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 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 six 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 (seven flights a week), Beijing (four flights a week), and Shanghai (seven 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 seven times a week from Doha using the Airbus A330 aircraft with a two-class configuration (Business and Economy). When the Airbus A380-800 and the Boeing 787-8 enter into service, I am sure that Chinese destinations will be on the priority list. This is a hot market for the aviation industry. 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 Economy Class seats! What a flight it was…check this out: Route: DOHA (DOH) to GUANGZHOU (CAN) Departure date and time of flight: February 2011 Flight number: QR874 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 874”) Flight duration: 7 Hours 10 minutes Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3DZER (16 in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-300ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-BAB (First flight 11th December 2007) Engine Type: 2 x GE GE90-115B (General Electric) Aircraft Serial Number: 36103 LN:686 Aircraft Name: Um-Alamad Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 42 lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 293 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration 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 five aircraft in service). 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). Punctuality of the flight : Departed bang on time, and landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Doha airport gets exceedingly busy at nighttime with Qatar Airways flights connecting passengers to all parts of the world. Qatar Airways makes full use of the cost effective nighttime allowance to fly. Even though the airport is close to the city centre (only 5km), however noise is not a problem because most of the time the winds are prevailing towards the city, so planes can take-off in the opposite direction (i,e. towards the sea), and this also benefits the airlines timetables. Even though a 3am flight is not good for the body clock (this was a connecting flight that I had taken while coming in from London Heathrow), early morning flights provide some truly priceless and spectacular views of the sunrise (or sunset). We got a magical view of the sunrise over Asia while we were cruising somewhere over north-west India (please see photos). Just makes you realise how beautiful earth and life is. Any baggage issues: Qatar Airways flies from Terminal A at Doha International Airport. Terminal B is used by all other international airlines. No issues regarding the baggage. For Economy Class Qatar Airways have dedicated a checked baggage allowance of 23 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the Doha to Guangzhou route, they have a 23KG luggage policy. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Since I was in transit (flying from London Heathrow to Guangzhou via Doha), therefore I did not have to worry about this. Comments on the check-in staff and flight route : There was no need for me to check-in as I was in transit from London Heathrow to Guangzhou. The flight from Doha to Guangzhou was full to the maximum with passengers, and cargo. ‘Full cargo, and full payload, as the Captain told me. Doha airport caters for around 15 million passengers every year (2010 data), and is mainly used by Qatar Airways (as well as the 23 other airlines that use it). The existing airport will be replaced in late 2011 (or early 2012!) when the first phase of New Doha International Airport (NDIA) is expected to open with its two new runways. NDIA will be located around 5km from the existing airport, and will be the only commercial airport in the State of Qatar. It is no surprise that as the Chinese economy is rising at a dizzying pace; there is an increase in the number of people flying to/from China for business (and travel). These days on almost of the flights that I have been to China, they have been FULL. Airline companies have recognised that China is definitely a HUGE market for the aviation industry. Qatar Airways was one of the first Middle Eastern carriers to fly into Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province. With a population of 12.78 million people, the city has strong connections with many Chinese, and non-Chinese people living and working in Europe (Eastern and Western), the Middle East, and the African Subcontinent. Hence the reason why it is so vitally important for Qatar Airways to tap into this important destination (and market!). In fact, Guangzhou, which has been a major trade port for hundreds of years, has a large African expatriate population- almost 50,000 as of 2011. Most are from Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Algeria, and Egypt. A casual discussion with some passengers at China customs, and at the baggage collection belts at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport seemed to point that most of the passengers on our flight were from African countries on trade missions to Guangzhou. We departed Doha bang on time, leaving from runway 16 (the 15th longest runway in the world at 15,000 feet), at 03:15am towards the Arabian sea, heading towards Bahrain control, then onto Abu Dhabi, Dubai, southern Afghanistan, and then entering Pakistan from Karachi. The flight entered Indian airspace from the Rajasthan desert, heading towards New Delhi control, then making its way towards the Ganges Delta near Kolkata before entering Bangladesh Airspace (got a view of dusty Dhaka baking in sheer heat from 38,000 feet!), and Burma. At around five hours into the flight we entered Chinese airspace in from Yunnan Province (went over Kunming), Guangxi Province (Yangshuo and Guilin were clearly visible with their dreamy hills), and then finally entering Guangdong Province from Foshan, sliding nicely into Guangzhou (beautiful views of Guangzhou city centre). This flight was just a journey to remember just because of the beautiful views that were offered on the way. Shame that those passengers who were sleep missed some awesome and breathtaking views (including the spectacular sunrise over India!). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Upon embarking the aircraft, passengers in Business Class and Economy Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water (champagne, wines, and caviar in Business Class only). As opposed to other airlines, Qatar Airlines offers refreshing towels to all passengers in all the classes prior to departure, prior to their meals and prior to landing. This is part of the true 5-star service that sets Qatar Airways apart from the rest. The cabin crew are truly one of the best trained I have met on any other airline. Customer comes first and Qatar Airways truly define the meaning of a 5-star service. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Economy Class were offered a packet of fresh pretzels packed in Qatar Airways branded packets, and a choice of drinks from the trolley service. Wine in Economy Class is provided by Fortant De France by Syrah. The cabin crew were polite and friendly. Even though this flight was full, the cabin crew paid full attention each and every customer instead of just passing the meal to passengers like they do on some other airlines. Since this was an early morning flight, and I was quite fatigued (as were the rest of the passengers), so I just resorted to drinking plenty of bottled water (at least two liters throughout the flight!). Though they may sound very tempting, however, alcohol and coffee are not good to drink during this kind of early morning flight as it just dehydrates you. Water is the best. Comments regarding the first meal: In true Qatar Airways style, before each meal service in Economy Class, the cabin crew placed a coloured mat (paper mat) on the tray table. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the mat is slightly static so it will stop your cup of drink from sliding away if there is turbulence; secondly it will act as a sponge in case you do spill your drink or drop food (keeps everything clean!); and thirdly it’s to give that extra personal service to passengers even in Economy (if Business Class passengers can get a luxury white cloth, then there is no reason why Economy Class passengers cannot get a similar service). The meal tray arrived at around 40 minutes after take-off from Doha. A tray full of goodies was staring at my eyes. There were two options for the main meal: 1. Two Italian style large ravioli style triangles with a Cumberland sausage, garnished with plenty of homemade tomato sauce. 2. Cantonese style chicken with fragrant rice and lavish thick soy sauce. I opted for the Italian option. It was nice to see a creative dish such as this being provided as an airline meal. What you normally tend to find on some other airlines is that the quality of the ingredients’, the style of the cooking, and the type of the meal is not well cooked and nothing special (normally it’s just simple like chicken with rice, beef with rice etc.). The Cumberland sausage tasted just as if it was taken fresh from the cooking oven. With good food like this, it is so easy to get carried away and completely lose your composure! I had to wipe clean all that sauce from my face, and I would not be surprised if a few passengers even finger licked the food clean off the plate. The guy sitting next to me kept on showing me the double thumbs up after every bite. ‘Hmmm...this is good food!’ said the Syrian passenger on his way to Guangzhou. This is why Qatar Airways is different because they provide a fine dining experience in all classes of travel- one that is easily comparable to going to a 5-star restaurant. You get what you pay for, and Qatar Airways does not fail. Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of freshly cut salad (carrot strings, tomato, shredded lettuce, sweet corn, olives, and chickpeas all in one action packed bowl!). It’s ridiculously good to have some crunchy salad to accompany a slightly heavy yet tasty dish as I had. For dessert, Qatar Airways provided a low-fat vanilla and banana moose decorated with a dash of honey and baked maple syrup. Though it was low fat, it tasted just as good as a moose would at room temperature on the ground. Slightly thick, but kind to the tongue nevertheless. All the in-flight meals at Qatar Airways are prepared according to strict Islamic traditions. Cheese (by Labaneh), and biscuits (by Nutro) accompanied the main meal as a side snack. Free flowing bread from the basket with butter were also available (you don’t get this on other airlines. It was difficult to forget the endless amounts of Godiva chocolates that the cabin crew kept on bringing us. In Economy Class, Qatar Airways still provides plastic cutlery to the passengers. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks : Plenty of fresh water (provided by Rayyan), Godiva chocolates, and boiled sweets by ‘Zoom’ were distributed throughout the flight. Passengers could go to the galley and get a free flow of pot noodles, drinks (alcohol and non-alcohol) if they wanted. Coffee and tea are offered in lovely Qatar Airways branded paper cups (that can be recycled), and milk is offered by local Qatari vendor, Rainbow. Bottled water is exclusively offered by Evian, and Rayyan. Comments regarding the second meal: Qatar Airways is one of the few global airlines that offer a full second meal on flights within six-hour duration. Since our flight was seven hours, so we were treated to a meal similar to the meal we got after take-off from Doha. Served around an hour and a half prior to landing at Guangzhou, we were treated to the following options for the second meal: 1. Curried codfish served with a portion of boiled baby carrots, freshly cut broccoli, and mashed potatoes. 2. Cantonese style chicken with fragrant rice and lavish thick soy sauce. I opted for the codfish option. Mashed potatoes always go well with flying, but just have to be careful with all those carbohydrates! Lovely chunks of tuna dipped in with a spoonful of mashed potato and some carrot and broccoli- this is luxury airline food at its best! Airline meals are specially prepared to be fresh in a pressurised environment at 38,000 feet, and are normally freeze dried in the fuselage belly before being served (!), so they have to be served as fresh as possible. Even as a normal meal, this dish would be just great for a quick lunch on the ground. Served alongside with the main dish was the semolina and rice pudding. Now, doesn't that sound gorgeous? And it wasn't just a normal rice pudding, but had minute droplets of strawberry pieces dropped in randomly. You could taste a strawberry every other bite. The views out of the window at this time were magical too. We had just crossed the massive Ganges plain, and were heading towards Bangladesh, and then onto Burma before entering Chinese airspace near Yunnan Province. The flight paths over India and China are heavily crowded with air traffic heading to and from Asia. Improved systems such as radars, aircraft instrumentation, autopilots, and systems engineered to a higher quality, with qualified crews and controllers operating to critical specifications, allow the airspace to be deemed Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM). RVSM means that aeroplanes can be only 1,000 feet apart instead of the standard 2,000 feet. It’s cool...but we never saw a single aircraft within our vicinity during our flight. By which time it was time to tuck into the chocolate fudge cake blended with strawberry moose (and generously decorated with a dash of Godiva chocolate sauce). The Godiva sauce went really well with the accompanying Godiva chocolates. Too many are not good, but hey you are flying, so enjoy it! Another round of drinks and refreshments were offered after the second meal. In the 50 minutes it took to eat my second meal, we had crossed around about 1,750 km of land below us (and three countries: India, Bangladesh and Burma). How’s that for speed eating?! Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones were offered in the Economy Class cabin. The 10.6 inch PTV screen is placed behind every Economy Class seat. 