Part 1: What do you get….

31/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel 2 Comments

…when you take several bloggers and put them on a bmi flight to Berlin?  A BBBrilliant Trip of course.

Last week I was invited to join a group of travel bloggers on a trip, so I had no hesitation in driving up to Heathrow (in the early hours of the morning) to fly out to Berlin with bmi. Currently bmi fly five times daily between Heathrow and Tegel (located approx 20-25mins outside of the centre of Berlin), with return fares starting from GBP99.oo per person (subject to availability).

Checkin

Normally I would use online checkin (which opens 24hrs before departure), however as I was travelling with a group, I decided to wait until we met at Heathrow.  We were travelling in Business Class so were able to use the Premium Check in (Zone A) at Heathrow’s Terminal 1, this allows you to feel relaxed and escape from the hustle and bustle of the main terminal check in area (also allows for minimum 30 minute checkin).  After check in it was a short queue into the departures area, there was no time for shopping as I was going to enjoy the views and ambience in The Great British Lounge.  bmi have two lounges in Terminal 1 The London Lounge (for Domestic Departures) and The Great British Lounge (International Departures) situated beside Gate 5.

Lounge

This lounge is made up of 5 key areas, as well as the standard showers and workstations zones:

  • The Lobby
  • Front Room (Living Room)
  • The Study
  • The Cafe
  • The Local

The view from the relaxing chairs is any aviation enthusiasts dream – the Northern Runway.  There is a wide selection of food (Bacon rolls to fresh fruit) and beverages (Green tea to Jameson’s whiskey), so certainly something for everyone.  The attention to detail within the lounge is excellent, you get the impression you are actually in someone’s front room, or at your local pub rather than an airport, so this lounge is what I consider a perfect place to start any trip/holiday.

bmi Living Room ©flybmi

Boarding

It wasn’t long until the flight to Berlin was ready for boarding and thankfully it was at Gate 5, beside the lounge.  As boarding commenced I joined the queue for Business Class. The first passenger approached the boarding agent who got quite defensive : “I’ve not only got to board the passengers but also make the boarding announcements!!”…isn’t that her job?  However when it came to hand over the passport and boarding pass she was very friendly and welcoming.  The crew were extremely friendly on board, they interacted well with each passenger and made the boarding more personal, rather than just the standard “Welcome on Board”.  Having flown bmi for a number of years, I’ve always found their crew to be able to combine professionalism along with personalising the experience for the passenger.

bmi A319 at Gate 5 ready for boarding ©AirlinesAngel

It turns out the crew had operated the inbound flight and they had overnighted in Berlin, so they were able to tell us about the weather and a bit about the city; this was my first trip to Berlin (in which I’m allowed to get off the aircraft).  The In-flight Supervisor looked after the handful of us that sat in Business Class, there was a selection of hot breakfasts available, however I was not that hungry so I opted for some fruit and yoghurt with orange juice and green tea.  The flight time to Berlin was 1hr10min, so soon we glided our way toward Berlin’s Tegel airport. With not many people in Business I was able to have a window seat, which allowed me to have a magnificent view of the surrounding area of Berlin, what surprised me was how many lakes and green areas surround the city.

Tegel Airport

Germans are know for their efficiency and those at Terminal A in Tegel airport are no different.  The layout is such that each air-bridge has four Passport Control counters and every two stands share a baggage reclaim belt.  This means, unlike other airports, that within 5 to 10 mins (if you have baggage to collect) of your aircraft arriving you’ll be in a taxi on your way to the city.  Hopefully the new Berlin Brandenburg International will be just as efficient whenever it opens in June 2012.

Next time on AirlinesAngel – Berlin, Hotel de Rome and the flight home.

To be continued…………

Until then,

AirlinesAngel

Filed under Airport, airlines, business class Tagged with , , , , , ,

Feeling Blue

27/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel Leave a Comment

Feeling Blue ©AirlinesAngel 2010

Taken from Kuda Bandos in the Maldives

Filed under airlines

Heathrow Airport

21/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel Leave a Comment

Heathrow Dreams

Heathrow Dreams ©AirlinesAngel 2010

The view of Terminal 3 forecourt.

