Getting from Spokane to Los Angeles on a Sunday after Bloomsday, a major running race in Spokane, was not as easy or as cheap as I would like. My options were fairly limited as I had to fly out after the race had finished and get to LAX in time to connect to a flight to Australia. I could either travel with Frontier via Denver, Alaska via Seattle and US Airways via Phoenix.  None very cheap! I chose US Airways which is a big step for me! I had studiously avoided them for years after some terrible flights.  More recently, I have been surprised by the improvements in US Airways service.

Booking 10 out of 10

I could not fault US Airways fare finder and booking engine. I ended up using United points to “pay” for the flight. This flight cost me 25 000 points and $80 for First Class as opposed to $342 in Coach. Getting the frequent flyer point seat through United.com was just as easy except that I could not use the paypal option to pay the fees and taxes etc.

Check in 7 out of 10

I was unable to check in using the USAirways online system. There was no explanation why I could not check in online. I assumed because it was a United reward ticket? Check in at the small Spokane airport was easy, however. I chose seat 1A (bulkhead seat) on both sectors.

There was no priority line at the screening at Spokane airport. The screening line was also very slow.The guy in front of me was sent back four times. He had left his mobile, his wallet, coin purse and chewing gum in his pockets, his computer in his bag and his shoes on. I am not sure he listened to one instruction!

Boarding 6 out of 10

As a result, I reached the departure gate after boarding had started. As I approached the gate area, an announcement was made for “All Rows, All Zones” to board. The entire lounge stood up and surged forward. I saw no priority access line for First at Spokane. There was such a line  at Phoenix for my Los Angeles bound flight.

As I stood in the long jetway line, one of the flight attendants popped her head out of the plane. She advised the ground staff that there was no overhead bin space left. They in turn advised us that all carry on bags would need to be checked in. The six people in front of me all turned to the ground crew members who began writing out check in labels for the bags. As checking bags is against my religion, I snuck around them and boarded the plane. I asked the FA if First was really full. She said “yes”. Glancing up, I saw a small space and said “Can I try?” She invited me to try and said “we will just check it if it does it fit”

I had to find space for two bags as you cannot have luggage  on the floor, in the front bulkhead seats. Bag rearranging to me, is like playing Tetris, a game I love. First of all I moved (with its owner’s permission) a small blue bag that was taking up half an overhead bin. In slid my roll aboard bag. The blue bag fitted neatly with a brown bag in the other half of the bin. On the opposite side, I moved one bag three cm (about an inch) to the right, another two centimetres to the left (less than an inch) and reversed another. In went my computer bag. The FA watched and when I was done expressed how impressed she was. “Flying 110 times a year has trained me well! I smiled back. I am interested that in some airlines in the world, the flight crews do the luggage rearranging and on others, they just watch the chaos unfold. Is there a pattern to this?

As I sat down, the flight attendant,  offered a drink. On neither sector did they say what was available. I actually asked on the second flight and found out there were both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.

On the first flight, I had an orange juice and a water. On the second flight I ordered a glass of Red wine and ended up also having my neighbour’s glass of white wine (Yes, there is a story there!). All drinks came in plastic glasses.

Take off: 10 out of 10

We pushed back quickly and efficiently. There was no pause as we entered the runway and we immediately began our take off run. Initially it was a very smooth take off.  There was a bit of bounce from the winds as we climbed. Overall, it was a very smooth flight with a bit of rough air, over what I presumed was Nevada. Both flights landed a little earlier than scheduled.

 On Board: 7 out of 10

The Airbus A319s on both sectors were groaning with passengers. On my first sector seat 1B was empty. (I had showered after my race) but on the second sector, all 12 First Class and 112 Coach Class seats were filled.

The First Class seats are arranged 2/2 have a 37″ pitch (distance between seats) and are 21″ wide.  Down “the back”, the seats are arranged 3/3 and have a 31″ pitch and 18″ width.  Be warned: Row 9 in Economy in the emergency exit which is arranged 2/2 is one of the worst seat options on any plane. Not only do they not recline but they actually lean forward and there is no extra leg room.

