Expect to use some portable electronic devices during the entire flight very soon

by Devesh Agarwal

The United States' aviation regulator the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has today allowed airlines to relax rules regarding the use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) on-board flights below 10,000 feet. In a release the FAA said

Passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions. Electronic items, books and magazines, must be held or put in the seat back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing roll. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled – i.e., no signal bars displayed—and cannot be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi-Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.

Passengers can soon expect US airlines to start allowing use of e-readers and games and some other devices in the "airplane" mode throughout all phases of a flight i.e. from gate to gate. However, connecting to the internet below 10,000 feet, will continue to be disallowed, and using a cell phone for voice phone calls during a flight is prohibited by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said

“We believe today’s decision honors both our commitment to safety and consumer’s increasing desire to use their electronic devices during all phases of their flights,” “These guidelines reflect input from passengers, pilots, manufacturers, and flight attendants, and I look forward to seeing airlines implement these much anticipated guidelines in the near future.”

Due to the wide variety of gadgets and types of aircraft and equipment, the FAA expects airlines to take some time to prove their safe operation together, but expects wide scale implementation of the new rules by end of this year.

US major, Delta Air Lines has already announced it is ready to roll out new rules by November 1. In a statement the airline said

Delta Air Lines is ready to allow its customers to be the first to use their portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet as early as Nov. 1, 2013 pending Federal Aviation Administration approval. All Delta aircraft have completed carrier-defined PED tolerance testing to ensure the safe operation of passenger portable electronic devices during all phases of flight and Delta's plan has been submitted to the FAA for approval.

In support of the FAA's call for expanded PED usage in flight, more than 570 mainline domestic aircraft stand ready to allow customer use of e-readers, tablets, and smartphones, all in airplane mode, during taxi, takeoff and landing on domestic flights. Delta Connection's more than 550 regional aircraft will be ready by the end of the year. In-flight Wi-Fi will continue to be available for customers above 10,000 feet.

Top things passengers should know about expanded use of PEDs on airplanes:

• Make safety your first priority.
• Changes to PED policies will not happen immediately and will vary by airline. Check with your airline to see if and when you can use your PED.
• Current PED policies remain in effect until an airline completes a safety assessment, gets FAA approval, and changes its PED policy.
• Cell phones may not be used for voice communications.
• Devices must be used in airplane mode or with the cellular connection disabled. You may use the WiFi connection on your device if the plane has an installed WiFi system and the airline allows its use. You can also continue to use short-range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards.
• Properly stow heavier devices under seats or in the overhead bins during take-off and landing. These items could impede evacuation of an aircraft or may injure you or someone else in the event of turbulence or an accident.
• During the safety briefing, put down electronic devices, books and newspapers and listen to the crew-member’s instructions.
• It only takes a few minutes to secure items according to the crew’s instructions during take-off and landing.
• In some instances of low visibility – about one percent of flights – some landing systems may not be proved PED tolerant, so you may be asked to turn off your device.
• Always follow crew instructions and immediately turn off your device if asked.

To read the fact sheet about the PED Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) click here. The read the full PED ARC report in PDF format click here.

Given the influence of the FAA on global aviation standards, what are your views on how soon we can expect changes in other parts of the world? Share your thoughts via a comment.

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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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Air India's Boeing 787 promotional video

by Devesh Agarwal

Through non-official channels a promotional video by Air India of their new Boeing 787. Now that the airline has a new toy to play with, all the 777s procured just a few years ago lie forgotten and rotting on the tarmac. Read my op-ed piece here. You can also see our cabin walk-though pictures and video here.

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Video: Cathay Pacific fashion show - flight attendant uniforms through the years

Enjoy this video showing off the various uniforms of the cabin crew of Cathay Pacific Airways through the years. From the very militaristic style post world war II, to the mini skirts of the 1960s, the 1970s introduction of designer uniforms from Pierre Balmain, to Hermès, and Nina Ricci.

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Airbus announces crew for A350 XWB first flight

Airbus S.A.S. has announced the six person crew which will go aboard the first flight of the first A350 XWB to fly, known as MSN1.

