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BRITISH AIRWAYS (Geneva Int. Airport to London Heathrow Airport), AIRBUS A319

8/28/2015

 
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​British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 183 destinations around the world with a fleet of 292 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Geneva International Airport to London Heathrow 

Departure date and time of flight: 17:25 on August 28, 2015

Flight Number: BA733

Flight duration: One hour and 30 minutes (Includes a 20 minutes hold over Biggin Hill)

Cabin: Euro Traveller (Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319 (44 in service)

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed on time from Geneva International, but (as always) had to hold for around 20 minutes over Biggin Hill in the South East of London before landing on runway 27 Left at Heathrow Airport. The evening view of London is amazing. Clear views of the traffic jams on the M25, as well as Canary Wharf and other landmarks look stunning. I managed to capture a lovely shot of Biggin Hill as we circled the airport in South East London. Heathrow is such a busy airport that flights have to stack up at four main points around London- Biggin Hill (SE London), Lambourne (NE London), Bovingdon (NW London) or Ockham (SW London).   

Any baggage issues:
 
No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in:

This was my first time I had travelled through Geneva Airport since 2009. In those days I used to fly every week between London and Geneva because of my job. No issues at check-in. Geneva Airport still looks the same and nothing has changed in all these years. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Geneva Airport. Just like the rest of the Swiss culture- everything is on time and in an orderly manner. No hustle and bustle.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and wine.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just cold sandwiches and rolls were offered for this very short-haul flight.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the snacks.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None
Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The Airbus A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10
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Meal service: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Biggin Hill Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Fields in SE London: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Croydon: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Crystal Palace: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Elephant & Castle: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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City of London and the Shard: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Right over Vauxhall: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Hyde Park: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Wembly Stadium: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The stars line up to land on runway 27L at London Heathrow: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Caught while landing on Heathrow's runway 27L....not easy to get a shot while coming into a windy touchdown at 145knots! BA's Concorde, reg G-BOAB, first flew on 18 May 1976 from Bristol Filton. Her last flight was a positioning ride on 15 August 2000 as "Speedbird Concorde Bravo Papa 002" from New York JFK to London Heathrow after flying 22,296 hours. Ever since then she has sat quietly at Heathrow, admiring all the new boys and girls on 27L in front of her. Beautiful bird!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

BRITISH AIRWAYS (London Heathrow Airport to Geneva Int. Airport), AIRBUS A319

8/27/2015

 
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​British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 183 destinations around the world with a fleet of 292 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Heathrow International Airport to Geneva International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 07:05 on August 27, 2015

Flight Number: BA730

Flight duration: One hour and 30 minutes

Cabin: Euro Traveller (Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319 (44 in service)

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed around 30 minutes late from Heathrow Airport’s runway 27 left due to heavy morning traffic waiting to depart. Just after take-off from Heathrow, and as we turned left to head towards the English coast, we were greeted with a wonderful view of Farnborough Airfield from around 4,000 feet. Even more stunning was the view of Mount Blanc and the countryside around Lake Genève as we approached Geneva.

Any baggage issues:
 
No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in:

This was my first time I had travelled to Geneva since 2009. In those days I used to fly every week between London and Geneva because of my job. No issues at check-in at Heathrow Terminal 5, which is dedicated for British Airways flights. The morning flight was delayed due to heavy showers and the morning rush-hour at Heathrow.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and wine.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Lemon flavoured biscuits by Island Bakery and nuts and dried fruit by Forest Feast.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the snacks.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The Airbus A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10
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In-flight snacks: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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In-flight snacks: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Lining up for departure on runway 27L: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Runway 27L at Heathrow: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Heathrow ATC Tower and the Central area: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Heathrow Terminal 5: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Farnborough Airfield: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Mount Blanc: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Lake Geneva: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Homes by Lake Geneve: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Homes by Lake Geneve: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

OMAN AIR (Muscat Int. Airport to London Heathrow Int. Airport), BUSINESS CLASS, AIRBUS A330-343X

8/20/2015

 
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Oman Air: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Lounge at Muscat: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Oman Air is the flagship carrier of the Sultanate of Oman and an Official 4 Star Airline (Skytrax 2011). Founded in 1993, the airline has since witnessed massive growth and has played a major role in making Muscat an important traffic hub in the Middle East, supporting the commercial, industrial and tourism sectors.
 
Currently Oman Air’s fleet consists of two Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six Airbus 330-300s, four Airbus 330-200s, five Boeing 737-900s, 18 Boeing 737-800, one Boeing 737-700, four Embraer 175s and an ATR 42. Four more Dreamliners will join the fleet in the following years. By 2018, Oman Air’s total fleet size is expected to be around 57 aircraft, rising to 70 aircraft by 2020.
 
Oman Air scooped four awards at the Oman Airports Management Company Second Annual Awards ceremony, on February 2015. The national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman was recognized as one of the top five airlines by number of passengers carried at Muscat International Airport. It also received an award as one of the top three airlines at Salalah International Airport, as well as receiving accolades in the Non-Aeronautical and Stakeholder of the Year 2014 categories.
 
Oman Air won two awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East 2015, where the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman came top in the ‘Middle East's Leading Airline - Business Class’ and ‘Middle East's Leading Airline - Economy Class’ categories. Oman Air was also named as the winner of the ’Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East’ award at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2015.
 
I tried and tested the Business Class seat on this short-haul flight from Muscat International Airport to London Heathrow Airport on the Airbus A330-343X aircraft.
 
Route: MUSCAT (MCT) to LONDON HEATHROW (LHR)

Departure date and time of flight: August 2015, 14:00

Flight number: WY101 (Oman 101 heavy)
 
ATC Callsign: Oman

Flight duration: 6 Hours 55 minutes

Class: BUSINESS CLASS

Aircraft type: AIRBUS A330-343X (six aircraft of this type in service)
 
Aircraft registration: A4O-DB
 
Aircraft Serial Number: 10044
 
First flight: 10th September 2009
 
Aircraft delivery date: 2nd October 2009
 
Aircraft engine types: Two x RR Trent 772B-60
 

Frequent flyer programme:
 

Sinbad is the official frequent flyer program. Click here to see more.
 
Seat configuration for this aircraft:
 
First Class: Six suites (1-1-1-1 configuration)
Business Class: 20 flatbed seats with 180 recline in a 1-1-1-1 configuration
Economy Class: 202 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration
 
Punctuality of the flight/route taken:
 
The fully booked flight left Muscat on time and landed on time at London Heathrow, with around 10 minutes ahead of schedule of the arrival time.

