Emirates group first half fiscal 2014 net profits up 4%. Airline net profit up 2% to $475 million

by Devesh Agarwal

Emirates A380. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.

The Emirates Group, the aviation holding company of the Al Maktoum family which rules Dubai, and the parent of Emirates airline, announced its first half (April to September) results of the fiscal year 2014 (ending March 31, 2014) today.

Group

The Emirates Group revenues reached AED 42.3 billion (US$ 11.5 billion) for the first six months of its current fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, up 13% from AED 37.5 billion (US$ 10.2 billion) at 30 September 2012.

Net profit for the Group rose to AED 2.2 billion (US$ 600 million) an increase of 4% over the last year’s results.

The Group’s cash position on 30 September 2013 came down to AED 18.2 billion (US$ 4.9 billion), from AED 27.0 billion (US$ 7.3 billion) six months earlier. This is after a AED 1.8 billion bond repayment which matured in July 2013, a AED 367 million first instalment payment on a USD one billion Sukuk (Islamic equivalent of bonds), and a AED 7 billion injection back into the business to fund new aircraft, engines, spares and other projects across the Group.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said

“The global business environment continues to be challenging. We have stayed agile even as we grow, and this ability to adapt and act quickly has been key to our success. Our investments in the infrastructure of both Emirates and dnata continue to pay off,”

Group employee numbers increased 11.7% to over 75,800 from six months earlier.

Emirates airline

Capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), grew 16.9% on the addition of ten aircraft – six A380s, three 777s and one 777 freighter in the reported six month. 15 more new aircraft scheduled to be delivered to the airline before March 31, 2014, the end of the current fiscal year FY2014.

Passenger traffic carried measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) was up 16.1% with a load factor averaging 79.2% down from last year’s 79.7%. In number, Emirates carried 21.5 million passengers in the six months, since 1 April 2013, up 15% from the same period last year.

Cargo volumes increased 5.2% but the airline has not released the actual performance nomrally measured in FTK (Freight Ton Kilometre) or capacity in ATK (Available Ton Kilometre) .

Emirates airline's revenue, including other operating income, for the six months was AED 39.8 billion (US$ 10.8 billion) up 12% from last year's first half revenue of AED 35.4 billion (US$ 9.6 billion) to return a 2% increase in net profit of AED 1.7 billion (US$ 475 million).

Fuel prices constituted 39% of the airline's expenditures. The Union and state governments of India would be well advised to observe the disadvantage they put Indian carriers to, thanks to their greedy excessive taxation regime which makes fuel between 45%~50% of expenditure.

Emirates launched new routes to Haneda and Stockholm, bringing the total count of new routes launched in the past 12 months to seven including Adelaide, Lyon, Phuket, Warsaw and Algiers. The airline now flies to 137 destinations in 77 countries, up from 126 cities last year in 74 countries. Additional new routes to be added in the remaining part of the fiscal year include Kabul, Kiev, Taipei and Boston.

The airline also celebrated the five year operating anniversary, of its A380 super-jumbo. Emirates' A380s have carried 18 million passengers since its first flight on August 1, 2008 from Dubai to New York.

dnata airport services and infrastructure

dnata (formerly Dubai National Air Transport Association) now operates in 38 countries with revenues including other operating income of AED 3.7 billion (US$ 1 billion), 18% higher compared to AED 3.2 billion (US$ 864 million) last year. Overall profit for dnata rose strongly by 13% to AED 458 million (US$ 125 million).

dnata’s airport operations was the largest contributor to revenues with AED 1.4 billion (US$ 375 million), a 16% increase from last year's first half revenues of AED 1.2 billion (US$ 324 million). The number of aircraft handled by dnata rose 9%, to 141,845

dnata’s in-flight catering operation, which operates the world's largest flight kitchen, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, recorded strong growth thanks to its acquisition of Servair in Italy in June 2013. Revenues were up 39% to AED 891 million (US$ 243 million). 22.4 million meals were uplifted for the first half of the fiscal year, up a massive 81% from last year.

Revenue from dnata’s Travel Services operation contributed AED 303 million (US$ 83 million), up 16% from the same period last year.

dnata’s cargo handling division grew revenues 4% to AED 546 million (US$ 149 million) on account of increased tonnage mainly for dnata’s UK operation and in Switzerland which rose in total by 2% to 809,236 tonnes.

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Finnair celebrates its 90th anniversary

By BA Staff

Finnair celebrated its 90th anniversary on Friday, 1 November 2013.

 The world’s fifth-oldest airline still in operation, Finnair was established in 1923.

Today, Finnair specialises in flights between Europe and Asia, offering direct connections from Helsinki to over 60 European destinations and 13 Asian destinations.

Over eight million passengers per year fly on Finnair’s all-Airbus fleet.

CEO Pekka Vauramo says:

“We build on a legacy of building better connections between Europe and Asia and our vision of doubling our Asian revenue by 2020."

