Trip Report: Air Astana, Astana to Bishkek via Almaty (September 2024)

  Trip Report: Air Astana, Astana to Bishkek
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

When traveling in Kazakhstan, there are generally three airlines to choose from when flying Kazakhstan - AirAstana, FlyArstan, and SCAT Airlines.  AirAstana is the more well-off and defined airline of Kazakhstan, with FlyArstan being their LCC arm.  SCAT Airlines has less of a defined reputation and is generally known for poor service, poor planes, poor on-time departures, and generally not as put together.  I wanted to fly from Astana to Bishkek and both Air Astana and SCAT Airlines offered service; however, given SCAT airlines reputation for delayed and cancelled flights I choose to book with Air Astana.  I did end up booking SCAT airlines for a domestic trip and that report can be found here.   

Air Astana is regarded as the national carrier of Kazakhstan and provides services to cities domestically, within the Central Asia region, as well as international destinations such as London, Frankfurt, and Istanbul.  They also have partnerships with many airlines and constantly win awards for their service and onboard product.  They are a full-service airline and as a result their fares are a bit higher than SCAT and FlyArstan, but they also provide more onboard services and have a better ontime and cancellation percentage.  Even though they are named Air Astana, their base is primarily in Almaty so the travel that I booked had me flying domestically from Astana to Almaty and then transferring to the international sector for Almaty to Bishkek.  Everything was booked on one ticket so I could check-in in Astana and receive both boarding passes and have my bags checked through to Bishkek.

The flight that I booked was scheduled to depart Astana at 10:30a, arrive into Almaty at 12:10p, and then depart Almaty at 16:35 and arrive Bishkek at 18:25.  The ticket that I booked came with a 23kg checked baggage allowance, 10kg hand luggage allowance as well as seat selection.  24hrs prior to the flight I was able to check-in online and receive a mobile boarding pass, and I went to the airport well in advance to check in my luggage and confirm my check-in.  Since Astana is still relatively small, and their base is primarily Almaty, checkin was smooth and quick as there was not a lot of rush.  Air Astana seems to have hourly or frequent flights between Astana and Almaty so I could have taken an earlier flight, but since I had to wait in Almaty it did not make much sense.  Once it was time to board, boarding was done in groups and was much more orderly and organized versus SCAT.  

Both sectors were operated by the same type of aircraft which was an Airbus A320 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  Both planes looked relatively new and modern and seat had a PTV screen, a magazine holder, a tray table, as well as a seatback pocket.  Once in the seat, the seats were relatively comfortable and felt newish, and had adjustable headrests, but the seat pitch was tight and thus there was a not a lot of legroom.  Once boarded, a safety video was shown on the TV screens and mood lighting was enabled for takeoff and landing.  The first flight segment from Astana to Almaty was 1hr45min and the second sector, from Almaty to Bishkek, was 50min.  Due to the difference in flight times, there was a difference in service onboard.

For the first segment, since it was a longer flight time, onboard service was conducted.  Complimentary water, juice, or coffee/tea were distributed along with complimentary sandwich and apple chips.  Later on, complimentary Kazakhstan chocolate were also distributed.  While these complimentary items were nice, these were the only items available as there were no additional items for purchase or request and no modifications.  There was no soft drinks available and there was no request for special meals/sandwiches.  Once the inflight service finished, most people went to watch something on the TV screens.  There were a variety of movies and TV shows and it was a decent selection; I am not sure the selection would cover their longer flights to London or Frankfurt.  We started the descent into Almaty, deplaned, and made our way over to the international section.

There are two sections at Almaty airport - one for domestic flights and one for international flights andit seems there are not many connecting passengers as staff and workers were somewhat confused when we would ask for directions or how to transfer; there were no real signs or markers.  Once we got to the international side, we were 3hrs early for our departure and the airport looked deserted and the staff unhappy that we arrived 'early'.  Since we already had our boarding pass, and looked like transits, we were allowed to proceed through immigration and security and wait for the connecting flight.

The connecting flight was also operated by the same type of aircraft with the same layout and features.  The only difference is that given the short flight time a bottle of water was already at each seat, but that was the only service item offered during this flight.  Due to the short flight time, once we reached cruising altitude it was already time for descent and landing into Bishkek.  Overall, it was an interesting experience with Air Astana.  You can tell they are a full service airline and their interior, their attitude, and their overall presence reminded me of Delta.  For Air Astana, their onboard product was nice and they offered more amenities but there was also some hiccups.  The seat pitch was tight and even the domestic sector towards the end felt like a struggle to seat in the seats.  The transfer process was not smooth and definitely needs some work.  Finally, there should be an option to provide dietary and/or religious restrictions to the complimentary items so that everyone is able to enjoy.

