Route: Hangzhou International Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun International
Departure date and time of flight: 08:20am on 26 April, 2015 Flight number: CZ3820 Flight duration: 2 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 regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: A box containing a simple bun, bread roll with pickles, an orange slice and a packet of apple crisps 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 Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-700 plane has 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. PAL EXPRESS (Caticlan International Airport- Manila International Airport), Bombardier 300 (Dash-8)4/20/2015
PAL Express, formerly Air Philippines or Airphil Express, is an airline operating under the business name of Air Philippines Corporation. It operates domestic and international scheduled services from Manila, Cebu, Davao City and Zamboanga. The airline has been re-branded a number of times, first as Air Philippines, then Airphil Express, and is now known as PAL Express. After a series of financial losses, Air Philippines ceased operations until it was acquired by investors from Philippine Airlines. After the acquisition, the airline was re-launched as PAL Express, operating some routes and slot assignments of its sister company Philippine Airlines until management decided to re-brand the carrier as a budget airline known as Airphil Express. However, in March 2013, the company's CEO announced that the name would revert to PAL Express. As a codeshare partner of Philippine Airlines, PAL Express operates as a full service carrier within a low-cost model.
PAL Express is Philippine Airlines' answer to Cebu Pacific Air's dominance in the low-cost travel market in the Philippines. It has allowed PAL to focus on the premium market, where domestically PAL does not have competition. Airphil Express gained a significant increase in passengers following its launch as a low-cost carrier. The airline is currently in fleet acquisition model to support its planned domestic and international route expansion plan. Airphil Express currently holds the no. 3 position among Philippine-based airlines, with 19% market share. The Dash-8 aircraft is used for domestic routes, especially to the smaller island airports. I took this flight from Boracay’s Caticlan Airport to Manila. Route: CATICLAN AIRPORT- MANILA AQUINO INTL. AIRPORT Departure date and time of flight: April 2015, 09:30 Flight number: PR2040 (ICAO callsign: “AirPhil 2040”) Flight duration: 40 minutes Cabin: FIESTA ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: Dash 8-300 (9 in service) Aircraft registration: RP-C3017 Engine Type: Two x PWC PW123 Aircraft Serial Number: 657 Frequent flyer programme: Mabuhay Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Economy Class: 76 seats in a 2-2 configuration Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. For First and Business Class, Philippine Airlines have a checked baggage allowance of 40 kg and 30 kg total respectively for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Economy Class passengers can take 23kg in the hold. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Comments on the check-in: I arrived around an hour early for check-in at the quiet and tiny. It is a tiny building, with the departures and arrivals all in one room. On one side are the taxis waiting to take passengers to the Island, and on the other side are planes. The runway and the terminal are surrounded by lush green. Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time and we landed in Manila around five minutes early due to low air traffic in the area. The taxi from the runway to the airport terminal building is quite a long one. Comments regarding the meal: Just a packet of crackers, and a bottle of water. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Philippine Airlines. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. Therefore, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. For such a short flight and a tiny aircraft, there are only two cabin crew members, one located at each end of the aircraft. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): There are 76 seats in the Bombardier Dash-8 300, with a 2-2 configuration. The flight had an interesting mix of stereotypical passengers that you would expect coming back from an exotic island, such as Boracay. The flight consisted of a gay couple (one of the men had a rooster style haircut…pink hair, naturally), there was a very old white foreigner with his very young Filipino mail order bride, and there were American college students, who were clearly looked as though they were in Boracay to just mess around. All in all, it just seemed very comical…something like out of a movie…except that we were not expecting any ditching onto a remote island. Philippine Airlines logo and livery: The Philippine Airlines logo has gone under four incarnations in the entire length of its operations. The first logo incorporated a blue oval with "PAL" superimposed in white letters, a four-pointed star whose points intersect behind the "A" in the PAL initials, and a wing whose position varied depending on the location of the logo (the wing points to the right if located on the left side of the plane, left if on the right side). A variant of this logo used a globe instead in the blue oval with the PAL initials superimposed. This logo would be in use from the 1950s until the mid-1960s, when it would be replaced by a second logo. The second logo adopted a blue triangle (with the bottom point missing) and a red triangle superimposed upon it, enclosed by a circle; this was meant to evoke a vertically-displayed national flag (the white being formed by the negative space between the two triangles' tips). In the mid-1970s, a third logo, which removed the circle and simplified the shapes, was introduced. The typeface used in the third logo was later applied to the second logo, which remained the official PAL logo until 1986, when it would be replaced by the current logo. The current PAL logo features the same two blue and red triangles used in the second and third logos. However, an eight-rayed yellow sunburst that recalled the flag's Sun was superimposed on top of the blue triangle, and a new Helvetica typeface was used. PAL liveries have undergone many incarnations. The first PAL aircraft bore a simple white-top, silver-bottom livery separated by solid straight cheatlines, with a small Philippine flag superimposed on the tail. The name "Philippine Air Lines" was superimposed in the upper forward portion of the fuselage and the PAL logo was located at the back. Later variants of the livery, especially on PAL jet aircraft, made use of an extended Philippine flag as cheatlines, with the PAL logo superimposed on the tail. By this time, the name "Philippine Airlines" was used in the livery. Another variant of the original livery used by PAL is somewhat similar to the current livery. However, it uses PAL's third logo on the tail with blue, white and red cheatlines running the center of the fuselage. Later on, the bottom half of the fuselage was also painted white. The current "Eurowhite" livery, first used with the Short 360, was adopted in 1986 following PAL's corporate rebranding. This livery, (designed by Landor Associates) has the name "Philippines" superimposed on the forward portion of the fuselage in italics (using the PAL logo typeface), while the tail is painted with the logo and the Philippine flag is visible near the rear of the aircraft. The PAL logo is also painted on the winglets of aircraft that have them. The name "Philippines", instead of "Philippine Airlines", is to denote that PAL is the primary flag carrier of the Philippines. However, this sometimes leads to confusion that a PAL plane, especially when chartered by the President for official or state visits, is in fact the official air transport of the Philippine head of state. Any PAL aircraft with the callsign PR 001 is a special plane operated by Philippine Airlines to transport the President of the Philippines. For the airline's 70th anniversary, a special decal was placed on all of its aircraft. The sticker featured a stylized "70" and the words, "Asia's first, shining through". Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the national flag carrier of the Philippines. The airline was founded in 1941 and is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name. Operating out of its hubs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport of Cebu, Philippine Airlines uses a fleet of 56 aircraft (with 37 on order), and serves 31 destinations in the Philippines and 36 overseas destinations in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Oceania, North America and Europe.
Formerly one of the largest Asian airlines, PAL was severely affected by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In one of the Philippines' biggest corporate failures, PAL was forced to downsize its international operations by completely cutting flights to Europe and Middle East, cutting virtually all domestic flights except routes operated from Manila, reducing the size of its fleet, and laying off thousands of employees. The airline was placed under receivership in 1998, and gradually restored operations to many destinations. PAL exited receivership in 2007, and following the brief management takeover by the San Miguel group from 2012 to 2014, has been taking steps towards re-establishing itself as one of Asia's premier carriers. The Airbus A330 aircraft is used for regional routes around the Asia Pacific region and China. I took this flight from Manila to Hong Kong, having travelled to Manila from Caticlan Airport in Boracay. Route: MANILA AQUINO INTL. AIRPORT (MNL) to HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (HKG) Departure date and time of flight: April 2015, 15:30 Flight number: PR311 (ICAO callsign: “Philippine 311”) Flight duration: Two hours and ten minutes Cabin: FIESTA ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-343 (15 in service) Unit cost of each Airbus A330: US$253.7M, €231.3M (2015) Aircraft registration: RP-C8766 (First flight October 1, 2014) Engine Type: Two x Rolls Royce Trent 772B-60 Aircraft Serial Number: 1566 Frequent flyer programme: Mabuhay Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 18 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration Premium Economy Class: 27 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Economy Class: 323 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Philippine Airlines currently offers two-class services on all aircraft, business (called Mabuhay Class) and economy (called Fiesta Class). During the second half of 2006, PAL announced a cabin reconfiguration project for its Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft. The airline spent US$85.7 million to remove all first class seats and increase the size of its business and economy seats, leading to the aforementioned new seats; as well as add personal screens with audio and video on-demand (AVOD) across both cabin classes. The cabin reconfiguration project began in the third quarter of 2008. The first 747-400 to be reconfigured (reg. RP-C7471) re-entered service in October 2008. The second reconfigured plane (reg. RP-C7475) was completed in May 2009, and the third (reg. RP-C7472) was completed July 2009. The fourth 747 (reg. RP-C7473) began reconfigured work in August 2009. Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. For First and Business Class, Philippine Airlines have a checked baggage allowance of 40 kg and 30 kg total respectively for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Economy Class passengers can take 23kg in the hold. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Comments on the check-in: I arrived around two hours early for check-in at the chaotic and manic Manila airport. One thing you immediately notice is that if the staff at the check-in counter, who are all Filipino, are very friendly and provide one of the best customer user experiences - the warmth of the Philippines hits you! The only other downside is that it can get very busy, noisy, chaotic and hot (just be ready for that!). Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time and we landed in Hong Kong around 15 minutes early due to low air traffic in the area. For some reason, experienced a very bad ear blockage as we descended into Hong Kong. Apparently, everyone else, including the crew, did as well. Comments regarding the meal: Late afternoon dinner was served around 20 minutes after take-off from Manila. For this short-haul flight, which was basically a hop across the sea to Hong Kong, we were served a basic meal of boneless fish with rice, and a bread bun. This was accompanied with a very scrumptious custard. Very delicious meal. Authentic Filipino cuisine at its best. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Philippine Airlines recently introduced the iPad on-Demand on the trans-Pacific flights. Passengers can enjoy in-flight entertainment options such as movies, TV shows, music, games, and even magazines and newspapers. Philippine Airlines is the first carrier in the Philippines to offer Wi-Fi on board, which began on April 1, 2013. It is named as Philippine Airlines In Air. Passengers are able to make calls, send and receive text messages, tweets, email and surf the Internet while flying. This plane offers GSM and Wi-Fi access to allowing passengers to browse the web, make phone calls, or stream content via their personal devices. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Philippine Airlines. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. Therefore, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): This Airbus A330-300 features a three class configuration with 18 flatbed Business Class seats, 27 Premium Economy seats with up to 3” of extra legroom, and 323 standard Economy Class seats. Philippine Airlines logo and livery: The Philippine Airlines logo has gone under four incarnations in the entire length of its operations. The first logo incorporated a blue oval with "PAL" superimposed in white letters, a four-pointed star whose points intersect behind the "A" in the PAL initials, and a wing whose position varied depending on the location of the logo (the wing points to the right if located on the left side of the plane, left if on the right side). A variant of this logo used a globe instead in the blue oval with the PAL initials superimposed. This logo would be in use from the 1950s until the mid-1960s, when it would be replaced by a second logo. The second logo adopted a blue triangle (with the bottom point missing) and a red triangle superimposed upon it, enclosed by a circle; this was meant to evoke a vertically-displayed national flag (the white being formed by the negative space between the two triangles' tips). In the mid-1970s, a third logo, which removed the circle and simplified the shapes, was introduced. The typeface used in the third logo was later applied to the second logo, which remained the official PAL logo until 1986, when it would be replaced by the current logo. The current PAL logo features the same two blue and red triangles used in the second and third logos. However, an eight-rayed yellow sunburst that recalled the flag's Sun was superimposed on top of the blue triangle, and a new Helvetica typeface was used. PAL liveries have undergone many incarnations. The first PAL aircraft bore a simple white-top, silver-bottom livery separated by solid straight cheatlines, with a small Philippine flag superimposed on the tail. The name "Philippine Air Lines" was superimposed in the upper forward portion of the fuselage and the PAL logo was located at the back. Later variants of the livery, especially on PAL jet aircraft, made use of an extended Philippine flag as cheatlines, with the PAL logo superimposed on the tail. By this time, the name "Philippine Airlines" was used in the livery. Another variant of the original livery used by PAL is somewhat similar to the current livery. However, it uses PAL's third logo on the tail with blue, white and red cheatlines running the center of the fuselage. Later on, the bottom half of the fuselage was also painted white. The current "Eurowhite" livery, first used with the Short 360, was adopted in 1986 following PAL's corporate rebranding. This livery, (designed by Landor Associates) has the name "Philippines" superimposed on the forward portion of the fuselage in italics (using the PAL logo typeface), while the tail is painted with the logo and the Philippine flag is visible near the rear of the aircraft. The PAL logo is also painted on the winglets of aircraft that have them. The name "Philippines", instead of "Philippine Airlines", is to denote that PAL is the primary flag carrier of the Philippines. However, this sometimes leads to confusion that a PAL plane, especially when chartered by the President for official or state visits, is in fact the official air transport of the Philippine head of state. Any PAL aircraft with the callsign PR 001 is a special plane operated by Philippine Airlines to transport the President of the Philippines. For the airline's 70th anniversary, a special decal was placed on all of its aircraft. The sticker featured a stylized "70" and the words, "Asia's first, shining through". Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 PAL Express, formerly Air Philippines or Airphil Express, is an airline operating under the business name of Air Philippines Corporation. It operates domestic and international scheduled services from Manila, Cebu, Davao City and Zamboanga. The airline has been re-branded a number of times, first as Air Philippines, then Airphil Express, and is now known as PAL Express. After a series of financial losses, Air Philippines ceased operations until it was acquired by investors from Philippine Airlines. After the acquisition, the airline was re-launched as PAL Express, operating some routes and slot assignments of its sister company Philippine Airlines until management decided to re-brand the carrier as a budget airline known as Airphil Express. However, in March 2013, the company's CEO announced that the name would revert to PAL Express. As a codeshare partner of Philippine Airlines, PAL Express operates as a full service carrier within a low-cost model.
PAL Express is Philippine Airlines' answer to Cebu Pacific Air's dominance in the low-cost travel market in the Philippines. It has allowed PAL to focus on the premium market, where domestically PAL does not have competition. Airphil Express gained a significant increase in passengers following its launch as a low-cost carrier. The airline is currently in fleet acquisition model to support its planned domestic and international route expansion plan. Airphil Express currently holds the no. 3 position among Philippine-based airlines, with 19% market share. The Dash-8 aircraft is used for domestic routes, especially to the smaller island airports. I took this flight from Manila to Boracay’s Caticlan Airport. Route: MANILA AQUINO INTL. AIRPORT-CATICLAN AIRPORT- Departure date and time of flight: April 2015, 15:30 Flight number: PR2041 (ICAO callsign: “AirPhil 2041”) Flight duration: 40 minutes Cabin: FIESTA ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: Dash 8-300 (9 in service) Aircraft registration: RP-C3018 Engine Type: Two x PWC PW123 Aircraft Serial Number: 658 Frequent flyer programme: Mabuhay Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Economy Class: 76 seats in a 2-2 configuration Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. For First and Business Class, Philippine Airlines have a checked baggage allowance of 40 kg and 30 kg total respectively for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Economy Class passengers can take 23kg in the hold. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Comments on the check-in: This was a connecting flight from Hong Kong to Boracay via Manila. At Manila, you have to change terminals, from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal. Be prepared to face a noisy, chaotic and unorganised airport terminal. Despite the chaos, the Filipino people are very friendly and nice, and very helpful as well. I admire them for their tolerance levels. Amazing. Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time and we landed in Caticlan around five minutes early due to low air traffic in the area. You get to see spectacular views of Boracay when you land- the plane goes over the main island on approach. Comments regarding the meal: Just a packet of crisps, and a bottle of water. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Philippine Airlines. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. Therefore, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. For such a short flight and a tiny aircraft, there are only two cabin crew members, one located at each end of the aircraft. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): There are 76 seats in the Bombardier Dash-8 300, with a 2-2 configuration. Philippine Airlines logo and livery: The Philippine Airlines logo has gone under four incarnations in the entire length of its operations. The first logo incorporated a blue oval with "PAL" superimposed in white letters, a four-pointed star whose points intersect behind the "A" in the PAL initials, and a wing whose position varied depending on the location of the logo (the wing points to the right if located on the left side of the plane, left if on the right side). A variant of this logo used a globe instead in the blue oval with the PAL initials superimposed. This logo would be in use from the 1950s until the mid-1960s, when it would be replaced by a second logo. The second logo adopted a blue triangle (with the bottom point missing) and a red triangle superimposed upon it, enclosed by a circle; this was meant to evoke a vertically-displayed national flag (the white being formed by the negative space between the two triangles' tips). In the mid-1970s, a third logo, which removed the circle and simplified the shapes, was introduced. The typeface used in the third logo was later applied to the second logo, which remained the official PAL logo until 1986, when it would be replaced by the current logo. The current PAL logo features the same two blue and red triangles used in the second and third logos. However, an eight-rayed yellow sunburst that recalled the flag's Sun was superimposed on top of the blue triangle, and a new Helvetica typeface was used. PAL liveries have undergone many incarnations. The first PAL aircraft bore a simple white-top, silver-bottom livery separated by solid straight cheatlines, with a small Philippine flag superimposed on the tail. The name "Philippine Air Lines" was superimposed in the upper forward portion of the fuselage and the PAL logo was located at the back. Later variants of the livery, especially on PAL jet aircraft, made use of an extended Philippine flag as cheatlines, with the PAL logo superimposed on the tail. By this time, the name "Philippine Airlines" was used in the livery. Another variant of the original livery used by PAL is somewhat similar to the current livery. However, it uses PAL's third logo on the tail with blue, white and red cheatlines running the center of the fuselage. Later on, the bottom half of the fuselage was also painted white. The current "Eurowhite" livery, first used with the Short 360, was adopted in 1986 following PAL's corporate rebranding. This livery, (designed by Landor Associates) has the name "Philippines" superimposed on the forward portion of the fuselage in italics (using the PAL logo typeface), while the tail is painted with the logo and the Philippine flag is visible near the rear of the aircraft. The PAL logo is also painted on the winglets of aircraft that have them. The name "Philippines", instead of "Philippine Airlines", is to denote that PAL is the primary flag carrier of the Philippines. However, this sometimes leads to confusion that a PAL plane, especially when chartered by the President for official or state visits, is in fact the official air transport of the Philippine head of state. Any PAL aircraft with the callsign PR 001 is a special plane operated by Philippine Airlines to transport the President of the Philippines. For the airline's 70th anniversary, a special decal was placed on all of its aircraft. The sticker featured a stylized "70" and the words, "Asia's first, shining through". Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Korean Air (대한항공) is the national flag carrier of South Korea (Republic of Korea) and is the largest airline in South Korea based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights. The airline serves 127 cities in 44 countries, while its domestic division serves 12 destinations. It is among the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also the top-ranked international cargo airline.
