A Trip Report: Emirates Airlines, economy + business

A Trip Report: Emirates Airlines, economy + business

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Emirates Airlines was one of the first Gulf-3 airlines to have a worldwide presence.  Through their Dubai-hub, they connect to all 6-inhabited continents.  They have grown rapidly in the last couple of years, and I have flown them at the beginning of their rise and more recently.  I wanted to see if, through their increased routes and passengers, if they still kept the same commitment to great levels of service and experience.

I had flown Emirates numerous times, both in economy and business. I had originally flown Emirates when they only connected to London, and would connect to Emirates via London and Dubai.  When Emirates introduced flights from America direct to Dubai, I also flew them in both business and economy; and when Emirates introduced the A380 to America, I flew on these flights in both Business and Economy.  My most recent experience was flying Emirates from Houston to South Asia in economy on the outbound and business on the return.  Houston to Dubai was flown on the A380 (both sectors), while Dubai to South Asia was flown on Boeing 777-300 (both sectors).  Each airplane and each sector had a different feel, with some positives and some negatives on both sectors.

Our first sector was on the Airbus A380 from Houston to Dubai (as of July 1, 2016, Emirates downgraded this flight to the Boeing 777), and we were flying in economy on this sector.  This flight-time for this flight is over 15h, which means that is a lot of time to experience every aspect of Emirates service.  Through both the Emirates website and the app, I was able to manage my reservation in choosing my own seat, add meal requests, pay for excess baggage (there is a small discount if you pre-pay for excess baggage) and check-in online.  The flight was scheduled to take off at 7pm and check-in opened up at 3pm.  Emirates has a lot of staff, and most agents are familiar with Emirates policy so that helps speed up the check-in process (some other airlines’ staff are not as knowledgeable).  We went up to the gate and the plane was already there, having come from Dubai earlier in the day.  We started boarding a little later than usual, around 5:45/6pm.  I am not sure the reason for the delay, given everyone was ready, but the boarding was a bit chaotic and somewhat unorganized.  We were in Group 3 but were the last to board, behind group 4 and 5.  One reason for the delayed boarding may have been the light passenger load – apparently Emirates had been running lighter loads on this sector so that is why they were downgrading the plane to the 777. 

We boarded and once on board you could immediately feel the difference of the A380.  The bigger plane allows for more space so you don’t feel as combined.  The seats are laid out in a 3-4-3 formation, and both the seat comfort and seat pitch are greater on the A380 as compared to the B777.  I am a tall person, and this seat is comfortable to sit on for the long duration of the flight.  This flight was even better because due to the light passenger load, we were able to spread out throughout the plane so I had all three seats to myself.  Each seat contains a pillow and blanket, individual PTVs, USB port, headphone jack, tray table, and controller.  The seat-back pocket has the in-flight magazine, the duty free magazine, headsets, and an air sickness bag.  As we started boarding late, our pushback was also delayed; however, most passengers did not notice the delay as they were preoccupied with the IFE system.  The IFE system is available as soon as you sit down (unlike other airlines which start the system after their reach cruising altitude) so most passengers were scrolling through the vast options and were not paying attention to the delay.  The doors closed and we pushed back from the gate.  As we were pushing back, the cabin crew handed out menus for the flight. 

The catering for the flight consisted of meal after departure, a light snack in the middle of the flight, another meal prior to arrival, as well as a mixture of light snacks and water available throughout the flight.  As we reached cruising altitude, the cabin crew came round with the drinks cart and then came around with the meal cart.  The meals on Emirates have been rated very highly for both their quantity and quality.  Over their years I have flown with them, their meal quality and quantity have dropped somewhat but they are still better than most airlines in both categories.  After the meal service, coffee and tea were offered along with water.  By this time, it was almost 9/10p local time so the lights were turned down so people could rest.  Throughout the flight, Emirates crew were coming through the cabin with water or to check on passengers (this is also something I have not seen as much on other flights).  Emirates crew also distributed light snacks, such as fruit, throughout the flight and in the middle of the flight a snack was distribute (to those passengers who were awake).  Approximately 3-hour prior to landing the lights were turned on as the final meal was being served.  This meal with lighter in terms of portion and heaviness, and that is a good thing as by this time most passengers are not as hungry as when they first boarded the plane.

We were supposed to land in Dubai in 7:05pm, but due to delayed departure and also congestion in Dubai we landed later than expected.  As most passengers were connecting on to other flights, and most had at least 2 hours or more transfer time, the delayed arrival did not affect most passengers.  We taxied to the gate, deplaned, and had 2 hours in Dubai Airport before our next flight departed.

Our next flight was from Dubai to South Asia, and some of these flights are operated by A380 while most are operated by a Boeing 777-300 (due to heavy traffic load between Dubai and South Asia).  Our flight was operated by a 777-300ER and as you entered the plane you could immediately tell the difference.  The 777-300ER is a plane designed for long-range travel, is smaller than the A380 so the seat pitch is tighter and the seat width is smaller.  This makes for a more compact travel experience, and it is not as comfortable.  Our flight was for 3-hours, but I have flown the 777-300ER long-haul as well.  The seats and comfort are fine for the first half of the flight, but in the second half you feel the tightness and the comfortability.  As this plane was completely full, there was not a lot of room so that made the seat feel even tighter.  Due to the large passenger load, we departed late from Dubai.  As this flight is 3-hours, and only one meal + drinks service is offered, the cabin crew took their time to serve the meal.  It was almost an hour into the flight before the drinks were served followed by the meal.  There were a lot of cabin crew on this flight, and some of them seemed relaxed while others seemed rush (I guess too many passengers for the short flight).  Coffee and tea were offered after the meal service, and again personal PTV’s were available for passengers to enjoy.  The service across Emirates planes is the same, good and professional.  The only difference amongst the planes is the seat pitch and seat comfort.  We landed later than scheduled, taxied to the gate, and deplaned in South Asia.

