Formed on the 28th of January 1992 after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan Airways is the national flag carrier of Uzbekistan. Based at Tashkent International Airport, the airline flies to 58 destinations globally using a mixture of 66 Western and Russian built aircraft. Destinations include New York, and London. The airline has ordered two Boeing 787 dreamliners. I decided to see what their Business Class cabin was like from Tashkent to London Heathrow Airport.

Route: TASHKENT (TAS) – LONDON HEATHROW (LHR)

Departure date and time of flight: September 2012

Flight number: HY201 (ICAO callsign: “Uzbek 201 heavy”)

IATA Code: HY

IACO Callsign: UZBEK

Flight duration: 7 Hours 50 minutes

Class: BUSINESS CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 767-330P (ER) (7 aircraft in service)

Aircraft registration: VP-BUF (First flight 6th of December 2004)

Engines: 2x PW PW4062

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

Business Class: 40 seats in a 2-2-2 configuration
Economy class: 157 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration

Any baggage issues:

No issues regarding the baggage. The baggage limit is two bags (upto 30KG in total per passenger). Hand luggage for Business Class passengers at Uzbekistan Airways is limited to one piece per passenger.

Comments on the check-in staff:

I had checked-in at Beijing Capital Airport, so this was a continuation flight following on from a transit at Tashkent Airport (of only a short hour and a half wait).

LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Tashkent Transit Hall:

It was a very interesting experience as the transit hall for Business Class passengers was almost empty. The few passengers (around 6) that were present in the lounge had apparently been waiting for a connecting flight to a Siberian destination, and seems like they had been enjoying a small party for themselves. In the middle of the near empty lounge, was a wooden table with a few bottles of Jack Daniels, Chivas Regal, and Black Label whiskey. There were also used packets of peanuts, crisps, and half finished take-away food. On one of the leather suede sofa’s next to the table was a man sleeping without a whisker of worry that may surround on catching his connecting flight (presumably thanks to the great list of license free goods on the table). There was a single 21-inch Philips TV airing local news in Russian. Apart from that, there was not much else.

On the other side of the coin, the Economy Class transit hall looked like an old 1960s aerodrome hall. Compared to Beijing Airport, Uzbekistan Airport seemed like very nostalgic.

Punctuality of the flight, and route taken:

Even though Tashkent Airport may be considered as one of the busiest in the whole of Central Asia, it is nevertheless; relatively quiet compared to some of the major international airports in the world. Around 30 international airlines use the airport. On the day I was there, I saw a Turkish Airlines Boeing 777, and an Antonov An-124 (Cargo), and every other plane belonged to Uzbekistan Airways.  

The flight departed on time, and landed at Heathrow on time too (rare). We had to stack over Lambourne air traffic control in North London for about 10 minutes, and apart from that it everything else was smooth.

Upon taking off from Tashkent, the flight path took us right over Central Asia, and onto the Kurdish/Turkish airspace, and then onto mainland Europe, before making a decent into the east of London (Southend, and then Basildon). London always looks beautiful at night, and even more so from the sky. A perfect landing on the westerly runway 27R provided some good views of central London as well. Uzbekistan Airways operates from Terminal 4 at London Heathrow Airport (they used to operate from Terminal 3 in the 1990s, and early 2000s).

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

Passengers are provided with a wet warm towel prior to departure along with a choice of either apple, orange, or water.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Around about 30 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with another helping of cashew nuts (which were known as just ‘Indian Nut’) for some reason.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Uzbekistan Airways offers its Business Class passengers the choice to eat at a time of their own convenience. I opted to eat around an hour after departure.

Unlike other airlines that offer their Business Class passengers meals just like a high-end restaurant would (with starters, main course, etc.), Uzbekistan Airways offers a slightly different style of meal. The meal tray consists of everything provided all in one go. So, it’s plain and simple an enlarged version of a Economy Class tray with extra added bits and bobs.

·         Potato Salad
·         Ginger flavoured bread
·         Crackers with cheddar cheese
·         Ham, salami, and salad dish
·         Salmon and lemon dish
·         Bread from the breadbasket
·         Sausage roll
·         Sesame roll

Add-ons included a very colourful packet of tomato sauce, mayonnaise sauce, and mustard (all branded using locally Uzbekistani companies).