Trip Report: AirArabia, Sharjah to Almaty; Bishkek to Sharjah (September 2024)

 Trip Report: Air Arabia, Sharjah to Almaty; Bishkek to Sharjah
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I wanted to travel from Pakistan to Central Asia on a visit to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.  In looking for options, online searches came back with FlyDubai but there was a really long layover in Dubai which did not seem appealing so I continued to look and that is when I looked into FlyJinnah and AirArabia.  I have reviewed the FlyJinnah portion in a separate review (found here) as for this review I will forcus on the AirArabia portion.  AirArabia is a low-cost carrier based out of Sharjah in the UAE (Sharjah is the Emirate located next to Dubai).  They had a big network covering AirArabia Middle East, AirArabia Marob, and now FlyJinnah covering Pakistan.  Because they are all part of the AirArabia family, you can book multiple sectors and connecting flights on one ticket.  Even though I was flying FlyJinnah + AirArabia, I could and did book my travel on AirArabia's website and selected the flight in which the Pakistan to Sharjah and Sharjah to Pakistan flights were to be operated by FlyJinnah and the Sharjah to Central Asia flights operated by AirArabia.  

 

AirArabia is a low-cost carrier meaning the base ticket includes a personal pack plus a carry-on, everything else needs to be charged for.  I choose to pay for my seats as I prefer certain seats on the plane and I paid for luggage.  The seat costs were not bad and I was able to get an aisle seat near the front of the plane for not a high cost; the luggage charge was also not that high and included a checked bag of 30kg which is a generous portion.  Once I booked my ticket, I could use the same confirmation code on either site to manage my booking.  This review will be a compilation of my two flights on AirArabia - from Sharjan to Central Asia and from Central Asia to Sharjah - as both were operated by the same aircraft and both had a similar experience.  For the check-in experience, I only experienced AirArabia check-in on the outbound.  I arrived at the airport 3-hours in advance to ensure check-in went ok; the process was chaotic with little organization but I received both boarding passes and my luggage was tagged to my final destination.  I had talked about some of the security and other issues that I had experienced on my flights with FlyJinnah, and some of the issues continued with my flight on AirArabia.   

AirArabia's policy is that boarding is supposed to be in groups, starting with the rear of the aircraft.  As was my experience with FlyJinnah, on AirArabia for both sectors this was only mildly adhered to as once the plane got halfway full everyone was allowed to board to ensure an on-time departure.  Both operating aircraft was an Airbus A320 which had a cabin laid in a 3-3 seat layout.  Both flights were not completely full so the chaotic boarding ended, manual safety demonstrations commenced, and we pushed back for an on-time departure.  The seats itself were basic and decent for a low-cost carrier, not padded seats but there was decent amount of legroom.  For both sectors I luckily had the entire row to myself but if there was another passenger next to me, that could be uncomfortable as the seat width was narrow.  For both sectors, the flight time was a bit over 3hours and after the second/third hour you got to feel the uncomfortableness of the seat.  On both sectors, most of the announcements were done by prerecorded statements which were done in Arabic and English.  On both sectors, the attendants seemed not interested nor caring in neither their job.  For my low-cost carriers, paying for a seat is big business so many are strict as to ensure passengers do not sit in a sit they did not pay for; this was not the case with AirArabia.  On both sectors, many passengers who had not paid for seats and thus were allocated seats in the back moved up in the middle of the flight to the front of the plane where seat selection came at a costs.  

As detailed earlier, AirArabia is a low-cost company which means there is no inflight complimentary service.  You can preorder meals and drinks, and certain upgraded tickets come with meals, but generally everything is buy on-board.  As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the FA's came down the aisle for you to purchase snacks or drinks.  My first flight departed at 9pm so coming by within the first hour of the flight made sense; the return flight left at 3am so most of the passengers were sleeping.  Instead of waiting until the end to conduct the service, thus ensuring more revenue, the FA's came around at the beginning when most passengers were sleeping.  Also, service was only conducted once and within the first hour even though both sectors were 3hr+; other low cost carriers would've come back towards the end of the flight to increase revenue and purchase of items.  Despite it being a low-cost airline, complimentary entertainment was provided through streaming to your device.  Once you connected to the internet, you can stream movies, TV shows, and other programs for free.  Other airlines also showed a flight map, the inflight menu, or other items when you are connected to the entertainment but AirArabia only had the entertainment. 

Overall, how was my experience on AirArabia?  Similar to FlyJinnah, it was not very good.  Positives were that you are able to book multi-country journeys on one ticket and there was no issue with that.  Another positive was the consistent product with similar planes, similar seats, and similar service.  Last positive was that complimentary entertainment was provided which is a nice gesture for a low-cost carrier.  Negatives were the lack of support/padding on the seats, the lack of attention from the FA's, and generally the chaotic boarding and nature of how the airline operated.  Did we depart ontime, yes; did I and my baggage make it to my destination, yes.  Was it comfortable, definitely not.  For this route, I had a choice between AirArabia or FlyDubai; AirArabia was less expensive and had less overflight time but if I had to choose again, I would probably choose FlyDubai as they seem less chaotic and better overall product.