Any baggage issues:
 
My bags had been checked in at Kathmandu Airport, so there were no issues at Muscat.
 
Lounge experience at Muscat Airport:

 
Business and First Class passengers flying with Oman Air can use the lounge at Muscat Airport, located after security. The first thought is that the lounge is almost empty with hardly a whisker in sight! It is definitely much more relaxed and quieter than what you may see in Doha, Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and much more of a relaxing experience. The airport is generally quieter as well, which is a good thing- less crowds!
 
In-flight magazine: Wings of Oman is the in-flight magazine. Click here to read online PDF copies.
 
Comments regarding the pre-flight service:
 
Passengers’ in Business Class are offered hot lemon scented towels prior to departure. This is followed by a drinks service, which consists of some of the world’s finest wines, and champagne. In Business Class, the cabin crew offer various kinds of drinks prior to departure:
 
  • Fresh orange juice
  • Mineral water
  • Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne (founded in 1818)
 
I opted for the orange juice on this occasion.
 
Comments regarding the pre-meal service:
 
Around about 45 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley.
 
Comments regarding the first meal:
 
Starters with salad of mixed leaves and crisp vegetables
 
For the main course, I opted for the flavours from the Sultanate: Pan-seared kingfish kebab with herb butter sauce, roasted wedges and char-grilled lemon. Very delicious.
 
Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of fresh seasonal fruit, and a selection of warm bread from the basket.
 
For dessert, there was homemade apple and blueberry pie, cinnamon sauce, chilled sauce.
 
Comments regarding the second meal:
 

The afternoon tea plate consisted of:
 
  • Smoked salmon and egg multi grain roll
  • Chef's chocolate gateau
  • Mini chicken kebab in braised red pepper Juliene
 
The afternoon tea was served with a selection of teas, provided by Twinnings and Dilmah.
 
Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

Oman Air offers a variety of in-flight entertainment options, including video, audio and TV. Please click here to see more. On my flight, the IFE system did not work at all, which obviously was disappointing. However, it didn’t really matter much as it was a short flight. It would have been nice if the interactive map was working so that I could see where I was flying over but this was not working. No big deal. Otherwise, the flight experience was good.
 
Oman Air’s Airbus A330-300 features 20 Business Class seats designed by BE Aerospace. Fitted in a 1-1-1-1 configuration, each comfortable and spacious 22-inch wide seat converts to a 77-82 inch long, fully flat bed.
 
With electrically-operated backrest, seat bottom, seat depth and leg rest controls, and a folding armrest, each customer remains in control of their own environment for the duration of their flight. Furthermore, one-piece meal table and cocktail table offer a range of dining options, whilst an integrated reading light and mood light controls enable customers to work, read or relax, according to their wishes.
 
A literature pocket, headset compartment, life vest compartment and ample storage space keep each passenger’s space neat. Access to the aircraft’s leading edge Thales AVANT in-seat audio video on demand (AVOD) inflight entertainment system is through a huge 17-inch monitor and easy-to-use touch screen handset. The system offers a wide range of movies, music, games and information. Charging devices and extended use of laptops is supported by each seat’s universal power outlet and two USB ports.
 
And, having pioneered complete inflight mobile phone (GSM) and Wi-Fi connectivity in 2010, Oman Air has now raised the bar further by introducing the latest Airbus ALNA system for on-board WiFi and mobile phone usage.
 
To complement this outstanding comfort and amenity, Oman Air has fitted the same Thales AVANT in-seat audio video on demand (AVOD) system in this short and medium haul aircraft as it has in its new long haul A330s.
 
Both the Oman Air’s new Airbus A330-300s and new Boeing B737s feature seats newly-designed by Zodiac Aerospace. Each offers exceptional comfort and features a one-piece composite seat back structure, a high seat back pivot and articulating bottom pan and a four-way adjustable headrest.
 
Seat pitches reflect the length of flights each aircraft are deployed upon, with the A330’s 202 seats offering 32 inches and the 737-900ER’s 171 seats offering 30 inches. A folding aisle-side armrest offers increased ease of access, and a sturdy, bi-fold, sliding food table makes a pleasure of in-seat dining or working.
 
Meanwhile, the 10.6-inch seatback LCD screen offers access to the same IFE options as those enjoyed in Business Class. A USB is mounted on the LCD screen that can be used to charge any mobile smart phone and each pair of seats shares a PC power port.
 
Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew appear to have been trained very well, and seem to know how to handle all kinds of situations. The trainers must have had everything thrown at them, ranging from rowdy passengers to those having a nervous breakdown. These people are amazing. They really do pamper you. Most of the cabin crew are not natives of Oman itself, but are from South Asia or Asian countries in general (Philippines, Thailand, India, China etc.).

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 
 
Oman Air’s Airbus A330-300 features 20 Business Class seats designed by BE Aerospace. Fitted in a 1-1-1-1 configuration, each comfortable and spacious 22-inch wide seat converts to a 77-82 inch long, fully flat bed. The Business Class seat looks and feels like a double bed! It is bigger than even some of the First Class seats I have seen on other airlines.
 
There is certainly plenty of space available. I had my camera bag (which is annoyingly big), plus my laptop (I seldom have to sleep on a daytime flight so I end up working!), AND my carrier bag. All of these were neatly stored before departure. Oh, there is also space for you to put your shoes during the long flight so you can sit like as if you are sitting on your sofa at home. There were plenty of in-flight magazines and newspapers (both Arabic and Western) for passengers.

A luxury amenity kit was provided on this flight by luxury brand Amouage.
 
Oman Air logo and livery: 
 

In 2008, Oman Air completely overhauled its livery, switching its base colour from red to turquoise blue and ditching the traditional khanjar dagger symbol in favour of a logo representing incense smoke. Oman Air chief executive Ziad Al-Haremi at the time unveiled the new livery at a ceremony in Muscat. The new identity follows the Omani Government’s decision to withdraw from Gulf Air and concentrate on developing Oman Air as the sultanate’s sole flag-carrier. The livery features a gold-and-silver swirl which is reminiscent of a swirl of smoke from the aromatic resin frankincense for which Oman is particularly renowned.
 