Finnair celebrated its 90 years of flying in various ways. As one of the special events to mark its jubilee year, Finnair distributed a special Finnair-themed edition of the Donald Duck comic book to all passengers on long-haul flights on Friday, 1 November. Finnair also commissioned a special batch of posters by Finnish graphic designer Erik Bruun to celebrate its 90th anniversary.

As part of the jubilee year, Finnair renewed its service concept and now uses tableware and textiles designed by Marimekko for Finnair on all flights in both Business and Economy Class. (See video below)



In addition, Finnair launched cooperation with two renowned Finnish chefs, Pekka Terävä and Tomi Björck, in September. (See video below)



The entertainment systems of Finnair’s aircraft have also been upgraded, nearly doubling the selection of entertainment on long-haul flights with 72 films and over 150 television programmes available in both Business and Economy class.

Finnair is harmonising its fleet and became the first airline to take delivery of the new Airbus 321 Sharklet aircraft in September. Finnair is also installing new, fully reclining seats in most of its long-haul fleet from January 2014 onwards. See fleet video below.



In spring 2014, Finnair will open a new Premium Lounge at Helsinki Airport. The Premium Lounge will be located next to the existing Finnair Lounge between gates 36 and 37 in the non-Schengen area and will complement its services. As part of the renewal, a sauna and private showers will be opened between the lounges, and a new tax free shop will be opened in front of the existing Finnair Lounge.

Finnair has received international recognition in its anniversary year: Finnair became the first airline to be selected in the Leadership Index of the global Carbon Disclosure Project on carbon dioxide emissions. Finnair is also the only Nordic airline to be awarded four stars by Skytrax, and it has been named Northern Europe’s Best Airline at the World Airline Awards for the last four years. In addition, it was recently named Best European Airline at the annual TTG Travel Awards. Finnair is a member of oneworld alliance, which is formed by the world’s leading airlines.

See more videos from Finnair celebrating various aspects of their 90 years in aviation.

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Chef Linton Hopkins winner of "Cabin Pressure Cook-Off," new Delta chef

By BA Staff

Delta Air Lines and FOOD & WINE managzine announced that Chef Linton Hopkins is the winner of the "The Cabin Pressure Cook-Off," a culinary competition to find the next Delta chef.

Chef Hopkins will join the Delta culinary team to consult on BusinessElite menus for flights between Atlanta and Europe beginning in February.

Joanne Smith, Delta's senior vice president — In-Flight Service said:

"FOOD & WINE's Best New Chefs are some of the hardest working, most talented in the business, and we knew this competition would ultimately deliver delectable food to our customers. Chef Hopkins is a perfect addition to the Delta culinary team, which is already filled with some of the most well-known and respected names in the culinary business."

Chef Hopkins, of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta, competed against three former FOOD & Wine Best New Chefs winners in a video series launched earlier this month, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of FOOD & WINE's Best New Chefs awards.

Chef Hopkins said:

"I am humbled and thankful to have won this opportunity to represent the values of excellence and quality which define both Delta and FOOD & WINE. I am looking forward to getting in to the kitchen with the Delta team to come up with menus that reflect both who I am as chef and the foods of our region."

Chef Hopkins' inflight menus will be reflective of the menus in his Atlanta restaurants, which are filled with artisan foods of the American South. Chef Hopkins' BusinessElite menus will feature bread from his H&F Bread Co. and source many ingredients from local suppliers including Belle chevre, regional cheeses from Blackberry Farm, Carolina Gold rice and grits, local charcuterie and pork, mountain trout, seasonal fruits and vegetables, Sweet Grass dairy and Wild American Shrimp. 

Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice president - Marketing said:

"Through collaborations like this, we find innovative approaches to deliver a unique onboard experience for our customers. Our partnership with the culinary experts at FOOD & WINE magazine has been a perfect pairing."

Delta and FOOD & WINE devised three challenges for the chefs: transforming their signature dish into an in-flight appetizer; devising an entree that would withstand the onboard meal requirements of being cooked, chilled, and then, reheated; and making a variety of signature desserts.

Chef Hopkins was victorious in all three challenges and will join Michelle Bernstein, Michael Chiarello, Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson as part of Delta's culinary team.


Earlier this year, Miami-based chef Michelle Bernstein's menus were launched on flights to Latin America, including a special menu for flights to Mexico City. California-based chef Michael Chiarello continues to develop menus for Delta's transcontinental BusinessElite service between New York-JFK and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Those menus are paired with California-grown wines selected by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson as part of the Delta Winemaker Series. Additionally, Chef Chiarello designed new menus with an Asian flair for Delta's West Coast flights to Japan.

This September, Delta launched a new West Coast Delta Shuttle service with hourly flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco which will include snacks from California-based Lyfe Kitchen.

In February, express meals from Blue Smoke — a part of Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group — will debut in BusinessElite on Delta's three daily flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and London-Heathrow.

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Best & Beyond - Air France reveals new economy and premium economy class upgrades

by Devesh Agarwal

Flag carrier Air France, revealed its new upgraded economy class and premium economy class service offering which includes new seats, new meal services, in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems, ice-cream and second hot meal service on longer flights. The carrier will equip 44 of its long-haul Boeing 777s starting from summer 2014 with the new product.