On the first sector from Spokane, the captain welcomed us on board and encouraged us to enjoy the fantastic on board service. Fantastic? That is how I would describe Emirates or Air New Zealand service! I am saddened at the on-going devaluation of air service in our price competitive world but also guilty of wanting to fly over a thousand miles for $80 and get great service. This is highlighted by the devaluation of the word “First class” in this context. A definition of First Class is: Of the foremost excellence or highest quality. This rarely applies in a US airline context anymore.

Having said that the flight attendants were all fantastic. I found them friendly, warm and considerate. My drink glass was rarely empty on the two flights. -Thank you.

Meals: 4 out of 10

In the modern world of US Airways First Class, the meal is choice of  nice snacks from a small basket brought around by the Flight attendant. These snacks included cookies, pretzels and crackers. There seemed to be no limits as to how much we could have from the little basket. This is not quite the meal one gets on a Virgin Australia Business Class domestic flight.  I understand that full meals are available on day time US Airways flights over 3.5 hours.

The economy passengers were offered free drinks and the option to buy snacks or snack boxes. I was interested that first class were neither offered the option of buying the snack boxes or getting one for free. Some of the options sounded nice. Only credit and debit cards are accepted for meal purchases.

Entertainment: 0 out of 10

There was no wifi available either.

The Verdict

My rating: Overall 67% (3.85 out of 5)- my overall rating of US Airways flights: 3.3 (based on 19 flights) so this year’s flights are much improved on the past

Skytrax Rating of US Airways: 3 star

Positives:   Cabin Crew, Website

Negatives: Meal and Entertainment

Would I fly them again?  Yes

My last trip Report: May 1: My controversial American Airlines post on JFK to Buenos Aires

In aviation, a year can make a huge difference. A year ago Virgin Australia was Virgin Blue.  They did not have A330s and they had no business class. All that changed in May, 2011 when the discount carrier became “ahem” less discount. Since then, my observation is that Virgin have continued to improve their product. Significantly, they managed to increase profits by 118 per cent last year. Not an easy feat in this industry.  Today, I review their A330 Business Class product.

Booking: 9 out of 10

Virgin Australia has a very simple and straight forward booking system at www.virginaustralia.com.au

All fare classes and levels are displayed on the one screen. Scrolling between days of travel is very easy. When booking an economy seat, they prompt you to upgrade to business class for an extra fee. I was actually upgrading to Business Class using one of my four free upgrades gained annually for being a Platinum flyer. To upgrade that way or to use frequent flyer points requires a call to the frequent flyer service centre which is a small nuisance, albiet for a great reward! Be great if you could organise the upgrade on -line.

I then offset my greenhouse gases and chose my seat. All easy!

Check In: 10 out of 10

Online check in  was also very easy with Virgin Australia. As a result, of this system, I by passed completely the check in desks at Perth airport. In fact I cannot even remember seeing the area! (I don’t, as a rule, check luggage in).

Lounge: 7 out of 10

The Perth Lounge was the one I used to visit when I flew the old Ansett Australia out of Perth. I was very pleased to see it is due for an update and I am really looking forward to seeing it when I am back in September. Be interesting to see how much like the Melbourne lounge it becomes. Staff were very welcoming.

Boarding: 8 out of 10

We started boarding a little late. The Boarding area, itself, seemed to be a little chaotic. It didn’t seem to be a very large gate area for the number of passengers milled around. People were scattered everywhere. I suspect the build up had intensified because of the late boarding.

I joined the  Business Class/Platinum/Gold priority line which had a lot of people in it.  When the announcement ewas made for priority boarding, there was a surge forward. Turns out most people had decided they would “self nominate” as Priority.   The agent magically cleared the interlopers out of the way in seconds. The guy in front of me was asked if he was priority and he shrugged his shoulders and moved out of the queue.

