Singapore Airlines debuts new 777 cabin products on Mumbai route for a limited time

by Devesh Agarwal

Singapore Airlines débuted its latest cabin products on its Boeing 777-300ER flying between Mumbai and Singapore for a limited time.

This is the latest cabin product of the premium airline which will be standard on its Airbus A350-900 aircraft, but which is also fitted on eight of its new Boeing 777-300ERs, the latest of which was recently delivered to the carrier's fleet. This product was first unveiled on the London route.

See details and images of the new cabin product in our July story.

Nearly $150 million is being invested in the new products on the initial eight B777-300ERs. The aircraft feature the world’s most advanced in-flight entertainment system, with larger screens and touch-screen handsets, as well as more spacious and comfortable seats in First, Business and Economy classes.

The new products will be available on SQ 423/424 flights between Singapore and Mumbai on selected days of the week during the winter schedule which commenced from yesterday.

SQ 423 Mumbai – Singapore:
from October 28, 2013 till March 30, 2014 on Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays
from October 31, 2013 till November 22, 2013 on Thursdays and Fridays
SQ424 Singapore - Mumbai:
from October 27, 2013 till March 29, 2014 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
from October 30, 2013 till November 21, 2013 on Wednesdays and Thursdays

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PHOTOS: Star Alliance opens new lounge at Los Angeles International Airport

by BA Staff

The new joint Star Alliance lounge at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport opened its doors on 25th September. The new lounge, designed by global architectural firm Gensler, has more than 18,000 square feet of floor space, and an open air terrace offering panoramic views of the airport's northern runway looking towards the Hollywood Hills. In addition to the terrace, the lounge also offers a bar area, a library space, a den, a study, a media room, and eight shower rooms.

The lounge has space for around 400 passengers, including an exclusive area for passengers traveling in First Class. Access is provided for passengers traveling in Business or First Class, or for passengers with Star Alliance Gold frequent flyer status. The following are pictures of the new lounge:

Image Credit: Star Alliance

Image Credit: Star Alliance

Image Credit: Star Alliance

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Emirates announces new service to Boston

by Vinay Bhaskara

Image Credit: Devesh Agarwal ~ Bangalore Aviation

Middle Eastern carrier Emirates has continued its rapid expansion into the North American market by announcing the commencement of daily nonstop services between its global hub at Dubai and Boston to commence from 10th March, 2014. The new flights will be served using Emirates' Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, seating 266 passengers in a three class configuration (8F / 42J / 216Y). Flight schedules for the new route are as follow:

Route	Depart	Arrive	Frequency
DXB-BOS	0945	1515	Daily
BOS-DXB	2255	1910	Daily

Boston becomes Emirates' eighth US destination after New York JFK, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle-Tacoma, Washington Dulles, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The airline has announced a plan to more than double the number of routes it serves in the United States over the next three to five years to 15 routes. In October, they will launch a third daily service to New York JFK via Milan's Malpensa International Airport.

As with many of Emirates' North American services, the new route will draw heavily on origin and destination traffic to and from the Indian subcontinent. Nearly 200 daily passengers traveled between Boston and India in each direction in 2011, much of it high-yielding business traffic in the information technology (IT) sector). And for Emirates, India represents nearly 12% of its network traffic.

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Lufthansa receives International Five Star Diamond Award

By BA Staff

Photo Courtesy Lufthansa Group

At Lufthansa's First Class terminal at Frankfurt International Airport, Lufthansa received the International Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS). The academy honoured three accomplishments of Lufthansa's premium service portfolio: the Lufthansa First Class onboard its intercontinental fleet, the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt and the Lufthansa First Class Lounge at New York’s JFK International Airport.

Joseph Cinque, President and CEO of the AAHS had this to say about Lufthansa:

"The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences is renowned worldwide for awarding excellence in the global travel and luxury services sector via our International Star Diamond Award exclusively on Five Star establishments. Lufthansa’s unequaled commitment to its First Class services and onboard hospitality, its achievements and true quality is more than impressive and deserves the International Five Star Diamond Award."

Jens Bischof, Chief Commercial Officer at Lufthansa German Airlines added:

“Today marks another milestone for Lufthansa on our way to becoming the industry's leading airline for premium travel. Our customers are appreciating the numerous service upgrades we have invested in, both on board and on the ground, with the industry's leading organizations taking note of our accomplishments. Today, we are very excited to receive this award from the Academy which has evolved into an international powerhouse network that values the very highest quality and hospitality.” 

