Airlines From the Inside Out
October 12
During my trip to the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Seattle, I was able to catch a few departures from the top floor of the Doubletree. International departures pick up around 1pm, with a handful of flights to Asia and Europe. The last one that I saw, which is the first picture I posted, was a British Airways 747.
The Delta A330 was either to AMS or NRT, don’t recall. Doubletree is a great spot assuming you are in the tower portion of the hotel, facing Sea-Tac.
September 28
The contrast between flying a few foreign airlines and then returning to the United States to take 1 more flight to get home is always amusing. In this case, I bestowed the “last flight” honor on United Airlines. I received a complimentary upgrade which I was quite appreciative of. Was it a terrible experience? Absolutely not, but (no news here) not in the same league as many foreign airlines.
I knew where I was as soon as I was seated. The lead FA was shouting through the PA system telling boarding passengers to hurry up and sit down so we could leave on time. All the while UA deliberately delayed boarding because 1 crew member was M.I.A.
The meal was decent, but have had better on United. The sausage had the consistency of steak, but tasted like dinner sausage (?)
The indecipherable over-head monitor and bat phone are not disappointing, more comical than anything. The pilot was in the First Class cabin during boarding. I asked him if he would be broadcasting Channel 9. He replied that he would be happy to. To be fair, I took these pictures with my blackberry as opposed to my “good” camera.
the blue dot is our location at LAX; courtesy of the ipad
pre-departure beverage
breakfast
August 17
After the pageantry and speeches, it was finally time to fly. Each coach seat had a pillow, blanket, headphones, slippers and a toothbrush. I immediately began fussing with the brand new touch screen televisions. The purser came by and welcomed me on board by name.
The JFK-ICN inaugural flight was scheduled for 12hrs and 44min of flight time. We taxied and had virtually no wait for take-off, a miracle in itself at JFK. At 3:46pm (1hr and 46min past schedule) we were airborne. After I got over my disappointment of not having access to the upstairs bar, I began to enjoy the flight.
As soon as the pilot let the flight attendants know they could do so, the FA’s passed out pajamas to the children on board, set up a few bassinets and drew a curtain between the cabin and galley, in order to prepare for service. After 50 minutes, beer, wine, juice, soda, peanuts and a sanitary towel were offered.
Korean Air’s A380 boasts the fewest number of seats (301) in the coach cabin (and overall) vs. other A380 operators. I found this very evident in the amount of legroom I had in 36C. Also, the seat never got uncomfortably hard, like my experience with ANA’s new economy seats and was sitting on 2 pillows by the end of the flight. Much more on the best seats in the next post.
The coach cabin was bright, but not in a negative way. It was refreshing and clean looking, very un-complicated.
Dinner consisted of Korean Bimibap and seaweed soup. This is what I was offered and not sure if there were more choices. It’s delicious stuff and oddly, bimibap was exactly what I was served when I flew Korean Air Business Class.
After dinner, the show, aka duty free sales, started. It was quite chaotic. There were 4-6 fa’s in each aisle, shuffling to & fro, passing goods back and forth and speaking loudly to each other. When that concluded, the lights dimmed and I slept. I woke to an fa offering me water and banana or bread. When I woke up again, the cabin lights were on, there were 4 hours to go and the 2nd meal service was commencing.
Airline food used to, and probably still does, get a pretty bad rap. I think it’s improved considerably over the last decade. However, when people talk about “airline food” and the images that are conjured up, they were referring to the piece of chicken served on this flight. Not exactly edible. The other option was creamy pasta with vegetables. Water and OJ were offered before our 5pm arrival at foggy ICN.
The service on Korean Air has never disappointed me and this flight was no exception.
I will post some pictures of the rest of aircraft shortly.
big windows huh?
push back
note the CX tail
22R
smiling; novel concept
great stuff; where can i buy it?
“it’s ice”
2nd meal service
mid cabin
rear cabin
korean’s other a380; the 1st delivered: HL7611
Finally. Time to hit the road again. Or should I say sky? About 24,000 miles on the docket. It feels a bit odd to only have 1 hotel night booked. I think that’s all I need, but there will probably be a day room fit in somewhere when I’m about to collapse. The very first posts I ever wrote were on a 20,000+ mile itinerary around the world. Of course, this time, I will bring the camera.
