Re: Cathay Pacific & Ethiopian Airlines considering to resume Pakistan flights

News from Pakistan Travel Mart: Cathay Pacific is considering restarting flights to Karachi after an absence of 5 years since the 2014 Karachi airport attacks. Planned to resume Q3 2019 Also Ethiopian airlines and Kuwait airlines have an interest to return to Karachi. Any thoughts? I would be reall...

Re: A Woman Screaming 'I Am God' Tried to Open a Plane Door Mid-flight

readytotaxi wrote:

Why does God need to get about on an airplane? I'd what to see some I.D.

Re: EK 235 (DXB -> ORD) - A fake smile, doesn't go a long way

I am surprised that you had such an experience on a US-bound flight. I have typically come to expect such service on flights to the sub-continent and expected that US services would be top notch. Never experienced such bad service on a non-India bound flight but it mostly sounds right.

Ro

Re: Airports with most 747 service

I am not even sure where or how to find the statistics, but I am sure that based on single-day, peak-season count, Jeddah during Hajj will have a significant number of 747's flying in (special pilgrim flights) though it's possible that these days there aren't that many (I remember seeing at least si...

Re: Busiest passenger airport during midnight/early morning

Based on a study I was able to find - long story short is that in the window from 2200-0600 UTC (UAE time is UTC +4), you are looking at an average of 60 (range of 58-66) movements per hour which I am fairly certain should be high up there. The only 'downtime' here really is from 1100-1400 UTC avera...

Re: Aircraft Type with the most number of Hijackings

It may well be the A300, and if not, it'd likely be something in widespread use throughout most of the mid-60s through 1980s when hijackings were more common, which would tend to suggest older-model Boeings (707, 727, 737, 747) as well as A300 and perhaps DC-9. Exactly what I was thinking too. The ...

Re: BEST ECONOMY SEATS WITH 34"PITCH/Air-India 777-200

Just to make the feedback a bit more constructive - a) It might be more meaningful if you capture that experience (with comments on the seat + IFE and other aspect of the flight) as a trip report & add it to the relevant TR forum b) If you want to discuss it as an opinion and invite a discussion...

Re: Your 2018 route suggestions per airline

QR
DOH-LAS (I know it's announced, I hope it actually starts)
DOH-TPE
DOH-MEX (though I don't know if the 77L or A340 can do it)

CX or SV
RUH-HKG (is also ok with a tag to DMM or JED)

KL or SV
RUH-AMS

Ro

Re: Your 2017 stats

2017 was my best year yet for travel with several shuttle flights between Riyadh and Dubai as well as somewhat frequent leisure travel. Flights: 78 Distance: 65,862 nm Average sector length: 844 nm Airlines: 17 (Eight new in 2017: Aeromexico, Air France, KLM, AtlasGlobal, EasyJet, Air India, Vistara...

Winter in SEA: BA and AA (Business) - Part 1 (DXB-SEA)

Introduction & Trip Background After a couple of years lurking around these parts, learning a great deal about the world of aviation, I decided to take the plunge and write my first trip report. I don’t get to travel as frequently as I would like (40-50k NM per year) but I try to make the most ...

Re: Are the Middle Eastern Carriers wasting their money?

Even though this topic has been discussed extensively, it is important to note that EK has to be treated differently from EY & QR (I say this as a huge QR fan myself). Looking at any of the recent headlines regarding EK, all the things they are currently doing are quite consistent with what you ...

Re: IR's new IFE

I haven't flown on IR but I could extrapolate a bit based on experiences with EK, EY, QR, FZ & SV. EK, EY & QR have pretty good selections of movies & TV shows from all across (Hollywood, Bollywood, Chinese, French, etc). Scenes with nudity are just cut out (like in cinemas here). SV als...

Re: Do we dislike our national carriers?

For me that would be AI: I admit that I haven't flown them in a long time but there are two reasons why I wouldn't fly them a) As much as they have improved, the likelihood of having a horror story with them is still much higher than my preferred carrier (QR) b) During IRROPS, I have seen how shabbi...

Re: Barbershops at the airport?

The Etihad lounge (airside) in AUH also has a barbershop where premium pax (I think only first) can get a complimentary haircut and shave.

Ro

Re: Global supply chains and strategies - Airbus or Boeing

While I don't have any links handy, you might be able to find a lot of info specifically about the assembly process of the A380. On Wikipedia, they have plenty of links which would help add some detail. There was a fair bit of talk about the specific challenge of shipping parts so large using existi...

Re: oneworld in talks with African carriers, considers LCC members

In the subcontinent (India specifically), AI is in Star, Jet does not seem likely (via their partnerships with Delta/KLM & partial Etihad ownership) and neither is Vistara. So that only leaves IndiGo & Spicejet and of those two clearly IndiGo is the best candidate on account of their sheer m...

Re: Ultimate Airlines Logo Quiz

82... mainly struggled with the Carribean / South American ones.