Filed under Airport

Two Birthday Celebrations this month!!

20/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel 2 Comments

Yes this month both my blog and twitter accounts will celebrate their First Birthdays. A lot has happened in the last year, some aspect good, others well lets leave them in the past. Last August I was contemplating returning to university to gain my Masters, this I am now working towards and enjoying my summer vacation. I received my first semester results and I did better then I thought. This was due to the fact it has been over 10 years since I’ve done any academic work since my Degree.

My Twitter account (which celebrates it’s birthday today) now has over 1000 followers, and AirlinesAngel blog (which celebrates on the 31st August) has really taken off (sorry for the pun!), initially I didn’t know what direction it would take, however it’s growing weekly and new subscribers joining, I am so thankful to you all and I’d like to thank each of you for your support and encouragement over the last year.  I’ve also been extremely lucky in meeting other people of Twitter, which has been great and I hope to run into more of you in the next year.

AirlinesAngel Birthday Cake

AirlinesAngel Birthday Cake

If I could I’d love to share this cake with all of you!! Here’s to the next year.

AirlinesAngel

Filed under airlines

Air France AF1980 CDG – LHR F-HPJA

19/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel 2 Comments

After the excitement of the outbound flight, we made our way to the Sheraton Hotel located in the heart of Terminal 2 Paris CDG.  All of the rooms overlook either the runway or the apron area, we were on the forth floor looking out over Runways 27L/R, not only did we have great views of Terminal 2E (with the

A380 Tail (left) and B777 (right)

A380 tail just visible) and the runway, but also the city of Paris.  As our flight was over an hour late we decided to stay in and went to the hotel restaurant for our evening meal. Our flight was the next morning at 1005 so we’d have to make our way over the the gate by 0920 (boarding time).

Tour Eiffel from our room

The view from my room

Pre-departure

We made our way towards the terminal, first stop Air France checkin, although we already had our boarding passes, we thought we would try and get seats on the Upper Deck.  The agent was extremely helpful and said that there would not be a problem in getting seats upstairs, new boarding passes issued, now to make our way to the gate.  This is were the first confusion occurred, there was a sign pointing to A380 Airbus Heathrow departure, so we, guided by ground staff, joined the queue, when we reached the security agent, she advised us that we should have taken a different route.  The sign was pointing in the wrong direction!

Upgrade

When we got to the gate we decided to look at the seat plan to find out where we would be seated and it was then we discovered that we would be travelling in Affaires.  It turned out the flight was overbooked in Economy and there were at least 5/6 people on the wait list.  This was a great surprise, as we certainly didn’t ask for the upgrade, but we were very grateful to be given the opportunity to experience the Affaires Cabin.

Affaires seat map

Boarding

This, surprisingly involved a lot of confusion by the ground staff.  We, like the people who were seated 2 rows in front of us joined the queue for the Upper Deck, however the agent told us we should be in a different queue  (even though our seat numbers were against the boarding gate), we questioned this, but were told no you are in the other queue.  So rather than cause a fuss we went to the other queue (lower deck seat rows 10-52) and were told (no surprise) that our queue was at the other Gate, so we made our way back, the agent again wanted to send us back to the lower deck queue, but we politely stood our ground and joined the correct queue.  I would have expected this to happen at Heathrow, mainly as the agents in T4 do not board this flight on a daily basis, therefore it’s good that Air France have the additional flights in place to accommodate further staff training.  Another interesting occurrence was the ground staff made an announcement to say boarding would be delayed slightly due to the late arrival of the inbound aircraft, however the aircraft had been in since 0605AM.

Boarding commenced and we made our way up the escalator to the Point Superieur, and were again warmly welcomed by the crew and to my relief they spoke French to me.  I’ve been wanting to practice my French and yet everyone wants to speak to me in English.

