Route: Malta Luqa International to Airport London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 16:55am on the 27th October 2009

Flight Number: KM102

Flight duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight was on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

Luqa Airport is considerably small for an international airport, but then so is the country to which it belongs to! There is not that much traffic at the airport as one would expect, and also it feels like a desert! The check in procedure was quick and smooth. The time it takes to go from check-in to the security is around twenty minutes. The airport is comparable to the likes of, say, Geneva International.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola), and a selection of Maltese red and white wines.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take off- the timing was great. The meal consisted of neatly sliced pork seasoned with a generous portion of salt and pepper. There was a healthy portion of boiled baby potatoes and vegetables (again seasoned with salt and pepper). This was accompanied with a soft bread. The pork was lovely, fresh and soft to the tongue.

As always with airline meals, the highlight of the meal was the dessert. You cannot go wrong anywhere in the world when you are presented with a banana mousse sprinkled with small chocolate chips.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal- this included the complimentary selection French and Australian red and white wines.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None

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

In the A320, the in-flight system was provided in the form of a map of the route.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

Very professional staff and very friendly. They served in a true Maltese tradition!

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 aircraft was clean, the flight was not full and it was very comfortable to be able to sit and enjoy the flying experience with Air Malta.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

Route: London Heathrow Airport to Malta Luqa International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 10:50am on the 22nd October 2009

Flight Number: KM101

Flight duration: 3 hours 10 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight was on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

This was my first time to fly Air Malta and my first time to fly to Malta as well. We departed from Heathrow Terminal 4 on time and landed around 10 minutes earlier than schedule. The check-in staff were very friendly and helpful. There was no rush- everything was smooth.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola), and a selection of Maltese red and white wines.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Lunch was served around an hour after take off (Just as we were over Paris...check out the photos!!). The meal consisted of roasted beef balls served with a healthy portion of slightly spicy steamed rice. This was accompanied with a soft bread. The beef balls were delicious- nicely blended in well with the fragrant rice. This was a traditional Maltese meal served with pride with true Maltese tradition!

The meal seems a bit small, but it was enough to fill the stomach for such a medium haul flight.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal- this included the complimentary selection French and Australian red and white wines.

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

None

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

In the A320, the in-flight system was provided in the form of a map of the route.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

Very professional staff and very friendly. They served in a true Maltese tradition!

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 aircraft was clean, the flight was not full and it was very comfortable to be able to sit and enjoy the flying experience with Air Malta.

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

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates fullinternational and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 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 Gatwick to Luxembourg

Departure date and time of flight: 07:15am on the 11th of December 2007

Flight Number: BA8142

Flight duration: 1h 20m

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319 

Punctuality of the flight:

The aircraft landed at Luxembourg on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check-in issues at Gatwick. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Gatwick- considering it was the morning rush hour. The airport terminal at Luxembourg is just one small building with two separate doors, one for departures and another for arrivals. Not bad for an international airport!

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks.

Comments regarding the first meal:

A delicious (cold) egg and bacon roll was offered with the standard coffee, tea and other drinks.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

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

None in economy.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

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

None

Comments on the 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 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

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 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 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: Luxembourg to London Gatwick

Departure date and time of flight: 17:35pm on the 11th of December 2007

Flight Number: BA8145

Flight duration: 1h 20m

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

Aircraft type: AIRBUS A319

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed from a very quiet Luxembourg airport - the terminal building is tiny! The flight landed on time at Gatwick.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Luxembourg. The airport terminal is just one small building with two separate doors, one for departures and another for arrivals. Not bad for an international airport!

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal:

A delicious (cold) egg and bacon roll was offered with the standard coffee, tea and other drinks.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

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

None

Comments on the 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 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 Class 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

Route: Amsterdam Schipol to London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 20:30pm on 16th of February 2008

Flight Number: KL1033

Flight duration: 1h 20m

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed around 20 minutes late at Heathrow due to the (normal) heavy traffic waiting to land. Our plane circled over North London at least 5 times before finally making the turn to land.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. I was transferring from a flight from Geneva at Amsterdam, so there were no problems. The wait was not too long.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just drinks, including wine. I choose “Solaris White Wine” and a miniature can of orangeade.

Comments regarding the first meal:

The food was the same as given on the Geneva to Amsterdam sector. I was on a connecting flight from Geneva to London. Normally I would take a non-stop flight for such a short sector, however I wanted to try what the service is like on KLM! The food consisted of a packet of the KLM Trademark “TUC” cheese miniature biscuits and a packet of “prine chocolate biscuits”.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. Including “Solaris White Wine” and soft 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 professionalism of the cabin crew:

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

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

The Boeing 737-800 is part of the Boeing family of aircraft, and is one of the smallest, as well as, most advanced versions of the type. The seat configuration is 3-3 in an all economy class layout. The interior design is based on the “Royal Dutch Blue” colour scheme.