Lufthansa opened its First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Airport in 2005 and it is the only terminal of its kind. Lufthansa’s new First Class, onboard its long-haul fleet has repeatedly received highest ratings in customer surveys. The First Class is not only offering the widest seat in the industry but also encompasses a vast number of on board service initiatives featuring carefully selected wines and dishes created by top chefs, air humidification systems or noise absorbing interiors as well as a Porsche and Mercedes limousine services.

Lufthansa has had an extremely successful couple of months. Before the "International Star Diamond Award," they were awarded the title of “Europe’s Leading Airline” at the World Travel Awards. Two months earlier Lufthansa was voted “Best European Airline in the Middle East” during the Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2013 in Dubai. Furthermore, earlier this summer, the carrier received the title of both “Best Western European Airline” and “Best Transatlantic Airline” at the World Airline Awards in Paris

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American Airline's new transcontinental A321s feature full lie flat seats in premium classes

by BA Staff

Dallas-Fort Worth based American Airlines will soon become the first airline to utilise an Airbus A321 aircraft outfitted with a three-class cabin, including full lie-flat seats in business and first class when it receives Sharklets equipped A321ceo (current engine option) jetliners later this year

American Airlines new Airbus A321, first class. Image courtesy Airbus S.A.S.

In addition to the upgraded seat offerings in first and business class, passengers throughout the cabin will experience full Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as in-flight entertainment (IFE), 110v universal AC power outlets and USB jacks at every seat. For the first time on an A321, the interior also contains four full-service galleys.

American Airlines new Airbus A321, business class. Image courtesy Airbus S.A.S.

American Airlines plans to begin operations in early 2014 with this new aircraft, starting with the 2,500-mile route between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and later adding additional service on the nearly 2,600 mile JFK to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) route.

American Airlines new Airbus A321, economy class. Image courtesy Airbus S.A.S.

Earlier in July this year, American Airlines took delivery of its first A320 Family aircraft – a Sharklet equipped A319 – as part of the carrier’s fleet renewal plan.

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Emirates to launch Taipei flights

by BA Staff

Dubai-based Emirates has will commence a new six times a week to Taipei from its global hub at Dubai.

The airline will use a 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a 3-class configuration (8F / 42J / 304Y).

Taipei is the carrier's 16th destination in the Far East.

Barry Brown, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations East.

"Emirates SkyCargo has operated a dedicated freighter service to Taipei since 2003. Given its status as a global trading hub and the demand, it is a natural progression for Emirates to launch passenger services to Taipei,”

The flight schedules though, are a little unusual. The arrivals in to Taipei vary by day of the week, but the return flight is fixed for an early morning arrival in to Dubai, quite obviously to allow passengers connections to other Emirates' destinations and improve access to Taiwan from other parts of the Emirates network, especially Africa.

EK366 DXB 0020 – 1205TPE 77W 6
EK366 DXB 0225 – 1430TPE 77W 3
EK366 DXB 0340 – 1525TPE 77W 7
EK366 DXB 0425 – 1615TPE 77W 124
EK367 TPE  2315 – 0510+1DXB 77W x5

Emirates has previously announced plans to launch services to Stockholm starting 4th September, to Clark International Airport in the Philippines and the transatlantic Milan-New York route on 1st October; Conakry on 27th October, Sialkot, Pakistan on 5th November and Kiev, Ukraine on 16th January 2014.

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Malaysia Airlines posts operating profit in Q2 2013

by Vinay Bhaskara

Newly minted oneworld alliance member Malaysia Airlines saw progress in Q2 2013 in its corporate turnaround plan as the carrier swung to a RM (Malaysian Ringgit) 8 million (US $2.4 million) operating profit from an operating loss of RM 102 million (US $31.0 million) during the same period a year prior.

The performance was buoyed by 14% revenue growth on a 19% increase in capacity. Traffic grew 29% pushing seat load factors to a 10 year high of 80%. Q2 marked the fourth consecutive quarter of positive cash-flow from operations and Group cash balance improved to RM 5.4 billion (US $1.64 billion).

Net losses for Q2 were reduced 50% to RM 176 million ($53.5 million) as the carrier increased productivity and controlled costs; especially fuel expense, which fell 7.5% year-over-year. For the first half of 2013, operating loss was RM 157 million (US $47.7 million) and net loss was RM 455 million (US $138.3 million - down from RM 409 million [US $124.4 million] and RM 521 million [US $158.3 million] respectively).