Affaires

Now this cabin is elegant and spacious with calming neutral colours, it was just a shame our flight was only 38 minutes.  The seats were extremely comfortable, I just had to try the seat in lie flat position, and thankfully @plansairports was there otherwise I would have been fast asleep, before we left the gate!  As on our flight out the crew were extremely pleasant and helpful and very understanding of all the passengers (including me) taking various pictures of the cabins.  Then we were all presented with our Certificates to commemorate our brief flight on this magnificent aircraft.

The elegant Affaires seat

The elegant Affaires seat

Take off

As with the departure from Heathrow, the climb out was smooth, although upstairs it sounded more like an aircraft taking off, this was mainly due to the cabin interior, however it was still a lot quieter compared to other long haul aircraft.

Take off from Paris CDG

Take off from Paris CDG

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

Shortly after takeoff the crew commenced with the standard inflight announcements and gave information on the IFE system, they have a great selection, however the AVgeek in me wanted to enjoy the onboard camera views.  Then the inflight service began, and we were treated to some canapes and a glass of Champagne, very delicious and perfect for the short flight.

Our Champagne

Our canapes

On the Upper Deck Air France have The Gallery, in the forward right area which is an area for Le Premiere and Affaire passengers.  I did visit the toilet on the Upper Deck and although it is well furnished, it did seem a bit small (I’m comparing it to my A319) for the size of the aircraft.

The Gallery located on the Upper Deck

Approach

As with any short flight no sooner had we reached cruising altitude it was then time to make our approach to Heathrow, again the quiet of the aircraft was broken by the flaps extending on the wings.  We had some great views of London, before heading out to make our final approach on Runway 09L, however unlike the previous day’s landing this one was very positive.

AF A380 Landing at LHR

AF A380 Landing at LHR

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

Overall

This was a great experience, the opportunity to fly on the A380 short haul has been a success for Air France, not only do the staff get to become more familiar with the aircraft, but those who don’t normally fly long haul get to experience it, oh and those with a passion for aviation get to fly on this magnificent aircraft!  Apart from the confusions at security (signage pointing the wrong way) and the ground staff sending us to the wrong queues, the surprise upgrade to Affaires class was great, maybe next time Air France will be kind enough to upgrade me to Le Premiere, I think it suits me :)

AirlinesAngel in her rightful seat Le Premiere

AirlinesAngel in her rightful seat Le Premiere

AirlinesAngel gives this flight 9 Wings out of 10

Heres to my next A380 flight, hopefully longer than 40 minutes

AirlinesAngel

Filed under A380, Airport, aircraft, airlines, business class, passengers

Air France AF1981 LHR CDG A380 F-HPJC

17/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel 3 Comments

A few months ago Air France announced that on selected dates over the summer months they would operate the A380 on the Paris – Heathrow route, the reasons for this:

  • Opportunity for staff (ground and air crew) to become more familiar with the aircraft
  • Opportunity for those to fly on it, who don’t fly long haul
  • The aircraft would normally be parked up at CDG from 0605 (arrival time from JNB) to 2320 (departure time to JNB)

So by the time Air France had announced this to the time @PlansAirports arrived home, our seats were held for the 14th/15th August and the hotel was picked.

30 Hours before departure

I received an email informing me Checkin is now open, however, when I try it tells me it doesn’t recognise my details, so I decided to wait, an hour later I get another email saying Your Air France Boarding Pass.  Air France automatically check in passengers travelling in Voyageur, however they do allow you to change your seats if required.  So Boarding passes printed, I was ready for the off, although I just had to wait for @plansairport to arrive home from Miami.