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

Route: Geneva International to Amsterdam Schipol

Departure date and time of flight: 18:00pm on 16th of February 2008

Flight Number: KL1932

Flight duration: 1h 20m

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed around 5 minutes early at Amsterdam.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues at Geneva. Everything went smoothly as possible. The time taken from the check in process to the gate took around 20 minutes.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just drinks, including wine. I choose “Terra Andina Red Wine” and a miniature can of orangeade.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just a packet of the KLM Trademark “TUC” cheese miniature biscuits and a small chocolate cake ("Prince" brand). They were so good that I asked for another one! It was the only food available on this short flight!

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. Including “Terra Andina Red Wine” and soft 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 professionalism of the cabin crew:

One of the cabin crew members clearly seemed to have had a bad day at the office as she was seen asking a passenger seated two rows in front of me: “Sir, do you speak English?”. To which the passenger in question spoke back deliberately to challenge the question and said in clear English “No, I speak whatever you speak!”. The air hostess continued: “Sir, I am asking you, do you speak English? Please put on your seat belt, OK?, thats all I am asking”. After this remark, there seemed to be a certain heated exchange for around 5 minutes before another cabin crew member calmed things down and apologised to the passenger on behalf of the rather tired and rude cabin crew. I was very surprised and shocked to witness this on a flight as I have never come across a situation where the cabin crew actually are rude to the extent that they challenge the passengers! The rest of the flight seemed to be fine.

Improvements that could be made:

None

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

The Boeing 737-400 is part of the Boeing family of aircraft, and is one of the smallest versions of the type. The seat configuration is 3-3 in an all Economy Class layout. The interior design is based on the “Royal Dutch Blue” colour scheme.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 6

Route: Geneva International to London City

Departure date and time of flight: 17:55pm on 4th April 2008

Flight Number: LX356

Flight duration: 1h 35m

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Avro RJ100 Avroliner

Punctuality of the flight:

In the true Swiss way, the flight was on time, and likewise it landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. The check in process at Geneva did not take much time. Its not a medium sized airport, and normally on any given day it takes around 20 minutes on average to get from the check in desk to the gate.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

No pre-meal on this flight

Comments regarding the first meal:

Nothing. No sandwich or anything else. We were just offered the drinks and the Swiss chocolates!

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

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

We were offered the complimentary Swiss chocolates in the shape of a football because of the UEFA Euro 2008 was just around the corner! 

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None 

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

None

Comments on the 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:

Maybe some more food- such as sandwiches.

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

The Avro RJ100 Avroliner has a standard 2-2 layout in an all Economy Class. However, the Avro RJ100 is purely used a means of getting Europeans from main airports to smaller airports on short haul flights.

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

Route: London City to Geneva

Departure date and time of flight: 08:40am on 31st March 2008

Flight Number: LX443  

Flight duration: 1h 45m

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Avro RJ100 Avroliner

Punctuality of the flight:

In the true Swiss way, the flight was on time, and likewise it landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. As always, everything went perfectly smoothly at London City Airport. The timing to go from the check-in desk to the gate was around 15 minutes maximum (and this despite being the morning rush hour at London City).

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

No pre-meal on this flight

Comments regarding the first meal:

Nothing. No sandwich or anything else. We were just offered the drinks and the Swiss chocolates!

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

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

We were offered the customary complimentary Swiss chocolates in the shape of a football because of the UEFA Euro 2008 was just around the corner! 

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

The Avro RJ100 Avroliner has a standard 2-2 layout in an all Economy Class setup. However, the Avro RJ100 is purely used a means of getting Europeans from main airports to smaller airports on short haul flights.

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

Route: Amsterdam Schipol to Geneva International

Departure date and time of flight: 20:20pm on 10th of February 2008

Flight Number: KL1937

Flight duration: 1h 20m

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed around 10 minutes early at Geneva.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check-in issues. I was transferring from a flight from London at Amsterdam, so there were no problems. Amsterdam Schipol is a very large airport, and there are plenty of shops to while away the time!

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just drinks, including wine. I choose “Terra Andina Red Wine” and a miniature can of Orangeade.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just a packet of the KLM trademark “TUC” cheese miniature biscuits. They were so good that I asked for another one! It was the only food available on this short flight!

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal. Including “Terra Andina Red Wine” and soft 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 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:

None

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

The Boeing 737-400 is part of the Boeing family of aircraft, and is one of the smallest versions of the type. The seat configuration is 3-3 in an all Economy Class layout. The interior design is based on the “Royal Dutch Blue” colour scheme.

