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

Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) - HONG KONG (HKG)

Departure date and time of flight: June 2015, 18:30 local time (London)

Flight number: BA31 (ICAO callsign: “Speedbird 31 heavy”)

Flight duration: 11 Hours 45 minutes

Cabin: Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus)

Aircraft type: Airbus A380-841 (10 aircraft in service)
 
Aircraft registration: G-XLEG (First flight 24th April 2014)
 
Engines: Four x Rolls Royce Trent 970
 
Aircraft Serial Number: 161
 
Frequent flyer programme: Executive Club
 
Seat configuration for this aircraft:
 
First Class: 14 seats in a 1-1-1-1 configuration on the main deck
Club World (Business Class): 97 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration,
World Traveller Plus (Premier Economy Class): 55 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration
World Traveller Class (Economy Class): 303 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight was on time, and landed in Hong Kong around ten minutes early. Having taken the route many times, I know it quite well.

Any baggage issues:
 
No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. You click here to see British Airways’ requirements for baggage. Because I am an Executive Club member, therefore I was able to take two pieces of luggage of 32kg each.

Comments on the check-in:

Checked-in my three pieces of luggage at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the base terminal for British Airways. There is no separate check-in for Premium Economy passengers, however, there are plenty of dedicated check-in counters for Economy Class passengers. The check-in process was very quick and smooth. From the moment I checked in my luggage to going through security took around 15-minutes.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and a selection of wines and Scotch whiskeys were offered along with a packet of “sour cream and chive” flavour pretzel nuggets. I opted to take the gin and tonic with the pretzels.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take-off (around 19:45 local time in London), and our plane was around 25 miles west of Paris heading towards German airspace. Dinner consisted of chicken tikka masala served with vegetables and basmati rice. This was accompanied with a soft bread along with a bowl of giant couscous and white rice with lemon dressing. There was also a Chinese option, too (egg-fried rice).
 
For dessert there was a generous helping of mango and strawberry sauce (another option was the dark chocolate mousse with butterscotch sauce). All meals were generously served with a bottle of “Gleneagles mineral water”. Not a bad dinner before going to sleep on this long-haul flight (not to mention the rather long queue to the toilets so everyone can brush their teeth etc. before saying goodnightJ).

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 wine. I had to make the most of the food (OK, its only airline food), as I knew that this was perhaps the last British style food I would get for a long time. Western food in China is just not the same.

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

For the overnight flight, passengers were able to help themselves to a selection of “Hobnob” chocolate biscuits and “Hotpot” noodles from the galley. There was also the selection of complimentary drinks on offer.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

Breakfast was served around an hour and half prior to landing at Hong Kong International. Our plane had just past Kunming in Yunnan Province and we were heading straight towards Guangdong. The flight took us over Guangzhou, then Zhongshan, Macau and then finally entering the Hong Kong Peninsula from the east to make a landing in from the south into runway 25L at Chep Lap Kok.
 
There was a choice of either a Western breakfast or a Chinese breakfast. I went for the former as I knew I would be eating a Chinese breakfast every day for the next few months! Nothing beats the feeling of eating microwave food at 37,000 feet (and yes, airline food is all heated an hour before serving- so it’s not fresh!). The sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs all tasted as if it was freshly cooked. I had ordered a special meal, so I got a fruit bowl (Dole). Breakfast was accompanied with hot tea, and coffee, as well as green tea.

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

The in-flight system was working without any problems. This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with 120 CD's and several radio programs, including the BBC. A USB and RCA interface is provided in each class, allowing passengers to play music or watch videos from their own entertainment device on their inflight television. Enhanced earphones are provided in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. Headphones are also complimentary in World Traveller.
 
All seats have an 110V AC power port socket, which accept UK or US plugs. USB ports are also available at each seat.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

All 18 members of 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 Economy Premium seat on British Airways has a pitch of 38 inches and a width of 18.5- this is similar to the old Business Class seat, which is still available on some airlines which have older aircraft. This seat is perfect for busy professionals who don’t want to spend around £3,000 for a Business Class seat, and want to a bit more comfort than an Economy Class seat. The seat is spacious enough so that someone of a height of around 6 feet can have a comfortable rest for a long-haul journey.
 
Premium Economy passengers are provided with the same style of amenity kit bag, but one that contains a pen, and a better quality socks and eyeshades! I was provided a Club World amenity kit as well.

British Airways logo and livery: 
 
Based on the original logo, and design that featured on Concorde, the current British Airways logo was designed in 1997 by Newell & Sorrell. The colours are blue, and red. The additional colour is grey. All aircraft feature the word ‘BRITISH AIRWAYS’ in blue (British Airways uses its proprietary typefaces Mylius Sans and Mylius Serif, both designed by Rodney Mylius at Newell & Sorrell.), printed below the windows (and before the wing). On the 747 aircraft, the words appear above the main deck windows and just before the wing. Just before the cockpit windows and, at the front of the words, BRITISH AIRWAYS, there is a dash of the flag, which looks like an upside down tick. It starts with a navy blue, and the ‘flair’ of the logo is coloured in red.
 
The engines of all the aircraft are painted in a matching navy blue. The bellies of all British Airways aircraft are painted in royal navy blue. The tailfin consists of an elegant version of the national flag of the United Kingdom, The Union Jack. It gives the feeling of a flag flying on the tail. Overall, the British Airways logo portrays elegance, romance, flair, and a touch of true British patriotism. It’s easy to identify for passengers, and also Air Traffic Controllers.
  
Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

Route: Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport to Guiyang Airport

Departure date of flight: December 31 2014, 7pm

Flight number: CZ6170

Flight duration: 2 hours 40 minutes

Class: Premium Economy Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-800
 
Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed on time on a rainy and dark evening in Hangzhou. This was rare because even under normal weather conditions, most flights are delayed in China, and for the flight to depart to depart on time during rain was something to cheer about, I guess.  

Any baggage issues:
 
No issues- I only had hand luggage.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at check-in at Hangzhou Airport. The check-in gates for domestic flights to second and third tier cities, such as Guiyang are located in the A-section of the departures building (though this may change later). For an airport the size of Hangzhou, it is somewhat underused and quieter than it should be (the international departures terminal is practically dead quiet 80% of the time).

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Herbal Chinese tea, orange juice and some other drinks, including tea and coffee. 

Comments regarding the first meal:

For this two-hour flight, a choice of two dishes (Chinese) for dinner. One was noodles with seafood, or chicken with rice. I opted to take the chicken with rice.
 
The main hot dish contained delicious rice, along with various bits of chicken cubes- quite edible for a short-haul flight.
 
A tray containing the following was included:

1. A couple of buns
2. A packer of Chinese crackers (herbs sprinkled on them)
3. A small pot of mineral water offered by Bilin.
4. Vegetables cut.

 
The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee (and beer if needed).
 
Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. There was also local Yanjing beer (Guangzhou brand).

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

None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew seemed proud to work for China Southern Airlines, and were very welcoming.

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

The China Southern Airlines Boeing 737-800 uses:
 
Economy Class/Premium Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches
First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches

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

Route: London Heathrow Airport to Shanghai Pudong Airport

Departure date and time of flight:

May, 2014 at 3pm

Flight Number: VS250 (Callsign: Virgin 250 heavy)

Flight duration: 12 Hours 10 minutes

Aircraft Registration: G-VEIL

Aircraft Name: Queen of the Skies

First flight: 18/02/2004

Delivery flight: 08/04/2004

Aircraft Serial Number: 575

Engines: 4 x Rolls Royce Trent 556-61

Class: Economy Premium Class

Configuration:

First Class: 45

Economy Premium Class: 38

Economy Class: 233

Aircraft type: Airbus A340-642

There are four variants of the Airbus A340 aircraft; the A340-200 and A340-300 were launched in 1987 with introduction into service in March 1993, while the longer versions A340-500 and A340-642 were launched in 1997 with introduction into service in 2002. The Airbus A340-642 is the longest aircraft in the Airbus family, and is powered by 4 engines.

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight pushed back from the terminal on time at a cloudy Heathrow and landed on time in a very cloudy and humid Shanghai.