These upgrades are part of the new Best & Beyond initiative the airline is undertaking under the umbrella of its Transform 2015 strategic plan.

The airline will also upgrade its business class and La Première first class which will be unveiled in January and April 2014.

In economy class, there is a new fully-revised seat, with more legroom, a new seat cushion, more comfortable headrests and a wider tray table. The seat has been ergonomically-redesigned to guarantee optimum comfort. The seat also features new functionalities including an electric socket, headphones holder, etc.

CGI of the new economy class seat. Photo courtesy Air France.

Children have received a lot of attention from the carrier in their meal upgrade. The airline uses organic produce adapted to the tastes of infants and young children, new tableware and a selection of new games (plane-shaped cutlery, pilot’s badge, colourings) to make the flight fun for children.

Economy class children's meal featuring "plane" cutlery shaped for children and toys pouch. Photo © Devesh Agarwal.

Economy class meal featuring new lightweight plastic containers. Photo © Devesh Agarwal.

In premium economy, Air France retains its leadership with its exclusive shell seat, which will be made more comfortable with improved seat cushions and a multi-position footrest. The meal service too is upgraded along with amenities and has been implemented since September this year. Candies, and chocolates are also added. On flights longer than 8.5 hours a second hot meal will also be served.

Premium economy class meal with Champagne service, candies and chocolates in a conical tube. Photo © Devesh Agarwal.

CGI composite of the new service offerings in the premium economy cabin. Image courtesy Air France.

For an actual cabin photo of the current premium economy cabin, please read our trip report.

The IFE is being upgrades with wide touch screens loaded with High Definition images offering over 1,000 hours of music, movies, TV series and many other programmes on an AVOD (audio video on-demand) system.

CGI of the new touch screen HD AVOD IFE system.

At present Air France operates only Airbus A330s to India and has no plans, at present, to re-introduce any Boeing 777 service.

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Trip report: Air France A330-200 business class Bangalore Paris Mumbai - new service attitude is producing results

by Devesh Agarwal

Until recently, like many others, I was under the opinion Air France was a stuffy airline, an uncaring crew, and one I was not likely to fly any time soon. Recently, I was a guest of Air France to attend the launch of their new "Best and Beyond" campaign in Paris, and had the opportunity to fly the airline in business class from Bangalore to Paris and back to Mumbai.

Blue and white are soothing colours in the calm oasis of the Air France business class on board the A330-200

I also flew the airline, on my own account, in economy class between Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol.

Over the coming weeks, I shall review various aspects of the airline, including trip reports, the Paris Charles De Gaulle hub, the Salon lounges, and also the Best and Beyond campaign.

Trip Report

Today, we commence with the trip report Bangalore to Paris Charles De Gaulle. AF191. Scheduled departure 01:50. Actual departure 02:30 (40 minute delay). Scheduled arrival 08:35. Actual arrival 08:50. Aircraft Airbus A330-200 registration F-GZCE.

Click on the photos below to see a high resolution light-box view.

New attitude

A critical component, of the new "Best and Beyond" initiative, meant to bring passengers back to Air France, is staff attitude. The change is visible starting right from the kerbside. I found a porter with a SkyPriority plaque waiting when you arrive.

The SkyPriority service is offered to all premium class passengers from Premium Economy upwards, and to all SkyTeam elite members from Silver level on upwards. Other than the erstwhile Kingfisher, I have not seen any other airline offer a kerbside porter service in Bangalore. Even overseas, I have seen it offered only to first class passengers.

SkyPriority porter at Bangalore airport kerbside.

Check-in, lounge and boarding

Despite my many requests for him to help other passengers, the porter insisted, and whisked me in to the terminal, expediting the cumbersome passport check by the CISF. I was late, arriving at 1:05am for a scheduled 1:50am flight, but which was delayed to 2:30am. Check-in was smooth, quick and efficient. My boarding passes were issued, and my baggage checked, all the way to Amsterdam.

The SkyPriority lane at the check-in desks at Bengaluru International Airport.

Off I went, through immigration, on to the customs desk to declare all my camera equipment, and then through security, where I am required to take out each piece of camera equipment before scanning the bag, and where my cigarette lighter was seized, as it is not allowed. This is contradictory to my experiences at the security checks of 12 different airports in three continents I have been to in the last six months. But security checks at Indian airports are a whole different subject.

I barely had time to step inside the Oberoi run lounge at the Bengaluru International Airport, and I was thankful. The lounge is badly over-crowded, stuffy, hot, and poorly equipped to handle to the volume of premium passengers departing Bangalore. I am told that the new terminal expansion will solve this problem. Expect a separate article on this subject later.

Boarding was a smooth affair, and well managed.

Cabin product

You step in to a very calm and soothing cabin decked out in navy blue and white. Air France aircraft may have a reputation for being dirty looking on the outside, but the inside was spic and span. The smiles and welcome by the cabin crew, were genuine and warm.