We had booked economy on the outbound and business on the return.  Emirates allows 2 bags of 50lbs (23kg) each per passenger as well as a hand carry in economy.  You can pre-book extra luggage and a discounted rate online 3 days prior to your flight.  Business class has a greater luggage allowance, Emirates uses the upper deck of the A380 for their lie-flat business seats, and you have access to the nice lounge in Dubai Airport.

Since we were spending a day in Dubai, we had booked a later morning flight from South Asia to Dubai – Emirates has two flights a day, either early in the morning around 3am or later in the morning around 9am.  We choose the later flight to allow us more rest but also because we had scheduled a day layover in Dubai.  Emirates business class allows 2 bags of 32kg each plus 2 carryon – which is very generous – plus the same discounts on extra luggage pre-booked.   

  

 Our first sector from South Asia to Dubai was on the 777-300ER.  The Business Class layout is 2-3-2, which was fine for our short flight duration of 3 hours; however, if you had a longer flight and you were stuck in the middle that would make it very inconvenient to reach over someone to get out into the aisle.  The layout of the Business Class was also a bit odd – there was no first class so there were 10 rows of business class seats, and then a separation and then 2 more rows of business class seats.  These last two rows were right next to the door in which passengers enter the plane, so it was a bit of an odd layout.  I have flown business class before on Emirates, and the service was impeccable.  This time the service wasn’t as great as it had been in the past – it was still good and attentive but there was definitely a noticeable drop.  The seat pitch was extremely good, as there was a lot of leg room for the seat to lay flat.  The personal PTV was huge, and looked like a computer monitor rather than a PTV.  The seat width was also nice, but from my previous flights the seats have gotten a bit narrower so there is not as much space as there used to be.  Again, we left late and so we landed late in Dubai.  We deplaned and went to the Chauffer service.  In certain markets, Emirates provides Chauffer service for Business and First class passengers and this can be pre-booked online.  The chauffer service was very nice and convenient for airport pick-up and drop-off.

The next morning, the Emirates service was early to pick us up from our hotel and drop us off at the airport. In Dubai, Emirates has a dedicated terminal exclusively for Business and First class passengers with their own check-in desks, immigration, and security checks.  It is extremely convenient as there are less passengers so you it is a quick process (although you do have to walk a far distance from the entrance of the terminal to the security area).  After you clear immigration and security, you take an elevator upstairs – this is a negative aspect as the elevator drops you off in the middle of the Dubai Airport.  From there, you have to walk a bit to take a set of escalators which will take you to another floor that has the first and business class lounge; why couldn’t the elevator just take you straight to the business class lounge? 

The business class lounge in Dubai is very large in terms of size and available amenities, and it also extremely crowded.  This is one the negative side-effects of their expansion is that their airport services have not kept up with the increased demand.  Almost every food station had a long line, there were too few staff to assist with the numerous passengers, each bathroom had a huge line and wait, and there was a lack of tables.  Emirates is adding more flights and more capacity each day, and Dubai Airports is getting busier so they need to do something to deal with the increased number of passengers – otherwise it will have an impact on the passenger’s experience.

Another negative is that you cannot access your gate from the Business Class lounge – you have to check the timings and the gate number on the screens and remind yourself to leave enough time to walk back down to the main level, find your gate and walk there in time for your boarding process (and it is usually a far walk). 

Our next flight was on the A380, and Emirates just built a brand new terminal for the A380 that has bridges to access the upper and lower decks.  In spite of this, we boarded our flight on the lower deck and then had to take the front stairs up, walk through the first class to access the business class – it was again very odd that this was done this way given the new terminal.  The business class on the A380 is laid out in a 1-2-1 fashion – which provides every seat with aisle access and this is a convenient perk.  Emirates recently reconfigured the business class seats, and in my opinion made them less desirable.  They took out the massage feature (apparently there were too many glitches) and made the seat tighter.  The seat is designed like a pod.  

When you enter your seat in business class, the cabin-crew greet you as there are two cabin-crew for every 4 seats.  These are supposed to be your personal cabin crew attendants, and apparently they are the only ones who are able to handle any request you may have.  When we asked other attendants for items, they responded by saying they would inform our cabin crew to come and inquire; you then had to repeat the request to your cabin crew.  This type of service was not there previously, and while I understand Emirates wants to provide individualized-service the cabin crew are working in a team so they should respond as a team and not individually (and not in a non-customer-friendly way).