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 (with a combined 700 different options for audio and video entertainment). 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. 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. So, 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. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): In the 2009 and 2010 Skytrax Awards, Qatar Airways Economy Class was named best in the world. Qatar Airways have 293 Economy Class seats on their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a 3-3-3 configuration (better than most other airlines that have 10 seats across each Economy Class row). Each seat has a generous pitch of a 34 inch recline and is 18.9 inches wide. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a PTV displayed at the back of each seat, and a reading light. The one thing that Qatar Airways can perhaps improve is to have the hand rests to be reclined 90 degrees instead of the 45 degrees. The hand rests for the seats don’t go backwards completely. Nevertheless, the seat itself is very comfortable, and for a flight of seven hours, it’s hard to complain about anything! Even in Economy Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, and a hand cream (Molton Brown). Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. 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 THE WORLD’S 5-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 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. When the Boeing 787 comes into service, Qatar Airways hopes to use it for the London-Doha route. I was on the flight from London Heathrow to Doha on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A340-642 to check out their Economy Class seats! What a flight it was…check this out: Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) to DOHA (DOH) Departure date and time of flight: February 2011 Flight number: QR008 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 008 heavy”) Flight duration: 6 Hours 35 minutes Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A340-642 (3 in service) Unit cost of each Airbus A340-642: US$275.4 million (£168.25 million or €190 million) (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-AGD (First flight 16th February 2007) Engine Type: 4 x RR Trent 556-61 (ROLLS-ROYCE) Aircraft Serial Number: 798 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 Economy Class Qatar Airways have dedicated a checked baggage allowance of 23 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the London to Doha route, they have a 23KG 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, as well as other brands such as Cartier and Gucci. Considering that I departed on a daytime, 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! 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 27L), and even there we did not come across the long wait for take-off. 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. 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). Qatar Airways Lounge at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 Qatar Airways Premium customers (those flying First or Business Class, or those who hold the Premier Card for the Privilege club), can enjoy the relaxing facilities at the Skyteam lounge. Turn right after security and the longue can be found opposite gate 10. The lounge is shared by other airlines that are part of the Skyteam program (Delta Airlines, Aeroflot, KLM, Air France, Kenya Airways, CSA, Korean Airlines, and others). It has seating for around 250 people, long tables with built-in AC power supplies, PCs, a self-service bar with a good selection of drinks (beers, wines and soft drinks), a barista service, a hot and cold snack menu, a quiet zone, baby changing facilities, free WiFi, flat screen TVs, meeting rooms, and showers as well. Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time, and landed 35 minutes ahead of schedule. 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 told me that the plane 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. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Upon embarking the aircraft, passengers in First, Business Class, and Economy Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water (champagne, wines, and caviar in First and Business Class only). As opposed to other airlines, Qatar Airlines offers refreshing towels to all passengers in all the classes prior to departure, prior to their meals and prior to landing. This is part of the true 5-star service that sets Qatar Airways apart from the rest. The cabin crew are truly one of the best trained I have met on any other airline. Customer comes first and Qatar Airways truly define the meaning of a 5-star service. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in economy class were offered a packet of fresh pretzels packed in Qatar Airways branded packets, and a choice of drinks from the trolley service. Wine in economy class is provided by Fortant De France by Syrah. The cabin crew were so nice and friendly. Because the flight was so empty, so they took their time to serve every customer. There was no rush. Comments regarding the first meal: Before each meal service in Economy Class, the cabin crew place a coloured mat (paper mat) on the tray table. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the mat is slightly static so it will stop your cup of drink from sliding away if there is turbulence; secondly it will act as a sponge in case you do spill your drink or drop food (keeps everything clean!); and thirdly, it’s to give that extra personal service to passengers even in Economy (if Business Class passengers can get a luxury white cloth, then there is no reason why Economy Class passengers cannot get a similar service). Now, another reason why Qatar Airways is a 5-star airline is because of the high quality of the food provided to the customers even in economy class. All Economy Class passengers are treated just they are special VIP customers. The main meal tray arrived around 35 minutes after departure from Heathrow. The following were the options for the dinner service: 1. Chicken in mustard curry with banana leaf sauce (non-veg) 2. Special fragrant basmati rice with okra and spinach sabji (vegetarian) I went for the chicken in mustard curry with banana leaf sauce. You can tell that an airline meal is freshly cooked especially when the tender taste of the meat melts in your mouth. Succulent pieces of chicken thighs and breasts were dancing on the tongue with each mouthful;. This Indian meal was better than most of the Indian restaurants in London (in my opinion, its true!). Accompanying this meal was a lovely bowl of daal (mixed lentils) and soya beans sprinkled with a dash of fresh lemon and ginger juice. The garnish was complete with a few fresh crushed mint leaves blended into the daal. Impossibly yummy!. The bowl of raita (fresh Indian yogurt) was not just some ordinary yogurt, but it was Greek yogurt merged with fine sprinkling of salt, pepper, and some Indian spices. Lovely addition to the main meal, and nice to dip in the Indian bread into the raita! A scrumptious portion of Coxton Manor cheddar cheese with biscuits, and cubes of Lily O Brian’s chocolates as extras. The most important dish of the tray happened to include a richly made chocolate and orange moose, topped with generous portions of chocolate chips, and a dash of Bacardi rum. Only Qatar Airways would provide food like that! Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Plenty of fresh water, Lily O Brian’s chocolates, and boiled sweets by ‘Zoom’ were distributed throughout the flight. Passengers could go to the galley and get a free flow of pot noodles, drinks (alcohol and non-alcohol) if they wanted. Coffee and tea are offered in lovely Qatar Airways branded paper cups (that can be recycled), and milk is offered by local Qatari vendor, Rainbow. Bottled water is exclusively offered by Evian. Comments regarding the second meal: Qatar Airways is one of the few global airlines that offer a second meal on flights within a 6-hour duration. The second meal was a light one compared to the slightly heavier one offered after take-off from London Heathrow. Offered just an hour prior to landing, passengers were treated to a selection of hot posh wraps by Monty’s bakehouse (tangy tomato, and chickpea and, char grilled chicken with tomato). The hot wraps were accompanied with a choice of non-alcohol drinks (hot and cold), and a chocolate biscuit. All the in-flight meals at Qatar Airways are prepared according to strict Islamic traditions. In Economy Class, Qatar Airways still provides plastic cutlery to the passengers. Another round of drinks and refreshments were offered after the second meal. Lounges at Doha Airport My flight landed at half past midnight, and even though I was travelling on Economy Class, Qatar Airways still have lounge facilities for those members that have Privilege cards. Doha International Airport is the only commercial airport in Qatar, and has two terminals: Terminal A for Qatar Airways flights, and Terminal B for all other airlines. The airport handled more than 15 million passengers in 2010, and will officially be replaced by the New Doha International Airport (NDIA) that is due to be opened in late 2011 (or early 2012) around 5km from the current airport’s location. As opposed to the current airport which has only one runway (runway 16/34 is the 15th longest runway in the world at 15,000 feet), NDIA will have 2 parallel runways to cater for the rapid rise in air travel in the region, and Qatar Airways’ rapid growth plans (including stands for the Airbus A380 aircraft, for which Qatar Airways has ordered 5 aircraft). For those passengers that don’t have any Qatar Airways Privilege member cards, they can still use complimentary state-of-the-art facilities like showers, and rest areas. There are a myriad of shops serving hot and cold food and drinks. The Economy Class terminal has its own duty free area. Since Qatar Airways operate most of their flights at nighttime, so from around 11pm to 4am, Doha Airport is like a funfair! You’ll see people from all parts of the world waiting to be connected to all corners of the globe. It’s really an interesting place- almost like the United Nations!. If you want to get a real culture shock, then come and experience Doha Airport, perhaps the most cosmopolitan airport in the world. In the background of the Economy Class terminal waiting area, planes can be heard all night roaring off on take-off to faraway lands. Since most of the planes are parked away from the terminal building, therefore buses are used to connect passengers to the aircraft rather than using the usual jetties connected to the terminal buildings. 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. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Headphones were offered in the Economy Class cabin. The 10.6 inch PTV screen is placed behind every Economy Class seat. Qatar Airways has 3 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 (providing an overall 700 audio and video options for every passengers on every flight). 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 Airbus A340-642 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.). 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. 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. Qatar Airways, like most other Middle Eastern carriers, invest a lot in training their staff, which is why their cabin crew and pilots are one of the best in the world. All that money from the passengers’ ticket price revenue is poured back into the high-class training provided to the staff, state-of-the-art aircraft, first-class facilities, and unmatchable tax-free salaries to the correct staff. This all equals to the making of a 5-star airline where you have the best staff that are well trained, and well looked after. An excellent example of this was demonstrated on the 13th October 2010, when a Qatar Airways Captain sadly died while on duty from a heart attack on a flight from Manila to Doha. His First Officer diverted the aircraft to Kuala Lumpur, and landed safely. This tragic event, whilst having a safe outcome for the rest of the crew and the 260 passengers; was a wake-up call for the industry. In other airlines where the training is not as good as that of Qatar Airways, this may have resulted in a negative result (I hope not, god forbid...but I fear it may). Airlines in the Middle East region (Emirates, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, and Etihad), tend to employ highly experienced pilots who have had entire careers at airlines in their home countries before embarking on an expat lifestyle. In addition, they spend huge amounts of cash on simulator training at their base hubs. Their first-officers train-for and are examined on their response to ‘pilot incapacitation’. On our flight, we had cabin crew from Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, United Kingdom, France and, Morocco. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Thai, French, Spanish, and Tamil. The entire staff at Qatar Airways are thoroughly taught and regularly checked on how to deal with all kinds of situations in a metal tube flying at 37,000 feet in the sky, including first aid, very young children, pregnant mothers, terrorism, drunken passengers (it does happen), bad behaviour by passengers, and any other mayday situations. 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. There are 256 Economy Seats on the Airbus A340-642 aircraft with a 2-4-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 34-inch recline and is 18.9 inches wide. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a PTV displayed at the back of each seat, and a reading light. The one thing that Qatar Airways can perhaps improve is to have the hand rests to be reclined 90 degrees instead of the 45 degrees. The hand rests for the seats don’t go backwards completely. Nevertheless, the seat itself is very comfortable, and for a flight of 7 hours, it’s hard to complain about anything! Even in Economy Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, and a hand cream (Molton Brown of London). Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. 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 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 (as shown in the photos), 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 Route: Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport (苏南硕放国际机场)to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 17:00pm on the 28th September 2011 Flight Number: ZH9551 Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800NG With a length of 39.5 m (129.5 ft) and a wingspan of 35.7 m (117 ft), the Boeing B737-800 is capable of a cruising speed of 514 mph/828 km/h. Its maximum range is 5,665 km (3,540 mi), while the maximum speed is 544 mph/876 km/h. The service ceiling of this aircraft is 41,000 ft (12,500 m). 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. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Wuxi airport. Shenzhen Airlines have 6 specified check-in desks allocated for their airline. There are also specific desks for China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Air China. I was surprised to see that during the afternoon I was there, within around an hour about 15 AWACS surveillance aircraft belonging to the Chinese Air Force landed at the airport (they were mostly Russian made IL-76/Antonov aircraft). Later I found out that the Chinese Air Force use Wuxi airport as a training field, as well as a base for surveillance aircraft that do sorties over the South China Sea, Taiwan, Korean, and around the Hong Kong peninsula. Wuxi is a beautiful and small airport located only 14 miles from Suzhou, and is equipped with excellent western style facilities for passengers. It is after all an international airport that serves the two main cities of Suzhou and Wuxi. Passengers can fly to far away destinations such as Japan, Korea, and all over China. I got the shuttle minibus from Suzhou Conference Centre. It costs 15RMB per person and takes around 40 minutes. Although early bookings are not required, it is recommended that you arrive early to the Suzhou Conference Centre as there are limited seats available on the minibus. The airport’s only runway 21/03 is 3,200 meters by 50 meters (10,499 × 164 ft), and can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767/757. But most of the aircraft are of the size of a Boeing 737-900, and Airbus A321. The airport was built in 1955 for military use, and commercial flights only started in 2004 hence why so many military aircraft can be seen here). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two hour flight, Shenzhen Airlines provided a hot meal. The meal service started around 20 minutes after take-off from Wuxi airport. There were two options for the hot meal dish: · Pork with rice · Chicken with rice I went for the pork with rice. It wasn’t of a bad taste for an airline meal, The chicken meat was soft to the tongue and the rice were well steamed just to the right texture. All in all it was a nice Chinese meal to have at 38,000 feet. Accompanying the chicken and rice were the following snacks: 1. Half cut walnuts covered in sugar and chocolate. 2. Preserved pickle to be served with the rice with chicken. Its only recently that Chinese airline companies have started to give out the pickle with airline meals in order to make the food more delicious. But on the whole one thing people never notice is that airline meals are prepared almost twice as fast as a ‘fast-food’ chain restaurant. So the overall quality of ANY airline meal is not that good. All the food is freeze dried inside the fuselage belly, and heated in a microwave just prior to being served. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. 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): Screens came down from the ceiling after take-off. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for Shenzhen Airlines and were very welcoming. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: The food was not bad for a 2 hour flight. Ever since the Shenzhen Universaide that happened in Shenzhen in August 2011, standards in in-flight catering have improved drastically in Chinese airline companies. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-800 plane had a seat configuration of 3-3 with Economy Class seats, and a 2-2 configuration with Business Class seats. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 31 inches, and a width of 18 inches (159 seats) Business Class seats have a pitch of 40 inches, and a width of 21 inches (8 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: Guilin Liang Jiang Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 11:30am 17th June 2011 Flight Number: FM9399 Flight duration: 1 hour Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: The plane departed around 5 minutes late but landed bang on time because of the short flight. There was no holding into Guangzhou. Because the runway headings for both Guilin Airport and Guangzhou Airport lie on almost the same path, so therefore it was almost a straight flight from Guilin to Guangzhou with little or no turning (used runway 22R at Guangzhou for landing). Any baggage issues: No issues. I only carried hand luggage with me so there was no problem. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: Check-in at Guilin Airport was easy and very efficient. It a very small airport with hardly any traffic whatsoever. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: None. Comments regarding the first meal: The passengers were given a heated small homemade bun that contained two slices of ham in a circle shape. It was O.K. for such a short flight, you could not ask for more. Comments regarding the drinks service: Just a bottle of water. 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 crew were very professional and offered to assist in any way possible. It was such a smooth flight that I fell into a deep sleep. If it had not been for the slightly bumpy landing, I would never have realised that we had already landed. It was that smooth. Improvements that could be made: None. You cannot ask for more on such a short flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Shanghai Airlines have a 3-3 configuration on their Boeing 737-800 aircraft for Economy Class and a 2-2 configuration for their Business Class cabin. Route: Shenzhen Baoan airport to Guilin Liang Jiang airport
Departure date and time of flight: 09:50am on the 12th June 2011 Flight Number: CZ3240 Flight duration: 1 hour Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: Though our flight departed and landed on time, with Chinese airlines and airports you always have to be prepared for delays no matter what. It had been heavily raining with thunderstorms the night before, so therefore because of this many flights were either cancelled, or delayed. Most of the passengers told me that they sat on another China Southern Airlines plane bound for Guilin the night before for almost 7 hours because it was heavily raining. After that long wait they got put up into a local hotel before being put onto this flight. So I do think myself as being lucky to have taken this flight to Guilin and not the one night before. Any baggage issues: No issues. I only carried hand luggage with me so there was no problem. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: Check-in at Shenzhen Airport was easy and very efficient. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: None. Comments regarding the first meal: The passengers were offered a packet of peanuts. Comments regarding the drinks service: There was a choice of having either a bottle of water, or a small carton on Chinese herbal tea. I opted for both of them! Comments of professionalism of the cabin-crew: The crew were very professional and offered to assist in any way possible. Because China Southern Airline is part of the ‘Skyteam’ group, so the service is that much better than the other Chinese carriers. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): China Southern Airlines have a 3-3 configuration on their Boeing 737-800 aircraft for Economy Class and a 2-2 configuration for their Business Class cabin. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: Shenzhen Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 10:30am on the 20th June Flight Number: MU5314 Flight duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Class: Economy class Aircraft type: Airbus A300B4-600R Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed and landed on time (rare). Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. I had to check in 26KG of extra luggage at Shenzhen airport (around about 49KG in total). The total price for this came to 450RMB (approx 40 GBP Sterling). Unlike other airports in China, at Shenzhen airport they do give you a receipt for your extra baggage. Perhaps it was a special case as Shenzhen is going to be hosting the 2011 Universaide in august so the local government wants everything to be efficient and according to international standards. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in staff were polite, and very professional. There was no problem what so ever. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola). There was no alcohol served on this flight as alcohol is not served on domestic flights in China. I asked for orange juice, and a coffee. The orange juice was provided from a carton of a local brand (not Dole!), and the coffee was instant (but drinkable). Comments regarding the first meal: A lovely colourful cardboard box was presented with the following contents: 1. A plain bread bun (boring and simple...would have tasted better if they had provided us with butter) 2. A muffin (either a blueberry or strawberry) 3. A preserved packet of pickle (OK...nothing special...went really well with the ‘boring’ plain bread bun!) 4. A small packet of preserved strawberry jam (it was good, but there was no butter to go with the meal!) The box came with a printed message on the top: ‘For love, for you’. It was sweet...but the food wasn’t. The best part of the meal was the HOT and delicious options of: either chicken with rice, or beef with rice. I opted for the chicken with rice. The chicken was tender and well cooked, while both the rice and the vegetables were of an edible quality. Though it was not the kind of quality you would get on most international carriers outside of China, but still very edible and delicious. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. No alcohol was served. 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): There was no in-flight entertainment system installed on this aircraft, as the aircraft was old. China Eastern Airlines operate a mixture of old and new aircraft. Normally, the older aircraft are used on domestic routes. 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. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): China Eastern Airlines have improved quite a lot on most aspects of their aircraft interior. This includes the aircraft seating, the smell of the interior cabin, the cleanliness of the aircraft toilets, and the general positive attitude of the cabin crew members. The seats in Economy Class on the Airbus A300 have a pitch of 32 inches recline, and are 17.8 inches wide. Business Class seats on the Airbus A300 have a pitch of 58 inches recline, and are 20 inches wide. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8 Route: Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Hong Kong Airport (Chep Lap Kok)
Departure date and time of flight: 08:30am on the 19th July 2011 Flight Number: HO1293 Flight duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A320-200 Punctuality of the flight: Pudong Airport is relatively quiet in the mornings, and so the flight departed right on time without any delays. Even the smog that lurks around the airport in the morning (because its so close to the sea) could not delay the plane! Any baggage issues: No issues. In Economy Class each passenger can carry up to 1 piece weighing a total of 23KG. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in staff at Shanghai Pudong Airport were polite, and very professional. There was no problem what so ever. I took the metro line 2 from Zhongshan Park in downtown Shanghai, and it took around an hour to get to the airport. We arrived at terminal 1 which meant having to walk for around 25 minutes to the check-in counter at Terminal 2. Shanghai Pudong Airport easily dwarfs most international airports in Europe such as Rome, Paris, Brussels, and even London Gatwick. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Economy class passengers were offered a choice orange juice or still mineral water. 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: A bumper box was presented to all the passengers. The contents of the box were as follows: 1. A warm bun containing just a piece of butter 2. A preserved packet containing pickle 3. Dried berries 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). No alcohol was offered on this morning flight. 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): On the Airbus A320-200 Juneyao Airlines has a 2-2 configuration in Business Class (21 inch width and a 38 inch recline), and a 3-3 configuration in the Economy Class cabin (seat width is 19 inch and a 31 inch pitch). 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. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Juneyao Airlines is China’s first private airline, and operates on routes primarily from its base in Shanghai Hongqiao Airport while operating a fleet of 20 aircraft (2 Airbus A319, and 18 Airbus A320). Its colour scheme is based on a gold embroidery on purple and burgundy red background. Soft duck feather pillows and slippers are provided in business class. Lovely purple and golden yellow colours adorn the seats and the interior of the cabins. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9 Route: Shenzhen Baoan airport to Shanghai Pudong airport