Note: All the pictures below were shot, by me, in the natural light of the cabin. No flash was used

The business class has 40 seats in two sections, in a six abreast 2-2-2 layout. 61 inch pitch and 21.5 inch seat width. It features shell seats and unlike some of the other angled lay flat seats, has a good headrest which conforms to the rest of the seat when it reclines fully. The arm-rest goes down during the recline adding to the width. You will also find the lack of the bottom end of the leg-rest. Instead Air France provides a type of cubby-hole inside the seat-back which I found more comfortable than any of the lay-flat seats I have experienced till now. I am a notoriously poor sleeper on angle lay-flat seats, but I did manage about four hours in Air France, which is the longest. So the seats win my seal of approval.

Business class seats in the upright and fully reclined position

Unlike other premium economy cabins which are more of an upgraded economy class, on the Air France Airbus A330-200, the premium economy cabin almost identical to the business class cabin, with the exception of the one additional seat to give a seven abreast 2-3-2 layout. There are 21 seats in three rows. 38 inch seat pitch, 19 inch seat width. I was later informed that Air France is the only airline that uses the similar shell seats in its premium economy class.

The Premium Economy class with shell seating, exclusive to Air France

The economy class cabin is bright in the national colours of France, blue, red and white. The 147 seats are in the Airbus standard, eight abreast in a 2-4-2 configuration. 32 inch seat pitch, 18 inch seat width.

The national colours of France, blue, red and white, reflected in the economy class cabin

The trip, service, meals, in-flight entertainment

We departed at 2:30am, about 40 minutes past our scheduled departure. Trip time 10h15m. The flight route was from Bangalore, NNW, over Mumbai, turning WNW skirting the southern coast of Pakistan, turning NW entering Iran near Chabahar close to the Pakistan border, through Azerbaijan, over Tbilisi, Georgia, over Sevastopol in Southern Russia, Moldova, turn westerly, skirting northern Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, southern Czech Republic, Germany, in to France.

The flight was quite bumpy from take-off, so meal service was slightly delayed. The French are gastronomes and the meals reflect it. The fish I had was on of the better ones I have had anywhere, on board, or on ground. Deliciously prepared, cooked to creamy perfection, not rubbery at all.

Fish entree, supper, post take-off, Bangalore to Paris.

Bangalore to Paris, supper and breakfast menu

The wine list was unusual and offered decent wines, but are not a match to the cellars of Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qantas, or even Lufthansa. Considering wine and France are inseparable, this is an area the airline has to improve on.

Air France business class wine list

The pre-arrival breakfast service was good. Nice breads, butter, preserves, and an espresso machine on-board for my double espressos kept me happy.

Breakfast service prior to arrival in Paris

Through the flight, the crew puts out a small buffet near the galley with fruits, cheeses, small sandwiches, nuts and chocolates for those wanting a small snack.

Through the flight the cabin crew service was good, attentive and responsive. While Air France still has a way to go before it catches up to the leaders Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, the change in attitude is refreshing, and service levels are close to its main European competitor Lufthansa. This is a crucial advance for Air France in its efforts to attract back lost passengers.

If there was a let down, it was the in-flight entertainment (IFE), audio video on-demand (AVOD) system. While the content was good, it was fairly limited, and the screens are not too big. The user interface, and its navigation is, clunky and tests your patience. For a passenger flying Air France long haul about two or three flights a month, it is okay, but more than that, and you will start feeling the pinch of the lack of volume in terms of content.

Paris Arrivals lounge

All Air France-KLM long haul international flights to and from Paris CDG airport are from terminal 2E on concourses K, L, M. The concourse names are no coincidence. Air France had ground staff stationed who patiently explained each enquiring passenger how to get to their respective flights. Another sign of the changed attitude at Air France.

A hidden gem of information, at Paris, is the Arrivals Salon Lounge of Air France. Tucked away at the junction of terminals 2C and 2A, this petite lounge is easy to miss. I must apologise to you, our dear readers, but the memory card of the pictures of this lounge got corrupted, and I have none to share with you at the moment. If I can revive the pictures in any way, I will surely share them.

If you are arriving in to Paris, or have a longish connection (two or more hours) to a Schengen country, this lounge is a must visit. It has a great set of shower facilities, with one of the most complicated shower temples I have seen. Multiple jets blasting hot water just soothe those tired muscles. The lounge provides a complete toilet kit with L'Occitane en Provence personal care products, including a razor and toothbrush.

Once showered, there is a great breakfast. Despite a small area, I found the breakfast spread better than the large Salon departure lounges in concourse K when I departed back to Mumbai. There is the usual fantastic French breads, along with butter, preserves, and charcuterie. Eggs, fruits, yoghurt, crackers, cheese, varieties of drinks complete the feast.

Paris Amsterdam Paris domestic flights

Showered and fed, I headed to terminal 2F from where all the Air France flights to Schengen countries depart. Very honestly, this one hour flight both onward to Amsterdam and return, was extremely routine, pretty much any other short-distance domestic flight. However, even on this short duration, the change in Air France attitude was noticeable.