Trip Report: FlyJinnah, Lahore to Sharjah; Sharjah to Islamabad (September 2024)

 Trip Report: FlyJinnah, Lahore to Sharjah; Sharjah to Islamabad
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I wanted to travel from Pakistan to Central Asia on a visit to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.  In looking for options, online searches came back with FlyDubai but there was a really long layover in Dubai which did not seem appealing so I continued to look.  That is when I looked into FlyJinnah and AirArabia - FlyJinnah is a new Pakistani-based airline which was started in partnership with AirArabia.  They use AirArabia planes and their branding is in the AirArabia style, and recently FlyJinnah started flying to Sharjah which is the hub for AirArabia.  Because FlyJinnah is part of AirArabia, you can book connecting flights for both airlines on each other websites.  I booked mine on AirArabia website and selected the flight in which the Pakistan to Sharjah and Sharjah to Pakistan flights were to be operated by FlyJinnah and the Sharjah to Central Asia flights operated by AirArabia.  I will focus on the FlyJinnah portion here as I will have a separate post for the AirArabia portion (found here).

Because they are both part of the same AirArabia organization, you can book the FlyJinnah portioneither on FlyJinnah's site or AirArabia's site.  Both sites look similar and you can book the same itinerary, including connecting portions, on both sites.  I choose to book my travel on the AirArabia site because of trust of sites as well as currency conversions (AirArabia charges in Dirhams while FlyJinnah charges in Pakistan Rupees).  In  booking my journey, the portion from Pakistan to Sharjah and from Sharjah to Pakistan was to be operated by FlyJinnah.  Both are low-cost carriers so the base ticket includes a personal pack plus a carry-on, everything else needs to be charged for.  I choose to pay for my seats as I prefer certain seats on the plane and I paid for luggage.  The seat costs were not bad and I was able to get an aisle seat near the front of the plane for not a high cost; the luggage charge was also not that high and included a checked bag of 30kg which is a generous portion.  Once I booked my ticket, I could use the same confirmation code on either FlyJinnah and/or AirArabia to manage my booking.

This review will be a compilation of my two flights on FlyJinnah - from Pakistan to Sharjah and from Sharjah to Pakistan.  Both were operated by the same aircraft and both had a similar experience.   For the check-in experience, I only experienced FlyJinnah check-in on the outbound as for the return I connected to FlyJinnah.  For the outbound, I could check-in either on the FlyJinnah or the AirArabia site, but after check-in I was only able to get the AirArabia boarding pass and I would need to check-in at the counter for the FlyJinnah portion.  I proceeded to the airport and was able to check-in, receive my boarding pass, and get my bags tagged all the way to my final destination.  At the check-in counter, I saw a lot of passengers being 'upgraded' for free even though they did not pay for the seats; this does not seem like a good practice for a low-cost airline and it was the first of many issues that I noticed throughout my flights with FlyJinnah.

Boarding for both FlyJinnah sectors were chaotic.  Boarding was supposed to be in groups starting with the rear of the aircraft but for both sectors this was only mildly adhered to as once the plane got halfway full everyone was allowed to board to ensure an on-time departure.  Both operating aircraft was an Airbus A320 which had a cabin laid in a 3-3 seat layout.  Both the outside and inside of the plane resembled AirArabia; the only markings of FlyJinnah were the seat covers and the boarding pass.  Both flights were not completely full so the chaotic boarding ended, manual safety demonstrations commenced, and we pushed back for an on-time departure.                                                                                                              The seats itself were basic and decent for a low-cost carrier.  The seat was not very wide nor very padded but there was decent amount of legroom.  For both sectors I luckily had the entire row to myself but if there was another passenger next to me, that could be uncomfortable as the seat width was narrow.  For both sectors, the flight time was a bit over 3hours and after the second/third hour you got to feel the uncomfortableness of the seat.  On both sectors, most of the announcements were done by prerecorded statements which were done in Arabic, English and Urdu.  On both sectors, the attendants seemed not interested nor caring in neither their job nor the safety nor security of the plane nor passengers.  On both sectors, basic safety and security standards such as ensuring everyone had their seatbelt on for takeoff and landing or ensuring the seat was upright were not adhered to; on both sectors the lavatory was not maintained in terms of cleanliness nor restocking even though the FA's were conversing in the galley right next to the lavatory.  Also, seat selection in the front came at a higher cost and most other airlines would prevent passengers from changing seats for both safety as well as monetary reasons; FlyJinnah did not seem to care as midflight many passengers moved up as they saw empty rows and seats near the front.

FlyJinnah, similar to their parent company AirArabia, is a low-cost company which means there is no inflight complimentary service.  You can preorder meals and drinks, and certain upgraded tickets come with meals, but generally everything is buy on-board.  As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the FA's came down the aisle for you to purchase snacks or drinks. Even though they were supposed to accept card, they preferred cash and even though it was over a 3hr flight, they only came by within the first hour to sell items; other low cost carriers would've come back towards the end of the flight to increase revenue and purchase of items.  Despite it being a low-cost airline, complimentary entertainment was provided through streaming to your device.  Once you connected to the internet, you can stream movies, TV shows, and other programs for free.  This was a great option and the selection was actually very good so this was a plus point for FlyJinnah.  Other airlines also showed a flight map, the inflight menu, or other items when you are connected to the entertainment but FlyJinnah only had the entertainment. 