Said Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya:

With the encouraging performance at the revenue generation level, we can now focus on implementing more structural improvements, including enhancing our administration and support services. We will continue to improve operational effectiveness such as continued improvement in our On Time Performance, turn times on our aircraft, better engineering service turnaround, reducing service disruptions, precise material and inventory management, and much more which will further contribute to the bottom-line in the future.

Quarters three and four are traditionally the strongest for Malaysia Airlines, and the carrier has made its first Q2 operating profit in several years. The carrier still hopes to reach net profitability by the end of 2014 and claims that it is on track to meet that metric. Having taken delivery of 6 A380s, 7 A330s, and 8 Boeing 737-800s over the past 12 months, passengers carried grew to 4.2 million passengers.

Premium cabin demand received a boost on the introduction of the 494-seat Airbus A380, with premium cabin (First and Business) demand up 36% year-over-year on a 17% increase in capacity. The A380 has already been deployed to London, Paris, and Hong Kong from Malaysia Airlines' hub at Kuala Lampur.

Malaysia Airlines is one the largest overseas carriers in India, and is slated to launch services to Kochi in September

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Photos: Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i First Class

By Devesh Agarwal

In late April, on a business trip, I flew from Bangalore to Frankfurt aboard Lufthansa's newest Boeing 747-8i D-ABYH. She is named Thüringen after the state located in central Germany with its capital at Erfurt.

While the business class was packed, the First Class was strangely empty. As we were flying over Europe, a kind and cooperative cabin crew gave me a tour of the "Quietest First Class Cabin" in the sky, and it was quiet. Missing was the classic whoosh sound of the air rushing past the nose of the aircraft.

Eight seats. Six individual along the windows and one double in the centre.

The new 747-8i cabin shares many common aspects of the "Sky Interior" with the 737 and 787.

Uber comfortable seats with "share system" which moulds to the body convert in to beds with nice thick duvets.

The meal presentation with the red rose, the signature of Lufthansa's 'Senator' service

Some of the features of the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i First Class.

• “The quietest First Class in the world”.
• Outer skin insulation: optimum protection against engine noise and other annoying sounds
• Sound-insulating curtains absorb noise from the on-board galley and the travel classes next to it
• Sound-deadening flooring: specially structured floor in the aisle, including the use of soundproofing foam
• “Best bed in class” – widest bed, with a width of 80 cm x 207cm length
• Exceptional seating comfort – upholstery, continuous adjustment mechanism and an endless number of sitting positions developed with external ergonomics experts
• Seat cushion moulds to every sitting/recumbent position, thanks to the “Shape System”
• Personal wardrobe
• Electrically powered window shades
• Washrooms in the Lufthansa First Class design

Can some of Lufthansa's competing airlines to give me a short ride in their first class for a comparison report?

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Images: Singapore Airlines unveils new cabin product for its Airbus A350XWB and Panasonic eX3 IFE for 777

Small portion of existing Boeing 777-300ER (77W) fleet also to be refitted.

by Devesh Agarwal

National carrier Singapore Airlines unveiled its next generation of cabin products, which will be deployed on its Airbus A350 XWB aircraft which recently celebrated its first flight on June 14th, and is due to enter service in late 2014.

The airline will also initially introduce the new cabin products, progressively, on eight Boeing 777-300ER (B77W) aircraft, at a cost of US$ 150 million. The airline has 19 B77W in its fleet and another eight on order. It is not clear if the airline will retrofit existing 77Ws or introduce the new cabin on the new aircraft. The airline's total fleet is 102 aircraft comprising of A380s, Boeing 777-200ERs, 777-300s, 777-300ERs, A340-500s, and A330-300s.

The first passengers to experience the new cabin will be on the 777-300ER service between Singapore and London Heathrow starting from September.

The airline has worked for more than two years with world-renowned design firms to develop the new products. BMW Group DesignworksUSA assisted with the development of the new First Class, James Park Associates assisted with Business Class and Massive Interactive with the in-flight entertainment system interface.

The new in-flight entertainment (IFE) audio-video on demand (AVOD) system

The new Krisworld IFE system is uses the new Panasonic eX3 system which the airline will be the launch customer of on the A350 XWB and is the first to offer on the 77Ws.

The new KrisWorld features larger LCD screens and video touch-screen handsets across all classes. LCD screens will increase from 23 to 24 inches in First Class, 15.4 to 18 inches in Business Class and 10.6 to 11.1 inches in Economy Class. Economy Class customers will also be able to browse through the more than 1,000 on-demand entertainment options by swiping or scrolling through the touch-screen monitor, while first and business will have touch-screen handsets.

