ‘real’ British food I would before I started my life again in China (western food in China does not quite pinch the authentic English flavour). The soft and creamy pear and caramel delice is really an extravaganza of a dessert- it’s both fun and whimsical. Just at the moment you pop your tongue into this, it becomes more intense by the second. This dish hits all the right buttons when it comes to presentation, and absolute British taste in the sky. The Wensleydale, and smoked Cheddar served with Jacobs English biscuits provide an extra ‘icing’ on the cake so to speak. It’s the perfect way tom polish off an exceptionally created in-flight dinner meal. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks : Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and camomile with honey. The Club Kitchen is located on the main deck of the Boeing 747-400, and is available for snacks throughout the flight. Beechdean farmhouse dairy ice cream from jersey cows tasted too good. You could have easily forgotten about all those extra calories when plucking each spoonful of ice cream from the beautifully decorated tub. Oh, and of course, the hot pot noodles were available in abundance throughout the flight. There was also plenty of ‘Blue Wensleydale, and smoked Cheddar’ served with Jacobs English biscuits. Delicious. Other than this, the Club Kitchen also offered the following all throughout the flight: - fresh wraps, salads and bite-sized sandwiches - delicious hot dishes such as hot Chinese noodles, and tasty soups - luxury cakes and fair-trade chocolate - Fine wines, fruit smoothies, soft drinks and juices. Comments regarding the second meal: Breakfast was served around about an hour and a half prior to landing at Beijing Airport. There was a good selection of options available including: Starters: - Chilled fruit juice - An energising fruit smoothie of raspberry and oatmeal - Fresh fruit - Yoghurt with pecans, strawberry, granola, and compote (vegetarian). Though I adore orange juice very much, I decided to commence the meal with an energising smoothie of raspberry and oatmeal. Smoothies are popular with healthy eating crowds, and that includes me. High in protein and low in sugar and fat, drinking this powerful drink was the perfect way to wake up. Though many smoothies include crushed ice, and frozen yoghurt, thankfully this one did not. The milk and all other ingredients were organic. All breakfast trays came complete with a choice of bread from the bread basket (I could not resist those Danish pastries), and a bowl of fresh fruit. Preserves were provided by Wilkin & Sons Ltd of England. Main breakfast dish: - Full English breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, Cumberland sausage, tomato, and sautéed potatoes. - Creamy mushrooms on a toasted English muffins (Vegetarian) - Pork congee I opted for the English breakfast. It’s the one dish on the menu of all British Airways flights that I really look forward to. Many people in the UK swear by a traditional English breakfast in the morning as the only proper start to the day- and in true British culture British Airways offers one of the best English breakfasts in the sky. There is a long-standing tradition of a cooked breakfast, consisting of meat and egg products, with bread, washed down with gallons of English tea or coffee, across the UK, including Scotland and Wales, as well as Ireland. British Airways uses fine ingredients such as organic potatoes, tomatoes, prime English bacon, and free-range eggs for their English breakfast. There is nothing quite like it, and naturally the chefs at British Airways catering department do a fantastic job in not letting their passengers down. It gives a taste of true British food in the sky. Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and camomile with honey. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system : All Club World and First Class passengers are provided with noise cancellation headphones that come complete with the BA logo on the sides. Every seat in Club World comes with a 10.4 inch flat screen (Personal Television- PTV). BA’s in-flight entertainment system is called HighLife Entertainment. The movies, and music albums vary according to the route (so for China, there were a mixture of Asian and Western movies and songs etc.), and every month a new list entertainment options crop up. HighLife Entertainment’s Audio and Video On Demand (AVOD) system puts the passengers in full control of all kinds of audio, video and games entertainment. Passengers can choose from over 200 entertainment options and play, pause, stop, fast forward and rewind to fit in with their own schedule. These large PTVs and noise cancellations headphones are available on all longhaul flights (Boeing 777, 747, and 767 aircraft). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Representing the truly global and multicultural ethos of British Airways, the cabin crew come from a variety of cultures. Naturally, on this flight, the cabin crew were from China, and the United Kingdom, and so the languages spoken were Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, and British English. The cabin crew at British Airways are very proud of their airline, and their product. Detail to personal service is the key to the success of the airline. In the 1990s, British Airways used to be known as ‘The World’s Favourite Airline’. It probably is, but the main reason why this slogan is not used anymore is because of the number of routes the airline serves (it’s not as much as they used to go to, and not as many routes as some other airlines). Other than this there is no reason why British Airways can still be the world’s favourite airline. Indeed, their customer service is second to none in whatever they do. The staff were very polite, and brought along a true international flavour to the cabins. Many thanks to the Captain for allowing me to take photos in the cabin and the cockpit. Great crew! Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): In line with the airline’s livery, all the aircraft seats are covered with a navy blue fabric. In economy class, the seats have either blue or red ‘bibs’ on the headrest, while in Club World, and First Class the seats have an elegant white bib on the headrest. The new Club World seat is 73” inch pitch, and a 20” inch width. The seat transform into a comfortable full flat bed which allows for a good long stretch of the legs (and back if you want to lie facing with head down). Each Club World seat has an automated glass divider that gives more privacy from your neighbouring passenger. The Club World seats next to the windows are rear facing. The Club World window seats on the upper deck of the Boeing 747-400 aircraft has extra space between the seat and the window that can be used for storage. Below each Club World seat there is also a special storage cupboard to stow away any shoes, or other essential items that you may have. Luxury 100% cotton blankets are provided by Osborne & Little. The whole experience is meant to make you flight as comfortable as possible. On the upper deck of the Boeing 747-400 aircraft, the seats are in a 2-2 configuration, which allows extra space to move around. It is exceedingly good, especially for a long haul flight. On the main deck, the Club World seats are in a 2-4-2 configuration. British Airways logo and livery: Based on the original logo, and design that featured on Concorde, the current British Airways logo was designed in 1997 by Newell & Sorrell. The colours are blue, and red. The additional colour is grey. All aircraft feature the word ‘BRITISH AIRWAYS’ in blue (British Airways uses its proprietary typefaces Mylius Sans and Mylius Serif, both designed by Rodney Mylius at Newell & Sorrell.), printed below the windows (and before the wing). On the 747 aircraft, the words appear above the main deck windows and just before the wing. Just before the cockpit windows and, at the front of the words, BRITISH AIRWAYS, there is a dash of the flag, which looks like an upside down tick. It starts with a navy blue, and the ‘flair’ of the logo is coloured in red. The engines of all the aircraft are painted in a matching navy blue. The bellies of all British Airways aircraft are painted in royal navy blue. The tailfin consists of an elegant version of the national flag of the United Kingdom, The Union Jack. It gives the feeling of a flag flying on the tail. Overall, the British Airways logo portrays elegance, romance, flair, and a touch of true British patriotism. It’s easy to identify for passengers, and also Air Traffic Controllers. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best) : 10 Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong to Shanghai Pudong Airport), BUSINESS CLASS, AIRBUS A330-20010/7/2011
Route: Hong Kong Airport (Chep Lap Kok) to Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 21:30pm on the 22nd July 2011 Flight Number: HX234 (code-shared with Hong Kong Express Airways, flight code UO4234) Flight duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-200 Loyalty Program: Fortune Wings Club Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed at least 3 hours late because of traffic congestion at Pudong International Airport. Pudong always has delays because of three main reasons: 1. There is normally military activity going on close to the north of the airport (Chinese Air Force practices sorties) around the sea, 2. The airport cannot handle too much traffic during busy periods, and 3. During poor visibility and bad weather the air traffic control cannot manage the slots well, and also the pilots of most Chinese airlines avoid flying in poor visibility because they are either not trained for that or they just do not want to take the risk of flying in bad weather (even if it should be OK provided the pilot is trained and experienced enough). There is also a lot of bureaucracy involved at airports in China. Any baggage issues: No issues. In Business Class each passenger can carry up to 2 pieces weighing a total of 30 KG. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in staff at Hong Kong Airport were polite, and very professional. There was no problem what so ever. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Business Class passengers were offered a choice of champagne, orange juice, tomato juice, and apple juice out of a hand tray service provided by the crew members. A choice of either sparkling or still mineral water is also offered. All Business Class passengers are handed out hot hand towels just prior to the meal service. The towels have a lemon scent. Comments regarding the first meal: Passengers in Business Class are offered a detailed dinner menu (the same menu is provided for flights leaving around lunch time as well). Starters: Dried mussel and hairy cucumber soup was served with all the meals. As they say in Chinese culture that soup is the main essence of every good meal, so it was no exception in this particular case that we had a delicious bowl of nice soup. The chefs have taken great care in choosing the right kind of the ingredients, and the cuisine is made to be as authentic Cantonese as it can get. Served warm. Then there was the ‘cajun chicken breast with green bean salad’. Three delicious slices of cajun chicken provided a fine decoration over a neat blend of green beans, roasted baby cherry tomatoes, and a few curry flavoured roasted potatoes. There could be nothing wrong with the a dish that included a dash of tartar sauce presented in the shape of a lotus flower (the national motif of Hong Kong and also the brand image of Hong Kong Airlines). Served cold. Main Course: There were three choices for the main dish. These included: · Pan fried fish with tomato concasse with potato slices, boiled carrots, and spinach, · Stir fried beef and bean curd sheet with satay sauce with vegetable rice and Chinese vegetables, · E-Fu noodles with daylily, and marinated braised gluten. I opted for the first because I love fish, and fish always tastes better as airplane food because it does not lose its taste even at high altitude in a pressurised cabin. The fish (which was cod fish by the way) had a generous covering layer of the tomato concasse, which made the cod fish melt in the mouth with each bite. This dish was not just about the fish but also about those lovely boiled baby carrots and the boiled spicy potatoes wedges. A neat sprinkling of salt and pepper goes fine with the meal (both are provided in small 3D square ceramic cubes that have the Hong Kong Airlines logo on them (the lotus flower). The main meal was provided with a selection of bread rolls and pastries from the bread basket. Dessert: There were two portions of the dessert: The first portion included a tub of Haagen-Dazs ice-cream (delicious!), and the second portion was a bowl of freshly cut exotic fruit (include mango, melon, pineapple and apple slices). All the dishes were served on fine bone china cutlery embedded with the Hong Kong Airlines logo on it (with the lotus flower crest). Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. This included coffee and tea (green tea and black tea). Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Since Hong Kong Airlines is a Cantonese airline, so instead of giving away Godiva chocolates (like some other international airlines do), passengers get a traditional Cantonese Fortune Cookie with a lovely message. My message was ‘You will meet an opposite sex in the horoscope of Libra’. Whether that is true or not will come into light in the month of Libra (well, I am still single!)! Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): On the Airbus A330-200 Hong Kong Airlines provides a mobile 10.6 inch PTV screen in Business Class and a 10.6 screen in Economy Class as well. Economy Class seats have the screens embedded at the back of the seats while passengers in the Business Class cabins have their screens neatly tucked away in the armrest and can be pulled out wherever you want. Noise cancellation headphones are provided to every passenger in Business Class, and normal headphone are provided in Economy Class. In Business Class there is also the provision of purple slippers and a cotton blanket. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The staff were very proud of their brand image and represented their airline at the highest level possible. When under a situation of high pressure, the staff seemed to act with professionalism and integrity. Improvements that could be made: None. For such a short flight, you could not really ask for much. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Hong Kong Airlines has an emerging brand that is beginning to be globally recognised. For A330-200, Business Class cabin accommodates 24 passengers in a 2-2-2 seat design while Economy Class cabin caters for 259 passengers in a 2-4-2 setting. The seats in Economy Class on the Airbus A330-200 have a pitch of 32 inches recline, and are 17.5 inches wide. Business Class seats on the Airbus A330-200 have a pitch of 60 inches recline (flatbed), and are 20 inches wide. All the Business Class seats come standard with a plug for laptop or mobile phone (though you can only recharge the mobile phone but you cannot use it!), and an in-built massage system (the seat vibrates), Hong Kong Airlines are very proud of their brand image and have encrusted the lotus lower logo onto every product that they have on the aircraft. Lovely purple and red colours adorn the seats and the interior of the cabins. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 THY TURKISH AIRLINES review (LONDON HEATHROW to ISTANBUL, BUSINESS CLASS) - AIRBUS A330-2005/7/2011
Turkish Airlines is the award-winning national flag carrier of Turkey. Since being formed on 20th May 1933 with a fleet of 5 aircraft, Turkish Airlines has become a leading global airline company in its 78 years of distinguished service. Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, and operates from its global hub at Istanbul International Airport to 172 cities in 82 countries using 161 state-of-the-art aircraft. Turkish Airlines, which is a fully scheduled airline, carried 29.1 million passengers in 2010. It employs more than 14,000 people worldwide. In 2010, Turkish Airlines celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special ‘75’ logo painted on its aircraft and painted some its A320 aircraft in the old original 1970s airline livery. The initials 'THY' stand for Türk Hava Yollari (meaning Turkish Airlines). The airline’s marketing motto is ‘GLOBALLY YOURS’.
