DOHA-BANGKOK, B-777-300ER

Qatar airways sells its new business class under the slogan “First in Business” with a new concept called Quad suites. There are forward and backward facing suites which can be combined into a “family suite” when the TV panels are pushed away.

If used alone, there is a generously large suite waiting for you where you have a large TV monitor,  a seat that turns into a full bed and a door to close for complete privacy. Various mood lighting and nice pillows are also waiting. The famous dining anytime service is available and is enhanced with “candle lights”, a choice or hot and cold towels and warm desserts. (pyjamas are also available)

I found the suites very private and comfortable, and I loved the setting with the private door. The service was excellent and the product offered to Qatar Airways business class passengers is considered First Class on other airlines.

In my opinion this is the best business class product on the market at the moment.

https://www.qatarairways.com/en-hk/homepage.html

This review is about the growing private aviation industry. There are numerous private airlines operating all over the world, from the smallest 4 to 6 seater aircraft to the larger up to 12 passengers aircraft which can fly long-haul.

I recently tried a German carrier called Hahn Air. They operate a fleet of aircraft which are available for hire on a charter basis. They can be chartered for short flights as well as longer trips. Some of these private airlines also operate scheduled flights on a seasonal basis. Hahn Air offers flights from Düsseldorf to Palma de Mallorca once a week and some scheduled flights from Düsseldorf to Luxembourg and return.

On my flight there were only 2 passengers and the captain gave us a safety briefing before take-off. The aircraft was a six seater Cessna Citation and there was a small monitor on which flight information was displayed. The cockpit door remained open and some pre-recorded  announcements were played before take-off and landing.

There is no flight attendant on board but there is a catering box which has soft drinks, coffee and small snacks for self-service.

The flight was short and the large windows offered a nice view. It was a unique experience for me as I am used to commercial aviation only. I liked the comfort and exclusivity as well as the ambiance and the feeling of being a VIP.

Private aviation is a costly business so careful planning is necessary. According to the company’s website, they offer nice deals for smaller groups or regular customers.

https://www.hahnair.com/en

YANGON-HEHO-YANGON

Air KBZ is a privately owned airline based in Yangon. Air Kanbawza, known as Air KBZ, was established in June 2010. The airline is owned by Myanmar’s Kanbawza Bank and operates 4 ATR 72-500 and 5 ATR 72-600 aircraft, seating is 74-78 seats.

I checked in at Yangon’s new domestic airport terminal for an early morning departure to Heho. Baggage check-in and security check were fast and efficient and there was still plenty of time for a coffee at the terminal before boarding 15 min before departure. The flight departed on time and a small snack was served. The cabin was clean and tidy and I enjoyed having a good view from a window seat. Baggage was delivered quickly once all passengers walked to the small terminal building. The return flight went smoothly and departed on time. I enjoyed both flights and I think Air KBZ is a good choice for domestic travel in Myanmar. I have used Myanma Airlines (not existing anymore) and Yangon Airways previously. My preference would clearly be for Air KBZ.

http://www.airkbz.com

ZURICH-COLOGNE-ZURICH

Configuation : 168 seats > 3 fare categories: Best, Smart and Basic

Eurowings is the low cost subsidairy airline of the Lufthansa group. Eurowings operates flights within Germany, intra-Europe and a few long haul flights out of Cologne (long haul flights will be transferred to Düsseldorf airport from Summer 2018).

The Cologne flights are mostly operated by “Germanwings”. Germanwings is now fully integrated into Eurowings and will soon fly in Eurowings colours only.

Eurowings sells 3 ticket categories. “Best” which are seats in the first 3 rows of each aircraft and gives you free drinks and a little snack which you can choose for the buy-on-board menu. “Smart” gives you more flexibility in your ticket and offers you a free drink and a pre-packed snack. “Basic” offers you very low fares, no flexibility and no inflight meal or refreshment service. (not even a glass of water)

My outbound flight was delayed by 2 hours due to weather so the crew offered free drinks and snacks to all passengers. They worked efficiently on this 50 minute flight and it was an ok experience.

On the inbound flight there was a another delay, this time no proper announcement was made and a rather grumpy crew with an unmotivated attitude were on duty. Since Eurowings flights are operated as Star Alliance codeshare flights, with Lufthansa and SWISS, it is difficult for some passengers to understand why different levels of service are offered to various passengers onboard. For example, some passengers were getting served with snacks and drinks whilst others were left out or had to pay for a simple glass of water. (You don’t even get a small bottle or a can for yourself if you buy a drink).

I am not a fan of no-frills airlines and I did not particularly enjoy my experience on Eurowings. (Especially when the flight is sold under full service airlines code-shares). Little information was given about flight delays (except SMS) and passengers were treated more like cattle than human beings. Despite the fact that Cologne Airport has many jet-bridge gates, most Eurowings flights are operated via bus-gates which makes a time consuming and uncomfortable travel experience.

https://www.eurowings.com/en.html

Zurich-Amsterdam, B-737-800 Configuration 20-144 Economy Class

I checked-in online for this flight but due to a electronic glitch mobile boarding passes were not available. However, I passed through airport security with the printed version and was issued another boarding pass at the gate. The flight was booked very light and there was plenty of room for everyone to feel at ease. The airplane was a Boeing 737-800 and looked a bit tired inside. Some seats were a bit dirty and there were many seat pockets which were missing the safety card and/or the Inflight Magazine/Duty Free Shopping List. The flight departed on time and a snack was served, including a choice of coffee and tea. The flight attendants were friendly and pleasant. Verdict: a solid product within the European Market.

https://www.klm.com

Edelweiss Air, Palma De Mallorca – Zurich, A320

Edelweiss Air is a subsidiary of Swiss International Air Lines whose route network is mainly focussed on holiday destinations in Europe. The airline also operates some long-haul flights to “smaller” ports around the world. I took this flight from Palma de Mallorca to Zurich on a Tuesday night in December. The flight was fully booked with a mix of business and leisure travellers. The flight was operated by an A320 aircraft with 20 C and 142 Y seating configuration.