Hot meal tray options were fish, lamb, chicken, or beef. There was no vegetarian option available, and Uzbekistan does not offer passengers in any class the chance to pre-order their meal choice before departure. I again opted for the fish dish (just as I did in my previous flight). I couldn't tell what type of fish it was, and nor did they the cabin crew tell me (they probably never knew either). 

Accompanying the fish fillet was a spoonful of rice, three boiled baby potatoes, a  clove of cauliflower, a clove of broccoli, one red pepper, and one green pepper. Lovely decoration, but that was just about it really. The fish tasted soggy, and the potatoes tasted OK (not fresh is perhaps the word). The chefs at Uzbekistan Airways may not be Michelin starred, but they are working their way to learn how to become one (hopefully)). Its edible, but not really the kind of stuff you would want down your throat everyday.

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

A second round of drinks, including coffee and tea were offered prior to landing at Tashkent. Freshly brewed coffee? Not really…it was a three-in-one blended packet coffee which Nescafe makes these days.

Comments regarding the second meal:

There was a light snack offered around an hour before landing at London Heathrow. This included:

·         Croissant with cheddar cheese slice (very salty cheese)
·         Packet of dried apricots (very dry)
·         Two slices of pineapple (just about right….not bad for tinned food on in-flight meals)
·         A small pot of strawberry jam

Similar to the first meal, the light snack was presented all on one tray. Plain and simple, yet slightly delicious. It was a wasteful idea to have a decent tasting croissant presented as a very simple cheese sandwich (since when did croissants came with cheddar cheese slices in them?). The best part was the 3-in-1 blended coffee (blended because it came already mixed with sugar and milk). I wonder what the strawberry jam was for. Maybe to add onto the croissant with cheese?! My guess is that the chefs must have been trying to be innovative with Western in-flight food. I am not sure what the likes of the late Egon Ronay would make of this mishmash.

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

The seats on the Boeing 767-300ER don’t have any television screen for in-flight entertainment. Interesting thing was that everyone was provided with a iPad after take-off. However, the iPad was mainly in Russian language it was nevertheless very interesting to use.

Business Class passengers are provided with beautifully decorated bright blue slippers, a eyeshade with the Uzbekistan Airways logo, and a show strap.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: 

Most of the cabin crew are native Uzbekistanis, and come across to be very proud to work for their country’s national flag carrier. Uzbekistan Airways does employ some foreign cabin crew and pilots (on our flight we had a couple of South Koreans). All the crew that I came across were able to communicate in excellent English. Three main languages are spoken on the airline: Russian, Uzbek, and English. On the Beijing to Tashkent flight, we also had a recorded announcement provided in Mandarin Chinese for passengers who would otherwise not be able to speak in English, Russian, or Uzbek. 

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

The plane’s interior is beautifully decorated in either blue (as with the colours of the airline), or in beige. The Business Class seats are very comfortable with leather lining on the covers. The cabin brings along a sense of freshness upon entering the aircraft. It’s clean, and very smart interior is a match to any top international airline in the world. The seats in Business and First Class are of the design of yesteryear, and if you are looking for a flatbed then you are barking up the wrong ‘airline’.

Uzbekistan Airways logo and livery: 

Perhaps the most colourful airline livery around, Uzbekistan Airways have made full use of the colours of the national flag on their planes. The ration behind the design is to make it look like a large Uzbekistan flag flying across the sky. The fuselage has a light blue up top, white in the middle and green on the bottom with red lines separating them in between- just like the national flag. The tailfin is bright sky blue, with a bright yellow circle bordered by a thick red cheat line. Inside the circle is a bright green crane flying to the front.

The engines are also painted in a beautiful bright sky blue colour, and have the same yellow circle logo as the tailfin. Very beautiful and pleasing for the eye. This is true even more so at night time when the tailfin is lit up brightly.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 7

Formed on the 28th of January 1992 after the fall of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan Airways is the national flag carrier of Uzbekistan. Based at Tashkent International Airport, the airline flies to 58 destinations globally using a mixture of 66 Western and Russian built aircraft. Destinations include New York, and London. I decided to check out their latest Boeing 767-300ER flying from Beijing to Tashkent on the 'Silk Road route'. .