After all that,  I was one of the first to board. I am such a geek about planes.  While I love the Airbus A380 and A340 and think the A320 is okay, I was not initially , a fan of the 330. However, after 20 flights in the last five years (and 94 ooo kilometres) with Qantas, Cathay, Virgin, Etihad, Royal Jordanian, Singapore  and Lufthansa, I have fallen in love with the plane!  As I boarded “Cable Beach” (the first of Virgin’s A330s delivered in May, 2011, I gushed to the crew how much I loved it. We got a very warm welcome from Johnny at the door. His smile lit up the gangway. Just the right touch. He directed me left into the Business Class Cabin and my favourite seat.

On Board: 10 out of 10

Business class has 27 seats arranged 2-3-2 (behind a single 2-2-2 row at the front). My favourite Virgin Australia A330 seat is  1K  in the front row of business on the right hand side. I recently observed I think I sit on the right had inside of planes more than the left side. Whys that? Leg room is quite generous (as pictured). Pitch is 62″ between seats

The Business Class cabin was very calm and staff very welcoming. The load was very, very light with just five  seats occupied.

Each seat had headphones, and blanket. The seat has a range of reclining options but doesn’t lie flat. Virgin’s  A330s due to be delivered shortly,  are rumoured to have lie flat beds.

A welcome drink (orange juice, water and sparkling wine) came around. Menu for flight followed with newspapers next. Finally, the amenities kit was delivered.

I learnt there are ten crew aboard the plane, when I presented the staff with chocolate eggs for Easter (I  appreciated the team working at Easter for me and they liked the eggs!).

Economy was much fuller. The economy class cabin of 251 seats is set up in a  2-4-2 configuration with a few rows of 2-3-2. Each seat has its own seat-back video screen for in-flight entertainment. Standard seat pitch is  31″ with 33″ at the bulkheads.

Safety Briefing- 7 out of 10

Virgin has a cute video showing all safety features. Great video but I like to have more involvement from the Flight Attendants during the safety briefing. After all, I will be relying on them and not a video if I ever have to evacuate a plane quickly.

Takeoff: 10 out of 10

We paused at the runway for a few seconds as the two engines got louder. We started slowly,  very slowly.  Airbuses always seem to be slow beasts to launch into the air unlike the Boeings that thunder into the sky. As we moved down the runway with the Perth International terminal on the right, the front wheels lifted and we were aloft. The ride on the runway was actually quite rough – of course one feels it more up the front! Is the runway overdue for some maintenance- or are the fly in- fly out operations that take 1000s of people every week through the airport to mining sites and oil rigs throughout the state taking their toll?

Perth can be very windy and bouncy in climb but we had none of that. The suburbs flashed past and then we were crossing the dry farmlands , ironically re-tracking the same route,  I had taken a few days earlier to Esperance. (see  Trip Report April 10). The seatbelt was switched off very soon after takeoff.

The Flight: 10 out of 10

The crew brought around hot towels soon after take off. Adam, my cabin attendant introduced himself and asked for drinks and menu orders. After, he addressed me as Mr Cowling,  I asked him to call me by first name. The guy sitting in 3K asked the same thing. I noticed the crew on the 737 going over did not address us by name. Is this an A330 thing or inconsistent Virgin service?

I ordered  ”The Australian” Cocktail designed by Chef Luke Mangan. Adam served it  with a selection of mixed hot nuts (pictured).

We had a very smooth flight across Australia. We had some light turbulence 35 minutes into flight (almost at the town of Esperance ). This was nothing to be excited about. The seat belt sign stayed off.

Meals: 10 out of 10

I was very hungry so enjoyed lunch immensely (I had eaten sparingly in the lounge). There were two choices of starters, three main courses and two desserts. I started with  Prosciutto and char grilled vegetables with bread, dukkah and olive oil. I accompanied it with sparkling water. The other option was a mildly curried pumpkin and coconut soup. Mildly curried always makes me nervous. The Proscuiutto was superb.

For the main dish, I went for braised duck served with chorizo. I was very, very happy with my choice. It was accompanied with a delicious white wine (which I cannot remember now..must have enjoyed it a lot!)