3 Hours before departure

We made our way from the Renaissance Hotel (which I have got to say is my favourite at Heathrow for the view) to Terminal 4.  The last time I was in T4 was over 5 years ago, and there have been a lot of changes since then, airlines have moved terminals and T4 has had a face lift.  The queue for security moved at a steady pace and soon we were airside, time for some shopping.  After a while we decided to head towards our gate and as we got close to our gate I could see many cameras pointed out the window, normally you get to spot a celebrity at Heathrow this time it was for the Air France A380:

Air France A380 Taxiing to Stand 6 Terminal 4

Air France A380 Taxiing to Stand 6 Terminal 4

Although I am no stranger to seeing the A380 I am always amazed by it’s size and (IMHO) beauty.  It was interesting looking at the people gathered in the gate area, many like myself and @plansairports were there for the experience, others, well they had been brought along by their husbands and the only reason they are there is for a night or two in Paris.  Soon the plane was on stand and the operation to disembark the passenger and other ground operations swung into action.

Ground Operations around the A380

Ground Operations around the A380

Boarding

With all the passengers off and the aircraft cleaned we were ready for boarding.  This was well organised and soon we were on the air-bridge about to set foot on board.  The crew were extremely welcoming and the cabin was bright, I certainly was not under the impression I was on an aircraft that can accommodate 538 passengers over 3 classes, La Premiere (First Class) 9 seats, Affaires (Business Class) 80 seats and Voyageurs (Economy Class) 449 seats (via SeatGuru.com).  I had seat 18 L which allowed me to have a look at the front of the magnificent wing.  The seat was very comfortable and at 5’6 I had plenty of room, even @plansairports at 6’4 had ample room.

The legroom onboard

Pre-departure

We were soon all on board and ready for the off, however the Captain made an announcement that they had to complete further technical checks on the rear cargo door and he would keep us updated.  At this stage the camera located on the tail had been switched on (there is also one on the nose and beneath the aircraft) so we could see the ground staff working at the door area.  Soon the checks were complete, then ATC were holding us at the gate, to be honest, for the majority of the passengers I don’t think they minded, as it allowed us to have more time to experience the aircraft and the ambience on board.

Take off

We slowly made our way to runway 27R all the other aircraft looked so small in comparison with the A380, the Captain announced “Prêts au décollage”, we were next for departure and as we lined up the whole cabin went quiet, everyone wanted to hear the aircraft on take off.  The engines started to power up, breaks released and we were off.  Wheels up and we were all in agreement, it’s very quiet, and as a regular flyer on other aircraft, you expect the noise, however with this aircraft the only noise you will hear is the hydraulics as the enormous flaps on the wing are retracted.

Climbing out from LHR

The flight

The flight time from Heathrow to Paris was 40 minutes, soon we were over Brighton and the Channel and making our way to Paris.  Now here comes my only issue with the flight, the call bells and announcements.  Yes as the noise from the engine is so quiet Air France really need to adjust the volume level on the cabin call bells etc as they did start to frustrate us.  Also the captain was very safety orientated and every time we approached a bank of cloud his voice would boom over the cabin “Prêts pour les turbulences” at least five times and all we had was a little bump, however safety is the airlines number one priority.  The crew had sprung into action, serving drinks and snacks to the passengers, however as they reached row 17, the captain announced “Prêts pour l’atterrissage” and the trolleys were stowed away, however one crew member then got some snacks and water and served the remaining passengers.

Economy Cabin

Descending towards Paris CDG

The aircraft gracefully approached Paris and again the silence was broken by the sound of the flaps extending in preparation for arrival, with the tail camera on we could all see the runway in slight.  The landing was as smooth and the A380 gracefully slowed up and we made our way toward our stand.  With us on stand the ground operation came to life and in no time we were in the terminal 2E (after we spent a moment or two in La Premiere seats).  Like most of the passengers we couldn’t help but stop to admire and take more pictures of the aircraft.

Overall

This has been a very clever move by Air France and it has worked, the flight was full in Economy, and it has created a unique opportunity for those who wouldn’t normally get the chance to fly on an aircraft of this size to experience it.  I really enjoyed my experience, I must admit the silence on take off was slightly nerving as you are normally used to the roar of the engines, however you soon get adjusted to it.