Comments on the check-in and baggage issues:

No check-in issues. Virgin Atlantic Airways international flights operate from Heathrow’s Terminal 3, where the airline has a separate building for check-in. Premium Economy class passengers have dedicated check-in counters.  

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Premium Economy passengers are offered hot hand towels and sparkling champagne prior to take-off.

After take-off, Premium passengers are served with pre-meal snacks of sour cream & cheese ‘Pen State Pretzels’ served with a choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade). There was a choice of red or white wine.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Since this was a late afternoon flight, the crew did not delay in distributing the lunch meal- and so the service commences only around 45 minutes into the flight.

Starter:

Mixed leaf and cherry tomato salad

With herb dressing. Simple but appetising and healthy.

Choices for the main courses consisted of:

Cottage Pie
Minced beef with crusted mashed potato and chive top.

Sweet Chilli Chicken
In a sweet, spicy, sticky sauce with egg noodles, red pepper, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and chopped spring onion.

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
Pasta tubes filled with creamy ricotta and spinach. A delight for vegetarians.

I went for the spinach.

The dessert consisted of a delicious chocolate profiterole cake and olive oil and salt crackers with cream cheese.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal (and again consisting of “Virgin Cola!”)

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

The in-flight galley was open throughout the flight. Passengers could help themselves to a selection of “Mcvities flapjacks”, “Walkers Scottish Shortbread”, and “Nestle muffins”, as well as a selection of complimentary hot and cold drinks (including tea and coffee). Hot pot noodles were also on offer. 

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

Around an hour and half prior to landing at Shanghai Pudong, we were treated to breakfast. There were two choices: An English breakfast, or a Chinese breakfast (congee).

I opted for the English breakfast, which consisted of a scrambled egg, pork sausage, back bacon, baked beans, sliced potatoes and button mushrooms.

The sausages tasted as if they were cooked minutes ago, and the baked beans were just too good. The scrambled eggs and the bacon was just perfectly cooked too. Accompanying the main dish was a bottle of Tropicana orange juice, pain aux raisin and fruit yoghurt. 

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

The in-flight system was working without any problems. All the channels were showing the same as it was listed in the in-flight magazine.

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

The Airbus A340-642 has a standard 2-4-2 layout in Economy class and a 2-3-2 in Premium Economy class.

With a seat pitch of 38 inches, and a seat width of 21 inches, the Economy Premium seats on Virgin Atlantic Airways are very comfortable, and some of the most spacious in the industry. Especially for a daytime flight, it was very comfortable. Empower ports are available at all Upper Class and Premium Economy seats. You will need an adaptor to use these ports. There is no power units available in Economy. Audio Visual on Demand is available with a variety of movie and television programmes; children's channels and video games. The system aboard this aircraft is Virgin's V:Port system, which provides 14 channels and 45 CDs of Audio on Demand.

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

Delta Airlines is a major American airline company with its headquarters in the city of Atlanta, Georgia State. Founded on the 30th of May 1924, the airline has a rich history of over 80 years, and has gone through a global expansion by merging with the former Northwest Airlines to serve 247 destinations using 719 state-of-the-art modern, and young aircraft (155 of those aircraft are leased). The average of the fleet is 17 years, which is still relatively acceptable compared with the number of aircraft they have in service. The airline is part of the SkyTeam Alliance program, and has fruitful partnerships with KLM Air France. Amsterdam and Paris are two of the airline’s major hubs outside of the USA.

For flights between the U.K. and the U.S.A. Delta Airlines flies non-stop between six American cities and two British cities. At the time of writing these were: Between Manchester and Atlanta (1 non-stop daily flight), London Heathrow and Atlanta (3 non-stop flights daily), London Heathrow and Detroit (1 non-stop daily flight), London Heathrow and Boston (1 non-daily daily flight), London Heathrow and Minneapolis/St Paul (1 non-stop daily flight), and London Heathrow and New York JFK (3 non-stop daily flights). With its unsurpassed global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer services to more than 300 destinations in nearly 60 countries on six continents.

This was my first time I had come to the US, and the first time I had come to Detroit (out of all places). It was a trip to remember. I was on the flight from London Heathrow to Detroit on Delta Airlines’ Boeing 767-400ER to check out their Economy Comfort Class seat (another word for Premium Economy Class), cabin, and service:

Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) to DETROIT (DTW)

Departure date and time of flight: April 2013

Flight number: DL19 (ICAO callsign: “Delta 19 heavy”)

Flight duration: 8 Hours and 25 minutes

Class: PREMIUM ECONOMY CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 767-432ER (21 aircraft in service)

Unit cost of each Boeing 767-432ER: US$200.8 million (2013)

Aircraft registration: N844MH (First flight 4th March 2002)

Engine Type: GE CF6-80C2B7F (x 2 mounted under the wings)

Aircraft Serial Number: 29717 - line 871

Frequent flyer programme: SkyMiles

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

Business Elite: 40 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration,
Economy Comfort: 28 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration
Economy Class: 178 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration

Comments on the check-in process, and any issues:

The check-in process is pretty smooth and easy. Delta Airlines flies from Terminal 4 at Heathrow, which is not as busy as the other terminals. Terminal 4 now handles most of the airlines under the SkyTeam Alliance Group, and hence why Delta Airlines is based here.

One thing I did notice about flying with Delta is that they are very strict about security. This was my 2nd time in my life I have flown with an American airline company. I once flew with United Airlines from Singapore to Hong Kong and vice-versa in 2003 and sadly did not document that flight. However, the security for the flight I took in 2003 was not as stringent as for this flight simply because 1. I was flying in a post-terrorism era, and, 2. I was flying to the U.S.A. from the U.K. (two countries on the attack list for terrorist organisations).

Even though I had been checked by airport security, and given the all clear, some passengers (including myself!) were asked to take our shoes, belts, and jackets off AT the gate just before boarding. Sadly, gone are the days when you could make a tongue in cheek remark at the security staff, and even if you say things like ‘Hey, come on chaps, cut me some slack, I’m a nice guy…not a terrorist!’, you bet your bottom dollar that you’ll get an ugly stare back (I did!). They asked me to take my shoes AND socks off, my belt, watch, cuff-links…and anything that set off the magnetic hand scanner. I was carrying my Canon DSLR camera with me in trademark fashion. They searched the camera bag and the camera inside out (including the lens, sim-card, battery, and the lot!). I can say that after all those checks it was a nice feeling to know that we were one of  the safest planes in the sky that morning. No wonder why the crew looked so happy, and they seemed to be enjoying their job so much.

While it was all embarrassing for a well-dressed Asian man to go through the humiliation of being searched right at the gate of an aircraft (by the way I have to add that most passengers, irrespective of colour, were passing by without being stopped), I could understand their reasons for being paranoid, and extra vigilant about security.  

I don’t blame them. You may recall that on December 25th 2009, a Nigerian man called Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (nicknamed the ‘Underpants Bomber’...check this report), took a Northwest Airlines (now part of Delta Airlines) flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Abdulmutallab, a graduate of University College London (UCL), attempted to detonate plastic explosives hidden in his underwear while the aircraft was on it’s decent into Northern Detroit.

Sadly, and out of bad coincidence, the Boston Marathon bombings happened the same weekend that I had arrived in Detroit. This meant that MOST passengers flying into American cities from that day onwards, (including Detroit), were grilled for longer than usual at customs. I saw quite a few sniffer dogs at the baggage carousel too – much more than I had seen than any other flight I have taken before. I was thinking to myself ‘wow, so this is America!’.

Any baggage issues:

The first luggage bag up to 23KG (for Economy and Economy Comfort Class passengers) is free, and the same applies for the first bag up to 32kg for Business Class passengers. There are extra charges on luggage carried beyond that, and if the weight of the bag exceeds the listed amount. Out of most of the airlines I have flown with in my experience, I have found that Delta Airlines is very particular on this policy and quite regimental on it. For example, my luggage exceeded by around 1kg and the check-in staff gave me the option of either paying an extra USD$75 or take the extra 1kg out of the luggage. 