Two test pilots and the project test flight engineer will be seated in the cockpit:

• Peter Chandler, an Experimental Flight Test Pilot with Airbus since 2000 and Chief Test Pilot since 2011;
• Guy Magrin, an Experimental Flight Test Pilot with Airbus since 2003 and Project Pilot for the A350 XWB;
• Pascal Verneau, who has held various positions in Airbus’ flight test division since 1999 and is the A350 XWB Project Test Flight Engineer.

The three remaining first flight test crew members, all of them Experimental Flight Test Engineers, will be working at dedicated flight test stations and managing the progress of the flight profile in the main body of the aircraft:

• Fernando Alonso, Flight Test Engineer with Airbus since 1982 and Head of Airbus Flight & Integration Test Centre since 2007;
• Patrick du Ché, Flight Test Engineer with Airbus since 2001 and currently Head of Development Flight Tests since 2012;
• Emanuele Constanzo, Flight Test Engineer with Airbus since 2004 and lead Flight Test Engineer for the Trent XWB engine.

Airbus has also released the first edition of the new online Airbus A350 XWB Magazine.

Image courtesy and copyright Airbus S.A.S.

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AirAsia India commences recruiting flight attendants

AirAsia India will be hiring cabin crew for its flight operations in India which is planned to be based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

The airline is inviting aspiring flight attendants to attend its walk-in interviews to be held on Saturday 13 April 2013 at Chinmaya Heritage Centre, 2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetpet in Chennai, from 9am to 3pm. Successful candidates will be required to attend a final interview the next day, on Sunday 14 April 2013.

The airline claims to be looking for those with utmost passion, outgoing personality, inexhaustible smile, boundless energy and good communication skills.

AirAsia Group Head of Flight Attendants, Suhaila Hassan said,

“We welcome aspiring flight attendants to come to our walk-in interview and make their way to be a member of the great AirAsia family. At AirAsia, we are keen to discover talents and encourage our AirAsia Allstars to develop themselves further. We are steadfast in our belief in equal opportunity and meritocracy which help nurture our Allstars, who in turn, made AirAsia the best low cost airline in the world. Come and discover a great career with us, and the opportunity to fly high with the best!”

Male and female flight attendant candidates must be between 20 to 35 years old, possess the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and fluent in oral and written English, plus local language. Experienced flight attendants or fresh graduates of any discipline are also welcomed. Height requirements are 160cm minimum / 170cm maximum barefooted for female candidates, while for male candidates it is min. 170cm / max. 180cm barefooted.

Applicants need to bring along a completed application form (downloadable here), recent resume, original and copies of ID and passport, original and copies of education certificate(s), one recent passport-sized colour photograph and one recent full-body colour photograph (postcard size).

All candidates must be dressed in business attire for the walk-in interview. For female candidates, they are required to wear knee-length skirts with full make up.

For any enquiries pertaining to the recruitment drive email gottalent@airasia.com on log on to the AirAsia job site.

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Videos: Emirates promotes its multi-lingual crew with colloquial idioms videos

by Devesh Agarwal

"You are the cat's whiskers" is an English idiom meaning "you are perfect" or "you are someone special".

These are just some of the 29 colloquial idioms Dubai-based Emirates airline is advertising to showcase its global network and multi-lingual and multi-ethnic crew. Watch the videos below, and remember, if you want to romance an Italian Madonna, tell her "She is as beautiful as the sun", and if she is Korean you compare her to a flower.

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Video: IndiGo continues chic look with new pilots' uniforms

A little more that two years ago, India's largest domestic airline, IndiGo, updated its stewardess' uniforms to reflect a hot, chic and youthful look (see photos here). Now, IndiGo, has unveiled an equally chic and youthful look on its pilots.

The new uniform, designed by famous fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh, has a navy blue bomber jacket, while shirt, and trousers.



The bomber jacket breaks with tradition which sees most airlines dress their pilots in shirts and coats.

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Hooray for the courts. Drunk IndiGo passenger gets life term for threatening a hijacking

Early in February 2009, Bangalore Aviation had advocated a strong "zero tolerance" approach to drunk passengers in Indian skies, specifically citing the case of Jitendra Kumar Mohla, a Chartered Accountant, and son of a former Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force, who boarded an IndiGo flight 6E-334 from Goa to New Delhi, in a drunk condition.

Today, we are happy to report that District Judge IS Mehta threw the book at Mohla and sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was convicted under Section 3(1) (D) of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982, which deals with offences on board an aircraft. Mohla, however, was acquitted on the charges framed under the Anti Hijacking Act.