I am afraid I was a bit of a pig with dessert having both the coconut custard with lychees, strawberries and pineapple and the Australian cheese selection (King Island Blue, Jindi double cream and Heidi Gruyere)!

Entertainment: 8 out of 1o

The A330 In-flight Entertainment System in all classes includes six channels of movies, nine channels of TV and music videos, and audio entertainment. I found the selection okay.

Landing: 10 out of 10

Before landing, I had another of the delicious cocktails. We were given another hot towel which was lovely. A perfect ending to an almost perfect flight.

We touched down smoothly and I sadly farewelled the crew!

The Verdict

My rating: Overall 92% (4.6 out of 5)- my overall rating of Virgin Blue flights: 4.6 (based on 19 flights)

Skytrax Rating of Virgin Australia: 4 star

Positives:   Service, Meals, Seat, Cabin Crew, Welcome Aboard, website

Negatives: No option on website to upgrade

Would I fly them again?  Yes. Yes.Yes.

My last trip Report: April 10:  Skywest  Perth (PER) to Esperance (EPR)  Fokker

My report today is about my roundtrip flights from the West Australian city of Perth (pop: 1.7 million) to Esperance (pop 9536), a regional town in Western Australia and return on Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd. This Singapore based carrier flies regional and commuter services across the mining and agricultural state of Western Australia. Flights are operated under their  own colours and some will soon be flown with  Virgin Australia colours. NB This is not the same  Skywest who fly regional services in the USA on behalf of United, US and Delta.

Since 2004, Skywest in Australia have expanded their fleet from  7 aircraft to 18 aircraft. They will soon add more aircraft (ATRs) as part of their new ten year alliance with Virgin Australia. Revenue has risen steadily but fuel costs have also risen rapidly reducing profit by 37% this year so far. Still For a number of airlines. in the rough and tumble world of airlines, this would be a gig that would be envied by many  with a monopoly on most of their routes.

Booking: 7 out of 10

The actual booking engine at www.skywest.com.aux is very straightforward and earns them top marks. It clearly shows all the fares available on each flight. There are four flights in each direction between Perth and Esperance, most days. Skywest offers only economy service with four types of fare.

Where they lose marks with everyone,  is the monopoly they have on the Esperance to Perth route. As a result, it is general opinion that fares are very high.Certainly, everyone I spoke to in the town spoke resentfully about the fares. The cheapest fare is their discounted Webbit at around $169 for a flight distance of 360 miles, or 580 km. These fares are pretty much booked out in advance all the time. I scrolled through and I saw little availability for the webbit seats. Skywest do say “get in early!”. The fare then climbs to $359 each way which may be the only fare available at the last minute. My fare to Esperance ended up being way more than my flight from Melbourne to Perth, a 2700km (1600 mile) flight.

Virgin Australia frequent flyers  have been able to earn points on Skywest flights for some time now.

 Check In: 9 out 10

On line check in is available. I have yet to see the point of online checkin for departures out of Esperance as there is only one desk to check in at. You may save a few seconds at the counter but thats about it. Flying out of Perth, the online check in makes more sense.

On arrival at Perth, there were lines of miners ready for their Fly in Fly out shifts. 6 to 730 am apparently is peak hour at Perth airport for these groups. Many of them looked grim faced heading int a nine or ten day tour of duty in dangerous conditions away from families. I was in awe of the efficient way Skywest, were rapidly handling the check in. Staff were positioned at the head of then lines directing customers to the next agent quickly. The lines were moving fast. Staff at Perth were not by any means abrupt.

At Esperance  airport things were a little quieter. The airport is a small building with a baggage unloading space, lavatories, vending machines, small waiting area a check in counter — and free wifi. 26 kilometres out of twin in the middle of scrub and there is wifi very impressive. Thank you Esperance Council! Check always feels a little more harried here because the single staff person always seems under pressure.

My bag weighed (9kg). There is no bag check at the gate so I checked it in. Something I do not do very often!