As you enter the pod, there is a mini bar next to your head which contains water and soft drinks (they are prefilled but can be modified to fit your preference).  The mini-bar is protected by a silver bar which can be lifted up to access your drinks – but sometimes it gets stuck so it is not designed well; however, it is nice to have these options next to you as to not keep asking the cabin crew for drinks (the cabin crew also come and refill the bar with water as they pass by).  Next to the bar are the USB ports – there are two, which is convenient but the holder for your device needs to be updated.  The seat itself is comfortable and contains a nice pillow and blanket.  The seat does move and can be adjusted to lie flat or to any angle you desire.  Next to your seat is a space for magazines, reading material, or other things.  While this space is nice, as it provides privacy to your things, it also takes up valuable seat space and that can be felt.  While the IFE is touchscreen, there is also a remote in case the touch-screen freezes (which it sometimes does).  The tray table is also located on this side and folds out (a bit too close to the seat so not leaving a lot of room).  In front is the huge PTV, and below that is a cubby space.  This space needs to be cleared for take-off and landing (which is inconvenient for passengers) and this is where your feet will go when the seat lies flat (if you are tall enough).

You can modify the seats to whatever angle you are comfortable with, and the seats lie flat to about the size of a single bed.  After the meals had been picked up, Emirates crew usually came around and asked if you would like a turn down service.  Emirates crew would lay the seat flat, add the padding, and essentially make-up the bed for you. This time, however, none of that happened.  We had to request the bedding, and when it did come it was just handed to us and we had to make the bed ourselves.  This is something that the passenger is not supposed to do and it shows that Emirates service has diminished somewhat.  The seats were comfortable enough but the seat comfort and seat width had both been diminished.  It was comfortable enough for the long duration of the flight, but it was not as comfortable as it once was.

Our flight departed at 8:25am and scheduled to arrive into Houston at 3:45pm.  Emirates had recently modified their scheduled to have the flight leaving earlier from Dubai to give it a bigger turnaround window in Houston.  There were multiple meals served on-board, starting with breakfast.  As soon as we sat down, we were given a menu and asked to select a breakfast option.  When we reached cruising altitude, the cabin crew came by to open the tray tables and lay down the silverware on white cloths.  Warm nuts and a drink were served first, followed by the breakfast choice.  The food was decent, but both the quality and quantity of the food had diminished.  Throughout the flights, passengers were welcome to hang out in the ‘bar/lounge’ at the end of the plane.  Here there was a bar with drinks available, hors d'oeuvres, as well as bench/couches available for you to hang out or talk to your fellow passengers.  This is a nice area, and there is more sunlight here so on longer flights the sunlight really helps. 

While small snacks are available in the lounge, there are larger, heavier snacks available to be ordered.  Previously, the cabin crew proactively asked the passengers if they wanted a heavier snack and worked with the passenger to modify the snack based on the flight time or health of the passenger.  On this flight, we were not asked for heavier snacks and when we ordered a larger snack, first the crew suggested that snacks were available in the back and then it took a long time.  This was not the type of service I was expecting from Emirates, and I was a bit disappointed.

Prior to landing another meal was served.  Again, this meal was decent but was lower in quality and quantity then what I expected from Emirates (still better than some other airlines).  We landed and taxied to the gate, and at Houston they had a separate bridge for both the upper and lower cabins of the A380.

Overall, my experience with Emirates left me a bit disappointed.  They are still a good airline, with great in-flight entertainment, the airline that operates the most A380’s and those provide a lot of room, and an airline that offers free wifi to all of its passengers – the basic package is free and is good for short communication and basic email; a bigger package is available for purchase.  This offer is available to all passengers and is a great bonus in my opinion.  My most recent experience, however, shows that Emirates may be struggling to keep their commitment to service as they rapidly expand.  The economy class experience was good, but the business class felt more like premium economy versus business class.  I have talked to others who flew Emirates in the past and more recently, and they also notice a drop in service.  Their service and their planes are still one of the best in the world, but they are no longer the best or the planes.  I have had equally good service on Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and Qantas – so Emirates has lost a bit of that competitive edge in my opinion.  I would still take Emirates in the future, they are no longer a guaranteed choice.

A Trip Report: Southwest Airlines, domestic

A Trip Report: Southwest Airlines, domestic

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Southwest Airlines started out as a local airline in Texas, providing inexpensive fares to people to move across the big state.  They were the pioneers of the low-cost model as they use one-type of plane, make multiple stops, fly to a mix of primary and secondary airports, and have basic on-board service.  As Southwest has grown from a local to a national airline (and now international with the absorption of AirTran), some of their services had to adapt to fit their new model.  They are still committed to their low-cost model and providing good services at a low-cost, and this is why I continue to fly with them.  I have flown with Southwest many times, a lot on short-haul and some on medium-haul, and there are some aspects which are great and some which are not as great. 

My most recent experience with Southwest was on their short-haul flight from New Orleans to Atlanta, and return.  This route, and the Atlanta hub, is something Southwest inherited from their takeover of AirTran and puts Southwest in direct competition with Delta.  On this route, Southwest and Delta compare evenly in terms of ticket price.  In terms of other services, Southwest fares better on some aspects and Delta on others.