Air France A320 cabin. The business class has the centre seat blocked off and marked with a navy blue head rest cover.

The arrival concourse of Terminal 2F is extremely futuristic with its metal and glass construction. Makes on feel like they are in some Sci-Fi movie.

The futuristic looking Terminal 2F arrivals at Paris Charles De Gaulle airport

Paris Mumbai flight

An almost carbon copy of the Bangalore Paris flight, except for a more elaborate lunch starting with an L'amuse-bouche, appetiser, main course, cheese tray, and dessert. Great for a foodie like me.

Paris to Mumbai lunch menu

The aircraft coincidentally was the same one I had flown from Bangalore to Paris, just five days earlier, Airbus A330-200 registration F-GZCE. We departed on schedule, and thanks to some fantastic tailwinds, made it to Bombay one hour ahead of schedule.

Summary

I flew Air France after a gap of almost 25 years. The business class is much like other European carriers, but with a much more calm and soothing touch, compared to the energy of Lufthansa's new business class. The change in crew attitude was refreshing, and it appears to be yielding results. There was only one seat free in business class, and none free in premium economy on my outbound flight. Even on the return to Mumbai, the flight had just one seat empty.

I was informed later, that AF191/192 the Paris Bangalore route goes full almost all days of the week in both business and premium economy classes. If anything, Air France has spare seats only in economy class. Considering it was a Thursday night I flew to Paris, and a Wednesday morning I returned to Mumbai, this shows the positive results of a good overall hard and soft product.

Note: I was a guest of Air France on the India to Paris segments. The Paris Amsterdam v.v. segments were on my account.

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Videos: Singapore Airlines launches its new ad campaign "The lengths we go to"

by Devesh Agarwal

Iconic national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) has launched a new global brand campaign named “The Lengths We Go To”, showcasing the airline’s commitment to putting the customer at the heart of everything it does.

Explaining the thinking behind Singapore Airlines service experience, and the brand campaign, Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President Commercial, Mr Mak Swee Wah, said

“Making every customer feel at home when they fly with us has always been the cornerstone of our service philosophy. Our customers’ preferences have always been the foremost consideration in the curation process for our new products which are sourced from all over the world. This new campaign sets out to reaffirm this commitment.”

Tan Pee Teck, Senior Vice President of Product and Services at Singapore Airlines, along with three of his colleagues explain the customer centric focus of Singapore Airlines in this video which also shows insights on the rigorous training regime that goes to make the iconic Singapore Girl cabin crew.



Mak further explains

“The scenarios in the advertisements are examples of our commitment to delivering a special experience to our customers, with the Singapore Girl symbolising the lengths we go to. Despite the progression of time, the essence of the Singapore Girl and her gentle, caring ways remain especially relevant today, in an increasingly competitive environment where service excellence is the key differentiator,”

And the Singapore Girl, plays the protagonist in all three commercials which were filmed on location – Fujian in China, Glasgow in Scotland, and Venice in Italy – and involved local production crews of hundreds of people.

The first commercial depicts how SIA tailors quality products to suit the needs of its customers. A tea plantation and teahouse in Fujian were selected as the setting as this is the region from which SIA sources Jasmine tea.



The second commercial illustrates how SIA delivers the comforts of home through innovative products and services. Renowned Glasgow-based Andrew Muirhead and Son, Europe’s oldest tannery, was used as the filming location as it is where the leather used in SIA’s Business Class seats is produced.



The third commercial demonstrates SIA’s focus on curation to offer customers the best entertainment from around the world. It is set in Venice and features the Venice Film Festival, for which SIA is the Official Airline this year.



The commercials will be released progressively over three weeks, with the first being broadcast from today. A combination film, incorporating all three advertisements, will be released later this month.

The airline has also made a video showing the making of the advertisements.

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Dubai Airports invites food and beverage, and retail service bids for Concourse D

Dubai Airports is inviting bids from food and beverage operators and selective retail-service providers for the award of concessions in Concourse D at Dubai International. Construction of Concourse D is well under-way with the facility’s opening slated for 2015.

The opportunity is available to food and beverage providers in the categories of popular restaurants, 24-hour casual dining, licensed bars, coffee shops, speciality concepts and fast food. The process also seeks to appoint providers of financial services and selective retail services (non-Duty Free).

Customer-facing services have become an increasingly important part of Dubai Airports’ non-aeronautical revenue, as Dubai International’s expanding network of destinations and rapidly growing passenger numbers allow popular brands to target a unique and cosmopolitan audience. Dubai International connects customers to over 260 destinations on six continents on more than 140 airlines. Passenger numbers are expected to surpass 66 million in 2013 and exceed 78 million in 2015 when Concourse D opens.

Once complete, Concourse D will be home to the more than 100 international airlines that currently use Concourse C and will serve up to 18 million passengers annually. It will be linked to a completely refurbished Terminal 1 by an elevated rail system which will offer transfer times between the two facilities of less than two minutes. The new concourse will elevate the passenger experience by shortening queuing times to allow passengers more time to relax and enjoy a wide range of top-flight retail and F and B experiences.

