Emirates Maiden A380 Flight

I believe I had mentioned I would want to experience the very first Emirates A380 Airbus flight on their brand new double decker. Unfortunately, that doesn't come into play as my travel plans have constantly been unexpected over the past year. That said, the maiden EK flight will be out of New York on August 1st, followed by their next one on August 6th 2008. Without hesitation, I know it will be an amazing experience for Emirates fans worldwide, for those who will book their seats from now on.

If you happen to be one of them and intending to fly out of the US to Dubai on EK - don't miss it. Usually, the first flight on a new aircraft/fleet for many carriers always has surprises in store.

Let me know, will you?

The Virgin Experience

I cannot recall when I last flew Virgin Atlantic, if at all. My most recent trip with them however, was fantastic, to say the least.

I was a tad bit weary as searching for reviews online did not give a positive image about the airline. The more I searched, the more disappointed I became. However, I still gave the airline the benefit of my doubt since much of the bickering from other passengers (no offense) seemed to be focused on one main issue expounded to create an entire episode of dramatic contexts. Considering that I have travelled extensively over the years, it would not befit my judgement to drown out the possibility of flying with Virgin, especially since verbal assurances from previous travellers proved better than the written ones.

And so I flew with VS on May 24th between JFK and LHR, a massive Boeing 747-400.

The boarding was a hassle free and pleasant experience - considering the ground staff were extremely helpful and courteous. As we settled into the aircraft ready for departure, the cabin crew were even more pleasant and friendly, ensuring all passengers were taken care of in every way possible. Shortly after 1940 hrs, we took off for the 6 hour journey across the Atlantic. I watched out the window as the beautiful sunset threw out majestic colors of red, orange and yellow, all as a backdrop behind the silhouetted buildings of the Manhattan skyline. In its most dramatic and metaphorical analogy, the sun also set on a part of my life that is now over.

Service
A few minutes after take off, a choice of soft drinks or fresh juice and a small snack was served - which is pretty much expected on every airline (even Royal Jordanian). Dinner followed and I must say that the food was quite good. Grilled chicken, vegetable fried rice with steamed broccoli and green beans was the main course, with a side of salad and fresh fruits. Not bad at all.

Inflight Entertainment
The inflight system was much better than most airlines, except Emirates of course.

Here is the best part of it all: The interactive map display (which admittedly is not provided by even Emirates), was quite interesting to say the least, but considering that at any given moment you could select from the drop down menu, the qiblah (direction) of Makkah (Mecca) was astounding on a Western Carrier no less. Usually I would rely on the standard flight maps and figure out the direction of Makkah based on the flight path, but hats off to Virgin for incorporating this on their screen menu none the less!

The system had the most recent movies. Some passengers either started selecting their choice of entertainment, or stretched out on some seats for a short nap (the flight was not full) for the remainder of the flight. I had the three seats to myself, which turned out to be even more pleasant. The only disappointing aspect (ah, yes; here we go) on this flight was the breakfast.

Prior to arrival, they offered either coffee, tea, or fresh juice, and a muffin. They were not even served on trays, mind you! Again, if I did compare this to say, British Airways or Emirates, Virgin certainly fell short on it. Despite this short fall, I would recommend Virgin to anyone choosing to fly internationally.

Next
My next trip: Emirates Airlines. Considering my spontaneous lifestyle (my unce who picked me up was even confused what city I was coming from!), it could be another airline before the anticipated trip in July. I hope the summer goes well for everyone - I know mine should be great in London.

Air Canada P3 - Return

I was NOT looking to return on Air Canada. Unfortunately, I did not have a feasible choice, or I would have ended up paying twice the amount for a return on another carrier.

Because I extended my stay in London, and the day I chose to do so was a weekend, thus highly booked flights, my choice was quite limited to only one flight. An 8:30 am return flight from Heathrow on an Airbus that took me back 20 years in time.

As I entered the aircraft, I was dismayed at the entertainment system again. This was echoed out loud by the passenger who sat next to me. The TV screens were located in the center of the aircraft. The controls were located in the gallery - so you either watched what was on at the time, or browsed through their inflight magazine, or maybe stared at the emergency card and scrutinised the emergency procedures for the Airbus. I chose to sleep because of lack of it. Even then, I cannot sleep on board flights, so it was a feeble attempt to do so on my part. One of the movies they showed was Austin Powers - The Spy who shagged me. A 1999 film in the year 2007.

Since the aircraft was headed Westbound, it meant a longer flight - could anything be more disappointing?

Yes, the food! This time I changed my meal from a Muslim to an Asian vegetarian. All I remember is the vegetable couscous and oatmeal flan with some sort of pudding.

Bottomline - while their customer service is good, their inflight system is the worst I have seen on any airline in the recent past.

Air Canada P1

I left New York for London, UK yesterday, 3rd June. It was a sudden trip, based on unfortunate circumstances, but one that sealed family bonds that went broken for years.


The flight from New York LaGuardia was not too bad. Air Canada seemed to have made a good impression at first, even though we were delayed by a few minutes but the cabin crew were very pleasant and accommodating.

Toronto Pearson Airport was amazing. The architecture is beautifully done. Modern and sleek - an airpot you cannot get lost in despite its size due to the plentiful signs all over. Impressive.

We arrived on time in Toronto, but the walk towards the main terminal was long. since I was an international passenger, I was one of only three who had to detour and avoid customs. After entering the departure lounge, I was pleasantly happy with the availability of wireless internet access, free, and without hesitation, I bought a doughnut and coffee from Tim Hortons and sat down for my link to the outside world.

The flight from Toronto to London began boarding a little behind schedule. We were boarding their newest addition to the fleet - the Boeing 777. I was seated by the window in the second-last row. If you ever need some space to yourself on a flight that is not filled to capacity, the last row on smaller aircraft or the last two on bigger ones are usually reserved for cabin crew. You can ask for these seats only if they are not highly restricted.

While the airplane was new, their inflight entertainment system left much to be desired. You could barely do much since several items did not work. You could watch movies and some TV. Their movie selection was lousy - a flash back to what you are likely to have watched or seen not too long ago. Again, credit must be given where it's due - so I must say the cabin crew were extremely helpful, polite, and courteous.

We took off after a bit of taxing, again nothing out of the ordinary, and most settled in for a quick 6.5 hour flight. Dinner was served about an hour after take-off. This is where I would think twice about flying Air Canada.

I'll write more later :).