At the time of writing, Korean Air operates a fleet of 157 aircraft, including 10 Airbus A380 and 40 state-of-the-art Boeing 737NG aircraft. Korean Air is a founding member airline of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance formed in 2000. The alliance currently consists of 20 member airlines flying to 1,057 destinations in over 179 countries worldwide with 16,270 flights every day. SkyTeam is committed to offering passengers quality service and high-end comforts. This was the first time I flew with Korean Air. I was on the flight from Seoul’s Gimpo Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on Korean Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER to check out their Economy Class seats! This was exactly the same aircraft I flew on when I flew from Shanghai to Seoul Incheon the week before. Route: SEOUL GIMPO AIRPORT (GMP) to SHANGHAI HONGQIAO (SHA) Departure date and time of flight: 15:15, April 2015 Flight number: KE2815 (ICAO call sign: “Korean Air”) Flight duration: Two hours and 10 minutes Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-2B5ER (16 in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-200ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: HL7734 (First flight 22nd July 2005) Engine Type: Two x PW PW4090 Aircraft Serial Number: 34207 LN:528 Frequent flyer program: KYPASS is the frequent-flyer program of Korean Air. "SKYPASS" also refers to the blue card which Korean Air frequent-flyers are given. The motto of SKYPASS is "Beyond your Imagination". Qualification for the highest level is based on lifetime flight miles, requiring a customer to fly one million miles for Million Miler, which is the highest elite status or 500,000 miles for Morning Calm Premium, which comes second. Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: Eight flat-bed seats with 180-degree recline in a 1-2-1 configuration Business Class (Prestige): 28 angle-flat seats in a 2-3-2 configuration Economy Class: 225 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Punctuality of the flight: Departed around ten minutes late, however we managed to arrive on time into a smoggy Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. For Economy Class, Korean Air have a checked baggage allowance of 23 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the China to South Korea 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: The check-in staff were very professional and came across as well-trained. Before the check-in procedure begins, the check-in staff at Gimpo Airport stand in front of all the passengers to welcome them and bow to everyone before formal proceedings of check-in commence. It is a very formal affair, and one that should be adopted in other countries I think. The ethos of customer service is one of the best in the world. The staff are exceedingly helpful and are prepared to go out of their ways to help passengers. Gimpo airport is mostly used for domestic flights, however some flights out to China, Japan and Taiwan are also operated out of here, with the majority of them being with Asiana Airlines or Korean Air. The airport is closer to the city as well. 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 in Business Class only). The cabin crew are truly one of the best trained I have met on any other airline. Customer comes first and Korean Air truly define the meaning of a five-star service. Passengers in Economy Class were offered a packet of fresh pretzels packed in Korean Air branded packets, and a choice of drinks from the trolley service. 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. I just resorted to drinking plenty of bottled water. Though they may sound very tempting, however, alcohol and coffee are not good to drink during a flight as it just dehydrates you. Water is the best. Comments regarding the first meal: In true Korean Air 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 15 minutes after take-off from Pudong. A tray full of goodies was staring at my eyes. There was only one option for the main meal: Korean spicy beef and rice The food was fresh, delicious and better than what you get on most other airlines in Economy Class. This is why Korean Air is different because they provide a fine dining experience in all classes of travel- one that is easily comparable to going to a five-star restaurant. You get what you pay for, and Korean Air does not fail. Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of freshly cut salad (ham slice (spam?), tomato, cucumber and shredded lettuce 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. Orange juice by Chinese company Bilin was also provided. For dessert, Korean Air provided a bowl of fresh fruit (pineapple slice in juice by Dole), which is a healthier option as opposed to sweets and chocolates that other airlines offer. Traditional Korean Gochujang Chili Sauce, branded with the Korean Air logo, was provided with the meal. It is a savoury, spicy, and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. Free flowing bread from the basket with butter was also available (you don’t get this on other airlines). In Economy Class, Korean Air still provides proper steel cutlery to the passengers. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Plenty of fresh water, coffee and tea are offered in lovely Korean Air branded paper cups (that can be recycled) were offered. Comments regarding the second meal: None. This was a short flight so there was no second meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Pocket sized earphones were offered in the Economy Class cabin. This aircraft offers personal seatback Audio and Video on Demand (AVOD) TV's in both classes on service. AVOD allows passengers to select any channel at any time. First Class seats are equipped with a 17-inch LCD monitor, Prestige Class seats are equipped with a 10.4-inch LCD monitor, and Economy Class seats are equipped with an 8.4-inch LCD monitor. The good thing is that all First and Prestige Class seats as well as every 2-4 Economy class seats have an 110v AC power port. An adapter is not required. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Korean Air. 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. While the vast majority of the cabin crew for Korean Air are exclusively native Korean, the airline does employ foreigners for some destinations where English may not be the first language (such as China, Russia and Japan for example). Italian designer Gianfranco Ferré created the airline’s current uniform, which has practicality in mind for the flight attendants' active cabin duties. The uniform attains harmony between modern global fashion appeal while integrating the foundation of Korea's traditional and inherent beauty. It features elegance and refinement while being comfortable. Most importantly of all the uniform distinguishes ergonomic design and use of practical and supple fabrics. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Korean Air have 225 Economy Class seats on their Boeing 777-200 aircraft with a 3-3-3 configuration (better than most other airlines that have ten seats across each Economy Class row). Each seat has a generous pitch of a 34 inch recline and is 18 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 Korean Air 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. Even in Economy Class, the toilets are equipped with toothpaste and toothbrush (on this flight at least). Korean Air logo and livery: As stated on their website “The symbol and logo of Korean Air reflects our desire to be a leading airline in the world's aviation industry.” Korean Air logo consist of the colors of the national flag of South Korea. The symbol of Korean Air is designed to promote its status as a national carrier. Based on the concept of Yin and Yang that is incorporated in the national flag, the mark symbolizes the dynamic strength of the company. The white shape positioned between the red and blue represents a propeller in motion, symbolizing its powerful driving force and the pioneering spirit of the company. The single color version is designed with several horizontal lines in the upper part to add a clear distinction between upper and lower parts in terms of hue. The logo is derived from the Taegeuk symbol found on the country’s flag. In 1984 South Korea’s national airline began to paint their aircraft with a light blue top, white underside and silver cheat line in the middle. The light blue gives the feeling of being fresh, spacious and new. The word mark is designed with a combination of the logo and the symbol to express Korean Air’s corporate philosophy and identity. This, being the most important aspect of Korean Air's corporate design, must be used consistently and homogeneously. If the background color is lighter than 40 percent in ink concentration level, the letters must be dark (navy blue) whereas if the background is darker than the given level, the letters must be light (white). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Korean Air (대한항공) is the national flag carrier of South Korea (Republic of Korea) and is the largest airline in South Korea based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights. The airline serves 127 cities in 44 countries, while its domestic division serves 12 destinations. It is among the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also the top-ranked international cargo airline.
At the time of writing, Korean Air operates a fleet of 157 aircraft, including 10 Airbus A380 and 40 state-of-the-art Boeing 737NG aircraft. Korean Air is a founding member airline of SkyTeam, the global airline alliance formed in 2000. The alliance currently consists of 20 member airlines flying to 1,057 destinations in over 179 countries worldwide with 16,270 flights every day. SkyTeam is committed to offering passengers quality service and high-end comforts. This was the first time I flew with Korean Air. I was on the flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Seoul Incheon International Airport on Korean Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER to check out their Economy Class seats! What a flight it was…check this out: Route: SHANGHAI PUDONG (PVG) to SEOUL INCHEON AIRPORT (ICN) Departure date and time of flight: 11:00am, April 2015 Flight number: KE894 (ICAO call sign: “Korean Air”) Flight duration: Two hours Cabin: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-2B5ER (16 in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-200ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: HL7734 (First flight 22nd July 2005) Engine Type: Two x PW PW4090 Aircraft Serial Number: 34207 LN:528 Frequent flyer program: KYPASS is the frequent-flyer program of Korean Air. "SKYPASS" also refers to the blue card which Korean Air frequent-flyers are given. The motto of SKYPASS is "Beyond your Imagination". Qualification for the highest level is based on lifetime flight miles, requiring a customer to fly one million miles for Million Miler, which is the highest elite status or 500,000 miles for Morning Calm Premium, which comes second. Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: Eight flat-bed seats with 180-degree recline in a 1-2-1 configuration Business Class (Prestige): 28 angle-flat seats in a 2-3-2 configuration Economy Class: 225 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time, and landed 20-minutes ahead of schedule. Incheon airport gets exceedingly busy in the late afternoons with Korean Air flights connecting passengers to all parts of the world. The Koreans are very efficient, and one thing you do notice is that everything runs on time (and if something is not within their control, then then are very apologetic and keep the customer informed – the apology comes across as very genuine and they do take it very personally). The cabin crew make an announcement and bow down to the passengers after the safety announcement, and also prior to landing they do the same to thank the customers for travelling with the airline. Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. For Economy Class, Korean Air have a checked baggage allowance of 23 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the China to South Korea 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: The check-in staff were very professional and came across as well-trained. The check-in staff at Pudong Airport are native local Chinese people, but some of them speak Korean and on this flight all were proficient in English. 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 in Business Class only). The cabin crew are truly one of the best trained I have met on any other airline. Customer comes first and Korean Air truly define the meaning of a five-star service. Passengers in Economy Class were offered a packet of fresh pretzels packed in Korean Air branded packets, and a choice of drinks from the trolley service. 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. I just resorted to drinking plenty of bottled water. Though they may sound very tempting, however, alcohol and coffee are not good to drink during a flight as it just dehydrates you. Water is the best. Comments regarding the first meal: In true Korean Air 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 15-minutes after take-off from Pudong. A tray full of goodies was staring at my eyes. There were two options for the main meal:
I opted for the egg-fried rice with vegetables. The food was fresh, and better than what you get on most other airlines in Economy Class. This is why Korean Air is different because they provide a fine dining experience in all classes of travel- one that is easily comparable to going to a five-star restaurant. You get what you pay for, and Korean Air does not fail. Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of freshly cut salad (ham slice (spam?), tomato, cucumber and shredded lettuce 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. Orange juice by Chinese company Bilin was also provided. For dessert, Korean Air provided a bowl of fresh fruit, which is a healthier option as opposed to sweets and chocolates that other airlines offer. Traditional Korean Gochujang Chili Sauce, branded with the Korean Air logo, was provided with the meal. It is a savoury, spicy, and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. Free flowing bread from the basket with butter was also available (you don’t get this on other airlines). In Economy Class, Korean Air still provides steel cutlery to the passengers. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Plenty of fresh water, coffee and tea are offered in lovely Korean Air branded paper cups (that can be recycled) were offered. Comments regarding the second meal: None. This was a short flight so there was no second meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Pocket sized earphones were offered in the Economy Class cabin. This aircraft offers personal seatback Audio and Video on Demand (AVOD) TV's in both classes on service. AVOD allows passengers to select any channel at any time. First Class seats are equipped with a 17-inch LCD monitor, Prestige Class seats are equipped with a 10.4-inch LCD monitor, and Economy Class seats are equipped with an 8.4-inch LCD monitor. The good thing is that all First and Prestige Class seats as well as every 2-4 Economy class seats have an 110v AC power port. An adapter is not required. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Korean Air. 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. While the vast majority of the cabin crew for Korean Air are exclusively native Korean, the airline does employ foreigners for some destinations where English may not be the first language (such as China, Russia and Japan for example). Italian designer Gianfranco Ferré created the airline’s current uniform, which has practicality in mind for the flight attendants' active cabin duties. The uniform attains harmony between modern global fashion appeal while integrating the foundation of Korea's traditional and inherent beauty. It features elegance and refinement while being comfortable. Most importantly of all the uniform distinguishes ergonomic design and use of practical and supple fabrics. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Korean Air have 225 Economy Class seats on their Boeing 777-200 aircraft with a 3-3-3 configuration (better than most other airlines that have ten seats across each Economy Class row). Each seat has a generous pitch of a 34-inch recline and is 18-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 Korean Air 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. Even in Economy Class, the toilets are equipped with toothpaste and toothbrush (on this flight at least). Korean Air logo and livery: As stated on their website “The symbol and logo of Korean Air reflects our desire to be a leading airline in the world's aviation industry.” Korean Air logo consist of the colors of the national flag of South Korea. The symbol of Korean Air is designed to promote its status as a national carrier. Based on the concept of Yin and Yang that is incorporated in the national flag, the mark symbolizes the dynamic strength of the company. The white shape positioned between the red and blue represents a propeller in motion, symbolizing its powerful driving force and the pioneering spirit of the company. The single color version is designed with several horizontal lines in the upper part to add a clear distinction between upper and lower parts in terms of hue. The logo is derived from the Taegeuk symbol found on the country’s flag. In 1984 South Korea’s national airline began to paint their aircraft with a light blue top, white underside and silver cheat line in the middle. The light blue gives the feeling of being fresh, spacious and new. The word mark is designed with a combination of the logo and the symbol to express Korean Air’s corporate philosophy and identity. This, being the most important aspect of Korean Air's corporate design, must be used consistently and homogeneously. If the background color is lighter than 40 percent in ink concentration level, the letters must be dark (navy blue) whereas if the background is darker than the given level, the letters must be light (white). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the national flag carrier of the Philippines. The airline was founded in 1941 and is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name. Operating out of its hubs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport of Cebu, Philippine Airlines uses a fleet of 56 aircraft (with 37 on order), and serves 31 destinations in the Philippines and 36 overseas destinations in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Oceania, North America and Europe.