AirlinesAngel gives this flight 8 wings out of 10

Now I’m off to my hotel with a view Sheraton Paris Airport Hotel

Until the return flight tomorrow happy flying.

AirlinesAngel

PS: I’m still sorting out my Photos from the trip and should have them on Flickr soon :)

PS: Merci to @Avtips for correcting my French..

Filed under A380, airlines, passengers Tagged with , , , , , ,

Virgin Atlantic Gets a make over

04/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel Leave a Comment

Watch this time lapse video of Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 747 (G-VROC) Mustang Sally getting a new look:

Hopefully I’ll get to see the new look over the weekend at Heathrow.

Until the next time, Happy Flying

AirlinesAngel

Filed under aircraft, airlines Tagged with ,

Part 2 Singapore to Heathrow – Qantas QF31 B747-438 VH-OJN

02/08/2010 by AirlinesAngel 2 Comments

Shortly after checking out our room in Singapore I switched on my phone, I’d two voice messages, both from my brother-in-law.  It wasn’t great news, my mother-in-law had suddenly taken ill and we should make a decision to return home, this was a complete shock to both of us as we had spoken to her just before we got on the flight and she seemed ok.  After speaking to his brother, we didn’t know what to do or think.  I had made arrangements for us to meet with Shashank (@simpliflying) in town, so my husband said that he didn’t feel up to being sociable and would prefer some time alone, although he did want to meet Shashank too.  It was great to finally meet Shashank after all this time, it was just a shame I wasn’t very with it, so I look forward to catching up with Shashank in the future.

I love Singapore, I was there 8 years ago, a lot had changed, new shopping malls, hotels and attractions had appeared.  One aspect that not changed, the people, I find them so helpful and friendly, one of the reasons I was so keen to return.  After getting back to the hotel, we agreed to get out and see some of Singapore, should we have to return home.  We hit the usual sights, Suntec City, Fountain of Wealth and Raffles.  Sitting in Raffles Courtyard bar we enjoyed a Singapore Sling, then I spotted my favourite shops, my husband thinks I can sniff them out!!  We were just about to head to the new Marina Sands complex, when the phone rang…..

At this point our holiday was over, it was the hospital and sadly my mother-in-law had passed away.  So in a daze we headed back to our hotel and that is when I got to experience the service from the hotel and the airline.  I went to reception, to advise that we would have to depart shortly for the airport and briefly explained the reason, the Duty Manager told me to get her my travel details and they would speak to the airline for me, I did not ask for the assistance, but it was greatly welcomed.  However they came back to say that the airline would not change my reservation, which I, to be honest was not surprised.  We went back to the room and I decided to try one more time with the airline.  I spoke to an extremely helpful agent, who within no time had got us on the flight home and before we ended the call had sent through our new e-tickets. We would be heading home within a few hours.

04 July 2010 – SIN – LHR QF31

Check-out/Check-in

As soon as I got off the phone I decided to get us checked in, however we could not get seats together, but at least we were on the flight.  When we went to check out of the hotel the staff were again excellent, they had been made aware that we would be departing early.  The taxi was waiting for us outside and we headed back to Changi Airport, 10 hours after arriving.  Although my mind was all over the place and I didn’t know whether I was coming or going I still took in the changes and ongoing developments at the airport.  We were shown to the VIP checkin area and it was like a haven for us, as we just wanted to be alone, it was very personal, yet professional.  The checkin agent without any hesitation got us seated together, as the agent had put notes in our booking.

Qantas Lounge

Again, we were so glad to be travelling Business the lounge were very contemporary with a relaxing feel to it.  I got my laptop out and started to cancel and send emails to hotels and attractions that we were due to visit.  Then my husband got something to eat, from what I could see there was an excellent selection, although my appetite had left me.