Delta has more flight options throughout the day and you can earn miles that can be redeemed through any SkyTeam partner; however, the Delta ticket only covers your seat as you have to pay for ancillary fares (checked baggage, selecting a seat).  Southwest does not have as many flights, especially direct flights, but the ticket prices includes 2 free bags + 2 carry-ons; no change fees (you just pay the fare difference, if there is one, or you receive a credit for a future flight); price adjustment if there is a sale and the price drops lower; and access to free live TV through their on-board wifi.  Delta charges a heavy change fee of $200 plus any fare difference, and sometimes the change fee is higher than the ticket price itself.  Delta also flies a variety of planes on this route, from MD-80s to Airbus A320s to Boeing 737s and to some this is a positive while to others this is a negative (because you never know what you are going to get).  As part of their low-cost model, Southwest only flies Boeing 737s, either 700 or 800, so you know what you are going to get.  Both offer complimentary drinks and usually a small snack (peanuts/pretzels on Southwest – on longer flights they also offer chips and crackers – and Biscoff cookies on Delta), and Delta has started to introduce free TV on their planes either through PTV’s or through their app.  Because of the sale fares, the additional complimentary aspects that are included in your ticket, and the low cost I have tended to travel on Southwest for this route.  

I have travelled this route many times, and the experience has been consistent.  The airline offers low prices, basic services, and good customer service.  What varies are the fares and the planes, in terms of seat comfort and seat pitch, as well as the flight timings.  I usually take the last non-stop out of New Orleans and the flight time keeps fluctuating; it hovers between 6:30 and 7:30p but changes frequently within that hour.  For this flight, my flight was scheduled to take off at 6:55pm.  With Southwest’s model, their planes operate a number of different routes so while this does provide more access, it also means more delays as if one sector is delayed then all the sectors are delayed.  On this date, our incoming flight from Dallas (Love Field) was delayed so our flight to Atlanta was delayed.  The plane landed around our original scheduled departure time, and we were asked to line up.  Southwest does not assign seats - at check-in you are assigned a Group letter and a number and you board accordingly. Once on board you can choose any open seat.  While this concept allows you to choose your seat, it is a pain to stand in line and wait and then get on board and wait again as passengers play musical chairs and assess the best seat.

Southwest does board quickly and have quick turnaround times (another aspect of their LCC model) so we pushed back from the gate at 7:35pm.  The plane on this sector was a Boeing 737-700 and was an older plane.  Southwest usually operates these planes on their short-haul sector, as the seat comfort is low and the seat pitch is tight.  The seats are fine for the short-haul but after a while they can become very uncomfortable.  Once we reach cruising altitude, the cabin crew came by to take your drink order and hand out pretzels/peanuts.  Southwest provides complimentary drinks and you can access TV through your personal device using Southwest wifi.  The flight was relatively uneventful and as soon as the drinks were passed out we were starting our decent into Atlanta.

The return flight was equally uneventful and was similar to the first leg except for one difference – the plane.  The return flight was operated by a Boeing 737-800 and it was a newer plane.  This plane had a better seat comfort and a better seat pitch.  This type of plane Southwest usually reserves for their long-haul, but the plane had come from Los Angeles to Atlanta and was now flying Atlanta to New Orleans.  The newer plane also had the Boeing Skyline interior and had a nicer, cleaner look.  Again, after the drinks were passed out it we were starting our decent into New Orleans.

Overall, Southwest Airlines provides a good, consistent customer service; usually low fares which include complimentary services; and good overall experience.  Another good thing about Southwest is given their expansion, they have not lost sight of their core beliefs which made their model successful and this will continue to make them successful in the future.    There are tradeoffs when flying with Southwest, but if you are willing to take the gamble you will have a pleasant flying experience.

Upcoming Reviews -- August/September 2016

I just booked my next trip so look out for the following airline and hotel reviews in September 2016:

1. United Airlines (domestic)
2. Lufthansa (long-haul)
3. South African Airways (long-haul)
4. South African LCC - FlyMango and Kulula.com
5. Hotels in South Africa - Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban Sou

Stay tuned!

A Trip Report: Shaheen Air International, Karachi to Lahore (April 2016)

A Trip Report: Shaheen Air International, domestic 

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

We were travelling domestically in Pakistan, and decided to try Shaheen Air International (SAI).   Shaheen Air has had an interesting history – it started in the early 90’s but then had to restructure in early 2000’s when the government said it owed a lot of money.  Airlines in Pakistan have not been known for their service or on-time record.  There are three major carriers in the Pakistan market: 1) PIA – Pakistan International Airlines – is the national carrier and has been the dominant carrier in the market.  They also have the most planes and staff; 2) airblue which is a private airline that started in the early 2000s.  They had initially gone through a tremendous growth spurt, but were unable to maintain the growth and thus have scaled back; and finally 3) Shaheen Air which has had a troubled past but after the restructuring seems to be investing a lot in its fleet and expanding their services.  Given their new direction, we decided to try Shaheen Air.

We had booked our ticket through Shaheen’s website.  Both the website and app are very user-friendly, easy to navigate, and it was easy to book a ticket.  We were travelling from Karachi to Lahore and as Shaheen is still a growing airline, they do not have as many flight options as PIA (although more than airblue).  They operate this service twice a day, once in the afternoon and then once in the evening.  We decided to choose the evening flight – both options were the same price so the evening flight gave us more time in Karachi.  Even though we were able to book and receive a confirmation on the website, the payment could not be made online so we had 3 days to go to a Shaheen Air office or a travel agent to pay for the ticket and confirm the booking.  This was a bit of a pain.  Shaheen Air is a full service airline, which meant that the ticket includes free luggage allowance, free hand-carry, and a free meal.  You are not able to pre-book your seat, either through the website, travel agency, nor through the call center; seat assignment are only received at check-in. 