Overall, how was my experience on FlyJinnah?  Not very good, especially since they are a new airline and new airlines are generally better.  Positives are that you are able to book a journey on FlyJinnah and AirArabia on one ticket and there are seamless and hassle free transitions between the two.  Also, the complimentary entertainment was also a nice gesture.  Negatives were the lack of support on the seats, the lack of attention or detail to safety and security, the lack of caring by the FAs for their job or towards the passengers, and the chaos of boarding the flights.  As I stated before, my options for this sector were either FlyJinnah + AirArabia or FlyDubai and if I had to choose again, I would probably choose FlyDubai.

Trip Report: SCAT Airlines, Almaty to Astana (September 2024)

 Trip Report: SCAT Airlines, Almaty to Astana
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling domestically in Kazakhstan and needed to fly from Almaty to Astana.  There are generally three airlines to choose from when flying Kazakhstan - AirAstana, FlyArstan, and SCAT Airlines.  AirAstana is the more well-off and defined airline of Kazakhstan, with FlyArstan being their LCC arm.  SCAT Airlines has less of a defined reputation and is generally known for poor service, poor planes, poor on-time departures, and generally not as put together.  I was going to fly AirAstana from Astana to Bishkek via Almaty (check out the review here), and FlyArstan did not operate a flight on the day I wanted to travel so I decided to book a flight with SCAT Airlines.                                                                                                            SCAT Airlines is an airline which operates domestic as well as regional flights from Kazakhstan, but their operations and flight timings are limited meaning they may only operate one or two times a day or week for that sector.  For the sector and date I was flying, there was either a morning flight or an evening flight between Almaty and Astana so I decided to book the evening flight.  I booked my flight directly through the SCAT website for a couple of reasons: 1) I wanted to ensure the flight option I selected came with a checked bag, and 2) sometimes when I have booked on third-party sites the ticket does not always translate and that can be an issue especially if there are cancellations and/or delays.

The flight that I booked was scheduled to depart Almaty at 5:25pm and arrive Astana at 7:05pm with a scheduled flight time of 1hr40min.  The ticket that I booked came with a 23kg checked baggage allowance, 10kg hand luggage allowance as well as seat selection.  The operating aircraft was scheduled to be a Boeing 737 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  24hrs prior to the flight I was able to check-in online and receive a mobile boarding pass, and I went to the airport well in advance to check in my luggage and to confirm the flight was going to be operating that day (I had heard of SCAT canceling a lot of flights).  There were a lot of people at the check-in desk and it was very chaotic but everything was checked in and I went to security and the gate.  Even though the gate was assigned, we were not allowed to go near the gate until the flight was ready for boarding; so it was a lot of waiting in cramped and uncomfortable seating until the boarding time.  Once the boarding announcement was made, it was a 'come one, come all' boarding with no clear instructions nor order.

The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  The plane looked like an outdated Southwest plane and there had been little to no updates to the plane.  The seats were changed but they were not updated and the seats were old, uncomfortable, offered little to no legroom, and some were broken so the back had some recline while others it was hard to recline.  Scheduled departure time was 5:25pm and to my surprise the aircraft was boarded and we pushed back on time; I say to my surprise because literally every other SCAT flight that day from Almaty was delayed by a minimum of 3-4 hours.  Manual safety demonstrations were done and then we taxied and took off for Astana.

Once airborne, the inflight service commenced.  SCAT is a low-cost airline which includes buy-onboard so first the flight attendants came through offering items for purchases.  Once that was concluded, they came back and offered complimentary bottles of water; it was a nice touch and that was the only thing complimentary offered.  After that, it was up to the passenger to bide the time as there was no wifi nor no inflight entertainment.  Many passengers reclined their seat to nap, but since the legroom was already tight having them reclined basically put the front passenger in the rear passengers lap.  Flight time was 1hr and 25min and after a bit we started our descent into Astana and concluded the journey.                                                                                                                        Overall, it was an interesting experience with SCAT.  I am glad the flight took off and landed on time and they got me and my luggage safely to Astana.  Was it the best airport or onboard experience I have had, definitely not and I can see where the criticisms come from.  Also, have experienced Air Astana on the return and seeing what a difference both on the ground and in the air they can be; I can see more of the criticism and difference.  However, there sometimes can be a significant price difference so if you know what you are getting into then you can deal with it for a short domestic flight.  I would definitely not recommend it for anything international nor longer flights though.  

Trip Report: Sun Country Airlines, New Orleans to Minneapolis (July 2024)

Trip Report: Sun Country Airlines, New Orleans to Minneapolis

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling to Minneapolis from New Orleans and generally there are two options available - either Delta or Sun Country Airlines.  I have flown Delta but have never flown Sun Country and was curious to decided to try them out.   From New Orleans, Sun Country flies one flight a day and the timings change; luckily for me the day I wanted to fly out they flew in the evening at the exact same time the Delta flight was heading out.  When I did research, Sun Country is a leisure-based airline that operates mainly to vacation and leisure destinations so I was not sure what to expect when booking the ticket or when onboard.  