In contrast to other European flag carriers in the 21st century, Turkish Airlines is proud to be the fastest growing airline in Europe and in 2009 was voted the best airline in southern Europe. The London Heathrow (LHR) to Istanbul (IST) route is hugely popular with 31 flights a week between the two cities. Another strong connection between Turkish Airlines and the United Kingdom is that Turkish Airlines is the main sponsor of the Manchester United Football Club. The three and a half year ‘multi-million’ pound deal was signed in 2010. In the United Kingdom, apart from London Heathrow, Turkish Airlines also flies regular scheduled flights to Birmingham, Manchester, and Stansted. In total Turkish Airlines operates 43 flights a week between Istanbul and the United Kingdom. Another strong indicator of this is that because Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, whose members also include Lufthansa, United Airlines, and BMI. So therefore, because of this link with Star Alliance, this flight was in code share with Lufthansa and BMI. Turkish Airlines operate the Istanbul to London Heathrow route using a variety of aircraft types depending on the seat occupancy. These include the Airbus A320, A321, A330-200, A330-300, Boeing 737-800 and even the Boeing 777-300ER variant. On this route, an Airbus A330-200 aircraft was used. Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) to ISTANBUL (IST) Departure date and time of flight: April 2011, 16:30pm local time (London) Flight number: TK1986 (ICAO callsign: “Turkish 1986 heavy”) Flight duration: 3 Hours 35 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-203 (8 aircraft in service) Aircraft registration:TC-JNC (Delivery date: 11th of May 2006) Aircraft’s name: Bursa Frequent flyer programme: miles & smiles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business class: 22 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy class: 228 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed on time as well. The gate at Heathrow Terminal 3 was 330 as well! In addition, we had one of the airline’s star pilots in the cockpit, Captain Kazan. Normally a Captain has four strips on their epaulettes, but Captain Kazan also had a star as well! Considering it was a busy afternoon at Heathrow, we managed to jump the queue and took-off from runway 09R for a Dover departure. I managed to get a shot of south London as we quickly passed places such as Clapham Junction, Waterloo, and Dulwich. Within around 10 minutes after departure, we were over the Dover marker, the made a slight left turn towards Brussels airspace; and from there onwards, we went into cruise at around 35,000 feet for this medium haul flight. Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. With Turkish Airlines, passengers travelling on Business Class can carry 2-luggage bags up to 32 KG in total, with two hand bags of 8 KG each. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: Checking into the flight was not a problem, but getting into Heathrow (as always) can be a hell of a journey no matter what mode of transport you use. The check in staff at Turkish Airlines are very professional, polite and make the check-in process very smooth. For long haul flights, it is highly recommended to get to the airport at least 3 hours before your flight (or even more). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Passengers in both Business Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, Turkish mineral water, and champagne. Usually what you find is that most ‘fresh orange juice’ drinks that form part of airline meals are heavily concentrated and taste like water with a splash of orange squash (or something similar), however it must be said that the orange juice on Turkish airlines is authentically fresh orange juice (with the orange bits in as well). Perfect quality and it tastes exceedingly good. Highly recommended that you drink it without the ice, as it tastes even better. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Business Class are offered a selection of drinks including fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water and champagne. There were also a selection of international and Turkish wines and beers. White Turkish wine: 2008 Kavaklidere Narince (Anatolia) Red Turkish wine: 2007 Doluca Karma Turkish beer: Efes Pilsen Turkish liqueur: Tekel Ozel Uretim (sour cherry) The drinks are accompanied with a bowl of Turkish hazelnuts. Turkish Airlines offers the hazelnut because it originates from Turkey, and forms part of Turkish cuisine. Comments regarding the first meal: Turkish Airlines has stylish menus, which they hand out to all the passengers in all the cabins prior to the meal service. Turkish Do&Co, the gourmet entertainment company, provides in-flight catering at Turkish Airlines with their colourful and inspiring menus containing equally sensational dishes. All the menus come written in both English and Turkish. A la carte menus are provided in business class. Because this was a short flight, so therefore we were offered only one meal with two tempting options. The starters consisted on a large plate full of a selection of traditional Turkish appetizers including thinly cut slices of aubergine, succulent turkey meat, boiled soya beans, and cherry tomatoes. You could have easily thought that it was the main dish. Another Turkish deli was the marinated green beans bathed with a few drops of soya sauce. For the main course, the choices were as follows (specials from Turkish cuisine as provided by Turkish Do&Co): · Turkish style grilled minced beef with sautéed zucchini, red peppers, and bulgar. · Homemade artichoke ravioli with pan-fried artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan. The homemade ravioli went well with the assorted pieces of cheese that was provided as well. For dessert, there was the home made profiterole with vanilla cream and chocolate sauce. Nothing else to say for this dish except that it was irresistibly delicious. Passengers were again treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included Western coffee and Turkish coffee; as well as tea (Turkish and Western tea). Stainless steel cutlery in the Business Class cabin is provided by ‘Isik’, and proudly displays the engraved symbols ‘THY’ followed by the Turkish Airlines logo. All other cutlery in the Business Class cabin is provided in fine bone china, again with the Turkish Airlines logo and black ‘THY’ symbol engraved at the bottom of each piece. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Passengers were treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included both Western coffee and Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee has a slightly stronger flavour and is normally taken without milk. A lovely cube of Turkish Delight is accompanied with the Turkish coffee. There was also a variety of digestives available including Baileys, Cointreau and Hennessey XO. Throughout the flight, passengers were able to enjoy a variety of snacks including free flowing drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) from the galley. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. The 15.6-inch PTV screen, which is in place behind every seat, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is in use on this route. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. Programs the AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment' and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight. Then there is always the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Turkish Airlines, SkyLife, to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (Airbus A330-200). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The hospitality on Turkish Airlines is just top notch. The staff are highly trained and provide a truly five-star service comparable to the likes of a top quality five-star hotel. Even in the most highly pressurised of situations, the cabin crew have a smile on their faces, and this is key difference that makes Turkish Airlines stand out from the rest. A quality that separates a good airline from a very good airline is one where the cabin crew at the very good airline will greet the passenger before the passenger greets the cabin crew. It has to be said that this mark of high quality stands out clear for the staff of Turkish Airlines on this flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort) : The Business Class cabin of the Airbus A330-200 on Turkish Airlines has a 2-2-2 seat configuration. Because this was a medium haul flight (less than 5 hours), during the day and within the European region so therefore there was no amenity kit provided. There are 22-Business Class lie-flat beds on the Airbus A330-200 each with 159 degrees recline providing a very spacious legroom. The seat reclines enough for you to have a very comfortable lie down for a long flight. Lovely suede leather and cotton material that is pleasing for the eye. Each seat in Business Class has electronic buttons on the bottom left hand corner that control the seats movements. Each seat in Business Class comes with its own personal night light that is easy to control. The food tray is neatly placed inside the left hand armrest, while the Personal TV (PTV) screen is neatly placed on the back of the seat ahead. There is also AC power and power available for your laptop built in every seat. This is a very convenient feature. Turkish Airlines logo and livery: The airline's striking logo consists of a crane flying inside a white circle symbolizing the common migration of the birds in Turkey. The logo is a crane bird with wings above the body. The simple yet powerful design of the wings also refers to the crescent in the Turkish flag. The "Eurowhite" livery consists of a snow white coloured fuselage with large navy blue ‘TURKISH AIRLINES’ lettering across the starboard and port side in capitals. On some smaller aircraft, such as the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 737-800, the word ‘TURKISH’ is written in capital navy blue letters, while ‘AIRLINES’ is displayed right underneath in light grey colours. The national flag of Turkey is displayed about one foot to the right hand side of the blue lettering. A huge silver coloured tulip is painted on the fuselage, running from the rear of the wing to the tail. The belly of the fuselage is painted in light grey. Every plane is named after a city or town in Turkey, or any of the seas and lakes scattered around the Turkey’s coastal waters. The tailfin of the aircraft is painted in a bright red colour with the company logo wrapped in a white circle. Priestmangoode is the company responsible behind the re-branding of Turkish Airlines as a key part of the airline’s strategy to position itself as a major European carrier. Priestmangoode delivered a complete re-design, starting with new interiors across the entire Turkish fleet. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 China Southern Airlines review (Guangzhou to Sanya airport)- BUSINESS CLASS, BOEING 757-2005/5/2011
Route: Guangzhou Baiyun airport (CAN) to Sanya Phoenix airport (SYX)
Departure date and time of flight: March 2011 Flight Number: CZ6748 Flight duration: 1 hour and 5 minutes Class: Business Class Aircraft type: Boeing 757-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed on time. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: None Comments regarding the first meal: For such a short flight there was not much on offer. Just a bottle of water (The brand was Ice Dew by the Coca Cola company) along with two warm cakes (one contained a pork filling while the other contained a raspberry filling). Both of the buns were delicious and you could not ask for anything else for such a short flight. Comments regarding the drinks service: None Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):None Comments regarding the second meal (if any):None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This plane was an old Boeing 757-200, and China Southern seriously needs to look at phasing these aircraft out of service. The interior needs to be re-furnished and cleaned. But it’s OK because China Southern only uses the Boeing 757-200 on short haul flights these days. It is a very reliable aircraft. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 757-200 plane has a seat configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class and a 2-2 in Business Class. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8 THY TURKISH AIRLINES review (ISTANBUL ATATURK to LONDON HEATHROW, BUSINESS CLASS) - AIRBUS A330-3004/21/2011
Turkish Airlines is the award-winning national flag carrier of Turkey. Since being formed on 20th May 1933 with a fleet of 5 aircraft, Turkish Airlines has become a leading global airline company in its 78 years of distinguished service. Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, and operates from its global hub at Istanbul International Airport to 172 cities in 82 countries using 161 state-of-the-art aircraft. Turkish Airlines, which is a fully scheduled airline, carried 29.1 million passengers in 2010. It employs more than 14,000 people worldwide. In 2010, Turkish Airlines celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special ‘75’ logo painted on its aircraft and painted some its A320 aircraft in the old original 1970s airline livery. The initials 'THY' stand for Türk Hava Yollari (meaning Turkish Airlines).