Route: BEIJING (PEK) - TASHKENT (TAS)

Departure date and time of flight: September 2012

Flight number: HY506 (ICAO callsign: “Uzbek 506 heavy”)

IATA Code: HY

IACO Callsign: UZBEK

Flight duration: 6 Hours 10 minutes

Class: BUSINESS CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 767-330P (ER) (16 aircraft in service)

Aircraft registration: UK67004 (First flight 10th of February 2012)

Engines: 2x PW PW4062

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

Business class: 15 seats in a 2-1-2 configuration,
Economy class: 246 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration

Comments on the check-in staff (baggage issues):

No issues regarding the baggage. The baggage limit is two bags (upto 30KG in total per passenger). Hand luggage for Business Class passengers at Uzbekistan Airways is limited to one piece per passenger.

LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Beijing Terminal 2:

Terminal 2 at Beijing Capital Airport is usually used by the Skyteam Alliance of airlines. This includes Aeroflot, KLM/Air France, Alitalia, and China Southern Airlines (some international flights). Terminal 2 has a lounge for all the airlines in the Skyteam Alliance, and a separate lounge for all other airlines such as Uzbekistan Airways. Both the Business and First Class lounges are located after security and both have plenty of offerings consisting of food, and drinks. The lounge facilities are not as modern as your average 5-star hotel, but nonetheless there are ample number of options for hot and cold dishes (both Chinese and, Western cuisine). Clean, modern, and with sophisticated up to the minute flight information, the lounge

Punctuality of the flight, and route taken:

The flight departed on time from a rather busy Beijing airport on a bright warm autumn day, and landed on time at the quieter Tashkent Airport. Initially after departure heading was towards the outer Beijing marker, and then onto the silk road route. On the ground people can embark in a 14-day journey from Beijing to Tashkent )and vice-versa) on the great ancient silk route to enjoy the amazing scenery, and the smells of the local markets and mountains on the way. The view is equally stunning from the plane too. Even though all you can see is the beautiful ice-peaked mountains and the Gobi desert, the view is rather stunning. While flying over the desert you can help thinking to yourself ‘what if I get stuck in the middle of this desert on the way?’ Nevertheless, it is worth it. Flying over Urumqi  gave us an idea of how close the city is to the mountain terrain filled borders of Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and of course, Uzbekistan.

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

Passengers’ in the Business Class cabin were offered welcome drinks consisting of apple juice, orange juice, and plain mineral water (still and sparkling). There was also a packet of salted cashew nuts (labelled as ‘Indian nut’ by the vendors at Uzbekistan Airways!).

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Around about 25 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with another helping of the huge cashew nuts. The only alcohol served was the Tsingtao Chinese beer cans, and not much else. Apart from that were the usual orange juice, apple juice, and water (all branded by Uzbekistani vendors).

Comments regarding the first meal:

The one and only meal of the flight was offered around 40 minutes after departure. In Business Class cabin, the passengers are offered the choice to eat at the time which they find convenient.

The main meal tray was very colourful and consisted of various bits and pieces. The following were provided on the main business meal tray:

·         Fresh bowl of salad
·         Cracker biscuits with cheddar cheese
·         Honey roasted ham, with asparagus, cucumber, and ONE cherry tomato (just one!)
·         Salad cream
·         Raspberry moose
·         Soft bread bun from the bread basket

Hot meal tray options were: fish, lamb, chicken, or beef. There was no vegetarian option available, and Uzbekistan does not offer passengers in any class the chance to pre-order their meal choice before departure. I opted for the fish dish. I couldn’t tell what type of fish it was, and nor did they the cabin crew tell me (they probably never knew either). It tasted as if it had been washed up in a bowl of sunflower cooking oil. Accompanying the fish fillet was a spoonful of rice, portion of boiled baby potatoes, a couple of carrots, green beans, and some pieces of sweet corn. Either they were running low on the number of ingredients at the Uzbekistan Airways catering facility, or they thought that the passengers would be pint sized. Not being greedy, but I mean hey, come on, two slices of chopped carrot as part of a hot dish?  Overall, it did the job of filling one up for the medium-ranged 6-hour flight.

The airline is very proud of their branding image, and that comes across clearly with the bright yellow and green colours used throughout the flight décor, including the bright yellow napkin with the Uzbekistan logo. 

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

A second round of drinks, including coffee and tea were offered prior to landing at Tashkent.

Comments regarding the second meal:

None

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

The interesting thing was that everyone was provided with a iPad after take-off. Though the iPad was mainly in Russian language it was nevertheless very interesting to use.