During the flight Mohla misbehaved with a stewardess and threatened the entire crew, saying that he was armed. He said he had two accomplices on the board and they would hijack the plane. He also said that he was official of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

According to the police, Mohla had allegedly entered the plane’s cockpit and sparked panic by claiming that he had hijacked the plane. The prosecution has claimed that Mohla had also warned the crew members that he was one of the accused in the infamous 1999 Kandahar hijacking (an Indian Airlines A300 IC 814, from Kathmandu to Delhi was hijacked) and was carrying needles with which he will “infect” others if they resisted him.

This judgement has sent a clear signal for airlines to act against mischief makers on-board their flights by separating intent from actions. The judge said

“Even if it is presumed that he (Mohla) had no such intention, it must be attributed that he knew he was on board an Indigo flight carrying 160 passengers and his terrifying act could endanger the safety of the passengers as well as the aircraft in flight”

One now hopes Indian carriers will take stringent action against perpetrators rather than practising an act of blanket denial. (Today, service of alcohol is prohibited on domestic flights due to past instances of passenger misbehaviour.)

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Review: Lufthansa's new Business Class onboard its Boeing 747-8i and Airbus A330-300 Mumbai Munich

Following an excellent trip in India, I started off on my return flight to the US. I got to Mumbai Airport around 22:20 (10:20pm) for my flight to Munich at 01:07.

Mumbai airport - A series of bottlenecks

Right now Mumbai Airport is in a bit of a transition phase as they construct the new integrated terminal so I suppose this is forgivable, but the ground-side experience at Mumbai’s Terminal 2 is just plain awful right now. Call it a lack of CISF personnel or a lack of planning, but all passengers are funnelled in to just two doors, and at peak times for international departures, 9pm onwards, the lines can extend up to 30 minutes long, and it’s a humongous bottleneck that the team at Mumbai airport must look in to on top priority.

Once you get into the terminal, it gets a little bit better but not much. In my case, Lufthansa’s local station manager came over and showed me to the first class check in line. Checking in was a breeze, and I headed over to the second bottleneck at Mumbai Airport, the immigration line. Now I’ll hope against hope that this issue will be fixed once the new integrated terminal comes up, but based on experiences of passengers at T3 in New Delhi, there are just not enough immigration counters or personnel to serve the peak demand both inbound and outbound. Wait times for the premium classes are 20~30 minutes and economy class from 45~60 minutes. I understand why most travellers from India are loathe to connect from domestic to international at hubs, especially Mumbai.

From this bottleneck, you are immediately funnelled into the next bottleneck -- the security check. Another 30 minutes, again thanks to a lack of adequate personnel. A lack of adequate English language knowledge and both the CISF end and many foreign non-English speaking passengers adds to the delays. These are issues the Ministry of Civil Aviation must address if they intend to succeed at hubs and improve tourism. The CISF too needs to explain why is it cannot provide adequate personnel and rendering such a poor service when it receives at least Rs. 130 per departing passenger.

I immediately headed to the Lufthansa Business Lounge opposite Gate 6, which was excellent (review to come soon).

Lufthansa LH765 Mumbai - Munich 

Around 1215, I left for the gate so that I would be able to board the plane early and get some unencumbered shots of Lufthansa’s new business class seat. Unfortunately, the boarding was on a remote gate and in-explicably there was no separate boarding for premium class/frequent flyer passengers versus economy class passengers.

Flight #1 LH765 BOM-MUC 0107-0555 Seat: 8K(business, aisle)- new business class product Aircraft: Airbus A330-300 (2-2-2 business configuration), 90% full.

I got onto the plane and managed to snap a few good shots of the business class seat before settling in. Immediately once we got into the air, the Lufthansa flight attendants immediately came around with hot towels, which were very useful given my state after running around Mumbai Airport.

Following this, they came around with a drink service along with some nuts, which while delicious, weren’t served warm as they are in some other business classes. Still, a meal followed in which I had an excellent Asian vegetarian palate, though the highlight was definitely the apple raisin pie for dessert, as well as the excellent bread basket. A hot dessert might have been in order, though this is just nitpicking.