It didn’t matter how nicely I spoke to the check-in lady, she was determined to stick to the company policy. Whereas on other airlines (cannot give names) sometimes they are a bit more flexible. On this occasion the interesting thing was that the flight was not even full (only around 70% full). I assumed that either this was how Delta Airlines operated or that the check-in person may have had a tough day at the office. I obliged and took the extra 1kg of luggage out (my gym shoes and a jacket) rather than pay the extra USD$75.

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time from Heathrow’s runway 27R heading straight out towards the West of England over Cardiff, and then over to the Republic of Ireland. After passing Shannon control, we entered the busy Atlantic Ocean airspace. After around 6 hours, we entered Canadian airspace over Gander, then over the Gulf of St Lawrence, before making a straight approach through Quebec State and down towards Detroit (coming in from Lake Heron, Sarnia, and Lake St. Clair). ‘Delta 19 Heavy’ landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule on Runway 21R at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

A choice of welcoming drinks and champagne was served for those in Economy Comfort Class.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

I drank plenty of water and orange juice as this was an early morning flight (to keep me from being dehydrated). The orange juice had a pleasingly fresh-squeezed flavour. Mini-pretzels and lightly salted peanuts were served in cute little Delta branded plastic packets (complete with the Delta logo).

Comments regarding the first meal:

Inspired by culinary treats from around the world, Delta Airlines in-flight dining experience offers mouth-watering dishes created by award-winning chefs. A light snack was served around 45 minutes after take-off. Since this was a late morning/early afternoon flight, so the meal service was not so heavy.  

There were two options for the main meal:

1.    Italian style Tuna Pasta with Italian herbs, garnished with plenty of homemade tomato sauce.
2.    Beef Lasagne with basil and tomato, sautéed green bean, and carrots

I opted for the tuna pasta option. It was nice to see a creative dish such as this being provided as an airline meal. What you normally tend to find on some other airlines is that the quality of the ingredients’, the style of the cooking, and the type of the meal is not well cooked and nothing special (normally it’s just simple like chicken with rice, beef with rice etc.). Airline companies, such as Delta, have been cutting down on in-flight meals in recent years to cut costs. So therefore, it was no surprise that the meal tray was not as full of food as you may have got in years gone by.

Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of fresh seasoned salad, Jacob’s crackers and cheese, and a warm bread bun from the basket.

For dessert, there was a helping of chocolate chip cookies from the brand Café Bronte. In Economy Class, Delta Airlines still provides plastic cutlery to the passengers.

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

A second round of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (including any coffee, tea and beverages) were offered. I opted to drink plenty of still mineral water. Most people don’t realise but drinking water is the best option when flying because it helps to keep you dehydrated as well as keeping your skin fresh and naturally moist (this can also help with the effects of jetlag according to some medics).

The drinks offered on Delta Airlines include:

·         Coca-Cola® Classic
·         Diet Coke
·         Coca-Cola Zero
·         Sprite
·         Fresca
·         Bottled Water
·         Seagram's Club® Soda
·         Seagram's Tonic Water
·         Seagram's Dry Ginger Ale
·         Milk
·         Tea
·         Seattle’s Best regular and decaffeinated coffee
·         Starbucks® coffee (flights between JFK and LAX, SFO or SEA)
·         Minute Maid® Orange Juice
·         Minute Maid Cranberry Apple Cocktail
·         Minute Maid Apple Juice
·         Motts Tomato Juice
·         Mr. & Mrs. "T" Bloody Mary mix 

Comments regarding the second meal:

The second meal, a very light snack, was offered around an hour and half before landing at Detroit. A warm ‘three-cheese calzone’, and a tub of ‘dame blanche choco cream’ by MIO were presented to the passengers. I am not sure if the hot/cold and the sweet/salted taste contrasts would have gone fine with the 200-odd passengers taste-buds, but I just stuck to eating the warm pasty, and politely left the cold ice-cream for later. It was no doubt good stuff nevertheless.

A final round of drinks was completed. This included a selection of beverages, soft drinks, juices, tea, and coffee.

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

Pocket sized headphones were offered in the Economy Comfort Class cabin. The PTV screens on the Boeing 767-400ER are placed behind every Economy Comfort Class seat. The Delta Airlines advanced, touch-screen digital entertainment system, located right at of the seat, puts you in charge of your entertainment options. The user friendly system allows the passengers to watch, listen or play - choosing from up to 300 movies, HBO, SHOWTIME, 18 channels of live satellite TV on select flights, 4500+ songs, TV and games, including in-flight trivia.

The good thing is that Delta Airlines gives passengers the chance to have access to Wi-Fi (there is a fee). Since August 2008 Delta passengers have had access to the Aircell mobile broadband network, Gogo, which enables customers travelling with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smart phones and PDAs, to access the Internet for a fee. Delta has the largest fleet of Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft in the world. The airline announced that it will offer Wi-Fi on international flights beginning early 2013.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew on Delta Airlines came across to be very friendly, caring and knowledgeable about all things to do with not just the flight or aircraft, but also the destinations as well. Immediately as you enter the plane, you can tell that you have already arrived in America without leaving the ground. That amazing American accent just hits you straight, and it feels very international. I think Delta’s crew are a great symbol of unity. I have nothing bad to say about the crew, they were awesome, and very professional.  

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

Delta Airlines have three cabins in their Boeing 767-400ER (76D) aircraft. The Business Elite cabin (Business/First Class) has 40 flatbed seats, each with a width of 21 inches, and can stretch out to 81.6 inch (around 6 feet).

There are 28 Economy Comfort Class seats, and each seat has a width of 17.9 inches (narrow by most airline standards), and a pitch of 35 inches (50% more leg room than in Economy Class).

There are 178 seats in the Economy Class cabin, and each seat has a width of 17.9 inches, and a pitch of around 32 inches maximum (not comfortable for anything over 6 hours). While the Economy Class seats are generously spaced out in a 2-3-2 layout, the comfort of the seat is only beneficial if one person has allocation to 2 seats (in most cases this would not be the fact- especially if the flight is full). It would make it even more of an uncomfortable flight experience if the passenger is pregnant, elderly, disabled, tall (leg room may become limited), or slightly oversized. On the whole the seats are comfortable, but like any other Economy Class seat, if you wish to go to the toilet during a red-eye flight (i.e. night flight) and your neighbour is happily snoring away, it can be tricky to bypass that situation,

It goes without saying that these are facts that airlines are taking into account, and airline manufacturers are always looking into improving so that the flight experience (which is equally important as the safety of the flight. Note: everything else including in-flight entertainment/food etc. is secondary when it comes to flying.) 

Safety and passenger comfort should always be every airlines number one priority. As Delta Airlines is one of the world’s biggest airline companies used by so many people every day, it would be interesting to note how Delta Airlines plans to improve the seat comfort aspects on their planes. The harsh reality of aviation is that seats are getting narrower, flight tickets are becoming more expensive (except perhaps low-budget airlines), and added in with a few other factors it could end up in a positive way or a negative one.    

Delta Airlines logo and livery: 

Back in the days, Delta Airlines was a pioneer when it came to having an airline livery. Delta's current livery, "Upward & Onward", uses four colors (navy blue, light red, dark wine red, and white. It features a "widget" (triangle) on each aircraft's vertical stabilizer to refer to Delta's origins as a carrier in the Mississippi Delta. All aircraft have a white fuselage; the underbelly is colored in navy blue in a wavy shape with the wave reaching its peak underneath the wings. The word ‘DELTA’ is painted in dark blue capital letters on top of the windows in the forward fuselage (over the business class cabin). The ‘widget’ is painted just after the cockpit windows, and before the DELTA titles.

Cathay Pacific Airways is an international award-winning scheduled airline registered and based in Hong Kong, offering passenger and cargo services to 162 destinations in 42 countries and territories around the world. At the time of writing Cathay Pacific is one of only six global airlines that are ranked as a 5-star airline by SKYTRAX (the highest ranking for global airline quality).

The company was founded in Hong Kong in 1946 by two visionaries, Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow, who both paid HK$1 apiece to register the airline. They named the airline, Cathay Pacific Airways. Cathay is the ancient name for China, while Pacific was named because far-sighted Farrell believed that one day the airline might fly across the Pacific Ocean.

The airline initially started services with two US Army surplus Douglas DC-3 Dakota aircraft: Betsy and Niki. The former aircraft, Betsy, is suspended from the ceiling at the Hong Kong Science Museum, and is repainted in her original 1940s livery.  