Tender documents are available for purchase by interested vendors, at AED 1,000 per tender from the Commercial Unit offices in Dubai International, Terminal 1 departures. Further details are available online.

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Trip report: Air Canada Executive First Boeing 777 Frankfurt Toronto, 767 Ottawa London Heathrow

On a recent trip from Bangalore to Dallas-Fort Worth I flew Air Canada international for the first time in my life.

The first trip was from Frankfurt to Toronto Pearson on their Boeing 777-300ER and thanks to mother nature, and two very efficient and caring customer service executives at United and Air Canada in Boston, from Ottawa to London Heathrow in the Boeing 767-300ER.

Air Canada Executive First Suites on their two class Boeing 777-300ERs

Both trips were in the Executive First Suites cabin product which the crew call "The Pods". On the 777s the mini-suite seats are found in the airline's two-class 777-300ER and all 777-200LR aircraft, in a four abreast 1-2-1 configuration, while on the 767 and A330 they are in a 1-1-1 three abreast configuration. 

Frankfurt to Toronto. AC873. Depart 10:00 Arrive 12:15. All times local.
Boeing 777-300ER. C-FITW. Seat 1K. 29-Apr-2013.

Air Canada Executive First Seat 1K on the two class Boeing 777-300ER

The seats open out to 191cm (6’3") long in lie-flat mode, and is 53cm (21") wide. Each pod is equipped with a 30 cm (12") touch-screen TV married to an Audio-Video On Demand (AVOD) in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, and fitted with noise-cancelling Sennheiser headphones. The seats also offer a single-pin audio jack for your own headset. Pillows and a duvet are standard.

Seat 1K on the 77W lacks a window. Comfort of the seat is good. Lots of nooks for storing small items. Can get confusing for the first timer. Did not notice the plugged in Sennheiser noise cancelling headsets in the nook to the right of the seat. Fresh foam covers for the speakers are provided. Also did not notice the bottle of water tucked in left nook (see the second seat in the picture above). The amenity kit is minimal and nothing to write home about.

The seat has nice padding not too firm, and not too soft. I had a comfortable sleep, though, thanks to my excessive international travels back in the 1990s and early 2000s, my sleep patterns are permanently damaged and I cannot sleep for long periods of time.

The "pods" offer a sense of privacy, but are completely individual traveller focussed. There were some couples travelling on the flight and they had to keep getting up to talk to each other. Also the mini-suites do not offer too much of a window view, so any claustrophobia gets magnified.

Was offered the obligatory hot towel, and it was better than what I have experienced on US carriers, but thinner and colder than those on Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines. A choice of water, orange juice or Champagne is offered before the flight.

Unlike the forward facing seats of most business class which allow you to quietly switch on the flight path display and watch while the plane taxies and takes-off, the Air Canada screens are mounted on the side wall and must be opened 90 degrees for viewing. The crew comes around and shuts all the screens once the safety video completes.

Post take-off, the drinks trolley is wheeled out and warm almonds accompany. I was overwhelmed by the extreme generosity of the Canadians when it came to serving alcoholic drinks. Wine, including the fortified Port which is around 20% alcohol, were poured like water, and one could quickly find themselves floating well above the aircraft's cruising altitude if not careful. Since I sampled all the wines, I had to keep raising my hand to stop the crew from over-pouring the wines. I found the whites being served at almost room temperature 

Once the cabin is darkened, the funky blue LED lighting under the screen and around the seat give some very exotic effects.

The meal service is a five course offering. A good selection of hot breads are offered, and the appetizer plate is switched out for the main course, and finally the dessert.

I was very surprised, almost shocked, at the wine list. Air Canada, the national carrier of Canada, does not feature even one wine from Canada, in its wine list, which is made up of rather mediocre but quaffable $6~$10 wines from Southern France, South America, and California. Given the wine culture in Canada, this should be something the carrier must look to improve.

The quantity of food is ever so slightly on the lesser side, but you can make it up with some additional bread.

Staff service is by and large good. I found the Air Canada cabin crew far more responsive and hospitable compared to their US counterparts, and I certainly appreciated the crew's effort to serve my tenderloin as close to medium-rare as possible, something most Asian, and many European carriers just do not do.

Arrival at Toronto was decent. For a connection to the Toronto - Dallas Fort Worth leg, there was a long walk, and then a long wait to enter the US immigration pre-screening, since your name comes up on the screen only after your bags are put on the baggage belt and their photograph is available to the CBP officer.

The US Immigration is followed by a stringent security but regular metal detectors. Immediately after security there is a very nice Air Canada lounge, equipped with the best business centre I have seen till date. Free computers, printers and photo-copiers. Even mobile phone printing, and internet printing.

After almost 20 hours travelling, the first thing I did was take a nice, long, hot, shower. Finally refreshed and not smelling like some over-ripe fruit, I headed across to the food and drink section. Given that it was around 2:30pm by then, there was no food. Just some dry tid-bits. The food was finally refilled around 5pm with salad, soup, and some hot food. Almost the whole lounge, including me, descended on the food like it was going out of fashion. So after went down to catch my YYZ-DFW flight. Was very tired by then. Got on board. Ate something, and passed out.