In contrast to other European flag carriers in the 21st century, Turkish Airlines is proud to be the fastest growing airline in Europe and in 2009 was voted the best airline in southern Europe. The Istanbul (IST) to London Heathrow (LHR) route is hugely popular with 31 flights a week between the two cities. Another strong connection between Turkish Airlines and the United Kingdom is that Turkish Airlines is the main sponsor of the Manchester United Football Club. The three and a half year ‘multi-million’ pound deal was signed in 2010. In the United Kingdom, apart from London Heathrow, Turkish Airlines also flies regular scheduled flights to Birmingham, Manchester, and Stansted. In total Turkish Airlines operates 43 flights a week between Istanbul and the United Kingdom. Another strong indicator of this is that because Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, whose members also include Lufthansa, United Airlines, and BMI. So therefore, because of this link with Star Alliance, this flight was in code share with Lufthansa and BMI. Turkish Airlines operate the Istanbul to London Heathrow route using a variety of aircraft types depending on the seat occupancy. These include the Airbus A320, A321, A330-200, A330-300, Boeing 737-800 and even the Boeing 777-300ER variant. On this route, an Airbus A330-200 aircraft was used. Route: ISTANBUL (IST) to LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) Departure date and time of flight: April 2011, 07:55am local time (Istanbul) Flight number: TK1979 (ICAO callsign: “Turkish 1979 heavy”) Flight duration: 4 Hours 10 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-343 (6 aircraft in service) Aircraft registration: TC-JNI (Delivered on 13th of October 2010) Aircraft’s name: Konak Frequent flyer programme: miles & smiles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 22 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 228 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time, and landed on time as well. Istanbul airport was reasonably quiet during the early morning period. The aircraft, named Konak, was parked at gate 226- right at the far end of the airport terminal (near enough to the cargo terminal). We took off on time, making our way across a rather hazy Europe. As we approached the greater London, it became clear that the weather in the UK was also very hazy. With easterly winds running in London, we had to go all around north London, firstly over Lambourne, and then made a u-turn somewhere over Bovingdon to make a final approach into Heathrow’s runway 09L. This gave the opportunity to provide stunning views of Windsor Castle and Berkshire as we gently made our way in behind a KLM Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The ‘Flying Dutchman’ joined us from behind somewhere over the English Channel- (and somehow overtook us above London to land first!). Amazingly, it only took less than 30-minutes from the point where we started our decent (somewhere over the Dutch coast) to landing at Heathrow’s runway 09L (that’s roughly 130 miles or so). Then it took another 30-minutes to taxi to the gate at terminal three from the runway, which is a distance of about one mile. Interestingly this 30 minute taxi to the terminal felt longer than the 30 minutes it took for us to get from the English Channel to the airport (now, that really puts things into prospective!). Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. With Turkish Airlines, passengers travelling on Business Class can carry 2-luggage bags upto 32 KG in total, with 2 hand bags of 8 KG each. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. No issues. This was a connecting flight with only a short 1-hour wait before the next flight. Very convenient connection without any delays. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Passengers in Business Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, Turkish mineral water, and champagne. Usually what you find is that most ‘fresh orange juice’ drinks that form part of airline meals are heavily concentrated and taste like water with a splash of orange squash (or something similar), however it must be said that the orange juice on Turkish airlines is authentically fresh orange juice (with the orange bits in as well). Perfect quality and it tastes extremely good. Highly recommended that you drink it without the ice, as it tastes even better (otherwise the ice will dilute the rich authentic taste). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: On Turkish Airlines, passengers in Business Class are offered a selection of drinks including fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water, and champagne. On this flight there were also a selection of international and Turkish wines and beers. White Turkish wine: 2008 Kavaklidere Narince (Anatolia) Red Turkish wine: 2007 Doluca Karma Turkish beer: Efes Pilsen Turkish liqueur: Tekel Ozel Uretim (sour cherry) On this flight, the welcome drinks were accompanied with a packet of Turkish hazelnuts and a selection of canapés. Turkish Airlines offers the hazelnut because it originates from Turkey, and forms part of Turkish cuisine. Comments regarding the first meal: Turkish Do&Co, the gourmet entertainment company, provides in-flight catering at Turkish Airlines with their colourful and inspiring menus containing equally sensational dishes. All the menus come written in both English and Turkish. A la carte menus are provided in Business Class while set meals are provided in the Economy Class. A round of fresh fruit juices and other drinks were offered to wake up the senses (just cannot stress how good it feels to drink that fresh orange juice!). The meal tray consisted of a load of seriously good food. First up was a tray containing freshly cut cheese slices, feta, and a thick cream, which went fine with fresh green and black olives. The following were the options available for the main breakfast dish: · Wrap with scrambled eggs, baked mozzarella, chicken sausage, grilled green peppers, and cherry tomatoes. · Scrambled eggs, turkey, ham, and cheese toast with herbed sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and green peppers I opted for the second option. The turkey meat goes well with both ham and cheese toast with sautéed mushrooms. The green peppers are of an incredibly good taste. Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of seasonal fresh fruit, another small bowl containing chicken & turkey breasts and a thick raspberry flavoured yogurt. The chefs at Turkish Do&Co make amazing scrambled eggs with toast, and have a way with in-flight catering that is just magic. The cabin crew offered a generous helping of a selection of warm ‘oven fresh bread’ from the basket that included freshly made chocolate chip croissants and Danish pastries. Passengers were again treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included both Western coffee and Turkish coffee. Stainless steel cutlery in the Business Class cabin is provided by ‘Isik’, and proudly displays the engraved symbols ‘THY’ followed by the Turkish Airlines logo. All other cutlery in the Business Class cabin is provided in fine bone china, again with the Turkish Airlines logo and black ‘THY’ symbol engraved at the bottom of each piece. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Passengers were treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included both western coffee and Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee has a slightly stronger flavour and is normally taken without milk. A lovely cube of Turkish Delight is accompanied with the Turkish coffee. There was also a variety of digestives available including Baileys, Cointreau and Frapin VSOP Cognac. Good food like this should never be wasted. Throughout the flight, passengers were able to enjoy a variety of snacks including free flowing drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) from the galley. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. The 15.6-inch PTV screen, which is in place behind every seat, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is in use on this route. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. Programs the AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight. Then there is always the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Turkish Airlines, SkyLife, to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Airbus A330-300). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The hospitality on Turkish Airlines is just top notch. The staff are highly trained and provide a truly five-star service comparable to the likes of a top quality five-star hotel. Even in the most highly pressurised of situations, the cabin crew have a smile on their faces, and this is key difference that makes Turkish Airlines stand out from the rest. A quality that separates a good airline from a very good airline is one where the cabin crew at the very good airline will greet the passenger before the passenger greets the cabin crew. It has to be said that this mark of high quality stands out clear for the staff of Turkish Airlines on this flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort) : The Business Class cabin of the Airbus A330-300 on Turkish Airlines has a 2-2-2 seat configuration. Because this was a medium haul flight (less than 5 hours), during the day and within the European region so therefore there was no amenity kit provided. There are 22-Business Class lie-flat beds on the Airbus A330-300 each with 159 degrees recline providing a very spacious legroom. The Business Class seat has a 61.0” pitch and is 21.0” width. It reclines back enough for you to have a very comfortable lie down for a long flight. Lovely suede leather and cotton material that is pleasing for the eye. Each seat in Business Class has electronic buttons on the bottom left hand corner that control the seats movements and comes with its own personal night light that is easy to control, as well as a built-in back massage system. If you need a back massage then all you need to do is press the button. The food tray is neatly placed inside the left hand armrest, while the Personal TV (PTV) screen is neatly placed on the back of the seat ahead. There is also AC power and power available for your laptop built in every seat. This is a very convenient feature. In a nutshell, if you are a seriously minded business frequent flyer, have a hectic and busy business lifestyle where you are constantly moving around and need the essentials of business life at the touch of a button (even in the sky) then Business Class on Turkish Airlines is for YOU. Turkish Airlines logo and livery: The airline's striking logo consists of a crane flying inside a white circle symbolizing the common migration of the birds in Turkey. The logo is a crane bird with wings above the body. The simple yet powerful design of the wings also refers to the crescent in the Turkish flag. The "Eurowhite" livery consists of a snow white coloured fuselage with large navy blue ‘TURKISH AIRLINES’ lettering across the starboard and port side in capitals. On some smaller aircraft, such as the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 737-800, the word ‘TURKISH’ is written in capital navy blue letters, while ‘AIRLINES’ is displayed right underneath in light grey colours. The national flag of Turkey is displayed about one foot to the right hand side of the blue lettering. A huge silver coloured tulip is painted on the fuselage, running from the rear of the wing to the tail. The belly of the fuselage is painted in light grey. Every plane is named after a city or town in Turkey, or any of the seas and lakes scattered around the Turkey’s coastal waters. The tailfin of the aircraft is painted in a bright red colour with the company logo wrapped in a white circle. Priestmangoode is the company responsible behind the re-branding of Turkish Airlines as a key part of the airline’s strategy to position itself as a major European carrier. Priestmangoode delivered a complete re-design, starting with new interiors across the entire Turkish fleet. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Turkish Airlines is the award-winning national flag carrier of Turkey. Since being formed on 20th May 1933 with a fleet of 5 aircraft, Turkish Airlines has become a leading global airline company in its 78 years of distinguished service. Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, and operates from its global hub at Istanbul International Airport to 172 cities in 82 countries using 161 state-of-the-art aircraft. Turkish Airlines, which is a fully scheduled airline, carried 29.1 million passengers in 2010. It employs more than 14,000 people worldwide. In 2010, Turkish Airlines celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special ‘75’ logo painted on its aircraft and painted some its A320 aircraft in the old original 1970s airline livery. The initials 'THY' stand for Türk Hava Yollari (meaning Turkish Airlines). The airline’s marketing motto is ‘GLOBALLY YOURS’.