Cathay Pacific Airways remains deeply committed to its home base, and has in recent years made substantial investments to develop Hong Kong as one of the world’s leading international aviation hubs. In addition to its fleet of 136 aircraft, (includes 26 cargo freight aircraft), these investments include catering and ground-handling companies and the corporate headquarters at Hong Kong International Airport. Cathay Pacific continues to invest heavily in its home city and has another 94 new aircraft due for delivery up to 2019 (including the 48 A350-XWB (Extra Wide Body)). The airline is also building its own cargo terminal in Hong Kong that will begin operations in early 2013. Cathay Pacific is also investing heavily in its freighter aircraft, with six Boeing 747-400ERFs, and 10 new generation Boeing 747-8Fs being scheduled for delivery by the beginning of 2013.

Cathay Pacific owns 19.53% of Air China Limited, the national flag carrier and a leading provider of passenger, cargo and other airline-related services in Mainland China. Cathay Pacific is also the major shareholder in Air Hong Kong, an all-cargo carrier offering scheduled services in the Asian region.

In November 2012, Cathay Pacific Airways was named Best Airline in the World and Best Airline First Class in the 2012 Business Traveller China Awards. The annual awards, now in their eighth year, reflect the highest praise bestowed by China’s frequent travellers on various service providers with connections to the Mainland. 

The awards were presented in Shanghai in November 2012 as Business Traveller China celebrated its 10th anniversary. The results of the 2012 awards were based on the magazine’s reader poll which ran from July to September this year. 

Commenting on the awards, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar said: “It is a great honour for our airline to receive these two awards from Business Traveller China. As Hong Kong’s home carrier, we have worked hard to develop a world-class international network from our home city, offering passengers top-notch products and the best service in the air. We are deeply committed to developing Hong Kong as a premier aviation hub and gateway to Mainland China through building convenient connections for travellers.” 

Cathay Pacific and its subsidiaries employ some 29,000 people worldwide (more than 22,000 of them in Hong Kong). Cathay Pacific is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, as are its substantial shareholders Swire Pacific Limited and Air China.

The airline is a proud founding member of the Oneworld alliance, with its subsidiary, Dragonair, is an affiliate member. The airline celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006; and as of October 2009, its major shareholders are Swire Pacific and Air China. It is reciprocally one of the major shareholders of Air China. Cathay Pacific currently holds the title of the world's third largest airline, measured in terms of market capitalisation, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Cathay Pacific Airways has four flights a day from London Heathrow Airport and Hong Kong (and four flights from Hong Kong and London Heathrow Airport), providing ample opportunities for business and leisure passengers to connect to flights throughout the Asia-Pacific, European, and Australasia regions at both ends. Being two major global economic hubs, both Hong Kong and London are key destinations for the large number of professional that are stationed at either destination.

Cathay Pacific Airways introduced a new Premium Economy Class product on the 1st of April 2012. I decided to check out the airline’s relatively brand new Premium Economy Class seat from London Heathrow to Hong Kong on the Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Increasingly airline companies around the world are offering a Premium Economy Class product which is somewhere in between an Economy Class seat and a Business Class seat. This new Premium Economy Class will be progressively introduced on the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 747-400, selected Airbus A330-300 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft. Aircraft deployment varies and availability is subject to operational requirements. The Premium Economy Class cabin has initially been featured on some of the following selected flights to/from:

Sydney, Australia (CX101/100)
Toronto, Canada (CX826/825/828/829)
Vancouver, Canada (CX888/889)
New York City, United States (CX830/831/840/841/888/889)
London, United Kingdom (CX252/255)

More routes will eventually be added by the airline as the fleets are fitted with this new configuration.

Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) to HONG KONG (HKG)

Departure date and time of flight: November 2012, 11:30

Flight number: CX252 (Cathay 252 heavy)

ATC Callsign: Cathay

Flight duration: 10 Hours 55 minutes

Class: PREMIUM ECONOMY CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 747-467 (17 aircraft in service, though currently only 4 aircraft fitted with the Premium Economy Class cabin)

Aircraft registration: B-HUB

Aircraft serial number: 25873 LN:937

Test Registration: N60665

Engines: 4 x RR RB211-524G/H-T

Delivery Date: 9th October 1992 (as VR-HUB, and then B-HUB on 23rd October 1997*)

*Before 1997, Hong Kong registered aircraft were labelled VR, and after 1997 all Hong Kong aircraft registrations complied with Chinese aircraft registrations, which start with B. So for example, VR-HUB became B-HUB after 1997 and so on.

First flight:  10/09/1992

Frequent flyer programme: Marco Polo Club

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

First Class: 9 suites in a 1-1-1 configuration
Business Class (upper deck): 22 seats in a 1-1 configuration
Business Class (main deck): 24 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration,
Premium Economy Class: 26 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration,
Economy Class: 278 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration

Punctuality of the flight/route taken:

The flight departed around 30 minutes late because of the heavy traffic at Heathrow Airport, however because of the route we took we landed around 15 minutes early than expected at 6.45am local time in Hong Kong (there were no delays or hold-ups around Hong Kong control).

Having push backed from our gate at Terminal 3, we made our way towards the holding point of runway 27R on the outer taxiway (meanwhile runway 27L was being used for landings). We had a few aircraft lined up ahead of us as it was a typical busy morning at Heathrow. These consisted of Thai Airways A340-600 going to BKK, Virgin A330 going to JFK, United B777 off to Newark, Air Canada 767 off to Toronto, Air India B777 off to Delhi, and an American B777 off to Chicago. Therefore, therefore we had a little wait at the holding point of the runway. When I was a kid I used to do aircraft spotting right across the fence at the threshold of runway 27R, so it was a nice feeling to be inside an aircraft and see the view from a different angle- it kind of puts things into perspective.

After take-off we made a straight heading towards Daventry foxtrot at around 6,000 feet before heading towards Clacton control (around 25,000 feet), before making our way across to mainland Europe and Russia (went right over Minsk) onto the famed Trans-Siberian route. Entering China over the Kashgar region (coming in from Novosibirsk), then Urumqi, then Qinghai, and finally making a direct approach into Guangxi, Guangdong, and final decent into Hong Kong from over Macau. Landing was made on runway 25L at exactly 06:45am local time. We were welcomed with a wet and cold Hong Kong. 

Like any other major airline, Cathay Pacific does not keep its aircraft on the ground for long. B-HUB was being readied for the return flight to London Heathrow as CX257 in around 90 minutes time. This particular aircraft, a Boeing 747-400, has been flying in service with Cathay Pacific for over 20 years, and has probably another 5 or 6 years left before she is sold, or scrapped off.

Any baggage issues:

Premium Economy Class passengers are allowed to have a little bit more weight allowance than on Economy Class. Before boarding, passengers are provided with dedicated check-in counters and priority boarding at the gate. The amount of baggage allowance in Premium Economy Class is increased from 20kg to 25kg (weight system) or two pieces of baggage from 23 kg to 25kg each (piece system).

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

Cathay Pacific Airways use Terminal 3 at London Heathrow Airport. I checked-in about 2 hours prior to my flight. On the way to the check-in desks, I happened to bump into the Captain, and the Cabin Crew for the flight. The Captain briefly explained to me about the route that we were expecting to take today. The atmosphere was all positive and fired up for the flight. Everyone was in an upbeat mood. Taking a long haul flight is always an exciting time no matter how many times you have flown. Every pilot will tell you that no flight is ever the same, even if they fly the same route day in day out.

The check-in staff were very professional and polite. There were no issues, and the whole process from check-in to the airline lounge took around 15 minutes.

Lounge experience at London Heathrow Airport:

The Cathay Pacific Airways lounge for First and Business Class passengers is located at area B after security at Terminal 3. The lounge is shared with Finnair. Oneworld Alliance members and Marco Polo Club members (silver, gold, and, diamond members only). The spacious lounge provides a space for relaxing before the flight in tranquil surroundings. Plenty of good and healthy buffet style food, along with various drinks was available. I made full use of the complimentary Wi-Fi to check my e-mails prior to leaving for China. On top of this there are plenty of international and local newspapers and magazines to while away your time with.