The ride will be a mix of economy, business and premium economy. The trip will include 2 airports previously unseen, add 1 airline to Planereality’s inventory and will document the launch of an Asian carrier’s double decker from the US.
Hoping this trip will feel as good as it looks on paper. You can follow Planereality on Twitter and Facebook, and of course here for all the action. Thank you for coming by Planereality.
I’m sure this goes without saying, but I spend entirely too much time researching airfares. But I finally just put the finishing touches on my next trip. Come to think of it, I actually need 1 more domestic flight.
Anyway, throughout the planning process I came across a few fares that piqued my interest. Some could be used as potential mileage earning opportunities, others just to enjoy a 5 star airline. These fares are being posted under “FARES” a.k.a. “Where The Good Fares Are”
I’m sure you can figure out where I am going next by looking at these fares. Or at least narrow it down… or, perhaps you don’t care, which is OK too.
Do you “Like” Planereality on facebook? That’s where I put the other 75% of the pictures and other stuff from the road.
Disclaimer Alert! I do have an affiliate agreement in place with Orbitz, but not the other sources referenced. The blogging gods say I am supposed to disclose this (as if blogging is a highly regulated industry) Basically, all this means is that if you click on the Orbitz link and buy a fare, I would receive a commission. Scandalous huh?
Fares.
One-way departing November 9, 2011; A mix of economy and business
Check In
There are 2 adjacent areas to check in for Swiss Airlines flights at JFK’s Terminal 4. The first is the normal desk divided into lines for Business and Coach class passengers. The 2nd option is closer to the terminal entrance and is designated for First Class and Star Alliance Gold members. I chose the latter and was checked in through Zurich and on to Tel Aviv within minutes. The agent even let my +22 kilo carry on slide, but said ” next time you will have to check it”
Pre-Departure
After a quick tour of the First Class cabin, I found my seat, 4G and stowed my bags. The great thing about row 4, the first row of business class and 1 of only 2 rows in this mini-cabin, is that you have a shelf right in front of you in order to keep some of your belongings at your fingertips (not during taxi take-off and landing though)
Newspapers, water, juice, champagne, hot towels and menus were distributed while boarding was taking place. Business class passengers were asked to fill out a breakfast menu and indicated whether you would like to be woken for the service before landing. Here is the Business Class Lounge report.
Seats
You will notice a somewhat different staggered configuration for Swiss’ New Business Class product. Row 4 is 1-2-1, row 5 is 2-2-1. Every K seat is a single, but some have the “bulkhead” on the aisle and some have the bulkhead at the window. Here is the diagram. There is an air cushion within the seat and you can make the seat softer or firmer at the touch of a button
The most important aspect of Swiss’ new Business Class seats is the amount of foot space when you lie down. Much more space than most flat bed seats that typically provide minimal room for your feet. This made for a very sound sleep.
Food & Entertainment
Each course of dinner was served at once in order to leave maximum sleeping time on this rather short 7 hour, 10 minute flight. The food was incredibly flavorful, although the portions were not huge. I mostly listened to music, but there were plenty of newly released movies. The music category was exceptional especially the ”Greatest Hits” category which featured at least 20 artists from various genres and their most popular songs.
A Few Firsts For Me
Disclosure: This trip was provided to me, in part, by Swiss International Airlines.
terminal 4 at jfk
hbjha
4k
5 d & g
5 d & g
5k
5 a & b
my view from 4g; note the shelf; newspapers would be distributed
plenty of space for your legs/feet
amenity kit; combs and shave kits available upon request
breakfast options
Not sure that I have ever taken so many pictures of an airline lounge, but there is a lot going on at the Swiss Airlines Business Class Lounge at JFK. The lounge easily makes my top 3 globally. Just like the First Class Lounge, Swiss Airlines’ Business Class Lounge is clean, elegant and very appealing. The lounge is located on the upper floor just behind the row 1 check in area. While the lounge is outside security it is a stones throw from the security checkpoint and there was virtually no line for business class passengers.