At Check in, I requested and got front row seats on the Fokker 50m aircraft in both directions:  1G  going to  Esperance  which has some extra leg room and 1A coming back which has a huge amount of leg room.

Boarding: 9 put of 10

Boarding was via tarmac at both airports. At Perth, we were bussed to the plane. At Esperance it is a very short walk from the door of the terminal to aeroplane stairs. Crew were polite in welcoming people on board. Both times, boarding was relaxed, stress free and fast.

There are no airport security checks for passengers at Esperance airport. That will shortly change with new government security regulations. The Esperance airport staff are bracing themselves for a flood of complaints.

On Board: 8 out of 10

The Fokker 50 has 46 seats arranged 2 by 2. Seat pitch is a very comfortable 33″. The planes though older, are in great condition. The flight attendants appeared to very young crew. They were very polite and appeared quite reserved. The passengers on the flight to Esperance were mostly fly in fly out. This and it being an early morning flight meant the plane was very quiet. The return flight was much more boisterous.

There is no entertainment on board apart from a complimentary newspaper on every second seat coming from perth and the remains of the read newspapers of the return flight!

Safety briefing was clear.

Flight

630am is peak hour at Perth  airport, it seems. We sat waiting for clearance for 30minutes before taking off very smoothly. We landed ten minutes late but had to wait for another ten minutes for the luggage. Skywest has a service where passnegers can order  a taxi from the crew who radio ahead for waiting cabs.

On the return, we flew out of Esperance right on time,  on a very windy day. The pilot accelerated rapidly. We swayed from side to side down the runway and then bounced through the climb.  I love flying! The rough weather continued for ten minutes into the flight  but we so soon levelled out. Flight crews were very good with announcements. We landed on time into Perth where there was a longish walk back to the terminal and my waiting friend.

I actually really like the Fokker 50 a with its interesting arrangements with the wheels and engines. I am sad that Fokker went broke. This photo of the same plane that I was one, was posted by Bob  on the skywest.blogspot.

Meals: 7 out of 10

Skywest provides free light cold meals on its flights. To Esperance I was given a breakfast (cereal, milk,  orange juice and on the return snacks. Non alcoholic drinks were available free of charge.

The Verdict

My rating: Overall 80% (4 out of 5). My overall rating of Skywest based on six flights is 4.3 out of 5.

Positives:   Roomy, fast check in

Negatives: High fare

Would I fly them again?  Yes. A nice solid product delivered well. The perception of the airline’s pricing is poor. Should any significant competition emerge on Skywest routes and, I think you would see a loss of customer loyalty-fast.

My last Trip Report: March 13: Gulf Air: Bahrain (BAH) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) Embraer 170

It has been over a decade since I last flew Gulf Air.  Australia was a Gulf Air destination in those days. James Hogan (now at Etihad) was CEO  and the airline had new A330s and new uniforms. It was in the middle of a major transformation.  Its crews were very international and the airline felt like it was going places. A lot has happened to Gulf since with its major shareholders all setting up rival carriers including Etihad.

Booking- 10 out of 10

I cannot fault the Gulf Air booking webpage. Worked quickly and logically with a minimum of clicks and page scrolls. I like that! A quick glance at prices showed Gulf are undercutting their competitors on every sector including Etihad -who I find normally seem to be a loss leader. Clearly Gulf are trying to get passengers or cash or both.  Knowing their cash position is precarious that would make sense.

Check In – 5 out of 10

I loved the Gulf Air check in. It worked very smoothly. I also loved the fact I was offered a mobile boarding pass. I also printed a boarding pass so I had both.

The love continued until I got to the airport. At the security checkpoint, I was gruffly informed that I could not use the mobile boarding pass as it was not accepted at that airport. I smiled and handed the security guard, my home printed boarding pass. He refused that as well! Why does Gulf air offer an option at its hub airport that is not accepted? It even says on their website that Bahrain is one of the airports that allows the home printed boarding passes.