The turquoise colour represents the expanse of both the sky and the sea while the gold and silver colours stand for Oman’s wealth and silver artefacts – including the curved khanjar dagger, the national symbol which Oman Air’s livery previously featured.

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Oman Air Business Class seat: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Business Class seat: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Business Class cabin: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Business Class seat: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Business Class seat: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Business Class seat controls: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Noise cancellation headphones: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Business Class IFE: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Oman Air Business Class IFE: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

LUNCH SERVICE

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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Salad of mixed leaves and crisp vegetables: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Salad of mixed leaves and crisp vegetables: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Warm bread from the basket: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Flavours from the Sultanate. Pan-seared kingfish kebab with herb butter sauce, roasted wedges and char-grilled lemon: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Flavours from the Sultanate. Pan-seared kingfish kebab with herb butter sauce, roasted wedges and char-grilled lemon: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Flavours from the Sultanate. Pan-seared kingfish kebab with herb butter sauce, roasted wedges and char-grilled lemon: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Homemade apple and blueberry pie, cinnamon sauce, chilled sauce: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Homemade apple and blueberry pie, cinnamon sauce, chilled sauce: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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First Class cabin: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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First Class cabin: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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AFTERNOON TEA

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Afternoon tea set: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Smoked salmon and egg multi grain roll: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Chef's chocolate gateau: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Mini chicken kebab in braised red pepper Juliene: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Afternoon tea set: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Business Class amenity kit: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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OMAN AIR (Kathmandu Int. Airport to Muscat Int.), BUSINESS CLASS, BOEING 737-800NG 

8/18/2015

 
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Oman Air is the flagship carrier of the Sultanate of Oman and an Official 4 Star Airline (Skytrax 2011). Founded in 1993, the airline has since witnessed massive growth and has played a major role in making Muscat an important traffic hub in the Middle East, supporting the commercial, industrial and tourism sectors.
 
Currently Oman Air’s fleet consists of two Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six Airbus 330-300s, four Airbus 330-200s, five Boeing 737-900s, 18 Boeing 737-800, one Boeing 737-700, four Embraer 175s and an ATR 42. Four more Dreamliners will join the fleet in the following years. By 2018, Oman Air’s total fleet size is expected to be around 57 aircraft, rising to 70 aircraft by 2020.
 
Oman Air scooped four awards at the Oman Airports Management Company Second Annual Awards ceremony, on February 2015. The national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman was recognized as one of the top five airlines by number of passengers carried at Muscat International Airport. It also received an award as one of the top three airlines at Salalah International Airport, as well as receiving accolades in the Non-Aeronautical and Stakeholder of the Year 2014 categories.
 
Oman Air won two awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East 2015, where the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman came top in the ‘Middle East's Leading Airline - Business Class’ and ‘Middle East's Leading Airline - Economy Class’ categories. Oman Air was also named as the winner of the ’Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East’ award at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2015.
 
I tried and tested the regional Business Class seat on this short-haul flight from Kathmandu International Airport to Muscat International Airport on the Boeing 737-800NG aircraft.
 
Route: KATHMANDU (KTM) to MUSCAT (MCT)

Departure date and time of flight: August 2015, 09:30

Flight number: WY332 (Oman 332)
 
ATC Callsign: Oman

Flight duration: 3 Hours 50 minutes

Class: BUSINESS CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 737-81MNG (17 aircraft of this type in service)
 
Aircraft registration: A4O-BV
 
Aircraft Serial Number: 40068/LN:5160
 
First flight: 30th October 2014
 
Aircraft delivery date: 21st November 2014
 
Aircraft engine types: Two x CFMI CFM56-7B26E
 
Frequent flyer programme:
 
Sinbad is the official frequent flyer program. Click here to see more.
 
Seat configuration for this aircraft:
 
Business Class: 12 angle flat seats in a 2-2 configuration
Economy Class: 150 seats in a 3-3 configuration
 
Punctuality of the flight/route taken:
 
This early morning flight departed from Kathmandu on time and landed on time on a ridiculously hot morning in Muscat. After departing Kathmandu, the flight made its way towards India, while providing stunning views of the Himalayas, and then went right over New Delhi- the closest I have got to being on Indian soil in 16 years…albeit from 40,000 feet. Then we went over Pakistan, leaving Karachi before making a straight in approach into Muscat.

Any baggage issues:
 
Unlike in most other countries where friends and/or relatives can go inside the terminal up to the security check point, at Kathmandu Airport, only passengers are allowed to go inside the terminal building. It is somewhat a pleasant experience because the terminal is not so crowded, and therefore the check-in process is quite an effortless and smooth affair. After checking in on the ground floor. The process from check-in to the lounge through the security takes around about 15 minutes.
 
Lounge experience at Kathmandu Airport:
 
Business and First Class passengers flying with Oman Air can use the lounge at Kathmandu Airport, located after security. On this instance, I was the only passenger in the lounge. There are plenty of options for food and beverages, and majority of the entertainment (TV and reading material) is either in Nepalese, English or Hindi (and most of it is either from India or Nepal). The lounge is a communal lounge that is shared by many airlines.
 
In-flight magazine: Wings of Oman is the in-flight magazine. Click here to read online PDF copies.
 
Comments regarding the pre-flight service:
 
Passengers’ in Business Class are offered hot lemon scented towels prior to departure. This is followed by a drinks service, which consists of some of the world’s finest wines, and champagne. In Business Class, the cabin crew offer various kinds of drinks prior to departure:

  • Fresh orange juice
  • Mineral water
  • Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne (founded in 1818)
 
I opted for the orange juice on this occasion. The welcome drink was served with fresh dates from Oman, and warm and sticky nuts.
 
Comments regarding the pre-meal service:
 
Around about 35 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley, including freshly brewed coffee and also tea as well.
 
Comments regarding the breakfast meal:
  
I opted for a Western breakfast meal, which was ‘tomato and sautéed onion omelette red pepper sauce roasted wedges chicken sausage glazed asparagus’.
 
After the breakfast, standard tea and coffee with biscuits was served in bone china cutlery.  
 
Comments on the in-flight entertainment system
:

Oman Air offers a variety of in-flight entertainment options, including video, audio and TV. Please click here to see more. On my flight, the IFE system did not work at all, which obviously was disappointing. However, it didn’t really matter much as it was a short flight. It would have been nice if the interactive map was working so that I could see where I was flying over but this was not working. No big deal. Otherwise, the flight experience was good.
 