Ratings*: Flight 7/10. Transit 5/10. Lounge 8/10

Ottawa to London Heathrow. AC888. Depart 22:30 Arrive 10:15. All times local.
Boeing 767-300ER. C-FXCA. Seat 8K. 09-May-2013.

The counter agent staffing the United GlobalFirst counter at Boston Logan saw me coming, and decided to walk away from her counter, leaving me to wait for the BusinessFirst counter to open. I must thank that snooty woman for abandoning her counter, because Joanne at the BusinessFirst counter turned out to be very courteous and super efficient. Thanks to bad weather at Boston, my Boston to Washington Dulles flight was delayed and this would cause me to miss my United Dulles to London Heathrow connection. While she was thinking of options, I informed her that I remembered there was a Boston-Halifax-London connection on Air Canada. Joanne promptly contacted her counterpart at Air Canada Boston, and in little over five minutes I had a new re-routed ticket Boston-Ottawa-London Heathrow. Thanks once again Joanne.

The Boston Ottawa trip was a all-economy CRJ200. I found the transit connection sort of odd. I had to go through Canadian immigration, pick up my bags, go through Canadian Customs, detour through a side door, check-in my bags in, again, for the Ottawa London flight, undergo security, and then board the aircraft. Ours was one of the last flights to board. By this time, all the duty free shops were closed. Sorry Canada, you missed earning some duty free dollars.

This time, I got the last seat, 8K in the cabin, and in the photo below, you will get a better appreciation of the slightly claustrophobic feeling one gets in the "pods".

The crew on this flight were not as hospitable or responsive when compared to their AC873 colleagues. I almost got the feeling they wanted to just complete the service and get some sleep, but still the service was decent. Professional, but lacking warmth.

A generous helping of Gin between the water and tomato juice

The main course selections for the dinner were good, and this time I got my steak medium-rare and bloody. Just as a good cut of beef should be served.

Morning arrival faced the usual delay in the skies over London. Our flight did the obligatory race-track loops before getting clearance to land. After landing, we had to wait on the taxiway, as our gate was occupied by another aircraft that had technicaled. After about a 20 minute wait we finally embarked.

The usual long walk-run to Heathrow's chronically under-staffed immigration counters. Business class passengers have a separate set of queues, but this turned out to be a curse, as one of the two counters was busy processing the rejection of an arriving passenger, and the other counter had its share of complex cases which took much longer to process. After an almost 45 minute wait, an additional counter was opened up, and at the other counter, the rejection too was processed, so the queue moved along and I passed through immigration quickly. By the time I reached baggage claim, the bags were just arriving. Collected and was soon on my way.

Air Canada offers an arrivals lounge service at London Heathrow, but I did not use it.

Ratings*: Flight 6.5/10. Arrival 4/10.

*After almost ten years being pampered by Singapore Airlines, I am spoilt when it comes to service level expectations. So my reviews tend to be a little on the stiff side.

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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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Video: IndiGo holds world's first-ever food tasting contest in the sky

On October 29, India's largest domestic, and low fare, carrier, IndiGo, held the first ever food tasting in the sky.

Over 1,000 passengers were given free samples of food, on IndiGo flights across major metros, and asked to to vote for their favourite.

The winners would be making it on-board menus as the "Passenger's Choice." And who were the winners? Watch the video below to find out.

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Trip Report: Lufthansa economy class Newark – Frankfurt – Bangalore

Vinay’s Trip to India Review Index

Part I – Lufthansa in Economy on Newark – Frankfurt – Bangalore
Part II – Lufthansa in Business on Mumbai – Munich
Part III – Air India in Economy on Bangalore – Mumbai
Part IV – United in Business on Munich – Newark
Part V – Lufthansa Business Lounge in Newark
Part VI – Lufthansa Business Lounge in Frankfurt
Part VII – Lufthansa Business Lounge in Mumbai
Earlier this month, I spent 6 very enjoyable days in India. Devesh and I did an exclusive interview with Mr. Georgio de Roni, CEO of GoAir, so stay tuned for that. I also took some great planespotting shots in both Mumbai and Bangalore, as well as some great shots of the new Lufthansa business class on their Airbus A330-300s, and some not-so-great shots of the hideous Air India interiors on their A319s. On my outbound flight, I took Lufthansa Newark-Bangalore-Frankfurt. Both legs of this flight were on the 747-400 but the interiors were configured differently so I got pretty disparate flight experiences. In between, I flew Air India between Bangalore and Mumbai with surprisingly mixed results. On my return to the US, I flew Lufthansa in business class on their A330-300s Mumbai-Munich, and then flew United’s 777-200ER business class Munich-Newark.