Given that we were going to receive our seat assignment upon check-in, we decided to get to the airport early.  The flight was scheduled to depart Karachi at 7:00pm and arrive Lahore at 8:45pm, for a flight time of 1hr 30mins.  We arrived at the airport around 4:30pm, and check-in opened at 5pm.  Check-in was quick and efficient, and we received our boarding passes with seat assignments.  We then proceeded through an empty security check and had plenty time to enjoy Butler’s Café in the Karachi Airport.  We went to the gate area around 6pm and between 6pm and 6:45pm, three Shaheen Air planes landed and deplaned passengers.  Our plane was the last to arrive, and once passengers deplaned it took a while before the next crew boarded the plane to get it ready for the next flight.  The flight crew seemed to be asking the ground crew when they could board, but the ground staff did not seem to be in a hurry so it took a while.  Boarding finally started around 6:45, and Shaheen has two boarding groups.  The first group to board are passengers seated in the back of the plane, while the second group are passengers seated in the front of the plane.  As we were near the front of the plane, we boarded in the second group.

The A320 plane from the outside looked nice with a nice paint job.  On-board, the look of the plane was very nice in a 3-3 layout in seat covers that kept the interior plane looking modern and fresh.  The seat itself was decent – more comfortable than PIA or Etihad, but not as comfortable as other airlines.  The seat pitch was also decent, not too much legroom but my knees were not hitting the seat in front of me.  It was a fine for our short duration.  The plane itself did not look new, and closer inspection of the wear and tear on the seats proved this theory.  The panels above the seat also looked a bit older; however, this plane looked better maintained versus the PIA plane which had brought us to Karachi.  Entering and sitting on the plane reminded me of flying with Southwest – the planes are kept up decent enough given the high utilization and the wear and tear that comes with this.   As we boarded the plane late, we took of late as well.  The doors did not close until 7:15/7:20p and we did not take off until 7:30/7:40pm.  On-time departures are not something that Pakistani airlines are known for.

Despite the late start, the service on board was fantastic.   Glasses of water were passed out during boarding and the attendants greeted each passenger with a warm smile.  Again, given the short duration I did not expect much from the flight but as soon as cruising altitude was reached the service began.  As this was an evening flight, complimentary dinner plus complimentary water, soft drinks, and juice were provided.  The complimentary meal included chicken biryani with yogurt and dessert, and the portion was extremely generous (the portion was generous in itself, but also extremely generous given the short duration of the flight).   Once dinner was served, the attendants came through with complimentary tea and coffee.  The service was a lot, especially given the short duration, and more than I have experienced with other airlines (such as Etihad). 

As the coffee and tea were being served, we had already started our descent into Lahore.  I am not sure if it was the amount of service provided for the short duration, or the fact that we experienced some turbulence and this may have affected the service, but towards the end the attendants were a bit frantic in trying to clear the trays and the clear up the plane prior to landing.  At one point, I seriously thought we were going to land with the trays in our laps but the attendants cleared the plane and get in ready just in time to land.  As we left late, we also landed late as well – about 30 minutes behind schedule (no time was made up in flight).

In terms of in-flight entertainment, there was none.  There are not PTVs in the back of the seats and none drop from the overhead ceiling.  There are also no magazines to read; however, the airline did pass our newspaper as passengers were boarding.  The newspapers, available in English and Urdu, were the only form of in-flight entertainment.  Given the short duration of the flight it was fine, but I understand that Shaheen has no entertainment on any of their flights – and they fly to destinations across the Middle East, China, and now the U.K.; that’s a lot of time without any entertainment.

When we booked our flight with Shaheen, we were a bit hesitant.  Both Pakistani aviation, plus Shaheen’s own troubled history, did not provide us with a lot of confidence in the flight.  Despite our reservations, we had a really pleasant experience on board Shaheen.  This flight changed our mind about flying with Shaheen and we would not hesitate them to fly them short-haul or medium-haul.  Given the lack of PTV’s, I am going to wait to fly them long-haul.   Shaheen’s motto is ‘Change is in the Air’ and you can definitely feel the change at Shaheen.

Trip Report: Gulf Air, Kuwait to Abu Dhabi via Bahrain (March 2016)

Trip Report: Gulf Air, Kuwait to Abu Dhabi via Bahrain

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Gulf Air is the national airline of the gulf nation of Bahrain, and is the dominant carrier at Bahrain International Airport.  Gulf Air used to be a consortium of all the Gulf countries (hence the name) and used to have bases all around the Gulf – including Oman, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain.  Over the years, various countries pulled out of the consortium to start their own airlines and that left Bahrain to nominate Gulf Air as its national airline.  With the transitions, Gulf Air has ebbed and flowed but now they have seem to have gotten through the transition and are a good path forward.   

I had originally flown Gulf Air in the mid 1990’s when it was still a consortium, and we flew into Abu Dhabi and then out of Bahrain.  It was really interesting and the service was pretty good.  As Gulf Air went through its transition, I had heard it had an effect on its service.  Given that they were on the other side of the transition, they were focusing on improving services and their fleet so I wanted to give them another try.