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

Route: London City Airport to Amsterdam

Departure date and time of flight: 16:35pm on 10th of February 2008

Flight Number: KL1564 

Flight duration: 1h 15m

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Fokker 50

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time (as always, and, as expected from a flight at London City Airport), and it landed around 10 minutes early.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: 


No check-in issues. As always, everything went perfectly smoothly at London City. The timing from checking In to the gate took around 15 minutes’ maximum, and this despite being the morning rush hour at London City.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Complimentary coffee and tea. A selection of other drinks (no alcohol) were offered.

Comments regarding the first meal: 

Bacon and tomato sandwiches, spread with provolone eggplant spread. The sandwiches seemed to have originated from Amsterdam and must have been carried on the in-coming flight to London City. Though they were fresh, and the cold bacon was edible for an afternoon tea at 27,000 feet over the North Sea as we made our way to Amsterdam!

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

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

None 

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None 

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

None

Comments on the 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:

None

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

The Fokker 50 was designed after sales of the Fokker F27 Friendship, which had been in continual production since 1958, were beginning to decline by the 1980s. Fokker management, notably Frans Swarttouw, decided that aircraft with aerodynamic and avionics updates, derived from both the Fokker F27 and the Fokker F28 (the short-range twin jet for 85 passengers), were sensible. The Fokker 50 can carry 50 passengers in a normal seating arrangement or up to 58 passengers in a high density arrangement. It has a range of over 2,000 km (1,243 mi, 1,080 nmi) at a speed of 530 km/h (329 mph, 286 kn), a 50 km/h (31 mph, 27 kn) increase over the Fokker F27. Design of the Fokker 50 started in 1983. Only 205 Fokker 50s were built. Last machine delivered in May 1997. The seats were not that comfortable. Even for an averagely tall man (5” 10”), I had to lean downwards in order to look through the window, and plus the seats were narrow. But the flight was not that long, and so it did not make that much difference.

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

Route: Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Shenzhen Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 15:30pm on the 10th of April 2010

Flight Number: MU5329

Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Class: Economy Class (only one class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A300-600R (a very old aircraft)

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight was delayed by over an hour and a half, and without any reason given.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

The check-in staff were polite, and very professional. There was no problem what so ever.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola). As with most of the airlines in China, the drinks (coca cola, orange etc.) were all branded under the China Eastern Airlines logo. There was no alcohol served on this flight.

Comments regarding the first meal:

“Lunch” consisted of a lovely soft cake slice (banana flavor), Apple flavored crisps, a slightly dry cinnamon pastry and beef flavored sweets. It was nothing exciting. It was just your average meal on a domestic flight with China Eastern Airlines.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal. Again, no alcohol was served.

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

In this very old A300 there was no IFE. To make matters worse my seat light was not working (and neither was the seat light of other nearby seats that I tried), the “Channel” and “Volume” button was not working either, and to make matters even more worse the “Flight attendant Call button” was not working either!

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

As with the standard of the majority of the Chinese airline companies, some of the staff were professional but their English level was below par international standards- perhaps Survival 2 or A1 in accordance with the European CEFR standard! (For Flight attendants’ the required English level should be around B2 globally!). The crew are aware that their airline is perhaps not up to the standards matchable to, say, airlines from western countries or that are seen to be more advanced.

Improvements that could be made:

The toilets need to be cleaner. The cabins were filthy and need to be cleaner. The seat IFE needs to be maintained properly. The in-flight food is a disgrace; however I fear that this would not improve as it’s the same for most Chinese airline companies. The staff speak poor English and this needs to be addressed seriously (i.e. what if there is an emergency?).

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

The aircraft was not clean at all. As with most aircraft that are operated by Chinese airlines, the cabin had a strong stench of urine and an air of discomfort. It was the kind of smell you may have got on an old Russian Aeroflot Il-62 or Il-86 aircraft! The seats, and aisles and the toilets were all filthy. I hate to moan and groan about these things but it is important to mention them.

The seats were comfortable but not clean. There was a horrible stench. I would think twice before flying with this airline company if I have to again. For long haul flights I would refrain from flying with them at all for many of the reasons outlined above (food, smell, health issues, language problems etc.).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 2

CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries).

Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet , as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London’s airports’. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Even when I used to live in Switzerland, I can say that around 90 percent of the time I used to fly with CityJet from Geneva to London. Don’t get me wrong, CityJet is not a no-frills airline like Easyjet or Ryanair. Unlike no-frills airlines, with CityJet you get to choose your seat, get complimentary high quality in-flight meals and are guaranteed to have all taxes and luggage items included in the cost of your flight ticket.

Unlike no-frills airlines there are no hidden costs whatsoever. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Orly, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet  to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group’s vast network. The buzz word is “CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe” and “London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area”. This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full.

CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.
 
Route: Amsterdam Schiphol International to London City Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 18th March at 19:00pm

Flight Number: VG247 (Has a VLM Code but was operated by CityJet)

Flight duration: 50m (excludes around 5 minutes for taxiing)

Class: Economy

Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146)

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The plane made a straight approach into London City Airport without circling around London. Another reason to use London City Airport is that, unlike the other airports around the Greater London area, there is no need for aircraft to hold and wait over London even during the peak hours.

Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: 


London City Airport is an airport which predominantly caters for the business community- with the close proximity to Canary Wharf, and the Square Mile. The beauty of arriving at London City Airport is that no matter what the time of the day it is and irrespective of how busy the airport terminal is, the process of catching a flight seems to be a very smooth one. There is no rush and no long queues for customs security.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service: 

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

Comments regarding the first meal: 


The passengers were treated to a cold cheese and coleslaw sandwich. One could not really ask for more on such a short flight. The quality of the food was good; the sandwich was fresh and scrumptious.

Comments regarding the drinks service: 


A second round of drinks were offered after the sandwiches.

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


Fox’s boiled sweets were offered by the cabin crew- given prior to take off, and also prior to landing at London City Airport.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None

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

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: 


Very professional and polite.

Improvements that could be made: 


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

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

The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It’s quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard “19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch” provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class cabin is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain.

Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as CityJet is part of the “Skyteam Group”, and the same partnership airline of AIR FRANCE KLM.  If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes’, seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way!

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

CityJet is a subsidiary airline of Air France, which is part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group (with whom you can fly to over 106 countries).

Flying to over 14 major destinations in Europe with 600 flights a week from London City Airport, CityJet, as far as I can confirm, provides the best service to Europe out of all the major airlines that operate from London’s airports’. As one of the major carriers that operate from this small, yet convenient and beautiful airport right in the heart of London, it is unofficially the airline of City Airport. Even when I used to live in Switzerland, I can say that around 90 percent of the time I used to fly with CityJet from Geneva to London.

Don’t get me wrong, CityJet is not a no-frills airline like Easyjet or Ryanair. Unlike no-frills airlines, with CityJet you get to choose your seat, get complimentary high quality in-flight meals and are guaranteed to have all taxes and luggage items included in the cost of your flight ticket. Unlike no-frills airlines there are no hidden costs whatsoever. CityJet flies to major International Airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Orly, Geneva, Milan, Dublin and others- and from these airports passengers can transfer to connecting international flights. In actual fact, CityJet and London City Airport are such a great combination that one can easily take a flight with CityJet to, say for example, Paris Orly, and then from there take Air France or Delta Airlines (part of the same Air France, Delta, KLM group) to a long haul destination anywhere on the group’s vast network.

CityJet is one of the few select airlines operating out of London City Airport that has a wide affinity with the sport of Rugby as well as with other key sponsorships, including "Temple Street Childrens' hospital" in Dublin, as well as "Fighting Blindness" funds world-leading research into cures and treatments for blindness. In regards to sport, CityJet are the proud sponsors of London Irish, and have their logo proudly displayed on the stands at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.

The buzz word is “CityJet is THE airline to fly with to Europe” and “London City Airport is the best airport in the Greater London Area”. This may be my personal opinion, but I am sure this is also the reason why most flights are full.

Route: London City Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol International

Departure date and time of flight: 16th March at 07:50

Flight Number: VG210 (Has a VLM Code but was operated by CityJet)

Flight duration: 1h 25m (excludes the 15 minute delay to the plane)

Class: Economy

Aircraft type: Avro Intl Aerospace Avroliner RJ85 (AKA BAe 146

Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around 30 minutes late because there was a delay in the in-coming flight, and so this had a domino effect for flights going back to Schiphol. Nevertheless, the actual flight only took around 30 minutes, and the overall delay was reduced to 15 minutes. If you live in London then I would highly recommend flying from London City Airport with CityJet. Its fast, it’s easy, it’s comfortable, and there is no hustle and bustle that you get at big airports like Heathrow or Gatwick (where you can fly with CityJet’s parent companies such as KLM and Air France). This is not just a personal viewpoint, but also a wider one too- one that is shared by many passengers, both corporate and leisure travellers. However, usually from past experience, I can confirm that 90 percent of the time there are no delays. The airport is compact; so there are no queues to get to the runway, so all the flights are usually on time.

Any baggage issues: There were no baggage delays on this flight.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No issues. London City Airport is an airport which predominantly caters for the business community- with the close proximity to Canary Wharf, and the Square Mile. The beauty of departing from London City Airport is that no matter what the time of the day it is and irrespective of how busy the airport terminal is, the process of catching a flight seems to be a very smooth one. There is no rush and no long queues for check-in or security. Indeed, most of the time you can easily complete the whole process, right from checking-in to the waiting lounge, in around 10-15 minutes. 

Comments regarding the pre-meal service: choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola)

Comments regarding the first meal: The passengers were treated to a cold cheese and coleslaw sandwich. One could not really ask for more on such a short flight. The quality of the food was good; the sandwich was fresh and scrumptious.

Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered after the sandwiches.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): Fox’s boiled sweets were offered by the cabin crew- sometimes prior to take off, and sometimes prior to landing. In our flight, dark chocolates were offered as a treat as well as the boiled sweets.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None

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

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: Very professional and polite.

Improvements that could be made: This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

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


The BAe 146 is one of the main types of aircraft which is able to operate from the short runway at London City Airport. It’s quiet, compact, beautiful, safe, and flies you from A to B in the same amount of time as any other jet plane. The seat layout is in a 3-3 formation with each seat being smaller than the standard “19 inch wide and 31 inch reclining pitch” provided on the large wide bodied aircraft. There is very little leg room. Even the Business Class cabin is small enough to be classed as part of the Economy Class seats- the only difference being that the seat formation is 2-2 (with a seat in between the Economy Class seats). Nevertheless, since the aircraft is only built for short haul flights lasting of no more than, say, 2 hours at the most, then there is no real reason to complain. Although saying this, it can be a shock for someone to step into the small frame of the BAe 146, especially if they have had been on a connecting flight from Amsterdam, and if their previous aircraft was a large wide body such as a Boeing 747-400 or Airbus A330 (as CityJet is part of the “Skyteam Group”, and the same partnership airline of AIR FRANCE KLM. 

If you love looking outside the window, and if happen to be in Economy Class, then be sure to choose a seat that is right at the back- otherwise your view will be somewhat obstructed by the engines (which are placed over the fuselage on the BAe 146). On all of the planes’, seat rows 4 to 8 have a restricted view- because the engines are in the way!

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

Route: London Heathrow to Frankfurt Main 

Departure date and time of flight: 20th February 2010 at 06:20am.

Flight Number: LH4743

Flight duration: 1h 55m (Includes the 20 minute delay at Heathrow- not the airline’s fault)

Class: Economy

Aircraft type: Airbus A321-200 

Punctuality of the flight: 

Departed half an hour late because someone accidentally switched off the underground fuel supply at Heathrow, and apparently there were only two emergency fuel trucks at a big airport such as Heathrow. So, therefore the plane landed about 20 minutes late (Captain flew fast!).

Any baggage issues: 

Yes, for some reason my luggage did not arrive on the flight! There were only 3 people with luggage on the flight, and mine was the only one that was left behind in London. It arrived on the next flight, and Lufthansa arranged it to be sent to my hotel. Although I did not, luckily, need to use it, Lufthansa gave me a Star Alliance Men’s grooming pack which contained the following:

1.       Complimentary white “Star Alliance T-Shirt” (XXL, but hey I never had to wear it!)
2.       Toothbrush
3.       Toothpaste (Colgate)
4.       Anti-Perspirant (Nivea)
5.       Schick shaving cream bottle
6.       Laundry detergent
7.       Shaving blade
8.       Cotton buds
9.       Neutrogena face wash
10.   A nice plastic bag
11.   Mouthwash
12.   Socks

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

My flight was one of the first ones out of Heathrow, so there was not that much hustle and bustle as one would expect at Heathrow. The staff were very polite, professional and assisting.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:


Choice of drinks (Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or Coca Cola)

Comments regarding the first meal: 

Choice of either a cheese and ham sandwich or an egg and salad sandwich. I chose the cheese and ham sandwich. On such a short flight, one cannot really ask for more!

Comments regarding the drinks service:


A second round of drinks were offered after the sandwiches.

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


None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):


None

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


None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:


Very professional and polite. This was especially true during the delay at Heathrow Airport when most of the passengers with onward connections from Frankfurt were worried about missing their connecting flights. The Lufthansa cabin crew were calm, and dealt with the issue in very professional manner- reassuring passengers of arrangements made in place by Lufthansa in case they missed their flight.

Improvements that could be made: 

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

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


The A321 has a standard 3-3 configuration for Economy Class and 2-2 for Business Class. Lufthansa has a clean and fresh looking interior. The airlines colours of yellow and navy blue are portrayed on the design of the seats.

Lufthansa German Airlines livery: 

The Lufthansa livery featured on all the aircraft consists of a navy blue coloured fin with a bright yellow encircled stylized crane in the middle. The fuselage belly of the aircraft is coloured grey while the rest of the aircraft is finished in a brilliant white. The words Lufthansa appears at both sides of the front fuselage in navy blue. A smaller and navy blue version of the encircled stylized crane is also displayed just behind the cockpit windows. The engines are coloured in a light grey colour.

The trademark Lufthansa logo, an encircled stylized crane in flight, was created in 1918 by Otto Firle. It was part of the livery of the first German airline, Deutsche Luft-Reederei which was known as DLH. In 1926, Deutsche Luft Hansa adopted this symbol, and in 1954, Lufthansa expressed continuity by adopting it.