Business Class passengers are provided with beautifully decorated bright blue slippers, a eyeshade with the Uzbekistan Airways logo, and a show strap.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

Most of the cabin crew are native Uzbekistanis, and come across to be very proud to work for their country’s national flag carrier. Uzbekistan Airways does employ some foreign cabin crew and pilots (on our flight we had a couple of South Koreans). All the crew that I came across were able to communicate in excellent English. Three main languages are spoken on the airline: Russian, Uzbek, and English. On the Beijing to Tashkent flight we also had a recorded announcement provided in Mandarin Chinese for passengers who would otherwise not be able to speak in English, Russian or Uzbek. 

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

The plane’s interior is beautifully decorated in either blue (as with the colours of the airline), or in beige. The business class seats are very comfortable with leather lining on the covers. The cabin brings along a sense of freshness upon entering the aircraft. Its’s clean, and very smart interior is a match to any top international airline in the world.

Uzbekistan Airways logo and livery: 

Perhaps the most colourful airline livery around, Uzbekistan Airways have made full use of the colours of the national flag on their planes. The ration behind the design is to make it look like a large Uzbekistan flag flying across the sky. The fuselage has a light blue up top, white in the middle and green on the bottom with red lines separating them in between- just like the national flag. The tailfin is bright sky blue, with a bright yellow circle bordered by a thick red cheat line. Inside the circle is a bright green crane flying to the front.

The engines are also painted in a beautiful bright sky blue colour, and have the same yellow circle logo as the tailfin. Very beautiful and pleasing for the eye.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 7

China Eastern Airlines is a major airline in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since being formed on 25th of June 1988, China Eastern Airlines has grown to become one of the world's major international airlines. At the end of June 2012, China Eastern Airlines had a fleet of 305 aircraft, flying to 110 destinations worldwide. The airline has a number of hubs, however the main international hub is at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. China Eastern Airlines is a proud member of Skyteam Alliance, and also owns the subsidiary, Shanghai Airlines. 

Route: XI’AN XIANYANG AIRPORT (XIY) - SHANGHAI PUDONG (PVG)

Departure date and time of flight: September 2012

Flight number: MU2155 (ICAO callsign: “China Eastern 2155”)

Flight duration: 2 Hours 10 minutes

Class: FIRST CLASS

Aircraft type: AIRBUS A320-200 (129 in service)

Aircraft registration: B-6760 (First flight 26th June 2011)

Aircraft Serial Number: 4627

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

First Class: 8 seats in a 2-2 configuration on the main deck
Economy class: 150 seats in a 3-3 configuration

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: 

Located 41 kilometers in the northwest of Xi’an city, Xi’an Xianyang is surprisingly a large and busy international airport. With three terminals, the airport covers 5 kilometers  and is the largest in northwest China. In 2011, the airport handled over 21 million passengers; I departed from Terminal 3, which was opened recently in May 2012. With the new terminal’s opening, and with a new runway being in operation, the airport will be capable of handling over 33 million passengers a year. The airport is ready to host the largest aircraft in the world, the Airbus A380.

Any baggage issues:

No issues regarding the baggage. Passengers travelling First Class with China Eastern are allowed a generous 40kg free of charge, and 30 kg (66 lbs) for Business Class. For domestic flights, each piece of checked baggage must not exceed 50 kg (110 lbs). China Eastern has a separate dedicated check-in, and a separate security customs from all the other airlines at Xi’an Xianyang Airport.

LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Xi’an Airport:

China Eastern Airlines has a premium lounge just after security. The lounge can be used by Business and First Class passengers, as well as silver and gold members of ‘Eastern Miles’- the China Eastern Airlines loyalty program. The lounge has sufficient space for buffet food (Chinese only), comfortable relaxing chairs, electric massage chairs, and a small cinema (25 seats maximum). There are also shower facilities available in all the lounges. There are many options for hot and cold Chinese food and Western food.

Punctuality of the flight:

Departed on time, and landed on time at Pudong Airport. Xi’an airport was not as busy as I would have imagined. Understandably being a touristy city that Xi’an is, there were a lot of foreign passengers at the airport. We departed from runway 23L at Xi’an, and had to make a turnaround back to Shanghai, which upon take-off provided a beautiful view of Xi’an city from around 9,000 feet. The Bell Tower in the middle of the city could easily be seen from the sky. At Shanghai Pudong we landed on 35L (which provided a lovely view of the Shanghai F1 circuit as we were stacking).