We were flying from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi via Bahrain.  We had booked our ticket through a travel website, but then went to Gulf Air’s website to manage our booking and choose seats.  Gulf Air’s website is very user-friendly and easy to navigate.  When booking the ticket, we had a couple of options of our flight.   We could take a morning flight and connect easily to Abu Dhabi, take an afternoon flight and connect easily to Abu Dhabi, or take a morning flight and have a long layover in Bahrain and take the evening flight to Abu Dhabi.  We decided to take the third option as this would allow us to visit Manama for the day, and there was no price difference between the options.

Our first flight was scheduled to depart Kuwait at 11:35am and arrive Bahrain at 12:40pm, while the second flight was scheduled to depart Bahrain at 8:40pm and arrive Abu Dhabi at 10:50pm.  Both flight times were about one hour so they were short flights.   Gulf Air is a full-service airline so we were able to confirm our seat assignments prior to our flight, and our ticket included checked luggage as well as a free meal.  We were able to check-in for our flights 24-hours prior to our departure, and the Gulf Air app was very helpful in checking in and managing flights.  Given the short distances, I did not expect a meal to be served (I expected only drinks).  

We arrived at Kuwait International and check-in was a bit slow but immigration was quick so we had plenty of time to explore the airport.  We went to our gate and the plane arrived on schedule.  The waiting area looked generally full, so I thought it was a full flight but once boarding finished on the Airbus A321 there were a lot of empty seats (the plane was about 50-60% full).  The exterior of the plane looked nice and updated, and the inside of the plane also looked nice and updated.   The seats were also updated, but they were not very comfortable.  While fine for the short-duration, I am not sure how comfortable they would be for the long-haul.  The seat pitch was decent, but a bit tight.  It would be ok for the short-haul but not sure how comfortable for the long-haul.  There was a PTV on each seat, but there was no USB port (only a headphone jack).   The PTV was immediately available, and the selection was pretty good for the short-haul but not as extensive as I thought it would be. 

We took off generally on time, and as soon as we reached cruising altitude the service started.  Given the short duration, I did not expect much but we were served drinks plus a light snack.  The snack was a sandwich, and it was pretty large given the short duration of the flight.  It was a nice perk.  The service onboard was polite and professional, but not warm nor friendly.  As soon as the drinks session ended, it was time to land.  We deplaned via jetbridge and proceeded to go and explore Manama. 

Our flight from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi was scheduled to take off at 8:40pm, but we arrived at the airport very early.  There was a lot of people already waiting in the airport, and it was a bit hectic with lots of people transiting and waiting (there seemed to be a lot of people who looked like they were waiting for a long transit – the immigration officer said this is happening since they raised the fee of the visas).  We decided to pay for the lounge, and it was a great idea because the lounge was fantastic.  The lounge was located on the top level and it had a buffet of various food items, drinks, newspapers, a shower, clean restrooms, and free wifi.  I would definitely recommend the lounge.

About an hour prior to boarding we decided to head to our gate.  Our gate was located on the bottom level, as we would have to take a bus to our plane.   The boarding announcement was a bit chaotic and once we boarded the bus there was a long wait until it actually departed for the plane.  Once we got to the plane, it was not very well-lit so it was a bit dark.  We boarded the Airbus A320 (extended range) for our flight to Abu Dhabi.  After we had boarded and settled into our seat, we sat for a while apparently waiting for the remaining passengers – we waited approximately 20-25 minutes for those passengers and thus we were delayed in our departure (the second bus contained the remaining half of the passengers).    As soon as the passengers boarded, the doors closed and we push-backed for take-off.

The ride from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi was very similar to our first ride – the seats were decent but not too comfortable, the seat pitch was a bit tight but decent, the entertainment system was the same, and the service was also the same - polite and professional but not friendly.  The service on board was also the same, as drinks and the sandwich were served.  Again, the flight time was only 1 hour so as soon as the service finished we were descending into Abu Dhabi.  We landed and proceeded to the jetbridge at Abu Dhabi International.

Overall, it was a decent flying experience with Gulf Air.  Given the short distance, they provided a decent seat with decent service.  Positives included the seat-back PTV, substantial snack, and partner with various airlines to earn miles.  Negatives included the lack of seat comfort, the lack of the USB port, and the customer-service.  Given the right circumstances – price and flight time – I would choose Gulf Air again for short-haul; however, based on this experience I am not sure I would choose them for long-haul travel.

Trip Report: Kuwait Airways, Abu Dhabi to Kuwait (March 2016)

Trip Report: Kuwait Airways, Abu Dhabi to Kuwait

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Kuwait Airways is the national airline of Kuwait.  As Kuwait has gone through ups and downs, so has the airline.  In the late 80’s, Kuwait Airways as going through an expansion and was increasing airplane and routes.  The invasion of Kuwait in 1990 put a halt to that expansion, and since then Kuwait Airways has been slowly trying to rebuild itself.  The airline recently announced a major expansion with new aircraft orders and upgraded airport facilities. 

It had been almost 20 years since I had flown Kuwait Airways – I flew it back in 1994 from New York to Kuwait via London.  Since the war had just finished, there was a lot of security surrounding the plane and the boarding process and we had to go around Iraq thus adding about 3 hours to our flight time.  The service was decent at that time, but from my understanding there had not been major upgrades since that time.  In April 2016, we were flying from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait and we chose to fly Kuwait Airways because 1) they were starting to invest in their fleet and service so I wanted to check out the improved Kuwait Airways and 2) the only direct flights were operated by either Etihad or Kuwait and I prefer not to fly with Etihad.