The original creator of the name Lufthansa is a certain F.A. Fischer von Puturzyn. Lufthansa was the name given to the airline, which was a direct result from the merger of Junkers' airline (Luftverkehr AG) and Deutscher Aero Lloyd.



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

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 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 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 code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Frankfurt Main to London Heathrow

Departure date and time of flight: 20:25pm on the 22nd February 2010

Flight Number: BA913

Flight duration: 1h 40m

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319

Punctuality of the flight: 

Because Lufthansa Airlines was on strike that day so they placed me on this British Airways flight. The flight departed around twenty minutes late from Frankfurt Main due to the evening rush hour, and landed around 15 minutes late at Heathrow due to the normal evening rush hour! The plane had to hold over Biggin Hill in South East London. The plane had a long taxi at Frankfurt Main. But the main reason for the delay was the late arrival of the flight from London to Frankfurt in the first place.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: 

No check-in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Frankfurt- I had around an hour to while away in the waiting area.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service: 

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal: 

Since this was an European flight so not much was expected, but even then the usual sandwich was not offered. Instead a packet of “sky bites” (consisting of various nuts and seeds), and a small flapjack were on offer. It was not enough to fill you up but then again the flight was not too long. If I had taken the same flight, say, twenty years ago, a full meal with hot sandwich would have been provided even in Economy Class!

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 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 Class 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

Route: Paris CDG to London Heathrow Airport 

Departure date and time of flight: 19:05am on the 27th December 2009

Flight Number: AF1180

Flight duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: A319

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight was delayed taking off by around 5 minutes due to the evening rush hour traffic at Paris CDG Airport. Further more we were delayed by a further 10 minutes because we had to circle over London (Biggin Hill)- though the actually flying time from Paris airspace to London was around 30 minutes, the rest was spent just holding and waiting to take-off/land!.

Any baggage issues:

I was taking Air France on this connecting flight from Hong Kong via Paris CDG. Thankfully this time around there was no baggage issues, and I arrived in time with all my bags in tact! Air France do have a history of losing baggage during transit. 

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

None- it was all smooth. I had come into Paris early in the morning at around 5.50am from Hong Kong and stayed all day Paris for an 8 hour stopover. My bags were in transit- so all I had to do was go through security and onto the gate. Because of jet lag, I was not that tired (really!).

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Snacks consisting of butter cookies and “Tarallucci au Fenouil” (The French equivalent of pretzels?).

Comments regarding the first meal:

None

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

Just the above mentioned choices, along with drinks (Madame Minute orange and red wine)

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

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

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

My selected seat was changed when I got on board the plane. I could never forget the coldness in the eyes and body language of the French cabin crew member who did not offer a proper apology when I asked to bee assigned to the seat which I had selected. I am not sure what to write over here after my experience. In regards to the customer service that I was provided by the cabin crew, I would say that your average KFC employee would do a much better job.

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

Some of Air France’s seats are beautifully covered with seat covers that are coloured in blue, red and white (representing the national flag). Likewise, some of the planes are clean and well maintained- while the majority seem to across as they need the vacuum cleaner to be used again. 

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 3 (the quality of the seats, customer service, and the unkept interior of the aircraft let down the flight)

Route: Shanghai Hongqiao to Guangzhou Baiyun International

Departure date and time of flight: 19:45pm on the 23rd December 2009

Flight Number: CZ3504

Flight duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 777-200LR

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Hongqiao Airport. I find the operations at Hongqiao much more efficient than those at Pudong Airport. It’s not that busy, which makes it easy for the speedy whisk through security and onto the departure gates.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee.  

Comments regarding the first meal:

The dinner box contained the following interesting items: apple chips (tasted more like wine flavoured crisps), a plain and boring bun, a few slices of melon and a packet containing preserved spicy pickle which you can put onto the main food. The main hot dish contained a very generous portion of healthy chicken noodles and vegetables. The food did not look edible, but in saying this I was impressed with the taste of the chicken noodles- not bad actually (though it did look like as if someone had stamped their feet onto the chicken noodles).

Comments regarding the drinks service:

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

Improvements that could be made:

I cannot really comment much on the in-flight food or the environment because it was not a long flight. But it was acceptable for a short 2-hour flight- all I can say is that I had a good sleep when I went home and I had no stomach problems.

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

The 777-200 plane had a seat configuration of 3-4-3 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.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):

7 (sorry but the food lets the flight down)

Route: Shenzhen to Shanghai Hongqiao

Departure date and time of flight: 07:50am on the 19th December 2009

Flight Number: HO1152

Flight duration: 2hours

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No-check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Shenzhen- the process from checking in to going to the gate took only around 15 minutes.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just drinks- included “Mengyiu” milk (Chinese branded milk) and Chinese branded cola and orange juice.