Formerly one of the largest Asian airlines, PAL was severely affected by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In one of the Philippines' biggest corporate failures, PAL was forced to downsize its international operations by completely cutting flights to Europe and Middle East, cutting virtually all domestic flights except routes operated from Manila, reducing the size of its fleet, and laying off thousands of employees. The airline was placed under receivership in 1998, and gradually restored operations to many destinations. PAL exited receivership in 2007, and following the brief management takeover by the San Miguel group from 2012 to 2014, has been taking steps towards re-establishing itself as one of Asia's premier carriers. The Airbus A320 aircraft is used for regional routes around the Asia Pacific region and China. I took this flight as part of a package, flying from Hong Kong to Manila and then from Manila to Caticlan Airport in Boracay. Route: HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (HKG) to MANILA AQUINO INTL. AIRPORT (MNL) Departure date and time of flight: April 2015, 07:50am Flight number: PR313 (ICAO callsign: “Philippine 313”) Flight duration: Two hours and five minutes Cabin: FIESTA ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A320-214 (14 in service) Unit cost of each Airbus A320: US$97.0 (€92.0) million (2015) Aircraft registration: RP-C8616 (First flight 19 March 2012) Engine Type: Two x CFMI CFM56-5B4/P Aircraft Serial Number: 5081 Frequent flyer programme: Mabuhay Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 12 seats in a 2-2 configuration Economy Class: 144 seats in a 3-3 configuration Philippine Airlines currently offers two-class services on all aircraft, business (called Mabuhay Class) and economy (called Fiesta Class). During the second half of 2006, PAL announced a cabin reconfiguration project for its Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft. The airline spent US$85.7 million to remove all first class seats and increase the size of its business and economy seats, leading to the aforementioned new seats; as well as add personal screens with audio and video on-demand (AVOD) across both cabin classes. The cabin reconfiguration project began in the third quarter of 2008. The first 747-400 to be reconfigured (reg. RP-C7471) re-entered service in October 2008. The second reconfigured plane (reg. RP-C7475) was completed in May 2009, and the third (reg. RP-C7472) was completed July 2009. The fourth 747 (reg. RP-C7473) began reconfigured work in August 2009. Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. For First and Business Class, Philippine Airlines have a checked baggage allowance of 40 kg and 30 kg total respectively for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Economy Class passengers can take 23kg in the hold. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Comments on the check-in: I arrived around two hours early for check-in at Hong Kong airport. One thing you immediately notice is that if the staff at the check-in counter are Filipino, then the customer user experience is a nice one- the warmth of the Philippines hits you even before you arrive there! On the other side of the coin, I did sadly witness that most of the Filipino passengers were not being treated with respect by the local Hong Kong staff members. This was especially true before people were due to board the flight. The attitude was very authoritative and negative from the Hong Kong staff towards the Filipino passengers, and it seemed to be even more so for those were who poor, or perhaps labourers. Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time and we landed in hot Manila around 15 minutes early due to low air traffic at Manila. Comments regarding the meal: Early lunch was served around 20 minutes after take-off from Hong Kong. For this short-haul flight, which was basically a hop across the sea from Hong Kong to Manila, we were served a basic meal of boneless fish with rice, and a bread bun. Very delicious meal. Authentic Filipino cuisine at its best. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Philippine Airlines recently introduced the iPad on-Demand on the trans-Pacific flights. Passengers can enjoy in-flight entertainment options such as movies, TV shows, music, games, and even magazines and newspapers. Philippine Airlines is the first carrier in the Philippines to offer Wi-Fi on board, which began on April 1, 2013. It is named as Philippine Airlines In Air. Passengers are able to make calls, send and receive text messages, tweets, email and surf the Internet while flying. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Philippine Airlines. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. Therefore, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Philippine Airlines have 12 First Class seats on their Airbus A320 aircraft with a 2-2 configuration, and 144 Economy Class seats with a 3-3 configuration. Each Economy Class seat has a pitch of a 31-inch recline and is 18 inches wide. Philippine Airlines logo and livery: The Philippine Airlines logo has gone under four incarnations in the entire length of its operations. The first logo incorporated a blue oval with "PAL" superimposed in white letters, a four-pointed star whose points intersect behind the "A" in the PAL initials, and a wing whose position varied depending on the location of the logo (the wing points to the right if located on the left side of the plane, left if on the right side). A variant of this logo used a globe instead in the blue oval with the PAL initials superimposed. This logo would be in use from the 1950s until the mid-1960s, when it would be replaced by a second logo. The second logo adopted a blue triangle (with the bottom point missing) and a red triangle superimposed upon it, enclosed by a circle; this was meant to evoke a vertically-displayed national flag (the white being formed by the negative space between the two triangles' tips). In the mid-1970s, a third logo, which removed the circle and simplified the shapes, was introduced. The typeface used in the third logo was later applied to the second logo, which remained the official PAL logo until 1986, when it would be replaced by the current logo. The current PAL logo features the same two blue and red triangles used in the second and third logos. However, an eight-rayed yellow sunburst that recalled the flag's Sun was superimposed on top of the blue triangle, and a new Helvetica typeface was used. PAL liveries have undergone many incarnations. The first PAL aircraft bore a simple white-top, silver-bottom livery separated by solid straight cheatlines, with a small Philippine flag superimposed on the tail. The name "Philippine Air Lines" was superimposed in the upper forward portion of the fuselage and the PAL logo was located at the back. Later variants of the livery, especially on PAL jet aircraft, made use of an extended Philippine flag as cheatlines, with the PAL logo superimposed on the tail. By this time, the name "Philippine Airlines" was used in the livery. Another variant of the original livery used by PAL is somewhat similar to the current livery. However, it uses PAL's third logo on the tail with blue, white and red cheatlines running the center of the fuselage. Later on, the bottom half of the fuselage was also painted white. The current "Eurowhite" livery, first used with the Short 360, was adopted in 1986 following PAL's corporate rebranding. This livery, (designed by Landor Associates) has the name "Philippines" superimposed on the forward portion of the fuselage in italics (using the PAL logo typeface), while the tail is painted with the logo and the Philippine flag is visible near the rear of the aircraft. The PAL logo is also painted on the winglets of aircraft that have them. The name "Philippines", instead of "Philippine Airlines", is to denote that PAL is the primary flag carrier of the Philippines. However, this sometimes leads to confusion that a PAL plane, especially when chartered by the President for official or state visits, is in fact the official air transport of the Philippine head of state. Any PAL aircraft with the callsign PR 001 is a special plane operated by Philippine Airlines to transport the President of the Philippines. For the airline's 70th anniversary, a special decal was placed on all of its aircraft. The sticker featured a stylized "70" and the words, "Asia's first, shining through". Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: Xiamen Airport to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport Departure date of flight: March 28 2015, 10.50pm Flight number: MF8185 Flight duration: 1 hour 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: This short-haul flight departed from Xiamen to Hangzhou. My experience of Xiamen Airport was that it came across as one of the cleanest and efficient airports in China (only from my personal experience). Like every other building and airport terminal in China, space doesn’t seem to be a major issue as there is plenty of that here – they certainly have invested a lot here. The best part of the flight were the views. While landing into Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport, the plane makes a turning over Binjiang District, providing a full on view of the river and West Lake, as well as the whole of the beautiful Binjiang area (where I lived for over a year). Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at check-in at Xiamen Airport. The check-in gates for domestic flights to second and third tier cities, such as Hangzhou, are located in the A-section of the departures building (though this may change later). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Herbal Chinese tea, orange juice and some other drinks, including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this short-haul flight, we were served with a packet of salted peanuts. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for Xiamen Airlines, and provide a very warm and friendly service. The airline has a nice livery, which has recently been introduced. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Xiamen Airlines fleet consists of a mixture of Boeing aircraft, namely 787, 757 and 737 aircraft, with a variety of new Boeing 737-700/800/900NGs. All of the 737 aircraft come in the following configuration: Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (some aircraft have Economy Class seating). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to Xiamen Airport
Departure date of flight: March 28 2015, 10.50pm Flight number: SC1174 Flight duration: 1 hour 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: This short-haul flight departed on time on a rainy and dark evening in Hangzhou. This was rare because even under normal weather conditions, most flights are delayed in China, and for the flight to depart to depart on time during rain was something to cheer about, I guess. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at check-in at Hangzhou Airport. The check-in gates for domestic flights to second and third tier cities, such as Xiamen are located in the A-section of the departures building (though this may change later). For an airport the size of Hangzhou, it is somewhat underused and quieter than it should be (the international departures terminal is practically dead quiet 80% of the time). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Herbal Chinese tea, orange juice and some other drinks, including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this short-haul flight, we were served with a packet of salted peanuts. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for Shandong Airlines, and provide a very warm and friendly service. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Shandong Airlines fleet consists only of Boeing 737 aircraft, with a variety of new Boeing 737-700/800/900NGs. All of these aircraft come in the following configuration: Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (some aircraft have a only Economy Class seating). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: Qingdao Liuting Airport to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 17:28 on the 23 March, 2015 Flight Number: MU2381 Flight duration: 1 hour 50 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A321 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: Qingdao Airport is located on the outskirts of the city, with around a 30-mnute drive required from the downtown. Even though Qingdao is an international airport (Lufthansa flies using their A340-642 aircraft three times a week, at the time of writing). No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Qingdao Airport. I arrived around five minutes prior to the check in counter being closed. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Drinks, excluding alcohol, included tea and coffee were served. The beautiful thing about flying with China Eastern 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 helping of Chinese pork and rice (hot meal) was served straight after take-off. This was accompanied with a small tray containing four cherry tomatoes, and a packet of mustard pickle (hot and spicy!). Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol was served, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. Loved it. 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. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. The level of English spoken was good, too. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): This Airbus A321 aircraft for China Eastern has a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all economy seat set up. The plane was very clean and had the latest IFE system installed. The staff were professional and could speak some adequate amounts of English. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10 Route: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to Qingdao International Airport
Departure date of flight: March 22, 2015, 20.50 Flight number: SC4776 Flight duration: 1 hour 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: This short-haul flight departed on time on a rainy and dark evening in Hangzhou. The city had been experiencing a thunderstorm all afternoon, and there seemed to be no end to the horrible weather. However, remarkably, this didn’t stop flights from departing on time. This was rare because even under normal weather conditions, more times than not, flights are delayed in China, and for the flight to depart to depart on time during rain was something to cheer about, I guess. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at check-in at Hangzhou Airport. The check-in gates for domestic flights to second and third tier cities, such as Qingdao are located in the A-section of the departures building (though this may change later). For an airport the size of Hangzhou, it is somewhat underused and quieter than it should be (the international departures terminal is practically dead quiet 80% of the time). Qingdao is only less than 45 minutes away from Hangzhou, but it is a world away: Qingdao has clearer skies and a seemingly much better lifestyle because of it being a coastal city. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Herbal Chinese tea, orange juice and some other drinks, including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this short-haul flight, we were served with a packet of salted peanuts and a packet containing cream crackers. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for Shandong Airlines, and provide a very warm and friendly service. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Shandong Airlines fleet consists only of Boeing 737 aircraft, with a variety of new Boeing 737-700/800/900NGs. All of these aircraft come in the following configuration: Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (some aircraft have a only Economy Class seating). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 QATAR AIRWAYS (Dubai Intl. Airport (DXB) to Doha Hamad Intl. Airport), AIRBUS A320, FIRST CLASS2/15/2015
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 151 destinations using 167 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 20,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. As the focused industrialist 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.’ Mr. Akbar is one of the most influential leaders in the aviation industry. The man lives, breaths, sleeps not just for Qatar Airways, but for Qatar as a whole. It’s because of his deep passion and drive for excellence that Qatar Airways is one of the best airlines in the world. He’s well-known in the industry for this strong drive for results- very enthusiastic person. Personally, I don’t think Qatar Airways should be a member of any airline alliance because they have a class of their own. It is no match to any other airline I have been on. Alliances may the future for other airlines as a way of survival in the aviation industry, but I don’t think Qatar Airways should be with OneWorld or any other alliance. It just lowers the brand image (my opinion). Etihad Airways has partnered with India’s Jet Airways (not good in my opinion) and Emirates has partnered with Qantas (again…Emirates was better off by themselves). In January 2015, the airline concluded an order for four Boeing 777Fs in a deal worth US$1.24 billion; Qatar Airways also took purchase rights on four more aircraft of the type. In June 2015, it was disclosed Qatar Airways ordered ten Boeing 777-8Xs and four additional Boeing 777Fs for USD 4.18 billion. The Airbus A320 aircraft is used for regional routes around the Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, and to South Asian routes. I took this flight as part of a package, flying from Dubai’s brand new airport (Dubai Al Maktoum Intl. Airport- DWC) to Hong Kong, via a stopover and change of airline and flight at Doha Hamad Intl. The new DWC airport is located on the outskirts of Dubai, around a 30-minute taxi ride from the downtown. It is in the middle of a desert near Jabel Ali. Route: DUBAI AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL (DWC) to DOHA (DOH) Departure date and time of flight: February 2015, 23:35 Flight number: QR1035 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 1035”) Flight duration: 55 minutes Cabin: FIRST CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A320-232 (31 in service) Unit cost of each Airbus A320: US$97.0 (€92.0) million (2015) Aircraft registration: A7-ADJ (First flight 16 September 2004) Engine Type: Two x IAE V2527-A5 Aircraft Serial Number: 2288 Aircraft Name: Al Samriya Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 12 seats in a 2-2 configuration Economy Class: 132 seats in a 3-3 configuration Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. For First and Business Class Qatar Airways have a checked baggage allowance of 40 kg and 30 kg total respectively for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the Dubai to Doha route, they have a 30 kg luggage policy. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Comments on the check-in: I arrived around two hours early for check-in. I was the only passenger flying in First Class on this flight, which meant the 12 seats all for myself! It was interesting to see that on another flight, four Arab chaps carried a falcon each. They told me that each Falcon is prized at around US$1.5 million. In the Middle East (Dubai Airport here), even Falcons (the national bird of most of the ME countries) get to travel in First Class! They had the whole First Class cabin for themselves on that flight...all 18 seats booked for just four people and their birds. P.S. airlines only need to fill all First Class and Business Class seats in order to break even for a flight (Economy Class is just extra profit...so even if Economy Class is full, the airline will most likely not break-even for the flight if the First Class/Business Class are empty/not fully booked)...so, airlines need people like these rich travellers. They can fly up to 300 km/h and can spot food from around 12,000 feet in the air....smart bird. The new airport is practically empty. Only a handful of flights go from here, at the time of writing. Qatar Airways Lounge at Dubai World Airport The Qatar Airways lounge is located after security on the second floor. The lounge experience was pleasant, enjoyable and quiet, as it should be, until the loud, boisterous and drunk members of the Qatar Rugby team entered the lounge. Their captain was the worst culprit of all, as he encouraged the lads to (I quote): “help yourselves to the free food and alcohol while it lasts”. Most of the young men appeared to be British (from their accents), and these were men, not teenagers or kids. If these guys are representing Qatar and behaving like chavs in an international airport First Class lounge, then there is a serious issue and problem that Qatar needs to deal with (these guys were flying Economy Class, but had access to the lounge because they had collected the air miles). It’s a serious image problem to say the least. At first I thought they were a bunch of hooligans who had perhaps come a football match and were on a stopover in Dubai. I was quite shocked and disappointed when I learned that they were professional rugby players representing the Qatar national team. Seriously, these guys were behaving as if they’ve never seen food before, and because it was free, so they were drinking alcohol like fish and eating with their mouths open. They had no manners. If anything, it turned out to become one of the worst lounge experiences ever. It wasn’t just me, but others in the lounge also complained, too. I am sure if the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbad Al Baker, was in the lounge, he would have had a word with them. Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time, however we landed around 15 minutes late due to the air traffic at Doha. The new Hamad airport has two runways and so it can get busy during the airlines peak hours (which are at night time). Time is money when it comes to the aviation industry as fuel costs, combined with landing fees, take-off slot fees, and airport management fees pile on rapidly the longer the aircraft stays on the ground. Qatar Airways, and the ground-handling agents at Dubai are very efficient in what they do and how they operate on time. The captain had plenty of fuel in the tanks in case we had to do a fuel dumping (god forbid!), and everything was well managed for this flight. Once we arrived in Doha, I had two hours to enjoy in the huge lounge before I had to catch my connecting flight to Hong Kong (with Cathay Pacific Airways as CX640). It was a straight walk into the security check at the Premium Terminal and onto the plane for the next flight. There was a lot of time to shop around or wander around the Premium Terminal (which I have seen before). Since I was the only First Class passenger on the flight, so I had the transfer shuttle bus from the terminal to the aircraft all for myself. I was the last passenger to board and the first off the aircraft once we landed at Doha. It was a full on VIP experience. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Once you enter the aircraft, the Qatari hospitality makes sure that you have an authentic experience of their culture and customs. Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, champagne, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each First Class seat there were a set of noise cancellation headphones, a rich cotton blanket (each one weighs 2KG!). However, because this was a short flight, so therefore there was no luxury amenity kit. Passengers in First Class can savour the outstanding in-seat service geared to suit their body clock. Passengers can pre-order and can choose to dine, breakfast, or enjoy a light snack at anytime they wish. There was also an antipasti which consisted of fresh olives (without the seeds). I was also provided a small bowl of nuts to go with the champagne drink I had. Comments regarding the meal: Dinner was served around 10 minutes after take-off from Dubai World Airport. For this very late night flight, I had ordered a vegetarian option for a meal. The meal tray consisted of hot vegetable noodles, accompanied with two soft bread buns and a bowl of fresh fruit. I took a glass of water (to keep me from being dehydrated). But for such a short flight, and because it was late in the evening, I did not each much. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. Qatar Airways has three different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Main screen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (Overall IFE has over 1,000 Video and Audio on-demand options in First Class). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. Just like on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the Airbus A320 aircraft have all the seats with AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. Therefore, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 120 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. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Qatar Airways have 12 First Class seats on their Airbus A320 aircraft with a 2-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 45 inch recline and is 21 inches wide. Generous legroom allows you to stretch comfortably and the built-in massager helps you relax. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a huge 15.6-inch PTV display screen, in-seat reading light, in-seat drinks holders, and in-seat power units. Mood lighting is used throughout the flight to keep the passengers in touch with the time zones. So blue, orange, red and yellow shades of the mood lighting is used to highlight the different time zones (dawn, night time, evening and, afternoon). This is so that passengers’ eyes and body can adapt to the different time zones. All the Business Class seats have an electronic touch pad control system allowing them to easily control the seat settings. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is 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 WORLD'S 5-STAR AIRLINE