Passengers will be able to multi-task among the varied entertainment options available. For example, they may watch a movie, while at the same time use the handset to keep up to date with the latest news headlines or track the aircraft’s flight path. Alternatively, customers may use the handset as a touchscreen trackpad to navigate KrisWorld. New features such as “Quick Search”, where a flick of the handset pulls up a playlist of entertainment choices, are also being introduced.

The new 'Notification Centre' on the KrisWorld dashboard contains information relevant to the flight, reducing the number of on-board announcements, allowing uninterrupted viewing of video programs. Passengers will also experience greater personalisation, with KrisWorld providing content recommendations based on passengers’ preferences. They may also rate movies and see how others have rated these.

First Class

Singapore Airlines' new First Class seat features a new fixed-back shell design with curved side panels to provide a clear demarcation of personal space, for added privacy. At 35 inches in width and with an increased bed length from 80 to 82 inches, it is one of the most spacious First Class products in the sky. An ergonomically sculpted cushion and improved adjustable headrest have been introduced for greater seating comfort, while new features such as a padded headboard for extra support and an additional mattress layer ensure passengers enjoy a comfortable rest.

Little but important features have been added. For example, the seat now boasts a stylish passenger control unit that includes a new switch to provide passengers easier access to turn off their in-flight entertainment monitor, and for cabin crew to do so without disturbing passengers when they are resting. New lighting was developed after extensive scientific research. In addition to reading lights, the seat features ambient lighting, which not only accentuates the seat design but also serves as a night light in a dimmed cabin. The seat features an all-in-one panel including in-seat power supply, USB port, eXport and HDMI ports allowing passengers to view content from personal media devices.

Business Class

Singapore Airlines retains its leadership in this class with its 1-2-1 configuration which rivals the first class of most airlines. The new Business Class seat offers greater recline at 132 degrees and features an improved ergonomic seat cushion. When converted, it becomes the industry's widest full-flat bed, at 78 inches in length. In addition, the new seat offers two new seating positions - 'Lazy Z' and 'Sundeck' based on in-depth research and feedback from passengers. The seat offers increased stowage space, with an amenity stowage area on the side console and a laptop stowage area. The lighting, LCD monitor on/off switch, and all-in-one panel from the first class cabin is added.

Economy Class

From photographs, it appears Singapore Airlines has retained its 3-3-3 configuration which offers the widest economy class seat in the world. The new seats are of a 'slimline' type which provides a feeling of increased personal space and legroom. Each seat comes with new backrest seat cushions with side bolsters for better back support and an ergonomically sculpted headrest cushion offering better neck support.

The IFE is on a 11.1-inch touch screen accompanied by a video touch-screen handset.

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Trip Report: India and Europe Summer 2013 - Introduction

Introduction
United Club Newark
United Economy Class Newark to Hamburg
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Hamburg
Turkish Airlines Economy Class Hamburg to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Economy Class Istanbul to Mumbai 
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Mumbai
Thai Airways Business Class Mumbai-Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Lounge and Spa Bangkok
Thai Airways First Class Bangkok to Frankfurt
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt
Lufthansa Business Class Frankfurt to Zurich
*tentative*
Swiss Business Lounge Zurich
Air Canada Executive First Zurich to Toronto
Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Toronto
Air Canada Business Class Toronto to Philadelphia
*tentative*
_________________________________________________________________________________

This post is meant to serve as an introduction to a trip I will be taking later this summer. The trip report will be updated as I actually do the flying.

So the genesis of this trip is that I am taking a trip to India in August of this year, and on the return I will be stopping over in Europe to visit with family.

Now within the parameters of a standard United Airlines award ticket, I booked the itinerary you see above, Economy Class going to India, and First Class on the return. My first step was finding award inventory in the India-US direction, which is incredibly difficult to do in the summer time, as this is a peak period for US origin travel to India. I eventually managed to find a one-stop from Newark via Munich to Mumbai on August 7th, but instead I opted for a more circuitous Newark-Hamburg-Istanbul-Mumbai routing. This routing would allow me to visit two new airports (Hamburg and Istanbul), and fly a new aircraft type (the Airbus A321 --  most of my short haul flying has been on United and American, neither of whom currently have A321s) in the spirit of a true aviation connoisseur.