Ro

Re: Your Personal Airline: AirLink Beech 1900D to Dubbo

It was funny to see EK's name on the FIDS at Dubbo. Who knows, maybe you'll see an EK 77W there some day.

Ro

Re: Airlines offering country-specific food/drinks on international routes

I vividly remember enjoying the Kaiseki meal that Qatar Airways offered on its flight from NRT to DOH in J. The econ meal on my flight from DOH to NRT was Asian but didn't seem particularly Japanese. Emirates always has Indian meals on flights to India - you needn't even bother ordering AVML, they n...

Re: Southern Hemisphere Circumnavigation route possibilities?

Air Mauritius from Perth to Mauritius is an option. From Mauritius to South Africa can be done with any number of computations. From South Africa to South American I'm not entirely sure of all the options but you could do JNB-GRU on LATAM or South African at the very least. There might be some more ...

Re: Why would there be short-haul red-eye flights?

These are some that come to mind as miserable regional red-eyes in the ME. If you aren't connecting, the day that follows isn't going to be a good one. EK 816 RUH DXB 0355 0655 EK 501 BOM DXB 0415 0605 TK 141 RUH-IST 0100 0535 In the case of these flights, all less than 4 hours, they are mainly mean...

Re: Qatar Airways formally announces Las Vegas

In terms of connections, a quick check showed that the arrival into DOH connects quite nicely to QR534 (DOH-AMD) @ 2050 and QR 556 (DOH-BOM) @ 2020 - two cities where I imagine quite a few Indians in Nevada go to. On the other side, QR557 arrives at 510 and arrives at 500 - also well-timed for conne...

Re: Qatar Airways formally announces Las Vegas

This is great news! I only wish it were earlier - I guess it's due to aircraft availability? Timings are also great - to coincide with checkin timings. On the arrival too, one can reach DXB at a pretty reasonable hour. Even though this was known for a while, it still seems really early to confirm co...

Re: Flights that use US Preclearance

Hello A.net, Is it actually used in practice these days, and if so, does Etihad use it on all US flights? It is extensively used in practice and from what I understand they use it for all their flights to the US. Often, these flights end up being the most delayed flights in their network (as per Fl...

Re: Emirates expansion plans in Bangladesh

What surprises me is that EK has enough yield to open a business-class lounge and also to consider opening new routes given the challenging results in 2016.
Maybe they could do Dubai-Chittagong-Sylhet-Chittagong-Dubai and test the waters that way first before launching dedicated flights.

Ro

Re: Qatar or Emirates?

The 3-3-3 Dreamliner is a horrific experience - no amount of improved humidity will make that setup any better. Honestly, compared to the A380 in Economy, most other cabins feel cramped - only 3-3-3 777s are as good. I prefer QR in all aspects but the 787 is a nasty experience - if it were between a...

Re: EK: War Zones hit Fuel Efficency Measures

It really is a tricky position to be in. Many of their trunk routes would be impacted. Using Gcmap: LHR, AMS, FRA, FCO, GLA, MAN, JFK, ORD would all require flying over Iraq and/or Syria ARN, OSL, CPH would require flying over Ukraine JNB & CPT would overfly Yemen Taking a random sample of one f...

Re: Two Closest Airports Served By The Same Airline

QR flies to both DXB & SHJ which have a driving distance of 26km (18km straight line).
QR also flies to DWC which is 64km away from DXB (45km straight line).

They fly to AUH, DWC, DXB, SHJ, RKT which is pretty insane - I realize that these are feeder flights but it's still staggering.

Ro

Re: Why board from just one door?

At DXB FZ operates from Terminal 2 which has no aerobridges - only buses. Once the bus reaches the aircraft, a staff member scans the boarding passes and rows 1-15 board from the front and 16-30 from the rear (approximately). Only one door of the bus is opened so that no one is able to go anywhere w...

Re: What is the Nonstop Route of your Dreams?

My choices are essentially gateways to regions of scenic beauty. DOH (QR) or HKG (CX) to LAS, SLC, PHX, DEN, SEA, PDX, ANC, SCL DOH (QR) to KEF Even though my home airport is DXB, non-stop fares would be unattractive so DXB-DOH-xxx on QR or DXB-HKG-xxx is an acceptable compromise. Similar one-stops ...

Re: What % are each of your most flown entities? Airlines, aircraft, etc..

I love these topics.

Total flights since 2011 = 124 (way less than I would like)
Airline: Emirates 37/124, Qatar 24/124
Year: 2016 = 44/124 (with quite a few more to come)
Aircraft: 777 = 47/124
Subtype: 77W = 31 / 124
Airport: DXB
Route pair: DXB-RUH = 24/124

Ro

Re: Emirates first half profits down 75%

The subsidies are drying out. The decreasing profit PR is in my opinion just an introductory statement to a long line of route cuts to come. Without subsidies, they can't grow, and the only way to make this look good is to issue deteriorating financials, before starting to announce the cuts. Unfort...

Re: Your Preferred Segment Length(s)?