Boarding Area

We made our way down the the boarding area, we passed the QF9 to Heathrow, which was the A380, we both said the same thing, “glad we’re not on that”.  We were meant to be on the A380 later that week to Sydney, and well our current state would have dampened our experience of the Superjumbo.  Within no time we were on board our B747 bound for Heathrow.

Onboard

I could feel the tears building up, I had fought hard to keep them back, however without having any sleep in over 40 hrs, my sanity was close to cracking.  I felt sick, everything tasted horrible (yet I’ve been informed by a very reliable source (my husband) that the food was excellent). I had just come out of the restrooms when I came out the crew member asked if I was ok and that was it the flood gates opened, the Cabin Service Manager was nearby and took me under his wing (sorry bad pun I know).  I told them I felt so stupid sobbing like this in front of them, they did everything possible to make our flight more comfortable. If they saw me come out of the washroom, they’d come over just to chat, which I really appreciated as all my husband wanted to do was sleep.  They got me a drink to settle me and told me to stop apologising and that I could come and sit with them whenever I wanted and just chat.  The Cabin Service Manager made me a nice strong cup of tea which really helped, not one for strong tea, but it does really help when you are upset.  There is something to be said about the kindness of strangers, which is so true of the crew on board.

For most of the flight I just looked outside the window and got to see some fantastic lightening shows in the distance.  I couldn’t settle, I tried to watch a selection of movies, but nothing appealed to me (they do have a great selection though).  Soon the sun was starting to rise of the right-hand side of the aircraft and with only a few hours to run I managed to snooze on and off, which I needed as I knew I had a long drive and week ahead of me.  Soon we were over Europe and breakfast was served, thankfully I had ordered a smoothie and green tea, both were delicious.  Then we started our initial descent towards Heathrow, less than 48 hours since we departed.

The crew made this flight for us and the CSM did come over and chat to us just before we landed.  I liked how he also took time to speak to every passenger in the Business cabin, address them by name and thanked them for flying with Qantas, I thought this was a really nice touch.

Bags collected we went back to collect our car then started our drive down to Swindon….

Overall

I would never want anyone to experience what we did, however I hope you receive the same excellent levels of service we did. We had been planning the holiday for over a year and were treating ourselves to Business Class and 5* Hotels and to have to cancel after 8 hours was heartbreaking.  However holidays can be rebooked, which is what we will be doing shortly.  Qantas have been fantastic, and although I had no proof at the time I was making a change, the airline went ahead and amended my booking.  One airline I worked for had a very strict policy – no proof no change.  I have always been an admirer of Qantas, the actions that the call centre and crew took reaffirms my views.  I rang Qantas to cancel our internal flights and was advised we needed the Death Certificate, which I knew they’d need, however we did not get it for a while.  I faxed the details over to Qantas and within 30mins I had received an email confirmation of the refunds, they appeared on my card within 3 days.

My thoughts on the service I received from the call centre and crew onboard have not gone unnoticed.  I’ve already sent a card for the crew, along with a letter to the Cabin Crew Manager at Heathrow and to the Qantas Corporate Account Manager who I dealt with a lot in my previous role.

AirlinesAngel gives this flight 10 Wings out of 10 and an AirlinesAngel Excellence Award for Customer Service:

Until the next time, Happy Flying

AirlinesAngel

Filed under airlines, business class Tagged with , , , ,

Thomson Airways at Farnborough 2010

20/07/2010 by AirlinesAngel 2 Comments

Yesterday (19th July) I did something I hadn’t done in a long time, set my alarm clock for 4:30am – yes I know it’s a little early, however it was for a good reason.  I was off to Farnborough Air Show, thanks to Thomson Airways, to attend their Press Conference on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and have lunch with them whilst watching the flying display.

B787 touches down in Farnborough on it's first trans-atlantic trip. ©Farnborough Asset Management

After collecting my pass, changing my shoes (yes I brought two pair; posh and comfortable), and passing through security (which was well managed), I had arrived at the show.  First stop was the Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA003, obviously one of the main attractions of the 2010 show along with the Airbus A380.  After a quick look round, I grabbed a coffee and made my way to the media centre where the Thomson Airways Press Conference would take place.