The Oman Air Boeing B737-800NG cabin offers 12 Recaro-designed Business Class seats in a 2-2 configuration. Each seat features electric backrest/seat bottom, leg rest and seat depth controls, a 10.6-inch in-arm video screen, PC power outlet, USB port, reading light and literature pocket.
 
To complement this outstanding comfort and amenity, Oman Air has fitted the same Thales AVANT in-seat audio video on demand (AVOD) system in this short and medium haul aircraft as it has in its new long haul A330s.
 
Both the Oman Air’s new Airbus A330-300s and new Boeing B737s feature seats newly-designed by Zodiac Aerospace. Each offers exceptional comfort and features a one-piece composite seat back structure, a high seat back pivot and articulating bottom pan and a four-way adjustable headrest.
 
Seat pitches reflect the length of flights each aircraft are deployed upon, with the A330’s 265 seats offering 32 inches and the 737-900ER’s 171 seats offering 30 inches. A folding aisle-side armrest offers increased ease of access, and a sturdy, bi-fold, sliding food table makes a pleasure of in-seat dining or working.
 
Meanwhile, the 10.6-inch seatback LCD screen offers access to the same IFE options as those enjoyed in Business Class. A USB is mounted on the LCD screen that can be used to charge any mobile smart phone and each pair of seats shares a PC power port.
 
Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew appear to have been trained very well, and seem to know how to handle all kinds of situations. The trainers must have had everything thrown at them, ranging from rowdy passengers to those having a nervous breakdown. These people are amazing. They really do pamper you.
 
Now, I am not saying this because I was travelling in Business Class, but the crew were very friendly and hospitable to ALL the passengers, and showed a genuine smile whenever. Like I said before that I have not been on any of the South Asian carriers, and I have read horror stories of passengers experiencing delayed flights, bad customer service, blocked toilets etc. But, contrary to belief, I experienced none of that. The plane was very clean, the food was out of this world delicious, and the customer service was authentic, genuine and just awesome.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 
 
The Business Class regional cabin is fitted with the spanking new fully angle flat seat, which has a pitch of 40 inches and a width of 21.
 
There is certainly plenty of space available. I had my camera bag (which is annoyingly big), plus my laptop (I seldom have to sleep on a daytime flight so I end up working!), AND my carrier bag. All of these were neatly stored before departure. Oh, there is also space for you to put your shoes during the long flight so you can sit like as if you are sitting on your sofa at home. There were plenty of in-flight magazines and newspapers (both Arabic and Western) for passengers.

There was no amenity kit provided for this short-haul regional flight.
 
Oman Air logo and livery: 
 
In 2008, Oman Air completely overhauled its livery, switching its base colour from red to turquoise blue and ditching the traditional khanjar dagger symbol in favour of a logo representing incense smoke. Oman Air chief executive Ziad Al-Haremi at the time unveiled the new livery at a ceremony in Muscat. The new identity follows the Omani Government’s decision to withdraw from Gulf Air and concentrate on developing Oman Air as the sultanate’s sole flag-carrier. The livery features a gold-and-silver swirl which is reminiscent of a swirl of smoke from the aromatic resin frankincense for which Oman is particularly renowned.
 
The turquoise colour represents the expanse of both the sky and the sea while the gold and silver colours stand for Oman’s wealth and silver artefacts – including the curved khanjar dagger, the national symbol which Oman Air’s livery previously featured.

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Welcome from Oman Air- fresh dates: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The Business Class cabin of Oman Air's Boeing 737-800: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The Business Class cabin of Oman Air's Boeing 737-800: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The Business Class cabin of Oman Air's Boeing 737-800: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The Business Class seat on Oman Air's Boeing 737-800: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Welcome drinks: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Fresh dates on Oman Air: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Some heated nuts with the welcome drink: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Tea time!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Breakfast meal time!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Tomato and sauteed onion omelette red pepper sauce roasted wedges chicken sausage glazed asparagus: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Fresh seasonal fruit: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Noise cancellation headphones: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Luxury blanket: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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MALAYSIA AIRLINES (Kuala Lumpur Int. Airport to Kathmandu Int. Airport), BUSINESS CLASS, BOEING 737-800NG

8/15/2015

 
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Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800NG: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The Business Class seat on Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800NG: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The Business Class lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA): Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Malaysia Airlines is the national flag carrier of Malaysia and is the largest airline in Malaysia based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights. The airline serves 60 destinations, both international and domestic. It is among the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also the top-ranked international cargo airline.
 
At the time of writing, Malaysia Airlines operates a fleet of 86 aircraft, including 6 Airbus A380 and 56 state-of-the-art Boeing 737NG aircraft.
 
This was the first time I flew with Malaysia Airlines. I was on the flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Kathmandu International Airport on Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 737-800NG to check out their Business Class seats!
 
Route: KUALA LUMPUR INTL. AIRPORT (KUL) to KATHMANDU (KTM)

Departure date and time of flight: 09:55am, August 2015

Flight number: MH170 (ICAO call sign: “Malaysian”)

Flight duration: 4h 50m

Class: BUSINESS CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 737-800NG (56 in service)
 
Unit cost of each Boeing 737-800NG: US$72.5 million (2015)
 
Aircraft registration: 9M-MSB (First flight 7th March 2013)
 
Engine Type: Two x CFMI CFM56-7B26
 
Aircraft Serial Number: 40144 LN: 4385
 
Frequent flyer programme:
 
Malaysia Airlines' frequent flyer programme is called Enrich by Malaysia Airlines (Enrich). Enrich comprises a variety of airlines, banks, credit-card issuers, hotels and retailers around the world.
 
Seat configuration for this aircraft:
 
Business Class: 16 angle-flat seats in a 2-2 configuration
Economy Class: 150 seats in a 3-3 configuration
 
Punctuality of the flight:
 

Departed bang on time, and landed exactly on time in a hot and dry Kathmandu.
 
Any baggage issues:
 
No issues regarding the baggage. For Economy Class, Malaysia Airlines have a checked baggage allowance of 23 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes, and upto 40kg for Business Class. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Click here to see more details
 
Comments on the check-in staff and flight route:

The check-in staff were very professional and came across as well-trained. At Kuala Lumpur airport, Malaysia Airlines have a separate check-in for Business Class passengers. The flight departed on time and landed on time as well. 90% of the flight was over cloudy skies, and so on approach to Kathmandu, there was a slight glimpse of the Himalayas as we came in from Indian airspace.
 