Following this meal, I decided to check out the selection available in Lufthansa’s AVOD (Audio Video On Demand) in-flight entertainment system (IFE).

The content offering is sparse (especially in comparison to Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and even United). After some deliberation, I decided on the pilot for 2 Broke Girls on CBS (rapidly becoming one of my more favoured shows – for those that don’t know, I’m a TV savant – I regularly follow some 20-25 shows year round), followed by Battleship, an incredibly contrived big budget action film with gaping plot holes. Still, the impressive visuals from Battleship were pretty awesome on Lufthansa’s massive AVOD screen in the new business class.

I decided to test out the full extent of Lufthansa’s new lie-flat product. And I have to say that the seat passed with flying colours. Lufthansa has this fantastic seat control system which allows you to adjust every single aspect of your seat, including the firmness, and it was pretty awesome for someone like me, who is a bit of a quirky sleeper. I slept like a baby and it was pretty much the best business class seat I’ve ever been in (out of 15 airlines) from a sleep perspective. I managed to squeeze in around 5 hours of sleep before waking up to an excellent breakfast service that finished around 30 minutes before our touchdown on-time in Munich.

Conclusion - Great seat, fantastic bed, excellent cabin crew

As a whole I would judge the new Lufthansa business class product as excellent. This is not to say that there are no flaws. The AVOD IFE content offering is a bit sparse, though this would be mitigated once Flynet (inflight WiFi) is available. Of course the use of your own devices over WiFi becomes less relevant if they run out of battery 3 hours in, so I think it’s critical for Lufthansa to add proper in-seat power outlets and really take Flynet to its full potential, perhaps using the hybrid outlets that accept both US and European plugs.

Edit: A Lufthansa spokesperson informed me that Lufthansa does in fact offer vegetarian meals, so it must have been a communication error on my part that precluded me from getting a standard vegetarian meal.

However, these short-comings are more than overcome by the incredible seat and something that I’ve grown to consider a huge Lufthansa asset; their cabin crew. On my last five to six Lufthansa long-haul flights, I’ve had great flight attendants in both economy and business class. I later found out from Devesh, that Lufthansa has been training its cabin crew with its partner, Singapore Airlines, which is famous for its "Singapore Girl" cabin crew.

I observed the Lufthansa cabin crew always extremely professional and courteous, but they have this critical extra touch of care and attention. Throughout this trip, from Newark to Frankfurt to Bangalore and from Mumbai to Munich, what struck me was the care and attention the LH cabin crew devote to helping out elderly passengers with mundane inflight stuff; like getting up to go to the bathroom, and dealing with wheelchairs and baggage post-flight; something we younger passengers take for granted.

Kudos to Lufthansa’s flight attendants for their excellent service; like their counter-parts in Singapore Airlines, the cabin crew adds those critical extra touches to the overall experience, that makes the difference between good and great.

So overall, I’d rate this a solid 8.5/10, falling behind because of the limited in-flight entertainment content and the limited amenity kit (though the kit bag itself was awesome), and limited food options, but these short-comings may not matter as much to the corporate traveller to whom, rest and service is critical, and there the new business class seat would get a rating of 12 out of 10 if it were possible, and the cabin crew a solid 9.5/10.

It is, by far, the best business class product offered ex-Bangalore today.

All we can say in closing, competitors ........ look out.

Editor's note: Lufthansa commences its Bangalore Frankfurt Boeing 747-8i service later tonight. This is the same Business class found on this new aircraft. Vinay's economy seat was paid for. Thanks to Lufthansa for upgrading him to the Business class on the Mumbai Munich sector operated by an Airbus A330-300. Lufthansa is upgrading its A333 fleet to the same new business class as the B748i progressively.

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Lufthansa faces cabin crew strikes and flight disruptions after talks fail

[Note: Most of the links are to web pages in German. Use a translation tool or a web browser with built in translation like Google Chrome.]

German national carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG faces multiple flight disruptions after talks with the union representing over 18,000 cabin crew failed. The failure of the 13 month old talks has been acknowledged by both the airline and the UFO union.

The UFO union said it will resort to strikes with only a few hours' notice, which will have significant disruptions to the airline's over 1,850 daily flights. The strike actions can commence as early as Wednesday.