I trekked over to the check in counter. The scene there was of chaos with people everywhere. It was hard to know who was in line where. I got waved up very quickly by a friendly agent who didn’t want to see my existing check in documentation. I was given a standard airline boarding card which allowed me through security. The agent could not explain to me why they issued but did not accept web check in boarding passes at Bahrain airport. I assumed it was because of the security  situation in Bahrain.

The airport itself had more security outside but inside things seemed very normal.

Boarding- 6 out of 10

A bus took us from the gate to the aeroplane; An Embraer E170 where we climbed stairs onto the craft. It was a stunningly beautiful outside with stars and the moon shining over us. I love boarding planes via the tarmac but am conscious it does not suit families with children, the elderly or disabled.

We were greeted individually  by two friendly flight attendants in Arabic, English or both if they were not sure!  There was  a third flight attendant who was Surly and made a  point of ignoring us. He disappeared immediately after take off for the whole flight.

On Board- 8 out of 10

There were a mere 17 passengers on the Embraer 170 (a 67 seat  plane).16 were in the 60 seat economy cabin and one was in the seven seat business (known as Falcon Gold Class). The business class passenger was a Gulf  Air Flight attendant on staff travel. Not exactly a good revenue situation.It was an early morning flight out of Bahrain in the middle of a troubled time in the kingdom – I wonder if this was the reason for the very low load on the plane. Interestingly, I had flown into Bahrain in a near empty Etihad 777, a week earlier. so my arrival and departure experiences were similar in that regard.

The Embraer 170 is a twin-engine, jet airliner produced by a Brazilian company.  Gulf Air has two E170s and two E190s. They moved in the regional jet direction in 2010 as part of a strategy to revive the struggling carrier. The aim is to use the Embraers as a cost effective means of getting service into as many middle eastern cities as possible.

I am a fan of the Embraers and this one felt great. The cabin on this one looks very spacious and clean. Seating in Business class was 1/2 and in Economy 2/2. Seat width is 20″ in both cabins. Economy seat pitch is 31″ and Business is 36″.  I was in the bulkhead row so I had even more leg room. Each seat is leather upholstered. Mine was  very comfortable.

Safety Briefing- 3 out of 10

Mr Surly stood at the front of the main cabin looked and acted as if he didn’t care. Wearing a crumpled shirt with a packet of cigarettes prominent in it, he kept interrupting the presentation to shout at the Flight attendant who was doing the briefing in the business class cabin. As I don’t speak Arabic, I could not tell if it was  a friendly or angry discussion! Whatever it was, it was unprofessional and off putting. In an emergency, I wondered what use he would have been? This was not a reassuring thought.

He also ignored the couple with the bag between the  legs in the bulkhead row. The male passenger of the couple was also using his mobile phone through the safety briefing, long after the door had closer, long after the announcement not to use electronics had been made and long after the no electronic items light had been illuminated.

Meal – 5 out of 10

We were offered a “cheese sandwich” in a very attractive box.  The box included chocolate bar and water. An extra water was served by the crew.    If the sandwich was cheese, then I need new tastebuds.  I have no idea what was inside as it looked like a light curried egg but was tasteless. The bread roll was dry. After the meal, the crew disappeared. Reading Skytrax, this seems to be a common complaint.

Flight – 10 out of 10

A four minute taxi had us on the runway. Then the pilot really gunned us out of there. We accelerated very very quickly and took off into the morning sky. Not sure why there was such an urgency as it is a long runway and traffic didn’t appear to be heavy.   The flight was very short, and we soon started our descent early into Abu Dhabi. There was some slight turbulence as we came in for landing.

Entertainment – 6 out of 10

Each seat has an individual entertainment unit. This was not in use. Not sure whether it was a once off or r a regular occurrence  on this  short flight . We saw a screening of Just for Laughs, the Canadian TV show which seems t be broadcast in almost every airline I have been on. It probably was enough for this early morning flight.

The Verdict

My rating: 63% (3 out of 5).

Skytrax rating:  3 star airline

Positives:   Two thirds of Cabin crew, Roomy plane

Negatives: Check in, Safety briefing, meal

Would I fly them again?  Not in a hurry. Okay performance but not enticing.