Lounge Experience at Kuala Lumpur
 
The Golden Lounge is the airport lounge for Malaysia Airlines First Class, Golden Club Class passengers and Enrich Platinum and Enrich Gold, eligible Oneworld and code-share partner members. The Golden Lounges have open bars and food catering. There are 11 Golden Lounges throughout the world, and qualified passengers have full reciprocal privileges at lounges operated by selected partners. The lounge offers various services such as business centres, food catering, slumber rooms and child-care centres.
 
Lounges are maintained at the following airports: Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, London, Melbourne and Penang. In April 2008, the airline launched its new Regional Golden Lounge at the KL International Airport (KLIA) for regional-bound front-end passengers. With this new lounge, Malaysia Airlines at Kuala Lumpur International Airport now has three lounges: the Satellite International Terminal Lounge, Domestic Lounge and Regional Lounge. From 1 September 2015, Malaysia Airlines closed down lounges in Perth Airport and Singapore Changi Airport in order to cut and slash cost for their renationalisation.
 
The lounge was quite empty, with only a handful of passengers for the morning flights that were going out of KL.
 
Comments regarding the pre-flight service:
 
Upon embarking the aircraft, passengers in Business Class and Economy Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water (champagne, wines in Business Class only). The cabin crew are truly one of the best trained I have met on any other airline. Customer comes first and Malaysia Airlines truly define the meaning of a five-star service. 
 
Comments regarding the pre-meal service:
 
Passengers in Business Class were offered a packet of fresh pretzels packed in Malaysia Airlines branded packets, and a choice of drinks from the trolley service. The cabin crew were polite and friendly. Even though this flight was full, the cabin crew paid full attention each and every customer instead of just passing the meal to passengers like they do on some other airlines. A warm and wet towel was handed out to Business Class passengers.
 
I just resorted to drinking plenty of bottled water. Though they may sound very tempting, however, alcohol and coffee are not good to drink during a flight as it just dehydrates you. Water is the best.
 
Comments regarding the first meal:

The main meal tray arrived at around 30 minutes after take-off from Kuala Lumpur. There were two options for the main meal:

  1. Malaysia breakfast
  2. Western breakfast
 
I opted for the Western breakfast. Cheese Omelette, which consisted of roasted new potato, chicken sausage, cherry tomato and mushroom.
 
Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of fresh seasonal fruit. For dessert, I had strawberry and lime charlotte. Malaysia Airlines serves their meals using stainless steel cutlery.

Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks:

Plenty of fresh water, coffee and tea are offered in lovely Malaysia Airlines branded bone china cups were offered.

Comments regarding the second meal:

None. There was no second meal.
 
Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

Almost all 737-800s have personal AVOd screens featuring a wide variety of music and audio options. All other 737-800s have standard audio options.
 
Almost all 737-800s have personal AVOD screens for all seats. Business Class has 10.6" screens while Economy Class has 9" screens. All other 737-800s have overhead screens. There is an 110v AC power outlet at every Business Class seat.
 
Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:


The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Malaysia Airlines. 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. I wrote about this flight here.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 
 
Business Class (previously known as Golden Club Class) is available on all of Malaysia Airlines' fleet. In 2011, Malaysia Airlines introduced the new business class seats on their brand new Airbus A330-300. While newer regional business class seats were also introduced on the Boeing 737-800 to be used on short-medium haul routes such as Kota Kinabalu, Taipei and Manila. Seats made by Recaro within the business class cabin of new A330-300 are configured in pairs (2-2-2) layout, fitted with in-seat power and USB port, as well as new Select 3000i on a 15.4 inches touch screen panel, while the Boeing 737-800 are fitted in pairs (2-2) inclusive of the new Select 3000i and have recline ability. The first Airbus A330-300 carrying the new Regional Business Class was assigned to Kuala Lumpur - Brisbane sector on 20 April 2011. Starting April 2015, Malaysia Airlines introduced new Business Class seats, provided by Thompson Aero Seating, equipped with fully lie-flat seats for their A330 fleet. This will be in a staggered layout with alternate rows in the 1-2-2 and 1-2-1 configuration.
 
Meal tray table conveniently stowed in the armrest. Cocktail tables are available at the center armrest. Individual overhead reading lights. Seat cover: Woolen. Headrest cover: Linen. Seats are arranged in pairs (2-2).
 
Malaysia Airlines logo and livery: 
 
The original corporate logo was designed by Dato' Johan Ariff, and was introduced on 15 October 1987, retaining the essence of the moon kite, with a sheared swept-back look. Along with the new corporate logo, a new type style - MALAYSIA, was created. It is italicised to slant parallel with the logo to accentuate speed as well as direction. Within this corporate typestyle, the letters MAS bear red clippings to denote the initials of the statutory name of the airline, Malaysian Airline System (MAS), and were added after the original design was rejected by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad. The introduction of blue to the original red logo has national significance. The red and blue divides equally in the middle to denote equilibrium. On 8 March 2012, Malaysia Airlines unveiled a new logo featuring an all-blue moon kite and livery for its Airbus A380 fleet. Months later, the corporate logo of red and blue was refreshed.
 
The new moon kite logo faces from left to right, as it did in the original 1971 logo, and its tails have been extended. The wordmark has also been modernised with a new typeface and the word "airlines" is now presented in lowercase. On 1st September 2015, Malaysia Airlines rebranded as Malaysia Airlines Berhad but for the time being remained to use the same logo and branding
 
Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10
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The Business Class tray on Malaysia Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Cheese Omelette - roasted new potato, chicken sausage, cherry tomato and mushroom: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Fresh seasonal fruit: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Strawberry and Lime Charlotte: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Breakfast tea at Malaysia Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Cream crackers: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Cream crackers: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Bone china by Malaysia Airlines in Business Class: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Noise cancellation headphones in Business Class: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The arrivals hall Kathmandu: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Kathmandu Airport. Taxis and greeters wait outside: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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MALAYSIA AIRLINES (Hong Kong Int. to Kuala Lumpur Int. Airport), BOEING 737-800NG

8/11/2015

 
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Wingtip of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800NG: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Service with a smile from Malaysia Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Economy Class seat on Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800NG: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Malaysia Airlines Economy Class meal tray: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Malaysia Airlines is the national flag carrier of Malaysia and is the largest airline in Malaysia based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights. The airline serves 60 destinations, both international and domestic. It is among the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also the top-ranked international cargo airline.
 