Even though we were flying roundtrip, I did not book both sectors on Kuwait Airways.  I booked the outbound on Kuwait Airways, but the return I booked on Gulf Air.  I did this for 2 reasons – 1) I wanted to try a different airline on the return, and 2) Kuwait Airways operates Kuwait – Muscat – Abu Dhabi – Kuwait so to get back to Abu Dhabi from Kuwait I would have to stop in Muscat (and I have already been there).  As I was combining two airlines into one ticket, I booked my ticket through a travel website.  Kuwait Airways is a full service airline so seat assignments, checked baggage, soft drinks, on-board entertainment, and carry-ons are all complimentary.   After I booked my travel, I went to Kuwait Airways website to manage my booking, pre-select my seat, and specify my meal option.   Their website is generally user-friendly, but sometimes it had some issues so I would switch between the website and the app on my phone in terms of managing my booking.  Through the website and app, I was able to check-in but could not receive my boarding pass so I did that at the airport.

Kuwait Airways flies out of Terminal 1 at Abu Dhabi International.  Check-in was smooth and we checked our bags and received our boarding passes.  We proceeded through immigration (there were not many people in the terminal) and waited for our flight.  The flight is scheduled to depart Abu Dhabi at 5:10pm and arrive Kuwait at 5:50pm, with a flight time of 1hr45mins.  Terminal 1 is the older terminal at Abu Dhabi and has small boarding gates (not the best terminal in the world) so we decided to wait in the general waiting area before proceeding to our gate.  The only good thing about Abu Dhabi International is that they have free, and fast, wifi available (strong enough to skype or stream youtube videos).  Around 4pm we proceeded to our gate, but the plane had not arrived.  The plane arrived around 4:30pm, and by that time all the passengers had come to the boarding area.  The plane had picked up passengers in Muscat, and was now picking up passengers in Abu Dhabi so maybe that’s why it was a light load in Abu Dhabi (they do not have rights to transport passengers from Muscat to Abu Dhabi).  Considering it was a light load, we all boarded at the same time and were seated rather quickly in the plane.

The plane was an Airbus A320 and was in a 3-3 layout.  You could not tell the age of the plane from the outside, but inside the plane did not look new.   We passed through Business Class on our way to Economy, and the Business Class were the older seats that did not lie flat.  Even though the plane looked older, the seats were comfortable and provided a decent ride for the short flight.  Each seat had a pillow on it, and the seat pitch was pretty good – not too tight but generous enough.  The seatback pocket contained the airline magazine, duty free magazine, air sickness bag, as well as headphones.  The in-flight entertainment had definitely been upgraded as there were new PTV’s available on every seat, and each PTV came with a headphone jack and a USB port.  The PTVs were available right away so the passengers could immediately start to watch their videos.  The selection was pretty good and there was enough choice to keep you entertained for any short to medium haul flights.

The plane departed Abu Dhabi generally on time, and once cruising altitude was reached the service started.  Considering the short duration of the flight, the service on the flight was very generous.  A box meal/snack was provided which contained a sandwich, fruit, chocolate, and water.  Given it was only an hour flight, it was a generous serving.   I had ordered a special meal, so that was also accommodating with the special snack pack.  Complimentary soft drinks and juices were served with the snack pack, and later on both tea and coffee were served.  The attendants came by the aisle multiple times during the short flight to offer tea and coffee.  Throughout the short duration of the flight, the attendants were constantly in the aisle.  It was great customer service provided by Kuwait Airways.

As soon as the trays were cleared, it was time to land in Kuwait.  We landed in Kuwait on time and deplaned on the tarmac and took a bus to the terminal.   The immigration and baggage are at Kuwait International definitely needs an upgrade as it looks very old, and can become very cramped very easily.  The baggage claim is on the ground floor, while the floor above is the departure gates.  The terminal upstairs is a mixture of old and new, as there are older sections with not as many services as well as newer sections with more restaurant and other options (the newer gates are a far walk from the older section, and it seems that the airport is going through some additional construction).

Overall, it was a short and pleasant flight with Kuwait Airways.  They provided good customer service and a good experience, especially for this short-haul flight, and the PTVs were modern and had a decent selection.  I would definitely consider taking Kuwait Airways for a short to medium haul flights – given the seat comfort and the age of the plane I am not sure I would take Kuwait Airways long-haul currently.  They are modernizing their fleet with new aircraft, so with the new aircraft and the current service, I would definitely take Kuwait Airways long-haul.

A Trip Report: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) , Lahore to Karachi (April 2016)

A Trip Report: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) 

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For a long time, the aviation sector in Pakistan was dominated by the government-owned national airline – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).  About 10-15 years ago, the sector opened up and now there are private airlines with the biggest being Shaheen Air International (SAI) and airblue.  Each airline serves both the domestic Pakistani market as well as international flights.  Flying with a Pakistan-based airline is a bit of a gamble, as they are not known for their on-time performance or for their customer service.  