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

Hot and cold towels were offered prior to departure in the first class cabin. First Class passengers are offered a selection of drinks including champagne, apple juice, orange juice and a variety of teas (Chinese and Western). The cabin crew took the orders for the lunch service from all the passengers in the First Class cabin prior to departure.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

The meal service commended with air hostesses handing out hot towels. A selection of fine nuts was offered along with a choice of drink (orange juice, apple juice, and a selection of teas).

Comments regarding the main meal:

There were two options for the main hot dish meal:

-       Fish cakes with rice
-       Beef with rice

I opted for the circular fish cakes with rice, and vegetables. Two ridiculously delicious fish cakes were served with hot and fresh boiled white rice. The fish cakes tasted similar to pasties. The accompanying vegetables went well with the dish. There was also a small plate of creaser salad with seasoning sauce, and a bowl of fresh fruit salad.

It was also a nice thing to see a warm roujiamo being served with the main meal. Roujiamo is a traditional food from Xi’an and very much popular with people from all around China. It looks like a cross between a Western style burger and a Turkish kebab. The main meat is beef. Roujiamo can be slightly oily too. 

Delicious soft and hard bread rolls were offered from the basket (including garlic bread!). All meals were served on fine bone china, and came with China Eastern chopsticks, and China Eastern branded stainless steel cutlery.

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

Hot and cold drinks were served after the main meal. These included Chinese and Western tea options, as well as soft drinks. Alcohol was served on this flight.

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

This China Eastern Airlines Airbus A320-200 aircraft has no individual TV screens (not even in first class), only the small screens that pop out for the pre take-off safety video.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and friendly. Most of the cabin crew for China Eastern Airlines are natives of the eastern region in China (this is especially true for the cabin crew in First Class or Business Class cabins). The airline management is very particular on how their cabin crew staff should be like. They have to be of a certain weight, and height, and must be acquainted to beauty with a smile (this is what I was informed!). Most of the cabin crew do speak good English (especially those in Business/First Class).  

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

The First Class seats have 58-inch pitch and 20-inch width. The Economy Class seats have a 32-inch pitch, and an 18 inch width. First Class seats feature a reclining angle of 170 degrees. For such a short domestic flight, passengers were offered a pair of luxury cotton slippers, and a thick cotton blanket. The cabin had a pleasant smell, and was very clean. All of the eight seats in the First Class section are covered with a luxury grey cloth that comes embedded with the phoenix bird logo. It creates a sense of comfort, elegance, and belonging to the Chinese culture. It also gives a very warm, fresh, spacious, modern, and touching feeling when you enter the cabin.

China Eastern Airlines have improved quite a lot on most aspects of their aircraft interior. This includes the aircraft seating, the smell of the interior cabin, the cleanliness of the aircraft toilets, and the general positive attitude of the cabin crew members. The aircraft which we flew was the latest new aircraft for China Eastern Airlines.

China Eastern logo and livery: 

China Eastern Airlines logo consists of a red and blue circle rain containing a swallow bird flying in the middle. The top half of the circle is red representing a bright sunset, while the bottom half is blue representing the sea. In the eyes of most Chinese people from the East region, the swallow is of a noble character because people praise it and love it.

The fuselage is all white except for the three cheat lines that circle the body of the plane (just below the windows). The three cheat lines are (in order top to bottom): red, gold, and blue.  

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 9

Based at both Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, and Shanghai Pudong Airport, Juneyao Airlines is China's first private airline. Founded in 2005, the airline has a fleet of 22 aircraft (20 Airbus A320-200, and 2 Airbus A319 aircraft), flying to 32 destinations including  Hong Kong.


Route: Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Xi’an Xianyang International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: September 2012

Flight Number: HO1250

Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Class: FIRST CLASS

Aircraft type: Airbus A320-200

IACO Callsign: Air Juneyao

IATA Code: HO

Aircraft Registration: B-6018

Punctuality of the flight:

As soon as you see a drop of water over the skies of Shanghai, you can assume that the flights are going to be delayed (for unknown reasons- even the Captain could not tell me). However, on this occasion our flight departed on time, and landed on time at the other end. The flight actually displayed the best service that Juneyao Airlines has to provide. Everything went smoothly and without any problems throughout the whole flight experience. 