Comments regarding the first meal:

All we got was a stylish carton containing a “Mengyiu” milk carton and a “bun” filled with a slice of ham and some butter. The flight was too short and really you could not ask for more in China. In Europe it is a different story, but for a 2 hour flight, the contents provides were of a decent quality.

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 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:

None...everything seemed to be OK. Juneyao Airlines has a good service because it is a private carrier, unlike most of the other Chinese carriers.

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

The A320 had a standard 3-3. Unlike most other Chinese carriers, Juneyao has their own branded interior which consists of Purple coloured seats, and matching cushions. The toilets were clean and well maintained. There was no bad smell in the cabin (sometimes plane cabins do smell).

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

Route: Beijing Capital Airport to London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 24th November 2009 at 12:35pm

Flight Number: CA937

Flight duration: 11 hours 20 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A330-200

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time; however we landed around 20 minutes late because of the afternoon traffic at Heathrow.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

The check-in staff were polite, and very professional. There was no problem what so ever.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola). As with most of the airlines in China, the drinks (coca-cola, orange etc.) were all branded under the Air China logo. Alcohol was also served on this flight (including Tsingtao beer!)

Comments regarding the first meal:

Lunch was served almost straight after take off (say around about 20 minutes). This was a good thing because that gave plenty of time for the passengers to have a good rest for this rather long flight (also taking into account that for the flight to London we had to add an hour because there is no trailing jet stream to help us).

I couldn’t help resist to see what was in store for me when I got my meal. It was the kind of feeling one would get when you are presented with a gift or a surprise toy whilst at school. Well, after opening the package of the main meal, I could not help but think why on earth did I travel by Air China. When one looks at the quality of the food you wonder why did manage to travel by Air China!

Hey, I am not going to moan about everything, and yes, the presentation was good. However, just take a look at the main dish and you will see if I have anything interesting to write about. The main course was chicken, boiled potatoes and mushrooms with rice and some boiled lettuce- nothing exciting and certainly not tasty enough. Nevertheless, it was filling for the stomach. There was a delicious salad (always is delicious) with a cherry tomato (always with just one piece if cherry tomato!) and some shredded cucumber and lettuce. There were two round slices of Salami as well- Not bad.

In true Chinese style of meals there was no real dessert except the fruit bowl that consisted of melon and watermelon (Chinese meals seldom contain cakes or chocolate puddings as desserts- only have fruit).

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal.

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

Passengers could help themselves to complimentary drinks (including alcohol) if they wished. However no nuts or other snacks were available.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

This must have been the first flight I have taken where both the meals were “lunch” (or late lunch). The second meal was served around an hour prior to landing at Heathrow and we must have been over Amsterdam. The presentation of the second meal was good. This time around we were treated to sweet and sour pork (we had this on the trip to China from London as well) with boiled vegetables and boiled white rice. I wouldn't say this was a five star quality meal but hey this food was good- not just adequate as in the previous meal which was served after we took off from Beijing. It was so good that we were treated to a sauce of “thousand island dessert” to spread across our salad that contained lovely shredded carrot and cauliflower.

Forget the bun with the butter, the highlight of this meal was the double chocolate chic cake presented to us in a neat rectangular fashion. After being in China for such a long time, it was a nice feeling to eat the lovely piece of real chocolate cake. In China usually you get the Chinese style western cake that tastes like a hard sponge because the chefs have not used the evaporated milk of the best quality (or they have not used milk that is similar to say that used for Anchor butter etc.). Maybe because this flight was heading out of its Headquarters, so therefore the food was far more fresher than that offered on the flight in from London to Beijing.

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

The A330 aircraft had a back seat IFE system- however to my surprise not many of the channels worked. In fact, the only English channel that worked was the BBC Radio Worldwide service; and the rest were Chinese songs and movies. There were no games to be played. Having looked at the in-flight magazine, I could see that not everything advertised was available on the IFE.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

For the international flight, all the staff could speak adequate levels of English, and were very professional. No major problems what so ever.

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

Air China has a wide variety of aircraft- and the contrast between the good, the bad and the ugly cannot get any worse than with its range of aircraft types. To my surprise for an international flight this aircraft was not clean at all. As with most aircraft that are operated by Chinese airlines, for some reason the cabin had a stench of urine and an air of discomfort. It was the kind of smell you may have got on an old Russian Aeroflot Il-62 or Il-86 aircraft! The seats were comfortable but for some reason there was a smell of urine everywhere, and I wonder why. It did not really help me to sleep either. I asked the air hostess to put some air freshener but they did not have any. It just spoilt the whole mood of flying.

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

Route: London Heathrow Airport to Beijing Capital Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 17th November 2009 17:40pm

Flight Number: CA938

Flight duration: 10 hours 20 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A330-200

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed and landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

The check in staff were polite, and very professional. There was no problem what so ever.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola). As with most of the airlines in China, the drinks (coca-cola, orange etc.) were all branded under the Air China logo. Alcohol was also served on this flight (including Tsingtao beer!)

