  Emirates: Copyright Navjot Singh  Emirates- the airline that takes you more personally: Copyright Navjot Singh Emirates is the national flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. Emirates flies to over 100 destinations globally on all 6 continents. Emirates was the first airline to use the new Airbus A380 double-decker labelled the “Super Jumbo” aircraft. Emirates operates a total of 137 passenger and cargo aircraft including the latest Airbus A380, Airbus A340-500 and the Boeing 777-300ER. Route: London Gatwick to Dubai Departure date and time of flight: 21:15pm on the 29th March 2010 Flight Number: EK10 Flight duration: 6h 50m Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER Punctuality of the flight: On time for take off and on time for arrivals. Perfect flight. The flight was fully packed. Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: This must have been the quickest check-in process that I have ever experienced. Because of the Cabin Crew strike by British Airways and a problem with easyJet’s global computer system, the North Terminal was almost empty. The whole process from the point of check-in right through to the security and onto the duty free area took around 5-10 minutes. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and wine. Complimentary bottles of Cognac, Vodka, Whiskey and South African wine were also on offer. Comments regarding the first meal: For dinner the main course consisted of boneless chicken tikka masala with boiled basmati rice, and accompanied with mango chutney. The chicken was slightly hard on the teeth, but delicious anyways, while the rice was equally scrumptious. There was a small tuna salad dish with olives (only one olive!) and lettuce. Crocton Manor provided the cheddar cheese, which went really well with the crackers! A soft bun of brown bread was included. The dessert was coconut and mango creme- which tasted rather like a sorbet ice-cream, but, of course, it was rather like a cheese cake- yummy! It was a delight to see that Emirates present the food with stainless steel cutlery. Most airlines still continue to provide plastic cutlery, but to see that Emirates is providing a culinary luxury at 37,000 feet along with stainless steel to go with makes the in-flight experience just that bit more special. It gives the feeling that, yes, you are not in “cattle class” after all! Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of complimentary tea and coffee, along with wine, Vodka, Cognac and scotch whiskey. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Economy Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine chicken fajitas and biscuits and shortbread and a selection of drinks. Crew regularly passed by offering refreshments including orange juice, apple juice and mineral water to prevent dehydration. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): Overall airlines have stopped providing a full second meal on most flights. I recall that the last time I went to Dubai from London in 2003, we were provided with a full English breakfast along with Muller corner yogurt for the second meal. However times have changed and airlines have started reducing costs. Emirates offered the second “meal” (or rather a snack), around 90 minutes prior to landing at Dubai. It was a small banana cake and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Ah, now the freshly brewed coffee is another plus for Emirates- something that some other airlines do not provide. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): Emirates has over 1,200 channels of entertainment to choose from in Economy Class. Emirates also provides a front view of the aircraft (so you can see the runway and distance ahead), a downward view of the ground, which allows the passengers to enjoy the view (although rather blurred). Nevertheless, the question here is, do you really want to look at someone’s home or farm?! (even though nothing can be seen clearly). Comments on the professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: The amount of food provided for the breakfast can be increased, and it’s recommended that the dinner service provided after take-off is given with the first hour (in this flight the dinner service commenced an hour after the flight and continued for around 3 hours- which left only 3 hours for some to sleep before the breakfast service started again!). Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Boeing 777-330ER is one of the latest aircraft types which Emirates operates on its medium to long haul routes. Long routes such as the New York to Dubai, or Australia to Dubai make full use of this amazing aircraft which has lots of features that portray true comfort. The ambiance and “mood” light of the aircraft cabin changes during the night flight and during take off and landing. It’s very quiet- which allows fellow passengers to talk to each other without having to shout a bit. The Economy Class seat configuration is 3-4-3 (with 2-4-2 at the rear of the aircraft).  Emirates Dinner Service, Gatwick to Dubai 29th March 2010: Copyright Navjot Singh  Emirates: Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice and Mango Chutney: Copyright Navjot Singh  Coconut and Mango Creme: Copyright Navjot Singh  Emirates: Italian Salad, Copyright Navjot Singh  Emirates 29th March: Pre landing snack: Copyright Navjot Singh  CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries). Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet , as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London’s airports’. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Even when I used to live in Switzerland, I can say that around 90 percent of the time I used to fly with CityJet from Geneva to London. Don’t get me wrong, CityJet is not a no-frills airline like Easyjet or Ryanair. Unlike no-frills airlines, with CityJet you get to choose your seat, get complimentary high quality in-flight meals and are guaranteed to have all taxes and luggage items included in the cost of your flight ticket. Unlike no-frills airlines there are no hidden costs whatsoever. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Orly, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group’s vast network. The buzz word is “CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe” and “London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area”. This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full. CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. Route: Amsterdam Schiphol International to London City Airport Departure date and time of flight: 18th March at 19:00pm Flight Number: VG247 (Has a VLM Code but was operated by CityJet) Flight duration: 50m (excludes around 5 minutes for taxiing) Class: Economy Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146) Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time and landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The plane made a straight approach into London City Airport without circling around London. Another reason to use London City Airport is that, unlike the other airports around the Greater London area, there is no need for aircraft to hold and wait over London even during the peak hours. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: London City Airport is an airport which predominantly caters for the business community- with the close proximity to Canary Wharf, and the Square Mile. The beauty of arriving at London City Airport is that no matter what the time of the day it is and irrespective of how busy the airport terminal is, the process of catching a flight seems to be a very smooth one. There is no rush and no long queues for customs security. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola) Comments regarding the first meal: The passengers were treated to a cold cheese and coleslaw sandwich. One could not really ask for more on such a short flight. The quality of the food was good; the sandwich was fresh and scrumptious. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the sandwiches. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Fox’s boiled sweets were offered by the cabin crew- given prior to take off, and also prior to landing at London City Airport. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It’s quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard “19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch” provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class cabin is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain. Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as CityJet is part of the “Skyteam Group”, and the same partnership airline of AIR FRANCE KLM. If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes’, seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way! Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10  CityJet meal from Amsterdam to London City: Copyright Navjot Singh  CityJet: Copyright Navjot Singh    CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries). Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet, as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London’s airports’. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Even when I used to live in Switzerland, I can say that around 90 percent of the time I used to fly with CityJet from Geneva to London. Don’t get me wrong, CityJet is not a no-frills airline like Easyjet or Ryanair. Unlike no-frills airlines, with CityJet you get to choose your seat, get complimentary high quality in-flight meals and are guaranteed to have all taxes and luggage items included in the cost of your flight ticket. Unlike no-frills airlines there are no hidden costs whatsoever. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Orly, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group’s vast network. CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. The buzz word is “CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe” and “London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area”. This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full. Route: London City Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol International Departure date and time of flight: 16th March at 07:50 Flight Number: VG210 (Has a VLM Code but was operated by CityJet) Flight duration: 1h 25m (excludes the 15 minute delay to the plane) Class: Economy Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around 30 minutes late because there was a delay in the in-coming flight, and so this had a domino effect for flights going back to Schiphol. Nevertheless, the actual flight only took around 30 minutes, and the overall delay was reduced to 15 minutes. If you live in London then I would highly recommend flying from London City Airport with CityJet. Its fast, it’s easy, it’s comfortable, and there is no hustle and bustle that you get at big airports like Heathrow or Gatwick (where you can fly with CityJet’s parent companies such as KLM and Air France). This is not just a personal viewpoint, but also a wider one too- one that is shared by many passengers, both corporate and leisure travellers. However, usually from past experience, I can confirm that 90 percent of the time there are no delays. The airport is compact; so there are no queues to get to the runway, so all the flights are usually on time. Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. London City Airport is an airport which predominantly caters for the business community- with the close proximity to Canary Wharf, and the Square Mile. The beauty of departing from London City Airport is that no matter what the time of the day it is and irrespective of how busy the airport terminal is, the process of catching a flight seems to be a very smooth one. There is no rush and no long queues for check-in or security. Indeed, most of the time you can easily complete the whole process, right from checking-in to the waiting lounge, in around 10-15 minutes. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola) Comments regarding the first meal: The passengers were treated to a cold cheese and coleslaw sandwich. One could not really ask for more on such a short flight. The quality of the food was good; the sandwich was fresh and scrumptious. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the sandwiches. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Fox’s boiled sweets were offered by the cabin crew- sometimes prior to take off, and sometimes prior to landing. In our flight, dark chocolates were offered as a treat as well as the boiled sweets. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It’s quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard “19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch” provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class cabin is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain. Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as CityJet is part of the “Skyteam Group”, and the same partnership airline of AIR FRANCE KLM. If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes’, seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way! Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10   CityJet In-flight Food: Copyright Navjot Singh     Route: London Gatwick to Funchal International Airport (Madeira Island) Departure date and time of flight: 13:00pm on the 4th of August 2009 Flight Number: TP349 Flight duration: 3h 45m Class: BUSINESS CLASS Aircraft type: Airbus A320-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed on time from a rather unusually quite Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into the normally very quite Funchal Airport! Any baggage issues: No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional. I was upgraded to Business Class on this sector of the flight. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola), and wine. Champagne was also offered. Comments regarding the first meal: For lunch it was a penne pasta with broccoli and sautéed mushrooms. The sauce was slightly sticky, but that would be expected since this is airline food. You are eating at 37,000 feet and not in a 5* restaurant! To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the sunflower seed decorated roasted bun. There was a small dish of fresh fruit, and to my surprise this was indeed fresh. Normally fruit in airline food is not really fresh, but rather been in the fridge for some time. But you could tell from the juices in the melons and the kiwi that the food was fresh. To top it all up was a lovely Danish pastry for desert- again very fresh and delicious. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and Champagne. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine cheese slices, roasted bread and a selection of drinks. Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Despite the flight being full, there was a certain calm in the cabin- no noise, no complaints. Just a normal flight, without any incidents. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The A320 has a standard 3-3 configuration for Economy Class, and a 2-2 seat layout for Business Class. TAP Air Portugal has a clean and fresh looking interior. The airlines colours of lime green and red are portrayed on the design of the seats. The seats are very comfortable, with a recline enough to stretch the legs during the short haul flight (although it can be sometimes classed as Medium Haul because it approach almost 4 hours) Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10  TAP Pre Lunch drinks: Copyright Navjot Singh  TAP: Lunch: Copyright Navjot Singh   Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  Route: London Heathrow to Frankfurt Main Departure date and time of flight: 20th February 2010 at 06:20am. Flight Number: LH4743 Flight duration: 1h 55m (Includes the 20 minute delay at Heathrow- not the airline’s fault) Class: Economy Aircraft type: Airbus A321-200 Punctuality of the flight: Departed half an hour late because someone accidentally switched off the underground fuel supply at Heathrow, and apparently there were only two emergency fuel trucks at a big airport such as Heathrow. So, therefore the plane landed about 20 minutes late (Captain flew fast!). Any baggage issues: Yes, for some reason my luggage did not arrive on the flight! There were only 3 people with luggage on the flight, and mine was the only one that was left behind in London. It arrived on the next flight, and Lufthansa arranged it to be sent to my hotel. Although I did not, luckily, need to use it, Lufthansa gave me a Star Alliance Men’s grooming pack which contained the following: 1. Complimentary white “Star Alliance T-Shirt” (XXL, but hey I never had to wear it!) 2. Toothbrush 3. Toothpaste (Colgate) 4. Anti-Perspirant (Nivea) 5. Schick shaving cream bottle 6. Laundry detergent 7. Shaving blade 8. Cotton buds 9. Neutrogena face wash 10. A nice plastic bag 11. Mouthwash 12. Socks Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: My flight was one of the first ones out of Heathrow, so there was not that much hustle and bustle as one would expect at Heathrow. The staff were very polite, professional and assisting. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks (Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola) Comments regarding the first meal: Choice of either a cheese and ham sandwich or an egg and salad sandwich. I chose the cheese and ham sandwich. On such a short flight, one cannot really ask for more! Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the sandwiches. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite. This was especially true during the delay at Heathrow Airport when most of the passengers with onward connections from Frankfurt were worried about missing their connecting flights. The Lufthansa cabin crew were calm, and dealt with the issue in very professional manner- reassuring passengers of arrangements made in place by Lufthansa in case they missed their flight. Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The A321 has a standard 3-3 configuration for Economy Class and 2-2 for Business Class. Lufthansa has a clean and fresh looking interior. The airlines colours of yellow and navy blue are portrayed on the design of the seats. Lufthansa German Airlines livery: The Lufthansa livery featured on all the aircraft consists of a navy blue coloured fin with a bright yellow encircled stylized crane in the middle. The fuselage belly of the aircraft is coloured grey while the rest of the aircraft is finished in a brilliant white. The words Lufthansa appears at both sides of the front fuselage in navy blue. A smaller and navy blue version of the encircled stylized crane is also displayed just behind the cockpit windows. The engines are coloured in a light grey colour. The trademark Lufthansa logo, an encircled stylized crane in flight, was created in 1918 by Otto Firle. It was part of the livery of the first German airline, Deutsche Luft-Reederei which was known as DLH. In 1926, Deutsche Luft Hansa adopted this symbol, and in 1954, Lufthansa expressed continuity by adopting it. The original creator of the name Lufthansa is a certain F.A. Fischer von Puturzyn. Lufthansa was the name given to the airline, which was a direct result from the merger of Junkers' airline (Luftverkehr AG) and Deutscher Aero Lloyd. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10  Drinks Service: Copyright Navjot Singh  Cheese and Ham Sandwich with the signature Luthansa tissue: Copyright Navjot Singh  Lufthansa A321 Seat configuration: Copyright Navjot Singh  Overnight kit for men provided by Lufthansa and Star Alliance: Copyright Navjot Singh  Polite notice from Luthansa: Copyright Navjot Singh  Lufthansa A321 at Frankfurt Main: Copyright Navjot Singh  Lufthansa 747-400 at Frankfurt Main- Copyright Navjot Singh    Air Canada at London Heathrow- Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  Route: Toronto Pearson International to London Heathrow Departure date and time of flight: 8th March 2010, 6.20pm Flight Number: AC856 Flight duration: 7h 20m (Includes the 15 minutes for holding over London) Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: A330-300 Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time, and landed around 15 minutes late at Heathrow (had to hold over Oakham in SW London area). Any baggage issues: None Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No issues. Flight was fully packed. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks and a packet of “Maized and Confused Corn Chips” (branded for Air Canada) Comments regarding the first meal: For the dinner service there were two options for the main dish: honey pork with salad OR beef with salad. I opted for the vegetarian option (special meal). This was dhal curry with salad (lentils with salad). The dhal (lentils curry) came with boiled white rice and some mango chutney. The dhal and rice were dry- almost as if they were taken from the freezer and put into the microwave. The main dish was accompanied with a soft bread bun with Canadian butter, a bowl of salad (consisted of boiled sweet corn, tuna chunks and cherry tomatoes- all sprinkled with olive oil). Rich chocolate cream cake was on hand for the desert. The salad and the chocolate cake dessert was something to die for- very fresh. A sheer delight at 37,000 feet! Comments regarding the drinks service: There was a choice of the following: Canada Dry Beer Vigne Elisa Red Wine Vigne Elisa White Wine Orange Juice, Coca Cola, Sprite, Diet Coke, Apple Juice (All brands were Canadian, except Coca-Cola and Sprite) Tea and Coffee Canadian Club Whiskey and J&B Whiskey (Both in 50ML bottles) Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): After takeoff passengers were freely allowed to help themselves to drinks and more of those packets of “Maized and Confused Corn Chips”! Comments regarding the second meal (if any): Breakfast came a bit too early I thought. We were offered just a single large blueberry muffin. For medium to long haul flights usually a hot breakfast is served, but not on Air Canada. The muffin was, nevertheless, delicious- but not filling for breakfast! Comments on the in-flight system (if any): There was a wide selection of movies, TV serials, radio channels (both Canadian and British), music (International, Canadian and British). However, my In-flight entertainment system was not working (again!)... the touch screen mode was useless- all I could see was the map. As with the flight into Toronto, I asked the cabin crew to assist but they did not know how to fix the problem, despite trying their best. Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: There were no major issues or problems. Everything was fine on the way in to London. Improvements that could be made: Everything with this flight was fine. The crew were friendly and professional, and provided all the assistance that was required. The only recommendation is to give more food for breakfast- a simple muffin is not enough. Most other airlines offer a hot breakfast- but other than there were no complaints. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Airbus A330 plane is used on the medium to long haul routes by Air Canada, and had a 2-3-2 configuration in Economy Class. The seats were comfortable and standard as per any other Economy Class seat. The ambiance of the cabin portrayed a fresh feeling- it is coloured thin blue (almost like a cloudy sky with shades of light blue). The seats have a two way head rest so that you can pull down the head adjuster on either side. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9  Toronto to London Dinner: Copyright Navjot Singh  Drinks Service: Copyright Navjot Singh  Toronto to London Breakfast: Copyright Navjot Singh   Air Canada A330-300 (Toronto to London Heathrow)   Photo copyright Navjot Singh Route: London Heathrow to Toronto Pearson International Departure date and time of flight: 4th March 2010, 12PM Flight Number: AC857 Flight duration: 8h 15m Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: A330-300 Punctuality of the flight: Departed on time, and landed on time. Any baggage issues: None Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: Considering that I had missed my morning flight (thanks to London morning traffic on the M4!), I was put on the next flight with ease. The check in staff were professional, polite and assisted with any queries as required. Although, despite being told that the flight was full, it turned out that around 30 percent of the plane was empty (which was good news), and passengers were allowed to move to other seats as per their own will after take-off. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Choice of drinks and a packet of “Maized and Confused Corn Chips” (branded for Air Canada) Comments regarding the first meal: For the lunch service there were two options for the main dish: chicken with salad OR beef with salad. I opted for the chicken with boiled carrots and potato salad. The chicken tasted like a semi-hardened chewy sweet (if you see what I mean)- when I mean hard, I mean it was hard to chew and hard to cut with the knife (one would have thought that this would be easier), but it did take quite an effort to cut the chicken with the fork and knife! Accompanying the main dish was a soft bread bun with traditional English butter, a soft cookie (made by a local British brand), and a salad dish consisting of boiled pasta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls and lettuce all sprinkled with fine olive oil. The good thing was that the meal service began almost straight after the Captain switched off the “seat belt” sign! Comments regarding the drinks service: There was a choice of the following: Canada Dry Beer Vigne Elisa Red Wine Vigne Elisa White Wine Orange Juice, Coca Cola, Sprite, Diet Coke, Apple Juice (All brands were Canadian, except Coca-Cola and Sprite) Tea and Coffee Canadian Club Whiskey and J&B Whiskey (Both in 50ML bottles) Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): After takeoff passengers were freely allowed to help themselves to drinks and more of those packets of “Maized and Confused Corn Chips”! Comments regarding the second meal (if any): About 90 minutes before landing, we were treated to a “Monty’s Bakehouse” posh hot wrap. The choices were either a chicken fajita or a sweet potato warp. The chicken fajita ran out by the time the trolley got to me, so had no choice but to take the sweet potato. Now, if you are a fan of airline meals (like me!), then this small portion would have been nothing short of disappointment for you because for an airline of the same caliber as Air Canada, 10 years ago there would have been a full service meal both before landing as well as after takeoff. However, maybe because of the economic crisis or just the necessity of reducing in-flight meal costs, major airlines are having to cut down on the luxury of airline food! The chicken fajita would not fill you up, but it was enough to be classed as an afternoon tea snack. Comments on the in-flight system (if any): There was a wide selection of movies, TV serials, radio channels (both Canadian and British), music (International, Canadian and British). However, my In-flight entertainment system was not working...well the touch screen mode was useless. I tried using the system on two other empty seats and they were not working either. Cabin crew did not know how to fix the problem, despite trying their best. However, considering it was not a long flight, and that I managed to doze off for around 4 hours in between the Atlantic Ocean, so it really did not make that much of a difference. I could easily have easily lived without listening to Kenny G! Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: There were no major issues or problems. One of the crew members could not resist questioning me on why I was taking photos of the in-flight meals- she even went to ask if I was an inspector for Gate Gourmet (the in-flight meals provider to Air Canada). Another minor but important incident was when I asked another cabin crew member, who did not happen to converse well in English, for a tissue paper. She replied: “Oh, you can get one from the toilet”. Clearly she did not have enough training for customer service! I immediately went to the galley and spoke to the senior purser regarding this “minor but important matter”. Apparently there was a communication problem- there were lots of tissues in the galley, prompting the cabin crew to apologise. Improvements that could be made: An airline is an ambassador for its country- its flagship carrier around the world, and an image of the country. Immediately upon setting foot onto the plane, it’s almost as if the passengers have already entered that country. So when I put my foot onto the Air Canada aircraft at Heathrow, did I feel as if I am in Canada? I suppose I could say yes to some extent. There are few things that could be improved for Air Canada. Now, this is my personal viewpoint as an airline reviewer. While most of the staff were proud of their Canadian culture and airline- and seemed to provide a very professional service, it seemed to me that one or two of the cabin crew did not enjoy their work. You could almost feel that from their attitude. It’s almost as if they were doing the job but not really taking things personally as some of the other cabin crew do. For example, when a customer asks something, the cabin crew should try to assist rather than point the passenger to another angle. Cabin crew have a tough job to do, especially when, say, 250 passengers are to be looked after- however this was not a fully packed flight- it was a relaxed atmosphere and I was disappointed with the response that the particular cabin crew gave to me. The quality of the in-flight meal could improve. The chicken tasted very tough (like rubber) and had a bland taste...did not feel fresh. In actual fact it, sadly, reminded me of a chicken leg and rice meal I had once on a street in the outskirts of New Delhi in 1988. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The Airbus A330 plane is used on the medium to long haul routes by Air Canada, and had a 2-3-2 configuration in Economy Class. The seats were comfortable and standard as per any other Economy Class seat. The ambiance of the cabin portrayed a fresh feeling- it is coloured thin blue (almost like a cloudy sky with shades of light blue). The seats have a two way head rest so that you can pull down the head adjuster on either side. Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 7   London to Toronto Pre-lunch drinks and snacks: Copyright Navjot Singh  London to Toronto Lunch- Copyright Navjot Singh  London to Toronto Afternoon tea: Copyright Navjot Singh  |
 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
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