With a worsening of the economies in Europe, sky-rocketing prices of fuel, and intense competition from the Gulf carriers, Lufthansa is pressing ahead with a broad-based cost-saving program, which includes eliminating about 3,500 administrative positions (about 3% of the airline's 117,000 workforce), hiring of temporary staff, leasing of staff, and outsourcing some positions.

The union is pressing for a 5% pay increase after a three year wage freeze, against which Lufthansa has reportedly offered 3.5%. The union is has also demanded that there will be no leasing of personnel, ever, while the airline has reportedly offered a moratorium for now.

As per German media, both the main hub airports of Frankfurt and Munich have geared up for potential disruptions which could cost the carrier millions of euros each day. The airline is also reportedly examining its legal options while still trying to negotiate a deal.

For more information on potential flight disruptions visit this page on Lufthansa's web-site.

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Video: Om Shanti Om - Finnair crew dances onboard a flight to celebrate India's Republic Day

A group of Finnair cabin crew sent their greetings to India on the eve of the nation's 63rd Republic Day with a "Take OFF to Bollywood" dance aboard the carrier's flight AY021 from Helsinki to New Delhi.

Ms Helena Kaartinen a cabin crew of Finnair and a group of her colleagues came aboard the aircraft after the passengers were boarded, and performed a hip gyrating number set to Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om.

Ms. Kaartinen got the idea from a former Indian colleague based in Mumbai. She explains in depth how the idea developed.

Finnair advertises itself as having the fastest connections from India to North America. This is a great value to appeal to the airline's Indian customers. Enjoy the video and then post your thoughts via a comment.

..... and a very happy Republic Day to all of India. Don't forget to watch the "Beating of the Retreat", Sunday, 4:30pm on Doordarshan.

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VIDEO: Making the sexy 2012 RyanAir charity calendar

The ‘making of’ video shows 13 of Ryanair’s hottest cabin crew on location during the calendar photo-shoot in Lanzarote last September for its 2012 Ryanair Cabin Crew Charity Calendar. The video has been made in a 1940's theme with sepia effects.

Ryanair has succeeded in selling 9,000 of targeted 10,000 copies of the calendar, which are available online at www.ryanair.com and onboard its aircraft, for €10.



RyanAir is known to milk adult tastes to further its causes, profit as well as charity. Last month RyanAir chief O'Leary said the airline is planning to show XXX porn on board its flights using portable media devices.

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Video and Pics: RyanAir launches its sexy "Ryanair Cabin Crew Charity Calendar"

Lisa, RyanAir, Madrid

Irish low cost carrier RyanAir launched the 2012 edition of the Ryanair Cabin Crew Charity Calendar, the fourth year running.

The calendar is a swimsuit edition featuring some of the most sexy RyanAir cabin crew (in India they are still called air hostesses).

Every year the airline donates the proceeds raised from the sale of this calendar to a charity.

This year, the airline intends to raise 100,000€ for DebRA, a U.K.-based charity. Till date, RyanAir has raised almost 400,000€ via these calendars.

Participation in the calendar is voluntary. The selection committee received 400 applications from cabin crew. 382 female, 18 male. After a rigorous selection process 12 ladies were selected.

10,000 copies of the calendar are printed. About 6,500 are expected to be sold on the internet and another 3,500 on-board RyanAir flights and DebRA outlets.

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Copa Airlines seeks elegant and glamorous look in cabin crew uniforms

Last week, Panama City based Copa Airlines announced a re-vamp of its employee uniforms (cabin crew, ground staff, and salespeople).


Copa Airlines is a full service carrier, with its largest hub at Tocumen Airport in Panama City. The carrier leverages its location at the peak of South America to connect passengers throughout the Americas.

Unlike its Central American competitor TACA, whose employees wear colorful uniforms evocative of Central America's flavor, Copa has elected for more traditional air crew uniforms. Note the similarity to the uniforms of major intercontinental carriers such as Lufthansa and American Airlines; as Copa Airlines seeks to take its business "up-scale," selling itself as a premium carrier is increasingly important.

According to Copa, it seeks:

A uniform collection that is elegant, fashionable and comfortable. The results manage to update the airline's corporate image while adhering to the company's policy guidelines.

In my opinion, Copa has done a very nice job with the uniforms to exemplify a professional yet still attractive look for its ground staff. Using suits for the males provides a very "business friendly" look, while the more vivid female uniform can help maintain a relaxed atmosphere.