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take-off. The main dish consisted of sweet & sour pork served with boiled white rice and a few sticks of pea pods. The pork looked as if someone had stamped on it. Mind you, this food was not freshly packed at Heathrow, but in fact was the stored food on the flight that had come in from Beijing that same afternoon. So actually the “dinner” which I was about to put down my throat was around about 24 hours old- hope that puts things into perspective! It didn't taste as bad as it looked- let’s just keep it at that for now. The pork blended in nicely with the sauce and the rice. The accompanying dishes were made up of a salad bowl (nothing special by Air China except that there was a splosh of mayonnaise cream along with the single slice of cucumber and a single tomato slice (yep, apparently that’s meant to fill in for your healthy options!!).

Oh, you wouldn't want to know what was in for a dessert- would you? Well, it was meant to be an apple crumble, but one that had gone horribly wrong. Because the in-flight meal had been stored in the aircraft’s fridge, so when the crew served the meals, they somehow forgot to “thaw” the apple crumble that had been in the fridge. So what you had was passengers’ being served a very cold (and slightly hard to bite) apple crumble that had been not only in the fridge but also had been exposed to sub-zero temperatures while it had been in the hold (because the flight route in from Beijing took the plane over Siberia and Russia etc). Can it get any worse? Can you imagine if the passengers had any health problems in international airspace, and if the pilot had to do a diversion, and the amount of millions it would have cost the airline?

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):

Breakfast was served around about two hours before landing (too early I think). Looking at the quality of the omelette, the chicken nuggets and the sausage- this meal was again packed and stored onto the aircraft in Beijing and not in London. There was nothing “fresh” about this meal. The omelette tasted as if it had been in the fridge for some time. Serving chicken nuggets in an in-flight meal is not the best thing because fried food tastes bland and very chewy at 37,0000 feet!! Another bad innovation by Air China’s in-flight catering department.

A delicious pot containing strawberry yogurt was served with the meal. This could easily have been a substitute for the highlight of the whole in-flight food service on this flight! The lovely bowl of fresh fruit was also very good. Presentation could easily have been better for Air China’s international service- I mean; come on this is a national flag carrier of one of the biggest countries on this planet! The slightly soggy tasting croissant was not too bad either.

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

The A330 aircraft had a back seat IFE system- however to my surprise not many of the channels worked. In fact, the only English Channel that worked was the BBC Radio Worldwide service; and the rest were Chinese songs and movies. There were no games to be played. Having looked at the in-flight magazine, I could see that not everything advertised was available on the IFE.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

For the international flight, all the staff could speak adequate levels of English, and were very professional. The highlight of the flight was when the majority of the Economy Class staff gathered around me whilst I was taking photos of the lovely mountains over the Gobi Desert and over the outskirts of Beijing.

Improvements that could be made:

Whilst the toilets were clean, however the cabins were filthy and need to be cleaner. The seat IFE needs to be maintained properly. The in-flight food is a disgrace; however I fear that this would not improve as it’s the same for most Chinese airline companies. Rather scary but upon our arrival in Beijing (whilst on the ground and taxiing to the terminal) our aircraft electricity failed for around 5 minutes- thank god this did not happen whilst in flight!

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

The aircraft was not clean at all. As with most aircraft that are operated by Chinese airlines, the cabin had a strong stench of urine and an air of discomfort. It was the kind of smell you may have got on an old Russian Aeroflot Il-62 or Il-86 aircraft! The seats were comfortable but for some reason there was a smell of urine everywhere, and I wonder why.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 5

Route: Beijing Capital to Kunming International

Departure date and time of flight: 14:30pm on the 17th November 2009

Flight Number: CA4170 (Operated by Shandong Airlines on behalf of Air China)

Flight duration: 3 hours 10 minutes

Class: Economy Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800NG

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time and landed on time.

Any baggage issues:

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

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Beijing Capital Airport. I was on a transit flight in from the UK with Air China, and so this was a code share flight with Air China.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee.  

Comments regarding the first meal:

All we got was a Chinese style “burger”. What seemed like a hard laborious effort of the Air China chefs’ to create the perfect in-flight burger turned into a disaster. It tasted more like one of those deep fried potato pastries. No wait a minute, it tasted more like an expired hot dog. I took one bite and that was enough. Air China and their partners’ Shandong Airlines have a long way to go in terms of in-flight food.

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 of professionalism of the cabin crew:

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

Improvements that could be made:

The in-flight food drastically needs be improved for a flight of 3 hours. Just an attempt at serving a hot Chinese style burger does not seem to justify the costs that people are paying for this flight (or any flight that is over 3 hours). It was horrible.

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

The 737-800 plane had a seat configuration of 3-3 with an all Economy Class seat set up. The plane was clean and the toilets were clean too.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 3