You can book the ticket either through the website, the app, or directly at the airport.  When I booked online, the website and the options reminded me of ULCC, Spirit and Frontier, as there was a basic charge for the ticket and then there were fees for everything else from the carry-on to selecting your seat.  If you book online, they charge a 'passenger convenience fee' which can range in price, and online research said you can avoid this fee by booking at the airport yet no one could tell me if you could book the bundle of seat + carryon at the airport.  I paid for the bundle and the total for everything for my one-way flight was $110 which was a very good price.                                                                                                                                                          24-hours prior to my flight I checked in online and received my boarding pass so when I got to the airport I went directly to my gate.  The plane had just come from Minneapolis and was turning around to go back; and boarding was done by groups but the process was slow and more akin to leisure carriers rather than ULCC carriers.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 in a 3-3 seat configuration.  The first couple of rows were premium seats which contained more legroom and complimentary snacks during the service.  The remaining aircraft was in a standard 3-3 configuration with slimline-esque seats but they did have a recline and an adjustable headrest.  The seats were basic as there was a literature compartment up top, a tray table underneath, a pocket below that, and USB ports were available below the seats.  There was no seatback entertainment but you could connect to the wifi to stream movies, TV shows, and audio (there was no moving map no flight path so you could not figure out where you were).

Even though we were boarded ahead of the pushback time, there was no rush from the staff to close the door and depart early; again their attitude and pace of movement was more akin to leisure carriers versus ULCC even though their booking and other items were similar to ULCC.  We pushed back, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we took off for Minneapolis.  Once we reached our cruising altitude, the in-flight service commenced.  Sun Country offers complimentary drinks including soda, water, tea and coffee but everything else needs to be purchased onboard; premium seat members did receive a complimentary pack of snack but also had to purchase everything else.  The complimentary drinks were a nice touch and akin to leisure carriers, but not giving a snack and having a buy-on-board was more like ULCCs.  After the service finished, the FA's were rarely seen in the cabin for the remainder of the flight; no additional water nor trash collection was conducted and they only came back once they were preparing the cabin for landing. 

The remainder of the flight was uneventful and you could pass your time watching entertainment onyour screen, sleeping, or staring out the window.  The seats were decently comfortable but started to get uncomfortable towards to the end of the flight.  The legroom was also decent and similar to what you would find on a leisure carrier and not that of ULCC.  Once we landed there was no rush to get to the gate or deplane as fast as you can, instead there was a leisure pace to deboarding.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                After my experience, I am perplexed with Sun Country Airlines.  Part of their model resembles ULCC - from paying for seat selection, carry-ons and snacks - while other aspects resemble a leisure carrier - complimentary onboard drinks, decent legroom and being able to recline your seat.  It was an interesting but uneventful flight and got me to Minneapolis on time (the Delta flight that was scheduled to leave about the same time left early and got to Minneapolis early as well).

Trip Report: Breeze Airways, Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to New Orleans (February 2024)

 Trip Report: Breeze Airways 

Raleigh (RDU) to New Orleans (MSY)

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I needed to fly to Raleigh/Durham to New Orleans and previously there were no non-stop flights as you had to connect somewhere; however, recently a new airline started a direct flight between RDU and MSY so decided to try them out.  Breeze Airways is a relatively new airline primarily operating Embraer 190's and Airbus A220s.  They fly to relatively smaller and/or secondary airports and generally have less frequency than the mainline carriers.  One of their founders in the same person who started jetBlue so they seem to be a mix between that airline and low-cost carriers.  They have a base fare which includes a personal item only and then charge for everything else, but they have termed themselves the 'nice airline'.

Between Raleigh and New Orleans, Breeze is the only carrier that operates a direct flight between the two cities and currently operates this with an Embraer 195 (the airline is currently awaiting the A220 and will fly all routes with that aircraft once delivered).  The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 4:08p and arrive into New Orleans at 5:27p for a scheduled flight time of 2hr and 19min.  As stated earlier, the base fare only includes a personal item and the base fare is relatively inexpensive.  You can add seat selection, personal carry-on, and checked baggage separately or you can bundle them together.  I was going to add seat selection and personal carry-on and when I looked at the individual fare vs the bundle, the bundle was less expensive and offered better seat selection.  Therefore, I went with the 'Nicer bundle" which included extra legroom seat, personal carryon as well as a checked bag.  Even with the bundle, the total costs for my ticket was $120.  I booked my flight through the app and when you book online you automatically get enrolled with Breeze points, the Breeze frequent flyer program.  I had previously booked a flight but then cancelled and was able to get a full refund, but still collected Breeze points for signing up; I was able to use those points for this flight and make my overall costs less!

About 2 weeks prior to departure, I received an email stating that there was going be changes to the flight time - my flight was now going to depart and arrive one hour earlier than scheduled; the new departure time would be 3:08p with a boarding time of 2:30pm.  Breeze offered to either accept the change, or cancel the itinerary for a full-refund; I accepted the change and modified my schedule accordingly.  Check-in was easy through the app and I obtained my boarding pass 24-hours prior to check-in.  As Breeze is a new airline, and they have less frequency on this route, so their planes tend to be late or cancelled more often; and this can cause issues sometimes they are the only ones providing this flight service.  I checked the Breeze app and the previous day the flight was delayed by over 5hrs - also alarming was that Google Flights and FlightRadar showed my flight as being cancelled.  I immediately contacted customer service - Breeze does not have a phone number but rather provides support through chat, SMS, as well as Facebook Messanger.  I contacted them through FB Messanger and they responded within 30mins stating that my flight was scheduled ontime.