Pre-departure water bottles and refreshment towels were ready on the seats upon boarding. A handful of magazines were also available. Inflight service consisted of a cold meal platter with drinks, followed by a coffee service with the famous Appenzeller Biberli which is a small Swiss cookie-type sweet dish containing marzipan. The crew was friendly and cheerful and took care of the passengers well who were concerned about missing their evening connections in Zurich (the delay was only 25 min, so that should not pose a problem to anyone)

A pleasant flight despite the short delay and a friendly young crew who made a good impression.

https://www.flyedelweiss.com/en/pages/home.aspx

Malaysia Airlines, Kuala Lumpur-Langkawi-Kuala Lumpur,

Business Class, B737-800, Confirguration : 16/144

Check-in at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was disgraceful. There was a separate check-in area for premium customers but there were only 2 counters open and they were dealing with passengers having oversized baggage and other complicated matters. There was no line for quick bag drop so the only choice was to wait. After check-in, I quickly proceeded through security.

I was informed that the Golden Lounge was under renovation and that a temporary lounge had been set up. This was located at a regular boarding gate waiting area and some plants had been put to give it a little privacy. There was a minimal choice of drinks and a few food snacks such as cakes and cup noodle soups were available. Boarding passes were checked at the entrance of the “Lounge” but staff members could not provide accurate information about flight departures. We were sent to the gate about 20 min before scheduled flight departure time, only to discover that the aircraft had not even landed. Boarding took place about 45 min later. The airline provided no proper information about the delay. No reason or explanation was given.

The flight was a pleasant experience. Business Class consisted of a 2-2 configuration with 16 seats whilst Economy Class had 144 seats in 3-3 configuration. The flight attendants were friendly and offered a choice of chicken sandwich or a local hot dish on this flight. This seemed reasonable, given the relatively short flight time of 50 minutes.

Baggage delivery at Langkawi airport was extremely fast as we were the only aircraft on the ground. The passenger terminal was accessed via a short walk from the aircraft as there are no aerobridges available at this small regional airport.

Verdict: Like many other airlines, Malaysian Airlines seems to struggle with their ground services while their inflight product and crews are pleasant.

https://www.malaysiaairlines.com

Zurich-Paris, Business Class, Airbus A318

I checked-in online and went directly to the gate where I arrived 20 min before departure. The boarding was taking place by bus as the airplane had an overnight stay in Zurich.

The Airbus 318 is the smallest of the Airbus family and was well designed with black seats and red headrests. The meal service comprised  breakfast served on chinaware and included orange juice and a coffee in a mug. The senior flight attendant was polite and friendly and made this short flight a  positive experience. (There was a short delay on the flight and many pax inquired about their connecting flights). Some of the onward departure gates were announced by the chef de cabine – I thought this was a good service offering.

We arrived at CDG Terminal 2F with long walkways to the terminal exit. But if you follow the signs it’s fairly easy. Verdict:  Solid product, short and pleasant flight in a clean airplane with a professional crew.

https://www.airfrance.com/

Zurich-Abu Dhabi-Zurich, B787-9 Dreamliner, Configuration: 8/28/195

second review on Etihad, please also see my first review under the tab “Airline reviews” 

ZRH-AUH

AUH-ZRH

I flew on the new Etihad Airways Dreamliner out of Zurich on a midday flight. The business class seating configuration is 1-2-1 with some seats facing forward and some seats facing backwards.

I was seated in 5C which was the first row but facing backwards. The seat was a large size full flat business class seat which offered different lights (reading, moodlight and decolight). The seat was comfortable and offered enough stowing space. The well-known windows of the Dreamliner are a real highlight featuring the automatic shades which allow for different levels of natural light during daylight flights. The headsets are not particularly comfortable and are connected to the seat with a small magnetic plug which can accidentally disconnect  whenever moving or shifting. I did not like it.

The inflight service consists  of a dine anytime concept where you order your food from the menu and decide on the time that you like to eat. I tried the soup and a main dish (radicchio risotto) as well as a dessert and then some ice cream and fruits before landing.

The cabin crew on the outbound flight was correct but not very charming or friendly. Different picture on the inbound flight where the crew was attentive and charming at all times.

Abu Dhabi Airport is still under construction and does not have enough gates with aerobridges. I would guess that about 50 % of all flights are still operated by bus gates.  This can be very time consuming and uncomfortable in Abu Dhabi’s hot and humid climate.

Verdict: Hardware from check-in to airplanes are solid, inflight service depends a lot on the crews. Abu Dhabi Airport needs a lot of improvement.

 www.etihad.com