In contrast to other European flag carriers in the 21st century, Turkish Airlines is proud to be the fastest growing airline in Europe and in 2009 was voted the best airline in southern Europe. The Istanbul (IST) to Guangzhou (CAN) route is a relatively new one, having started in February 2011. For this route, Turkish Airlines uses the brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Turkish Airlines re-configured the interior cabins of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to have them specially designed in line with a new class of traveller known as Comfort Class. The Istanbul to Guangzhou route has become exceedingly popular with both Turkish and Chinese people because of the warm economic, political and tourist relations between Turkey and China. Presently there are three flights a week from Istanbul to Guangzhou and vice-versa. The flight from Guangzhou leaves at 23:00pm and arrives the following day at Istanbul at 5:25am, while the return flight leaves Istanbul at 23:50pm, arriving into Guangzhou the following day at 14:30pm. Most of the flights are full payload and full cargo as well. This gives the reader a strong indication of the strong partnership between Turkey and China, and the way the future of the aviation industry is going for these two countries. Both Turkey and China have ambitions plans in the pipeline to grow their aircraft fleets and airline routes for the commercial aviation sector between these two countries. In China, apart from Guangzhou, Turkish Airlines also flies to Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong providing a total of 23 flights a week to the region. Another strong indicator of this is that because Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, whose members also include Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air China, and BMI. So therefore, because of this link with Star Alliance, this flight was in code share with ‘Air China’. Route: ISTANBUL (IST) to GUANGZHOU (CAN) Departure date and time of flight : April 2011, 23:50pm local time (Istanbul) Flight number: TK72 (ICAO callsign: “Turkish 72 heavy”) Flight duration: 9 Hours 50 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3F2ER (13 aircraft in service) Aircraft registration: TC-JJM (Delivery date is 22nd of March 2011) Aircraft’s name: Marmara Frequent flyer programme: miles & smiles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 28 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, Comfort Class: 64 seats in a 2-3-2, Economy Class: 246 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Punctuality of the flight : Departed and landed on time. Istanbul airport can get exceedingly busy during the evenings and at nighttime because the long-haul flights prepare for departure while at the same time there are many European and Middle Eastern flights coming in. Not sure if this was a coincidence or what, but this plane was parked at gate 226, the same gate from which I took the flight to London Heathrow the week before on an Airbus A330-200. Usually certain aircraft that go on certain routes are assigned to certain gates, however in this case it was unexpected that this flight be assigned to this gate. I had arrived on a flight from London Heathrow (which had arrived on time). Even though there was a large queue for take-off at runway 35R, we still managed to get airborne on time. Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. With Turkish Airlines, passengers travelling on Business Class can carry 2-luggage bags up to 32 KG in total, with two handbags of 8 KG each. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. This was a connecting flight with only a short 50-minute wait before the next flight. Very convenient connection without any delays. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Upon embarking the aircraft, Business Class passengers are treated to chocolates by Godiva. The in-flight sky chef offers the chocolates as passengers are boarding the aircraft. Godiva chocolatier is a manufacturer of premium chocolates and related products. Godiva, founded in Belgium in 1926, was purchased by a Turkish company, Yıldız Holding, owner of the Ülker Group, in November 2007. As part of the proud Turkish hospitality and service, Turkish Airlines is proud to offer Godiva chocolates to its Business Class passengers. Passengers in both Business Class and Comfort Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, Turkish mineral water, and champagne. Usually what you find is that most ‘fresh orange juice’ drinks that form part of airline meals are heavily concentrated and taste like water with a splash of orange squash (or something similar), however it must be said that the orange juice on Turkish airlines is authentically fresh orange juice (with the orange bits in as well). Perfect quality and it tastes exceedingly good. Highly recommended that you drink it without the ice, as it tastes even better. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Business Class are offered a selection of drinks including fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water, and champagne. There were also a selection of international and Turkish wines and beers. White Turkish wine: 2008 Kavaklidere Narince (Anatolia) Red Turkish wine: 2007 Doluca Karma Turkish beer: Efes Pilsen Turkish liqueur: Tekel Ozel Uretim (sour cherry) Moreover, it doesn’t end here. In fact Turkish Airlines have an absolutely arse-kicking wine list on their Business Class menu. The drinks were accompanied with a bowl of mixed nuts, including Turkish hazelnuts. Accompanying the nuts were various canapés, champagne drink, and a fruit cocktail drink. Even Economy Class passengers get the hazelnuts on Turkish Airlines, which is much better than the pretzels or the load of old scrote that you get in some other in-flight meals. Turkish Airlines offers the hazelnut because it originates from Turkey, and forms part of Turkish cuisine. The canapés consisted of a potpourri of Mediterranean meze including smoked salmon, marinated prawns with an arugula salad. The fruit cocktail drink contained orange and pineapple with a lovely dash of fresh fruit on a small stick. Lovely presentation and immaculate attention to detail. I opted to go for the Tekel Ozel Uretim (Turkish liqueur) to go with the nuts and canapés. The Turkish liqueur is slightly strong with a hint of sweetness and spicy flavour to it. It gives a kind of burning sensation as you take every sip. You can almost feel the sour cherry touching the top of your tongue. In fact, it goes well with the nuts. Comments regarding the first meal: Dinner was served around an hour after departure from Istanbul. On long haul flights, Turkish Airlines has a special ‘sky chef’ present in their Business Class cabin. The sky chef presents the food according to the passengers request and can also make any special readjustments to the in-flight meal should the passengers feel they need so. Hot wet towels are offered prior to the meal along with a huge menu. Turkish Do&Co, the gourmet entertainment company, provides in-flight catering at Turkish Airlines with their colourful and inspiring menus containing equally sensational dishes. All the menus come written in both English and Turkish. A la carte menus are in business class. For starters, the following options were provided in Business Class: · Potpourri of Mediterranean meze including smoked salmon, marinated prawns with an arugula salad · Mozzarella and tomatoes accompanied with grilled vegetables and pesto sauce · Traditional Turkish red lentil soup (i.e. Daal) with an olive tapenade bruschetta That traditional Turkish red lentil soup was almost as good as my mum’s cooking. You just cannot go wrong with a red lentil soup (i.e. daal) anywhere in the world. It tasted even better with a little bit of salt and pepper sprinkled on the top, and along with that scrumptious olive tapenade bruschetta...hmmm. Delicious. It was so good that I could have managed with that dish alone for the rest of the flight. The following side dishes were provided on the tray: · Imambayildi stuffed eggplant in Olive Oil · Humus · Garden fresh seasonal salad You’ve got to give the kudos to the chef for producing a absolutely gob smacking humus. In fact, both the humus and the red lentil soup would get my double thumbs up. Healthy, and just so out of this world- even at 40,000 feet!. For the main course, there were three options available in Business Class: · Pan-fried sea bass, sautéed vegetables and herbed potatoes · Rigatoni with creamy tomato sauce- pesto sauce, sun-dried tomato, olives, arugula, parmesan · Sis kebab- lamb skewer, grilled tomato and green pepper, creamy eggplant puree and Turkish style rice My preferred option was the ‘pan-fried sea bass’. Oh, you have to love the smooth texture of the fish meat. It came with a lovely salad containing cherry tomatoes and a huge wad of lemon covered in a small net so you don’t up squirting the lemon juice everywhere. Yummy! Although I went for the ‘pan-fried sea bass’, I was, however, offered to try all three dishes. Turkish Do&Co have shown that there is nothing wrong with eating kebabs in a high pressurised environment at high-altitude. Lean meat, marinated and dry-grilled over charcoal before being served (as it is in this case) is unbelievably healthy especially when you sever it with a lovely crunchy salad like Turkish Airlines do. The problem that you may occasionally come across is that your in-flight meal is slightly frozen. That’s because in-flight meals are freeze dried to keep them fresh and are warmed up in the microwave just before serving. However, since this was a fresh meal because we took off from the hub at Istanbul only a few hours ago so it wasn’t a problem at all. The cabin crew twice offered a generous helping of a selection of warm ‘oven fresh bread’ from the basket- once before the main course and then again during the main course. The dessert tray contained the following: · Selection of cheese · Selection of fresh seasonal fruit · Various petit desserts including Turkish desserts (turkish desserts, 'revani', ekmek kadayifi, clotted cream in a plate). · Homemade sour cherry stroudel, marinated berries, vanilla ice cream in a cup Stainless steel cutlery in both the Business and Comfort Class cabins is provided by ‘Isik’, and proudly displays the engraved symbols ‘THY’ followed by the Turkish Airlines logo. All other cutlery in Business and Comfort Class cabins is provided in fine bone china, again with the Turkish Airlines logo and black ‘THY’ symbol engraved at the bottom of each piece. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks : Passengers were treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included both western coffee and Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee has a slightly stronger flavour and is normally taken without milk. A lovely cube of Turkish Delight is accompanied with the Turkish coffee. There was also a variety of digestives available including Baileys, Grand Marnier, Glenlivet, and Bisquit VSOP. Throughout the flight, passengers were able to enjoy a variety of snacks including free flowing drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) from the galley. Ayran, a traditional Turkish drink that consists of yogurt blended in with warm water and some salt was strongly recommended by the cabin crew. Comments regarding the second meal: Dinner was completed around 2 hours into the flight, which meant that passengers had around five and a half hours of sleep before they were to be treated to breakfast. Business Class passengers have the option of having their breakfast given to them as late as 60 minutes before landing. A round of fresh fruit juices and other drinks were offered to wake up the senses (including that incredible orange juice). Business Class passengers can order their breakfast prior to going to sleep using the provided menu. Breakfast in the Business Class cabin was served around 2 hours prior to landing. The breakfast meal tray consisted of a load of seriously good food, as follows: · A plate with a selection of cheese and vegetables · Muesli and fruit yogurt · Seasonal fresh fruit salad · Scrambled Eggs, turkey ham and cheese toast with herbed grilled tomato · Turkish honey The main dish contained two scrambled eggs alongside a Turkey ham and cheese toasted bread in the shape of a triangle with grilled tomato and plenty of green peppers to go with it. Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of seasonal fresh fruit and another small bowl containing assorted cheese with vegetables (mostly cheddar cheese). The cream of the breakfast meal has to be the muesli and fruit yogurt. The cabin crew offered a generous helping of a selection of warm ‘Oven fresh bread’ from the basket. I opted for the soft bread, which went well with the Anchor butter and strawberry jam. Passengers were again treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included both Western coffee and Turkish coffee. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. The 15.6-inch PTV screen, which is in place behind every seat, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is in use on this route. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. Programs the AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment' and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight. Then there is always the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Turkish Airlines, SkyLife, to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew : The cabin crew were very hospitable. Turkish Airlines is all about providing true, honest, and genuine Turkish hospitality at its best. The cabin crew are all very proud and passionate to work for their company. When faced with a challenge, they are the sensational kind of people that just go with it no matter what. Perhaps it’s the excellent training or just the good nature of Turkish people, but everyone seemed so positive, welcoming, and cheerful. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort) : We were flying on a brand new aircraft, having only been delivered to Turkish Airlines on the 22nd of March 2011. The Business Class cabin of the Boeing 777-300ER on Turkish Airlines has a 2-3-2 seat configuration. Passengers are also provided with a luxurious padded soft blanket, padded pillow, padded slippers, and a luxury amenity kit before going to sleep. The Business Class amenity kit contains the following: A quality toothbrush with a tube of Colgate toothpaste, a high quality eyeshade, earplugs, a pair of luxury socks that have soft pads on the soles, a foldable comb, and a shoe stick. A lip balm, eau de toilette, and skin moisturiser is provided by a designer brand- on this flight products were exclusively provided by Bvlargi, whereas on some other flights products are also provided by Hermes. There are 28-Business Class lie-flat beds on the Boeing 777-300ER each with a pitch of 78.0” and a width of 22.0”. Overall the seat has a 177 degrees recline providing a very spacious legroom. The seat reclines enough for you to have a very comfortable lie down for a long flight. Lovely suede leather and cotton material that is pleasing for the eye. Each seat in Comfort Class has electronic buttons on the bottom left hand corner that control the seats movements, while each seat in Business Class comes with its own personal night light that is easy to control. The food tray is neatly placed inside the left hand armrest, while the Personal TV (PTV) screen is neatly placed on the back of the seat ahead. There is also AC power and power available for your laptop built in every seat. This is a very convenient feature. Turkish Airlines logo and livery: The airline's striking logo consists of a crane flying inside a white circle symbolizing the common migration of the birds in Turkey. The logo is a crane bird with wings above the body. The simple yet powerful design of the wings also refers to the crescent in the Turkish flag. The "Eurowhite" livery consists of a snow white coloured fuselage with large navy blue ‘TURKISH AIRLINES’ lettering across the starboard and port side in capitals. On some smaller aircraft, such as the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 737-800, the word ‘TURKISH’ is written in capital navy blue letters, while ‘AIRLINES’ is displayed right underneath in light grey colours. The national flag of Turkey is displayed about one foot to the right hand side of the blue lettering. A huge silver coloured tulip is painted on the fuselage, running from the rear of the wing to the tail. The belly of the fuselage is painted in light grey. Every plane is named after a city or town in Turkey, or any of the seas and lakes scattered around the Turkey’s coastal waters. The tailfin of the aircraft is painted in a bright red colour with the company logo wrapped in a white circle. Priestmangoode is the company responsible behind the re-branding of Turkish Airlines as a key part of the airline’s strategy to position itself as a major European carrier. Priestmangoode delivered a complete re-design, starting with new interiors across the entire Turkish fleet. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: DUBAI (DXB) to LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT (LHR)
Departure date and time of flight: February 2011, 14:30pm local time (Dubai) Flight number: EK003 (ICAO callsign “Emirates 003”) Flight duration: 7 Hours 30 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A380-800 (SUPERJUMBO) The Airbus A380-800, dubbed the super-jumbo, is just sensational compared to; say the (now former) jumbo-jet of the skies, the legendary Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Emirates was the second airline to operate the A380-800 aircraft with 14 aircraft currently in service and 76 aircraft on order. As a keen aviation enthusiast I still find it hard to swallow that such a huge piece of metal tube can run along for 2 miles and fly half way across the world while carrying so much luggage, so many people, so much food, so much garbage and tons of fuel. It’s a shame that even in today’s day in age the vast majority of passengers have no idea what kind of aircraft they are flying on. All they want is plenty of legroom, excellent quality of food while they get from A to B in comfort. This aircraft had 535 seats in a 3 class configuration (First, Business and Economy), though the plane has the ability to accommodate a staggering 853 passengers in an all Economy Class configuration (though no airline has ordered this yet). Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time and landed on time as well. Any baggage issues: None. On Emirates Business Class passengers can carry a maximum of two luggage bags totalling 40KG in the hold. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: At Dubai international airport Emirates Airlines have a separate part of the terminal building allocated specifically for their First and Business Class passengers. This comes complete with a separated security control channel only for those travelling on Emirates Airlines First and Business class compartments'. I was driven straight from my hotel to the Emirates Business Class check-in area by the special Emirates Airlines chauffeur driven car. The smooth and efficient journey from downtown Dubai to the airport terminal took only around 20 minutes. Comments on the Emirates Lounge: At Dubai airport's terminal 3, Emirates have a whole floor dedicated to HUGE lounges for passengers that are travelling on either First Class or Business Class. There are separate lounges for First and Business Class passengers. Just the sheer scale of each of the lounge is enough to make you give the “WOW!” factor. With a seating area for over a thousand passengers, and a round the clock catering facility that enables passengers to enjoy almost every kind of food and drink under the sun (depending on the time of the day), the Emirates lounge is a bit on an adventurous place. Sitting on the top floor, one can get excellent views of the airfield as well as the city’s skyline in the background with the signature building, Burj Khalifa sticking out into the sky like a sore thumb. The entire cutlery in the lounge is made from bone china in the U.A.E. by the R.A.K group. After passing security, Dubai airport looks a bit more like a huge shopping mall. Unlike most airports around the world where you have just a few “Duty-free” shops selling the usual perfumes, liqueurs and other tax-free goods, at Dubai airport, however, there are various shops where you can effectively do your weekly shopping if you like because they sell everything including fresh fruit & vegetables, general household goods and even luxury cars. There are plenty of washrooms, showers provided with complimentary toiletries and towels, as well as baby changing facilities. Emirates have really made the flying experience a memorable one, and this is exactly what the industry needs in the 21st century. With the high quality of service that Emirates have offered to its passengers (irrespective of the cabin they are travelling in), its quite clear that flying should still be seen as a luxurious way to travel as opposed to just getting you from A to B. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Drinks of Champagne (Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial NV), freshly squeezed orange juice and apple juice were offered. Hot towels for refreshment were offered prior to take-off. A selection of cold canapés that included filled mini red bell peppers, marinated feta cheese and mixed olives. Priceless at 40,000 feet! A selection of white and red wines were offered. I went for the red wine (Chateau Olivier 2003 Pessac Leognan). There was also the Calera Pinot Noir 2007 from California. The texture is rich, smooth and savoury with a nice firm tannix structure that expresses accents of bright cherry, berry fruit while rewarding us a clean, smooth lively finish. Comments regarding the first meal: There was a selection of appetisers for this flight including: · Selection of authentic Arabic mezze included shanklish and vegetable salad, moutabl, stuffed vine leaves, bamia bil zeit and kibbeh al rahib, tomato and zaatar fatayar, with an assortment of Arabic pickles and garnishes; · Honey and ginger salmon with cured salmon, served on a bed of rocca leaves, topped with roasted shredded ginger, accompanied with a ginger dressing; · Seasonal salad- a seasonal salad served with a choice of dressings’. I went for the honey and ginger salmon. Very brightly coloured and a wonderfully presented dish. The decorated plate came with freshly cut slices of cured Scottish salmon absorbed with the sweet flavour of lemon blended in with honey. The blend between the honey and lemon is one to die for because not only is it a healthy option, but it brings out the juices of the fish, the ginger and the rocca leaves. The neatly cut slices of lemon make it easier for passengers to squeeze the juice onto the dish without squirting the lemon juice all over the place. Now, that’s what I call a healthy salad dish. For the main course there was a choice of: · Roast rack of lamb served with mustard and herd crust, and simmered lamb jus, accompanied with a potato ragout and an assortment of roasted vegetables; · Chicken teriyaki that included a teriyaki glazed chicken served with steamed onigiri rice, stir fried kai-lan, shiitake mushroom and carrot; · Truffle ravioli including pasta casings with a truffle flavouring filling, tossed in fresh basil pesto, topped with a mild mushroom and parmesan cheese veloute and mixed grilled capsicums); · Baked tilapia consisting of a slow baked fillet of white fish served with fennel cooked in a thyme broth, provencal style vegetables and wild rice pilau. I went for the chicken teriyaki option. Given that a Business Class in-flight meal is meant to resemble a similar feel and touch to that of a five star restaurant experience, I must say that the freshness, as well as the high quality of the chicken meat was the key to the success of this dish. Equally attractive and providing enough colours were the correctly boiled carrots and shiitake rice. The salad accompanying the main meal consisted of topped tikka marinated prawns, crumbled feta cheese, quail eggs, croutons and marinated olives served with a creamy Caesar dressing. A lovely selection of hot soft and hard breads’ was offered along with the main meal. Choices for the dessert included: · The blueberry crumble cake served with a cinnamon cream sauce. · The yoghurt raspberry terrine (a low fat yoghurt raspberry terrine topped with shortbread wafer, and served with raspberry coulis). I opted for the blueberry crumble cake served with a generous helping of cinnamon cream sauce. Now, if there was ever a competition on this flight, then this would be the dish of the flight without a doubt. Lovely crunchy feel to the crumble cake, and as one takes a spoonful they can easily absorb the strong flavours of the blueberry and the cinnamon. Oh, and as the crumble cake melts in your mouth, only then can you start to smell the cinnamon. This dish was so good that it reminded me of those large American style cinnamon bagels that you can get in the bakeries back in London. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): The on-board lounge: a sensational Airbus A380 experience on EMIRATES Hot and cold snacks offered in the on-board lounge included: · Feuillete of parmesan cheese straws · Marinated kalamata olives · Salty nut selection · Assorted cocktail sandwiches of mini salmon bagel, laugen pretzel with air dried beef and cheese mille-feuille · Japanese crisps · Nachos and cheese dips · Hot snacks offered: · Tandoori chicken pizza · Prawn satey skewes · Mediterranean vegetable quiche · A free flow of drinks and appetisers, snacks were available in the social bar. · Fresh fruit slices. International cheese selection (always a favourite), chocolates by Godiva accompanied with tea or coffee (freshly brewed at 37,000 feet!). There was also a wide range selection of hot and cold drinks, liqueurs, cognacs, cocktails and whiskies. On the Airbus A380-800, Emirates provide every Business Class and First Class seat with a personal mini-bar consisting of the following drinks: tomato juice, coca-cola can, cranberry juice, sprite can and mineral water (sparkling). Comments regarding the second meal (if any): Afternoon tea on the EMIRATES Airbus A380 aircraft (BUSINESS CLASS) A traditional English afternoon tea was served with a selection of classic reception sandwiches, delicate mini pastries, banana chocolate chip cake, freshly baked scones served with a rich clotted cream and strawberry preserve. Tea and coffee was also free flow! So, sit back in your Business Class seat, watch a lovely movie or listen to some golden oldies on the audio system, absorb the ambiance of flying with one of the world’s five star airlines on the most advanced and largest aircraft in the world. Enjoy all of this while feeling like royalty in a genuine place at 40,000 feet. Emirates feed you like there is no tomorrow. I mean they really do feed you. So you don’t have to run down to MacDonald’s once you land at your destination! Comments on the in-flight system (if any): The Emirates ICE (Information, Communication and Entertainment) touch screen system is the main platform used for providing a truly amazing in-flight entertainment to passengers with over 1,200 channels which YOU control with the flick of a button. Effectively there are enough movies and music to keep one busy throughout the flight and in actual fact there is something for everyone. The ICE programme is perhaps one of the best I have seen on any flight and far more efficient and sophisticated then some other airline companies have to offer. In the First Class and Business Class cabins, 17-inch flat screens are used. With the communication programme you can send an e-mail, SMS and use the phone anywhere around the world. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Quite possibly the best flight I have ever taken in my entire life (so far). The A380 experience is just sensational. It is definitely the future of flying and I can say that as a frequent flyer, I can confidently say that even the Boeing 747-400 is no match to this outstanding aircraft (really, it isn’t). One of the key things that fascinated me, as much as it would fascinate you as well, was that while cruising at 40,000 feet it’s remarkably quiet. There is no confusion or clutter and it feels as if you have never left the ground. I have to give kudos to the amazing crew and the pilots of this brilliant flight. On the whole everything has just that little bit more space and legroom, and this includes the Economy Class seats, the windows, the toilets and the wider aisles. The flight experience was even made better that my friend was in the right hand seat of the aircraft. Senior First Officer James Nixon took some awesome photos from the cockpit. It's always nice to know who is sitting in the cockpit! James, an Aussie, is a fine example of what hard work, sheer dedication and perseverance can achieve in life. He has been flying all kinds of aircraft for over 28 YEARS and has even written a book about- go and buy a copy - it's worth it for long haul flights. If this article makes you feel as if there was nothing wrong with this flight then you are not quite off the mark because everything was just perfect as one would wish for in any flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Airbus A380-800 has a 1-2-1 configuration for the First Class cabins (known as suites, each of which comes with an 86-inch flat bed), 2-2-2 configuration for the Business Class cabins (each seat with a 79-inch flat-bed), and 3-4-3 configuration for the Economy Class cabins (each with an 6-inch recline). All of the Business Class seats can be turned into a 79-inch flat bed. In the Business Class cabin, the added feature of a mini-bar for all business and First Class seats in the Airbus A380-800 aircraft brings along a nice touch, but tends to take up some of the space that could be used to make the seat a bit wider. In essence a Business Class seat on Emirates is effectively equal to one that may be ranked as a First Class seat on some other airlines (no names mentioned!). Though this was a rather short flight but the electronic in-seat built massage system is very helpful to help with blood circulation and also with fighting fatigue. On the Airbus A380-800 each seat has an independent access to the aisle, an in-seat power supply for laptop or mobile phones (which you can use on-board on some flights), and a personal storage area. This is useful especially for those passengers who would be, say for example, going straight back to the office after they arrive at their destination (like me!). After all, Business Class is made essentially for those on a business trip (“business is for business” as they say!). The first class cabin only had one passenger aboard on this flight (just another young Arab prince going to London on a shopping spree- he had his Lamborghini waiting upon arrival at Terminal 3!). The A380 features a bulb less illumination system, which is known as “mood-lighting” in non-technical terms. LEDs are deployed in the cabin, cockpit and cargo areas. The cabin lighting features programmable multi-spectral LEDs capable of creating a cabin ambiance that simulates daylight, night, or the various levels in between depending on the time of the day/night. On the outside of the aircraft, HID lighting is used for brighter, whiter illumination. The mood lighting displayed by Emirates inside all of their cabins during the various phases of the flight (bright orange during sunrise and dusk, and dark shades of blue during the cruise at night-time) is a sensational piece of art and not just technology being applied. Added luxury- the Emirates chauffeur driven service Emirates provide a complimentary chauffeur driven service for passengers travelling on their Business Class or First Class cabins. Only a handful of other airlines offer this very welcoming, handy and unique service. In Dubai I was whisked from my hotel straight to the special Emirates business class check-in building in a comfortable Mercedes complete with neat leather seats, in-car TV and plenty of drinks and refreshments on offer. Similarly when I arrived at Heathrow, I was met by my driver at the Emirates arrivals desk at terminal 3. I can tell you with my hand on my heart that once someone lands in London, especially London Heathrow at the rush hour because it looks and feels like a funfair rather than an airport; this service is very much welcomed with more than a smile. I suppose, when it comes to transportation in London, the worst thing is getting in the hellhole that is the London Underground or being stuck in a horrendous traffic jam on the M4 while on the way back to the city. But rest assured that the Emirates chauffeur driven service will take you straight to your door in a smooth and comfortable way without the hustle or bustle. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: BANGKOK (BKK) to DUBAI (DXB)
Departure date and time of flight: February 2011, at 20:50pm local time (Bangkok) Flight number: EK373 (ICAO callsign “Emirates 373”) Flight duration: 7 hours and 15 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS (FIRST CLASS COMBINED) Aircraft type: BOEING 777-300 Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time, but was delayed by about 20 minutes due to heavy evening traffic at Dubai. It had just finished raining when we landed. Any baggage issues: None. On Emirates Business Class passengers can carry a maximum of two luggage bags totalling 40KG in the hold. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The staff were very professional. Everything went smoothly at check-in. I was whisked through the “Fast Track” security check that is used by either passengers travelling First and Business Class, or crew members’. Comments on the Emirates Lounge: At Bangkok airport, the Emirates lounge has the same high quality features as one would expect in another Emirates lounge anywhere else in the world. In true Emirates style that resembles the colourful ambiance of the desert region of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), complete with beautiful colours of beige, red and green (representing the national flag of the U.A.E.). As a show of respect and affection for Sheikh Mohammed, and for his fondness of horses, there is a large bronze statue of horses. In fact, you’ll find similar bronze statues of horses in every Emirates lounge around the world. The entire cutlery in the lounge is made from bone china in the U.A.E. by the R.A.K group, and imported especially to Bangkok for the Emirates lounge. Complimentary access to the internet, showers with designer toiletries to freshen up before a flight, an electronic massage chair and a lavish display of luxury snacks and main course dishes along with all kinds of wines, spirits and drinks are offered. It’s so good that you may even end up going to sleep here if you get carried away! Comments regarding the pre-meal service: The award winning cuisine commenced with the following: Drinks of champagne (Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial NV) freshly squeezed orange juice and apple juices were offered prior to departure. The provision of hot towels for refreshment was also offered prior to take off. A selection of white and red wines was offered. I went for the red wine (Torbreck Old Vines GSM 2005 from the Barossa Valley) and the Chateau St. Georges 2002 from the St Georges St. Emilion. Both were fine. Very good length for both wines. Elegant and friendly to the tongue because one can easily taste the plentiful of succulent seasonal fruits lingering at the back of the mouth as one sips a lovely glass. At first, a slightly spicy oak tends to dominate the aroma profile. The flavour than drives through and widens on the middle palate, delivering a clear, clean complex. Comments regarding the first meal: The choices for the appetiser included: · Honey roast duck served with sweet mango salsa and pickled ginger slices, fresh water cress and radicchio leaves; · Smoked tuna rolled with fresh crudities, grilled scallops and a light horseradish cream; · Seasonal salad served with a choice of dressings’. I went for the smoked tuna. Four fresh brightly coloured tuna slices neatly rolled like a fine spring roll and filled in with fresh crudities and grilled scallops were neatly presented as a feast for the eyes and the tongue. The two rolls were generously garnished with the light horseradish cream providing a rich and authentic flavour to the otherwise lovely dish. For the main course meal, the choices were as follows: · Chasseur chicken (Pan-fried chicken thigh served with a classic creamy mushroom sauce, duchesse potatoes, grilled zucchini and roast tomatoes) · Stir-fried beef (Wok fried beef slices with a rice oyster sauce, served with fragrant red and white rice and steamed baby pak choy) · Shrimp curry cooked in a spicy Indian masala, served with vegetable rice, peas and paneer vegetable curry. I went for the chasseur chicken. I could easily have opted for the equally tantalising “shrimp curry”, however my stomach was craving for some decent chicken meat. I was glad that I had made a good enough choice. You just can’t go wrong with chicken thigh drowned in a succulent creamy mushroom sauce. It goes rather with the thought of a “chicken and mushroom soup”, with the big difference being that this dish contained a generous portion of a well-cooked chicken thigh and a above average mushroom sauce that was fabulously decorated with roasted tomatoes, grilled zucchini (which is a priceless addition by the way) and plentiful of the mashed potatoes. You just can’t argue with good food. All the main meals are accompanied with a choice of freshly cooked bread from the “bread basket” that contains a variety of soft and hard breads’. The choices for the dessert included: · Cashew nut nougatine served with whipped cream and candied curry. · Apple fritters served with vanilla sauce and almond ice-cream. I opted for the cashew nut nougatine that came complete with a minute slice of a fresh strawberry. The whipped cream and the candied curry assisted in softening the rich and thick nougatine as it entered the mouth. With a ridiculously delicious dessert like this it’s best to take every spoonful slowly so that you absorb the full flavour as it melts while making its way towards your stomach. Simply irresistible. Chocolates by Godiva were offered accompanied with either tea or coffee (freshly brewed at 37,000feet!) Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): On the Boeing 777-300 aircraft, Emirates have their in-flight snacks available all throughout the flight. Passengers can simply request the service from their seat or they can go to the front of the Business class cabin. There is a wide variety of international cheese selection available along with a choice of fine red and white wines. In the bar service there was a selection of Thai and other international beers, cocktails’, spirits’, champagne port and wines and liqueurs. Fresh fruit selection (healthy) was on offer as well various cakes, pastries and Godiva chocolates. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): There was no second meal because this was a medium haul flight of less than 8 hours’. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): The Emirates ICE (Information, Communication and Entertainment) programme is the main platform used for providing a truly first-class in-flight entertainment to passengers with over 1,200 channels which YOU control with the flick of a button. Effectively there are enough movies and music to keep one busy throughout the flight and in actual fact there is something for everyone. The ICE programme is perhaps one of the best I have seen on any flight and far more efficient and sophisticated then some other airline companies have to offer. In the First and Business Class cabins, 17-inch flat screens are used. With the communication programme you can send an e-mail, SMS and use the phone anywhere around the world. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: As with the majority of Emirates flights’, the cabin crew of this flight were overall professional in all that they accomplished during the flight. The food was delivered at the right time; the cabin crew were friendly and had a smile on their faces even when under high pressure. Special thanks to the fantastic and professional crew and the pilots for allowing me to take photos on this flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Emirates Boeing 777-300 aircraft has a 2-2-2 configuration for the Business Class cabin and a 3-4-3 configuration for the Economy Class cabin. This Emirates Boeing 777-300 aircraft had a two-class configuration (Business Class and Economy CClass). Some of the features of the Business Class in this Emirates Boeing 777-300 aircraft are comparable to that of First Class on other airlines and this is perhaps one reason why Emirates is not afraid to offer just a two Class flight (no First Class cabin on this aircraft). The features that distinguish Emirates Business Class as being comparable to a First Class included electronically operated window shades, the Business Class seat that can effectively be classed as a First Class seat because it turns into a 79-inch flat-bed, the HUGE 17-inch LCD entertainment screen, the high quality of the food service, the ever-lasting high quality of bed linen, and the high level of customer service offered by the cabin-crew. Oh, I forgot to mention that all the Business Class seats have a built-in electronic body massage system to sooth those aching muscles while helping you to relax prior to your arrival. Added luxury- the Emirates chauffeur driven service Emirates provide a complimentary chauffeur driven service for passengers travelling on their Business or First Class cabins. Only a handful of other airlines offer this very welcoming, handy and unique service. In Dubai, Emirates have a 24-hour dedicated counter for those arriving on Business or First class. I was whisked away straight to my hotel in a comfortable Mercedes, complete with neat leather seats, in-car TV and plenty of drinks and refreshments on offer. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: HONG KONG (HKG) to BANGKOK (BKK)
Flight number: EK385 (ICAO callsign: “Emirates 385”) Flight duration: 2 Hours, 55 Minutes Date and time: February 2011, 21:15pm (local time in Hong Kong) Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A380-800 (SUPERJUMBO) The Airbus A380-800, dubbed the super-jumbo, is just sensational compared to; say the (now former) jumbo-jet of the skies, the legendary Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Emirates was the second airline to operate the A380-800 aircraft with 14 aircraft currently in service and 76 aircraft on order. As a keen aviation enthusiast I still find it hard to swallow that such a huge piece of metal tube can run along for 2 miles and fly half way across the world while carrying so much luggage, so many people, so much food, so much garbage and tons of fuel. It’s a shame that even in today’s day in age the vast majority of passengers have no idea what kind of aircraft they are flying on. All they want is plenty of legroom, excellent quality of food while they get from A to B in comfort. This aircraft had 535 seats in a 3 class configuration (First, Business and Economy), though the plane has the ability to accommodate a staggering 853 passengers in an all Economy Class configuration (though no airline has ordered this yet). Punctuality of the flight: Very efficient. The Airbus A380-800 aircraft has a special gate allocated at Hong Kong airport, which allows passengers to board quickly, smoothly and efficiently on both decks of the aircraft. Any baggage issues: None. On Emirates Business Class passengers can carry a maximum of two luggage bags totalling 40KG in the hold. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in staff at the Hong Kong airport were very professional, proactive and efficient. Comments on the Emirates Lounge: The Emirates airline lounge used by First and Business Class passengers is located on the 2nd floor after security and just a comfortable 2 minute walk to the gates where Emirates airlines park their aircraft at Hong Kong. In true Emirates style that resembles the colourful ambiance of the desert region of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), complete with beautiful colours of beige, red and green (representing the national flag of the U.A.E.). As a show of respect and affection for Sheikh Mohammed, and for his fondness of horses, there is a large bronze statue of horses. In fact, you’ll find similar bronze statues of horses in every Emirates lounge around the world. The entire cutlery in the lounge is made from bone china in the U.A.E. by the R.A.K group, and imported especially to Hong Kong for the Emirates lounge. Complimentary access to the internet, showers with designer toiletries to freshen up before a flight, an electronic massage chair and a lavish display of luxury snacks and main course dishes along with all kinds of wines, spirits and drinks are offered. It’s so good that you may even end up going to sleep here if you get carried away! Comments regarding the pre-meal service: The award winning cuisine and service commenced even before we set off the ground, consisted of the following: Drinks of Champagne (Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial NV) freshly squeezed orange juice and apple juice was offered prior to take-off. Hot towels for refreshment were also offered prior to take-off A selection of fine white and red wines was offered. I went for the red wine (Torbreck Old Vines GSM 2005 from the Barossa Valley) and the Chateau St. Georges 2002 from the St. Emilion selection of wines. Both had an exceedingly good length that had an elegant and friendly touch to the tongue. One can easily taste the plentiful of succulent seasonal fruits lingering at the back of the mouth as one sipped a lovely glass. At first, a slightly spicy oak tends to dominate the aroma profile. The flavour than rigoursly drives through and widens on the middle palate, delivering a clear, clean complex finish. A choice of various appetisers consisted of: · Lobster Medallions (accompanied with balik tartar and caviar that was generously garnished with lime wedge), · Noya Duck (roast duck breast glazed with plum sauce, served with a sliced pear and potato salad). I went for the lobster medallions. A tantalising touch to the tongue where one can feel the smoothness of the caviar flavoured in with a neat dash of lime. To have the luxury of caviar on any flight is just a delight, but on Emirates it was a sensational feeling when washed down with a glass of fine Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial NV. Comments regarding the first meal: There were three choices provided for the main course meal consisting of: · Oriental Lamb Curry served with briyani rice, sautéed okra and paneer mahkani, · Stir-fried Chicken with Cashews accompanied with soya and vegetable Sauce, served with steamed rice, pak choy and Chinese mushrooms, · Steamed Fillet of Salmon with wasabi sauce, kaffir lime and celery, served with boiled new potatoes, turned carrots and broccoli. I had ordered a special meal for this flight (Asian vegetarian). Even though the special meal was scrumptious, I do, however, wish I had not ordered it because the normal three options looked equally tempting to tuck into. The Asian vegetarian meal consisted of a starter traditional north Indian saag paneer with a small roti (Indian chapatti bread) and some raita (Indian sweet and sour yogurt). For desert I had 3 balls of rasgula which were incredibly delicious! As far as the provision of Indian food during an in-flight meal, Emirates provide an above average standard taste and experience. With strongly flavoured cuisine such as Indian food, it is always best to provide a meal that is nothing but more than just fresh because it has the high expectation from the passengers’, and the flavour has to be fresh as well. Another positive factor of this meal was that it was neither oily, spicy nor salty but just at the right medium taste that caters for everyone. For those that preferred a slightly spicy flavour, a traditional Indian pickle was provided as an added delight. During the meal service a bread basket was offered that contained a variety of soft and hard breads’. For dessert there was the red bean cake (Chinese pudding garnished with mango puree and fruit). Because I had ordered the Asian vegetarian option so I was provided with a traditional Indian desert of rasgula (sweet white balls made of wheat and dipped into a generous amount of syrup). Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): The on-board lounge: a sensational Airbus A380 experience on EMIRATES Hot and cold snacks offered in the on-board lounge included: · Feuillete of parmesan cheese straws · Marinated kalamata olives · Salty nut selection · Assorted cocktail sandwiches of mini salmon bagel, laugen pretzel with air dried beef and cheese mille-feuille · Japanese crisps · Nachos and cheese dips · Hot snacks offered: · Tandoori chicken pizza · Prawn satey skewes · Mediterranean vegetable quiche · A free flow of drinks and appetisers, snacks were available in the social bar. · Fresh fruit slices. In the on-board lounge there were a selection of beers, cocktails’, spirits’, champagne port, wines and various liqueurs. Snack food consisting of canapés, various nuts, pastries and cute little sandwiches were also offered. A generous layout of international cheese selection (always a favourite) was displayed in the social bar area. Irresistible chocolates provided by Godiva were accompanied with either tea (green tea or black tea), or freshly brewed coffee. You just can’t beat having a freshly brewed coffee at 37,000 feet. As with the typical Emirates service a huge plate full of traditional and exotic fresh fruits was available to tuck into as well. On the Airbus A380-800, Emirates provide every Business and First Class seat with a personal mini-bar consisting of the following drinks: tomato juice, coca-cola can, cranberry juice, sprite can and mineral water (sparkling). Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None. This was a short hop across the waters from the most happening part of greater China to the most happening place in south-east Asia. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): The Emirates ICE (Information, Communication and Entertainment) touch screen system is the main platform used for providing a truly first-class in-flight entertainment to passengers with over 1,200 channels which YOU control with the flick of a button. Effectively there are enough movies and music to keep one busy throughout the flight and in actual fact there is something for everyone from the latest PC console games to the latest movies from the world’s cinemas. The ICE programme is perhaps one of the best I have seen on any flight and far more efficient and sophisticated then some other airline companies have to offer. In the First and Business Class cabins, HUGE 17-inch flat screens are used. With the communication programme you can send an e-mail, SMS and use the phone anywhere around the world. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Special thanks go to Captain Dwayne Malone and First Officer Amos Desanker for this short haul flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok. Captain Malone was kind enough to give me a short tour of his enormous office. Both the take-off and landing phases were very smooth. The aircraft was exceedingly quiet (could hardly know that we had taken off from Hong Kong)! The aircraft is also remarkably quiet even during the cruise. This is very much true because unlike on most other aircraft where passengers have to talk loud because of the noise of the pressurised cabin and the engines in the background, with the Airbus A380-800 it feels like you are talking to someone at ground level rather than at 37,000 feet! It feels rather like sitting inside a high-speed train, except that the high-speed train has the occasional sound of the horn and the plane does not. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Airbus A380-800 has a 1-2-1 configuration for the First Class cabins (known as Suites, each of which comes with an 86-inch flat bed), 2-2-2 configuration for the Business Class cabins (each seat with a 79-inch flat-bed), and 3-4-3 Configuration for the Economy lass cabins (each with an 6-inch recline). All of the Business Class seats can be turned into a 79-inch flat bed. In the Business Class cabin, the added feature of a mini-bar for all Business and First Class seats in the Airbus A380-800 aircraft brings along a nice touch, but tends to take up some of the space that could be used to make the seat a bit wider. In essence a Business Class seat on Emirates is effectively equal to one that may be ranked as a First Class seat on some other airlines (no names mentioned!). Though this was a rather short flight but the electronic in-seat built massage system is very helpful to help with blood circulation and also with fighting fatigue. On the Airbus A380-800 each seat has an independent access to the aisle, an in-seat power supply for laptop or mobile phones (which you can use on-board on some flights), and a personal storage area. This is useful especially for those passengers who would be, say for example, going straight back to the office after they arrive at their destination (like me!). After all, Business Class is made essentially for those on a business trip (“Business is for business” as they say!). The A380 features a bulb less illumination system, which is known as “mood-lighting” in non-technical terms. LEDs are deployed in the cabin, cockpit and cargo areas. The cabin lighting features programmable multi-spectral LEDs capable of creating a cabin ambiance that simulates daylight, night, or the various levels in between depending on the time of the day/night. On the outside of the aircraft, HID lighting is used for brighter, whiter illumination. The mood lighting displayed by Emirates inside all of their cabins during the various phases of the flight (bright orange during sunrise and dusk, and dark shades of blue during the cruise at night-time) is a sensational piece of art and not just technology being applied. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: London Gatwick to Funchal International Airport (Madeira Island)