The lounge contains two main sections (both quite spacious) divided by a quiet zone room on one side and bathrooms on the other. There are self service food & beverage areas in both sections of the lounge. Pre-flight dining was served at 4pm. The meal was simple and delicious. There is a separate room with several internet terminals, a quiet room with massage chairs, an area to watch television and a few rows of tall tables with power outlets running the entire length.
Both the 1st Class and Business Class lounges are accented by stone imported from Switzerland. As you will see by the pictures, there is a wall of windows that overlook the tarmac. The lounge provides a truly relaxing atmosphere to relax before your flight.
rear section
front section
internet stations
massage chairs inside quiet room
reading material
chicken piccatta, potatoes, pasta primavera
This is a series of posts that highlight relatively inexpensive Business Class fares between random city pairs on somewhat random dates. The list is nowhere close to all-inclusive, just fares that have caught my eye while looking around. All of the fares were found within the last hour on Orbitz, where Planereality has a marketing agreement in place. Round trip, business class, including all fees. Here’s to you, sitting up front.
Surprised to see both military and civilian aircraft arriving and departing HNL. Some of the military aircraft were taking off from Hickam Air Force Base, but others from HNL proper. I mentioned where I was shooting from, but one of the closest, best spots has to be the airport itself. Most of it is open air. Enjoy
departing for hkg
police
Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Harry Hohmeister, CEO at Swiss International Airlines since July of 2009. On Mr Hohmeister’s watch, Swiss has won several awards including the 2010 Skytrax World Airline Award for staff excellence in Europe and best European Carrier in the annual airline ratings of Switzerland’s Bilanz business magazine. Swiss was also voted best airline of 18 European airlines by the readers of Which?
Mr Hohmeister and I were joined by Arved von zur Muehlen, Managing Director, Head International Markets, Swiss Airlines and Jacqueline Pash, Head of Corporate Communications, Swiss Airlines.
I was curious for an update on Swiss’ New First and Business Class products and how Swiss is handling the many external factors that the entire industry is faced with. Below are a few excerpts from our discussion.
Thoughts Behind Rolling Out a New First Class Product…
Mr Hohmeister acknowledges that this is a risk.
“As soon as you take up that much space installing a First Class Suite/Seat you have taken a risk. But how can you call yourself a premium airline and not have a true premium product?”
One way Hohmeister looks at Swiss’ 3 cabin model:
“Swiss wants to be the airline not only for middle management by offering a business class, but also for the CEO’s and wealthy entrepreneurs who would utilize First Class”
Arved von zur Muehlen added that there is also still a leisure market for First Class passengers. Arved said he once received a letter from a gentleman in India who expressed disappointment “because he wanted to fly his family of 10 in First Class and Swiss only offered 8 seats in First”
The overall goal of Swiss’ First Class product is to provide comfort and service not just after you are seated on the aircraft, but rather from the “curb to your destination” (think limousine service)
If you are a Swiss First Class customer, the crew is briefed on your preferences before you travel. They will know when you sleep, when you eat, what you read, whether you prefer white or red wine, regular or decaffeinated coffee.
The return on this investment?
“The image of the airline that the customer leaves with” says Hohmeister
Constant Challenges in the Industry & Being Flexible
We talked about all of the unpredictable, uncontrollable factors the airline industry has faced over the past 12 months. Mr. Hohmeister was quick to point out:
“12 Months? How about the last 2 months… enough has happened in 2 months to last a lifetime”
I asked him how Swiss remains flexible and address these challenges?
Flexibility becomes a matter of “how fast you are able to react to a situation” says Hohmeister, “I feel we have a very capable management team that is very proactive as opposed to just being reactive. You can’t just put a plane on the ground. This makes no sense for the passengers or the airline. Yet at the same we will never ever compromise safety. Safety is always priority number 1, number 2 and number 3 for Swiss Airlines”
Mr. Hohmeister referenced the 2009 financial crisis and the need to “take a close look at cost efficiency and staff efficiency” He mentioned voluntary measures that were taken, including voluntary unpaid leave by some staff members and asking suppliers to be more flexible in their terms.