The advantages of this routing are that I have a comfortable 4 hour layover in Hamburg (allowing me to shower in the lounge) as opposed to the hour long sprint I'd have to endure in Munich, as well as 4 hours to review the Turkish Airlines CIP lounge in Istanbul, considered by many to be the best business class lounge in the world. It also allows me to provide a review of Turkish Airlines' service offering in economy class on flights between India and the West. And the Istanbul-Mumbai sector is currently scheduled on a Boeing 777-300ER leased from Jet Airways.

Turkish Airlines Business Class (CIP) Lounge - Istanbul
Image Credit - One Mile at a Time

The return flights from Mumbai are also notable. On a first class award, I will have a business class flight overnight from Bangkok to Mumbai, and then I will be able to experience Thai Airways famed first class services in Bangkok- including a golf cart ride to the lounge, hour long complementary Thai massages, and a full service restaurant. Then I will be on to the highlight of my trip; First Class on the Thai Airways A380 between Bangkok and Frankfurt, my first time in international first class and my first time flying an A380. Then its a couple of hours of layover in Frankfurt and off to Zurich,.

Thai Airways Royal First Class on A380
Image Credit - Australian Business Traveler

Now its the flights home to the US that I am still unsure about. The only flight home I could find at the time of booking was the Air Canada itinerary displayed. However, what I am banking on is that Lufthansa tends to release its first class award inventory to United 14 days before departure; Lufthansa First Class and the First Class Terminal at Frankfurt would be  a perfect way to end this trip. Either way, I am excited for my journey!

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US Airways upgrades inflight experience

by Vinay Bhaskara

Earlier this week, Tempe based US Airways announced several upgrades to its on-board product including the following (as per a report from Inflight Weekly):

US Airways Domestic First Class - Image credit - US Airways

• A new look and branding for the domestic First Class meal tray
• New china for domestic First Class to align with the Envoy design on long haul international flights
• Refresh of domestic First Class meals to address quality and provisioning ratios
• Snack basket for pre-arrival service on long-haul domestic flights
• New continental breakfast concept on domestic red-eye flights
• Newly designed Envoy amenity kit with enhanced content
• A new modern design wine glass for Envoy
• Complimentary headsets on transoceanic flights to Europe, the Middle East, and South America in Economy class
• Complimentary beer/wine during primary meal service on transoceanic flights in Economy class
• DineFresh Economy meals for purchase on return flights to the U.S.

Many of these changes are long overdue. US Airways has by far the poorest service of any domestic first class product; lacking meals on flights shorter than three and a half hours.

I flew US Airways First earlier this year La Guardia – Washington Reagan – Kansas City, and it was definitely underwhelming.

The addition of china for domestic First Class adds a significant touch of class and increases the product’s appeal for frequent flyers. The long haul economy class product on close to half of routes (those operated by Boeing 757/767) doesn't even have in-seat entertainment so the complimentary headsets are nice; as is the complimentary beer/wine for most travelers.

US Airways First Class snack basket - credit US Airways

DineFresh looks intriguing on the website with strong options including a vegetarian offer; premium meals in economy class are already utilized by Air France and KLM so the concept isn't unique. The price, at $19.99 is a little steep, but I’ll have the opportunity to try it out later this year when I fly either Philadelphia-Rome on the A330-300 or Zurich-Philadelphia on the 767-200ER (both in economy class).

As US Airways moves closer to a merger with Dallas Fort Worth based American Airlines, improving its product quality is an important, if under-appreciated step in smoothing the merger process.

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Japan Airlines to serve Miyazaki beef on international First Class

Japan Airlines (JAL) will be introducing the award-winning Miyazaki beef in its in-flight meals for First Class on international routes from Tokyo (Narita) to Europe and North America between January 9 and March 31, 2013, to commemorate the launch of JAL Sky Suite 777 - the airline's latest cabin product on its 777-300ERs.

Produced in Miyazaki Prefecture situated in the southern islands of Kyushu, Japan, Miyazaki beef is rated over level A-4 by the Japan Meat Grading Association for its outstanding quality of meat. It won the top-most accolades in five of nine categories in a nationwide wagyu (Japanese beef) quality contest that is held every five years, for two consecutive contests (2007 and 2012), and is recognized as the most superior beef in Japan and a well-known prime label overseas.

For the period between January 9 and February 28, 2013, JAL will serve the high grade beef in First Class as a main western meal selection. Customers can enjoy the luxuriously juicy and tender Miyazaki beef fillet "alla Rossini", matched with fragrantly seared foie gras and apple - a menu specially crafted by Seiji Yamamoto, Michelin 3-star chef and owner of distinguished Japanese restaurant Ryugin.