The best part of this flight route is when the plane goes right over the famous Qinling Mountains near Xi'an. The Qinling Mountains are one of the longest and largest range of mountains that geographically set the north and south of China apart. Peaking at over 6,000 feet, the mountains provide a spectacular view when arriving into Xi'an. 

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Juneyao Airlines allows upto one bag weighing 30kg in First Class.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

The check-in staff were polite, smiled and very professional. There was no problem what so ever. I had arrived around two hours before departure. I had arrived at the airport at least an hour beforehand, and so there was no problem what so ever. It was nice to be early so then I could manage some aircraft shots.

Juneyao Airline Lounge:

The airline lounge used by Juneyao Airlines is not owned by the airline itself. Passengers flying with other airlines (except Air China, China Eastern and China Southern Airlines), also have access to this lounge which is located on the 2nd floor of Terminal 2 (near area A). There are plenty of food options, and drinks available. The Club Lounge is clean, smells fresh, and the clientele are mostly business travellers.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just prior to departure, the cabin crew offered a wet towel, and a choice of drinks consisting of orange juice, apple juice, and water.

After take-off, a variety of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade, or coca cola) were offered. As with most of the airlines in China, the drinks (coca cola, orange etc.) were all branded with the Juneyao Airlines logo. A packet of the trademark Juneyao Airlines salted almonds was also provided.

Comments regarding the first meal:

On Juneyao Airlines, First Class passengers are offered a choice of when they would like to eat their meal. I ate my meal around about 30 minutes after departure.

The meal tray consisted of the following:

* Cold salad plate with salami rolls, beef balls, a slice of fresh papaya, and a carnival of vegetables.
* Warm bread rolls from the basket
* Sweet corn and pork chops soup
* A plate of fresh fruit consisting of watermelon, and orange slices
* A choice of one of: chicken & rice, fish & rice, or pork & rice. I opted for the fish & rice.
* Butter provided by Anchor.
* A bowl consisting of sweet Chinese pudding (made from soya bean curd).

The fish meat came with small bones and skin still attached to it. However, it was edible and nice to the tongue. The meal was served on bone china, and with stainless steel cutlery (which is thankfully making a comeback onto in-flight meals around the world). The best part was the delicious Chinese pudding provided at the end of the meal service.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

Second rounds of drinks were offered after the meal.

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

None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

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

There was no IFE system. On the A320, the overhead screens come down when the safety announcement is made, and then they are hidden away for the rest of the flight.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The staff were very professional, always had a smile on their faces and were quick to respond to any kind of request from the passengers. Even on this flight, the Captain was kind enough to allow me into the flight deck before, and after the flight, so I took the opportunity to take some good shots of the controls of this A320.

Improvements that could be made:

Perhaps have mood lighting when the aircraft is flying in between different time zones (morning, afternoon and evening) - hey, I could honestly find nothing else wrong with this flight!

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

The Airbus A320-300 belonging to Juneyao Airlines is clean, and had a fresh smell upon entering the cabin. The cabin consists of the trademark purple, burgundy, and maroon colours on all the seats, and cushions. The dragon logo of the Juneyao Airlines brand is also proudly displayed on the cushions.

There are eight seats in the First Class cabin, with a 2-2 configuration. Each First Class seat is 48.0-inch seat pitch and 21.0 inch width. There are 144 Economy Class seats in a 3-3 configuration. Each Economy Class seats provides a 31.0-inch pitch, and has a width of 19.0 inch.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8

Based at both Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, and Shanghai Pudong Airport, Juneyao Airlines is China's first private airline. Founded in 2005, the airline has a fleet of 22 aircraft (20 Airbus A320-200, and 2 Airbus A319 aircraft), flying to 32 destinations including  Hong Kong.

Route: Shenzhen Bao’an Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport

Departure date and time of flight: August 2012

Flight Number: HO1112

IACO Callsign: AIR JUNEYAO

IATA Code: HO

Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes (turned out to be nearly 4 hours and 30 minutes hours with added delay!)