Washroom and shower facilities are also tip top, with amenities provided by Murad (same as the in-flight amenities for Business and First Class passengers).    

In-flight Magazine: Discovery (published by ACP Magazines Asia Ltd)

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

Passengers in Premium Economy Class are welcomed with a glass of champagne (Billecart-salmon Brut champagne), and a choice of either apple juice, orange juice or water. A hot towel is also provided to freshen your face, and those tired hands. A complimentary bottle of water is presented for the flight, as well as the in-flight amenity kit (this part is explained later in the article).

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Around about 35 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with the helping of a packet of salted almonds (provided by Blue Diamond- Smokehouse company). I opted for another glass of fresh orange juice. During a long haul flight, it is good to water down as many non-alcoholic drinks as possible as to stop the effects of dehydration hitting you.  

There was also a complimentary bar service for Premium Economy Class passengers that included various alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks.

Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English earl grey, Ceylon, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this, there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, and camomile with honey.

The wine list for Premium Economy Class passengers included:

White Wines:

Mosel Riesling Feinherb, 2011 (Germany)
Obikwa Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc, 2011 (South Africa)- this wine was not available as for some reason they did not load it onto the aircraft.

Red Wines:

Dourthe Beau- Mayne Bordeaux, 2010 (French)
Esprit De Serame Canernet Sauvignon, 2009 (French)

Ample choice of whiskies (Chivas Regal 12 Year old, Johnnie Walker Gold Label), Cognac (Hine, ‘rare and delicate’ fine champagne), and various beers, aperitifs & cocktails, and liqueurs.

Comments regarding the first meal: 

A larger meal table makes working and dining more of a pleasure, and a cocktail table provides more room during the meal service.

Starters:

Apple and celery salad

A fusion of green apple cubes mixed with celery and some herbs (thyme I believe). The sweetness of the apples and the slight bland and crunchiness of the celery provided a lovely combination of flavours.

Main Entrée:

• Pan-roasted pork fillet with calvados cream sauce, potato, leek, and bacon hash, glazed apple
• Tomato and mozzarella ravioli with green pesto and cherry tomatoes, parmesan and pepper
• Braised cod with bean curd skin and wood fungus, steamed rice, asparagus, shimji, and pepper
  

I opted for the fish. This dish was not just good; it was out of this world. It came across as an international dish with a Chinese twist. The codfish was the international part (nice to have on a flight), while the rice and the vegetables that went with the fish was the Chinese twist (fish with rice as opposed to fish & chips….well, since when did you have chips being served at a pressurised altitude!). Another inspiration from the world-class chefs at Cathay Pacific City in Hong Kong.

Dessert:

• Ice Cream (Beechdean farmhouse dairy ice cream from jersey cows)
  
• Green & Blacks chocolate bar
  

You can’t go wrong when you are presented with the finest ice-cream that mankind can make. Beechdean is made from fresh thick milk that derives from the healthiest cows around in this world. These cows ought to be very proud themselves that people eat ice-cream made from their milk high up in the air somewhere over exotic locations that only they can dream of flying themselves (that’s IF cows can have wings…unless they do end up as unfortunate cargo, alas maybe on Cathay Pacific Freighter services). The only thing is that cows, unlike humans, of course cannot speak except moo a bit here and there. Nevertheless, the ice-cream was top notch.

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

Throughout the flight, Premium Economy Class passengers could help themselves to complimentary hot pot noodles, various drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and a selection of various sandwiches (cute & small sandwiches), crisps (walker’s), biscuits, fruit (apples), and chocolates (provided by Praline or Green & Black’s). Premium Economy Class passengers are pampered and looked after quite well during long haul flights!

Comments regarding the second meal (breakfast):

The second meal (breakfast) was served around two hours prior to landing at Hong Kong. Hot towels were handed out to each Premium Economy Class passengers prior to the meal service, and a selection of drinks service offered.

Starters:

• Fresh fruit salad
  
• Fruit Yoghurt
  

Main entrée

• Scrambled egg with herb potato topping, pork sausage, tomato ragout, creamed spinach
  
• Congee with sliced pork
  

I opted for the English breakfast, which tasted much better than I had anticipated when I glanced upon it. If you look at the photo of the dish, it looks like a mashed curry with a sausage placed over it. Indeed, the ‘mashed curry’ is the creamed spinach along with that ridiculously delicious scrambled egg with the herb potato topping. Each spoonful was enough to want more, and make your mouth water.

The breakfast meal was accompanied by tea, or coffee. Jam was provided by Wilkin & Sons, and the butter by Kerrymaid.  

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

There is extra storage space for all those personal items you’d like to keep close at hand, and an environmentally friendly amenity kit comes with toothbrush and toothpaste, socks and an eye-shades – which is a perfect complement when it’s time to sleep.

Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Premium Economy Class cabin. When it comes to entertainment, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

For entertainment in Premium Economy Class, you can count on hundreds of selections on your StudioCX in-flight entertainment system. Plus, you can use the multi-port connector to stream audio and video from your personal devices to your new 10.6-inch widescreen Personal TV with a noise-cancelling headset to enhance your enjoyment.

For Economy Class: Cathay Pacific's award-winning StudioCX entertainment system with Audio and Video on Demand looks especially good on the touch-screen monitor of the 9-inch Personal TV. Passengers can connect their iPod, iPhone or iPad* to stream their own music and movies to the screen. There’s a USB port to charge your mobile devices, and a 110V AC power supply for your laptop computer and other electronic devices.

Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER). The music played upon boarding and upon dis-embarking the aircraft changes every month on Cathay Pacific flights. Some of the tunes played include ‘Prelude to Dawn’ by Howard Green, and ‘Feel’, by Robbie Williams.    

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: 

The cabin crew appear to have been trained very well, and seem to know how to handle all kinds of situations. The trainers must have had everything thrown at them, ranging from rowdy passengers to those having a nervous breakdown. These guys are amazing. They really do pamper you. To the outsider it may seem that being cabin crew is an easy job, however in fact it’s a very challenging job, and there is more to the job then just handing out the meals. With many months of hard work and training under their belt, cabin crew members are chosen very carefully by the airline. Interestingly on our flight we had a passenger who was very worried and got scared mid-flight. The cabin crew did a fantastic job in calming the situation down.

Like they say in the corporate world, you may have the best brand in the world, but that brand is worth nothing if it not for the people that make great things happen for that brand. Cathay Pacific Airways stand by their words, and truly give a 5-star service. If you are a frustrated passenger (for whatever reason), then let me reassure you that the cabin crew are always trying to go through great trouble to make your flight as comfortable as possible. I am saying this from personal experience. As a frustrated passenger (we have all been in that situation at some point or another in our lives), it can be easy for some of us to lose their cool when things are not going as we expect them to be. It’s because of the professionalism and integrity of the cabin crew that the airline is classed as a truly 5-star airline that endeavors to provide a truly 5-star service to its customers.

Cathay Pacific's current uniforms are designed by renowned Hong Kong designer, Eddie Lau. Ladies wear a red skirt with a white blouse that has the ‘brushwing’ logo in gold and red colours. The ladies also have a bright red blouse jacket which they can wear- matching with the red skirt. The gentlemen wear black starched trousers with a white shirt. Along with that the men wear a red tie with black stripes (junior cabin crew), or a gold tie with black stripes (senior cabin crew).

On this fight, the majority of the crew (including all the pilots) were London based, and were British. The same applies for flights that originate from Canada, USA, and Australia where locally based staff are recruited by the airline to give that personal touch when it comes to customer service. 

I would like to give full thanks to the senior cabin crew in charge of the economy and premier economy class cabins. I could not imagine handling the situation with the sheer calmness, and composure with she managed to deal with on this particular flight. It goes without saying that not everyone can do this highly charged and pressurised job. The senior purser, and her fellow crew, deserve a huge golden medal. I am not saying this because I want to impress anyone, but I am writing this because this is the truth, and as a witness to a particular situation on this flight (which I am not going to mention in public). 

