  _ The world’s FIVE star airline- Taking you more personally Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 109 destinations using 103 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 20,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include 5 Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied). The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. In China, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and Guangzhou (7 flights a week), Beijing (4 flights a week), and Shanghai (7 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 101 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. In November 2011, Qatar Airways commenced services to Chongqing 7 times a week from Doha using the Airbus A330 aircraft with a two-class configuration (Business and Economy Class). Qatar Airways was proud to have been named Asia’s Most Preferred Airline Brand at the 2011 Asian Leadership Awards in October 2011. As mentioned by CEO Akbar Al Baker: ‘Over 30 per cent of Qatar Airways’ global coverage is in the Far East, South East Asia and South Asia’. The awards covered more than 20 categories, including business innovation, human resources, corporate responsibility and products and services. I was on the flight from Doha to Shanghai Pudong on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-300ER to check out their Business Class seat, cabin and service. So enjoy the 5-star experience from SEAT 1E of this beautiful aircraft, and airline: Route: DOHA (DOH) to SHANGHAI PUDONG (PVG) Departure date and time of flight: February 2012, 01:00am local time (Doha) Flight number: QR888 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 888 heavy”) Flight duration: 8 Hours and 25 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3DZER (16 aircraft in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-300ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-BAB (First flight 11th December 2007) Aircraft Name: Um- Alamad Engine Type: 2 x GE90-115B (each engine can power a Boeing 747-400 all by itself!) Aircraft Serial Number: 36103 - line 686 Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 42 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 293 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Comments on the check-in process, and any issues: This was a connecting flight, and I had already checked in at London Heathrow Airport. Any baggage issues: Qatar Airways allows a checked-in baggage of maximum 30kg per passenger in Business Class, 40kg in First Class, and 23kg for Economy Class. Passengers can also take two pieces of hand luggage on board the aircraft, not to exceed 15 kg in total (or 50 x 37 x 25 cm). Passengers may carry liquids, gels, pastes, and aerosols in containers up to 100 ml (3.4 oz) in their hand baggage (I always take a small mouth wash bottle, contact lens solution, mouth spray, anti-perspirant, and an eau de toilette for long flights). Passengers are provided with a transparent, resalable, quart- or litter-sized bag no larger than 20 x 20 cm at the security at the Doha gates. I was so relieved to get rid of my HUGE luggage bag (weighed less than 30kg) at the check-in desk. Punctuality of the flight, and flight route: Departed on time, and landed on time as well. The flight path taken was typical of most flights that are on the Middle-East to Shanghai route. We were provided with splendid views of the Ganges over India, Northern Thailand, Burma, and then entering the Chinese airspace around Kunming. Surprisingly, considering the hazy visibility I was expecting, I did however manage to get beautiful views of Wuxi, Wuxi Airport, Suzhou SIP area, and Guiyang. We landed on runway 17L at Shanghai Pudong Airport, which meant a long taxi (nearly 35 minutes!) into the arrival gate. The taxi from the runway to the gate took just as long as it took to get from Wuxi to Shanghai Pudong Aiport (took flight route A470 directing to 'dotmi' VOR/IFR). Click HERE to see the photos of this flight (and the one before this flight). Premier Terminal Experience at Doha: After landing from London Heathrow (on my previous connecting flight), I, along with other Business Class passengers, was transferred to the Premier terminal (the Economy Class passengers were transferred to the normal terminal). My experience of the Premier terminal is listed below. Doha airport is simply an art of sophistication. It’s located only 5km away from the centre of Doha, but the airport may itself be considered as an oasis city itself. There are FOUR lounges at Doha Airport: Privilege Club Gold Lounge Provides a true 5-star service in all the elements that it offers. This lounge is to be used by Privilege Club Gold Card holders (irrespective of the class they travel in). Members will find a warm welcome and world-class facilities in this stylish lounge.
Privilege Club Silver Lounge The Silver Lounge has all of the facilities as the Gold Members Lounge except baggage storage. Oryx Lounge This is 5-star lounge with all of the above mentioned facilities, and can be used by passengers travelling on first or Business Class on any other airline except Qatar Airways. Premier Terminal This is the exclusive Lounge for those travelling on First or Business Vlass with Qatar Airways. Its looks and feels like a 5-star hotel rather than an airport lounge. Complete with luxurious bedrooms, Jacuzzi, nursery for kids, storage space, office facilities (fax, internet, and telephone), massage facilities, separate mosques for men and women, sauna facilities, and a Mecca for dining with a true 5-star service. You can eat whatever you like. The Premier Terminal has its own duty-free shop on the ground floor. Buses whisk passengers to/from their planes. Overall there was an excellent atmosphere right from the conception phase to the point I had to take the connecting flight. If only airport lounges were of this excellent quality. Service was exceedingly friendly. As I have mentioned numerous times, the staff all are well trained and offer a genuine hospitality. It shows clearly that the staff care for the customers from their heart. Their smile is a real one and not just to show that you are a customer of Qatar Airways. Its to make you feel special because they understand that: 1. It is not easy to fly Business or First Class 2. Not everyone flies First or Business Class, and those that do have to be felt special because they deserve it (because they or their companies have invested in flying First or Business class). It’s all about providing a service where the staff offer a an amazing attention to detail, and this is remarkable. Selection of both hot and cold food is available in myriad quantities as if there is no tomorrow. I was comfortably able to take a shower and jump into the Jacuzzi in the excellent shower room with quality amenities and excellent staff (Spa is the superlative part of the terminal which is unbelievably first-class). All toiletries in the bathroom, and showers are provided by L'Occitane en Provence. In case you are not kept track of your flight, then don’t worry because you will be accordingly invited to board in a timely manner. The First Class lounge is not as busy as the Business Class lounge, nevertheless both are amazing. Perhaps the best lounge experience that I have had on any airline in the world. What you normally find is that some airlines are good, but their lounges are not good, but Qatar Airways is ahead of their game. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Passengers in Business Class were offered hot towels and boiled sweets prior to departure. Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, champagne, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each Business Class seat there were a set of noise cancellation headphones, a rich cotton blanket (each one weighs 2KG!), 100% cotton pajamas, a luxury amenity kit containing the Molton Brown toiletries, slippers, eye-shades, and a pair of Qatar Airways designer socks. The pajamas came handy for this long flight. They are very useful if you want to freely toss and turn in your flatbed while you sleep because wearing your normal cloths while sleeping on a plane is not comfortable at all! Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Business Class can savour the outstanding in-seat service geared to suit their body clock. Passengers can pre-order and can choose to dine, breakfast, or enjoy a light snack at anytime they wish. I took a glass of bubbly (Champagne Laurent Perrier Brut 2000 France), and plenty of water (2 litre bottle!), and orange juice as this was an early morning flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). The orange juice had a pleasingly fresh-squeezed flavour, and came with a fresh slice of an actual orange. The Champagne can be perfect for caviar smoked salmon lobster. A plate pleaser with uramaki sushi with ginger pickles and wasabi was provided to go along with the drinks service. The generous portions of the food provided on Qatar Airways are enough to put some other airlines to shame. You cannot go wrong when hideously delicious food like this is on offer. Comments regarding the first meal: Hot towels were handed out prior to the first meal. Inspired by culinary treats from around the world, Qatar Airways’ Business Class in-flight a la carte dining experience offers mouth-watering dishes created by award-winning chefs. A light snack was served around 40 minutes after take-off. Since this was a early morning/late night flight, so the meal service was not so heavy. The choice of dishes included: · Stir-fried egg noodles with braised oriental prawns, Chinese greens accompanied by pearl chilli sauce. · Classic Arabic mezze · Warm tandoori chicken sandwich served with mint chutney · Assorted seasonal fresh fruit I wish I had a huge stomach because even though I was hungry, there was no way I could have eaten all of the above dishes. The cabin crew were very hospitable and friendly. As I had eaten enough food on the previous flight in from London Heathrow to Doha, so for this night time flight I opted to go for the ‘warm tandoori chicken sandwich served with mint chutney’. A simple yet artistic dish that looked more like a Mexican fajita wrap surrounded by saffron leaves and a healthy portion of mint chutney. The succulent chicken breast pieces tasted great. It was just the perfect portion for a night time snack. Airline meals were never really too healthy because healthy eating used to mean being condemned to a round of virtuous but dull meals. Modern in-flight meal chefs, however, are competing with one another to please their passengers (especially in First and Business Class), by producing airline meals that are light on calories, high on healthy ingredients AND above all, are delicious, and tasting fresh. Healthy food is one that keeps all its natural nutrients and flavours. Qatar Airways certainly does not fail in this department. The gastronomic rejuvenation came to a finale with the healthy dish of freshly cut seasonal fruit. Slices of rich and exotic fruit such as dragon fruit, wild red grapes, melon, grapefruit, and pineapple were presented. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Tempting drinks such as Martini Rosso/Dry, Campari, Glenfiddich Single Malt Solera 15 years old, Chivas Regal, Baileys, and many more were available. Qatar Airways is proud to offer the finest wines from around the world. Every flight route has a different selection of wines. It’s another minor but important thing like this that differentiates Qatar Airways from the other airlines in the world. Wines and beverages available by the bottle on this flight included the following: · Champagne: Laurent Perrier, Brut, 2002 (France) · Chardonnay: Vincent Giradin, AC Meursault, Vieilles Vignes, 2007 (Burgundy, France) · Sauvignon Blanc: Villa Maria, Celler Selection, 2010 (Marlborough, New Zealand) · Riesling: Markus Molitor, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Spatlese, 2007 (Mosel Valley, Germany) · Meritage- Merlot & Cabernet blend: Chateau Le Bon Pasteur, AC Pomerol, 2006 (Bordeaux, France) · Sangiovese: Poggio Antico, Altero, 2005 (Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy) · Shiraz: Hollick, 2009 (Wrattonbully, Australia) · Twany Port: Kopke, Colheita, 1974 (Douro Valley, Portugal) Passengers in Business Class could go to the galley and get free flowing drinks, fruit, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs), Godiva chocolates, and a variety of hot pot noodles. I had some English Breakfast tea with a few packets of Walkers shortbread biscuits (un-resistible!). Comments regarding the second meal: Qatar Airways are one of the few airlines to serve two meals during a six-hour flight. The second meal, offered around an hour and half before landing, was heavier, and more options were available than the first meal. I was just wondering how I would eat all that! A quick visit to the hotel style toilet to clean my teeth and refresh myself before the second meal felt good. The beauty of sleeping in the Business Class cabin is that it really is a similar (if not equal) feeling to waking up in a hotel bed except that on a plane you may feel some slight turbulence, and the noise of pressurisation (use ear plugs!). The cabin crew started handing out hot towels prior to the breakfast a la carte. To revive we were offered a selection of some fresh fruit juices. Check these tempting options: · Freshly squeezed orange juice · Date, and banana energizer. · Cranberry juice I opted for my favourite drink (I LOVE orange juice...got to love that pleasant balance of sweet and tart). Qatar Airways have sourced out the best partners when it comes to providing excellent food, and their orange juice with the orange bits and skin parts is just awesome. It is good enough to wake you up refreshed. To commence the breakfast adventure, there were the following two dishes (in the order of writing): · Tropical fruit with Greek yoghurt · Balik style salmon, and breakfast salad with pink grapefruit, spicy lemon dressing. I opted for the ‘breakfast salad’. A very colourful dish with a generous decorative portion of salmon that will take your breath away. The vibrant salmon is bathed in the not so spicy lemon dressing. The vibrant combination of the different ingredients, such as the pink grapefruit and the rocket salad, is just magical. Following on from the above starters there was a choice to indulge into one of the following dishes: · Creamy salmon omelette, button mushrooms, and sugar snap peas* · Congee with steamed Japanese scallops · Apple and cinnamon pancakes with sour cherry compote and vanilla sauce · Classic Arabic breakfast * Passengers could add their choice of seared vine cherry tomato, fresh roesti potato, and herb chicken patty. It’s very tempting to try every dish on the menu. However, I opted for the ‘creamy salmon omelette’, with an added option of herb chicken patty. The colour of this dish is a bright pale straw like indicating a slight youth of the taste and a deep stainless steel cooking style. The delicious salmon is neatly tucked inside the omelette so that with every mouthful you taste both the salmon and the freshly made omelette. The rectangular shaped omelette is surrounded by a few pieces of button mushrooms, and plenty of snap peas. The snap peas are boiled and fresh, but their colour tends to fade a bit (perhaps because it’s a in-flight meal). None of the meals on Qatar Airways contain any artificial colours or excess preservatives are used in the cooking of all the meals on Qatar Airways. In actual fact a Business Class meal on a major airline as Qatar Airways should feel as close as possible to eating at a good quality restaurant (even though the saturated fat may top more than twice of what the recommended daily fat intake of 70g!). Various types of bread rolls, pain du chocolate, croissant, and brown and white toast were provides from the bakery basket. A final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English Kreakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the business class cabin. The HUGE 33cm by 22cm (15.6-inch) PTV screen, which can be easily folded away into the right hand side armrest, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. Qatar Airways has three different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Mainscreen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (Overall IFE has over 1000 Video and Audio on-demand options in Business Class). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. PTV AVOD is fitted on board all Airbus A330s and Airbus A340s. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Airbus A340-642 aircraft is not touch screen (as that’s only available on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft). The good thing is that on the Boeing 777-300ER all the seats have AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crew members face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. Though night time flights are usually easy to handle for the crew as almost everyone goes to sleep! On our flight, we had cabin crew from China, India, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Slovakia, and, Iran. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Slovak, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin Chinese. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Qatar Airways have 42 Business Class flatbed seats on their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a 2-2-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 78 inch recline and is 22 inches wide. Generous legroom allows you to stretch comfortably and the built-in massager helps you relax. I had a wonderful sleep for around 5 hours in between the two meals. Slept like a log with my head on the soft cotton pillow. The senior purse even gave me a hand to cover me with the Qatar Airways blanket- such is the amazing service of the cabin crew. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a huge 15.6-inch PTV display screen, in-seat reading light, in-seat drinks holders, and in-seat power units. In Business Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, moisture cream, and a hand cream (all by Molton Brown). Passengers in Business Class are provided with cotton-lined pure wool blankets and 100% cotton sleeper suits. Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Mood lighting is used throughout the flight to keep the passengers in touch with the time zones. So blue, orange, red and yellow shades of the mood lighting is used to highlight the different time zones (dawn, night time, evening and, afternoon). This is so that passengers’ eyes and body can adapt to the different time zones. All the Business Class seats have an electronic touch pad control system allowing them to easily control the seat settings. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A340-642 aircraft have the world ‘QATAR’ painted on the belly of the fuselage (it is easily visible from the ground when a plane is flying). In addition, there is the Qatar Airways’ Oryx logo on the winglets of the Airbus A340-600, and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Special thanks to Qatar Airways                          Tailfin of the Airbus A340-642 (Similar size to the A330-300): Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  The winglet of the Airbus A340-642: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 109 destinations using 103 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 20,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include five Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied). The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. Qatar Airways announced that in 2012 the company will introduce seven new routes. These are Perth in Western Australia, the Finnish capital Helsinki, Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb, Gassim in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and three East African cities – Zanzibar, Kigali and Mombasa, in Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, respectively. Operating from the airline’s hub in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, all seven new routes will be launched over the next few months. They will join previously announced Baku and Tbilisi, the capital cities of Azerbaijan and Georgia, respectively, which have become part of Qatar Airways’ family of routes since February 1st. In the United Kingdom, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and London Heathrow (28 flights a week), and Manchester (14 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 109 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. I was on the flight from London Heathrow to Doha on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A340-642 to check out their Business Class seats! Now, here is the trip report from SEAT 10A of flight QR008!: Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) to DOHA (DOH) Departure date and time of flight: February 2012, 15:00pm Flight number: QR008 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 008 heavy”) Flight duration: 6 Hours 55 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A340-642 (4 in service) Unit cost of each Airbus A340-642: US$275.4 million (£168.25 million or €190 million) (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-AGC (First flight 13th October 2006) Engine Type: 4 x RR Trent 556-61 (ROLLS-ROYCE) Aircraft Serial Number: F8C42Y216 - 766 Aircraft Name: Ras Ushairij Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 8 flat bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration (6.5 Feet legroom) Business Class: 42 lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 256 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration Presently the Airbus A340-642 is the only aircraft where Qatar Airways offers First Class cabin. However the CEO of Qatar Airways Mr. Akbar Al-Baker has announced in 2010 that Qatar Airways plans to eliminate First Class cabins from existing A340 aircraft, as well as new aircraft deliveries, except the A380 aircraft (of which Qatar Airways will have 5 aircraft in service). In fact all the Business Class seats on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offer the same features that are offered by most airlines in most their First Class cabins (such as in seat massage, extra legroom, and more entertainment channels). Any baggage issues: Qatar Airways flies from Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport, which tends to be quieter and much hassle free than the chaotic Terminal 3 (from where all the major international airlines fly from)! No issues regarding the baggage. For Business Class Qatar Airways have a checked baggage allowance of 30 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the London to Doha route, they have a 30KG luggage policy. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Comments on the check-in staff and flight route: At the time of writing, Qatar Airways customers can check-in at Zone A, (from desks 115-122). The check-in staff were very polite and swift in processing the check-in process. Non-EU citizens, can claim Value Added Tax (VAT) before they check-in, at the VAT desk which is accessed by the lift in Zone G. If you want this service then it is wise to add an extra hour to your check-in time for this process. Therefore overall it is wise to be at the airport at least 3 hours before departure (though you may get away with only 2 hours before your flight, but considering it is Heathrow- I would not risk it for the sake of missing your flight!). After check-in, proceed straight to security (which can take a long time at Heathrow), and within the departure lounge you will find iconic British brands such as Harrods and Burberry, as well as other brands such as Cartier and Gucci. Considering that I departed on a daytime flight, there was hardly any hustle or bustle that you would normally expect at Heathrow on a busy rush hour period. The check-in process went smoothly (there was NO queue!) and quickly. It must have taken less than 20 minutes to get from the check-in desk to the aircraft gate. Because of the large number of flights between London and Doha, the flights are not that full. On our flight, there were only around 50 passengers on a plane that can carry up to 250 passengers! While all 8 seats in First Class were taken, Business Class was around 40% empty, and likewise for Economy Class. When checking in for Qatar Airways, passengers are provided with one of the three types of boarding passes depending on where they are going, and which class they are flying in. So passengers whose final destination is Doha will be given a blue boarding pass wallet. Passengers that are flying Economy Class & transferring at Doha Airport are given a yellow boarding pass wallet, and passengers that are flying either Business or First Class & are transferring at Doha Airport are provided with a burgundy coloured boarding pass wallet along with an invitation card to the exclusive Premier Terminal at Doha Airport. From Terminal 4, we had a short taxi to the active runway (runway 09R), and even there we did not come across the long wait for take-off. The aircraft ahead of us was also a Airbus A340 belonging to Qatar Airways Amiri flight (VIP plane used by the Qatar government and Royalty). It was a straight approach to the threshold piano keys and an immediate take-off. Our flight took us from London Heathrow towards a Dover departure, and then reached cruise level of FL350 (35,000 feet), at around Maastricht control. Wonderful views of London were presented right after take-off with all the major sites of London clearly visible (Houses of parliament, Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Battersea Power Station, and much more). You can check the photos by clicking here. As this was an evening-night flight, so as we approached the Qatar peninsula, near the border of Iraq, one can easily see the huge oil fields in the desert with flames gushing into the Arabian sky. This land is full of oil...billions of cash just lurking under the ground (and that’s what has made Qatar into a rich state over the past few years). Click HERE to see the photos for this trip. Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 If you are flying Business or First Class internationally, then airport Lounges are great. You can munch away on finger food, cheese and some luxury food while waiting for a flight. One airline has taken the concept of airline lounges to a whole new level that has never been seen before by any other airline. Opened in January 2012 at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4 the spanking new Premium Lounge by Qatar Airways for Business and First Class passengers looks and feels rather more like a boutique 5-star hotel! Ideally located within a 5-minute walk to the gates, and about the same time from the customs security check, the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge is the first Lounge that the airline has installed at an airport outside of Doha International Airport in Qatar. London is a prime destination for most Qataris (and also for most non-Qataris connecting to London with Qatar Airways), so it makes sense for London Heathrow to be the place for their first Lounge outside of Doha. One thing is for sure, this Lounge is all about you, the passenger, and if there is one airline that is striving its best to bring back the hey days of luxury flying, then it has to be Qatar Airways. The distinction of the Lounge is portrayed finely as one enters it. There is no conventional reception desk but rather a similar feeling to that of entering a five star hotel foyer laid with calming spaces, and certain discreet greeters noting your wishes for dining, wining, and relaxation choices on their iPads. It is so easy to become attracted to the culturally inspired fountains, and the luxurious touch of a Middle Eastern Palace that the Lounge presents. There is plenty of Arabic calligraphy on the walls, the carpets, the mosaics, and the gentle sounds of the fountains in the background. Would you believe it? The designers have even taken the trouble to put in scents of real olive trees and herbs around the dining areas just to make you feel attached to the culture of the country’s airline you would be taking. Who could resist temptations such as a signature Wine and Martini bar, a luxury 5-star restaurant complete with an open Global Brassiere, and a dedicated Delicatessen? All in all you’ll be spoil for choice when it comes to wining and dining- and the good things can go on for as long as you want (and don’t worry- you won’t miss your flight because someone will escort in case you forget while having too much fun). So is there a downside? Well, the only thing that could let you down is a flight delay. But then again would you care when you are in such cosy and pampering surroundings? Everything for the modern human life is taken care of, that includes complimentary Wi-Fi internet, iPod sockets, private showers with heated floor and mirrors (supplied with L’Occitane en Provence toiletries). So if you are flying business or first class then it’s perhaps best to make the most of this special experience that you don’t get to enjoy everyday. You just end up wondering whether future airport Lounges will end up looking the same? Punctuality of the flight: Departed bang on time, however we landed around 15 minutes late due to the air traffic at Doha. Doha only has one runway and so it can get busy during the airlines peak hours (which are at night time). Time is money when it comes to the aviation industry as fuel costs, combined with landing fees, take-off slot fees, and airport management fees pile on rapidly the longer the aircraft stays on the ground. Qatar Airways, and the ground-handling agents at Heathrow, are very efficient in what they do and how they operate on time. The captain had plenty of fuel in the tanks in case we had to do a fuel dumping (god forbid!), and everything was well managed for this flight. Once we arrived in Doha, I had minutes before I had to catch my connecting flight to Shanghai Pudong. It was a straight into the security check at the Premium Terminal and onto the plane for the next flight. There was hardly any time to shop around or wander around the Premium Terminal (which I have seen before). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Once you enter the aircraft, the Qatari hospitality makes sure that you have an authentic experience of their culture and customs. Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, champagne, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each Business Class seat there were a set of noise cancellation headphones, a rich cotton blanket (each one weighs 2KG!), a luxury amenity kit containing the Molton Brown toiletries, slippers, eyeshades, and a pair of Qatar Airways designer socks. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in business class can savour the outstanding in-seat service geared to suit their body clock. Passengers can pre-order and can choose to dine, breakfast, or enjoy a light snack at anytime they wish. There was also a antipasti which consisted of fresh olives (without the seeds). I was also provided a small bowl of nuts to go with the champagne drink I had. For lunch I took a glass of water and orange juice as this was an afternoon flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). I opted for my favourite drink, orange juice. If you worship orange juice, like I do, then there is no reason to doubt this beautiful liquid sunshine offer by Qatari!. Qatar Airways have sourced out the best partners when it comes to providing excellent food, and their orange juice with the orange bits and skin parts is just awesome. It is good enough to wake you up refreshed, and with just the right amount of pulp, no wonder why it tastes like a cross between a real orange, and a orange smoothie drink! Comments regarding the first meal: Late lunch was served around 40 minutes after take-off from London Heathrow. We must have been somewhere over northern France. The following tempting options were offered: · Broad bean and zatar soup with lightly salted mini croutons · Seafood cocktail with smoked tuna, saffron prawn, marinated crayfish medallion, fresh tarragon potato salad · Classic Arabic mezze I went for the healthy option of ‘seafood cocktail’. It was literally an extravaganza of colourful seafood portions blended in well with potato salad. A truly flavourful dish that has enough of its inclusion of wonderful tastes that would linger onto your tongue until you want to try more. Pungent, but well balanced and scrumptious, it was a testament to the creativity behind the menu at the kitchens of Qatar Airways in Doha. Truly wonderful. Following on from the commencement options were three choices for the main lunch dish: · Stuffed chicken breast with pesto ricotta cheese with red pepper coulis, lentil rice, and roasted Mediterranean vegetables. · Pan-fried seabass with green tea and bonito flake lemon butter soba noodles, braised shitake mushrooms, and asparagus tips. · Paneer jalfrezi, dhal makhani and safed pulao. I went for the healthy option of ‘pan-fried seabass’. These fish are free of the growth hormones that are customarily fed to farmed fish. The fish is pan fried at high heat using butter to give a strong delicious flavour. This allows the fish to retain all of its natural flavours and juice as well as its minerals and vitamins producing a lower cholesterol level. The dark coloured soba noodles add a hint of lemon flavour to the tongue. While the asparagus and the tiny shitake mushrooms provide a good presentation for the whole dish. The romance of this dish is inspired by Mediterranean and Arabic traditions. Every passenger was provided with a generous portion of the bread from the bakery basket containing various brown and white toast. After the main meal a cheese plate with an individual plate of Cornish double cream brie, vale of bevoir stilton and mull of Kintyre cheddar. The cheese went nicely with a glass of fine Shiraz (Hollick, 2009). A sweet finale included a selection of the following dishes: · Warm pumpkin and sultana brioche pudding with raspberry cream · Sliced fresh fruit · Vanilla ice-cream and rosewater pomegranate sorbet with forest berries. I went for the first option. A little bit heavy as it may have been but it was worth every bite, especially as it was taken on a plane. You don’t get to eat delicious food like this everyday on the ground, and even if you do then the enjoyment and ambiance is not the same as that of eating healthy and delicious food like this. The presentation was immaculate. For the best taste and enjoyment, dip each piece of the brioche into the raspberry cream, then close your eyes and enjoy! Luxury food in the sky never tasted so good. Lunch was followed with a final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Tempting drinks such as Martini Rosso/Dry, Campari, Glenfiddich Single Malt Solera 15 years old, Chivas Regal, Baileys, and many more were available. Qatar Airways is proud to offer the finest wines from around the world. Every flight route has a different selection of wines. It’s another minor but important thing like this that differentiates Qatar Airways from the other airlines in the world. Wines and beverages available by the bottle on this flight included the following: · Champagne: Lanson, Brut, 1998 (France) · Chardonnay: Chartron et Trebuchet, Meursault, 2008 (Burgundy, France) · Sauvignon Blanc: Villa Maria, Celler Selection, 2010 (Marlborough, New Zealand) · Riesling: Markus Molitor, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Spatlese, 2007 (Mosel Valley Germany) · Meritage- Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot: Chateau Brane Cantenac, AC Margaux, 2nd growth, 2007 (Bordeaux, France) · Grenache, Carinena, Syrah, Torres, Salmos, 2008 (Priorat, Spain) · Shiraz: Hollick, 2009 (Wrattonbully, Australia) · Twany Port: Kopke, Colheita, 1974 (Douro Valley, Portugal) These are quality wines where the fermentation to achieve a beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity. The exotic notes of various fruits such as peaches and apricots are evident all around in the perfumes of the wines. Passengers in Business Class could go to the galley and get free flowing drinks, fruit, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs), Godiva chocolates, and a variety of hot pot noodles. Comments regarding the second meal: A late dinner snack commenced around an hour and a half before landing at Doha Airport. The following tempting goodies were offered all in one plate: · Reception sandwiches · Petit steak and cheese pie · Plain and fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve · Selection of petit fours · Forest berries Small cute portions of forest berries, and various petit fours. Now, effectively these miniature versions of the actual dishes are quite filling. The flavours project positive synergy from all corners of the dish. Most of the emphasis comes from the high expectations of flavour and health as well. The light snack was followed with a final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Business Class cabin. The HUGE 33cm by 22cm (15.6-inch) PTV screen, which can be easily folded away into the right hand side armrest, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. Qatar Airways has three different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Main screen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (Overall IFE has over 1000 Video and Audio on-demand options in Business Class). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Airbus A340-642 aircraft is touch screen. Just like on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the Airbus A340-642 aircraft have all the seats with AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crewmembers face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. On our flight, we had cabin crew from Thailand, Bhutan, India, Mauritius, United Kingdom, Italy and, China. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Thai, Chinese, and Italian. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The A340-642 aircraft has an on-board lounge near the First and Business Class compartments. Priestmangoode, (famous for Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa seating), designed the lounge. Building on traditional Qatari hospitality Priestmangoode has developed the design of the on-board lounge to be an extension of the airline’s airport lounge. The overall aim of the design was to generate the feeling of a integrated VIP corporate jet. The lounge offers cream leather sofa seating for six passengers and standing room at the bar. There is also a small mini-bar with spotlight mood lighting, and some space for magazines to be placed. In the 2009 and 2010 Skytrax Awards, Qatar Airways Economy Class was named best in the world. Qatar Airways have 42 Business Class flatbed seats on their Airbus A340-642 aircraft with a 2-2-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 78 inch recline and is 22 inches wide. Generous legroom allows you to stretch comfortably and the built-in massager helps you relax. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a huge 15.6-inch PTV display screen, in-seat reading light, in-seat drinks holders, and in-seat power units. In Business Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, moisture cream, and a hand cream (all by Molton Brown). On this daytime flight passengers in Business Class were provided with cotton-lined pure wool blankets (100% cotton sleeper suits are only provided on night time long-haul flights). Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Mood lighting is used throughout the flight to keep the passengers in touch with the time zones. So blue, orange, red and yellow shades of the mood lighting is used to highlight the different time zones (dawn, night time, evening and, afternoon). This is so that passengers’ eyes and body can adapt to the different time zones. All the Business Class seats have an electronic touch pad control system allowing them to easily control the seat settings. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A340-642 aircraft have the world ‘QATAR’ painted on the belly of the fuselage (it is easily visible from the ground when a plane is flying). In addition, there is the Qatar Airways’ Oryx logo on the winglets of the Airbus A340-600, and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10                            The beautiful tailfin of the A330-300 belonging to Qatar Airways: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  QATAR AIRWAYS- THE WORLD’S 5-STAR AIRLINE (TAKING YOU MORE PERSONALLY) Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 109 destinations using 103 state-of-the-art modern and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 20,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include 5 Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied). The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time, Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. In the United Kingdom, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and London Heathrow (28 flights a week), and Manchester (14 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 101 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. When the Boeing 787 comes into service, Qatar Airways hopes to use it for the London-Doha route. I was on the flight from Doha to London Heathrow on Qatar Airways’ Airbus A330-300 to check out their Economy Class seats! What a flight it was…check this out: Route: DOHA (DOH) to LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) Departure date and time of flight: January 2012, 07:30am Flight number: QR005 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 005”) Flight duration: 5 Hours 40 minutes Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-300 (13 in service) Aircraft registration: A7-AEQ (First flight 6th March 2008) Engine Type: 2 x GE CF6-80E1A4B (General Electric) Aircraft Serial Number: 918 Aircraft Name: Shadeedah Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 12 flat bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration (6.5 Feet legroom) Business Class: 24 lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 217 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration Presently the Airbus A330 and the Airbus A340 are the only aircraft where Qatar Airways offers First Class cabin. However the CEO of Qatar Airways Mr. Akbar Al-Baker has announced in 2010 that Qatar Airways plans to eliminate First Class cabins from existing A340 aircraft, as well as new aircraft deliveries, except the A380 aircraft (of which Qatar Airways will have 5 aircraft in service). In fact all the Business Class seats on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offer the same features that are offered by most airlines in most their First Class cabins (such as in seat massage, extra legroom, and more entertainment channels). Any baggage issues: My baggage was checked in at Beijing. For Economy Class Qatar Airways have a checked baggage allowance of 23 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes. Therefore, for the Beijing-Doha-London 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: I was on a connecting flight in from Beijing Capital Airport. Passengers that are in transit are whisked by bus from the arriving aircraft to the transit terminal (and vice-versa). My connection time between the two flights was around 40 minutes (this was welcoming!). A standard flight route from Doha to London Heathrow was taken (flying north-west wards towards Kuwait, Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey, and then entering Eastern Europe, then Germany, and onwards to Heathrow). We entered London airspace at the holding pattern over Lambourne VOR before making a 180 degrees turn over central London on for a straight in approach into runway 27L at Heathrow (beautiful views of South London on the way from my side of the window- including Wimbledon, Richmond Park, Twickenham Rugby Stadium, and Crystal Palace. Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed bang on time, and landed 35 minutes ahead of schedule. Time is money when it comes to the aviation industry as fuel costs, combined with landing fees, take-off slot fees, and airport management fees pile on rapidly the longer the aircraft stays on the ground. 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. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Upon embarking the aircraft, passengers in first, business class, and economy class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water (champagne, wines, and caviar in first and business class only). As opposed to other airlines, Qatar Airlines offers refreshing towels to all passengers in all the classes prior to departure, prior to their meals and prior to landing. This is part of the true 5-star service that sets Qatar Airways apart from the rest. The cabin crew are truly one of the best trained I have met on any other airline. Customer comes first and Qatar Airways truly define the meaning of a 5-star service. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Passengers in Economy Class were offered a packet of fresh pretzels packed in Qatar Airways branded packets, and a choice of drinks from the trolley service. Wine in Economy Class is provided by Fortant De France by Syrah. The cabin crew were so nice and friendly. Because the flight was so empty, so they took their time to serve every customer. There was no rush. Comments regarding the first meal: Before each meal service in Economy Class, the cabin crew place a coloured mat (paper mat) on the tray table. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the mat is slightly static so it will stop your cup of drink from sliding away if there is turbulence; secondly it will act as a sponge in case you do spill your drink or drop food (keeps everything clean!); and thirdly, it’s to give that extra personal service to passengers even in economy (if Business Class passengers can get a luxury white cloth, then there is no reason why Economy Class passengers cannot get a similar service). Now, another reason why Qatar Airways is a 5-star airline is because of the high quality of the food provided to the customers even in Economy Class. All Economy Class passengers are treated just they are special VIP customers. The breakfast tray arrived around 35 minutes after departure from Doha. The following were the options for the dinner service: 1. English breakfast with Cumberland sausages (Western option) 2. Classic Arabic Mezze (Arabic option) I went for the English breakfast. Two hash browns with a Cumberland sausage, and a delicious omelette. All of these were surrounded by a sea of sweetcorn, plenty of Italian tomato & herb sauce, and a cherry tomato. Cute and neat! Accompanying the breakfast dish was a pot of natural strawberry yoghurt (provided by Qatari brand Ghadeer), and a pot of fresh orange juice. A selection of warm breads and croissants were offered along with cottage cheese and New Zealand butter (Anchor). To top it all up, a dish of freshly cut fruit was provided. Plenty of hot and cold drinks were offered to wash down the breakfast in style. These included tea, coffee and a selection of cold drinks (fizzy and non-fizzy). Alcohol was freely available for those who needed it (though, I would have been surprised to see anyone drinking alcohol so early in the morning!). Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Plenty of fresh water, Lily O Brian’s chocolates, and boiled sweets by ‘Zoom’ were distributed throughout the flight. Passengers could go to the galley and get a free flow of pot noodles, drinks (alcohol and non-alcohol) if they wanted. Coffee and tea are offered in lovely Qatar Airways branded paper cups (that can be recycled), and milk is offered by local Qatari vendor, Rainbow. Bottled water is exclusively offered by Evian (I took the 2 litre bottle- I drink a lot of water to keep me hydrated and fresh!). Comments regarding the second meal: Qatar Airways is one of the few global airlines that offer a second meal on flights within a 6-hour duration. The second meal was a light one compared to the slightly heavier one offered after take-off from Doha. Offered just an hour prior to landing, passengers were treated to a selection of hot posh wraps by Monty’s bakehouse (tangy tomato, and chickpea and, char grilled chicken with tomato). The hot wraps were accompanied with a choice of non-alcohol drinks (hot and cold), and a chocolate biscuit. All the in-flight meals at Qatar Airways are prepared according to strict Islamic traditions. In economy class, Qatar Airways still provides plastic cutlery to the passengers. Another round of drinks and refreshments were offered after the second meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Headphones were offered in the Economy Class cabin. The 10.6 inch PTV screen is placed behind every Economy Class seat. Qatar Airways has 3 different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Mainscreen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (providing an overall 700 audio and video options for every passengers on every flight). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. PTV AVOD is fitted on board all Airbus A330s and Airbus A340s. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Airbus A330-300 aircraft is not touch screen (as that’s only available on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft). The good thing is that on the Airbus A330-300 all the seats have AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crew members face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. On our flight, we had cabin crew from Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, United Kingdom, France and, China. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Thai, French, Spanish, and Chinese. The entire staff at Qatar Airways are thoroughly taught and regularly checked on how to deal with all kinds of situations in a metal tube flying at 37,000 feet in the sky, including first aid, very young children, pregnant mothers, terrorism, drunken passengers (it does happen), bad behaviour by passengers, and any other mayday situations. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): There are 217 Economy Class seats on the Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a 2-4-2 configuration. Each seat has a generous pitch of a 34 inch recline and is 18.9 inches wide. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a PTV displayed at the back of each seat, and a reading light. The seat itself is very comfortable, and for a flight of 6 hours, it’s hard to complain about anything! Unlike in other airlines, even in Economy Class, the toilets on all the Qatar Airways aircraft are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, and a hand cream (Molton Brown of London). Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER,, Airbus A330-300, and the 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 A330-300 (as shown in the photos), and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10               The whole of Beijing Capital Airport came to a standstill as fireworks woke up the night sky during the Chinese New Year!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  _Qatar Airways (القطرية) is the national flag carrier of the State of Qatar (دولة قطر) in the Middle East. Founded on the 22nd of November 1993, the airline has gone through a rapid expansion in a short time span to serve 109 destinations using 103 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft. The airline, which employees a total of around 20,000 people world-wide, is based in the ultra-modern Doha Control Tower at Doha International Airport and serves its destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, and East Asia. At the time of writing Qatar Airways has a firm order for 136 aircraft to be delivered within the next 5-7 years. These include 5 Airbus A380-800 (Super Jumbos), 30 Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner), and 90 orders for the Airbus A350 aircraft (Extra Wide Bodied). The airline is the proud holder of a number of awards. The latest of these came in 2011, when Qatar Airways was named by Skytrax the "Airline of the Year 2011", at the Paris Air Show in June 2011. At the same time Qatar Airways placed an order for 6 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The ultimate ranking, this rating is awarded to airlines achieving the highest quality performance. Qatar Airways is one of just seven airlines globally to be awarded the 5-star rating. As the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, says: ‘Travel by air has reached the point where it is now taken for granted in most corners of the globe. With a larger number of passengers and more choice available in the skies today, airlines looking to maintain or grow their position in the marketplace must provide high-quality service with ever-increasing efficiency. In China, Qatar Airways flies non-stop between Doha and Guangzhou (7 flights a week), Beijing (4 flights a week), and Shanghai (7 flights a week), connecting passengers to over 101 destinations worldwide through its hub at Doha. In November 2011, Qatar Airways commenced services to Chongqing 7 times a week from Doha using the Airbus A330 aircraft with a two-class configuration (business and economy). Qatar Airways was proud to have been named Asia’s Most Preferred Airline Brand at the 2011 Asian Leadership Awards in October 2011. As mentioned by CEO Akbar Al Baker: ‘Over 30 per cent of Qatar Airways’ global coverage is in the Far East, South East Asia and South Asia’. The awards covered more than 20 categories, including business innovation, human resources, corporate responsibility and products and services. I was on the flight from Beijing to Doha on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-300ER to check out their Economy Class seat, cabin and service. So enjoy the 5-star experience of this beautiful aircraft, and airline: Route: BEIJING (PEK) to DOHA (DOH) Departure date and time of flight: January 2012, 01:30am local time (Beijing) Flight number: QR897 (ICAO callsign: “Qatari 897 heavy”) Flight duration: 9 Hours and 25 minutes Class: ECONOMY CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3DZER (16 aircraft in service) Unit cost of each Boeing 777-300ER: US$284.1 million (2011) Aircraft registration: A7-BAF (First flight 16th September 2009) Engine Type: GE90-115B (each engine can power a Boeing 747-400 all by itself!) Aircraft Serial Number: 37661 - line 815 Frequent flyer programme: Qatar Airways' Privilege Club- Q Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: Business Class: 42 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, Economy Class: 293 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration Comments on the check-in process, and any issues: Though I had checked-in online from the Grand Hyatt Beijing the night before (Qatar Airways passengers can check-in online 36-hours prior to departure), I still had to drop my luggage. My handpicked seat was firmly confirmed well in advance. I was well chuffed. Beijing’s HUGE airport was like a ghost town during the Chinese New Year. With the vast majority of Chinese people gone back to their hometowns, it left the airport feeling rather lonely! Beijing’s enormous Terminal 3 is used for international flights. The airport is so big that even after security and customs, you would need to take a monorail train to the gates (which takes about 5 minutes to get to the gates from the security).Beijing Airport is the 3rd largest building in the world. It houses the 2nd biggest terminal to Dubai and effectively you can fit ALL of Heathrow’s five terminals inside- and still have 18% to spare! Any baggage issues: Qatar Airways allows a checked-in baggage of maximum 30kg per passenger in Business Class, 40kg in First Class (but there was no First Class cabin on this flight!), and 23kg for Economy Class. Passengers can also take two pieces of hand luggage on board the aircraft, not to exceed 15 kg in total (or 50 x 37 x 25 cm). Passengers may carry liquids, gels, pastes, and aerosols in containers up to 100 ml (3.4 oz) in their hand baggage (I always take a small mouth wash bottle, contact lens solution, mouth spray, anti-perspirant, and an eau de toilette for long flights). Passengers are provided with a transparent, resalable, quart- or litter-sized bag no larger than 20 x 20 cm at the security gates. Punctuality of the flight: We departed on time, and landed on schedule in Doha. Normally the international departures terminal at night time is buzzing with activity all around, however since this was the Chinese New Year festive period in China, so therefore Beijing Airport was very quiet. The flight was not full, and majority of the airport concourse was simply deserted- a contrast to what it normally looks like. Along with Qatar Airways, there was also Emirates, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Air Koryo, and Singapore Airlines that were flying that night. For the first time ever I had seen all the Air China desks completely empty. Perhaps the best time to take a flight. After depature from Beijing, the flight took the standard route to Doha via Xian, then Chengdu, Kunming before leaving Chinese airspace to enter the Pakistan/India border airspace somewhere near the highest mountain range in the world (Himalayas). The captain did confirm with me later that we flew close to the 2nd highest mountain range in the world (Nanga Parbat, close to Mount K2) at a service ceiling of 41,000 feet (hence the turbulance we experienced!). Flights that take this route have to be extra careful because over that mountain range there are NO emergency landing strips! After crossing the mountain, we cleared the whole of Pakistan (from Peshawar to Karachi) in over 2 hours before entering the final 3 hours over the Arabian Sea for a early morning arrival into Doha. Once we landed at Doha, a bus was waiting to take the passengers from the plane directly to the Transfer Terminal. Comments regarding the pre-flight service: Once you enter the aircraft, it feels like you have already arrived in Doha! The true Qatar Airways experience begins once you step your foot onto the aircraft. A welcome in either English or Arabic confirms that you have stepped into the oasis of Qatar in the sky. The Qatari hospitality makes sure that you have an authentic experience of their culture and customs. In a nutshell, outside the aircraft it may have been Beijing Airport, but within that metal tube, we were ‘effectively’ in Qatar! Passengers are greeted with a choice of signature welcome drink (orange juice, apple juice or watermelon juice), and hot or cold refreshing cotton towels. On each Economy cCass seat there were a set of headphones, a rich cotton blanket, a luxury amenity kit, eyeshades, and a pair of Qatar Airways designer socks. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: I took plenty of water and orange juice as this was an early morning flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). The orange juice had a pleasingly fresh-squeezed flavour. Comments regarding the first meal: Inspired by culinary treats from around the world, Qatar Airways’ in-flight dining experience offers mouth-watering dishes created by award-winning chefs. A light snack was served around 45 minutes after take-off. Since this was an early morning/late night flight, so the meal service was not so heavy. In true Qatar Airways style, before each meal service in Economy Class, the cabin crew place a coloured mat (paper mat) on the tray table. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the mat is slightly static so it will stop your cup of drink from sliding away if there is turbulence; secondly it will act as a sponge in case you do spill your drink or drop food (keeps everything clean!); and thirdly it’s to give that extra personal service to passengers even in Economy (if Business Class passengers can get a luxury white cloth, then there is no reason why economy class passengers cannot get a similar service). The meal tray arrived at around 40 minutes after take-off from Beijing. One of things you wonder on a night flight is whether there is any need to eat dinner at 2am! Yet, most passengers indulge into the 5-star meal irrespective if they are hungry or not just because it’s the luxury of flying and the ambiance is not your usual setting for a meal as it would be if you are on the ground. A tray full of goodies was staring at my eyes. There were two options for the main meal: 1. Italian style spaghetti with Italian herbs, garnished with plenty of homemade tomato sauce. 2. Chicken thighs with basil and tomato concasse, buttered liunguini, sauteed green bean and carrots I opted for the Italian option. It was nice to see a creative dish such as this being provided as an airline meal. What you normally tend to find on some other airlines is that the quality of the ingredients’, the style of the cooking, and the type of the meal is not well cooked and nothing special (normally it’s just simple like chicken with rice, beef with rice etc.). An action packed dish with plenty of strong flavours of the homemade Italian sauce that balanced the flavours and spices of the mushrooms and the carrots. The active ingredients within the dish are for sure there to light up the aroma of your tongue. I could hear my Chinese seat-neighbour slurping on his noodles with delight. Now, if a Chinese person slurps loudly on their spaghetti/noodles, then that’s a pretty good indication that the food is good. Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of freshly cut roasted eggplant salad (carrot strings, tomato, boiled eggplant, red onions, olives, and mushrooms all in one action packed bowl!). It’s ridiculously good to have salad to accompany a slightly heavy yet tasty dish as I had. For dessert, Qatar Airways provided a low-fat pineapple cheese cake decorated with a dash of honey and baked maple syrup. Though it was low fat, it tasted just as good as a cheesecake would at room temperature on the ground. Slightly thick, but kind to the tongue nevertheless. All the in-flight meals at Qatar Airways are prepared according to strict Islamic traditions. Chocolates by Dove (Chinese local brand) accompanied the main meal as a side snack. Free flowing bread from the basket with butter were also available (you don’t get this on other airlines. In economy class, Qatar Airways still provides plastic cutlery to the passengers. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Tempting drinks such as Martini Rosso/Dry, Campari, Glenfiddich Single Malt Solera 15 years old, Chivas Regal, Baileys, and many more were available. Plenty of fresh water (provided by Rayyan), Godiva chocolates, and boiled sweets by ‘Zoom’ were distributed throughout the flight. Passengers could go to the galley and get a free flow of pot noodles, drinks (alcohol and non-alcohol) if they wanted. Coffee and tea are offered in lovely Qatar Airways branded paper cups (that can be recycled), and milk is offered by local Qatari vendor, Rainbow. bottled water is exclusively offered by Evian, and Rayyan. Passengers in Economy Class could go to the galley and get free flowing drinks, fruit, ice cream (Häagen-Dazs), Godiva chocolates, and a variety of hot pot noodles. Comments regarding the second meal: Qatar Airways are one of the few airlines to serve two meals during a six-hour flight. The second meal, breakfast, was offered around an hour and half before landing, was heavier, and more options were available than the first meal. I was just wondering how I would eat all that! A quick visit to the hotel style toilet to clean my teeth and refresh myself before the second meal felt good. The cabin crew started handing out hot (or cold) towels prior to the breakfast a la carte. Served around an hour and a half prior to landing at Doha, we were treated to the following options for the second meal: 1. Onion and cheese omelette, hash brown potato, button mushrooms, and french beans 2. Cantonese style congee. I opted for the English breakfast option. Hash brown potatoes always go well with flying, but just have to be careful with all those carbohydrates! Lovely button mushrooms mixed well with French beans provided a colourful combination - this is luxury airline food at its best! Airline meals are specially prepared to be fresh in a pressurised environment at 38,000feet, and are normally freeze dried in the fuselage belly before being served (!), so they have to be served as fresh as possible. Even as a normal meal, this dish would be just great for a quick lunch on the ground. The omelette was just perfect, and did taste fresh as it should. Served alongside with the main dish was exotic fruit (melon and dragon fruit) with honey yoghurt. Every Economy Class meal tray contained a pot of fresh orange juice to wake up the senses after a long night time flight. Various types of bread rolls, pain du chocolate, croissant, and brown and white toast were provides from the bakery basket. A final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, eight types of teas (early grey, English breakfast, green, roasted Japanese, Moroccan mint, camomile, sencha green, and green jasmine), and five types of coffees (cappuccino, espresso, cafe latte, macchiato, and American) were offered after the main meal. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: Headphones were offered in the Economy Class cabin. The 10.6 inch PTV screen is placed behind every economy class seat. Qatar Airways has 3 different IFE systems: Widescreen AVOD, PTV AVOD and Mainscreen. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is known as Oryx entertainment system, is in use on all the routes. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. The AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment’, and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight (with a combined 700 different options for audio and video entertainment). Then there is, Oryx, the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Qatar Airways to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information. PTV AVOD is fitted on board all Airbus A330s and Airbus A340s. It has a PTV and a remote. This was Qatar's first AVOD system. It is the only system that offers live television. The PTV system on the Airbus A340-642 aircraft is not touch screen (as that’s only available on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft). The good thing is that on the Boeing 777-300ER all the seats have AC power plugs for passengers to do their work (or if you want to charge up your phone, camera, laptop etc.). Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Qatar Airways. There was a genuine smile on every crew members face and you could tell that they really enjoyed their job. There was a real sense of teamwork in the cabin. As a customer (or passenger) it is easy to tell if the cabin crew are not getting along with each other (it does happen like any other job!), and on this flight I could see that everyone was in a joyous mood. If there was something I wanted or a question I had, then no one objected to it. Instead, they tried their best to help me as much as they could. The senior purser was just gem of a person. The whole flight experience was like magic, and everything seemed to go smoothly. So, yes the world can be ideal sometimes. It’s no wonder that Qatar Airways cabin crew were voted the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive year at the 2009 Skytrax airline awards. Qatar Airways has over 100 nationalities as cabin crew who offer a consistent 5-star service to its passengers. Some airline companies have all kinds of motivated mottos that they will look after their customers, but sometimes they fail in this miserably. Qatar Airways however really does make sure that everyone enjoys a smooth, and comfortable flight. On our flight, we had cabin crew from Thailand, India, Korea, China, United Kingdom, Jordan, and Morocco. The languages spoken were English, Arabic, Hindi, Korean, Chinese. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): In the 2009 and 2010 Skytrax Awards, Qatar Airways Economy Class was named best in the world. Qatar Airways have 293 Economy Class seats on their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a 3-3-3 configuration (better than most other airlines that have 10 seats across each Economy Class row). Each seat has a generous pitch of a 34 inch recline and is 18.9 inches wide. This is far better than most other airlines around the world. All the seats have a PTV displayed at the back of each seat, and a reading light. The one thing that Qatar Airways can perhaps improve is to have the hand rests to be reclined 90 degrees instead of the 45 degrees. The hand rests for the seats don’t go backwards completely. Nevertheless, the seat itself is very comfortable, and for a flight of 7 hours, it’s hard to complain about anything! Even in Economy Class, the toilets are equipped with refreshing towels (various coloured packaging), eau de toilette, and a hand cream (Molton Brown). Another sign of why it’s the world’s 5-star airline. Qatar Airways logo and livery: Qatar Airways logo consist of the head of the national animal of the State of Qatar, the Oryx gazelle, as a motif, stuck on a round background of zigzags which resembles the background of the national flag of the State of Qatar. In line with the colors of the national flag of Qatar, the identity uses maroon as its primary color for all logos and branding. The airline advertises heavily internationally including on international television channels like CNN, and BBC World. The airline’s motto is ‘The World’s 5-star airline that takes you more personally’, and this is certainly true when it comes to everything they do for their customers and passengers. The word ‘’QATAR’ occupies the front of the fuselage, using a quite bland font, in huge letters on the livery. The whole logo on the airline portrays the perfect flair and distinctiveness that it deserves. There is a sense of luxury among that design. The grey and maroon colors are adopted from the national flag, and it essentially looks like a large Qatar flag on a plane (with those huge ‘QATAR’ letters on the front of the fuselage). The Arabic name of the airline ‘Al Qatariyah’ is rendered in a much smaller, light grey font is is barely noticeable on the plane. All the Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A340-642 aircraft have the world ‘QATAR’ painted on the belly of the fuselage (it is easily visible from the ground when a plane is flying). In addition, there is the Qatar Airways’ Oryx logo on the winglets of the Airbus A340-600, and on the engine pods of all aircraft. Even the wheels have their interior painted in grey to resemble the brand identity. It looks cool! The Oryx on the plane’s tail is itself a work of art, and suits the airline’s tailfins splendidly. It portrays the authentic culture and heritage of the Qatar people and country. Like most airlines around the world, Qatar Airways have adopted to a more modern and simple livery that portrays elegance, sophistication, and a smooth blend of comfort and imaginativeness. The airline logo stands out like a strong brand, and is proudly displayed on all tableware, cloths, in-flight seat covers, tissue paper, cups, airport buses, and on all the uniforms. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10          Beijing Capital Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh    Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport (苏南硕放国际机场) Departure date and time of flight: 19.30pm in January 2012 Flight Number: ZH9552 Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800NG With a length of 39.5 m (129.5 ft) and a wingspan of 35.7 m (117 ft), the Boeing B737-800 is capable of a cruising speed of 514 mph/828 km/h. Its maximum range is 5,665 km (3,540 mi), while the maximum speed is 544 mph/876 km/h. The service ceiling of this aircraft is 41,000 ft (12,500 m). Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed on time. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Guangzhou Baiyun airport. Shenzhen Airlines uses Gates A for departures at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two hour flight, Shenzhen Airlines provided a hot meal. The meal service started around 20 minutes after take-off from Wuxi airport. There were two options for the hot meal dish: · Beef with noodles · Chicken with rice I went for the chicken with rice. It wasn’t of a bad taste for an airline meal, The chicken meat looked more like minced lamb, and was chewy yet soft to the tongue. The rice were well steamed just to the right texture. All in all it was a nice Chinese meal to have at 38,000 feet. Accompanying the chicken and rice were the following snacks: 1. One small peanut flavoured biscuit. 2. Preserved pickle to be served with the rice with chicken. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): Screens came down from the ceiling after take-off. But there was nothing special except the safety video, and a short Chinese kung fu video which stopped playing after around 30 minutes. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for Shenzhen Airlines and were very welcoming. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-800 plane had a seat configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class and 2-2 in Business Class. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 31 inches, and a width of 18 inches (159 seats) Business Class seats have a pitch of 40 inches, and a width of 21 inches (8 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10         Route: Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport (苏南硕放国际机场)to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Departure date and time of flight: 14:40pm in January 2012 Flight Number: MU2927 Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A320 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed on time. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Wuxi airport. Chinese Eastern Airlines have 6 specified check-in desks allocated for their airline. There are also specific desks for Shenzhen Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Air China. There were around 15 AWACS surveillance aircraft belonging to the Chinese Air Force at the airport (they were mostly Russian made IL-76/Antonov aircraft).The Chinese Air Force use Wuxi airport as a training field, as well as a base for surveillance aircraft that do sorties over the South China Sea, Taiwan, Korean, and around the Hong Kong peninsula. Wuxi is a beautiful and small airport located only 14 miles from Suzhou, and is equipped with excellent western style facilities for passengers. It is after all an international airport that serves the two main cities of Suzhou and Wuxi. Passengers can fly to far away destinations such as Japan, Korea, and all over China. From Wuxi city centre you can take a taxi which costs around 60RMB and takes around 40 minutes. The airport’s only runway 21/03 is 3,200 meters by 50 meters (10,499 × 164 ft), and can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 747-400 or even a Boeing 777 (Yangtze River Express use their Boeing 747-400 for cargo operations) . But most of the civilian aircraft are of the size of a Boeing 737-900, and Airbus A321. The airport was built in 1955 for military use, and commercial flights only started in 2004 hence why so many military aircraft can be seen here. When runway 03 is used for take-offs (as was the case on our flight), aircraft have to taxi down runway 21 and then turn around at the threshold piano keys to perform the take-off run (because the taxiway is too close to the military hangers so for safety reasons civilian aircraft are not allowed to go close to them). 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, Chinese Eastern Airlines provided just a hot ham burger. The meal service started around 20 minutes after take-off from Wuxi airport. Honestly, more food could have been provided for a 2 hour flight. A bun was not enough. 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 of professionalism of the cabin crew: The Cabin Crew seemed proud to work for China Eastern Airlines and were very welcoming. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Airbus A320 plane had a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 31 inches, and a width of 18 inches (159 seats) Business Class seats have a pitch of 40 inches, and a width of 21 inches (8 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10            The massive tailfin of the Boeing 777-300ER at Shanghai Pudong Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Air China (中國國際航空公司) is the national flag carrier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight, and mail and the provision of ancillary services. Air China operates to 185 destinations around the world (including domestically in China), with a fleet of 285 aircraft (with another 258 aircraft on order, including 15 new Boeing 787-7 aircraft). Air China’s latest destination in May 2012 will be London Gatwick Airport. In addition to flying to London Heathrow from Beijing, the airline will take advantage of the high number of Chinese, British, and foreign visitors travelling to London from Beijing. Beijing Capital Airport is the hub for Air China, and Air China Cargo. The third largest building in the world, Beijing Airport is second only to Atlanta in terms of passenger movements in the world. In 2009 it was voted by Conde Nast magazine as the most popular airport in the world. Second biggest terminal to Dubai and you can fit all of Heathrow’s five terminals inside it – and still manage to have 17% to spare! Air China occupies part of the main terminal with their separate domestic and international terminals. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, and Shanghai Pudong International Airport are the other two hub airports for Air China. I had the pleasure of flying with Air China from Shanghai Pudong Airport to Beijing Capital Airport (China) on one of their brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. I flew Business Class. After Beijing, this aircraft was going to make its long flight to San Francisco. Route: SHANGHAI PUDONG (PVG) - BEIJING (PEK) Departure date and time of flight: January 2012, 11:30am local time (Beijing) Flight number: CA985 (ICAO callsign: “Air China 985”) Flight duration: 2 Hours 15 minutes Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: BOEING 777-39L(ER) Aircraft registration: B-2088 (First flight 13th December 2011) Aircraft Serial Number: 38668 - line 979 Engines: 2 x GE GE90-115B Frequent flyer programme: Phoenix Miles Seat configuration for this aircraft: First Class: 12 seats 2-2-2- configuration Business Class: 49 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration Economy class: 244 seats in a 2-5-2 configuration Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in process was a smooth one with no hassle or long queues. I was met at the taxi rank by the Air China representative, who took me straight to the special VIP First Class counter. It was a hassle free and rapid process. The security gates are also well organised and manned by the local staff. First and Business Class passengers can pass through the fast track security lane. The staff were very polite, and efficient in processing the security procedures of all the passengers smoothly and in a punctual manner without any problems. Shanghai Pudong is a ultra modern airport where the smoothness and procedures of the check-in process to the boarding process has to be one of the best in the world. Most people do speak English as well (even if they do not then most signs are written in English and Chinese). Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. Passengers travelling First Class with Air China are allowed a generous 40KG free of charge, and 30 kg (66 lbs) for Business Class. For domestic flights, each piece of checked baggage must not exceed 50 kg (110 lbs). LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Shanghai Pudong Airport: Air China has a number of lounges at Shanghai Pudong Airport. The lounges are located on the second floor in the same area as the main departure gates providing fascinating views across to the tarmac and beyond. These lounges are known as the Air China VIP lounges. Phoenix miles members (Gold, and Platinum) can use the lounges upon showing their cards. There are separate lounges for Business and First Class passengers. While both the Business and First Class lounges have buffet food (Chinese only), comfortable relaxing chairs, and a small cinema (25 seats maximum), the main difference between the Business and First Class lounges is that the First Class lounge also has beds. First Class passengers can hire the bedrooms (each room comes along with a single bed) for up to as many hours as they want. There are also shower facilities available in all the lounges. There are many options for hot and cold Chinese food, though western food is not available in the lounges at Shanghai Pudong Airport at the time of writing. Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time, and landed on time (rare in China!). First Class passengers are collected from the lounge, and taken to the VIP shuttle bus (or the gate). In this case we were taken to the waiting VIP shuttle bus that took us straight to the plane. We were lucky to have excellent weather conditions, and not a long queue. A straight in taxi to runway 17L made sure of a smooth departure into the China Sea before making our way towards the north. The landing into Beijing was a bit bumpy due to the intensive pre-Chinese New Year fog that lurked around the capital city (could hardly see beyond 500 feet!). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: First class passengers are offered a selection of drinks including champagne, apple juice, orange juice and a variety of teas (Chinese and Western). Passengers are also handed out hot towels prior to departure to refresh up. The cabin crew took the orders for the lunch service from all the passengers in the First Class cabin prior to departure. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: The meal service commended with air hostesses handing out hot towels. A selection of fine nuts was offered along with a choice of drink (orange juice, apple juice, and a selection of teats). Comments regarding the main meal: There were two options for the main meal: - Chicken with rice, and vegetables - Beef with rice, and vegetables. I opted for the chicken with rice, and vegetables. For a dish that looked more like a chicken biryani, but one that could have tasted and smelt better (rice sautéed with half boiled vegetables and minute diced chicken pieces). The accompanying vegetables went well with the dish. There was also a bowl of Chinese vegetables (delicious!), and a bowl of fresh fruit (mangos, melons and grapefruit). Rather interestingly, a pot of fresh plain white yoghurt was also offered. Delicious soft and hard bread rolls were offered from the basket. All meals were served on fine bone china, and came with Air China chopsticks, and Air China stainless steel cutlery. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Hot and cold drinks were served after the main meal. These included Chinese and Western tea options, as well as soft drinks. Alcohol was also served although it perhaps was not the right time to drink alcohol. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has no individual TV screens (not even in Business/First Class), only the bigger screens at the front of each compartment. However, the new interactive entertainment system offers hundreds of movies and music selections, plus a whole range of online games. Most of the high tech gadgets are only available on the latest Boeing 777 aircraft, and perhaps also the Boeing 737-800NG aircraft. For most of the flight we were shown the route map. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and friendly. Air China is very particular on how their cabin crew staff should be like. They have to be of a certain weight, and height, and must be acquainted to beauty with a smile (this is what I was informed!). The cabin crew at Air China represent all the 56 minorities of China, and most of the cabin crew do speak good English (especially those in Business/First Class). Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The First Class seats on Air China’s Boeing 777 aircraft have a 83-inch pitch and are 21.5 inch wide, the Business Class seats have a 60-inch pitch and 20.5 inch width. The Economy Class seats have a 33-34-inch pitch, and an 17 inch width. Business Class seats feature a reclining angle of 170 degrees. For such a short domestic flight, passengers were offered a pair of luxury cotton slippers, and a thick cotton blanket. The cabin had a pleasant smell, and was very clean. All the seats in the Business/First Class section are covered with a luxury grey cloth that comes embedded with the phoenix bird logo. It creates a sense of comfort, elegance, and belonging to the Chinese culture. It also gives a very warm, fresh, spacious, modern, and touching feeling when you enter the cabin. Air China logo and livery: The red phoenix bird is the brand symbol of Air China, and is proudly displayed on the tailfin of every aircraft. The symbol has been present ever since the airline first commenced operations in 1988. The phoenix logo is also the artistic transfiguration of the word “VIP”. Air China is one of the few world airlines that still has a cheat line going through right the way across the whole fuselage. Two dark blue cheat lines run from the nose of the plane to the back of the tailfin, essentially wrapping the aircraft. The top cheat line is slightly thinner than the bottom cheatline. The national flag is proudly displayed near the first door, and following the national flag are the words in capitals, and black colour ‘Air China’ in English, and then in Mandarin Chinese. The belly of the aircraft is painted in a light grey. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10               Route: SHENZHEN (SZX) - SHANGHAI HONGQIAO (SHA) Departure date and time of flight: December 2011, 16:30pm local time (Beijing) Flight number: MU5330 (ICAO callsign: “China Eastern 5330”) Flight duration: 2 Hours 10 minutes Class: FIRST CLASS Aircraft type: AIRBUS A300B4-605R (7 in service) Aircraft registration: B-2325 (First flight 28th March 1995) Aircraft Serial Number: 707 Seat configuration for this aircraft: First/Business Class: 24 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration Economy Class: 250 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in process was a smooth one with no hassle or long queues.I was met at the taxi rank by the China Eastern representative, who took me straight to the special VIP First Class counter. It was a hassle free and rapid process. First Class passengers can pass through the fast track security lane. The staff were very polite, and efficient in processing the security procedures of all the passengers smoothly and in a punctual manner without any problems. Any baggage issues: No issues regarding the baggage. Passengers travelling First Class with China Eastern are allowed a generous 40kg free of charge, and 30 kg (66 lbs) for Business Class. For domestic flights, each piece of checked baggage must not exceed 50 kg (110 lbs). China Eastern has a separate dedicated check-in, and a separate security customs from all the other airlines at Shenzhen Airport. LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Shenzhen Airport: China Eastern Airlines has a premium lounge just after security. The lounge can be used by both business and first class passengers, as well as silver and gold members of ‘Eastern Miles’- the China Eastern Airlines loyalty program. The lounge has sufficient space for buffet food (Chinese only), comfortable relaxing chairs, and a small cinema (25 seats maximum). There are also shower facilities available in all the lounges. There are many options for hot and cold Chinese food, though Western food is not available in the lounges at Beijing Airport at the time of writing. Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time, and landed on time (now, that’s rare for Shenzhen Airport!). Comments regarding the pre-flight service: First Class passengers are offered a selection of drinks including champagne, apple juice, orange juice and a variety of teas (Chinese and Western). Passengers are also handed out hot towels prior to departure to refresh up. The cabin crew took the orders for the lunch service from all the passengers in the First Class cabin prior to departure. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: The meal service commended with air hostesses handing out hot towels. A selection of fine nuts was offered along with a choice of drink (orange juice, apple juice, and a selection of teats). Comments regarding the main meal: There were two options for the main meal: - Hainan chicken with rice, and vegetables - Prawns in dumpling and egg fried rice, and vegetables I opted for the prawn dumpling with rice, and vegetables. Three delicious prawn dumplings were served with hot and fresh boiled egg fried white rice. The accompanying vegetables went well with the dish. There was also a bowl of Caesar salad with seasoning sauce, and a bowl of fresh fruit salad. Delicious soft and hard bread rolls were offered from the basket (including garlic bread!). All meals were served on fine bone china, and came with China Eastern chopsticks, and China Eastern branded stainless steel cutlery. Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks: Hot and cold drinks were served after the main meal. These included Chinese and Western tea options, as well as soft drinks. Alcohol was served on this flight. Comments on the in-flight entertainment system: This China Eastern Airlines Airbus A300B4-600R aircraft has no individual TV screens (not even in Business/First Class), only the bigger screens at the front of each compartment. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and friendly. Most of the cabin crew for China Eastern Airlines are natives of the Eastern region in China (this is especially true for the cabin crew in First Class or Business Class cabins). The airline management is very particular on how their cabin crew staff should be like. They have to be of a certain weight, and height, and must be acquainted to beauty with a smile (this is what I was informed!). Most of the cabin crew do speak good English (especially those in Business/First class). Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Business/First Class seats have 58-inch pitch and 20-inch width. The Economy Class seats have a 32-inch pitch, and an 18 inch width. Business Class seats feature a reclining angle of 170 degrees. For such a short domestic flight, passengers were offered a pair of luxury cotton slippers, and a thick cotton blanket. The cabin had a pleasant smell, and was very clean. All the seats in the Business/First Class section are covered with a luxury grey cloth that comes embedded with the phoenix bird logo. It creates a sense of comfort, elegance, and belonging to the Chinese culture. It also gives a very warm, fresh, spacious, modern, and touching feeling when you enter the cabin. China Eastern Airlines have improved quite a lot on most aspects of their aircraft interior. This includes the aircraft seating, the smell of the interior cabin, the cleanliness of the aircraft toilets, and the general positive attitude of the cabin crew members. The interior was not bad for an aircraft that has been flying since 1995 (18 years!). China Eastern logo and livery: China Eastern Airlines logo consists of a red and blue circle rain containing a swallow bird flying in the middle. The top half of the circle is red representing a bright sunset, while the bottom half is blue representing the sea. In the eyes of most Chinese people from the east region, the swallow is of a noble character because people praise it and love it. The fuselage is all white except for the three cheat lines that circle the body of the plane (just below the windows). The three cheat lines are (in order top to bottom): red, gold, and blue. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10                      Sunset over Guangdong Province: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh     Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Departure date and time of flight: 18:35pm in December 2012 Flight Number: FM9316 Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 767-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight was on time and landed on time as well. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: The check-in staff were polite, and professional. There was no problem what so ever. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange Juice, apple juice, lemonade, or coca cola). Gone are the days when alcohol was not served on domestic flights, but now that has changed and it is served. I opted to drink just water and even that was with caution! Comments regarding the first meal: Dinner was served around half an hour after take off. A cardboard rectangular box was offered for “dinner”. I carefully opened the box to find a whole host of junk food inside (like most airline meals on most Chinese airlines). A separate tray containing a circular piece of ham and some simple vegetables were accompanied with a boring bread bun. There was a neatly packed “fruit slices” box. This contained 2 cherry tomatoes, and 2 cubes of melon. The main dish was either an option of chicken and noodles, or beef balls and rice. I opted for the chicken with noodles. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. There was alcohol offered (Tsingtao beer and Harbin beer). Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): In this 767 there was no IFE. To make matters worse my seat light was not working (and neither was the seat light of other nearby seats that I tried), the “channel” and “volume” button was not working either, and to make matters worse the “flight attendant call button” was not working either! Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Some of the staff were professional but their English level was below par international standards- perhaps Survival 2 or A1 in accordance with the European CEFR standard! (For Flight attendants’ the required English level should be around B2 globally!). Improvements that could be made: While Shanghai Airlines does have new planes, it goes without saying that the Boeing 767-200 is rather ancient and needs to be cleaned inside. On the whole it is perfect for a short haul flight. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The aircraft was cleaner than how Shanghai Airlines used to have their aircraft in the past. It seemed like that the aircraft was previously flown by TWA (Trans World Airlines) of the USA (I found out this piece of information from the galley because most of the galley material has the original TWA titles printed on it.) Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 7           A Airbus A320 aircraft belonging to China Southern Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Route: Shanghai Hongqiao to Guangzhou Baiyun International Departure date and time of flight: 16:45pm in December 2011 Flight Number: CZ3526 Flight duration: 2 hours 10 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: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Hongqiao Airport. I find the operations at Hongqiao much more efficient than those at Pudong Airport. Its not that busy, which makes it easy for the speedy whisk through security and onto the departure gates. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: The dinner box contained the following edible items: salted & peppered fish cutlet (not sure which fish it was), a plain and boring bun, a few pieces of fresh cherry tomatoes, and a packet containing corn crisps. The main hot dish contained a very generous portion of healthy chicken meatballs and rice. The food did not look edible, but in saying this I was impressed with the taste of the chicken meatballs. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol was available on this flight, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): China Southern Airlines have a 3-3 configuration on their Airbus A321 planes. 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. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8          Spring Airlines is China’s first and only privately owned low-cost budget airline that operates from its base at Shanghai Hongqiao airport with a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. As of February 2012, the Spring Airlines fleet consists of 28 Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an average age of 4.5 years, each of which provides space for 174 passengers in an all-economy class cabin layout. Spring Airlines calls its economy calls ‘Common Class’. Cheap as chips, this low-fare Shanghai Hongqiao based carrier has come on leaps and bounds. You can customise your seat selection and the good thing is that they fly to most of the major airports that people have heard about. Spring AL and its service would put most European and American carriers (low-cost and flag carriers) to shame. The airline serves 34 destinations around Greater China and Asia. Route: Shanghai Hongqiao airport to Shenzhen Airport Departure date and time of flight: 17:15pm in December 2011 Flight Number: 9C8949 Aircraft registration: B-6573 Flight duration: 2 hour and 15 minutes Class: COMMON CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A320 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed and arrived on time without any problems. Overall, the punctuality rate of Spring Airlines is far better than most domestic Chinese carriers are. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: Normally for most domestic full-fare paying airlines, passengers can check in 45-minutes before take-off but for those travelling on Spring Airlines irrespective if they are flying within or outside of China, they have to check-in at least 90-minutes before departure. Passengers travelling on Spring Airlines are only allowed to take a maximum of 15 KG (this includes on board luggage and luggage in the hold). Anything over this amount has to be paid for. Though sometimes as an exception (and depending on the mood/personality of the check-in staff) this rule is waived as a goodwill gesture. Comments regarding the main-meal service: Passengers have to purchase their food and drinks on Spring Airlines. Overall, it has to be said that the quality of the food and drinks is far better than that provided for free on other airlines within China. Here are some examples of the type of food available: Tsingtao beer can (330ml) is 10RMB Chicken curry with rice (heated) is 30RMB Salted boiled chicken egg is 2RMB A packet of dried duck’s kidney nibbles are priced at 10RMB (did not try this!). There are plenty of options for everyone and it has to be said that the price of the food is worth it as well. Approximately an hour and a half into the delay, and as a goodwill gesture, the cabin crew offered complimentary mineral water (by ‘Dew Ice’, a brand of the Coca-Cola company) and a packet containing two orange flavoured muffin cakes. I opted to try the chicken and rice. After taking the order it takes around 10 to 15 minutes for the meal to be heated in the microwave before being served. The diced chicken tasted nice, but the portion of the rice and diced chicken was not as much as one would expect to pay for 30RMB (but then again its for an in-flight experience so why not give it a go!). Comments regarding the drinks service: Drinks were served, but were chargeable (included beer cans as well). Comments on the in-flight system (if any): No IFE screens in the cabins. However, the cabin crew have an innovative way to keep everyone entertained. Towards the final 50 minutes of the flight, passengers are taken through some routine head exercises. So that means the cabin crew stand and show how to move your head sideways and shake your hands to have a good circulation. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional, kind and courteous. Yes, there is some advertising of the in-flight food and duty-free after take-off, but it is only for around 5-10 minutes (nothing as bad as what have written on various airline quality websites). Throughout the process of the plane being delayed, the staff kept very calm and kept reassuring the passengers. The difference between most state owned airlines and privately owned airline companies such as Spring Airlines is that on Spring Airlines, for example, the passengers are kept well informed of any problems and issues. Whereas on most state owned flights there is no information given to the passengers, and everyone is just kept waiting in frustration. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): Spring Airlines have a 3-3 configuration on their Airbus A320 aircraft in a one class setting (known as ‘Common Class’ on Spring Airlines). The Spring Airlines brand is becoming well recognized throughout China for its efficiency, comfort, and offering a high quality of customer service. The seats are all very clean and covered in the company’s bright green colour with yellow lettering of ‘Spring Airlines’. The aircraft cabin has a fresh feeling to it with a nice fragrance smell as well. The toilets are also kept well clean. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9           |
 Navjot Singh inside an Airbus A320 cockpit of British Airways at Heathrow Airport 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. 
Navjot Singh at a Chinese Military Airfield
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 2
Archives
July 2024
Airlines Reviewed
All
Proud media partner of QATAR AIRWAYS
|