Class: FIRST CLASS

Aircraft type: Airbus A320-200

Aircraft Registration: B-6022

Punctuality of the flight:

The plane was delayed for over two hour because of ‘military activity’ in the South China Sea area. This is not the first time such delays have occurred, and probably won’t be the last time either. The captain, an expat from Italy, informed me that the Chinese Air Force was performing sorties over the South China Sea in response to Japan claiming the purchase of the controversial Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. He claimed that the ATC had informed him that the fighter jets were doing sorties over places such as Suzhou (Guangfu), Wuxi and other nearby military airbases. So therefore we could not take-off, and even if we did then we would waste fuel by stacking over the Shanghai area.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. Juneyao Airlines allows upto one bag weighing 30kg in First Class.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

The check-in staff were polite, smiled and very professional. There was no problem what so ever. I had arrived around two hours before departure. I had arrived at the airport at least an hour beforehand, and so there was no problem what so ever. It was nice to be early so then I could manage some aircraft shots.

The morning rush hour was an indication of Shenzhen’s airport’s rapid growth in recent years. There were aircraft of all sizes ranging from a minute A318 up to the Boeing 747-400. Many international airlines have also started flying from Shenzhen airport in recent years, such Korean Airlines, Tiger Airways, Uni Air, SilkAir, UPS, FedEx, SF Express, Air Asia, and Asiana Airlines.

Shenzhen airport’s new runway (16/34) which is located at least a mile away from the main terminal buildings over reclamation land started operations in July 2011. Once the new terminal 3 building is complete and open in late 2012 or early 2013, then it will make sense to use both runways (15/33, and 16/34). The new runway is able to accommodate all types of aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Juneyao Airline Lounge:

The airline lounge used by Juneyao Airlines is not owned by the airline itself. Passengers flying with other airlines (except Air China, China Eastern and China Southern Airlines), also have access to this lounge. There is plenty of choice for food and drinks available. However, the interesting thing is that the toilets in the normal terminal building are far more cleaner and well suited than the old fashioned toilet they provided in the First Class lounge (the door did not close, the flash did not work, and basically it’s perhaps the next best thing after your average bog in the fields). Not as glamorous and flamboyant as other airline lounges. If I was you, I would rather go and use the airplane toilet (yes, it’s that bad).

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just prior to departure, the cabin crew offered a wet towel, and a choice of drinks consisting of orange juice, apple juice, and water.

After take-off, a variety of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade, or coca cola) were offered. As with most of the airlines in China, the drinks (coca cola, orange etc.) were all branded with the Juneyao Airlines logo. A packet of salted almonds was also provided.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just prior to lunch being served, a wet hand towel was offered. Some of the passengers had already eaten their meal while on the ground, because they could not wait to eat as we were delayed. So I was one of the few passengers who wanted to experience the true flying in-flight meal service WHILE flying!

On Juneyao Airlines, First Class passengers are offered a choice of time of when they would like to eat their meal. I ate my meal around about 30 minutes after departure.

The meal tray consisted of the following:

* Cold salad plate with fresh king prawns, creaser salad, chicken wings, and a wedge of lemon slice.
* Warm bread from the basket
* A plate of fresh fruit consisting of dragon fruit, melon, and watermelon
* A choice of one of: chicken & rice, fish & rice, or pork & rice. I opted for the chicken & rice.

First impressions were that the food is of good quality. Airline food in China is getting better by the day. The quantity was also just about right- not too much, and not too little either.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal.

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

None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

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

There was no IFE system. On the A320, the overhead screens come down when the safety announcement is made, and then they are hidden away for the rest of the flight.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The staff were very professional, always had a smile on their faces and were quick to respond to any kind of request from the passengers. The Captain was kind enough to allow me into the flight deck before the flight, so I took the opportunity to take some good shots of the controls of this A320.

Improvements that could be made:

Perhaps have mood lighting when the aircraft is flying in between different time zones (morning, afternoon and evening) - hey, I could honestly find nothing else wrong with this flight!

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

The Airbus A320-300 belonging to Juneyao Airlines is clean, and had a fresh smell upon entering the cabin. The cabin consists of the trademark purple, burgundy and maroon colors on all the seats, and cushions. The dragon logo of the Juneyao Airlines brand is also proudly displayed on the cushions.

There are eight seats in the First Class cabin, with a 2-2 configuration. Each First Class seat is 48.0-inch seat pitch and 21.0 inch width. There are 144 Economy Class seats in a 3-3 configuration. Each Economy Class seats provides a 31.0-inch pitch, and has a width of 19.0 inch. As per the words of the Captain, Juneyao Airlines provides one of the most comfortable first class seats on the Airbus A320 aircraft. 

Passengers in First Class are provided with cushy slippers, and earplugs.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 8