Departure date and time of flight: 09:35am on the 12th April Flight Number: ZH9811 Flight duration: 4 hours and 5 minutes Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: Boeing 737-900 Punctuality of the flight: The passengers boarded the flight on time (at around 9:00am), and all seemed to be fine until the actual time of departure came around when instead of taxing to the runway, the plane was still sitting on the tarmac. It was around about 10:00am (approximately 25 minutes after the scheduled time of departure), that the passengers were provided their in-flight meal while the plane was still on the ground. Quite understandably, this seemed to cause a few frustrations among some of the passengers who demanded to know why the plane was delayed and why we were being served our in-flight meal while we were on the ground. The plane eventually took-off at 11.35am (exactly two hours after the scheduled flight time), and we arrived at around 13:25pm. There was no formal explanation given as to why we were delayed. I don’t suspect that the weather was a problem because it was nice, sunny and clear when we landed in Shanghai Pudong airport. With the 2 hour delay, the one and a half hour flight turned into a 4 hour flight. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: Check-in at Shenzhen Airport was easy and very efficient. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: None. Comments regarding the first meal: As mentioned that the passengers were offered their in-flight meal while the plane was still on the ground. I, however, opted to wait and have the in-flight meal while we were in the air. 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: Most people around the world would probably have never heard of Shenzhen Airlines because its only concentrated in the Chinese domestic market with some international routes being operated in the Asian region (Japan and Korea for example). Like the vast majority of airlines in the Chinese domestic market Shenzhen Airlines is an upcoming airline that is striving to achieve its best when it comes to providing excellent customer service. The airline has made a lot of effort to bring out the best in its crew. However, the most important challenge for an airline like Shenzhen Airlines is to get cabin-crew that can speak good enough English, and cabin crew that are polite and courteous to their passengers; the latter being more important when dealing with difficult situations like a flight delay etc. Unfortunately, it goes without saying that for the vast majority of the flights the cabin-crew has a very limited knowledge of English, and tend to be somewhat arrogant and rude. One of the reasons for this is perhaps that being an air hostess in China is actually seen as a glamorous job. However, some may disagree with this statement altogether. Another issue I have noticed on many flights is that if there is a problem (i.e. such as a delay etc.), the cabin crew tend not to interact much with the passengers. This means that instead of relaxing and calming the situation down by offering drinks or by walking around the cabin and making sure no one has any problems, the cabin-crew tend to just sit, close the curtain to the galley and just indulge in chatting to each other. I am not sure whether this is a way to shy away from the situation and make everything look smooth as if nothing bad has happened. Improvements that could be made: Passengers could be better informed in the event of a delay, and also there was no vegetarian option for the in-flight meal despite me ordering it in advance. But this is a common problem when flying domestically. For some unknown reason the chefs cannot produce a vegetarian option meal (or perhaps they are not told to do so!). Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Shenzhen Airlines have a 3-3 configuration on their Boeing 737-900 aircraft for Economy Class and a 2-2 configuration for their Business Class cabin. Spring Airlines is China’s first and only privately owned low-cost budget airline that operates from its base at Shanghai Hongqiao airport with a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. As of April 2011, the Spring Airlines fleet consists of 22 Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an average age of 4.5 years, each of which provides space for 174 passengers in an all-economy class cabin layout. Spring Airlines calls its economy calls ‘Common Class’. Cheap as chips, this low-fare Shanghai Hongqiao based carrier has come on leaps and bounds. You can customise your seat selection and the good thing is that they fly to most of the major airports that people have heard about. Spring AL and its service would put most European and American carriers (low-cost and flag carriers) to shame.
Route: Shanghai Hongqiao airport to Guangzhou Baiyun airport Departure date and time of flight: 13:10pm on the 17th April Flight Number: 9C8855 Flight duration: 5 hour and 15 minutes (Actual flying time was 1 hour and 50 minutes) Class: COMMON CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A320 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed late because of bad weather conditions in the Guangzhou airport area. Therefore instead of being held up in a holding stack, the pilot decided to make a intelligent move and stay on the ground at Hongqiao airport until we had the all clear for a straight approach into Guangzhou Baiyun airport. The cabin crew apologised for the delay before departure and even after we arrived at Guangzhou. When I mean they apologies, they really apologised by standing in the middle of the cabin and bowing their heads towards the passengers. It has to be understood that the delay was not the fault of Spring Airlines, but of the weather (and nothing can be forced upon when nature strikes). The above case was just an exception. However, overall their punctuality rate is far better than most domestic Chinese carriers are. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: Normally for most domestic full-fare paying airlines, passengers can check in 45-minutes before take-off but for those travelling on Spring Airlines irrespective if they are flying within or outside of China, they have to check-in at least 90-minutes before departure. Passengers travelling on Spring Airlines are only allowed to take a maximum of 15 KG (this includes on board luggage and luggage in the hold). Anything over this amount has to be paid for. Though sometimes as an exception (and depending on the mood/personality of the check-in staff) this rule is waived as a goodwill gesture. For this flight, I had 22 KG, and the check-in person still allowed me to take the luggage for free (plus my laptop and camera bags which I took on-board). Although as media for Spring Airlines, this may have been a relaxed rule for me as an exception. After all, they did give me the best seat on the plane too (1A). Comments regarding the pre-meal Service: Passengers have to purchase their food and drinks on Spring Airlines. Overall, it has to be said that the quality of the food and drinks is far better than that provided for free on other airlines within China. Here are some examples of the type of food available:
Approximately an hour and a half into the delay, and as a goodwill gesture, the cabin crew offered complimentary mineral water (by ‘Dew Ice’, a brand of the Coca-Cola company) and a packet containing two orange flavoured muffin cakes. Comments regarding the First meal: None 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 very professional, kind and courteous. There is some advertising of the in-flight food and duty-free after take-off, but it is only for around 5-10 minutes (nothing as bad as what have written on various airline quality websites). Throughout the process of the plane being delayed, the staff kept very calm and kept reassuring the passengers. The difference between most state owned airlines and privately owned airline companies such as Spring Airlines is that on Spring Airlines, for example, the passengers are kept well informed of any problems and issues. Whereas on most state owned flights there is no information given to the passengers, and everyone is just kept waiting in frustration. Improvements that could be made: None Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Spring Airlines have a 3-3 configuration on their Airbus A320 aircraft in a one class setting (known as ‘Common Class’ on Spring Airlines). The Spring Airlines brand is becoming well recognized throughout China for its efficiency, comfort, and offering a high quality of customer service. The seats are all very clean and covered in the company’s bright green colour with yellow lettering of ‘Spring Airlines’. The aircraft cabin has a fresh feeling to it with a nice fragrance smell as well. The toilets are also kept well clean. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9 Route: Paris CDG- Hong Kong
Departure date and time of flight: 13:45pm on the 7th December 2009 Flight Number: AF184 Flight duration: 11h 20 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 777-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight was delayed taking off by around 20 minutes due to the afternoon traffic at Paris CDG- the taxi to the runway took a very long time (perhaps around 20 minutes). Any baggage issues: This was a connecting flight that I took from London Heathrow to Hong Kong via CDG. Now, as far as I was concerned, everything seemed to be OK until I arrived at Hong Kong. The Air France ground staff at the arrivals desk assumed that my baggage was on the next plane in from CDG (due to arrive in the morning). I was informed that I can spend around 100 EUROS on anything I would like until I get my baggage. To my surprise the baggage arrived 2 days late (actually three days if one takes into account the time difference between Europe and Asia). I have heard from a lot of other people that they also had issues with Air France, and when I was at CDG Airport I do recall meeting couple mentioning in frustration that they have experienced baggage problems with Air France many times (were they just unlucky?!) Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: I was on a connecting flight in from London Heathrow to Hong Kong. There was a HUGE queue for the security and the transfer check-in area prior to the boarding gates. Though the staff were polite and considerate. There were no major problems on the whole-just the feeling that I may miss my connecting flight! (but it was all handled well by the local staff). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: A Yellow coloured packet of Croccentelle Bux olives (pretzels) was served, along with drinks (choice of orange juice, apple juice and other drinks), along with red or white wine. The pretzels were OK (fresh and salted). Comments regarding the first meal: Creamy pumpkin blended with cod and vegetables- Just LOVELY (especially when sprinkled with pepper) was the dish of the house. A neat bowl of salad consisting of diced tomatoes and onions was served with a delicious thin carpet of salmon. A meal on Air France would not be complete without the trademark French baguette (just the right size- not too long), a healthy portion of French cheese (camembert) and a serving of traditional French butter. A fabulous helping of chocolate cream pudding made up for the pudding- as well as a fresh orange (taken from a French farm!). The cutlery was all plastic with a napkin in Air France colours. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Passengers could help themselves to the kitchen to get pot noodles, tea, coffee and other drinks (including Cognac and other spirits). Comments regarding the second meal (if any): Breakfast was served around an hour and a half prior to landing at Paris CDG. There was a choice of either a Cantonese or a French breakfast. The only difference between the Cantonese and the French breakfast was that the Cantonese breakfast consisted of the signature “congee”, while the French breakfast consisted various slices of three kinds of cheese. The rest of the meal was standard- consisting of a healthy portion of bread (baguette and croissant), butter, orange juice, apple rice pudding and a pot of French yogurt (delicious!). Oh and of course there was the French frais (strawberry) jam. Loved every bite!! A hot cup of tea or coffee (or green tea) were offered afterwards. The air hostesses offered another helping of the croissant to those that needed one. You just can’t argue with that high quality of service. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): Passengers could watch a myriad of movies (French, Indian, Chinese, American, Spanish and British varieties were on offer), and music (all sorts). There were plenty of games to be played too. It was an action packed IFE system offered by Air France- however it being a night flight so not many passengers had time to watch the IFE (sleeping seemed more important in International airspace!). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional. Actually the Air France staff are very helpful, polite and offer the best of French hospitality. Improvements that could be made: Perhaps Air France needs to make sure its baggage handling system is up to scratch! That’s the only thing that let this flight down- otherwise the in-flight service was great! Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): All of Air France’s seats are beautifully covered with seat covers that are coloured in blue, red and white (representing the national flag). The planes are clean and well maintained. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9 Route: London Heathrow Airport to Paris CDG