In terms of preference, if flying business then I'm indifferent to segment lengths (I usually can't sleep more than five hours even in a flat bad). If flying Economy, I definitely prefer the one long & one short segment format - after flying more than seven hours in Econ, doing another six-seven...

Re: BA first class dilemma

aerorobnz wrote:

If it costs the same then LHR-SFO, Keep adding to your 744 sectors while you can... That and the fact that you get longer, more enjoyable flight,

Re: When you are the outlier in that flight...

HKG-ICN on KE in 2011. I don't recall seeing any Indians in Econ.
I half expected that to be the case before the flight & was delighted when it actually turned out that way.

Ro

Re: OO starting MSP-SAW: any other new Delta Connection routes from MSP?

For a minute there I thought this meant Istanbul which didn't make much sense. SAW is the IATA code for Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul.
As per wiki, the code is MQT.

Ro

Re: 9 hours in HongKong ?

If you have your onward boarding pass already, you need to reach the airport back by 2130-2200. It takes 24 minutes to/from HKG to Hong Kong Station (Central). So you have until 2100 to conclude activities. Since you can be in the city until 9pm, I suggest also checking out the Symphony of Lights. I...

Re: List Making: Cheapest/Best Value Flight You've Booked

In 2015 CX DXB-HKG-LAX return for $1,525 in Econ/Premium Econ. Emirates non-stop in Econ was slightly more than that.
Way back in 2011, I snagged AA AUH-ORD-BOS-JFK-AUH (with AUH-ORD & JFK-AUH on EY) for $790 which is easily my best value deal ever.

Ro

Re: U.S. Pre-clearance facilites planned in Saudi Arabia

lightsaber wrote:

Jaw hits floor. I know Saudi is an ally, but this shocks me. It wasn't in my too ten!


Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Lightsaber

Re: Happy birthday A340!

My first long-haul flight was on EY's A345 (AUH-ORD). I have never felt more relaxed in Y in any subsequent flight. That trip is what got me into aviation and my flight list begins with that trip. I love opening it up and seeing the 340 right up top. Almost always I scan the apron to see if I can ca...

Re: MIA-CEB Help!

I can take a shot at the first two a) I'm assuming that the layover is during the day which is why the option is there. DOH is a nice airport but nine hours is too much to spend in any airport. If the service is available, take it. After your fourth circuit of the airport, it will become excruciatin...

Re: Who to pick for transfer in the Gulf region.

Btw, in the old DOH airport, C and F pax were completely separated from Y pax, different terminal, different busses, etc. I am not sure how this is handled in the new DOH airport, but I doubt any F or C pax would have to queue up in the same line as Y pax. Maybe someone can advise. Regards, Loran T...

Re: Opinion: Low oil prices is hitting ME carriers

I think that there is a disconnect between what people know about the ME3 and the reality. 1. EK, EY and Flydubai are owned by one and the same family. The only conceivable reason that they are operating as separate entities is to gain more slot access than they would have as a single airline. They...

Re: List making: your first airline & route for each airliner

Airbus A319 QR DOH-DXB A320 VX SFO-LAS A321 SV RUH-DXB A330 EK BLR-DXB A345 EY AUH-ORD A388 KE HKG-ICN Boeing 717 DL LAS-SEA 734 9W BOM-MAA 738 FZ DXB-RUH 747 BA DXB-LHR (upcoming in December) 757 FI ARN-KEF 77W EK BOM-DXB 77L EK DXB-BOM 787 QR DXB-DOH Other ERJ135 AA BOS-JFK Dash 8-200 NY KEF-AEY F...

Re: Who to pick for transfer in the Gulf region.

Etihad clearly has the best first-class product of the three. However, AUH does not match the airline in terms of quality. It's an unpleasant place to be and gets severely congested at times. Plus it feels cramped due to the low ceilings along the corridor. While Qatar is nice to fly, re clearing se...

Re: Airport Hubs in different parts of the world and their Carriers

Central Africa is in a good position, possibly some carriers from there in the future? I've also always wondered why Air India and Jet Airways have not made Delhi into more a regional hub connecting South Asia/SEA and East Asia to Europe and the Middle East. The ME3 have completely capitalized on t...

Re: ME3 at EWR

In addition to capacity constraints in DXB, I wonder if they prefer to keep the 77W for future expansion into cities not currently served. Even though it's not ideal by the looks of it, to not serve EWR, they might see more value in using the 77W elsewhere and making Jersey residents travel to JFK a...

Re: Jet Airways announces Bangalore-Singapore

atal17 wrote:

B777 on the Mumbai-Dubai route.

Re: DXB - SEA: BA or QR

is the direct DXB/SEA flight on EK too expensive? I always try to avoid a connection if there's a direct flight available, but price may be an issue so just curious. And to answer one of your questions, yes there is a reasonable potential for weather delays in ORD during that time. My sister got st...

Re: Type Of Traffic On Routes

Not regularly scheduled but every year, you will see a ton of heavies in JED - flow as Hajj charters from Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, India, etc.Timing of this depends on Hajj season which shifts back two weeks each year.

Ro