At the time of writing, Malaysia Air operates a fleet of 86 aircraft, including 6 Airbus A380 and 56 state-of-the-art Boeing 737NG aircraft.
 
This was the first time I flew with Malaysia Airlines. I was on the flight from Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 737-800NG to check out their Economy Class seats!
 
Route: HONG KONG (HKG) to KUALA LUMPUR INTL. AIRPORT (KUL)

Departure date and time of flight: 08:45am, August 2015

Flight number: MH79 (ICAO call sign: “Malaysian”)

Flight duration: 3h 55m

Class: ECONOMY CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 737-800NG (56 in service)
 
Unit cost of each Boeing 737-800NG: US$72.5 million (2015)
 
Aircraft registration: 9M-MXL (First flight 26th October 2012)
 
Engine Type: Two x CFMI CFM56-7B26
 
Aircraft Serial Number: 40139 LN: 4246
 
Frequent flyer programme:
 
Malaysia Airlines' frequent flyer programme is called Enrich by Malaysia Airlines (Enrich). Enrich comprises a variety of airlines, banks, credit-card issuers, hotels and retailers around the world.
 
Seat configuration for this aircraft:
 
Business Class: 16 angle-flat seats in a 2-2 configuration
Economy Class: 150 seats in a 3-3 configuration
 
Punctuality of the flight:
 
Departed bang on time, and landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Was greeted with a final view of Shenzhen as we departed Hong Kong – quite a sad moment as the city means so much to me and I will no doubt miss living there.
 
Any baggage issues:
 
No issues regarding the baggage. For Economy Class, Malaysia Airlines have a checked baggage allowance of 23 kg total for all routes excluding transatlantic routes, and upto 40kg for Business Class. All routes have a carry-on allowance of one piece not exceeding 7 kg (50x37x25 cm). Click here to see more details
 
Comments on the check-in staff and flight route:

It is always a pleasure when flying from Hong Kong. The previous night I had stayed at the Hong Kong Regal Airport, voted one of the best airport’s in the world.
 
During approach into Kuala Lumpur, passengers have to contend with turbulence due to the localised hot air rising from the canopy. Kuala Lumpur airport is surrounded by lush green forests. We had a few bumps, and suddenly most of the passengers went “Ohhhh”. Considering that Malaysia Airlines unfortunately experienced two crashes in 2014, it was quite a tense moment indeed, where you think “Oh dear lord, I hope not this time!” I honestly thought that the turbulence was the cause of the sudden smoothing of the approach as their planes cross into the airport.
 
Comments regarding the pre-flight service:
 
Upon embarking the aircraft, passengers in Business Class and Economy Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water (champagne, wines in Business Class only). The cabin crew are truly one of the best trained I have met on any other airline. Customer comes first and Malaysia Airlines truly define the meaning of a five-star service.
 
Comments regarding the pre-meal service:
 
Passengers in Economy Class were offered a packet of fresh pretzels packed in Malaysia Airlines branded packets, and a choice of drinks from the trolley service. The cabin crew were polite and friendly. Even though this flight was full, the cabin crew paid full attention each and every customer instead of just passing the meal to passengers like they do on some other airlines. I just resorted to drinking plenty of bottled water. Though they may sound very tempting, however, alcohol and coffee are not good to drink during a flight as it just dehydrates you. Water is the best.
 
Comments regarding the first meal:

The meal tray arrived at around 30 minutes after take-off from Hong Kong. There were two options for the main meal:
 
  1. Malaysia spicy beef and rice
  2. Fish with rice.
 
I opted for the fish with rice and vegetables. The food was fresh, and better than what you get on most other airlines in Economy Class. This is why Malaysia Airlines is different because they provide a fine dining experience in all classes of travel- one that is easily comparable to going to a five-star restaurant. You get what you pay for, and Malaysia Airlines does not fail.
 
Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of freshly cut salad with carrot shredding, tomato, cucumber and shredded lettuce all in one action packed bowl!). It’s ridiculously good to have some crunchy salad to accompany a slightly heavy yet tasty dish as I had. Orange juice and mineral water were provided by Malaysian company Spritzer.  
 
For dessert, Malaysia Airlines provided a bowl of sweet sago rice. In Economy Class, Malaysia Air still provides plastic cutlery to the passengers. 

Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks:

Plenty of fresh water, coffee and tea are offered in lovely Malaysia Airlines branded paper cups (that can be recycled) were offered.

Comments regarding the second meal:

None. There was no second meal.
 
Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

Almost all 737-800s have personal AVOd screens featuring a wide variety of music and audio options. All other 737-800s have standard audio options.
 
Almost all 737-800s have personal AVOD screens for all seats. Business Class has 10.6" screens while Economy Class has 9" screens. All other 737-800s have overhead screens. There is an 110v AC power outlet at every Business Class seat.
 
Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very hospitable, and proud to work for Malaysia Airlines. 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.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 
 
Economy class is available on all of Malaysia Airlines' fleet. Seats feature a pitch of 33-34 inches and width of 17-17.25 inches, while the newer fleets such as the Airbus A380, Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 737-800 feature seat pitch of 30-32 inches and width of 17-17.5 inches. On the Boeing 777-200, it has a 6.5" personal TV located behind each seat, and a footrest located below the seat in front, the leased 737-800 has no personal TV but overhead TV's located in the aisles of the plane and feature a seat pitch of 29-30 inches. The new A330-300 as well as the new 737-800 all have the new Select 3000i. In 2010, economy class was voted the World's Best Economy Class at the 2010 World Airline Awards by Skytrax.
 
Seatback meal tray tables are available except in the front row which is an 'in-arm' table. Individual overhead reading lights. Seat cover: Woolen. Headrest cover: Paper disposable. Seats are arranged as 3-3.
 
Malaysia Airlines logo and livery: 
 
The original corporate logo was designed by Dato' Johan Ariff, and was introduced on 15 October 1987, retaining the essence of the moon kite, with a sheared swept-back look. Along with the new corporate logo, a new type style - MALAYSIA, was created. It is italicised to slant parallel with the logo to accentuate speed as well as direction. Within this corporate typestyle, the letters MAS bear red clippings to denote the initials of the statutory name of the airline, Malaysian Airline System (MAS), and were added after the original design was rejected by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad. The introduction of blue to the original red logo has national significance. The red and blue divides equally in the middle to denote equilibrium. On 8 March 2012, Malaysia Airlines unveiled a new logo featuring an all-blue moon kite and livery for its Airbus A380 fleet. Months later, the corporate logo of red and blue was refreshed.
 