Dragonair is an award-winning regional airline of Hong Kong, and is a proud wholly owned subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Airways Group. Formed in May 1985, and having started services initially with just one Boeing 737-200 aircraft, Dragonair has in time become one of the world’s best regional airlines.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways, the airline operates one of the youngest and most modern fleet with 36 aircraft on scheduled services to 41 destinations in Mainland China and elsewhere in Asia using three aircraft types: Airbus A330-330, Airbus A320-200, and the Airbus A321-200. The Airbus A330-300 aircraft come in three types of configuration: type 1 aircraft are designed to carry up to 284 passengers in three classes. They are used on the Beijing and Shanghai routes; type 2 aircraft are designed to carry up to 315 passengers in two classes. They are used on the Kaohsiung and Taipei routes; and type 3 aircraft are designed to carry up to 300 passengers in two classes. They are used on the Dhaka, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Taipei, Kaohsiung and Qingdao routes. In 2011, Dragonair was voted the ‘World’s Best Regional Airline’ by Skytrax for the second consecutive year. The airline is renowned as a China expert, serving 20 cities in mainland China. Cathay Pacific is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, with its subsidiary, Dragonair, as an affiliate member. I had the pleasure of flying from Hong Kong to Hangzhou on Dragonair’s A321-200. I came in from Doha on Cathay Pacific flight CX640. Departure date and time of flight: February 2015, 08:00am Flight number: KA626 ATC Callsign: Dragon ICAO: HDA Flight duration: 2 hours and 20 minutes Cabin: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A321-200 (8 aircraft of this type in service.) Aircraft registration: B-HTI Aircraft Serial Number: 2021 First flight: 30th September 2003 Aircraft delivery date: 22nd October 2003 Aircraft engine types: Two x IAE V2533-A5 Frequent flyer programme: Marco Polo Club Seat configuration for this aircraft: 24 Business Class in a 2-2 configuration 148 Economy Class in a 3-3 configuration Punctuality of the flight/route taken: Departed on time, and landed on time as well. The short 2-hour flight provides a very non-scenic route from Hong Kong to Hangzhou because of the dusty and cloudy skies over China. The flight leaves Hong Kong, and goes over Guangdong, then over Xiamen and then straight down towards Hangzhou. Any baggage issues: As a Business Class passenger, the check-in baggage allowance is 30kg for one bag. On Cathay Pacific flights to, from, or via the US, Canada, and some countries in South America, 2 pieces of baggage may be checked-in with dimensions measuring up to 158cm (62 inches) in total and 32kg in weight for each bag. For all classes, each passenger (except an infant) can bring a free baggage allowance of one cabin bag not exceeding 56x36x23cm (22x14x9 in) in size. These dimensions include wheels, handles and side pockets. Comments on the check-in and any issues: No check-in issues as this was a connecting flight from Hong Kong (I had my luggage checked in at Dubai…so the luggage travelled from Dubai to Doha and then to Hong Kong and finally to Hangzhou!). In-flight magazine: Silkroad (published by ACP Magazines Asia Limited) Lounge experience at Hong Kong Airport: Once the plane landed at Hong Kong from my Cathay Pacific flight from Doha (CX640), I was whisked away by the waiting VIP security to the transfer security checkpoint, and then was ushered to the Cathay Pacific Airways Lounge near gate 65 known as The Pier. Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair have five lounges at Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok Airport for their First and Business Class passengers. They are: The Wing & The Pier The Pier, and The Wing are premium lounges in addition to The Cabin and The Arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport. Located at Level 5 near gates 62-66, The Pier covers over 3900m2, and provides another alternative for the First and Business Class passengers to relax and enjoy. Both lounges have separate facilities available for Business and First Class passengers, and both offer a personalised space in tranquil surroundings. These lounges are for the classy and the chic to while away their time away from the hustle & bustle of the airport. One of the unique features at The Pier is the addition of six Day-Break Rooms. Each offers an undisturbed environment to enjoy a little extra privacy. The Cabin (for departures) & The Arrival (for arrivals) In addition to The Wing and The Pier, The Cabin is the airlines newest departure lounge at Hong Kong International Airport, conveniently located near Gate 23 on the central concourse. Contemporary, refreshing, and dynamic, The Cabin is ultra-modern in design and introduces some brand new seating and dining concepts. Similar facilities as the other lounges are present at The Cabin. These include the IT Zone, The Deli (offering various Western and Asian hot and cold dishes), The Health bar (lovely freshly made smoothies, or Chinese herbal teas anyone?), and the The Arrival lounge is the airlines new premium arrivals lounge at the Hong Kong International Airport. Once passengers on Business and First Class arrive into Hong Kong, before they commence their activities in town, the lounge enables them to get refreshed and revitalised at the arrivals lounge. The Arrival lounge is located past the arrivals hall, at the centre passage connecting Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, right below the Airport Express station. All of the lounges can be accessed by First and Business Class passengers, Gold tier members or above of The Marco Polo Club and Emerald members of oneworld™ on Cathay Pacific or Dragonair arriving same day in Hong Kong OR transiting same day with more than 4 hours of transit time are welcomed to visit the arrivals lounge. G16 Lounge Managed by Dragonair staff and for those passengers that are connecting to Dragonair flights to/from Hong Kong airport, the G16 Lounge is located right opposite gate 16. The G16 lounge provides world-class facilities such as wireless and high-speed internet, plenty of high quality 5-star meals and drinks, and washrooms to freshen yourself before or after the flight. On my flight back from Doha (separate report) to Hong Kong, I was advised to use the G16 lounge because my connecting flight was with Dragonair to Hangzhou. Passengers flying with Cathay Pacific Airways can of course, also access the G16 lounge. From The Pier Lounge to gate 24, where the aircraft was parked took around 15 minutes. Hong Kong Airport was quite busy at this time in the afternoon. On the long-haul sector, such as this one, an average Business Class seat can cost anything in the range between US$4,500-US$6,600 depending on the destination, so considering the current economic climate, if the Business Class cabin is full then you can take a guess of how much money companies and people still have! Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Business Class passengers were offered a choice of champagne, orange juice, tomato juice, and apple juice out of a hand tray service provided by the crewmembers. A choice of either sparkling or still mineral water is also offered. There is a 500mL bottle of Evian water behind each Business Class seat. The signature drink to try is the ‘Dragon Sunrise’- a refreshing fusion of gin with fresh guava, and fresh lemon juice. All Business Class passengers are handed out hot hand towels just prior to the meal service. Comments regarding the meal: For such a short flight, there is only one meal service. I had ordered a special vegetarian meal prior to the flight. Dragonair offer scrumptious on-board menu choices that are changed every two weeks. Business Class passengers are presented with a neat meal tray. I got chicken biriyani with basmati rice and okra, which was very delicious. It was served with a couple of Indian parathas. Food is usually served on stylish china tableware specially adapted from the Lifestyle collection of Wedgwood from the UK. To enjoy the food at its freshest, it’s best to consume it before landing. To round of the meal service, we were served with Haagen Dazs ice-cream and a plate of fresh fruit. 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). I ordered a cup of coffee; however by the time it was delivered the plane was in its decent into Hangzhou. The lovely crewmembers poured the coffee into a wide-sided plastic cup so it would not be so hot, but just lukewarm enough to drink. Should any passenger want wine or champagne (even if it is the morning!), then these drinks are served in exclusively designed glassware. The champagne is provided by the award-winning Piper-Heidsieck Brut. The wine list for this flight included: White Wines: Macon Villages Blanc, Vaucher Pere & Fils, Burgundy 2010, France Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, Livermore Valley & San Francisco, California 201, U.S.A. Red Wines: Cotes de Duras, Baron de Venzac 2012, France Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection, Gran Reserva, Shiraz 2012, Chile. Some of the specialties on Dragonair include: Fook Ming Tong Chinese tea, Fujian oolong tea, Hong Kong style milk tea, Fuding jasmine silver fur tea, and freshly brewed coffee. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): Overhead TVs are located throughout the aircraft in both cabins. The music played upon boarding and disembarking the aircraft is changed every month. On this flight we had ‘Hero’ by Andy Findon (on-boarding), and ‘Tsubame Ni Naritai’ by Chen Min. All aircraft have the Airbus KID 110V AC SkyPower in-seat power outlet for laptop computer and portable electronic devices in every seat. This requires no adapter cable. Dragonair was the first airline to offer this technology within the operational network for mainland China. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The staff are 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. The cabin crew uniform design consists of a black blouse with thin red stripes, and a neck silk scarf in navy blue and red colours. Dragonair's current uniforms are designed by renowned Hong Kong designer, Eddie Lau. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): For A321-200 on which I was flying, the Business Class cabin accommodates 24 passengers in a 2-2 seat design while Economy Class cabin caters for 148 passengers in a 3-3 setting. The seats in Economy Class on the Airbus A321-200 have a pitch of 32” recline, and are 17.5” wide. The seats in Business and Economy Class are manufactured by various suppliers: BE aerospace, Zodiac France, Geven aircraft seating, Recaro Aircraft Seating, while those in first Class are manufactured by Zodiac. Business Class seats on the Airbus A321-200 have a pitch of 42” recline, and are 20.5” wide. Each seat has an extendable leg rest, and a footrest, as well as a six-way adjustable headrest. The Business Class seat is ergonomically designed to be comfortable whether the passenger is working or relaxing. The Business Class cabin is upholstered in a refreshing and contemporary aqua blue; while the Economy Class is upholstered in shades of aqua blue, imperial red, and sky blue. Dragonair logo and brand livery Dragonair’s livery consists of having an all white fuselage, and underbelly. The tailfin consists of an imperial red dragon against a white background, and the same design is applied to the engines. At the front of the fuselage, just before the first cabin door, and below the cabin windows the words ‘DRAGONAIR’ are printed in English, in black ink and in capital letters; while the Chinese equivalent is printed in imperial red ink, and above the cabin windows (above the English words). The tips of the wings are coloured in imperial red ink. Below the tailfin, just in front of the back cabin door, is the flag of the Swire Group. The current Dragonair logo, modified from the previous version, was introduced in 1993 coinciding with the delivery of Dragonair's new fleet of Airbus A320s back then, with a new livery. The livery design gives a streamlined and contemporary look that reflects the dynamism and energy of the airline. Aircraft are given a pristine, overall white look, with the Dragonair name in clean black lettering. Red is used in the Chinese version of the name and in the dragon motif, in a strong and sophisticated shade. While Dragonair has been a wholly owned by the Cathay Pacific Group since September 2006, the airline continues to operate as a separate airline under its own Air Operator’s Certificate. The Dragonair brand remains unchanged and the airline’s own 2,400 staff consisting of cockpit and cabin crew fly its own aircraft in the existing livery. In 2010, Dragonair celebrated its 25th anniversary, and to mark the auspicious occasion, an Airbus A330-300 was painted in a special livery with the red dragon painted across the whole fuselage against a backdrop of Hong Kong’s skyline in green. Just under the cockpit windows it writes ‘Hong Kong’ in capital letters, and there is a painting of the famous Hong Kong Star Ferry. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Cathay Pacific Airways is an international award-winning scheduled airline registered and based in Hong Kong, offering passenger services to over 168 destinations in 42 countries and territories on five continents, with a well-developed Asian network. The airline serves a number of gateway cities in North America and Europe, with easy connections with its Oneworld and codeshare partners, American Airlines and British Airways via Los Angeles and London, respectively. The airline also has access to over 17 destinations in China through its subsidiary, Dragonair. Cathay Pacific is an official SkyTrax 5-star airline. The company was founded in Hong Kong in 1946 by two visionaries, Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow, who both paid HK$1 apiece to register the airline. They named the airline, Cathay Pacific Airways. Cathay is the ancient name for China, while Pacific was named because far-sighted Farrell believed that one day the airline might fly across the Pacific Ocean. The airline initially started services with two US Army surplus Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft: Betsy and Niki. The former aircraft, Betsy is repainted in her original 1940s livery, and is suspended from the ceiling at the Hong Kong Science Museum. Cathay Pacific Airways remains deeply committed to its home base, and has in recent years made substantial investments to develop Hong Kong as one of the world’s leading international aviation hubs. In addition to its fleet of 136 aircraft, (includes 26 cargo freight aircraft), these investments include catering and ground-handling companies and the corporate headquarters at Hong Kong International Airport. Cathay Pacific continues to invest heavily in its home city and has another 94 new aircraft due for delivery up to 2019 (including the 48 A350-XWB (Extra Wide Body)). The airline is also building its own cargo terminal in Hong Kong that will begin operations in early 2013. Cathay Pacific is also investing heavily in its freighter aircraft, with six Boeing 747-400ERFs, and 10 new generation Boeing 747-8Fs being scheduled for delivery by the beginning of 2013. Cathay Pacific owns 19.53% of Air China Limited, the national flag carrier and a leading provider of passenger, cargo and other airline-related services in Mainland China. Cathay Pacific is also the major shareholder in Air Hong Kong, an all-cargo carrier offering scheduled services in the Asian region. In November 2012, Cathay Pacific Airways was named Best Airline in the World and Best Airline First Class in the 2012 Business Traveller China Awards. The annual awards, now in their eighth year, reflect the highest praise bestowed by China’s frequent travellers on various service providers with connections to the Mainland. The awards were presented in Shanghai in November 2012 as Business Traveller China celebrated its 10th anniversary. The results of the 2012 awards were based on the magazine’s reader poll which ran from July to September in 2012. Cathay Pacific and its subsidiaries employ some 32,900 people worldwide (more than 22,500 of them in Hong Kong). Cathay Pacific is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, as are its substantial shareholders Swire Pacific Limited and Air China. The airline is a proud founding member of the Oneworld alliance, with its subsidiary, Dragonair, is an affiliate member. The airline celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006; and as of October 2009, its major shareholders are Swire Pacific and Air China. It is reciprocally one of the major shareholders of Air China. Cathay Pacific currently holds the title of the world's third largest airline, measured in terms of market capitalisation, according to the International Air Transport Association. Cathay Pacific Airways has one daily flight between Doha and Hong Kong, using the Airbus A330-300, operating with a 3-class configuration. I tried and tested the new Business Class seat on this long haul flight from Doha’s Hamad International to Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok international. Greetings from seat 11A (from right-hand side corner): Route: DOHA HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (DOH) to HONG KONG (HKG) Departure date and time of flight: February 2015, 01:55am Flight number: CX640 (Cathay 640 heavy) ATC Callsign: Cathay Flight duration: 7 Hours 30 minutes Cabin: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-343-X (38 aircraft of this type in service) Aircraft registration: B-LAL Aircraft Serial Number: 1222 First flight: 19th April 2011 Aircraft delivery date: 14th May 2011 Aircraft engine types: Two x Rolls Royce Trent 772B-60 Frequent flyer programme: Marco Polo Club Marco Polo himself took many months and years to explore the world, but if you fly Cathay Pacific Airways then you can do that in a few hours, and join his exclusive club for frequent flyers at Cathay Pacific! It would be enough to make the great man jealous of those gold and diamond cardholders, were he alive today that is. Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 39 flatbed seats with 180 degree recline (1-1-1-1 configuration) Premier Economy Class: 21 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, Economy Class: 191 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration Punctuality of the flight/route taken: The flight departed on time from Doha into the dark Arabian night, and headed onto Asia, flying over India and entering south China in the early morning. The flight landed on time in Hong Kong, early on in the morning (just in time the Business Class Arrivals lounge to open!...my connecting flight from Hong Kong to Hangzhou on Dragonair). Any baggage issues: I had already checked-in my baggage at Dubai’s new DWC airport for this flight (I flew First Class with Qatar Airways from Dubai to Doha, and this was a connection onwards flight to Hong Kong), so I was carefree at Doha! As a Business Class passenger, the check-in baggage allowance is 30kg for one bag. On flights to, from, or via the US, Canada, and some countries in South America, 2 pieces of baggage may be checked-in with dimensions measuring up to 158cm (62 inches) in total and 32kg in weight for each bag. For all classes, each passenger (except an infant) can bring a free baggage allowance of one cabin bag not exceeding 56x36x23cm (22x14x9 inch) in size. These dimensions include wheels, handles, and side pockets. Lounge experience at Doha: This place is like a small luxury hotel in itself. You can easily stay here for more than a day! So, seriously, if you have a very long stopover in Doha while flying with Qatar Airways (and I mean more than a day…not just a few hours), don’t bother going outside to the city proper, because you can just stay at the lounge and pamper yourself with good food, Jacuzzis, showers, free internet, free pajamas, free beds, free massage, and endless amounts of bubbly! This place is awesome. Much better than any other Business Class lounge I have been to in the world…even better than what Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air, BA or anyone else offers, and the staff are very friendly as well. In-flight magazine: Discovery (published by ACP Magazines Asia Ltd) Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Passengers’ in Business Class are offered hot lemon scented towels prior to departure. This is followed by a drinks service, which consists of some of the world’s finest wines, and champagne. In Business Class, the cabin crew offer five kinds of drinks prior to departure:
Both Cathay Delight, and Oriental Breeze are signature drinks provided by Cathay Pacific Airways, and both drinks are equally impressive in taste, look, and feel. The rose water really gives the Oriental Breeze a very exotic touch. It’s the kind of drink that has the power to make a sad man smile. I mean, hey come on, cheer up- you’re flying! Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Around about 35 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with the helping of the huge Macadamia nuts, and salted almonds on bone china plates. I opted for another glass of that fine Champagne (Billecart-Salmon Brut), and also the piper-heidsieck Brut. There was also the celebrated Cathay Pacific complimentary bar service for Business Class passengers, including various alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks. Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English earl grey, Ceylon, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this, there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, and camomile with honey. With or without the meal, the wine list included for this flight would make anyone’s mouth water: White Wines: Buissonnier Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise 2012 Coopers Creek Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011, New Zealand Red Wines: Chateau Taffard de Blaignan Medoc 2009, French (Bordeaux) Gemtree Bloodstone McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010, Australia Port: Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port, 2007 Ample choice of whiskies (Chivas Regal 12 Year old, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Canadian Club, and Jack Daniel’s), Cognac (Hine, ‘rare and delicate’ fine champagne), and various beers, aperitifs & cocktails, and liqueurs. I opted for the signature Cathay Pacific cocktail to go with dinner: Pacific Sunrise- champagne with drambuie with zest of lemon orange. Comments regarding the first meal (dinner): For the first meal, a choice of four entrées were provided– all selected from a superb range of Asian, Middle Eastern and Western dishes. Meals are served on a low trolley that gives the passenger an inviting eye-level choice of what's on offer and the airline is also introducing new food service items with a more Asian feel in their Business Class. All food in the Business Class cabins in Cathay Pacific is served on elegant bone china tableware specially designed and exclusively produced by Narumi of Japan. Starters: Freshly prepared Arabic savoury dips accompanied with mini pitta bread Mixed salad with French vinaigrette The roasted potatoes may have been slightly hard, but the salmon’s exceptionally awesome taste certainly did the trick in disguising that fact. What I really liked about the salmon were the sprinkled spices and pepper, which were spread right the way across the skin of the meat. A wonderful touch to the touch. The fresh taste of the salmon reminded me of a similar dish I had at The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai earlier this year. Main Course: There were four options for the main course, including: Braised Halal beef in onion and dark soya sauce, steamed jasmine rice, and choy sum* Chicken breast onion mousse in tarragon sauce potato mash asparagus baby squash red pepper Chu chee curry prawns with steamed rice, and mixed vegetables. Wild mushroom and Ricotta cheese agnolotti with tomato concasse and cherry tomato. The main course came with a large bone china bowl containing a generous amount of fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette (provided by Birch & Waite). There was a generous serving of soft and hard bread rolls from the breadbasket. Oh, and then there are those cute salt and pepper pots- they look like tiny mice (not sure if that would be appealing when you pour your salt and pepper on your delicious meal). *This dish is a signature Chinese dish provided by Cathay Pacific to showcase the best of Hong Kong’s culinary magic. Authentic Chinese dishes on Cathay Pacific, such as this one, are specially created by the culinary experts at Cathay Pacific city, and selected by the passengers. I opted for the chicken breast. Delicious chunky chicken pieces that go fine with steamed white rice, and some boiled white cabbage. The good thing about those chicken cuts was that they did not have the skin or bone on them, so therefore all the hard work hard already been done. All you had to do was eat them, and enjoy them bite by bite. Passengers in Business are treated like royalty, and it’s almost as if you are dining at a 5-star restaurant, albeit in the sky. Cathay Pacific Airways is one of the first airlines to have rice cookers, toasters and skillets on board, enabling their flight attendants to prepare freshly cooked rice, toast, and eggs to your liking. On this flight we did not have First Class, but passengers on flights that have First Class can also go à la carte, choose their own meals, and dine anytime they wish. It’s amazing how much we take flying for granted these days. Call me nuts but I love planes, and as an engineer by background, I could not help to notice a few things on the aircraft. One of the things that I always wonder is the serene feeling of flying at night, and the questions such as: ‘Are we really flying at 670mph?!’, and ‘Is it really -59 Celsius degrees just outside that window?!’ Talking about meals on the go, I finished my meal in about 20 minutes, during that time we had travelled around about 223 miles. Now, which restaurant in the world offers you that experience?! Cheese & Dessert: A selection of Blue d’Auvergne, red Leicester, Taleggio with cabernet paste A selection of fresh seasonal fruit Praline luxury chocolates. The plate of fresh seasonal fruit was equally well dressed. Generous portions of kiwi fruit, mango, melon, and watermelon were provided. The skin had been taken off, so all the hard work had been done for you (passengers are spoilt on Cathay Pacific). Most other airlines are going with Godiva or some other luxury chocolates. It’s nice to see that Cathay Pacific Airways does offer something different for their Business Class passengers, and Praline Belgium chocolates are just delicious. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. This included coffee and tea (green tea and earl grey tea). I ordered a cup of coffee. Should any passenger want wine or champagne (even if it is the morning!), then these drinks are served in exclusively designed glassware. In-flight snacks: Pan-fried beef skewer on cheese and spring onion potato cake with tomato relish Soya duck and preserved sweet vegetable in rice stick soup Ice Cream (Haagen Dazs) Macadamia nut cookies, peanuts, Kit-Kat bars, salted almonds, red apples, and crunchy cereal bars were available all throughout the flight. Comments regarding the second meal (breakfast): The breakfast service started around an hour and a half prior to landing at Hong Kong. Starters: A selection of smoothies, including strawberry smoothie (which I had) Fresh seasonal fruit Generous and colourful portions of pineapple, strawberry, melon, watermelon, and kiwi- all well placed on a banana leaf, which gives it that exotic look. Of course, the banana leaf is placed on a bone china plate. Bircher Muesli Main Course: There were three options for the main course, including: Arabic style breakfast Cantonese Dim Sum Spinach omelette with beef sausage sautéed mushroom grilled tomato I opted for very colourful ‘spinach omelette and beef sausage sautéed mushroom’ dish, which could easily make it for the ‘meal of your life’ title. There is no rush with a dish like this, and its best that you take your time to enjoy every bite. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: The new Business Class seat has a 15.4” personal television screen (PTV) that can be pulled out of the front bay with a click of a button. If you are seated in the middle aisle seat then during take-off, landing, and taxi, you end up looking at your neighbours PTV. Each PTV comes with Audio and Video on Demand (AVOD), offering a choice of over 100 movies, over 500 TV shows, 888 music CDs, 24 radio channels, and over 70 games – and with 10 languages represented, you’re sure to find something you enjoy. Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology are presented to every passenger in Business, and Premium Economy Class cabins. When it comes to entertainment, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Audio on Demand service is offered to all passengers on long-haul aircraft. Audio books are also available. Each seat in Business Class has an 110V AC power port. Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers may have to share a power port with adjacent seats. Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Airbus A330-343X). The music played upon boarding and upon dis-embarking the aircraft changes every month on Cathay Pacific flights. Some of the tunes played include ‘Faith’ by Medwyn Goodall, and ‘Feel’, by Robbie Williams. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew appear to have been trained very well, and seem to know how to handle all kinds of situations. The trainers must have had everything thrown at them, ranging from rowdy passengers to those having a nervous breakdown. These people are amazing. They really do pamper you. To the outsider it may seem that being cabin crew is an easy job, however in fact it’s a very challenging job, and there is more to the job then just handing out the meals. With many months of hard work and training under their belt, cabin crew members are chosen very carefully by the airline. God forbid, if anything happens on a flight (could be anything ranging from ill passengers, fights, drunken passengers, hijackings, and even pregnancies!), then it is the cabin crew who have to handle with such situations in a calm and cool manner. It certainly takes a certain personality to do such a job, and with a constant smile on their face too (a genuine one). Like they say in the corporate world, you may have the best brand in the world, but that brand is worth nothing if it not for the people that make great things happen for that brand. Cathay Pacific's current uniforms are designed by renowned Hong Kong designer, Eddie Lau. Ladies wear a red skirt with a white blouse that has the ‘brushwing’ logo in gold and red colours. The ladies also have a bright red blouse jacket which they can wear- matching with the red skirt. The gentlemen wear black starched trousers with a white shirt. Along with that the men wear a red tie with black stripes (junior cabin crew), or a gold tie with black stripes (senior cabin crew). Cathay Pacific Airways stand by their words, and truly give a 5-star service. If you are a frustrated passenger (for whatever reason), then let me reassure you that the cabin crew are always trying to go through great trouble to make your flight as comfortable as possible. I am saying this from personal experience. As a frustrated passenger (we have all been in that situation at some point or another in our lives), it can be easy for some of us to lose their cool when things are not going as we expect them to be. It’s because of the professionalism and integrity of the cabin crew that the airline is classed as a truly 5-star airline that endeavours to provide a truly 5-star service to its customers. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The new Business Class cabin is fitted with the spanking new fully flat bed, which is just over 2 metres (82 inches) long. All the Business Class seats on Cathay Pacific aircraft were designed by James Park Associates, and Recaro Aircraft Seating. All First Class seats were designed by Zodiac UK, and Economy and premier Economy Class seats were designed James Park Associates and Zodiac USA. A bed extension increases its width by 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) to provide additional hip support, while the side storage compartment offers extra knee space for sleeping on one’s side. In addition, if you need more space during your sleep, then the armrest may be moved up for more privacy, or down for more space. The Business Class seat can recline 180 degrees into a comfortable full-length, fully flat bed that ensures one experience a comfortable sleep. It’s this kind of legacy that would have made both Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow proud of the hard work put in by the senior management at Cathay Pacific city. Indeed, it was their profound vision to make every passenger love their flight experience with Cathay Pacific Airways and with a bed such this, the airline lives up to their expectations and dreams. There is certainly plenty of space available. I had my camera bag (which is annoyingly big), plus my laptop (I seldom have to sleep on a daytime flight so I end up working!), AND my carrier bag. All of these were neatly stored before departure. Oh, there is also space for you to put your shoes during the long flight so you can sit like as if you are sitting on your sofa at home. The Business Class cabins on all aircraft have artwork displayed in front of the cabin by Maria Lobo. The side cabinet houses not only the headset and a vanity mirror (nice addition…you can imagine the celebs putting on their best look prior to landing), but has room for small items such as glasses and other minor but important things – and the cabinet door doubles as a privacy divider. Then there is are minor but important touches such as the personal reading light (with adjustable brightness) and a personal stowage compartment with space for a water bottle and magazines. The Business Class amenity kits include a dental set and earplugs; a comb and shoehorn for men; and a hairbrush and cotton pads for the women. The disposable toothbrush and shoehorn for male passengers are made mainly from cornstarch and cellulose, which are biodegradable, recyclable and use fewer production resources. In January 2015, Cathay Pacific Airways unveiled its new range of amenity kits for First and Business Class passengers on long-haul flights which feature natural skincare products from renowned Australian brands Aesop and Jurlique, respectively. Signature products such as hand cream and lip cream are presented in a specially designed case from Aesop for First Class passengers, while the Business Class kit has been created by Seventy Eight Percent, a Hong Kong-based design company that creates high-quality bags for globetrotting professionals. Specially designed for female passengers in First Class, stackable camel-coloured Aesop cases are offered on flights to and from Hong Kong, allowing passengers to attach the two kits together after their journey. Male First Class passengers are given a grey Aesop case. For Business Class passengers on long-haul flights, an amenity kit designed by Seventy Eight Percent is provided. Seventy Eight Percent has been nominated as one of Asia’s noteworthy emerging brands in recognition of its innovative designs, sophistication and impeccable quality. Natural skincare products from Jurlique are included in the kits, which come in 12 colours and will be presented onboard on a rotational basis. Cathay Pacific General Manager Product Toby Smith said: “We are very pleased to be continuing our collaboration with Aesop and Jurlique, and are also looking forward to working with a local brand in Seventy Eight Percent. When selecting our brand partners, we look for alignment with our own design principles which guide the way we shape our products to deliver a memorable travel experience for our passengers.” Full details of the contents of each First and Business Class amenity kit are as follows: First Class Male Amenity Kit
First Class Female Amenity Kit
Business Class Amenity Kit
Cathay Pacific logo and livery: Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Cathay Pacific Airways used to support a green and white striped livery. This old livery was replaced with the current "brushwing" livery In 1994 the airline announced that it would establish its new corporate identity, with a 23 million Hong Kong dollar (RM 7.3 million) program to update its image. - Cathay Pacific relaunched its corporate image in the early 1990s. Cathay Pacific commented that after building a reputation over 50 years for technical excellence and high-quality service, Cathay Pacific had no intention of changing its core values. Therefore, the new corporate identity was merely intended to communicate these values more effectively to all current and future customers. Cathay Pacific worked with Landor Associates, the world’s largest corporate identity management firm, to help create the new identity. The brushwing livery expresses the carrier’s unique character as an Asian with an international outlook. The sophistication of the logo conveys Cathay Pacific’s technical expertise and uncompromising attention to safety and reliability. The brushwing also embodies a sense of energetic flight, and being a “handmade” symbol it acknowledges the company's devotion to high standards of caring, personal service. In October 2014, the airline unveiled a new identity, symbolising the airline’s efforts to create a better, more beautiful and more enjoyable journey for passengers, they refreshed many aspects of the brand identity. Centred on the timeless brushwing icon, they sought to simplify, clarify and beautify. The brushwing no longer sits constrained inside a box, and has been gently harmonised and set free. The airline also defined tighter rules around sub-brands which will now be clearly aligned within a simplified, tiered hierarchy. They are also using a tighter palette of colours and typography. Click here to learn more. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Lounge Experience at Doha Hamad AirportIN-FLIGHT DINNERIN-FLIGHT BREAKFASTAMENITY KITIFE and IN-FLIGHT SHOTSROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES (London Heathrow Intl. to Dubai Intl. Airport), BOEING 787-800 DREAMLINER2/9/2015
Royal Brunei Airlines Sdn Bhd or RBA, is the national flag carrier airline of Brunei Darussalam, headquartered in the RBA Plaza in Bandar Seri Begawan. It is wholly owned by the government of Brunei. Its hub is Brunei International Airport in Berakas, just to the north of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. Formed in 1974 with an initial fleet of two Boeing 737 aircraft, serving Singapore, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, Royal Brunei Airlines now operates a fleet of 10 aircraft to 16 destinations in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia. Its fleet and type numbers increased dramatically in the 1990s, with great expectations as to the next destinations. Royal Brunei Airlines won ‘Best Foreign Airline’ award in the category “Award For Best Airlines” at the Sabah Tourism Awards 2011. RB has the distinction of operating the youngest long haul fleet in the world with the recent deliveries of the Dreamliners. Royal Brunei's 787-8 Dreamliner flies in a two class configuration with 18 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 236 seats in Economy Class. Business Class features "Contour" seats with electronically operated seats with leg rest and foot rest and a 4-way adjustable headrest and massage features. Privacy screens are also available for those passengers in Business Class. Economy Class features the Zodiac "Weber5751" seat. This aircraft operates on routes from Brunei to London, Dubai, and Melbourne. I had the pleasure of flying on the airline’s first Dreamliner from London to Dubai, albeit in Economy Class. The Boeing 787 has been dubbed by many as a ‘sexed-up’ plastic version of the Boeing 767. Route: London Heathrow International Airport to Dubai International Airport Departure date and time of flight: 17:10 on February 11, 2015 Flight number: BI98 (Callsign: Brunei 98) Flight duration: 6 hours and 55 minutes Cabin: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner) There are four variants of the A340. The A340-200 and A340-300 were launched in 1987 with introduction into service in March 1993. The A340-500 and A340-600 were launched in 1997 with introduction into service in 2002. The A340-600 is the longest version in the A340 airliner family. The ageing Airbus A340-300 aircraft were withdrawn from service in April 2015, as rising costs had made it less economical to run the type. Virgin had begun to replace the A340-300 on routes with the two-engine A330-300 and 787-9. The final Virgin Atlantic A340-300 flight was made on 9 April, landing at London Heathrow early on 10 April. Aircraft registration: V8-DLA (this aircraft was the first 787 delivered to Royal Brunei Airlines) Delivery Date: October 3, 2013 First flight: September 16, 2013 Engines: Two x Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Aircraft serial number: 34785 LN:128 Seat configuration: 18 Business Class flatbed seats with 180 degrees recline (2-2-2 configuration) 236 Economy Class seats (3-3-3 configuration) Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 on a sunny afternoon in London and landed around 10 minutes early in Dubai in the early hours of the morning (4am). The difference between taking Emirates or Royal Brunei to Dubai is that Emirates have a dedicated terminal which is efficient, well-managed and provides an less troublesome experience for passengers when they land at Dubai, whereas if you are flying with Royal Brunei then expect to wait in a long queue for customs along with passengers from other airlines (can get very crowded, noisy and not a good experience if you have arrived at 4am in a hot and humid country- there is a long walk from the aircraft to the customs checkpoint as well)> Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in: No check-in issues. Everything went smoothly at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4, which is usually quieter and a much better user-experience for passengers than the other busier terminals. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Camel cracker peanuts served with a choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or cola). As the sale of alcohol is forbidden in Brunei, Royal Brunei does not serve alcohol on board its flights. Passengers are however, permitted to bring along their own alcohol for consumption on board. All inflight meals served are halal. Comments regarding the first meal: Meals are served on all of Royal Brunei's flights, except on those to Kota Kinabalu. Long-Haul Business Class passengers may also utilize the "Dine Upon Request" service, in which Business Class passengers can dine anytime they choose, up to 90 minutes before landing. Since this was an all-night flight, the crew did not delay in distributing the dinner meal- and so the dinner service commenced only around 30 minutes into the flight- which was great! Dinner consisted of a choice of “beef and rice with boiled vegetables” or “chicken biriyani with basmati rice”. I went for the latter. The rice and biriyani chicken were well-cooked, too. Side dishes included salad (consisting of grated mooli (white carrot), tomatoes and lettuce), a soft bread (bun) with anchor butter, and cream crackers. Royal Brunie provides plastic cutlery in Economy Class. The dessert consisted of a cup of Lovingtons’s ice-cream The meal will filling, and perfect to eat on a medium-haul flight such as this. 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 regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): The in-flight system was working without any problems. All the channels were showing the same as it was listed in the in-flight magazine. All seats in Business and Economy class on the Boeing 787 are equipped with personal touch-screen TV's with Audio and Video on Demand. Business class offers a 15.4" TV screen, and Economy Class offers a 9" TV screen. The Panasonic eX2 IFE system features 55 movies and 59 TV programmes. Sky Show is Royal Brunei Airline's in-flight entertainment system based on the Thales Group i-4000 series. 110-volt AC laptop power ports are available at each seat in Business and Economy Class. USB power ports are also available with charging capability at each seat in both classes. On the Boeing 777, these are offered through the 10.4-inch personal TV on the Sky Dreamer seats in the Business class on B777s and 6.5-inch personal TV in Economy class. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were all natives of Brunei and were very professional, hospitable and friendly. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Royal Brunei offer a standard 3-3-3 layout in Economy Class on their Boeing 787-8 aircraft. For a short medium-haul flight it was perfect. Added in the fact that the air pressureisaton of the aircraft A nice amenity kit bag containing eyeshades, socks, earplugs (both of which I never use), and a tiny toothbrush with toothpaste (which I did use!). Royal Brunei brand livery Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) revealed its new livery and logo on 30th October, 2012 at an event held at Hangar 1, Brunei International Airport. The new livery and logo was revealed on an Airbus A319, which was painted by RB’s own in-house engineering team. Attending the event was the Minister of Communications, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar as Guest of Honour, as well as RB’s Chairman and Board of Directors, staff and other invited guests. Prior to the revealing of the livery, Royal Brunei Airlines had been releasing teasers of its redefinition of travel to in local markets, both via print and online adverts and the ‘Smile Squad’; who have been sparking public curiosity over the weeks leading up to the event. The Smiles Squad had been spotted in different parts of the country, spreading genuine smiles and good cheer to the public. Mr. Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of RB, said at the time, ‘Over the next year, we will be redefining the Royal Brunei Airlines flying experience, starting with our classic styled new livery and logo. This redefinition is not merely an ad campaign, but rather a long term commitment to our passengers to create a family-like, peaceful and tranquil atmosphere with high class customer service.’ The new livery and logo was the first step on RB’s rebranding journey. Over the next year, the national carrier rolled out a new website experience (including new social media experience), new uniforms and new lounge and ticket office environments. The completion of the rebranding process was timed to coincide with the entry into service of 787 Boeing Dreamliners in 2013 (the aircraft which I reviewed for this flight was part of that experience), making RB the first airline in South-East Asia to take delivery of this ultra-modern aircraft. The yellow swash is a modern take on the original logo. It’s very similar to the ‘Mumm’ Champagne logo you’ll find on bottles of champagne around the world, and is a visual symbolization of Royalty. As the royal silk sashes are worn by many Royal families around the world at state occasions. The yellow swash also echoes the Brunei flag. There seems to be a great modernity in this treatment, and is quite daring for a usually either conservative or radical and relatively young airline industry that is still trying to find its feet in the world of branding. This logo with the traditional crest and modern typeface is actually a wonderful blend of classic heritage and a forward-looking brand. The livery itself is a little odd. Whilst the logo on the side of the plane is brilliant, and understated (It’d be easy for a designer to get carried away with the yellow element of the logo) the tailfin is sadly really under-developed. The letters RB and crest on a bright yellow tail sound like the perfect recipe for a great tailfin. However, the designers here seem to have missed the mark. The RB lettering is small, and too light, nor is there any real purpose or ‘logotype’ behind the typeface here. The letters look like they could have been just produced in everyone’s favourite ‘Arial’ and tweaked a bit. I would prefer if they had painted the belly of the aircraft in golden yellow, with ‘Royal Brunei’ written in black and large font so that it can be seen from the ground up. One of Royal Brunei Airlines' Boeing 787-8 (registration V8-DLD) has a special 40th anniversary sticker behind the rear doors on both sides of the aircraft. This sticker was added to the body of the aircraft in late 2014 to mark 40 years of operations. Uniform Royal Brunei announced the latest in their branding developments in February 2014, in regards to their new cabin crew uniforms, replacing the older (and bolder) red and yellow uniforms. The new uniforms follow the traditional Brunei fashion, and as stated by the airline, “the new collection reflects tradition, while evoking a modern simplicity.” The new threads were launched in April 2014 to coincide with their Dreamliner launch to Melbourne. Much of the design work was completed internally to ensure the new ensemble reflects Bruneian tradition. In addition, the fabrics have been carefully selected and tailored by Brunei based Khazanah Lady House, with matching shoes from BATA Brunei. New female crew blouses have been tastefully detailed with traditional songket patterns along the hem, trim and back and flower patterns on the fabric. Colours range from coral dust to morning sky to ‘fresh’ mint, based on the seniority of the crew. This warm spectrum of colours was designed to reflect the friendly and welcoming nature of the new RB brand. Matching traditional headscarves and flowing chestnut brown skirts completes the updated ensemble. Male crew members wear three-piece suits in matching brown, with a similar spectrum of Malay-inspired shirts and traditional standing collars. The male uniforms come across more considered in comparison to the girls, where you can see elements such as the shoulder pads hanging off of the shoulder. The previous designs had a print which was bold and striking, but the new designs, with their more subtle and sophisticated look do sit better within the cabin and have a much more modern cut. There are no references to the yellow sash livery (reserved for royalty), but yellow could have been a great key colour to really lift the uniforms further and modernise them especially in small doses such as the trim or lining. The name tags also sadly feel unconsidered. I think there seems to be a lack of a uniform company being used which may be a mistake, as the uniform fits are a little awkward and there isn’t enough connection with the new brand and the uniform. That said, the airline should be proud of constantly putting its feet forward. No doubt, through wearer trials the designs may be adapted, fine tuning the design to an international standard. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS (Shanghai Pudong Airport to London Heathrow Intl. ), AIRBUS A340-3132/6/2015
Route: Shanghai Pudong International Airport to London Heathrow International Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 11:50 on February 6, 2015 Flight number: VS251 (Callsign: Virgin 251 heavy) Flight duration: 12 hours and 55 minutes Cabin: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A340-313 (0 in service) There are four variants of the A340. The A340-200 and A340-300 were launched in 1987 with introduction into service in March 1993. The A340-500 and A340-600 were launched in 1997 with introduction into service in 2002. The A340-600 is the longest version in the A340 airliner family. The ageing Airbus A340-300 aircraft were withdrawn from service in April 2015, as rising costs had made it less economical to run the type. Virgin had begun to replace the A340-300 on routes with the two-engine A330-300 and 787-9. The final Virgin Atlantic A340-300 flight was made on 9 April, landing at London Heathrow early on 10 April. Aircraft registration: G-VSUN (this aircraft was stored in 05/2015, and then scrapped in 07/2015, as was the rest of Virgin’s Airbus A340-313 fleet) Aircraft name: Rainbow Lady First flight: January 17, 1996 Engines: Four x CFMI CFM56-5C4 Aircraft serial number: 114 Seat configuration: 40 First Class Seats (Virgin calls it "Upper Class" cabin) 28 Premium Economy Class seats 187 Economy Class seats Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed on time. Considering the fact the previous night I had missed two flights (one for Air India and another for Etihad Airways, both denied boarding), it was somewhat of a relief to know that 1. I had made it successfully to the gate without any hassle, and 2. The flight was on time and landed on time without any drama. To cut the long story short, the previous night, I was supposed to fly on Air India’s brand new Dreamliner Boeing 787 aircraft to promote their Business Class (and the aircraft) from Shanghai to New Delhi. I then had a connecting flight from New Delhi to London with Oman Air (via a short stopover in Muscat). Air India had invited me, and their senior management told me that as a British citizen, I did not require visa if I was just transiting via New Delhi (even on a different airline). I had double checked with Air India’s MD in China, and she confirmed the same with me. However when I got to the airport, the Air India check-in staff (who were all Chinese and outsourced from China Eastern Airlines) denied me boarding because I did not have a visa for India. Not one-I say again- not one person from Air India was at the check-in desk to assist (i.e. no Indian official). Despite me showing written evidence from the Air India MD, I was denied boarding. Exceedingly frustrated, and somewhat panicked, I ran to the airport business centre at Pudong Airport’s Terminal 2 to purchase another ticket for London. I managed to purchase a one-way ticket with an Etihad Airways flight the same evening for US$750 (it was 9pm by the time I bought the ticket and the Etihad flight was at 11.30pm). However, when I went to the Etihad Airways check-in desk, the staff could not find my booking reference. In the panic I could not find my booking reference number because I had made the booking using my Gmail account, and I could not access Gmail in China (Gmail is blocked in China and I had no VPN either). So, therefore, I was denied boarding on the Etihad Airways flight, too. I had no choice but to spend more money and stay the night at the Shanghai Airport Hotel (located between Terminals 1 and 2…cost me around US$70 for one night). When I got to the hotel, I managed to book another flight by using VPN on my laptop (which, thankfully also allowed me to access Gmail). I purchased the one-way Virgin Atlantic flight for US$650. Altogether, I managed to lose US$2,000 that night (two flight purchases, hotel for one night and the cost of my connecting missed flights with Oman Air). Imagine if I had a family with two kids, for example…a VERY expensive and exhausting evening (thanks to the blunders from Air India and Etihad Airways). After the traumatic experience I had been through the previous evening, I was even prepared to fly cargo! So, I didn’t feel disappointed at all with the fact that I was originally going to fly in Business Class on Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and now I am sitting in seat 44 right at the back of an ageing Airbus A340 (well, I was disappointed, but glad that I finally got a seat to go home in time for my mother’s birthday). The interesting thing was that our Virgin Atlantic flight arrived an hour before the flight that I was due to take in the first place (with Oman Air) The configuration in Economy Class is 2-4-2 on the Airbus A340-313, and so being in seat 44A and considering the flight was full, I wasn’t going to escape the fact that I had someone sharing my next seat with me…but who? To my amazement, the young Chinese woman was surprised (and seemed to be very happy, too), that I could speak Mandarin Chinese. So, to MY amazement, her immediate question to me was: “You are Chinese, right?” “Of course, not. What made you think that?” I asked, and her response? “Oh, I thought you were Chinese because your Mandarin is so good and that you’ve lived in China for over ten years”. It turned out later in the flight that she was a university student in the UK and wanted to settle down in the UK with a British man (“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” was my initial reaction…I was obviously not her first choice as I somehow appeared Chinese to her. Enough said.). So, on your next flight, just be cool with whoever your next neighbour is…you get ‘em in all ways nowadays! Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in: No check-in issues. Everything went smoothly at Shanghai Pudong. I am not sure who is responsible for their training, but the check-in staff of Virgin Atlantic at Shanghai Pudong Airport are very well trained to deal with passengers. Not only do they speak good enough English but they were able to understand the customer’s problems. The experience with Virgin Atlantic was a million times better than the experience I had been faced with Air India and Etihad Airways the previous evening. From my experience, neither the check-in staff of Air India (who out-sourced their check-in staff to China Eastern Airlines) and Etihad Airways seemed to be well-trained (if at all). I was so shocked and amazed at how efficient and professional the Virgin Atlantic staff were, I had to ask the wonderful lady at the check-in desk if there were any problems with my flight (just to reassure myself). She smiled and looked at me as if I was serious…at which point I explained to her how I ended up missing two flights the previous night because of the incompetence and lack of professionalism of the two airlines in question (I could understand why Air India staff were incompetent, but the incompetence from Etihad Airways was a surprise). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Pen State Pretzels (with Worcester sauce flavour) served with a choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Virgin Cola). There was a choice of red or white wine, and a selection of cognac and whiskeys as well. Comments regarding the first meal: Since this was an all-day flight, the crew did not delay in distributing the lunchtime meal- and so the lunch service commenced only around 40 minutes into the flight- which was great! Lunch consisted of a choice of “fish with boiled vegetables and rice” or “Cantonese style beef with noodles”. I went for the former. The rice and vegetables were well cooked, too. Side dishes included salad (consisting of grated mooli (white carrot), tomatoes and lettuce), a soft bread (bun) with anchor butter, and cream crackers. Virgin Atlantic provides plastic cutlery in Economy Class. The dessert consisted of a chocolate cake blended in with “rich fruit”. The meal will filling, and perfect to eat on a long flight such as this. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal (and again consisting of “Virgin Cola!”) Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): The in-flight galley was open throughout the flight. Passengers could help themselves to a selection of “Mcvities flapjacks”, “Walkers Scottish Shortbread”, and “Nestle muffins”, as well as a selection of complimentary hot and cold drinks (including tea and coffee). Cheese and ham burgers and ice-cream was also on offer. Hot pot noodles were also on offer. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): Around an hour and half prior to landing at Heathrow, we were treated to a delicious afternoon meal. There was only dish available: seared pan-cod fish with rice and bok choy. Accompanying the main dish was a Hershey’s chocolate bar (made in China!). Comments on the in-flight system (if any): The in-flight system was working without any problems. All the channels were showing the same as it was listed in the in-flight magazine. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional, hospitable and friendly- even more so after I explained to them the reason why I had taken this flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The A340-313 has a standard 2-4-2 layout in Economy Class. The recline for the Economy Class seat was standard, however it was the quality of the seat- it was not soft and seemed to be of the same kind of seats passengers are treated to on Virgin trains in the UK. A nice amenity kit bag containing eyeshades, socks, earplugs (both of which I never use), a pen and a tiny toothbrush with toothpaste (which, I did use!). Virgin Atlantic brand livery Virgin Atlantic's first aircraft were painted with a "Eurowhite" design with a red stripe through the centre of the main deck windows. The engines were metallic silver and the tail red with the Virgin logo in white. In the 1990s, the refreshed design was introduced, removing the centre red stripe through the windows, engines were painted red, the Virgin Atlantic titles in grey were added along the main fuselage, and the 'Flying Lady' was introduced to the nose area. In October 2006, with the delivery of G-VRED, Virgin introduced a new design, with the fuselage painted in metallic silver and a revised tail fin, with red and purple features and the Virgin logo. Near the nose of each aircraft is a pin-up girl, the "Scarlet Lady", carrying a Union flag, which was designed by British artist Ken White, who modelled the motif on the World War II pin-ups of Alberto Vargas – hence the naming one of the fleet Varga Girl. Each aircraft has a name, usually feminine, such as Ladybird, Island Lady, and Ruby Tuesday, but some are linked to registrations (e.g. G-VFIZ became Bubbles). There are a couple of commemorative names (e.g. G-VEIL—Queen of the Skies—which was named by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 April 2004, in celebration of the centenary of the Entente Cordiale). An exception is Spirit of Sir Freddie. An early Boeing 747, it was named in honour of Freddie Laker of Laker Airways, who helped Virgin Atlantic following the demise of his own airline. G-VFAB—Lady Penelope—gained a special livery to celebrate Virgin Atlantic's 21st birthday. On 26 September 2015, G-VFAB, Lady Penelope, was retired after 21 years of service. The current livery dates from 2010 and returns to the "Eurowhite" design featuring purple billboard titles on the fuselage, slight changes to the Scarlet Lady, and new red metallic paint for the aircraft's tail and engines. The wingtips are red, with the Virgin logo on the inside facing passengers on board. The Virgin Atlantic logo was also added in purple billboard titles to the underside of the aircraft. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: Guiyang Airport to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 17:30 on the 3rd of January Flight Number: MU5314 Flight duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A321 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed and landed on time (rare for this to happen). Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Despite being the main airport serving the capital city of Guizhou province, Guiyang airport is relatively quiet and a small domestic airport. 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:
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. Again, no alcohol was served. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (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. Improvements that could be made: None. For such a short flight, you could not really ask for much. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The seats in Economy Class on the Airbus A321 have a pitch of 32 inches recline, and are 17.8 inches wide. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8 Route: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to Guiyang Airport
Departure date of flight: December 31 2014, 7pm Flight number: CZ6170 Flight duration: 2 hours 40 minutes Class: Premium Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time on a rainy and dark evening in Hangzhou. This was rare because even under normal weather conditions, most flights are delayed in China, and for the flight to depart to depart on time during rain was something to cheer about, I guess. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at check-in at Hangzhou Airport. The check-in gates for domestic flights to second and third tier cities, such as Guiyang are located in the A-section of the departures building (though this may change later). For an airport the size of Hangzhou, it is somewhat underused and quieter than it should be (the international departures terminal is practically dead quiet 80% of the time). Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Herbal Chinese tea, orange juice and some other drinks, including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two-hour flight, a choice of two dishes (Chinese) for dinner. One was noodles with seafood, or chicken with rice. I opted to take the chicken with rice. The main hot dish contained delicious rice, along with various bits of chicken cubes- quite edible for a short-haul flight. A tray containing the following was included:
The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee (and beer if needed). Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. There was also local Yanjing beer (Guangzhou brand). Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for China Southern Airlines, and were very welcoming. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The China Southern Airlines Boeing 737-800 uses: Economy Class/Premium Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 Route: Chongqing International Airport to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport
Departure date of flight: 29 December 2014 Flight Number: MF8416 Flight duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around five minutes late due to heavy air traffic control around the Hangzhou area because of fog. Once we got started there was hardly any sign of any delays, and it actually turned out to be a smooth flight. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks, and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two-hour flight, there were just a couple of buns, a packet of pickles. The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments on the professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for Xiamen Airlines, and were very welcoming. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The brand new B737-800 aircraft belonging to Xiame Airlines had a seat configuration of 2-2 in First Class, and a configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class. The plane was very clean, felt fresh, and the toilets showed signs of a new plane out of the factory. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches (139 seats) First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (20 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 China Southern Airlines (Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to Chongqing Jiabei Airport), AIRBUS A321-20012/26/2014
Route: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to Chongqing International Airport
Departure date of flight: 28 December 2014 Flight Number: CZ8180 Flight duration: 2 hours 40 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A321 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around five minutes late due to heavy air traffic control around the Hangzhou area because of fog. Once we got started there was hardly any sign of any delays, and it actually turned out to be a smooth flight. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Hangzhou Airport. The best way to ge Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks, and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two-hour flight, a choice of two dishes (both Chinese) for dinner. One was noodles with beef, or pork with rice. I opted to take the pork with rice. The shredded pork and the white rice tasted delicious. China Southern Airlines in-flight catering has improved a lot in recent years. A tray containing the following was included:
The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee (and beer if needed). Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments on the professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for China Southern Airlines, and were very welcoming. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The brand new A321 aircraft belonging to China Southern Airlines had a seat configuration of 2-2 in First Class, and a configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class. The plane was very clean, felt fresh, and the toilets showed signs of a new plane out of the factory. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches (139 seats) First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (20 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10 In late October 2014, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways unveiled a new logo and brand which the airline described as "a cleaner, crisper, more contemporary identity" which will "help passengers travel well."