Departure date and time of flight: 10:20am on the 7th December 2009 Flight Number: AF1681 Flight duration: 1h 20 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: A321 Punctuality of the flight: The flight was delayed taking off by around 20 minutes due to the normal traffic at London Heathrow Airport. Nevertheless, we arrived at Paris around 5 minutes early (because the actual flying time was only around 30 minutes). Any baggage issues: I was taking Air France on this connecting flight to Hong Kong via Paris CDG. So I was aware that I had any baggage issues UNTIL I arrived in Hong Kong. Apparently Air France is famous for losing people’s bags on connecting flights’! (I found this out from a lot of other passengers’). My baggage arrived 4 days late in Hong Kong- by which time I had no choice but to go on shopping at Air France’s expense. It was an interesting experience to be able to go on a shopping spree while on a press assignment! Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: Ahh...I arrived around 10 minutes late for check-in (due to the London Traffic!)...but they still allowed me to check in. I was taking Air France on this connecting flight to Hong Kong via Paris CDG. So I was aware that I had any baggage issues UNTIL I arrived in Hong Kong. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just the usual drinks service (tea/coffee). I asked the air hostess if there were any cakes/biscuits’, to which she replied “Ohh...you are hungry is it?...Paris is only 30 minutes away you know?”. This was an unprofessional way to answer a paid passenger of a big airline company such as Air France. It was not expected and an unwanted remark. Later on she apologised for her remarks. Comments regarding the first meal: Just a simple (yet hot) croissant. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Please see my comment regarding the air hostesses remark regarding the pre-meal service. Improvements that could be made: Perhaps Air France needs to make sure its baggage handling system is up to scratch! Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): All of Air France’s seats are beautifully covered with seat covers that are coloured in blue, red and white (representing the national flag). The planes are clean and well maintained. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8 (the quality of the seats let down the flight Route: Hong Kong to Paris CDG
Departure date and time of flight: 23:05pm on the 26th December 2009 Flight Number: AF185 Flight duration: 12h 30 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed on time. Everything went smoothly. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage issues whatsoever. It was a lovely flight and everything went smoothly. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: I checked in early at Hong Kong, and had plenty of time to wander around the airport before making way to the boarding gates. There were no major issues to deal with. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: The pre-dinner snack consisted of pretzels served with a choice of drinks (orange juice, and others). A fresh slice of lemon was added to the drinks – it was a lovely touch and went well with the orange juice. Scrumptious at 37,000f eet! The red and white wines were, naturally, French. Nice choice too. Comments regarding the first meal: Dinner was served at the right time, around 35 minutes after departure. So we did not waste any time! The main dish consisted of a lovely portion of spinach, chicken breast, boiled potatoes and diced carrots. A healthy bowl of salad along with salad cream and mustard cream was presented. The presentation was immaculate. The bread was accompanied with goat’s cheese (can’t ask for anything more on Air France- it was of a very high-quality). Generous amounts of fresh fruit was presented with cut slices of mango and melon. The highlight of any in-flight meal is a perfect pudding- and one could not go wrong with the apple crumble that was presented on this flight. Was it there to die for or what?! Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Snacks were available in the galley on this all night flight from Hong Kong to Paris. Passengers could help themselves to Tea and coffee along with complimentary drinks. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): The wake –up lights were turned on around an hour and half prior to landing at CDG airport- so it was time for breakfast! I took the chance to go to the rather clean Air France galley to brush my teeth and freshen up before I was served the morning meal. The main dish consisted of a cold prawn salad with a slice of lemon to sprinkle on to the food (The Chinese dish was a bowl of congee). A lovely apple danish pastry was accompanied with fresh orange juice, yogurt and a bowl of fruit (fresh dragon fruit packed in Hong Kong was eaten somewhere over the south of France! Priceless). Comments on the in-flight system (if any): An assortment of IFE was offered (movies, music and games). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional. Actually Air France crew are very well trained and professional on long haul flights. Improvements that could be made: Perhaps offer a bit more on long haul breakfast dishes (and not just simple salad?) Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): All of Air France’s seats are beautifully covered with seat covers that are coloured in blue, red and white (representing the national flag). The planes are clean and well maintained. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9 Route: London Heathrow to Hong Kong
Departure date and time of flight: 8th January 2009 at 20:50pm Flight Number: CX256 Flight duration: 12 hours 15 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A340-200 Punctuality of the flight: The plane departed bang on time and landed around 5 minutes prior to the listed arrival time. In terms of punctuality, you cannot get any better than this. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: The check in staff were polite, smiled and very professional. There was no problem what so ever. I had arrived around two hours before departure. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola). As with most of the airlines in China, the drinks (coca cola, orange etc.) were all branded under the Cathay Pacific logo. A lovely choice of Whiskey, Vodka, Beer and Cognac were also on offer. Oh, you cannot resist those tempting pretzels for the flight. The packaging is all branded in the Cathay Pacific logo. Comments regarding the first meal: Dinner was served around 40 minutes’ after departure from London. The crew would have been very busy on this flight as it was full- even the normally empty Business Class and First Class seats were all taken. The main meal consisted of an attractive portion of braised chicken breast served with fine boiled white rice, chopped chestnuts and some asparagus. I usually dislike Asparagus because of its shape, its unattractiveness and its taste. However on this occasion, it seemed to have blended in neatly with the chicken breast and the rice- and with some butter to melt the asparagus as it entered the mouth. You just can’t argue with a salad dish that contains a healthy slice of smoked salmon with broccoli and bush tree lettuce- priceless. For dessert, the chefs at Gate Gourmet treated us to a lovely sponge cake that had an unquestionable tangerine topping flavored with Australian honey. Butter with a soft whole meal bread roll provided the side helping. Now, because it was approaching Chinese New Year, so we were treated to some awesome fortune cookies- though without the actual fortune messages tucked inside the cookies- it instantly reminded me of Hong Kong. For those with a sweet tooth, a bar of Arnott’s “Tim Tam” chocolate was presented. The presentation of this meal was immaculate. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. Alcohol was served. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Passengers’ could help themselves to “pot noodles”, Arnott’s “Tim Tam” chocolates and Arnott’s biscuits’. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): A delicious breakfast was served at around an hour and a half prior to landing at Hong Kong airport. The main dish contained a fabulous scrambled egg, a lovely portion of button mushrooms, a nice tomato and two neat slices of British bacon. For a One World airline like Cathay Pacific this was one of the best breakfasts’ I have had on a flight. Accompanying the meal was an attractive looking pot of apricot yogurt. Lovely piece of soft bread- it was warm, and the bread melted as I put it in the mouth. As with all airline meals there was a pot containing a few fresh slices of fruit (and yes, they were fresh). Comments on the in-flight system (if any): The IFE system of this flight was full of an interactive extravaganza of movies and songs. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The staff were very professional, always had a smile on their faces and were quick to respond to any kind of request from the passengers. The meal and the drinks were served at the right time without any delay. The beauty of the meal service was that the timing between the main meal and the drinks serving was timed perfectly so that passengers would not need to finish eating their meal in order to get the drink. So the drinks arrived just in time after the meal. Improvements that could be made: Perhaps have mood lighting when the aircraft is flying in between different time zones (morning, afternoon and evening) - hey, I could honestly find nothing else wrong with this flight! Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Airbus A340-300 was clean, and had a fresh smell. The seats were coloured in the Cathay Pacific green colour. The aisles were also clean. In the toilets, Cathay Pacific uses toiletries provided exclusively by “Murad” (refreshing cleanser, Vitamin C “body cream”, and “perfecting night cream”). For this long haul flight each passenger was treated to a sleeping bag that contained a pair of socks, eye-shades and a tooth care bottle (containing toothbrush and toothpaste). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 Route: Beijing Nanyuan Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 16:20pm on the 19th November 2010 Flight Number: KN2275 Flight duration: 3 hours 10 minutes (excludes the 3 hour delay to the flight!) Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: The flight was delayed by over 3 hours without any reason given- it finally departed at 7.20pm. Nanyuan Airport lies around 7km to the south of Beijing’s central area. The airport is an active military aviation field, and even houses the President’s aircraft- including 2 Russian built Tupolov Tu-154 aircraft. It’s only recently that Nanyuan Airport started operating civilian flights using Boeing 737-800 aircraft for China United Airlines. Nanyuan Airport also has a kind of real hardcore communist feel to it- by this I mean the airport portrays an image of how airports’ in the communist era may have been like. The Arrivals and Departure lounges came across as being almost ancient with period furniture, the waiting lounge makes you feel as if you have come back to the 1930s age of flying- Fans gently rotating on the ceiling instead of modern air conditioning, staff hardly speak any English, and toilets are anything but clean (lack of washing up liquid or tissue paper). This example is perfectly displayed with its open large windows with wooden frames, a non-interactive atmosphere (there is hardly any modern technology to display flight times- almost all flight times are displayed using magnetic strips onto a board, the majority of the staff walk around wearing military uniforms (including some of the Pilots of China United Airlines) and there is hardly any choice for decent quality food as well (fancy buying a Green Tea bottle for 8RMB? (Approx 1.4 USD). I actually found out in the end that it wasn't just flights at Nanyuan Airport that were experiencing major delays’ but also flights at the main airport (Beijing Capital) were also experiencing problems due to heavy fog, and air traffic problems in the region. Any baggage issues: No issues. The bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in staff were polite, and professional. However, they could not speak proper English - it was barely minimal conversational English. All I got was a mumble and a random smile because the check-in-staff were embarrassed at their lack of communications skills in English. Comments regarding the pre-flight delay: Passengers were treated to a very OILY dinner (served at around 6.15pm). It was so oily that the food shone like a gem in the Gobi desert even if I did not use the flash from the camera lens. I, along with the other unfortunate passengers that had lined up to take this miserable flight, had been left with only two choices- either to wait for to eat on the plane (and at this moment I was not aware if food would be served on China United Airlines or not), or to tuck into the oily food and prey that I wont have to frequent the toilets the following morning. I decided on the latter- I was yearning for something to eat (really). When you look at the food, it really makes you wonder- do I actually want to eat this?! There was a piece of round Tofu, some pork meat, vegetables and some cucumber with cubed tofu. The meal was served with boiled white rice. The only good thing about this meal was the rice. Everything else seemed like an experiment to cook by whoever had been put in charge of the kitchen. I started growing more suspicions’ about the effectiveness of staff at Nanyuan Airport- something surreal lied behind those rotten walls of this communist airport. A good chef always tastes the food prior to serving it to the guests- I wonder how much of this food did the chef actually taste. It seemed rather unfit for human consumption. You can imagine the headlines’ across the world had this gone horribly worse than it already did: “passengers fall sick while waiting for delayed flight” and so on. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola). There was no alcohol served on this flight. The coffee was already mixed with milk and sugar; so there was no choice for passengers that did not prefer to have milk or sugar with their coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: To my surprise there was a full service dinner served on this flight- and it was much better than most of the other flights I have taken with any other airline in China (even Air China). The main dish was nothing short of being scrumptious. It consisted of delicious cod fish balls blended in neatly with boiled white rice and vegetables. It was not oily at all- and not too soft to the mouth either. The fish balls were delicious. There was also a blend of cubed carrots and green shoots in the meal. With the main dish came a box full of “goodies”, including a packet of peanuts (tasted nice and freshly roasted), a packet of Chinese pickle, a soft bread roll (just lovely), a biscuit sprinkled with sesame and a pot of freshly cut cubes of pineapple and orange blended in with a sweet syrup. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. Again no alcohol was served. 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): In this 737-800 the only IFE was the overhead PVTs that came down prior to take off (to show the safety demonstration). During the flight there was no IFE system in place. The Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: All the cabin crew could speak good English- up to an understandable level. Improvements that could be made: There were no major issues when it came to the subject of excellent airline crew, the in-flight meal and the comfort of the flight. However, there are some serious concerns in terms of the facilities that were offered by this airline at the airport. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The aircraft is a brand new plane, and the interior of the aircraft was clean. There was no bad smell as well. In fact China United Airlines’ have gone to great lengths to make themselves have a good image with the customer- well they have to because they are a government owned airline (much more so closer to the government than the other state owned airlines (such as Air China)) Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8 Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Beijing Capital