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

When I entered the new Premium Economy Class cabin, it smelt the same as the interior of a  brand new car out of the factory. The Premium Economy Class experience features a quieter, more spacious cabin than the traditional Economy Class with between 26 and 34 seats per aircraft (26 seats on the Boeing 747-400). The seat pitch is 38 inches – six inches more than Economy Class – and the seat itself is wider (19.8”) and has a bigger recline (8”).

Passengers in Premium Economy Class receive an environmentally friendly amenity kit with dental kit, socks, eye-shades, and earplugs for use during their journey. The amenity kit bag itself is a little creation that contains some beautiful art work designed by home-grown Hong Kong brand G.O.D. (Goods of Desire). The seat itself looks and feels like the old style Business Class seats that one would have experienced in the 1980s and 1990s. I found the experience to be much more comfortable than business class. Each Premium Economy Class seat comes with a soft pillow stuffed with dove feathers, and a nice cosy blanket. There is plenty of space to place your shoes too.

The Premium Economy Class seat is meant to be somewhere in between an Economy Class seat and a Business Class seat. As more and more global airline companies are transiting to a flat-bed style Business Class seat, so there is a growing demand for seats that are reasonably priced and offer a comfortable experience where you can stretch your legs yet there is no need to pay thousands of pounds for the experience. Some airlines in the process are also eliminating their First Class cabins altogether.

By end of this year, Cathay Pacific will have 48 aircraft installed with the new product comprised of 23 Boeing 777-300ERs, 17 A330-300s and eight Boeing 747-400s. By the end of 2013, 87 aircraft in the airline’s long-haul fleet will feature Premium Economy Class. The good news for those collecting air miles is that Asia Miles accrual for premium economy class will be at 110%.

I found the journey to be very comfortable, and did not experience the back pain and aching muscles that you normally get after flying long haul in Economy Class.

Cathay Pacific Airways logo and livery: 

Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Cathay Pacific Airways used to support a green and white striped livery. This old livery was replaced with the current "brushwing" livery  In 1994 the airline announced that it would establish its new corporate identity, with a 23 million Hong Kong dollar (RM 7.3 million) program to update its image.  - Cathay Pacific relaunched its corporate image in the early 1990s. Cathay Pacific commented that after building a reputation over 50 years for technical excellence and high-quality service, Cathay Pacific had no intention of changing its core values. Therefore, the new corporate identity was merely intended to communicate these values more effectively to all current and future customers.

Cathay Pacific worked with Landor Associates, the world’s largest corporate identity management firm, to help create the new identity. The brushwing livery expresses the carrier’s unique character as an Asian with an international outlook. The sophistication of the logo conveys Cathay Pacific’s technical expertise and uncompromising attention to safety and reliability. The brushwing also embodies a sense of energetic flight, and being a “handmade” symbol it acknowledges the company's devotion to high standards of caring, personal service. 

For more information check out www.cathaypacific.com/mypremiumeconomy

This website contains a wealth of content based on personal travel experiences of different types of travellers, from those flying on a business trip to those flying for leisure, which may be good references to those who haven’t tried this new cabin before. 

Turkish Airlines is the award-winning national flag carrier of Turkey. Since being formed on 20th May 1933 with a fleet of 5 aircraft, Turkish Airlines has become a leading global airline company in its 78 years of distinguished service. Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, and operates from its global hub at Istanbul International Airport to 172 cities in 82 countries using 161 state-of-the-art aircraft. Turkish Airlines, which is a fully scheduled airline, carried 29.1 million passengers in 2010. It employs more than 14,000 people worldwide. In 2010, Turkish Airlines celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special ‘75’ logo painted on its aircraft and painted some its A320 aircraft in the old original 1970s airline livery. The initials 'THY' stand for Türk Hava Yollari (meaning Turkish Airlines).

In contrast to other European flag carriers in the 21st century, Turkish Airlines is proud to be the fastest growing airline in Europe and in 2009 was voted the best airline in southern Europe. The Guangzhou (CAN) to Istanbul (IST) route is a relatively new one, having started in February 2011. For this route, Turkish Airlines uses the brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Turkish Airlines re-configured the interior cabins of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to have them specially designed in line with a new class of traveller known as ‘Comfort Class’. The Comfort Class seat has a 46.0" pitch, (as opposed to 32.0" in Economy Class), and is more wider (19.5") than an Economy Class seat (18.0”). This means that passengers can arrive at their destination feeling refreshed; less fatigued and are also able to stretch their legs with the extras legroom. In fact, the Comfort Class seat on Turkish Airlines is comparable, if not better, than most Business Class seats on some other airlines. The quality of the food presentation, style, freshness and taste is also considerably better in Comfort Class than that in Economy Class.

With the world’s major airlines focusing on cost cutting, it is no wonder that we are seeing a demise of the First Class cabin. Many major flag-carriers around the world are replacing their First Class cabins with Business CClass (Virgin Atlantic, BMI, Air China, Continental Airlines are prime examples), and intact replacing their Business Class with Premium Economy Class cabins. Which does make sense because there is hardly much difference between First and Business Class, especially when most Business Class seats transform into flatbeds anyways. Comfort Class is a new chapter in flying because it is not Economy Class and it’s not really Business Class either, but somewhere in between.

The Guangzhou to Istanbul route has become exceedingly popular with both Turkish and Chinese people because of the warm economic, political and tourist relations between Turkey and China. Presently there are three flights a week from Guangzhou to Istanbul and vice-versa. The flight from Guangzhou leaves at 23:00pm and arrives the following day at Istanbul at 5:25am, while the return flight leaves Istanbul at 23:50pm, arriving into Guangzhou the following day at 14:30pm. Most of the flights, including the one I took here (TK73) are full payload and full cargo as well. This gives the reader a strong indication of the strong partnership between Turkey and China, and the way the future of the aviation industry is going for these two countries. 


Both Turkey and China have ambitions plans in the pipeline to grow their aircraft fleets and airline routes for the commercial aviation sector between these two countries. In China, apart from Guangzhou, Turkish Airlines also flies to Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong providing a total of 23 flights a week to the region. Another strong indicator of this is that because Turkish Airlines is a proud member of Star Alliance, whose members also include Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air China, and BMI. So therefore, because of this link with Star Alliance, this flight was in code share with ‘Air China’.

Focusing on Turkish Airline’s spanking new Premium Economy Class – which is called Comfort Class, incidentally – isn’t difficult, however, especially once you’re on board. The cabins and service are top-notch, and you’ll definitely travel in comfort (excuse the pun). Read along the report and you’ll see what I mean.

Route: GUANGZHOU (CAN) to ISTANBUL (IST)

Departure date and time of flight: April 2011, 23:00pm local time (Guangzhou)

Flight number: TK73 (ICAO callsign: “Turkish 73 heavy”)

Flight duration: 10 Hours 55 minutes

Class: COMFORT CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 777-3F2ER (13 aircraft in service)

Aircraft registration: TC-JJL (First flight 7th February 2011)

Aircraft’s name: Karadeniz 

Frequent flyer programme: miles & smiles

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

Business Class: 28 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration,
Comfort Class: 64 seats in a 2-3-2,
Economy Class: 246 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration

Punctuality of the flight:

Departed on time, and landed on time as well.

Any baggage issues:

No issues regarding the baggage. With Turkish Airlines, passengers travelling on Business Class can carry 2-luggage bags up to 32 KG in total, with 2 hand bags of 8 KG each. In Comfort Class passengers can carry two luggage bags weighing 23 KG in total.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

Guangzhou airport can get very busy and confusing in the evenings. Even though this flight was full, there was no rush. The check-in procedure did not take a long time either with only around a short 5-10 minutes wait in the queue. The check-in staff at the Turkish Airlines counters at Guangzhou Baiyun airport were very professional and helpful.

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

Upon embarking the aircraft, passengers in both Business Class and Comfort Class were offered welcome drinks consisting of fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, Turkish mineral water, and champagne. Usually what you find is that most ‘fresh orange juice’ drinks that form part of airline meals are heavily concentrated and taste like water with a splash of orange squash (or something similar), however it must be said that the orange juice on Turkish airlines is authentically fresh orange juice (with the orange bits in as well). Perfect quality and it tastes exceedingly good. Highly recommended that you drink it without the ice, as it tastes even better. 