The project, which has taken 18 months to complete, will take another 18 months to fully roll out on the corporate website, airport lounges globally, aircraft cabins, in-flight service and entertainment products. The first concrete example of the brand's usage will be on the official Social Media accounts (Twitter, Facebook etc.), on the company's corporate website's landing page and at Cathay Pacific's new lounge at Japan's Tokyo Haneda airport, which will open in December, 2014. Citing reasons for the new brand and logo, Cathay Pacific Airways said said in an official statement: "Symbolising our efforts to create a better, more beautiful and more enjoyable journey for passengers, we have refreshed many aspects of our brand identity. Centred around our timeless brushwing icon, we have sought to simplify, clarify and beautify. The brushwing no longer sits constrained inside a box, and has been gently harmonised and set free. We have also defined tighter rules around sub-brands which will now be clearly aligned within a simplified, tiered hierarchy. We will also use a tighter palette of colours and typography." With increasing fuel prices in the aviation industry, airlines these days are challenged with presenting a unique and eye-catching brand identity that is simple, sleek & stylish and in touch with the modern times, yet one that uses as less paint as possible to save fuel costs (it may not seem much but paint adds a considerable amount of weigh to a plane and hence increases the fuel required). There have been many recent examples where airlines have made their corporate brand identity simpler, including China Eastern Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines and American Airlines to name a few. I personally feel that the less paint you use on an airline, the more boring it looks as a brand identity. Although, insiders have informed me that the livery on Cathay Pacific aircraft, however, will keep its look but it may change in future years. There are also unconfirmed rumours online that the red cheatline is going to be gone from the CX livery (these don't seem to be genuine). While I understand the reasons behind the changes, but when you see designs that have been churned out by the likes of Royal Brunei Airlines and China Eastern Airlines you end up missing the 1970s and 1980s when aircraft of world airlines were lavishly decorated. Though less certainly seems to be more. These days, however, exceptions are made for low cost airlines (Easyjet, Ryanair, Air Asia etc.) where they paint their planes with large sponsorship. The brand identity changes were only announced for Cathay Pacific Airlines and not Dragonair. For more on Cathay Pacific's new brand, find our more at cathaypacific.com/thenextchapter Dragonair is an award-winning regional airline of Hong Kong, and is a proud wholly owned subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Airways Group. Formed in May 1985, and having started services initially with just one Boeing 737-200 aircraft, Dragonair has in time become one of the world’s best regional airlines.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways, the airline operates one of the youngest and most modern fleet with 36 aircraft on scheduled services to 41 destinations in Mainland China and elsewhere in Asia using three aircraft types: Airbus A330-330, Airbus A320-200, and the Airbus A321-200. The Airbus A330-300 aircraft come in three types of configuration: type 1 aircraft are designed to carry up to 284 passengers in three Classes. They are used on the Beijing and Shanghai routes; type 2 aircraft are designed to carry up to 315 passengers in two Classes. They are used on the Kaohsiung and Taipei routes; and type 3 aircraft are designed to carry up to 300 passengers in two Classes. They are used on the Dhaka, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Taipei, Kaohsiung and Qingdao routes. Cathay Pacific is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, with its subsidiary, Dragonair, as an affiliate member. In 2011, Dragonair was voted the ‘World’s Best Regional Airline’ by Skytrax for the second consecutive year. The airline is renowned as a China expert, serving 20 cities in mainland China. Though the Hong Kong to Guangzhou route is only 30 minutes (can sometimes take around an hour depending on the air traffic), this route provides many connecting flights from Hong Kong to around the world with Cathay Pacific Airways or Dragonair. Guangzhou is home to millions of wealthy overseas Chinese diasporas (i.e. Canadian-Chinese, British-Chinese, Australian-Chinese, American-Chinese etc.), and so the Dragonair flight between Hong Kong and Guangzhou provides excellent and smooth connections, without the hassle of these passengers having to take hours to travel by train or bus First (and saves the headache of crossing the Hong Kong - Shenzhen border). Usually when I have flown between Singapore and Hong Kong, I have flown directly to Hong Kong (except one time in 2004 when I did take a connecting flight from Hong Kong to Guangzhou with China Southern Airlines on their old Boeing 757-200). I was flying from Singapore to Guangzhou with Cathay Pacific Airways (via Hong Kong), and so I decided to take advantage of this useful connecting flight from Hong Kong and Guangzhou. It turned out to be much better than I expected. If anyone is flying from Singapore (or other destinations around the world with Dragonair or Cathay Pacific Airways) to Guangzhou then I would highly recommend this connection because the quality of comfort, service, and the professionalism of the staff is one of the best in the world. Check it out: Departure date and time of flight: October 2014, 08:00am Flight number: KA782 ATC Callsign: Dragon Flight duration: 40 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A330-342 (18 aircraft of this type in service- although only 5 of those aircraft have a configuration same as this aircraft.) Aircraft registration: B-HLC Aircraft Serial Number: 99 First flight: 9th May 1995 (nearly 20 years old!) Aircraft delivery date: 4 April, 2011 (aircraft was previously with Cathay Pacific Airways since 1995) Aircraft engine types: Two Rolls Royce Trent 772-60 Frequent flyer programme: Marco Polo Club Seat configuration for this aircraft: 44 Business Class in a 2-2-2 configuration 267 Economy Class in a 2-4-2 configuration Punctuality of the flight/route taken: Departed on time, and landed on time as well. The short flight of around 73 miles provides a very non-scenic route from Hong Kong to Guangzhou because of the dusty and cloudy skies over Guangdong province. The flight leaves Hong Kong, and goes over Shenzhen, Dongguan, and then straight down towards Guangzhou approach (landing from either the city side, or the Baiyun mountainside). For this short flight, we climbed to 24,000 feet within 10 minutes, and then started the decent soon afterwards. I managed to capture some stunning photos of Shenzhen and Guangzhou on this route. Lounge experience at Hong Kong Airport: Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair have 5 lounges at Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok Airport for their First and Business Class passengers. They are: The Wing The Pier The Cabin The Arrival G16 Lounge As I arrived at gate 10 from Singapore, the nearest lounge that I could refresh myself at was the G16 Lounge. Like all of the other lounges, the lounge is on the 2nd floor, well placed like a gallery from where you can get panoramic views across to the airfield, and the gates. The G16 lounge houses nice showers, comfy sofas, and delicious food all throughout the day and night. There is no harm tucking into one of the best-made Cumberland sausages and Heinz baked beans after a 12-hour flight. Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair have made their lounges very welcoming and comfortable, and they do feed you well (so therefore, there is no need to run to the nearest MacDonald’s after you land at Hong Kong!). G16 lounge is mostly catered towards passengers flying with Dragonair, and that’s one of the reasons why the furniture also comes in lovely shades of imperial red or creamy yellow leather. Any baggage issues: No issues. Comments on check-in: I landed into Hong Kong from Singapore on Cathay Pacific Airways at around 5am. We docked at gate 10, and my onward connecting flight to Guangzhou was at 8am from gate 61 (which is around twenty minutes from gate 10- quite a walk!). There was no need to check-in, but all connecting passengers are smoothly ushered through a separate security channels. The Automated People Mover (APM) takes passengers between gates 20 and 40 quickly and smoothly. The whole journey from the G16 Lounge to gate 61 took around 15 minutes at the most. In-flight magazine: Silkroad (published by ACP Magazines Asia Limited) Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Business Class passengers were offered a choice of champagne, orange juice, strawberry smoothie, and banana smoothie out of a hand tray service provided by the crewmembers. A choice of either sparkling or still mineral water is also offered. There is a 500ml bottle of Evian water behind each Business Class seat. The signature drink to try is the ‘Dragon Sunrise’- a refreshing fusion of gin with fresh guava, and fresh lemon juice. All Business Class passengers are handed out hot hand towels just prior to the meal service. The towels have a lemon scent. Comments regarding the first meal: For such a short flight, there is no formal meal service. It only takes around 10 minutes after take-off before the Captain announces that we are going to commence the decent into Guangzhou! Dragonair offer scrumptious on-board menu choices that are changed every two weeks. Business Class passengers are presented a box containing four types of assorted cold canapés and fresh fruit. On this flight, my box contained: · Pumpernickel with spinach and tomato · Exotic mushrooms and salad · Roasted vegetables on wholemeal bread · Fresh fruit (cute slices of strawberry, mango, watermelon, and melon) Though not required for such a short flight, food is usually served on stylish china tableware specially adapted from the Lifestyle collection of Wedgwood from the UK. To enjoy the food at its freshest, it’s best to consume it before landing. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. This included 12 kinds of coffee and tea that should be enough to make anyone spoilt for choice. Should any passenger want wine or champagne (even if it is the morning!), then these drinks are served in exclusively designed glassware. The champagne is provided by the award-winning Piper-Heidsieck Brut. The wine list for this flight included: White Wines: Macon Villages Blanc, Vaucher Pere & Fils, Burgundy 2010, France Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, Livermore Valley & San Francisco, California 201, U.S.A. Red Wines: Cotes de Duras, Baron de Venzac 2012, France Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection, Gran Reserva, Shiraz 2012, Chile. Some of the specialities on Dragonair include: Fook Ming Tong Chinese tea, Fujian oolong tea, Hong Kong style milk tea, Fuding jasmine silver fur tea, and freshly brewed coffee. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): Each seat features a 10.4" personal video screen (same size in both Economy and Business Class cabins). Each flight has a choice of 10 PTV video channels and 16 audio channels from Dragon On Air in-flight entertainment programming. However, on such a short flight, there was hardly any need to watch any programs, except for the moving map which is also displayed on the huge screen at the front of the cabin. The playback music that welcomes passengers while on boarding and while disembarking the aircraft changes every month. For this particular flight we had ‘Dance on the Moon’ by Patrick Kelly (on boarding), and ‘Dream of the Pink Zebra’ by Suzanne Ciani; Young Russia Orchestra. It's a much better selection than what you get on the majority of the airlines in mainland China (which usually involves having to listen to Kenny G's 'Going Home). Nothing against Kenny G, and nothing against his music, but do you really want to listen to just ONE tune every-time a plane lands and take-offs, and on every flight?! All aircraft have the Airbus KID 110V AC SkyPower in-seat power outlet for laptop computer and portable electronic devices in every seat. This requires no adapter cable. Dragonair was the First airline to offer this technology within the operational network for mainland China. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The staff are 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. The cabin crew uniform design consists of a black blouse with thin red stripes, and a neck silk scarf in navy blue and red colours. Dragonair's current uniforms are designed by renowned Hong Kong designer, Eddie Lau. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): For A330-300 on which I was flying, the Business Class cabin accommodates 44 passengers in a 2-2-2 seat design while Economy Class cabin caters for 267 passengers in a 2-4-2 setting. The seats in Economy Class on the Airbus A330-300 have a pitch of 32” recline, and are 17.5” wide. The seats in Business and Economy Class are manufactured by various suppliers: BE aerospace, Zodiac France, Geven aircraft seating, Recaro Aircraft Seating, while those in First Class are manufactured by Zodiac. Business Class seats on the Airbus A330-300 have a pitch of 63” recline (flatbed), and are 26.5” wide. The minimum in-flight sleeping angle is of 6.8° (when airborne). Each seat has an extendable leg rest, and a footrest, as well as a six-way adjustable headrest. The Business Class seat is ergonomically designed to be comfortable whether the passenger is working or relaxing. The Business Class cabin is upholstered in a refreshing and contemporary aqua blue; while the Economy Class is upholstered in shades of aqua blue, imperial red, and sky blue. Dragonair logo and brand livery Dragonair’s livery consists of having an all white fuselage, and underbelly. The tailfin consists of a imperial red dragon against a white background, and the same design is applied to the engines. At the front of the fuselage, just before the First cabin door, and below the cabin windows the words ‘DRAGONAIR’ are printed in English, in black ink and in capital letters; while the Chinese equivalent is printed in imperial red ink, and above the cabin windows (above the English words). The tips of the wings are coloured in imperial red ink. Below the tailfin, just in front of the back cabin door, is the flag of the Swire Group. The current Dragonair logo, modified from the previous version, was introduced in 1993 coinciding with the delivery of Dragonair's new fleet of Airbus A320s back then, with a new livery. The livery design gives a streamlined and contemporary look that reflects the dynamism and energy of the airline. Aircraft are given a pristine, overall white look, with the Dragonair name in clean black lettering. Red is used in the Chinese version of the name and in the dragon motif, in a strong and sophisticated shade. The cabin crew uniform design consists of a black blouse with thin red stripes, and a neck silk scarf in navy blue and red colours. While Dragonair has been a wholly owned by the Cathay Pacific Group since September 2006, the airline continues to operate as a separate airline under its own Air Operator’s Certificate. The Dragonair brand remains unchanged and the airline’s own 2,400 staff consisting of cockpit and cabin crew flies its own aircraft in the existing livery. In 2010, Dragonair celebrated its 25th anniversary, and to mark the auspicious occasion, an Airbus A330-300 was painted in a special livery with the red dragon painted across the whole fuselage against a backdrop of Hong Kong’s skyline in green. Just under the cockpit windows it writes ‘Hong Kong’ in capital letters, and there is a painting of the famous Hong Kong Star Ferry. HAINAN AIRLINES (Guangzhou Baiyun International to Hangzhou Xiaoshan), FIRST CLASS, BOEING 737-80010/6/2014
Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport
Departure date and time of flight: 10:50am, October 2014 Flight Number: HU7361 Callsign: Hainan Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes Cabin: First Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-84P Aircraft in service: 98 Aircraft registration: B-5636 Engines: Two CFMI CFM56-7B26 First flight: 06/01/2012 Aircraft serial number: 38149 LN:3889 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around 20 minutes late due to the morning rush hour in Guangzhou. We were behind a whole host of big jets such as a couple of Air China A320s, China Southern 777s, and even Hainan Airlines A330s. Rush hour at Guangzhou can be hectic. Both Runways 02L and 02R are used for take-offs (depending on wind). We departed from Runway 02L. The flight route provided some fabulous views across to the horizon, and even had splendid views when coming into land at Hangzhou. Comments on check-in: My flight into Guangzhou with Dragonair from Hong Kong was delayed. Therefore, because that was an international flight, I had to transfer to a domestic flight to catch this flight to Hangzhou. The sheer scale of Guangzhou airport can test one’s health limits. I had to run as fast as I could. After that 10 minute sprint with all the heavy luggage and clothes, not only was I sweating like a pig, but was also feeling as if I had been to the gym in my suit! But after I arrived at the domestic check-in, everything went perfectly smoothly afterwards. 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, a Chinese lunch was offered in the First Class cabin. A tray containing hot dishes including: A starter dish consisting of corncob, dumpling and mantou Hainan style chicken satay with salad and lemon slice Hainan style chicken with fragrant rice Egg and seaweed soup Freshly cut exotic fruit (dragon fruit, melon and water melon) The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. There was also apple juice as well. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for Hainan Airlines and were very welcoming. The passengers in First Class were kept well informed of any delays, and even the weather situation in Hangzhou. The Captain was kind enough to inform me of the Runway that we were going to land on so that I can take photos of the city. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with winglets belonging to Hainan Airlines had a seat configuration of 2-2 in First Class and a configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class. The plane was very clean and had a fresh smell to it. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 31 inches, and a width of 18 inches (139 seats) First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (20 seats). Cathay Pacific Airways is an international award-winning scheduled airline registered and based in Hong Kong, offering passenger Cathay Pacific serves 168 destinations in 42 countries and territories on five continents, with a well-developed Asian network. The airline serves a number of gateway cities in North America and Europe, with easy connections with its Oneworld and codeshare partners, American Airlines and British Airways via Los Angeles and London, respectively. The airline also has access to over 17 destinations in China through its subsidiary, Dragonair. Cathay Pacific is an official SkyTrax 5-star airline.
The company was founded in Hong Kong in 1946 by two visionaries, Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow, who both paid HK$1 apiece to register the airline. They named the airline, Cathay Pacific Airways. Cathay is the ancient name for China, while Pacific was named because far-sighted Farrell believed that one day the airline might fly across the Pacific Ocean. The airline initially started services with two US Army surplus Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft: Betsy and Niki. The former aircraft, Betsy is repainted in her original 1940s livery, and is suspended from the ceiling at the Hong Kong Science Museum. Cathay Pacific Airways remains deeply committed to its home base, and has in recent years made substantial investments to develop Hong Kong as one of the world’s leading international aviation hubs. In addition to its fleet of 136 aircraft, (includes 26 cargo freight aircraft), these investments include catering and ground-handling companies and the corporate headquarters at Hong Kong International Airport. Cathay Pacific continues to invest heavily in its home city and has another 94 new aircraft due for delivery up to 2019 (including the 48 A350-XWB (Extra Wide Body)). The airline is also building its own cargo terminal in Hong Kong that will begin operations in early 2013. Cathay Pacific is also investing heavily in its freighter aircraft, with six Boeing 747-400ERFs, and 10 new generation Boeing 747-8Fs being scheduled for delivery by the beginning of 2013. Cathay Pacific owns 19.53% of Air China Limited, the national flag carrier and a leading provider of passenger, cargo and other airline-related services in Mainland China. Cathay Pacific is also the major shareholder in Air Hong Kong, an all-cargo carrier offering scheduled services in the Asian region. In November 2012, Cathay Pacific Airways was named Best Airline in the World and Best Airline First Class in the 2012 Business Traveller China Awards. The annual awards, now in their eighth year, reflect the highest praise bestowed by China’s frequent travellers on various service providers with connections to the Mainland. The awards were presented in Shanghai in November 2012 as Business Traveller China celebrated its 10th anniversary. The results of the 2012 awards were based on the magazine’s reader poll which ran from July to September in 2012. Cathay Pacific and its subsidiaries employ some 32,900 people worldwide (more than 22,500 of them in Hong Kong). Cathay Pacific is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, as are its substantial shareholders Swire Pacific Limited and Air China. The airline is a proud founding member of the Oneworld alliance, with its subsidiary, Dragonair, is an affiliate member. The airline celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006; and as of October 2009, its major shareholders are Swire Pacific and Air China. It is reciprocally one of the major shareholders of Air China. Cathay Pacific currently holds the title of the world's third largest airline, measured in terms of market capitalisation, according to the International Air Transport Association. The new regional Business Class has a two cabin configuration (Business and Economy, and very much similar to the product offered by Dragonair as well). I tried and tested the new regional Business Class seat on this short-haul flight from Singapore Changi International Airport to Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok international. The aircraft was brand new. Greetings from seat 11K (from left-hand side corner): Route: SINGAPORE (SIN) to HONG KONG (HKG) Departure date and time of flight: October 2014, 01:15am Flight number: CX714 (Cathay 714 heavy) ATC Callsign: Cathay Flight duration: 3 Hours 55 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-343-X (37 aircraft of this type in service) Aircraft registration: B-LBF Aircraft Serial Number: 1545 First flight: 25th June, 2014 Aircraft delivery date: 25th July 2014 Aircraft engine types: Two x Rolls Royce Trent 772B-60 Frequent flyer programme: Marco Polo Club Marco Polo himself took many months and years to explore the world, but if you fly Cathay Pacific Airways then you can do that in a few hours, and join his exclusive club for frequent flyers at Cathay Pacific! It would be enough to make the great man jealous of those gold and diamond cardholders, were he alive today that is. Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 42 angle flat seats (2-2-2 configuration) Economy Class: 265 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration Punctuality of the flight/route taken: This very late night time flight departed from Singapore on time and landed on time early in the morning in Hong Kong. With such a short flight timing and being an all-night flight, it is practically impossible to get a good night’s sleep, because by the time the dinner service is complete, your body only has around an hour to rest before it is time to wake up again! Any baggage issues: Checking in luggage at Singapore Changi is an easy and smooth affair. From checking-in and to the gate takes around 10-minutes. There is a further security check at the departure gate itself. For all classes, each passenger (except an infant) can bring a free baggage allowance of one cabin bag not exceeding 56x36x23cm (22x14x9 inch) in size. These dimensions include wheels, handles, and side pockets. Lounge experience at Singapore Airport: Cathay Pacific has a lounge located on the second floor after security where you can relax and while away the time before your flight. As this was an evening flight, the lounge was almost empty. Although there was an ample amount of food available, however, for people like me who eat to live and not vice-versa, it was all just a show to see the lovely caviar and champagne. In-flight magazine: Discovery (published by ACP Magazines Asia Ltd) Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Passengers’ in Business Class are offered hot lemon scented towels prior to departure. This is followed by a drinks service, which consists of some of the world’s finest wines, and champagne. In Business Class, the cabin crew offer five kinds of drinks prior to departure:
Both Cloud Nine and Oriental Breeze are signature drinks provided by Cathay Pacific Airways, and both drinks are equally impressive in taste, look, and feel. The rose water really gives the Oriental Breeze a very exotic touch. It’s the kind of drink that has the power to make a sad man smile. I mean, hey come on, cheer up- you’re flying! Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Around about 35 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with the helping of the huge Macadamia nuts, and salted almonds on bone china plates. I opted for another glass of that fine Champagne (Billecart-Salmon Brut), and also the piper-heidsieck Brut. There was also the celebrated Cathay Pacific complimentary bar service for Business Class passengers, including various alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks. Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English earl grey, Ceylon, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this, there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, and camomile with honey. With or without the meal, the wine list included for this flight would make anyone’s mouth water: White Wines: Buissonnier Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise 2012 Coopers Creek Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011, New Zealand Red Wines: Chateau Taffard de Blaignan Medoc 2009, French (Bordeaux) Gemtree Bloodstone McLaren Vale Shiraz 2010, Australia Port: Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port, 2007 Ample choice of whiskies (Chivas Regal 12 Year old, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Canadian Club, and Jack Daniel’s), Cognac (Hine, ‘rare and delicate’ fine champagne), and various beers, aperitifs & cocktails, and liqueurs. Comments regarding the dinner service: For the first meal and only meal, a choice of two entrées were provided– all selected from a superb range of Asian and Western dishes. Meals are served on a low trolley that gives the passenger an inviting eye-level choice of what's on offer and the airline is also introducing new food service items with a more Asian feel in their Business Class. All food in the Business Class cabins in Cathay Pacific is served on elegant bone china tableware specially designed and exclusively produced by Narumi of Japan. Starters: Freshly prepared Asian Soup Mixed salad with French vinaigrette The roasted potatoes may have been slightly hard, but the salmon’s exceptionally awesome taste certainly did the trick in disguising that fact. What I really liked about the salmon were the sprinkled spices and pepper, which were spread right the way across the skin of the meat. Main Course: There were two options for the main course, including: Pan-seared cod fish with steamed rice and mixed vegetables Cantonese Dim Sum set I opted for the delicious and tender cod fish, which neatly melted with every spoonful. Cheese & Dessert: A selection of Blue d’Auvergne, red Leicester, Taleggio with cabernet paste A selection of fresh seasonal fruit Chocolate cake gateaux Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: The new Business Class seat has a 15.4” personal television screen (PTV) that can be pulled out of the front bay with a click of a button. If you are seated in the middle aisle seat then during take-off, landing, and taxi, you end up looking at your neighbours PTV. Each PTV comes with Audio and Video on Demand (AVOD), offering a choice of over 100 movies, over 500 TV shows, 888 music CDs, 24 radio channels, and over 70 games – and with 10 languages represented, you’re sure to find something you enjoy. Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology are presented to every passenger in Business, and Premium Economy Class cabins. When it comes to entertainment, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Audio on Demand service is offered to all passengers on long-haul aircraft. Audio books are also available. Each seat in Business Class has an 110V AC power port. Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers may have to share a power port with adjacent seats. Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Airbus A330-343X). The music played upon boarding and upon dis-embarking the aircraft changes every month on Cathay Pacific flights. Some of the tunes played include ‘Faith’ by Medwyn Goodall, and ‘Feel’, by Robbie Williams. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew appear to have been trained very well, and seem to know how to handle all kinds of situations. The trainers must have had everything thrown at them, ranging from rowdy passengers to those having a nervous breakdown. These people are amazing. They really do pamper you. To the outsider it may seem that being cabin crew is an easy job, however in fact it’s a very challenging job, and there is more to the job then just handing out the meals. With many months of hard work and training under their belt, cabin crewmembers are chosen very carefully by the airline. God forbid, if anything happens on a flight (could be anything ranging from ill passengers, fights, drunken passengers, hijackings, and even pregnancies!), then it is the cabin crew who have to handle with such situations in a calm and cool manner. It certainly takes a certain personality to do such a job, and with a constant smile on their face too (a genuine one). Like they say in the corporate world, you may have the best brand in the world, but that brand is worth nothing if it not for the people that make great things happen for that brand. Cathay Pacific's current uniforms are designed by renowned Hong Kong designer, Eddie Lau. Ladies wear a red skirt with a white blouse that has the ‘brushwing’ logo in gold and red colours. The ladies also have a bright red blouse jacket which they can wear- matching with the red skirt. The gentlemen wear black starched trousers with a white shirt. Along with that the men wear a red tie with black stripes (junior cabin crew), or a gold tie with black stripes (senior cabin crew). Cathay Pacific Airways stand by their words, and truly give a 5-star service. If you are a frustrated passenger (for whatever reason), then let me reassure you that the cabin crew are always trying to go through great trouble to make your flight as comfortable as possible. I am saying this from personal experience. As a frustrated passenger (we have all been in that situation at some point or another in our lives), it can be easy for some of us to lose their cool when things are not going as we expect them to be. It’s because of the professionalism and integrity of the cabin crew that the airline is classed as a truly 5-star airline that endeavours to provide a truly 5-star service to its customers. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The new Business Class regional cabin is fitted with the spanking new fully angle flat seat, which has a pitch of 45 inches and a width of 20. All the Business Class seats on Cathay Pacific aircraft were designed by James Park Associates, and Recaro Aircraft Seating. All First Class seats were designed by Zodiac UK, and Economy and premier Economy Class seats were designed James Park Associates and Zodiac USA. There is certainly plenty of space available. I had my camera bag (which is annoyingly big), plus my laptop (I seldom have to sleep on a daytime flight so I end up working!), AND my carrier bag. All of these were neatly stored before departure. Oh, there is also space for you to put your shoes during the long flight so you can sit like as if you are sitting on your sofa at home. The Business Class cabins on all aircraft have artwork displayed in front of the cabin by Maria Lobo. The side cabinet houses not only the headset and a vanity mirror (nice addition…you can imagine the celebs putting on their best look prior to landing), but has room for small items such as glasses and other minor but important things – and the cabinet door doubles as a privacy divider. Then there is are minor but important touches such as the personal reading light (with adjustable brightness) and a personal stowage compartment with space for a water bottle and magazines. There was no amenity kit provided for this short-haul regional flight. Cathay Pacific logo and livery: Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Cathay Pacific Airways used to support a green and white striped livery. This old livery was replaced with the current "brushwing" livery In 1994 the airline announced that it would establish its new corporate identity, with a 23 million Hong Kong dollar (RM 7.3 million) program to update its image. - Cathay Pacific relaunched its corporate image in the early 1990s. Cathay Pacific commented that after building a reputation over 50 years for technical excellence and high-quality service, Cathay Pacific had no intention of changing its core values. Therefore, the new corporate identity was merely intended to communicate these values more effectively to all current and future customers. Cathay Pacific worked with Landor Associates, the world’s largest corporate identity management firm, to help create the new identity. The brushwing livery expresses the carrier’s unique character as an Asian with an international outlook. The sophistication of the logo conveys Cathay Pacific’s technical expertise and uncompromising attention to safety and reliability. The brushwing also embodies a sense of energetic flight, and being a “handmade” symbol it acknowledges the company's devotion to high standards of caring, personal service. In October 2014, the airline unveiled a new identity, symbolising the airline’s efforts to create a better, more beautiful and more enjoyable journey for passengers, they refreshed many aspects of the brand identity. Centred on the timeless brushwing icon, they sought to simplify, clarify and beautify. The brushwing no longer sits constrained inside a box, and has been gently harmonised and set free. The airline also defined tighter rules around sub-brands which will now be clearly aligned within a simplified, tiered hierarchy. They are also using a tighter palette of colours and typography. Click here to learn more. Dragonair is an award-winning regional airline of Hong Kong, and is a proud wholly owned subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Airways Group. Formed in May 1985, and having started services initially with just one Boeing 737-200 aircraft, Dragonair has in time become one of the world’s best regional airlines.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways, the airline operates one of the youngest and most modern fleet with 36 aircraft on scheduled services to 41 destinations in Mainland China and elsewhere in Asia using three aircraft types: Airbus A330-330, Airbus A320-200, and the Airbus A321-200. The Airbus A330-300 aircraft come in three types of configuration: type 1 aircraft are designed to carry up to 284 passengers in three Classes. They are used on the Beijing and Shanghai routes; type 2 aircraft are designed to carry up to 315 passengers in two Classes. They are used on the Kaohsiung and Taipei routes; and type 3 aircraft are designed to carry up to 300 passengers in two Classes. They are used on the Dhaka, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Taipei, Kaohsiung and Qingdao routes. In 2011, Dragonair was voted the ‘World’s Best Regional Airline’ by Skytrax for the second consecutive year. The airline is renowned as a China expert, serving 20 cities in mainland China. Cathay Pacific is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, with its subsidiary, Dragonair, as an affiliate member. Though the Guangzhou to Hong Kong route is only 30 minutes (can sometimes take around an hour depending on the air traffic), this route provides many connecting flights from Hong Kong to around the world with Cathay Pacific Airways or Dragonair. Guangzhou is home to millions of wealthy overseas Chinese diasporas (i.e. Canadian-Chinese, British-Chinese, Australian-Chinese, American-Chinese etc.), and so the Dragonair flight between Guangzhou and Hong Kong provides excellent and smooth connections, without the hassle of these passengers having to take hours to travel by train or bus first (and saves the headache of crossing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border). I was flying from Guangzhou to Singapore with Cathay Pacific Airways, and so I decided to take advantage of this useful connecting flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. It turned out to be much better than I expected. If anyone is flying from Guangzhou to Singapore (or other destinations around the world with Dragonair or Cathay Pacific Airways), then I would highly recommend this connection because the quality of comfort, service, and the professionalism of the staff is one of the best in the world. Check it out: Departure date and time of flight: October 2014, 09:50am Flight Number: KA783 ATC Callsign: Dragon ICAO: HDA Flight Duration: 40 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft Type: Airbus A330-342 (17 aircraft of this type in service- although only 5 of those aircraft have a configuration same as this aircraft.) Aircraft registration: B-HLB Aircraft Serial Number: 83 First Flight: 9th February 1995 Aircraft delivery date: 1st March 2011 (aircraft was previously with Cathay Pacific Airways since 1995) Aircraft engine types: Two Rolls Royce Trent 772-60 Frequent flyer programme: Marco Polo Club Seat configuration for this aircraft: 44 Business Class in a 2-2-2 configuration 267 Economy Class in a 2-4-2 configuration Punctuality of the flight/route taken: Departed on time, and landed on time as well. The short flight provides a very non-scenic route from Guangzhou to Hong Kong because of the dusty and cloudy skies over Guangdong province. The flight leaves Guangzhou, and goes over Panyu, Dongguan, Zhuhai, and then straight down towards Hong Kong approach (or sometimes goes over Macau first then back into Hong Kong). For this short flight (around 73 miles distance), we climbed to 25,000 feet within 15 minutes, and then started the decent soon afterwards. Lounge experience at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport: First and Business Class passengers flying with Dragonair and Cathay Pacific Airways from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport can enjoy the Sky Pearl Club Lounge provided by China Southern Airlines. It’s a quiet place where you can check your e-mail (complimentary fast internet access), have a foot massage with the automated massage chair, or eat some of the available snacks. In regards to the food, while the Chinese options are one of the best you can get (delicious Cantonese congee, and morning Dim Sum!), the Western options on the other hand are not quite what you would expect. Any baggage issues: As a Business Class passenger, the check-in baggage allowance is 30kg for one bag. On Cathay Pacific flights to, from, or via the US, Canada, and some countries in South America, 2 pieces of baggage may be checked-in with dimensions measuring up to 158cm (62 inches) in total and 32kg in weight for each bag. For all classes, each passenger (except an infant) can bring a free baggage allowance of one cabin bag not exceeding 56x36x23cm (22x14x9 in) in size. These dimensions include wheels, handles and side pockets. Comments on check-in: I arrived at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport at 7.00am (well in advance for the 9:50am flight). The staff at Guangzhou airport were polite and friendly. I was informed that I would be the only passenger in Business Class on the short flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, which was great. I had all of the 44 seats to myself! Some people may ask why someone should take a 30-minute flight when you can easily take a coach or high-speed train to the heart of Hong Kong? Well, the answer is that if you are going to go to central Hong Kong for business or pleasure, then it is not worth taking the flight from Guangzhou because if you add up all the times from the different formalities (i.e. getting to/from the airport at both ends, check-in, waiting, and the 30-minute flight itself), then taking the flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong (and vice-versa) takes slightly longer than taking a train or a coach. (the flight also costs a lot too compared with taking a train or coach to Hong Kong). However, the flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong is very useful for those wishing to connect to onwards flights to the rest of the world with Cathay Pacific Airways or Dragonair. It saves a lot of hassle by taking the flight from Guangzhou, and you can connect direct from Hong Kong without the worry of having to take care of your luggage (especially if it is heavy!). In-flight magazine: Silkroad (published by ACP Magazines Asia Limited) Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Business Class passengers were offered a choice of champagne, orange juice, tomato juice, and apple juice out of a hand tray service provided by the crewmembers. A choice of either sparkling or still mineral water is also offered. There is a 500ml bottle of Evian water behind each Business Class seat. The signature drink to try is the ‘Dragon Sunrise’- a refreshing fusion of gin with fresh guava, and fresh lemon juice. All Business Class passengers are handed out hot hand towels just prior to the meal service. Comments regarding the meal: For such a short flight, there is no formal meal service. It only takes around 10 minutes after take-off before the Captain announces that we are going to commence the decent into Hong Kong! Dragonair offer scrumptious onboard menu choices that are changed every two weeks. Business Class passengers are presented a box containing four types of assorted cold canapés and fresh fruit. On this flight, my box contained: · Exotic mushrooms and salad · Roasted vegetables on wholemeal bread · Pumpernickel with spinach and tomato · Fresh fruit (cute slices of dragon fruit, kiwi, watermelon, and pineapple) Though not required for such a short flight, food is usually served on stylish china tableware specially adapted from the lifestyle collection of Wedgwood from the UK. To enjoy the food at its freshest, it’s best to consume it before landing. 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). I ordered a cup of coffee; however by the time it was delivered the plane was in its decent into Hong Kong. The lovely crew members poured the coffee into a wide-sided plastic cup so it would not be so hot, but just lukewarm enough to drink. Should any passenger want wine or champagne (even if it is the morning!), then these drinks are served in exclusively designed glassware. The champagne is provided by the award-winning Piper-Heidsieck Brut. The wine list for this flight included: White Wines: Macon Villages Blanc, Vaucher Pere & Fils, Burgundy 2010, France Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, Livermore Valley & San Francisco, California 201, U.S.A. Red Wines: Cotes de Duras, Baron de Venzac 2012, France Luis Felipe Edwards, Family Selection, Gran Reserva, Shiraz 2012, Chile. Some of the specialities on Dragonair include: Fook Ming Tong Chinese tea, Fujian oolong tea, Hong Kong style milk tea, Fuding jasmine silver fur tea, and freshly brewed coffee. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): Each seat features a 10.4" personal video screen (same size in both Economy and Business Class cabins). Each flight has a choice of 10 PTV video channels and 16 audio channels from Dragon On Air in-flight entertainment programming. Though on such a short flight, there was hardly any need to watch any programs, except for the moving map which is also displayed on the huge screen at the front of the cabin. The music played upon boarding and disembarking the aircraft is changed every month. On this flight we had ‘Hero’ by Andy Findon (on-boarding), and ‘Tsubame Ni Naritai’ by Chen Min. All aircraft have the Airbus KID 110V AC SkyPower in-seat power outlet for laptop computer and portable electronic devices in every seat. This requires no adapter cable. Dragonair was the first airline to offer this technology within the operational network for mainland China. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The staff are 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. The cabin crew uniform design consists of a black blouse with thin red stripes, and a neck silk scarf in navy blue and red colours. Dragonair's current uniforms are designed by renowned Hong Kong designer, Eddie Lau. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): For A330-300 on which I was flying, the Business Class cabin accommodates 44 passengers in a 2-2-2 seat design while Economy Class cabin caters for 267 passengers in a 2-4-2 setting. The seats in Economy Class on the Airbus A330-300 have a pitch of 32” recline, and are 17.5” wide. The seats in Business and Economy Class are manufactured by various suppliers: BE aerospace, Zodiac France, Geven aircraft seating, Recaro Aircraft Seating, while those in first Class are manufactured by Zodiac. Business Class seats on the Airbus A330-300 have a pitch of 63” recline (flatbed), and are 26.5” wide. The minimum in-flight sleeping angle is of 6.8° (when airborne). Each seat has an extendable leg rest, and a footrest, as well as a six-way adjustable headrest. The Business Class seat is ergonomically designed to be comfortable whether the passenger is working or relaxing. The Business Class cabin is upholstered in a refreshing and contemporary aqua blue; while the Economy Class is upholstered in shades of aqua blue, imperial red, and sky blue. Dragonair logo and brand livery Dragonair’s livery consists of having an all white fuselage, and underbelly. The tailfin consists of a imperial red dragon against a white background, and the same design is applied to the engines. At the front of the fuselage, just before the first cabin door, and below the cabin windows the words ‘DRAGONAIR’ are printed in English, in black ink and in capital letters; while the Chinese equivalent is printed in imperial red ink, and above the cabin windows (above the English words). The tips of the wings are coloured in imperial red ink. Below the tailfin, just in front of the back cabin door, is the flag of the Swire Group. The current Dragonair logo, modified from the previous version, was introduced in 1993 coinciding with the delivery of Dragonair's new fleet of Airbus A320s back then, with a new livery. The livery design gives a streamlined and contemporary look that reflects the dynamism and energy of the airline. Aircraft are given a pristine, overall white look, with the Dragonair name in clean black lettering. Red is used in the Chinese version of the name and in the dragon motif, in a strong and sophisticated shade. While Dragonair has been a wholly owned by the Cathay Pacific Group since September 2006, the airline continues to operate as a separate airline under its own Air Operator’s Certificate. The Dragonair brand remains unchanged and the airline’s own 2,400 staff consisting of cockpit and cabin crew fly its own aircraft in the existing livery. In 2010, Dragonair celebrated its 25th anniversary, and to mark the auspicious occasion, an Airbus A330-300 was painted in a special livery with the red dragon painted across the whole fuselage against a backdrop of Hong Kong’s skyline in green. Just under the cockpit windows it writes ‘Hong Kong’ in capital letters, and there is a painting of the famous Hong Kong Star Ferry. 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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