Departure date and time of flight: 08:00am on the 16th November 2010 Flight Number: CA1310 Flight duration: 2 hours 50 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 (with Winglets!) 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. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Guangzhou Airport. I arrived around 5 minutes prior to the check-in counter being closed. I had taken an early morning bus to the airport in from Panyu (at around 6am). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Drinks (no alcohol!), and including tea and coffee. The beautiful thing about flying with Air China, which is the national flag carrier of the country, is that they are one of the few airline companies in China that offer sugar and milk powder separately. Comments regarding the first meal: A delicious breakfast was served around 40 minutes after departure. Passengers were treated to a choice of either a Chinese or Western breakfast. The Chinese breakfast consisted of a fresh hot congee with a boiled egg dipped in soy sauce. The western breakfast dish consisted of a slice of bacon (Chinese style), a healthy portion of mashed potatoes and a delicious scrambled egg. I loved the nice touch of a crossed pattern design made using black boiled sea-weed. Accompanying the meal was a lovely Danish pastry (without any filling, but tasted just as good), and a bowl containing two slices of freshly cut orange. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. Loved it. 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): The IFE system was only activated once during this flight- prior to take off (for the safety demonstration). The PVT screens are not placed behind every seat but overhead. Improvements that could be made: The IFE system could be improved- although for such a short flight one cannot argue with the quality for the food and service given. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-800 aircraft had a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was very clean and had the latest IFE system installed. The staff were professional and could speak fluent English. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 Route: Beijing Capital to Shenzhen Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 11:30am on the 18th August 2006 Flight Number: CA1313 Flight duration: 3 hours 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-700 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. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Beijing Capital Airport. I arrived around 2 hours early and so had plenty of time to wander around the massive terminal building. The check-in staff were very professional and gave me the seat that I preferred for this flight. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Drinks (including alcoholic – only Tsingtao beer!), and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: I must say that on this flight the in-flight meal was one of the best I have eaten on any Chinese airline. The meal was better than that offered on any other international flight with Air China too. It was not too bland, and was just right for the mouth. It kind of tingled in the mouth. Lunch consisted of a hot chicken curry dish with plain white rice and fresh vegetables. The chicken curry was not spicy, yet it still left a bit of a tingle of pepper in the mouth. Scrumptious. The famous “Yuquan” preserved vegetable pickle was provided as a side dish to put onto to your main hot dish. The fresh “prawn salad” was indeed fresh. The food must have been prepared the same day- and I was lucky to take this flight because the food that would be provided on the flight back would not be so fresh (it would have been stored in the hold for many hours!). Oh and not to mention the lovely burberry muffin providing us with an amazing pudding experience. The food came complimentary with standard cutlery and tissues with the “Air China” Beijing Olympic logo on it. A collectors item. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. 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 Improvements that could be made: It was one of the best flights I have had on a Chinese airline. No doubt- everything was as it should be. I just wish that every flight was like this. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-700 aircraft had a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. It was not full at all. Not bad a flight after all. The crew were friendly too. The plane was coloured in the Beijing 2008 Olympic colour scheme. I chose the photo of this plane to be included in my first book “Newcomers Handbook to China: Including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen” (2008, Firstbooks Inc) Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9 Route: Shenzhen Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 09:30am on the 13th of September 2010 Flight Number: FM9370 Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 767-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight was on time and landed on time as well. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check in staff were polite, and professional. There was no problem what so ever. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola). There was no alcohol served on this flight. The orange juice looked like an “orange sludge” that had been out of date. Take a look at the photo and you’ll see what I mean. It was not drinkable- so I returned it back immediately. The cabin crew seemed not to care much and just smiled. Instead I opted to drink just water and even that was with caution! Comments regarding the first meal: Breakfast- which didn’t look like breakfast at all - was served around half an hour after take off. A cardboard rectangular box was offered for “breakfast”. I carefully opened the box to find a whole host of junk food inside (like most airline meals on most Chinese airlines). There was a carefully packed “fruit slices” box. This contained four cubes, 2 slices of watermelon and 2 slices of normal melon (these two fruits are favourite with Chinese people). There was a spongy tasting chocolate muffin (it tasted like soft bread with a horrible yeast taste and smell to it). As normal per Chinese airlines, there were two packets that contained the following: One was “dried beef cube sweets” while the other contained “sweet roasted peanuts”. The “dried beef sweets” were interesting. It tasted a bit like beef but imagine that some sugar has been put into your beef- that’s what it tasted like. The peanuts were good. But is this food good enough for breakfast? No, not really. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. Again, no alcohol was served. 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): In this 767 there was no IFE. To make matters worse my seat light was not working (and neither was the seat light of other nearby seats that I tried), the “Channel” and “Volume” button was not working either, and to make matters worse the “flight attendant Call button” was not working either! Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Some of the staff were professional but their English level was below par international standards- perhaps Survival 2 or A1 in accordance with the European CEFR standard! (For Flight attendants’ the required English level should be around B2 globally!). Improvements that could be made: I believe that on Shanghai Airlines, so many improvements can be made. The toilets need to be cleaner. The cabins are filthy and need to be cleaner. The seat IFE needs to be maintained properly. The in-flight food is a disgrace; however I fear that this would not improve as it’s the same for most Chinese airline companies. The staff speak poor English and this needs to be addressed seriously (i.e. what if there is an emergency?). Again like before, I fail to understand why this airline is part of the Star Alliance- has the Star Alliance group lost their sense of aviation quality? For the in-flight meal, they should consider serving a hot breakfast (Chinese or western); or a selection of nice sandwiches. Not the bits and pieces of junk food that they serve on these domestic flights’. It just ruins the image of the airline and the country- especially if you are flying with a company that puts itself in the same bracket as that of other “Star Alliance” airlines. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The aircraft was not clean. As with most aircraft that are operated by Chinese airlines, the cabin had a strong stench of urine and an air of discomfort. I fail to understand why this is so. The toilets are filthy and had no tissue paper. The seats were comfortable enough for a domestic flight lasting for less then 3 hours I would say. However, I would think twice before flying with this airline company if I have to again. For long haul flights I would refrain from flying with them at all for many of the reasons outlined above (food, smell, health issues, language problems etc.). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 5 Route: Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Shenzhen Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 20:55am on the 15th of September 2010 Flight Number: FM9379 Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 767-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight was delayed by over an hour and without any reason given. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check in staff were polite, and very professional. There was no problem what so ever. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola). There was no alcohol served on this flight. The orange juice looked like an “orange sludge” that had been out of date. Take a look at the photo and you’ll see what I mean. It was not drinkable- so I returned it back immediately. The cabin crew seemed not to care much and just smiled. Instead I opted to drink just water and even that was with caution! Comments regarding the first meal: Dinner (if you call it dinner that is), was served around half an hour after take off. It did not look pleasing and I dare not to eat this kind of food before going to sleep. A cardboard rectangular box was offered for “dinner”. I carefully opened the box to find a whole host of junk food inside. The first thing I took out of the box was that horrible looking “hamburger”. It was a small attempt by the Shanghai Airlines catering staff to copy MacDonald’s; and what they thought they had succeeded in doing so badly. There was a small wheat bap with a single slice of Chinese style mam that was bigger in diameter than the burger itself. It tasted like chewy plastic. The only kind of fresh food were the 2 slices of melon fruit- and that was it. I then moved onto the 3 small packets contained inside the box. One of them, would you believe, contained mint flavoured cough drops. Cough drops in an in-flight meal? Are you serious? I thought. What insane person decided that they should start serving Cough drops to passengers on a domestic flight, and that even in a Chinese Autumn (which felt like summer!). The taste was horrible. Even if I had a cough I would take these tablets’ because the taste and the flavour were not good at all. The other two packets contained “dried and preserved plum” and “sweet and salted walnuts”. Both edible but not required on an in-flight meal. My verdict? If this kind of food started being served on a European flight, there would be widespread complaints and it will make headline news. Perhaps even a lawsuit against the airline. I was not full after eating parts of the provided food and would not recommend it to anyone. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. Again no alcohol was served. 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): In this 767 there was no IFE. To make matters worse my seat light was not working (and neither was the seat light of other nearby seats that I tried), the “Channel” and “Volume” button was not working either, and to make matters worse the “flight attendant Call button” was not working either! Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Some of the staff were professional but their English level was below par international standards- perhaps Survival 2 or A1 in accordance with the European CEFR standard! (For Flight attendants’ the required English level should be around B2 globally!). Two of the flight attendants ignored my calls simply because their English was not good so they could not communicate with me. Improvements that could be made: I believe that on Shanghai Airlines, so many improvements can be made. The toilets need to be cleaner. The cabins are filthy and need to be cleaner. The seat IFE needs to be maintained properly. The in-flight food is a disgrace; however I fear that this would not improve as it’s the same for most Chinese airline companies. The staff speak poor English and this needs to be addressed seriously (i.e. what if there is an emergency?). I fail to understand why this airline is part of the Star Alliance- has the Star Alliance group lost their sense of aviation quality? Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The aircraft was not clean. As with most aircraft that are operated by Chinese airlines, the cabin had a strong stench of urine and an air of discomfort. I fail to understand why this is so. The toilets are filthy and had no tissue paper. There was no air freshener and when I asked for one, no one understood what I meant. The seats were comfortable, however I would think twice before flying with this airline company if I have to again. For long haul flights I would refrain from flying with them at all for many of the reasons outlined above (food, smell, health issues, language problems etc.). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 4 Route: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 14:00pm on the 8th October 2010 Flight Number: ET606 Flight duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 767-300ER Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed around 10 minutes early. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. I noticed that after we landed at Guangzhou airport, the Chinese Police and customs only stopped and searched passengers who appeared to be of African origin. They did not stop any non-black passengers. Though I was not surprised by the sheer open discrimination of the Chinese- as this is common in China. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: At Bangkok I was one of the only 5 passengers checking in for this flight. The check-in staff were Thai, and there was no Ethiopian logos to be seen anywhere. This flight was coming in from Addis Ababa and was going to continue onto Guangzhou. The stopover time at Bangkok was for an hour. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and a bottle of Merlot (red wine), was offered. Comments regarding the first meal: Lunch was served around an hour after take off somewhere over Laos. A choice of fish or chicken was offered. The food was fresh. Ethiopian airlines actually feed you like there is no tomorrow- and for an airline of a country where the economy is not doing as well as it should, this is a great compliment. The fish was served with fresh vegetables blended neatly with a sweet and sour sauce red and green pepper curry. A lovely salad dish accompanied the meal that also contained a soft bun. It was a sheer delight to see cream crackers and soft cheese on this flight and to eat lunch somewhere over Laos was also nice. The highlight of the meal has to be the delicious tiramisu dish- perfect and no complaints for this whatsoever. The cabin crew in Business Class were nice to offer me a another helping of the tiramisu dish. Ethiopian branded salt and pepper were offered, as well as Ethiopian branded napkins. This is what you want when you fly with a national flag carrier- you want some authentic service from that country, and you want to be able to feel the culture, the hospitality and food of that country. Ethiopian certainly displays this. I was pleased with the food. It is better, if not the same, as some of the fully scheduled European airlines in service. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal- this included the complimentary bottle of Merlot. The juice was a brand from Thailand- I suppose freshly loaded in at Bangkok. 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): In this 767-300ER there was no in-flight entertainment system at the back of each seat. Instead there was a large TV screen at the front of each cabin. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very friendly, however they could be given more training on some aspects of aviation. All the cabin crew were native Ethiopian and spoke excellent English. If anything the friendly service of the cabin crew is an excellent indication of how welcoming is the culture of the country. Ethiopian really strives to achieve its best and the positive and friendly attitude of the cabin crew really demonstrates this. I was pleased. However, I noticed that as we landed at Guangzhou, passengers started getting up and taking their luggage from the overhead compartments as the plane was still taxiing to the gate. None of the cabin crew stopped the passengers to stop, there was no announcement from the Captain either, and nobody was told to sit down until the aircraft had come to a complete stop. Most of the passengers who got up before the aircraft came to a standstill were mainland Chinese people, and some were African too. I have taken a photo of this moment on my camera and is shown in this article. The mainland Chinese passengers also started using their mobile phones and loudly could be heard saying “Wei, Wei Ni Hao!” (Hello, Hello, how are you?!” Improvements that could be made: Perhaps Ethiopian should have native Ethiopian staff members manning the check-in desks at Bangkok Airport, and even better perhaps they should consider providing baggage tags and boarding passes with the Ethiopian logo. Perhaps Ethiopian Airlines should serve stainless steel cutlery in both cabins (Economy and Business Class) and not just in Business Class. For the next generation of new aircraft that Ethiopian is ordering, they should consider having IFE at the back of every seat. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Despite having an 767-300ER, the aircraft interior was not that clean, and was full except in Business Class. When I entered the aircraft, I was welcomed with a sight of tired passengers, and some unpleasant smell in the cabin. One would expect this from a plane that had come in fresh from a different climate, different culture and with different style of passengers. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 6 (the interior let it down- otherwise for the food I would give 10/10) Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Bangkok International Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 20:55am on the 3rd of October 2010 Flight Number: MS959 Flight duration: 2 hours and 50 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 777-200ER Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from Guangzhou, and landed around 10 minutes early at Bangkok Airport. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: This was my 5th time I have travelled through Guangzhou Airport since it opened in 2004. Even though the architecture and the presentation of the airport’s layout is impressive, however, the attitudes and the unprofessionalism of some of the check-in staff is no different from what it used to be like say, 5 or even 10 years ago. Some of the Chinese check-in staff that are responsible for some international airlines (like Egyptair for example), hardly speak any English what so ever. I arrived at Guangzhou airport from Shenzhen around 3 hours prior to take off. Normally I take the train from Shenzhen to Guangzhou and then a taxi or a coach to the airport. However, this time around I decided to take the coach from Shenzhen. I found it to be exceedingly punctual, clean and comfortable. The coach from Ba Gua Yi Lu station in Shenzhen’s Futian district costs only 88RMB for the 2 and a half hour journey and took my directly to the airport departure lounge. Once I got to the check in area of Egyptair, I was confronted by a scene of confusion, angry passengers, most of them Egyptian or of Middle Eastern origin, exchanging heated comments with the Chinese check-in staff members. It wasn’t difficult to observe that the Chinese check-in staff were not treating their passengers with any respect what so ever. The senior lady in charge of the check in staff was exceedingly rude to the passengers and was clearly seen shouting words like “No, you cannot stand here!”, “Get back in the line at once!”. There was a certain air of discrimination too. Even though Guangzhou has a high population of African and Middle Eastern people, they are on the whole subject to open discrimination by the Chinese people. The interesting point to note here is that when I spoke to any check-in staff member, they were very polite and kind to me, however when the same check in staff member was speaking to a passenger of Middle Eastern or African origin, they were rude. Therefore, on the whole I would have to say that the customer service of the check in staff at the Egyptair counter of Guangzhou Baiyun Airport was extremely disappointing to say the least. Perhaps Egyptair should consider employing locally based Egyptian (or Middle Eastern origin) check in staff to make life easier for everybody. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola). No alcohol was served on this flight because this airline belongs to an Islamic country. Even in Business Class, Egyptair does not serve alcoholic drinks. Comments regarding the first meal: Dinner was served around an hour after take off from Guangzhou. The timing was good enough as I had not had a proper meal prior to take off. There was an option of either fish or chicken (Egyptair does not serve pork products on their flights because it’s an airline of a Muslim country). I went for the fish option. All the meat was Halal (again in accordance with strict Muslim customs). However, to my surprise the food presentation looked like as if someone had stamped on it, and also the taste was not as fresh as one would expect. I suspect that this was the food that was taken in from the previous flight from Bangkok because the fruit juices that were served were all Thai made (the orange “pulp” tasted sour for some reason). The fish curry was served with boiled Thai rice and some lettuce. The rice was sticky, and tasted almost like softened starch. While the fish tasted as if it had been taken right out from a preserved can in the supermarket. In regards to the lettuce, it looked rather like seaweed that had been dragged onto the beach the previous night. It was tasteless. Really, I could not have asked for a more tasteless meal. However, for the experience I was thankful that it only lasted for around 30 minutes before the crew members came and took the plates away. For dessert there was an apple crumble, however you could easily feel the sour taste of the apples’ and not much softness to the rather dead pudding. It tasted like as if it had been stored in the fridge for some time. The plastic cutlery on which our food was served also looked as if it had seen its better days of flying. On a rather good note, I can say that I was very happy to get stainless steel cutlery in economy class,. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal- again no alcohol was served in accordance with Islamic laws. The air stewards continued to serve the drinks (tea and coffee) while the plane was under great turbulence. During this short flight there was a great deal of turbulence. I refused to accept the hot tea being served while the plane was going through turbulence. 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): On the 777-200ER (Which is an older version of this plane), Egyptair does not have a personal seat in-flight entertainment but a large TV set in the front of each cabin. Small earphones are handed out at the beginning of each flight. The in-flight system was provided in the form of a Map of the route. However, my seat light was not working (and neither was the seat light of other nearby seats that I tried), the “Channel” and “Volume” button was not working either, and to make matters worse the “Flight attendant Call button” was not working either! On a regular basis (every now and then) a small map with an arrow pointing towards Mecca was shown. This is so that Muslim passengers can face in the correct direction towards Mecca while they pray during the flight. This was interesting and I have never seen this before on a flight. Another interesting aspect was that just prior to take off, while the plane was taxiing to the Runway, a prayer verse from the Koran was played on the PA system. Again I have never experienced this before on a flight. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Professional staff and very friendly. They served in a true Egyptian style. In Economy Class the cabin crew were mostly Egyptian men, while there were a couple of Thai ladies as well (could not speak Arabic). In Business Class there were a couple of Egyptian air hostesses that were nearing their retirement age. Improvements that could be made: Egyptair should consider installing high quality in-flight entertainment system for every seat. As an airline that is part of the Star Alliance partnership, the in-flight meals need to be improved. The food that we got in both economy and Business Class could easily have been improved, and made to be fresher. The lettuce easily looked as if it had been stored in the fridge for days. The salt, pepper, tissue paper, vinegar and the salad dressing were all non-branded and with Thai words. In other words, all of these things should be branded with the Egyptair logo and the colour scheme. Only the sugar and the creamer were branded with Egyptair colours and Logo. The air stewards continued to serve the drinks while the plane was under great turbulence. I refused to accept the hot tea being served while the plane was going through turbulence. The interesting thing was that I had to politely tell the air hostess that drinks should not be served during turbulence. Should she know this anyways?! Her response was rather shocking- “Sir, sorry but since the Captain and the Senior Purser did not inform us, so we can continue to serve the drinks even if there is turbulence”. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The aircraft was clean in both the economy and Business Class cabins. In the Economy Class, the design of the Egyptian blue and yellow Horus was evident, while the Business Class was all yellow (with the Horus design). Each seat is provided with a Egyptair branded blue pillow and a blanket. The toilets were clean- though the hand cream and the soap had run out. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 5 bmi is the second largest airline at London Heathrow, one of the world's busiest and best-connected international airports. bmi has a fleet of 47 aircraft and flies to over 30 destinations in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.