Departure date and time of flight: 13:00pm on the 4th of August 2009 Flight Number: TP349 Flight duration: 3h 45m Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A320-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from a rather unusually quite Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into the normally very quite Funchal Airport! Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional. I was upgraded to Business Class on this sector of the flight. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola), and wine. Champagne was also offered. Comments regarding the first meal: For lunch it was a penne pasta with broccoli and sautéed mushrooms. The sauce was slightly sticky, but that would be expected since this is airline food. You are eating at 37,000 feet and not in a 5* restaurant! To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the sunflower seed decorated roasted bun. There was a small dish of fresh fruit, and to my surprise this was indeed fresh. Normally fruit in airline food is not really fresh, but rather been in the fridge for some time. But you could tell from the juices in the melons and the kiwi that the food was fresh. To top it all up was a lovely Danish pastry for desert- again very fresh and delicious. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and Champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine cheese slices, roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Despite the flight being full, there was a certain calm in the cabin- no noise, no complaints. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The A320 has a standard 3-3 configuration for Economy Class, and a 2-2 seat layout for Business Class. TAP Air Portugal has a clean and fresh looking interior. The airlines colours of lime green and red are portrayed on the design of the seats. The seats are very comfortable, with a recline enough to stretch the legs during the short haul flight (although it can be sometimes classed as Medium Haul because it approach almost 4 hours) Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 BRITISH AIRWAYS is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.
Route: Rome Fiumicino Airport to London Gatwick Departure date and time of flight: June 2008 Flight Number: BA2541 Flight duration: 2hrs 35mins Class: Business Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from Rome Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into Gatwick Airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar. Comments regarding the first meal: For dinner the main course consisted of a Moroccan cuscus garnished with fresh lemon, tomatoes and yellow pepper, and accompanied with Scottish salmon (which was delicious). To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a lovely chocolate cheese cake topped with chocolate sauce syrup. Chili, lime and lemongrass dressing was provided. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine Scottish shortbread and biscuits, roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.
Route: London Gatwick to Rome Fiumicino Airport Departure date and time of flight: 14:05pm on the 19th June 2008 Flight Number: BA2540 Flight duration: 2hrs 20mins Class: Business Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 15 minutes early into Rome Airport- which was very quiet for an international airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with Caviar. Comments regarding the first meal: For lunch the main course consisted of a sautéed mushrooms made with barbecued vegetables (red pepper, cucumber and lettuce). There was a large slice of honey roasted ham and spaghetti. To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a lovely mandarin cheese cake topped with chopped almonds and honey syrup. Chilli, lime and lemongrass dressing was provided. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and Champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine Scottish shortbread and biscuits, roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including economy class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class, and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.
Route: Geneva to London Gatwick Departure date and time of flight: March 2008 Flight Number: BA723 Flight duration: 1h 30m Class: Business Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from Geneva International, but (as always) and landed on time at Gatwick. This is one of the main reasons I prefer to use Gatwick. It’s not that a busy airport as Heathrow and there are hardly any delays (if the weather is good that is!) Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: No check-in issues. Everything goes perfectly smoothly at Geneva Airport. Just like the rest of the Swiss culture- everything is on time and in an orderly manner. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar. Comments regarding the first meal: For Breakfast the main course consisted of a scrambled egg made with free range eggs, roasted tomatoes, sausage made with British pork, button mushrooms and a slice of bacon made from British pork. The meal was scrumptious. I could taste that the food was fresh. All the items were freshly made on that morning- and since this was an early morning flight out of Geneva so that would make sense. Orange marmalade was provided by Swiss “Fancy Extra” brand. To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the freshly cooked hot chocolate bun. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. A strawberry smoothie was the highlight of the meal. An absolute delight to have at 37,000 feet above France! Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne (though I did not take it so early in the morning). Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.
Route: London Gatwick to Geneva Departure date and time of flight: 06:45am on the 23rd March 2008 Flight Number: BA724 Flight duration: 1h 35m Class: Business Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from a rather unusually quite Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into the normally very quite Geneva Airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar. Comments regarding the first meal: For Breakfast the main course consisted of a scrambled egg made with free range eggs, roasted tomatoes, sausage made with .pork, button mushrooms and a slice of bacon made from British pork. The meal was scrumptious. I could taste that the food was fresh. All the items were freshly made on that morning- and since this was an early morning flight out of Gatwick so that would make sense. To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the freshly cooked hot chocolate bun. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a nice plate of fresh fruit consisting of kiwi, strawberry, melon, orange and grapefruit was included. Orange marmalade was provided by the British firm Wilkin & Sons. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and Champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine Scottish shortbread and biscuits, roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates fullinternational and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.
Route: Geneva to London Heathrow Departure date and time of flight: 17:25pm on the 21st March 2008 Flight Number: BA733 Flight duration: 1h 50m (Includes a 20 minutes hold over Biggin Hill) Class: Business Class Aircraft type: Airbus A319 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from Geneva International, but (as always) had to hold for around 20 minutes over Biggin Hill in the South East of London before landing at Heathrow. The view at night time is amazing. Clear views of the traffic jams on the M25, as well as Canary Wharf and other landmarks look stunning at night time. Heathrow is such a busy airport that flights have to stack up at four main points around London- Biggin Hill (SE London), Lambourne (NE London), Bovingdon (NW London) or Ockham (SW London). Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: No check-in issues. Everything goes perfectly smoothly at Geneva Airport. Just like the rest of the Swiss culture- everything is on time and in an orderly manner. No hustle and bustle. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar. Comments regarding the first meal: For dinner the main course consisted of a honey roasted cold chicken breast pieces blended in neatly with freshly cut lettuce and other salad. The meal was scrumptious. Creaser salad dressing was provided. To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the sesame seed bread. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a “sticky toffee” provided by Thornton’s chocolates. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class, and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code-share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.
Route: London Gatwick to Geneva Departure date and time of flight: March 2008 Flight Number: BA734 Flight duration: 1h 35m Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from a rather unusually quite Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into the normally very quite Geneva Airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar. Comments regarding the first meal: For afternoon tea the main course consisted of a king prawn salad and a thick lemon sauce sprinkled on top. All of this was accompanied with cold seaweed, and sprinkled with some fine black pepper and a thick cream sauce (tasted like thick Greek yogurt) To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the sunflower seed decorated roasted bun. Fresh water was provided by “Harrogate Spa”. To top it all up was a lovely chocolate cheese cake for desert- again very fresh and delicious. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine cheese slices, roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our cod eshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide. Route: London Gatwick to Geneva Departure date and time of flight: 17.30pm on the 9th March 2008 Flight Number: BA736 Flight duration: 1h 35m Class: Business Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from a rather unusually quite Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into the normally very quite Geneva Airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of various hot and cold drinks. Champagne was also offered along with caviar. Comments regarding the first meal: For dinner the main course consisted of honey roasted ham with boiled potato salad and a cheese & onion quiche. All of this was accompanied with fresh olives, and sprinkled with some fine black pepper and lemon juice. Mustard was available as an option with the ham. To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the sunflower seed decorated roasted bun. Fresh water was provided by “Harrogate Spa”. To top it all up was a lovely chocolate cheese cake for desert- again very fresh and delicious. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine cheese slices, roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 |
About Airline PRThis is a special section on Airline Branding, and Airline Public Relations written by me on all the flights I have been fortunate enough to have been on. These are not records taken from somewhere else, but are actual flights I have been on. Most of the flight trips are officially sponsored by the airline companies in order to promote their certain routes, and aircraft. Airline promotion and PR related work in the aviation industry is one of my expertise. Watch exclusive videos below taken in the cockpit of a Boeing 777-300ER in-flight over Chinese Airspace.
Special thanks goes to Turkish Airlines B777-300ER Cockpit Video 1B777-300ER Cockpit Video 2Archives
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