Most recently, Swiss has, on some days, rerouted their Zurich-Tokyo Narita flight through Osaka Japan with a stop in Hong Kong.
“By stopping in Hong Kong this gives us the ultimate flexibility to evaluate the situation in Japan on an hourly basis, receive a new flight crew, do maintenance and then determine whether we fly into Narita, Osaka, or somewhere else”
Being part of the World Class Star Alliance is something we are very proud of and “very beneficial” in terms of flexibility.
The New First & Business Class Cabins
Every Airbus A330 in the Swiss fleet will feature its brand new state of the art Business Class seat by the Spring of 2011. In addition the Airbus A340 fleet will be equipped with the latest business class seat by mid 2011, at which point the entire long-haul fleet will feature the state of the art SWISS Business Class cabin.
The A330 fleet will also boast the latest First class Interior which will include, among other things, new ASA fine bone china, restaurant size wine glasses by Riedel and larger personal televisions.
Overall, Mr. Hohmeister says all of Swiss’ initiatives are in an effort to “embrace the customer and build an emotional relationship with them”
Based upon Swiss’ financial results during their last fiscal year, I would say they are doing just that and then some.
February 22
Many thanks to Dominik Menakker of Premimum Travel News for writing this article and sharing with Planereality how he goes about finding and booking discounted Business Class Airfare. Dominik’s business travel includes visiting clients all over the globe and he does not like to fly coach. Based on his experience of several years of global travel, he decided to open up a travel agency, specializing in Business and First-Class travel. Check it out.
1. Look Over the Rim of Your Tea Cup
You surely know that: You would like to book a flight on your favourite airline, but the prices are skyrocketing? Why not try another airline? There are plenty of options which not only offer awesome comfort on board, but also very reasonable, even great prices. You probably know the big carriers from the Middle East, but there are also other marvellous options. Sceptical? Get informed, compare products … and prices. You can save a lot, sometimes even over 50 %! However, don’t forget to find out if the airline you’re about to choose is offering the state-of-the-art cabin you look for on every aircraft used for long-haul flights. Many airlines still have two, three or even more different types of seats in their premium cabins in the air. Usually in helps to pay a visit to the airline’s website.
Often it’s also a good idea to combine different airlines or even alliances. Some online booking tools provide you with such offers. Also don’t hesitate to ask your travel agent for more information. Your wallet will be grateful!
2. Be Flexible
If you don’t mind choosing an alternative airport for departure you can save lots of money. Try Toronto instead of New York, Amsterdam instead of Frankfurt, Milan instead of Munich, Kuala Lumpur instead of Singapore, São Paulo instead of Buenos Aires and see the prices fall. Get yourself a cheap positioning flight to your alternative airport (you don’t need a Business Class ticket for a two-hour flight, do you?) and there you go. Sometimes you can even travel in First Class for less the price of a Business Class ticket that you would have had to pay when using your home base airport as first option. Worried about connections or your luggage? Ask your travel agent to put all flights together into one PNR, it’s possible most of the time.
3. Use Special Offers
You missed Turkish Airlines’ Valentine’s Special? Or Lufthansa’s Easter Special? Or US Airways’ Dividend Miles Special? Or Etihad’s Partner Special? Or British Airways’ Upgrade Special? No need to be devastated, there are more around and more to come. Specials pop up regularly, especially when there are holidays. Make sure to be informed in time as sometimes it might be hard to grab a seat. Of course you have something better to do than monitoring hundreds of websites, so subscribe to newsletters, read blogs or websites or – if you like – become part of a community like a forum or mailing list. Maybe you also have something to give in return, like a trip report or information about your favourite beach or hotels? It’s fun! But don’t forget that also your travel agent might come up with special fares that are not available to online booking machines. Savings of 15-20 % or even more on the bare flight? No problem.
4. Plan Ahead
Try to book in time. Not too early, because then specials usually aren’t on the market yet. But also not too late. If you find the right booking time (often up to 90 days before departure) you might get a Premium ticket for the price others have to pay for flying Coach, especially during public holidays when demand for business travel is low and main cabin is full.