Route: Manchester Airport to London Heathrow Departure date and time of flight: 15th September 2008 at 19:00pm Flight Number: BD593 Flight duration: 45m Class: Economy Aircraft type: Airbus A321 Punctuality of the flight: No delay. The flight actually lasted under than 40 minutes. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: There were no problems. It was a smooth flight. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: None. Passengers had to pay for the food. The good old days of getting free food on some European flights has disappeared. Comments regarding the first meal: None. Passengers had to buy the food, and the prices are a bit on the expensive side. Nevertheless, for such a short flight there was no need for in-flight meals. Flying without getting complimentary in-flight meals is just not the same experience as used to be (irrespective of how long the flight is). Comments regarding the drinks service: None Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite. Any incidents: None. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The interior of all BMI aircraft is a yellow and sky blue. The aircraft cabin was clean and had a nice fresh smell. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries).
Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet, as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London's airports'. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Although I booked my flight with Air France and the in-flight food and the plane’s livery was all in Air France colours, the flight was still operated by CityJet. The service is better than, if not the same, as Air France. Don't get me wrong, CityJet is not a no-frills airline like Easyjet or Ryanair. Unlike no-frills airlines, with CityJet you get to choose your seat, get complimentary high quality in0-flight meals and are guaranteed to have all taxes and luggage items included in the cost of your flight ticket. Unlike no-frills airlines there are no hidden costs whatsoever. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris CDG, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group's vast network. CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. The buzz word is "CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe" and "London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area". This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full. Route: Dublin Airport to London City Airport Departure date and time of flight: 19th June 2009 at 18:50pm Flight Number: AF5222 (Has a Air France Code but was operated by CityJet) Flight duration: 1h 25m Class: Economy Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146) Punctuality of the flight: There was no delay to the flight and it departed on time. Dublin Airport is an international airport and is busy at peak times- despite this the flight left on time and arrived on time. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. Checking in at Dublin is not a tedious process and is smooth. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola) Comments regarding the first meal: The evening meal on the flight back to London was similar to the meal provided by CityJet on some of their other routes such as Geneva-London for example. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite. Improvements that could be made: None. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It's quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard "19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch" provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain. Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as City Jet is part of the "Skyteam Group", and the same partnership airline of Air France/KLM. If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes', seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way! Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries).
Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet, as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London's airports'. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Although I booked my flight with Air France and the in-flight food and the plane’s livery was all in Air France colours, the flight was still operated by CityJet. The service is better than, if not the same, as Air France. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris CDG, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group's vast network. CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. The buzz word is "CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe" and "London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area". This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full. Route: London City Airport to Dublin Airport Departure date and time of flight: 17th June 2009 at 08:25am Flight Number: AF5123 (Has a Air France Code but was operated by CityJet) Flight duration: 1h 25m Class: Economy Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146) Punctuality of the flight: There was no delay to the flight and it departed on time. The airport is compact; so there are no queues to get to the runway, so all the flight are usually on time. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. London City Airport is an airport which predominantly caters for the business community- with the close proximity to Canary Wharf, and the Square Mile. The beauty of departing from London City Airport is that no matter what the time of the day it is and irrespective of how busy the airport terminal is, the process of catching a flight seems to be a very smooth one. There is no rush and no long queues for check-in or security. Indeed, most of the time you can easily complete the whole process, right from checking-in to the waiting lounge, in around 10-15 minutes. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola) Comments regarding the first meal: The service with CityJet is amazing...just amazing. CityJet provided a small breakfast box containing a ham and egg roll, a fresh strawberry yogurt pot, and a hot chocolate croissant to accompany the meal. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the breakfast. 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: Very professional and polite. 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. The flight is a straight forward climb out of London City, heading over to the north, passing Milton Keynes after around 10 minutes, and then turning towards Liverpool before turning left again over the Irish Sea and into Dublin Airport. Fantastic views from the sky! Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It's quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard "19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch" provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain. Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as City Jet is part of the "Skyteam Group", and the same partnership airline of Air France/KLM. If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the Engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes', seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way! Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries).
Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet, as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London's airports'. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Although I booked my flight with Air France and the in-flight food and the plane’s livery was all in Air France colours, the flight was still operated by CityJet. The service is better than, if not the same, as Air France. Don't get me wrong, CityJet is not a no-frills airline like Easyjet or Ryanair. Unlike no-frills airlines, with CityJet you get to choose your seat, get complimentary high quality in0-flight meals and are guaranteed to have all taxes and luggage items included in the cost of your flight ticket. Unlike no-frills airlines there are no hidden costs whatsoever. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris CDG, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group's vast network. CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. The buzz word is "CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe" and "London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area". This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full. Route: Geneva International Airport to London City Airport Departure date and time of flight: 16th January 2008 at 17:10pm Flight Number: AF8165 (Has a Air France Code but was operated by CityJet) Flight duration: 1h 45m Class: Economy Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146) Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed Geneva on time and landed at London City around 15 minutes early. There was no delay and we had a straight in approach into London City. The only funny thing was when we landed, the aircraft literally hit the ground that even the Captain made an announcement saying “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have just “hit the ground”- welcome to London City!”. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. Geneva Airport is not as busy as some of the other European airports’ and plus taking into account the Swiss culture of being on time, so there were no delays or any other issues. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola) Comments regarding the first meal: A heavy and delicious cheese roll (it looked like a hamburger cut in half!) and a ridiculously scrumptious chocolate chip brownie- no complaints there! Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the breakfast. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): In our flight, milk chocolates were offered as a treat, as well as the boiled sweets prior to take off and landing. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite. Improvements that could be made: Nothing- can’t complain much about such a short flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It's quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard "19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch" provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain. Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as City Jet is part of the "Skyteam Group", and the same partnership airline of Air France/KLM. If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes', seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way! Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries).
Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet, as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London's airports'. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Although I booked my flight with Air France and the in-flight food and the plane’s livery was all in Air France colours, the flight was still operated by CityJet. The service is better than, if not the same, as Air France. Don't get me wrong, CityJet is not a no-frills airline like Easyjet or Ryanair. Unlike no-frills airlines, with CityJet you get to choose your seat, get complimentary high quality in0-flight meals and are guaranteed to have all taxes and luggage items included in the cost of your flight ticket. Unlike no-frills airlines there are no hidden costs whatsoever. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris CDG, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group's vast network. CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. The buzz word is "CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe" and "London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area". This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full. Route: London City Airport to Geneva International Airport Departure date and time of flight: 14th January 2008 at 08:55am Flight Number: AF8162 (Has a Air France code but was operated by CityJet) Flight duration: 1h 55m (excludes the 5 minute delay to the plane) Class: Economy Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146) Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around 20 minutes late because there was a delay in the morning rush hour at London City Airport. Although the Captain made up for the time and we were only late by around 5 minutes. If you live in London then I would highly recommend flying from London City Airport with CityJet. Its fast, it's easy, it's comfortable, and there is no hustle and bustle that you get at big airports like Heathrow or Gatwick (where you can fly with CityJet's parent companies such as KLM and Air France). This is not just a personal viewpoint, but also a wider one too- one that is shared by many passengers, both corporate and leisure travellers. However, usually from past experience, I can confirm that 90 percent of the time there are no delays. The airport is compact; so there are no queues to get to the runway, so all the flight are usually on time. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. London City Airport is an airport which predominantly caters for the business community- with the close proximity to Canary Wharf, and the Square Mile. The beauty of departing from London City Airport is that no matter what the time of the day it is and irrespective of how busy the airport terminal is, the process of catching a flight seems to be a very smooth one. There is no rush and no long queues for check-in or security. Indeed, most of the time you can easily complete the whole process, right from the moment of checking-in to the waiting lounge, in around 10-15 minutes. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola) Comments regarding the first meal: For a considerably short flight (2 hours if OK), CityJet actually feed you like there is no tomorrow! There was a breakfast box containing a cheese and ham roll, a fresh strawberry yogurt pot, and a hot chocolate croissant to accompany the meal. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the breakfast. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): In our flight, milk chocolates were offered as a treat, as well as the boiled sweets prior to take off and landing. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite. 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. The views over Western Europe were to die for- especially as we descended into Geneva while passing the Swiss Alps and Lake Geneva. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It's quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard "19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch" provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain. Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as City Jet is part of the "Skyteam Group", and the same partnership airline of Air France/KLM. If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes', seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way! 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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