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Passengers in Comfort Class were offered a selection of drinks including fresh orange juice, fresh apple juice, mineral water and champagne. There was also a selection of international and Turkish wines and beers.

• White Turkish wine: 2008 Kavaklidere Narince (Anatolia)
• Red Turkish wine: 2007 Doluca Karma
• Turkish beer: Efes Pilsen
• Turkish liqueur: Tekel Ozel Uretim (sour cherry)

It would be a complete waste of a flight if you don’t try the Turkish liqueur (unless, of course, if you don’t drink alcohol). So, what does it taste like? A little bit strong with a hint of sweetness and spicy flavour to it. You can almost feel the sour cherry touching the top of your tongue. It’s best if you take the Turkish liqueur with plenty of hazelnuts. Indeed, the drinks were accompanied with a bowl of Turkish hazelnuts and a selection of canapés. Even economy class passengers get the hazelnut. Turkish Airlines offers the hazelnut because it originates from Turkey, and forms part of Turkish cuisine. Some canapés were included which consisted of a potpourri of Mediterranean meze including smoked salmon, marinated prawns with an arugula salad. Lovely presentation and immaculate attention to detail.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour and a half after departure from Guangzhou- we must have been somewhere over Kunming and making our way towards the north-west of China. Flying can be exciting yet also boring- depending whichever way you look at it. However, the fun and exciting part always comes when you are presented with the in-flight meal because at least you have something to do and keep yourself busy. Turkish Airlines has stylish menus, which they hand out to all the passengers in all the cabins prior to the meal service. Turkish Do&Co, the gourmet entertainment company, provides in-flight catering at Turkish Airlines with their colourful and inspiring menus containing equally sensational dishes. All the menus come written in both English and Turkish. A la carte menus were provided in Comfort and Business Class while set meals were provided in the Economy Class.

For starters, the following options were provided in Comfort Class:

• A healthy option of shepherd’s salad with Italian salad dressing provided the appetisers, along with a fabulous dish containing
• ‘Marinated prawns surrounded by grilled asparagus and sundried tomatoes’. All of this came with a generous topping of parmesan, and plenty of garden fresh leaves. Accompanying this scrumptious starter was a pot of mustard dressing that went fine with the asparagus.

Talking of asparagus, Comfort Class passengers had the option of tucking into the traditional Turkish asparagus soup decorated with asparagus tips. Now, that is just sheer luxury food that no one should take for granted- not even when you are cruising. Passengers in Comfort Class also had the option of a roast beef that came with a neat sprinkling of balsamic sauce, and accompanied with fine cubic chops of avocados and tomatoes.

For the main course, there were two options available in comfort class:

• Grilled salmon with herbed butter, sautéed asparagus, roasted tomato, and saffron risotto.
• Ricotta ravioli with alfredo sauce, sautéed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan.

Both the salmon and the ravioli were of an equally top quality, nevertheless, I went for the grilled salmon. Having ravioli as part of a five-star in-flight meal is OK, but it’s not the real thing, as I am sure most native Tuscans and Venetians will agree. The salmon, which was of a very good quality on this flight, is a firm favourite of any in-flight meal because fish is good for the body in a pressurised environment.

The cabin crew twice offered a generous helping of a selection of warm oven fresh bread from the basket- once before the main course and then again during the main course.

The dessert service for Comfort Class is similar to that of Business Class. A dessert tray contained the following:

• Selection of cheese
• Selection of fresh seasonal fruit
• Various petit desserts including Turkish desserts (can’t be Turkish if you don’t have ‘Turkish Delight’, right?).

Some people consider the dessert selection in Comfort Class better than in Business Class because you are given a cute selection of everything whereas in Business Class you also have everything but it’s not easy to make a decision because there is too much to choose from! 

Stainless steel cutlery in both the Business and Comfort Class cabins is provided by ‘Isik’, and proudly displays the engraved symbols ‘THY’ followed by the Turkish Airlines logo. All other cutlery in Business and Comfort Class cabins is provided in fine bone china, again with the Turkish Airlines logo and black ‘THY’ symbol engraved at the bottom of each piece.

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

Passengers were treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included both western coffee and Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee has a slightly stronger flavour and is normally taken without milk. A lovely cube of Turkish Delight is accompanied with the Turkish coffee. There was also a variety of digestives available including Baileys, Cointreau and Hennessey XO. A lovely freshly brewed coffee with Baileys did the trick!

Throughout the flight, passengers were able to enjoy a variety of snacks including free flowing drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) from the galley. Sorry, but that freshly brewed coffee with Baileys was just too tempting (again...and again). Oh one thing I would strongly recommend is a ayran. It’s a traditional Turkish drink, which consists of yogurt blended in with warm water and some salt. It can make you have an enjoyable sleep. The senior purser gave me a couple of glasses to try- it was good stuff (even after drinking the freshly brewed coffee with Baileys).

Comments regarding the second meal:

Dinner was completed around 3 hours into the flight, which meant that passengers had around 5 hours of sleep before they were to be treated to the best meal of the day (or in this case- of this flight). Of course, those who did not want to be disturbed were left to snooze off for as long as they wished (though, they missed a delicious breakfast).

A round of fresh fruit juices and other drinks were offered to wake up the senses (that fresh Turkish orange juice is just out of this world). The meal tray consisted of a load of incredibly good food. The main dish contained two scrambled eggs alongside a Turkey ham and cheese toasted bread in the shape of a triangle with grilled tomato and plenty of green peppers to go with it. Accompanying the main dish was a bowl of seasonal fresh fruit and another small bowl containing assorted cheese with vegetables (mostly cheddar cheese). The cabin crew offered a generous helping of a selection of warm oven fresh bread from the basket. I opted for the soft bread, which went well with the anchor butter and strawberry jam.

Passengers were again treated to a selection of freshly brewed coffee, which included both western coffee and Turkish coffee (again, I could not resist drinking the amazing freshly brewed coffee with Baileys on this Turkish Airlines flight).

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

Huge headphones with noise cancellation technology were offered in the Comfort Class cabin. The 10.6-inch PTV screen, which can be easily folded away into the right hand side armrest, can be used to watch movies, choose any kinds of music to play, watch how your flight is progressing, catch up on current affairs, or play computer games with. The digital AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) in-cabin entertainment system is in use on this route. Passengers can select their program either from the panel in the arm of the seat or simply by touching the screen. Programs the AVOD system fall into three categories: 'Information', 'Entertainment' and 'Communications'. Altogether, there are over 120 channels and levels of entertainment to absorb during your flight. Then there is always the five-star quality in-flight magazine of Turkish Airlines, SkyLife, to keep you mesmerized with many stories and useful information.

Connections enabling passengers to listen to, or watch on their individual screens, content on their personal iPods or USB devices are available on this aircraft (the Boeing 777-300ER).

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very hospitable. Turkish Airlines is all about providing true, honest, and genuine Turkish hospitality at its best. The Captain was very generous and allowed me to sit in the jump seat during the flight to make a short video. At around 4 hours into the flight, while we were somewhere over Xinjiang province (China), the Captain invited me to the cockpit for a chat and a drink. We were cruising at a lower than expected altitude of around 32,000 feet (FL320) because we were full payload and full cargo on this flight. Our brand new plane, which made its first flight on the 7th of February 2011, was making its way towards the Uzbekistan border when the following videos were made at around 3am local time in China. I enjoyed drinking the traditional Turkish drink, Ayran. That drink is remarkably addictive, and very good too.

Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Cockpit Video 1: http://tinyurl.com/6bwczoj

Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Cockpit Video 2: http://tinyurl.com/6cnfm75

Many thanks to the Captain, and the First-Officer for inviting me into the cockpit during the flight.

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

In an official statement realised in 2010, Turkish Airlines stated that: ‘Comfort Class appeals to passengers who currently fly Economy Class but who would appreciate more spacious legroom, more onboard catering and better in-flight entertainment options without the cost of a business class seat. In summary, Comfort Class appeals to our Economy Class passengers who desire an even higher level of comfort.’