I arrived at Newark Airport running a bit late for my flight at 1755 (around 1610), so I immediately went to the Lufthansa business class check in. Since I was traveling with another passenger flying in business, my baggage allowance on the outbound from the US was 2 bags of 32 kg each and 1 bag of 23 kg. Of course the 23 kg bag turned out to weigh 23.4 kg, and the man at the Lufthansa counter very rudely made me take back my documents, re-pack my bag to eliminate the 0.4 kg excess weight, and then forced me to go to the back of a line about 8 groups long (8 more check ins before I could check in again).

This occurred less than 1 hours 40 minutes before the flight and was a major inconvenience and hassle, especially because the Lufthansa or Newark ground employee refused to be courteous about what he was doing. I finally managed to check in and breezed through the business class security line, though I got yet another pat-down search and had only my second experience going through the full on body scanners. But I got through mostly unscathed with about 40 minutes before boarding and then headed over to check out the Lufthansa Business Lounge in Newark’s Terminal B (Review to come later). I boarded around 15 and headed to my seat after picking up a few newspapers from the jetway.

Flight # 1 LH403 EWR-FRA 1755-0720 
Seat: 31B (economy, middle seat) – “shell” seat with in seat AVOD 
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400 (3-4-3 configuration), 95% full 

My first flight was a roughly 7 hour ride spent almost entirely in severe discomfort. I was in a middle seat right in front of an exit row, and it was one of these “shell” style seats where the seat back doesn’t go backwards but rather slides down to give recline, thereby cutting off legroom. This style of seating would be bad enough if the seat in front of me didn’t have a broken recline as well (i.e it reclined back further than the other two seats next to it).

So I went through the flight with the other passenger reclined all the way back into me despite my repeated attempts to explain the situation to her. This passenger also stuck her bag beneath her seat, even though this was my storage space, so I couldn’t even use that space to stretch my legs. I spent the first hour and a half or so reading the newspaper until the meal service showed up.

The meal was definitely the highlight of the first leg; I had an excellent (by economy class standards) Palak Paneer (Cottage Cheese in Spinach) and Chole (Chickpeas). Afterwards, I watched a pair of awful romantic comedies on Lufthansa’s sparse economy class AVOD system (there were less than 20 movies available and a very limited number of TV shows), since I could never get to sleep with a seat jammed into my space and no room to slide my legs underneath. Still, I’ve always been decent at running on little to no sleep, so I reached Frankfurt in good shape.

Once in Frankfurt Airport, I went out into Terminal 2 on my way to the H concourse, though my Bangalore flight wasn’t till 1215 and we arrived at the gate around 0740. Even though I had lounge access, my traveling partner and I (meaning me) decided to first spend some time in the airport exploring the terminal. I had a decent sandwich and cappuccino and trialled the internet stations, which were very fast, though the computer terminal itself had a difficult-to-use keyboard and the price was steep at more than Rs. 160 for 15 minutes (at current exchange rates). I also went to one of Frankfurt airport’s "airfield view" restaurants which really do have a gorgeous view, though not as nice as the one from Lufthansa’s Senator Lounge at the end of the G pier.

Following this, I went into the Lufthansa business lounge, which was predictably very nice. We went directly from there to our gate around 1130, where we boarded the flight to Bangalore

Flight #2 LH 754 FRA-BLR 1215-0030(+1)
Seat: 53A (old Lufthansa seats, economy, no in seat entertainment, row empty)
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400 (3-4-3 configuration), 45-50% full 

My second flight was much more relaxed. I had the entire row to myself, which was a refreshing change from my previous flight. As an aside, I wonder why Air New Zealand’s Sky Couch concept never caught on; based on my experience on this flight, and the one I took on US Airways from Philadelphia to Zurich back in December where I got a middle row to myself, I would definitely pay extra for such a service though the economics of it likely do not work.

Once again, the meal was excellent (with a vegetable korma), as was the dinner puff a few hours later. Between these two meals, I got some well deserved sleep (around 4.5 hours). Deplaning was very easy and I was off into Bangalore on the 29th morning.

As a whole, I liked the experience on Lufthansa; the team at Frankfurt Airport is certainly very good, and Lufthansa’s flight attendants display superb professionalism, balanced by a warm and courteous nature. I also love the fact that Lufthansa gives away airplane postcards on their flights but that might just be the aviation enthusiast in me talking. There are some things that could be cleaned up, such as the employees at Newark, but the experience remains solid overall. I would rate Lufthansa’s economy class experience this round as a 7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10 (this is meaningless now, but as I write more trip reports the number will actually mean something with a frame of reference).

Stay tuned for the Business Class review tomorrow. This is the same new Business Class as on the Boeing 747-8i service which commences on Wednesday on the Frankfurt Bangalore route.

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VIDEOS: How airlines select Wines, Cheeses and Teas for in-flight menus

British Airways has a series called Height Cuisine. In this post, view two videos showing how the airline selects wines, cheeses, and teas for service on-board their flights.

It is quite amazing to learn that seemingly un-connected thing like sound and pressure affect the taste in one's mouth.



Have an enjoyable and profitable week ahead. If it is going to be too busy for you to visit Bangalore Aviation, look near the top right and subscribe to our free daily update delivered via e-mail direct to your mailbox.

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