The new moon kite logo faces from left to right, as it did in the original 1971 logo, and its tails have been extended. The wordmark has also been modernised with a new typeface and the word "airlines" is now presented in lowercase. On 1st September 2015, Malaysia Airlines rebranded as Malaysia Airlines Berhad but for the time being remained to use the same logo and branding
 
Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):
10
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Fish with rice and vegetables on Malaysia Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Starters: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Salad: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Sago rice: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Malaysia Airlines branded headphones for Economy Class: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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CHONGQING AIRLINES (Chongqing Int. Airport to Shenzhen Int. Airport), AIRBUS A321

8/10/2015

 
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Route: Chongqing International Airport to Shenzhen Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 17:20 on 10th August 2015 (delayed by five hours, and arrived at 2am into Shenzhen)

Flight number: QQ8141/CZ8141 (code share with China Southern, but using a Chongqing Airlines plane)

Flight duration: 45 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A321

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed around five hours late, and arrived at around 2am in Shenzhen
 
Top Tip: Try not to fly when you have a cold. I made the fatal mistake of doing so, and ended up with the worst ear blockage ever. As soon as we started our decent into Chongqing, my hearing just went, and with exceedingly painful results. The consequences were that I sought to get a doctor’s advice as soon as we landed in Chongqing- and that didn’t help either (because I had a cold). It also didn’t help that I had a connecting flight to Shenzhen the same evening, and two days after that I was due to fly to Kuala Lumpur, and then Kathmandu (high-altitude again!). The only solution was to go to the hospital in Shenzhen and get my ears cleared using sound therapy, and to take a dose of antibiotics throughout my time in Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu (before flying long-haul to London).

Any baggage issues:
 
I had a large backpack, weighing around 12kg, which I checked-in as hold luggage. This was the first time I had taken a trip with a backpack, and without much hand luggage.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

None

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just a bottle of water, and two plain buns.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

Selection of various drinks.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None
 
Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None
 
Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

This Airbus A321 aircraft has a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. 
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

WEST AIR (Jiuzhaiguo Huanglong Airport to Chongqing Int. Airport), AIRBUS A319

8/9/2015

 
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Route: Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport to Chongqing International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 14:45 on 7th August 2015

Flight number: PN

Flight duration: 45 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A319

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed on time and landed in around 40 minutes. What was truly remarkable was the temperature change and the environmental change within such as short amount of time. From 2 degrees Celsius to just under 30 degrees Celsius. Jiuzhaigou is the third highest airport in China, with the elevation of the runway at around 3,500 meters above sea-level.
 
Top Tip: Try not to fly when you have a cold. I made the fatal mistake of doing so, and ended up with the worst ear blockage ever. As soon as we started our decent into Chongqing, my hearing just went, and with exceedingly painful results. The consequences were that I sought to get a doctor’s advice as soon as we landed in Chongqing- and that didn’t help either (because I had a cold). It also didn’t help that I had a connecting flight to Shenzhen the same evening, and two days after that I was due to fly to Kuala Lumpur, and then Kathmandu (high-altitude again!). The only solution was to go to the hospital in Shenzhen and get my ears cleared using sound therapy, and to take a dose of antibiotics throughout my time in Kuala Lumpur and Kathmandu (before flying long-haul to London).

Any baggage issues:
 
I had a large backpack, weighing around 12kg, which I checked-in as hold luggage. This was the first time I had taken a trip with a backpack, and without much hand luggage.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

None

Comments regarding the first meal:

No food offered. Passengers could buy snacks if they wanted.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

None

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None
 
Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None
 
Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

This Airbus A319 aircraft has a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. It was not full at all. Not bad a flight after all. The crew were friendly, too.



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SICHUAN AIRLINES (Chengdu Int. Airport to Jiuzhaiguo Huanglong Airport), AIRBUS A319 (2015-08-07)

8/6/2015

 
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Route: Chengdu International Airport to Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 14:45 on 7th August 2015

Flight number: 3U8607

Flight duration: 40 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A319

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed on time and landed in around 40 minutes. What was truly remarkable was the temperature change and the environmental change within such as short amount of time. From 30 degrees Celsius to just under 2 degrees Celsius. Jiuzhaigou is the third highest airport in China, with the elevation of the runway at around 3,500 meters above sea-level. The views of the Min mountains are truly spectacular. Worth for the short flight!
 
Top Tip: If you do come here and you have forgotten to bring your thermal jacket (it can be cold here in the summer, too, because of the high elevation, then don’t worry because high-quality thermal jackets are available at the arrivals hall. You can get a very nice jacket for around 70RMB (approx. £7, US$12)- I can guarantee that the same jacket, if sold in the UK for example, would be available for around US$60 at least.

Any baggage issues:
 
I had a large backpack, weighing around 12kg, which I checked-in as hold luggage. This was the first time I had taken a trip with a backpack, and without much hand luggage. Sichuan Airlines have their own dedicated terminal building at Chengdu Airport, and because the airport is so big, they have airport guides on roller-coasters and segways!

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

None

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just a bottle of water

Comments regarding the drinks service:

None

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None
 
Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None
 
Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

This Airbus A319 aircraft has a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. It was not full at all. Not bad a flight after all. The crew were friendly too.
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An Airbus A319 belonging to Sichuan Airlines, parked at Chengdu Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Water bottle: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Coming into land at Jiuzhaigou, over the Min Mountains here: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

AIR CHINA (Zhangjiajie Airport to Chengdu Int. Airport), AIRBUS A320-200

8/4/2015

 
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Route: Zhangjiajie International Airport to Chengdu International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 15:00 on 5th August 2015

Flight number: CA4378

Flight duration: 1 hour

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed on time and landed on time. Zhangjiajie airport is located on the banks of the enormous Tianmen Mountain and is surrounded by mountains from all corners. Zhangjiaje must be one of the most beautiful airports I have been to in China. Tianmen Mountain provides a magnificent backdrop, and on a clear day you can clearly see the peak summit (likewise, the airport and the surrounding area can be seen from the top of the mountain as well).

There is only one direct flight a week from Zhangjiajie to Chengdu. You can take connecting flights if you wish.