Meanwhile, for the cabin crew, Copa has elected for a professional looking uniform that is still classy. For the males, Copa has alternated between suits, sweaters, and even long trench coats based on seasons. Meanwhile for the ladies, they have elected to vary the color by season, as well as the uniform length. I feel that this system allows them to maintain the professional image they seek, while simultaneously ensuring that the cabin atmosphere remains relaxed.













The new uniforms will launch onto Copa Airlines flights on October 12th, 2011; a remarkably quick roll-out for such an image revamp.

What are your views on the new uniform; please post a comment.

While I am a fan of these new professional uniforms for the cabin crew, I'd like to point out as Devesh did earlier, that Copa Airlines, as with most airlines around the world, has once again fallen into the trap of forcing its female cabin crew to wear heels. As Devesh put it earlier:

Well heeled but with no protection for the toes. Painful for the crew who regularly hit their toes on the carts and painful for the passengers as the heels ensure good vibrations in the cabin floor when the crew move about.

Would it have not been better for Copa Airlines to emulate the world's best airline, Singapore Airlines, in giving cabin crew flat, steel-toed shoes for onboard use, and then training the cabin crew to walk without disturbing passengers?

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Analysis of Kingfisher's Q1 Results

Continuing the series of Indian carrier financial analyses, today we take a look at Kingfisher.

Previous Analyses: SpiceJet

Following the trend of most Indian carriers, Kingfisher posted a drop in net income; facing a net pretax loss of Rs. 3.90 billion vs. a pretax loss of Rs. 2.64 billion in Q1 2011.

As compared to SpiceJet, Kingfisher did not see many operating improvements this quarter.

• Revenue was a (relative) bright spot, at Rs. 1,881.64 Crore, up 14.7% YOY from Rs. 1,640.57 Crore
• Passengers carried were up just 9% to 3.41 million, lagging behind the industry as a whole
• Passenger yield was up 6% to Rs. 5,007
• Absolute non fuel costs were up 10.7%, while absolute fuel costs jumped a whopping 44.3%, on capacity growth of 6%, a 3% increase in the number of departures and a 3% increase in total block hours.
• Seat-kilometer revenues increased 9%, while seat-kilometer costs were up 16% year over year; seat-kilometer costs excluding fuel increased by 3%
• Interest expenditures by Kingfisher on its debt were Rs. 305.8 Crore, down YOY but still representing a gigantic 16.2% of overall revenues
• EBTIDA Profit (which measures operating results before taxes, interest, depreciation, and loan amortization) was Rs. 5 Crore; Rs. 44 Crore profit domestically, and Rs. 39 Crore loss internationally.
• International: R/ASK up 25%, C/ASK up 17%
• Domestic: R/ASK up 6%, C/ASK up 15.5%

Observations:

Kingfisher is currently operating at an unsustainable level of debt. When interest expenditures are 16% of revenues, your balance sheet has officially reached toxic levels.

But the net loss by Kingfisher should not necessarily be looked at as a referendum on the viability of the airline as a whole. As I mentioned above, interest payments were equal to almost 75% of the overall net loss. EBITDA profit indicates that Kingfisher's airline operation is profitable, but the company is not at current debt levels. Perhaps a US-style bankruptcy reorganization and/or a capital infusion from its OneWorld partners could help this?

The international market for India seems to be stabilizing. During the 2008-2009 slowdown, and even into 2010; there was a fundamental over-capacity internationally. But Kingfisher saw almost 25% seat-kilometer revenue growth on a 7% increase in capacity; shaving 20% of the EBITDA results. Kingfisher looks to be increasing its marketshare slightly (passengers carried were up 13% from 290,000 to 320,000), though it still has a ways to go before catching up to market-share leaders Air India (I use the term leader very loosely here) and Jet Airways. As the airline integrates itself into the OneWorld alliance of carriers, additional growth should be seen on the international side; especially in the lucrative premium segment.

Domestically, Kingfisher suffered many of the same issues that plagued both Jet, and SpiceJet. Capacity growth outpaced the increases in demand, and with fuel trending higher during the quarter, that Kingfisher managed to make an EBITDA profit is a remarkable feat in and of itself. Part of the secret behind Kingfisher's success was strict capacity discipline; ASKs increased 5% while RPKs grew almost 10%. This kept yields from falling off a cliff, as they ticked upwards 2% to Rs. 4,389.