Flight MX331 operates New York/Islip to Raleigh and then Raleigh to New Orleans with only enoughtime to turn the plane around in Raleigh between flights.  The inbound flight arrive on-time but there was only one Breeze attendant at the gate; they had to handle the incoming flight as well as the outgoing flight and they were not the most efficient; this meant that boarding which was supposed to commence at 2:30pm did not and there was no announcement and no one to answer questions.  Once they finished deplaning and assisting the inbound aircraft, they came back basically to start boarding the outbound flight; communication and details could definitely be better as there was at least a 20-30min delay with no notice.                                                                                                            After preboarders, boarding was done by zone and with the 'Nicer' bundle you get Zone 1 boarding; also with this bundle I was able to select the extra legroom seat and was able to select 1C which is the first seat and a bulkhead seat.  The flight was operated by an Embraer 195 which is a smaller plane in a 2-2 section; you could feel the smallness of the plane as you entered since the height is smaller and the overhead bins are larger.  The overhead bins could fit a personal carryon as well as a roll carryon, but the flight was extremely full so it took some maneuvering to get everyone's bag onboarded.  Once boarding was complete, the doors were closed, manual safety demonstrations were done, we pushed back and departed Raleigh 20 mins behind schedule.                                                                                                                                                 

The plane is configured in a 2-2 layout.  I was in the bulkhead seat which meant that there was lots of legroom but the seat was narrower than I had expected.  From what I could tell, the seat width and comfort on the bulkhead seat was the same as the other seats but the seat pitch and legroom were different.  As I said, the seat was somewhat narrow and I am not sure if that is the seat or the Embraer aircraft; also, the seat comfort was decent for the short flight but not sure if it would comfortable for a longer flight.  Flight time ended being 1hr 45 mins and after levelling off, the inflight service started.  As with all low-cost carriers, most items are available for purchase including drink and food boxes.  Those were first offered and then complimentary water and hot tea were offered for no charge; that is something different and many passengers were not expecting that.  Breeze did offer wifi on the plane in which you could access the complimentary entertainment - the entertainment options were extremely limited as they offered 4 movies and 4 tv shows and both were extremely old or odd selections; however, they were available and they were complimentary.  I did not see wifi packages for offer nor was texing or messaging options offered.  Once the service completed, passengers found various time to occupy their time until we landed in New Orleans.

Overall, it was an interesting flight with Breeze.  The airline concept of a combination between low-
cost carrier with charging for everything but with a better, 'nicer' attitude seems to be an interesting concept.  The fare I paid, which included everything, was very inexpensive and made the flight more attractive.  The service on board was also great as some the FA's looked like they were really enjoying their job (unlike FA's on some of the mainline carriers).  The downside is the lack of frequency, the lack of consistency of on-time departures, and the lack of communication of delays.  Would I go out of my way to take Breeze, no; would I fly Breeze again if they offered the flight route that I wanted to take, absolutely! 

Trip Report: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Milan to London via Amsterdam - Business Class (December 2023)

 Trip Report: KLM Dutch Airlines, 

Milan to London via Amsterdam Business Class 

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I wanted to travel from Milan to London and when I looked online, there were not a lot of direct options so looked for connecting options.  Each time I travel, I am also looking for the best options and looking at points redemption versus payment, and in this search I found I could redeem Delta Skymiles points to get an intra-European business class ticket on KLM from Milan Malpensa to London Heathrow via Amsterdam.  I booked the ticket through Delta using my Skymiles points and then contacted KLM to confirm the booking and obtain the KLM booking reference number.   Once I had the KLM booking number, it was somewhat easy to manage my booking through the KLM app as well as through customer service. 

My flight was from Milan to London Heathrow via Amsterdam.  The first flight was approximately 1h55min while the second flight was 1hr20min and with an originally layover of 1hr30min.  Both sectors were flown by Boeing 737 and both were in 'intra-European business class' which means that the seats are the same as the rest of the plane with extra legroom and the middle seat blocked off.  As part of business class, both sectors included complimentary meals.  The experience on both sectors were similar so I will combine all experiences into one review.                                                                                                                                                                                    Our flight was scheduled to depart Milan at 4:55pm.  We had both Business Class access as well as Sky Priority status so we were able to use that check-in as well as fast track security; although there were not many people in check-in line so either line would have been fine.  The business class lounge in Milan was through a third party and the lounge was small but decent and had complimentary soft drinks, water, alcoholic beverages, as well as a wide variety of snacks and small foods.  The drinks were plentiful and the snacks were decent enough to fill you up but not to overstuff.  There was also complimentary wifi.  During the layover in Amsterdam I was able to try out the renovated KLM Crown Club.  The club was massive with lots of seating but also lots of people.  The food was disappointing as it was minimal snacks and I expected better quality and quantity of food from a lounge in the airlines home airport (in face, the food on the plane was better than the food in the lounge).  The drinks were weak and not good either; overall it was a disappointing experience in the Crown Club in Amsterdam.