Some facts about Thomson Airways:

  • Part of the TUI Travel PLC group
  • 143 aircraft
  • 1st Airline in the UK to operate B787
  • They have ordered 13 787 Dreamliners with an option for a further 13 aircraft

Peter Long (CEO of TUI Travel PLC ) said that the Boeing 787 was a huge opportunity for the airline in expanding it’s long haul network and the aircraft was very attractive as it provides increased inflight comfort and reduces the effects of jet lag for Thomson passengers.  However there is concern that Thomson might withdraw the Premium Economy cabin due to the Governments plans on APD tax per passenger, Long feels that hardworking passengers should not be penalised just because they want more comfort on board and it was unfair for the Thomson Premium Cabin to be in the same band as Business Class found on flag carriers.  Long says that “As a leading travel company, it is only natural that we take the lead in the future of air travel” and “As an environmentally responsible travel company, the introduction of the Dreamliner is another major step in the TUI Travel PLC’s sustainability programme“.

Chris Browne (MD of Thomson Airways) said that many made light of the fact a charter airline was taking such an interest in this new aircraft, however Thomson Airways are the 3rd largest airline within the UK.  Along with the excitement of the new aircraft Browne also gave us an insight as to what we could find on board the Thomson B787:

  • Improved IFE (HD screens with over 1000 hours of viewing)
  • Broadband
  • More leg room
  • Wider aisles
  • Aromatherapy
  • Juice Bar

Browne says “It is a bold decision and a major coup for us to be the UK launch airline for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which will totally change the way our customers fly“, furthermore Browne added that Thomson Airlines have a strong record in transforming the way people enjoy long haul flights, “Now we are doing it again taking levels of comfort, experience and reach to a whole new level“.  The introduction of the Dreamliner means that Thomson’s can look to expand their portfolio of destinations, allowing people to travel from regional airports.

This is a video of Chris Browne (MD of Thomson Airways), at the B787, shortly after ZA003 arrived at Farnborough:

Chris Browne speaking to Boeing onboard the B787 on Monday (19th July):

Farnborough 2010 Story: Airlines share impressions of 787 Dreamliner.

Thomson Airways have set up a microsite which focuses on their B787 developments “Live the Dreamliner”

To find out more about inflight entertainment I recommend you check out Mary Kirby’s article in Flightglobal.

I enjoyed my day at the show, although it was a long day and my feet were sore (even with my shoe changes), well what’s not to like, I was surrounded by all aspects of the aviation industry.  I would like to thank Thomson Airways for their hospitality through-out the day and I look forward to flying on their B787 (preferably in Premium Economy) to Male when the aircraft arrives into service in 2012.

Until the next time, happy flying

AirlinesAngel

[Disclaimer: My invite to attend this event was totally out of the blue and unexpected, and I felt honoured to be invited this is my public thank you to Thomson Airways for the day.]

Filed under A380, Charter Airline, Farnborough 2010, Safety, aircraft, airlines, change, passengers, premium econ

Part 1 Heathrow to Singapore – Qantas QF 32 B747-438 VH-OJQ

19/07/2010 by AirlinesAngel Leave a Comment

03 July 2010 – LHR – SIN QF 32

Checkin

I had used online check in the day before for both of us, so all we had to do was drop off our bags before making our way to departures.  There was no queue at Premium Economy check in so the agent invited us over to check in.  The agent was very friendly, yet professional and whilst asking the standard security questions she referred to our itinerary and mentioned we were in Singapore for a few days before traveling on to Sydney.  She then wished us pleasant trip, told us how to get to the BA Lounge.

Security

WOW, at last they are friendly, long may it continue!  As I walked under the arch the alarm sounded and I automatically raised my arms, the lady joked with me saying does this happen to you often, which I replied all the time!