My last Trip Report: March 6: Etihad’s Wireless Internet

With the collapse of Malév  this seems like the only time to post about my last Malev flight in July 2009 – 2.5 years ago from Rome to Budapest.

Booking: 10 out of 10

My ticket was actually booked in conjunction with a Cathay Pacific fare (Malév were part of the One World alliance). I travelled to Budapest from Australia via Hong Kong and Roma. From my visits to Malév ’s website, I found it to be streamlined,  straightforward and effective.

Check In: 7 out of 10

Signposting for the Malév check in at Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci (Fiumicino) (ROM) was appalling. It was hard to work out of this was in fact a Malev desk. There appeared to be no priority for business passengers at check in. I was flying in Economy class but was Platinum status with qantas which is the top tier One World. The clerk was efficient, fairly pleasant and made sure I got an exit seat on he 737. She told me where the lounge was.

Lounge: 0 out of 10

Despite my status, I was refused entry to the lounge because I was flying in Economy Class. The lounge Malev was using was run by a separate company and the reception did their best bouncer technique to make me feel as small as possible for even asking. What amazed me was that the Check in clerk had referred me to  the Lounge!

Boarding: 7 out of 10

Boarding was initially very efficient. As I reached the check in counter, the agent looked at my boarding pass: “ah Mr Cowling, we were paging you in the lounge, we have upgraded you to business” and handed me a boarding pass for Seat 1A. So pleased with this development, I did not explain that I had been denied entry to the lounge.

We then boarded a bus out to the tarmac.I have mixed feelings about this. I personally love walking on the tarmac  and seeing close up the plane I am flying on (pictured here). I always find the bus trip a jarring annoyance, however. It also is a terrible option if you have a physical disability.

On Board: 8 out of 10

I am not a big fan of the 737 but the interior on this Malév one felt quite airy. Business Class pitch (distance between seats) is 34.4″. As I was in the front row, this was less relevant. Width was 18″.The Business class cabin feels a little cozy as it is arranged in a 2-3 configuration after row 1.  Economy seating is 3-3 with a pitch of 30.5″ and seat width of 16.9″

By contrast low cost competitor, Wizz on the same route offers 28″  to 30″ seat pitch. Qantas on a short haul 737 offers 35″ pitch and 21.1″ width in business and 30″ and 17″ in economy.

The crew’s attitude is hard to describe. They were definitely smiling, polite and very happy to serve but I did not feel they were overly warm
I am not being critical here, because their efforts contributed to this being one of the most relaxed flights I have ever had as well as the amazing entertainment (see below). There was no special welcome for me as a platinum flyer. Qantas and Cathay Pacific do make a point of having the cabin manager visit you. American, Lan, have never done it and British Airways has sometimes done it. A small inconsistency across the One World network.

Safety: 10 out of 10

I liked the cartoon-like human figures used in their safety video.  I like the very authoritative “Please locate the exit nearest to you now” Hear the emphasis on now! The music used is the same as in a couple of their advertisements. Crew appeared to take safety very carefully and gave a reassuring perception that they knew what they were doing. That always scores high marks from me. Cabin crew chatting through a safety briefing really angers me! This crew didn’t.  

Meals: 8 out of 10

We were served a cold but delicious meal: roll and chocolate dessert. There was a reasonable drink selection.

Entertainment: 0 out of 10

There was no entertainment provided by Malév hence my rating but…

The flight itself provided huge entertainment in the landscape below. It was an incredibly clear day and we flew over Italy crossing a sparkling Adriatic sea and then across Croatia into Hungary. We flew over Lake Balaton in Hungary, which I would be swimming in the very next day! It was one of the smoothest flights I have ever had with not a hint of turbulence. 

The Verdict:

My rating: 77% (4 out of 5)

Positives:   Cabin crew, Meal

Negatives: Check in and lounge at Rome airport, boarding at Rome,  Non existent on board entertainment

Would I fly them again?  Yes,  but I won’t ever get that chance.

My last Trip Report: January 31: Etihad Evaluated