KLM has a departure time and a scheduled boarding time and for both flights, the flights were delayed and boarding time came and went without any communication.  Boarding is to be conducted by groups, with Business Class and Sky Priority in Group 3 but each time boarding was chaotic and many people were unsure which group was going when.  There was a lack of communication and order during the boarding and regarding any delays.                                                                                                                                                                                    Once onboard, both planes were laid out in a similar fashion as they were both Boeing 737-800.  Both were in a 3-3 configuration and as mentioned above we were in 'European Business Class' which meant that the seats were standard but there was extra legroom and the middle seat was blocked.  The major difference was that the Milan to Amsterdam sector was operated by a newer plane with newer seats while the Amsterdam to Heathrow sector was operated by an older plane with the old style seats.  The newer seats were more slimline and thus had less padding but were more efficiently designed.  The older planes had a bit bigger seats but the wear and tear had made them uncomfortable towards the end.  

Both seats were designed in a similar fashion with the updated ones having somewhat more modern features.  Both featured a tray table as well as pocket underneath, and neither had a monitor.  The older plane's tray table was a standard tray table while the newer plane had a bi-folded table.  The newer plane had a USB port on the back of each seat as well as plugs underneath the seat; the older plane only had plugs underneath the seats. The newer plane had a literature pocket on top as well as while the older plane did not have this.  Neither plane had wifi nor stream to your own device entertainment, which meant that you had to bring your own entertainment or occupy yourself.                                                                                                                                                                                            In Business Class, KLM offers a complimentary meal as well as complimentary drinks, including complimentary alcoholic drinks.  The meals come in prepared boxes and cannot be modified - ie no special meals can be ordered nor requested and there is only one option for the meal choice.   Prior to the meals, a warn nuts and a menu card was handed out explaining the meal box along with a berry burst drink, which apparently is very popular but after trying it, is an acquired taste.  Due to the short flight time, once airborne the meal boxes were served immediately.  The meal boxes contained a main meal which was vegetarian and included a veggie protein with a salad and another box containing dessert; warm bread and your choice of drink were served afterwards.  The quantity of the meal box was sufficient for the short-duration of the flight, and as I said earlier the quality of the food was better than expected.  I tend to not enjoy airplane food, as most of them are not good, but this food was actually good quality and taste and in fact the food in the plane was better than the food in the lounge.

We landed in Heathrow late as we departed late and even though we had business class tags and sky priority tags, our luggage did not come out first but rather came out in the middle.  Overall, it was a mixed bag experience with KLM.  I haven't flown with KLM for over 20+ years so I was unsure as to what to expect.  Positives were the better-than-expected quality of food that was given and the average seat quality and pitch.  Negatives was the lack of wifi and/or entertainment provided, a lack of customer service nor attention even paid to business class passengers, lack of communication regarding delays, and finally confusion and lack of order regarding boarding.  

Trip Report: TAP Air Portugal - Washington, D.C. to Zurich via Lisbon (November 2021)

  Trip Report: TAP Air Portugal - Washington, D.C. to Zurich
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was looking to fly to Europe from the US and in Fall of 2021 only certain airlines were operating.  One of these was TAP Air Portugal and during that time their prices were good, the flight timings were good, and the COVID regulations were not strict thus limiting travel (I think TAP did this strategically to continue operating and providing a revenue for their operations); because of all these reasons I booked TAP Air Portugal.  I have flown TAP before both long-haul (Newark to Lisbon) and short-haul (Lisbon to Barcelona) so I was familiar with their product; they tend to offer lower fares and in return offer a decent product.  Their prices are not fancy and neither are their services - everything seems ok, especially given the price you pay so one should not expect a Singapore or Emirates-type service.  Since my last flight with them, they have invested in fleet renewal which includes A321LRneo which are long-haul single aisle planes.  These have been used recently on many long-haul flights between Europe and the U.S. in markets where a larger, twin-aisle plane capacity is not there.  

My flight was from Washington, D.C. to Lisbon and then from Lisbon to Zurich; the first leg wasoperated by an A321LRneo while the second leg was operated by an Airbus A320.  When I booked my trip, I was able to preselect my seat and select a special meal option for my long-haul flight at no cost; for the short-haul flight preselecting a seat and adding a meal would be an extra charge.  Since my itinerary included a long-haul sector, checked baggage was included but had my itinerary only been short-haul or within Europe then checked baggage and hand carry are only allowed on certain ticket levels.  I had all my documentation ready and so I was able to check-in online and receive my boarding pass but I still needed to stop by the desk to confirm all my health requirements and documentation.  During the check-in process I could modify my long-haul seat selection but could only add a seat for my short-haul for a cost.  