World Duty Free

As we would be staying with family in Brisbane we asked if she wanted anything brought over, the only item requested was brandy.  I knew there was something about taking liquids into Australia, so thought I would check, the staff very helpful and gave excellent advise.  Always check before purchasing liquids when travelling to Australia, there is a Duty Free shop in the major arrival airports.  We decided to purchase a bottle of Gin for us to have in Singapore, as the prices are a bit higher than home.  Then as we were paying they rechecked our itinerary and re-advised us on the rules of taking liquids into Australia.

BA Lounge

Air France A380 taxiing at LHR

BA Galleries in Terminal 3 is very open with plenty of room and a view of the southern runway.  There is a wide selection of drinks available however you do have to ask for Champagne.  There is an Elemis Spa located in the lounge, however you can only use it if you are flying BA Business or  Qantas First or have a Qantas  Chairman/Gold Card.  As with the drinks there was plenty of food, however we had eaten in the Renaissance Hotel. So I just had a few drinks, including a Bushmills, which being my local whiskey I thought I’d treat myself to a small glass.  (Well I am heading off on holidays).

Gate 22

Although the gate has sign for an Economy queue and  Premium/Business/First queue, people were joining the Premium queue as it was straight in front of them as they entered the gate area, at the start there was no one ensuring that passengers joined correct queue.  The boarding process was very efficient, one aspect I did like was that the agents ensured that passengers boarded at the correct time and they did remain passenger to remain until their row number had been called.

Welcome onboard

The crew greeting us at there door extremely welcoming, greeted us by name and then clearly explained where we had to go to get to our seats.

Upper deck

I find travelling upstairs more relaxing and it feels like a private club for a select few people, plus it’s a lot quieter.  The crew again were very welcoming, and

QF 32 LHR Gate 22 ready for boarding

no sooner had we sat down they were offering us pre-departure drinks.  Well it would be rude to say no to a glass of Champagne (however I have been spoilt by another carrier who keeps refilling your glass and no I do not have a drink problem).  The flight deck advised us that we had an ATC slot of 1 hr and Ops were trying to reduce that and they managed to get that down to 30 mins.  Through-out the flight the crew upstairs very friendly and chatty, yet remaining professional (some other airlines take being friendly a bit too far).  Food (sorry I forgot to take pictures) the Soup was tasty although not as warm as I would have liked. For main I had the chicken, which was hot and tasty.  For dessert I selected the Vanilla cake, IMHO it was slightly dry (I take after my grandmother and father with deserts) however it was accompanies by a delicious cup of  Hot Chocolate.  Downstairs there was a snack bar with plenty of options to choose from, however the crew, if you wanted, would prepare hot snacks for you.

7hrs into the flight and there was no sign of me going to sleep, so Phil and I went of a stretch of the legs and a walk downstairs, we were greeted by the Cabin Service Manager who happily chatted to us.  For me it was really nice to see that the excellent experience I had on Qantas 8 years ago in economy remains (although this time I’m in Business).  The seats overall were very comfortable, however massage feature doesn’t have much impact, compared to other carriers who have this facility.

Arrival into Singapore

Considering I’d no sleep and did not really watch any of the IFE (they have a really good selection, I just wasn’t in the mood of any of them) I was extremely perky and at 0810 we arrived on gate.  There was no queue at immigration and our bags had already appeared on the carousel, so by 0830 we were in our taxi to hotel…

Overall

I had been looking forward to this flight for some time now and after 5 months of looking at Qantas for my Masters, it was nice to sit back and experience the service onboard.  The aircraft, considering it’s age (18yrs old), was in excellent condition, the public areas and galleys were very clean.  The toilets, were well stocked throughout the flight and were kept clean.  The crew were excellent, friendly and professional at all times and this helps make the flight go that little bit faster.

AirlinesAngel gives this flight 8 Wings out of 10

Until the next flight, happy flying

AirlinesAngel

Filed under Airport, aircraft, airlines, passengers Tagged with , , ,

← Older posts