There will be a change of menu from March 1, 2013 and the airline will continue to utilize Miyazaki beef in the new line-up until March 31, 2013.

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Vinay's 2012 in Review : Flying

by Vinay Bhaskara

Here is an overview of my flights taken this year, categorized by airline and route flown. Aircraft types are marked, as are any trips in Premium cabins.

Flights Taken

Southwest Airlines: Newark – Chicago Midway – Newark (Boeing 737-700)

Delta Air Lines: New York La Guardia – Miami – New York La Guardia (McDonnell Douglas MD-88/Airbus A320)

United Airlines: Newark – Washington Dulles – Honolulu (Embraer ERJ 145/ Boeing 767-400ER), Honolulu – San Francisco – Newark (Economy Plus -- Boeing 777-200/767-300), Denver-Newark (Economy Plus -- Boeing 737-900ER), Newark – Orange County (Economy Plus -- Boeing 737-700), Los Angeles – San Francicso (Boeing 757-200), San Francisco – Newark (Economy Plus -- Boeing 757-200), Munich – Newark (BusinessFirst – Boeing 767-400ER)

US Airways: New York La Guardia – Washington Reagan (First Class -- Airbus A319 -- Shuttle Flight), Washington Reagan – Kansas City (First Class – Embraer E170)

Air India: Bangalore – Mumbai (Airbus A320)

Lufthansa: Newark – Frankfurt – Bangalore (Boeing 747-400/747-400), Mumbai – Munich (Business Class – Airbus A330-300)

Stats and Figures

Favorite Premium Cabin flown : Lufthansa on the A330-300.
Favorite Economy Cabin flown: United Boeing 737-700 with DirectTV in Economy Plus (premium economy)
Most Frequent Airport: Newark
Segments Flown: 19
Domestic Segments: 15
International Segments: 4
Miles Flown: 38,947
Average Segment: 2049 miles
Aircraft Types Flown: 14

Short Haul Flight Map

Long Haul Flight Map

My Flying for Next Year

Thus far I have three trips guaranteed to be happening next year, with some more to be determined.

I will be flying to Miami in late January on American Airlines.

I will be flying Philadelphia-Rome, Munich-Zurich, and Zurich - NYC in late March on Star Alliance carriers.

I will be doing a trip to India and Singapore on Star Alliance carriers in July.

I could also be doing a trip to Hyderabad on Star Alliance carriers in February but that is still TBD.

Post how your 2012 flying compares in the comments below!

Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper - copyright © Karl L. Swartz.

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Jet Airways to get its first Airbus A330-300 next week

Photo copyright Eurospot

India's doyen of aviation journalism, Neelam Matthews, reports that, Jet Airways will receive its first Airbus A330-300 next week, which will be registered as VT-JWR.

The airline already operates ten of the smaller A330-200 in its fleet, and has leased out two. The A330-200 and A330-300 are almost identical in all but length. The two other key differences are that the centre tank is activated for increased fuel capacity and an extended fin and rudder on the A330-200. Jet will leverage the common flight deck for quick deployment using its existing flight crews.

The new aircraft is expected to have 34 seats in business class and 258 in economy. Compare this to the two configurations of the A330-200. 30 Business 190 Economy and 18 Business 236 Economy.

Mumbai-Brussels and Mumbai-Hong Kong are the two routes, Jet operates, that are capable of sustaining this, the larger of the A330 brothers.

The A330-300 is expected to bridge the gap between the smaller A330-200s and the significantly heavier Boeing 777-300ERs (B77Ws) in the airline's fleet, and bring a significant level of flexibility to cater to peak demands.

Jet's Boeing 777-300ERs currently configured in a 8 First, 30 Business, and 274 Economy. These aircraft, which have been a success for most of the world's airlines, are turning out to be a problem for Jet Airways.

They are configured with First Class Suites. (See images of the premium cabins). While the suites have won Jet international accolades, at almost two tons per suite, it has turned out to be a pyrrhic victory for the airline. Jet's 777s are so heavy that unlike Air India, the other Indian 777 operator, Jet cannot operate its aircraft non-stop to the United States.

Jet is reconfiguring its economy class from a comfortable nine abreast, to a bone crunching ten abreast layout, increasing its economy class seats from 274 to 314. This will add more weight to their  already overweight 777s, and while it will increase the number of passengers, it will reduce comfort, and play right in to the hands of Emirates, which Jet cannot match, either in terms of pricing, or network.