The flight from Washington, D.C. departed at 10pm and arrives into Lisbon at 10am.  In the Fall of 2021 there was not many people flying so the airport was empty and it took 10 minutes to get through check-in and security.  Once the flight arrived and was cleaned and catered, we boarded in groups.  The Airbus A321neoLR is a unique plane in that is a long-range plane but it is single aisle unlike most long-range planes which are double aisle.  The single aisle makes allows airlines to operate routes longer term that may not be as profitable with a bigger airline.  The airplane is in a 3-3 configuration and had a business class upfront, a small premium economy, and then economy section.  Even though it was a single-aisle the seat pitch and seat width of the seat were very good and comfortable for the 7hr+ flight.  The seat itself contained a wide PTV screen with USB and headphone jack underneath, a section for safety card and airline magazine, a tray table that can be used half-open or fully open, and then additional pockets and storage underneath.  Overall, it was a comfortable flight for the flight time and length of the flight. 

Once airborne, inflight service commenced.   First there was a drink and pretzel service and then meals were served.  The food was average, decent but not great, and this was also the comment on the entertainment options for the PTV, decent but not great.  The options were great for a 4-5hour flight but you would be limited for longer flights.  After the first meal, most passengers went to sleep.  There was water and pretzels available in the rear of the plane throughout the flight and then prior to landing a snack was served.  Once we landed, transiting through Lisbon airport was a NIGHTMARE as there were too many people and not enough staff to handle the transit.  I had about 2.5hrs transit time and the entire time was spent in line going through immigration and security.  I barely had enough time to clear everything and make it to my next gate; that happened both on the airport and the return.

My next flight was an intra-European flight on an Airbus A320 and there was a noticeable difference in terms of cabin size, seat comfort, seat pitch and width, and general layout of the seat.  The seat comfort, seat pitch and width were all reduced and it made the 2h45m flight feel longer.  There was no PTV and I could not access wifi on the plane so it was up to you to bring your own entertainment.  Drinks are served on TAP but everything else is buy-on-board.  

Generally, it was an average flight onboard TAP.  My experience and opinion of them from my previousflight had not changed - they are an average airline which will get you from Point A to Point B in a lower cost and with an average plane with decent seat pitch and width.  There will be nothing outstanding that will make you say 'oh my God' but nor will there be anything that bad that will make you swear them off (except this time transiting through Lisbon was not fun). 

Trip Report: American Airlines, Providenciales to Baltimore (July 2021)

Stay Report: American Airlines - Providenciales to Baltimore
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Travelling has seriously changed in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Flight schedules have been drastically reduced or cancelled and this can be more impacted when a natural disaster happens.  I was returning from Turks & Caicos back to the U.S. onboard American Airlines from Providenciales to Baltimore via Charlotte but there was a hurricane that was disrupting travel so my flight was cancelled (my flight was severely delayed so that my connecting flight would be missed so they just cancelled it all).  I received the notification via email and my flight was rebooked 3-days later; that rebooking did not work for me since I needed to get back to work so I left my hotel and went to the airport to see if there was any other flights or options available.  After standing in line for 3+-hours, I finally was able to get on the flight to Miami and connect to Washington, D.C.  

My first flight was onboard a Boeing 737 from Providenciales to Miami.  Flight time was a bit over

2hrs and it was a completely full flight.  The plane was in a 2-2 configuration in business and a 3-3 in economy with extra legroom space upfront and main economy in the back.  Main economy seats were a bit tight but were decent enough for the 2-hour flight time.   The seat looked updated and was comfortable enough for the flight duration.  There was a space for airline literature uptop followed by a contraption to hold your electronic device in place.  There were no seatback screens as American has removed those and instead installed these contraptions to hold your personal device and you can personally stream videos to your phone/tablet through the wifi.  In my opinion, its great you get to stream to your own device but the contraption does not always work.  American has also installed USB ports on every seatback so that you can constantly charge your device while streaming; there are universal power ports beneath the seat for additional power.  Once airborne, the inflight service commenced which consisted of pretzels plus a complimentary beverage.  I do like that on most American flights they do give you the entire can of drink and not just a mouthwash size glass, especially on internationally flights.  After a relatively smooth flight we landed in Miami.  

My original destination was Baltimore but when I was rebooking in Providenciales they thought I could not make my connection to Baltimore so they booked me on a flight to Washington Reagan.  When I got to Miami, I went to the transfer desk where there was luckily no-one and asked if I could be transferred to the Baltimore flight.  Thanks for my Global Entry and having hand-luggage only, I got through immigration quickly so would be able to make the flight if they could rebook me.  After 20 minutes of waiting and negotiation, I got onto the flight to Baltimore.  The flight from Miami to Baltimore was operated by an older plane that needed to be updated.  I had been allocated the first seat with plenty of legroom and but it was still a less comfortable ride for the 2hr35min flight time (I recently flew from Charlotte to Baltimore and that was on the newer and updated Boeing 737 so not sure if that plane had not been updated yet).  Again after takeoff the inflight service commenced of pretzels and a drink and again, appreciated receiving the entire can.  After a relatively smooth flight we landed in Baltimore and deplaned.

Overall, it was a pleasant journey on American.  After this trip, I recently took American on a domestic trip and had a similarly decent experience - the seats were decent, they had working USB ports and the service was decent as well; they were a solid B-grade airline.  I did have to argue somewhat both in Providenciales and in Miami for the flights but I think I would have had to do that with other airlines as well.  I would definitely choose to take American domestically or to the Caribbean; I have taken them internationally once and vowed never to do that again.