It has been a long time since I had flown with PIA – in fact more than 20 years.  PIA had originally been a good airline, with decent service and a decent on-board product.  As time went by their service, on-time arrival and departure, and customer service went down.  This did not instill a lot of confidence in the airline, thus why we stayed away.  We decided to give them a try on a quick domestic flight before deciding on whether to fly them internationally.   We were flying from Lahore to Karachi.  Each airline serves this route with varying frequency – PIA has the biggest frequency while airblue has the least frequency.  Their prices vary as well, with SAI and airblue relatively the same price and PIA prices depending on flight time and availability.  All of the airlines are full-service, meaning that standard with the ticket are allocated seats, checked baggage, hand-carry baggage, and meal + drinks on board.  The difference between the airlines are service on the ground, their service on-board, their safety record, as well as their on-time performance – none of the airlines have a reputation which excels at any of these though.  For our flight, we decided to try PIA from Lahore to Karachi and then SAI from Karachi to Lahore (I had previously tried airblue for an international flight).   This is my review of Pakistan International Airlines from Lahore to Karachi in April 2016.

Since PIA has been around for a while, and they are the national airline, they have a lot of resources so they are able to provide more options in terms of flight times.  I went online to reserve my ticket, and noticed that they had a lot of flight options throughout the day.  The flights were operated by various aircrafts and ranged in prices.  We had initially booked the evening flight online which was operated by an Airbus A320, but due to technical reasons we could not confirm our flight.  We were instructed to go to a travel agency or PIA office for payment and ticket confirmation.  When we went to the office, we changed to the morning flight to allow us more time in Karachi, it was less expensive, and it was a chance to experience PIA’s Boeing 777.  Why a Boeing 777 is being used on a 1hr45 minute flight is a good question – some reasons given were the high demand on the route while other reasons were that this plane needed a technical check and that takes place in Karachi.  Whatever the reason, we booked a morning flight which was scheduled to depart Lahore at 11am and arrive into Karachi at 12:45pm. 

PIA is a full service airline, so when we booked our ticket we were able to select our seats.  Our ticket included checked baggage, a meal/light snack (depending on the timing of the flight), as well as carry-on.  PIA does not offer web check-in so we had to go to the airport to deposit our bags and collect our boarding passes.  We arrived to the airport early – even though they recommend 2 hours, most passengers go to the airport an hour before the scheduled departure.  PIA is not known for its on-time departures and even though boarding time was scheduled for 10:30am, we did not start boarding until almost 10:50am.  The operating plane was a Boing 777 that was in retro PIA livery and from the outside, the plane looked very nice.

Boarding finally started and we made our way to the plane.  On the jet bridge, before entering the plane, there was a stack of newspaper available for the passengers.  The newspapers available were a wide variety of local and international, and available in both English and Urdu.  When we entered the plane, we could immediately tell that 1) this plane did not originally belong to PIA and 2) PIA seemed to have only updated the outside and did very little to nothing on the inside.  The plane had belonged to Vietnam Airlines and PIA had not changed the interior.  The seats were in the Vietnam Airlines color scheme and patterns;  the PTV had either the Vietnam Airlines logo or something written in Vietnamese displayed; the information on the back of the tray tables was written in Vietnamese and English; and finally there was Christmas music playing on the speakers.  The only modifications to the plane PIA had made was the outside paint job, and they put PIA seat flaps on each seat. 

The plane was in a 3-3-3 layout and was divided into Business Class, Economy Plus, and three sections of economy – the entire plane was completely full.  The seats themselves were decent and comfortable enough for the short flight, but definitely not comfortable for long-haul sector.  The seat pitch was average, not too tight but not too generous and decent enough for the short flight.  The PTVs were very old, had small screens, and did not work.  Half the screens continued to show the Vietnam Airlines logo, while the others displayed the flight map.  Even when the safety video was screened, only the videos on the walls displayed the video instead of displaying on each PTV.     

The service on the plane was good given the short sector.   We were in the economy and as we reached cruising altitude, the attendants served a snack.  The snack consisted of half a sandwich and dessert.  While not a lot, it was enough for the short sector.  Complimentary soft drinks and juice were also distributed along with the meal.  After the meal, both tea and coffee were offered – in fact tea and coffee were offered several times.   A good aspect was the service on the plane, as the flight attendants were constantly in the aisles passing out food or drinks, collecting the waste, and answering passenger questions regarding PIA’s frequent flyer program.

Announcements were made in both English and Urdu and some interesting items that happened during the flight – when the flight attendant was welcoming the passengers and talking about the plane, she mentioned something I had not heard before.  She said ‘this is your national airline, so please take care of it’.  That is something I have not heard before, and I was not sure if it was something new as a PR or part of their turnaround (PIA is going through transition and had recently been through strikes by their worker.  The second interesting thing was the Captain’s announcement – when the Captain came on to talk about the flight, he sounded like a newscaster reading out the news.  He also spoke for a while, as he spoke for a good length in English and then translated everything in Urdu. 

We landed in Karachi a bit behind schedule and taxied to our gate and deplaned.  Overall, it was an interesting experience with PIA.  I had a lot of hesitation when booking my travel with PIA – they are not known for an on-time departure, for their on-board service, nor for having updated planes.  I experienced some of that (not an updated plane) but was overall generally pleased with the service on the plane.  The service and the experience were decent and good enough for the short-haul domestic sector, but I don’t think I would choose PIA for long-haul.  From what I have heard others who have travelled internationally on PIA, my experience on the short-haul is similar to the international sector – with decent service but older planes and non-working PTVs.  PIA has some potential, but definitely needs some work.  Their motto is ‘Great People to Fly With’ and while it was not a great experience, it was better than I expected.