Any baggage issues:
 
I had a large backpack, weighing around 12kg, which I checked-in as hold luggage. This was the first time I had taken a trip with a backpack, and without much hand luggage.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

None

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just a bottle of water

Comments regarding the drinks service:

None

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None
 
Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None
 
Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

This Airbus A320 aircraft has a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. It was not full at all. Not bad a flight after all. The crew were friendly, too.
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Zhangjiajie Airport, with Tianmen Mountain in the background: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Airbus A320 at Zhangjiajie: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The runway at Zhangjiajie: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Bridge in Hunan Province, near Zhangjiajie: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Just a bottle of water...: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES (Shenzhen Int. Airport to Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport), AIRBUS A320-200 

8/1/2015

 
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Route: Shenzhen Baoan International Airport to Zhangjiajie International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 20:00 on 2nd August 2015

Flight number: CZ3991

Flight duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed on time and landed on time. Zhangjiajie airport is located on the banks of the enormous Tianmen Mountain and is surrounded by mountains from all corners. Coming into land at night is quite an experience for the passengers, and I am sure it is an experience for the pilots, too. The arrivals hall has no security…you get off the plane, and walk to the baggage carousel, collect your bag and off you go!  (China is safe, they say…and who’s going to attack a mountain resort!).

Any baggage issues:
 
I had a large backpack, weighing around 12kg, which I checked-in as hold luggage. This was the first time I had taken a trip with a backpack, and without much hand luggage.
 
Top Tip: If you are going to be travelling around China for a few days by yourself or even with your family, and if you don’t want to carry all that heavy luggage with you, then you can leave it with the concierge at most decent hotels (provided you are also going to be staying at that hotel!). I stayed at the Vienna Hotel in Shekou (sounds more glamorous than it is – but it does the job…complete with bed bugs!), and they let me to keep my four pieces of large luggage for a week for free. It was a massive weight off my shoulders, as that also contained my laptop. And for once in my life, I did not really dress up to fly (you have the make the effort, right?). Just a pair of track suit bottoms and a selection of quality t-shirts for the five days was sufficient for the trip. This trip to Zhangjiajie, Jiuzhaiguo and Chengdu was to hike and burn the calories and enjoy the single travelling experience. In order to prepare myself for the trip, I punished myself by hiking up Nanshan hill in Shenzhen every day for three-hours at a time to get my body in shape and ready for the hike.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:
​
Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee. 

Comments regarding the first meal:

A box containing lots of biscuits in all shapes and sizes...as well as a pickle to put on the crackers (who eats crackers with pickles?)

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None
 
Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None
 
Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

This Airbus A320 aircraft has a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too. It was not full at all. Not bad a flight after all. The crew were friendly, too.
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Dinner box: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Biscuit: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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A cookie: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Another biscuit: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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...and the pickle that goes with the crackers: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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The arrivals hall at Zhangjiajie: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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    Navjot Singh inside an Airbus A320 cockpit of British Airways at Heathrow Airport

    About Airline PR

    This 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. 

    This section of the website will grow in time, and will include detailed reviews of the in-flight meals, the airline seats, the comfort of the overall trip, the customer service both at the check-in-desk as well as by the Cabin Crew; and how good the assistance has been by the airline staff. All the reviews are honest, fair, firm, and non-biased.

    I am proud to have worked with some of the largest PR agencies, and some of the most powerful airline brands in the world, including but not limited to: Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines, Air China, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Air Malta, Air France, KLM, CityJet, and many others. 

    All the flights I have taken in my life are documented on this weblog except for any flights that were taken before 2003. These included Syrian Airlines (747SP in 1985), British Airways (2003 to Dubai), Aeroflot (IL-62, and IL-86 in 1989) and a few others. I regret not documenting them because I never thought of doing that back in those days.  

    I am hoping to bring to life the joy of reviewing airlines. 

    Note Regarding Photos

    For all media reviews, special permission has been granted from the airline authorities, and even from airport authorities for the photos/videos taken on-board the aircraft and on the ramp because it is strictly forbidden to take photos and videos on and around the aircraft without permission. 

    The purpose of this blog is to provoke thought, inform, intrigue and amaze you.

    You read it first here!

    Click on the particular airline below and see my flight review. When you click on an airline, it should list all of the flights taken with that airline.

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    Navjot Singh at a Chinese Military Airfield
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    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 1

    B777-300ER Cockpit Video 2

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    Archives

    March 2017
    October 2016
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    April 2016
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    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
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    December 2014
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    December 2013
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    December 2012
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    October 2011
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    December 2010
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    September 2010
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    December 2009
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    August 2009
    January 2009
    October 2008
    August 2008
    June 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    November 2007
    January 2007
    August 2006
    August 2004
    November 2003

    Airlines Reviewed

    All
    Aer Lingus
    Aeromexico
    Air Canada
    Air China
    Air France
    Air India
    Air Malta
    Air Seychelles
    Alitalia
    All Nippon Airways (ANA)
    Beijing Airport
    BIMAN Bangladesh Airlines
    Bmi
    Bmibaby
    British Airways
    Business Class
    Cathay Dragon
    Cathay Pacific Airways
    China Eastern Airlines
    China Southern Airlines
    China United Airlines (CUA)
    Chongqing Airlines
    Cityjet
    Delta Airlines
    Dragonair
    Easyjet
    Economy Class
    Egyptair
    Emirates
    Ethiopian Airlines
    Etihad Airways
    First Class
    Garuda Indonesia
    Hainan Airlines
    Hong Kong Airlines
    Japan Airlines
    Juneyao Airlines
    Klm Royal Dutch Airlines
    Korean Air
    Lufthansa German Airlines
    Malaysia Airlines
    Oman Air
    Pan Am
    Pegasus Airlines
    Philippine Airlines
    Premium Economy Class
    Qantas Airways
    Qatar Airways
    Royal Brunei Airlines
    Shandong Airlines
    Shanghai Airlines
    Shenzhen Airlines
    Sichuan Airlines
    Singapore Airlines
    Spring Airlines
    SriLankan Airlines
    Swiss
    Tap Air Portugal
    Thomas Cook Airline
    Thy Turkish Airlines
    United Airlines
    Uzbekistan Airways
    Virgin Atlantic
    Vlm Airlines
    West Air
    Xiamen Airlines

    Proud media partner of QATAR AIRWAYS 

    Qatar Airways Serbia
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 Send me an email: navjot@navjot-singh.com

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