We were flying on a brand new aircraft that made its inaugural flight with Turkish Airlines on the 7th of February 2011 so therefore everything was spanking clean. The Comfort Class cabin of the Boeing 777-300ER on Turkish Airlines has an incredibly spacious 2-3-2 seat configuration. Passengers are provided with a soft blanket, padded slippers, and a complimentary luxury amenity kit before going to sleep. The Comfort Class amenity kit contains the following:  A quality toothbrush with a tube of Colgate toothpaste, a high quality eyeshade, earplugs, a pair of luxury socks that have soft pads on the soles, a foldable comb, and a shoe stick. A lip balm and skin moisturiser is provided by Tarocco.

There are 63-Comfort Class seats on the Boeing 777-300ER each with 111 degrees recline providing a very spacious legroom. The seat reclines enough for you to have a comfortable semi-lie down for a long flight. Lovely suede leather and cotton material that is pleasing for the eye. Each seat in Comfort Class has electronic buttons on the bottom left hand corner that control the seats movements. Each seat in Comfort Class comes with its own personal night light that is easy to control. The food tray is neatly placed inside the left hand armrest, while the personal TV (PTV) screen is neatly placed in the right hand armrest. Comfortable leather headrests that fold 90 degree into the seat. There is also AC power and power available for your laptop built in every seat. This is a very convenient feature. 

Turkish Airlines logo and livery: 

The airline's striking logo consists of a crane flying inside a white circle symbolizing the common migration of the birds in Turkey. The logo is a crane bird with wings above the body. The simple yet powerful design of the wings also refers to the crescent in the Turkish flag.

The "Eurowhite" livery consists of a snow white coloured fuselage with large navy blue ‘TURKISH AIRLINES’ lettering across the starboard and port side in capitals. On some smaller aircraft, such as the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 737-800, the word ‘TURKISH’ is written in capital navy blue letters, while ‘AIRLINES’ is displayed right underneath in light grey colours. The national flag of Turkey is displayed about one foot to the right hand side of the blue lettering. A huge silver coloured tulip is painted on the fuselage, running from the rear of the wing to the tail. The belly of the fuselage is painted in light grey. Every plane is named after a city or town in Turkey, or any of the seas and lakes scattered around the Turkey’s coastal waters. The tailfin of the aircraft is painted in a bright red colour with the company logo wrapped in a white circle.

Priestmangoode is the company responsible behind the re-branding of Turkish Airlines as a key part of the airline’s strategy to position itself as a major European carrier. Priestmangoode delivered a complete re-design, starting with new interiors across the entire Turkish fleet.

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: Hong Kong International to London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 23:25pm on the 1st October 2006

Flight Number: BA0026

Flight duration: 12h 50m minutes

Class: Premium Economy Class (AKA: World Traveller Plus)

Aircraft type: Boeing 747-400

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:

I love Hong Kong Airport. Consistently voted one of the best airports’ in the world, Hong Kong Airport never fails to shine when it comes to excellent customer service and an atmosphere that creates a certain smooth feeling for passengers. Indeed, as a major gateway for Asia, the airport is almost comparable to a small city- a futuristic city that is. One feels at ease once they are at the airport. Evenings are very busy at Hong Kong, with the majority of flights going to Australasia, South Africa, Europe and throughout South East Asia. The check-in process was smooth. BA are highly organised when it comes to making sure that passengers are not kept waiting for a long time.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and a selection of Australian wines and Scotch whiskeys were offered along with a packet of “sea salt and cider flavour” pretzel nuggets.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take off (around 00:30pm local time in Hong Kong), and our plane was somewhere over Guanxi Province heading north onto Xian, and then making its way into Russian airspace before entering Europe. Dinner consisted of roasted chicken breast served with buttered roasted potatoes and vegetables. This was accompanied with a soft bread along with a bowl of fresh salad (consisting of cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber all sprinkled with lemon juice).

Chocolate cake topped with a large portion of  crisps and a dash of chocolate sauce provided the perfect dessert at 37,000 feet! In the Economy and Economy Premium cabins they gave us “Kit Kat” chocolate bars, while in the Business and First Class cabins “Thornton’s Natural Delights” were on offer. All meals were generously served with a bottle of “Gleneagles Mineral Water”. Not a bad dinner before going to sleep on this long haul flight. The flight was not that full.

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 wine.

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

For the overnight flight, passengers were able to help themselves to a selection of “Hobnob” chocolate biscuits, various cereal bars and “hotpot” noodles from the galley. There was also the selection of complimentary drinks on offer.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

Breakfast was served around an hour and half prior to landing at Hong Kong International. Our plane had just passed Belgium, and we were going to make a straight in approach over Essex (Basildon, Dagenham) before entering the final approach over City Airport to land at Runway 27R.

There was a choice of either a Western breakfast or a Chinese breakfast. I went for the former as I knew I would be eating a Chinese breakfast everyday for the next few months! Nothing beats the feeling of eating microwave food at 37,000 feet (and yes airline food is all heated an hour before serving- so its not fresh!). The sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs all tasted as if it was freshly cooked. The strawberry muffin and the Muller corner yogurt were both sheer delights to have. Breakfast was accompanied with hot tea, and coffee, as well as green tea.

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

The in-flight system was working without any problems. All BA flight begin with a minute long news update provided by a recording of the BBC World service. There are a selection of music and films and documentaries to keep everyone busy throughout the 13-hour flight.

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

The aircraft was clean at the beginning. Normally after a long flight one would expect the plane to be a bit unclean, however because the flight was not that full, so it seemed fresh!

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 their codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Heathrow to Hong Kong International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 21:25pm on the 16th October 2006

Flight Number: BA0027

Flight duration: 11h 45 minutes

Class: Premium Economy Class (AKA: World Traveller Plus)

Aircraft type: Boeing 747-400

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:

By the time I had taken this flight I had already accumulated around 80,000 BA miles and a Silver Executive Card- so it was nice to use the BA Lounge before such a long flight. No check-in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at London Heathrow. Bearing in mind that this was not the evening rush hour so therefore Terminal One was reasonably quiet.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and a selection of wines and Scotch whiskeys were offered along with a packet of “sea salt and cider flavour” pretzel nuggets. 

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take off (around 22:30pm local time in London), and our plane was around 20 miles west of Brussels heading towards German airspace. Dinner consisted of smoked red salmon served with buttered mashed potatoes and peas. This was accompanied with a soft bread along with a bowl of fresh salad (consisting of feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber all sprinkled with lemon juice).

Chocolate cheese cake topped with almond crisps and a dash of chocolate sauce provided the perfect dessert at 37,000 feet! In the Economy and Economy Premium cabins we had “Time Out” chocolate bars, while in the Business and First Class cabins “Thornton’s Natural Delights” were on offer. All meals were generously served with a bottle of “Gleneagles mineral water”. Not a bad dinner before going to sleep on this long haul flight (not to mention the rather long queue to the toilets so everyone can brush their teeth etc before saying goodnight).

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 wine. I had to make the most of the food (OK, its only airline food), as I knew that this was perhaps the last British style food I would get for a long time. Western food in China is just not the same.

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

For the overnight flight, passengers were able to help themselves to a selection of “Hobnob” chocolate biscuits and “hotpot” noodles from the galley. There was also the selection of complimentary drinks on offer.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

Breakfast was served around an hour and half prior to landing at Hong Kong International. Our plane had just past Kunming in Yunnan Province and we were heading straight towards Guangdong. The flight took us over Guangzhou, then Zhongshan, Macau and then finally entering the Hong Kong Peninsula from the east to make a landing in from the south into Runway 25L at Chep Lap Kok.

There was a choice of either a Western breakfast or a Chinese breakfast. I opted for the former as I knew I would be eating a Chinese breakfast everyday for the next few months! Nothing beats the feeling of eating microwave food at 37,000 fee. The sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs all tasted as if it was freshly cooked. Oh, and that strawberry muffin and the Muller corner yogurt were both sheer delights to have. Breakfast was accompanied with hot tea, and coffee, as well as green tea.

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

The in-flight system was working without any problems. All BA flight begin with a minute long news update provided by a recording of the BBC World service. There are a selection of music and films and documentaries to keep everyone busy throughout the 12-hour flight.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight. Everything was just fine.

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

The aircraft was clean at the beginning, however because the flight was full, so obviously at the end of the journey it needed a bit of a clean up. Other than that there were no problems.

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