With a limited destination network, Jet is unable to fill its First Class, except on the Mumbai-London and Delhi-London sector which relies on the wealthy Indians, resident in these three cities.

Consequently, out of a fleet of ten 777s, Jet used to operate only three, leasing out the balance to Turkish Airlines and Thai Airways, both of which have successfully leveraged these aircraft, till their own 777-300ERs arrived. Now they are returning these aircraft to Jet, which is running out of income and out of options. At present, five are leased to Thai Airways and Jet operates five, only because the airline has not been able to lease them out, not because of need.

Hopefully the A330-300s will give Jet some options, but the airline has to forgo ego, and exercise ingenuity, to extract maximum benefit. Do you think Jet will be able to do that?

As usual, your thoughts and comments are solicited.

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Lufthansa to commence Boeing 747-8i service to Bangalore from September 13

As Bangalore Aviation had predicted about three weeks ago, German carrier, and Boeing 747-8i launch customer, Deutsche Lufthansa will upgrade its daily Frankfurt Bangalore service, LH754/LH755, from September 13 ex-Frankfurt and September 14 ex-Bangalore, from the current Boeing 747-400, to the brand new Boeing 747-8i aircraft featuring the carrier's newest business class, and the upgraded economy class cabin products. (See photos and video.)

India was the first Asian destination for Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8i, when the carrier upgraded its Frankfurt New Delhi service from August 6. Lufthansa commenced its maiden Boeing 747-8i service the Frankfurt Washington Dulles route in June. The Bangalore route will be operated as the carrier receives its third aircraft from airframer Boeing. Chicago and Los Angeles are expected to be the carrier's fourth and fifth destinations as it receives more aircraft.

Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i seat map

India is the second largest international market for the carrier, after the US, and Bangalore is an important destination for Lufthansa. Bangalore is home to many German companies like auto parts major, Bosch, medical and systems major, Siemens, and IT major, SAP, to name a few.

After Bangalore's HAL airport was opened up for international operators, the airline was one of the earliest entrants in September 2001, and has maintained an uninterrupted presence since then. Lufthansa continues to be one of the most preferred international airlines at Bangalore. The Bangalore San Francisco route, with its high corporate demand for premium cabin seats, is an especially lucrative flight for the airline.

For the last few years, the carrier was loosing ground to rival, Emirates airline, which offered a superior cabin product. The airline has an modern cabin product on its Airbus A380, but could not operate the aircraft to Delhi, due to hinderance by the Indian civil aviation authorities, and to Bangalore, due to a lack of capability of the airport to receive the superjumbo Code F aircraft.

With the Boeing 747-8i, Lufthansa has introduced its newest cabin products and addressed this long standing complaint of many a traveller. The aircraft is configured with 8 First, 92 Business and 262 Economy Class seats. Full details on the features of each of the cabins can be read in this white paper.

Axel Hilgers, South Asia Director for Lufthansa says

“Bengaluru is an important destination in our global network and we expect an enthusiastic passenger response for the B747-8 and its great new on-board products. Serving India’s High Tech capital with this exceptional aircraft underlines our strong commitment to build on our success story there,” “The B747-8 features outstanding innovations in terms of technology, efficiency and in-flight comfort. In particular, introducing Lufthansa’s new Business Class to Bengaluru highlights our endeavour to provide customers there with the best Lufthansa products worldwide,”

Lufthansa has ordered a total of 20 Boeing 747-8i.

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Pictures: Qatar Airways to open new premium class lounge at London Heathrow airport

Qatar Airways is opening its new Premium Lounge at London Heathrow this week. The Premium Lounge at Terminal 4 will be the airline’s first dedicated facility outside its Doha hub, underscoring London's importance as a destination for the airline which will commence its fifth daily service from March 25.

Lounge access will be restricted to the airline's First and Business class passengers only. Members of the airline's frequent flier program Privilege Club, even those holding status levels, will not be allowed access, which demonstrates the airline's focus or rather lack thereof.



The lounge is designed to resemble a boutique hotel or private member’s club and offers a theatre-style Global Brasserie kitchen, delicatessen, and elegant Signature Martini bar. The lounge also offers private shower facilities along with the usual business facilities including computers, printers, and Wi-Fi internet connectivity.

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Air India is offering great rates for upgrades to premium classes

For all of the ribbing targeted towards national carrier Air India, the carrier appears to have finally provided some good value, with some very good deals on offer for travel within its entire network. Of course, in typical Air India fashion, they've made it very hard for passengers to find out about these upgrades; I've seen mazes that are easier to navigate than Air India's website. So we've decided to summarize the offerings in the table below.

Segment	Price to Upgrade to Business/Executive Class	Price to Upgrade to First Class	Remarks
Domestic	INR 4000 for flts up to 750km INR 6000 for all flights beyond this distance		Only applicable when flight is boarded at the following airports: Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jammu, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Portblair, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi
India-London	US $300	US $450 (From Business Class)	Valid for passengers originating at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata
Chennai/Delhi-Paris	US $300	US $450 (From Business Class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Delhi-Frankfurt	US $300	US $450 (From Business Class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Amritsar/Delhi-Toronto	US $300	US $450 (From Business Class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Chennai-Singapore	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Mumbai/Delhi-Singapore	US $150		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Mumbai/Delhi-Bangkok	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Mumbai/Delhi-Shanghai	US $175		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Mumbai/Delhi- Hong Kong	US $175		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Mumbai/Delhi-Seoul	US $190		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Mumbai/Delhi-Tokyo/Osaka	US $350		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Kolkata-Yangon	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
India-Saudi Arabia	US $90		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights
India-UAE	US $85		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights
India-Oman	US $85		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights
India-Kuwait	US $85		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights
Chennai-Colombo	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Colombo-Chennai	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Bengaluru/Trivandrum-Male	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Male-Bengaluru/Trivandrum	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Delhi-Kabul	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Kabul-Delhi	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Delhi/Kolkata-Kathmandu	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Kathmandu-Delhi/Kolkata	US $75		Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
London-India	GBP 200	GBP 500 (with business class ticket)	Only Applicable when destination Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Kolkata
Mumbai/Delhi-New York	US $700	US $1200 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Mumbai/Ahmedabad-Newark	US $700	US $1200 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Hyderabad/Delhi-Chicago	US $700	US $1200 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Hong Kong-India	US $193	US $257 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Osaka-Delhi/Mumbai	US $768	US $1536 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Seoul-India	US $200	US $310 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Singapore-Chennai	US $80	US $103 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Singapore-Mumbai/Delhi	US $180	US $230 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Shanghai-Mumbai/Delhi	US $158/ US $237	US $315 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Tokyo-Delhi	US $384/US $640	US $768/US $1280 (from business class)	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Seoul-Hong Kong	US $142	US $190 (from business class	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Osaka-Hong Kong	US $384	US $768 (from business class	Only applicable when originate at points listed in Segment category
Saudi Arabia-India	SAR 400		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights
UAE-India	AED 400		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights
Oman-India	OMR 40		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights
Kuwait-India	KWD 30		Only applicable on non-stop or direct flights

The following rules apply to this offering:

This Upgrade on Seat Available basis will be valid for travel with immediate effect till 15 th December 2011 .

No two schemes can be combined. e.g.Passengers availing of Companion Free Scheme will not be entitled to avail of this Airport Upgrade scheme.

No two schemes can be combined. e.g.Passengers availing of Companion Free Scheme will not be entitled to avail of this Airport Upgrade scheme.

Baggage Allowance will be as per the original booking of the passenger. (No enhanced baggage allowance of the higher class of travel)

Frequent Flyer Miles will be as per original class of travel. - e.g. Passengers holding Economy Class ticket, availing of Airport Upgrade will get FFP accrual of miles of Economy Class

When Passengers are through checked in with Immigration / Customs cleared at Board Point - but the flight number changes -

i)The MCO can be redeemed against the Airport Upgrade if seats available on the Gateway point to Destination. and Upgrade will be granted from Gateway point to Destination. (eg. AI 614 / AI 957 Ahmedabad – Mumbai – Dubai). If Passenger is through checked from Ahmedabad to Dubai, Airport Upgrade Scheme will be available only for the Mumbai to Dubai leg.

However, if passengers are travelling on AI 985 Ex Ahmedabad, e.g. Ahmedabad – Mumbai – Muscat, can avail of the Airport Upgrade Scheme for the entire journey from Ahmedabad as it is the same flight number.

The above upgrade offer is not valid on AD / ID tickets

This is a very solid offering from Air India; even with spotty product quality, it's always a treat to fly business/first classes on most carriers. One interesting thing to note is that upgrades to Tokyo and Osaka are priced very high, which lends credence to the rumor that these are Air India's most profitable routes.

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