One troubling factor is that seat-kilometer cost excluding fuel increased. In the high fuel environment that India currently faces, Kingfisher must maintain stringent discipline on non-fuel costs if it is to remain viable. They tried reducing wages, but the negative reaction from its employees stopped that plan of action.

-Vinay Bhaskara

Twitter: @TheABVinay

Contact me at vinay@bangaloreaviation.com

Please feel free to comment on the post below

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Are Airbus A380's too big for its crews to deliver a good cabin service experience?

Dubai based Emirates airline is the world's largest operator of the Airbus A380 superjumbo, and has orders with Airbus S.A.S. for 90 aircraft. Airline President Tim Clark recently told Reuters in an interview.

"We would like some more [Airbus A380 superjumbos] but we are going to run short of space,""120 was the baseline figure that the planners worked to get where we needed to be, but we couldn't order that amount because it was too many for here so 90 was a compromise."

Without a doubt, the aircraft is a huge draw for passengers who are lining up in droves to experience the aircraft. This in turn is allowing not just Emirates, but all operators of the A380, to charge as much as 25% premium on fares.

However, a lack of space at Dubai airport is not the only space problem for Emirates. The high customer attraction which is filling up the behemoth super-jumbos to the brim, is turning into a cabin service nightmare for its cabin crews.

"There are simply just too many passengers for the crew to handle, even in premium classes"

laments a passenger.

Yesterday, my parents flew business class from Bangalore to London via Dubai on the carrier. The first leg Bangalore to Dubai was on the smaller Airbus A330, while the Dubai London leg was on the A380.

Commenting on the Bangalore-Dubai leg, my father, a seasoned traveller in his own right, gushed

"The service was just superlative. One had to just raise their eyes, let alone a hand, and one of the cabin crew was by your side." "The food was excellent, even the coffee was great." "All the way from the chauffeur drive home pick-up service, the airport experience, the complete flight experience was just great."

But on the Dubai London leg, he too confirmed what other passengers have been saying. The aircraft is excellent with previously unknown levels of cabin comfort, quietness, etc., but the cabin crew are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of passengers on a full flight.

"The plane is great. It is so big and so quiet, it is like a cathedral. At times were were not even sure we were flying." he said. [The Emirates pilots complain the A380 is too quiet to sleep]

Commenting on the service, he said

"The business class cabin was chocker block full and it was simply too much for the crew to handle. Its not like the cabin crew were taking it easy; they were on their toes, non-stop, throughout the flight, but there were just too many passengers and service levels suffered." "We all [the passengers] had to wait up to 30 minutes for even a glass of water. I felt I was in economy class."

Delivering a telling blow he said

"I am glad I am not flying the A380 on the return leg." "The service is so much better in a smaller plane." [He will be flying a Boeing 777-300ER on the London Dubai return].

One can be sure that the airframe manufacturer, Airbus, has done extensive research on the operational dynamics and ergonomic elements of in-flight service, but there is a limit given the size of the aisles and galleys.

Can this service issue be solved by adding more cabin crew? or is the Airbus A380 simply just too big for a good smooth cabin service experience? Comments are welcome.

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IndiGo goes for a chic and hot look in cabin crew makeover

'Tis the season for change. Last week value carrier JetLite announced a change in cabin crew uniform. This week it is Gurgaon based value carrier IndiGo making the change.

More pictures below the fold.

However, unlike JetLite which veered towards a fusion Indian look, IndiGo has decidedly gone hot and chic with a single piece western tunic outfit complete with hats and scarves. In the airline's own words

All-in-all, the new uniform, the hats and look oozes oomph and yet is classy, elegant and uber-cool! India’s coolest airline now has India’s hottest looking crew!

Indigo has partnered with fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh for the uniform and stylist Ambika Pillai for the make-up, hair, and "model looks" for the crew.

Somewhere between a tennis and a shirt dress, the new uniform is single-piece navy-blue tunic with a highlight of indigo on the belt. Functional and timeless elegance, the new uniform is "No nonsense" in line with the spirit of the airline. IndiGo will also be the first airline in India to feature a hat on its cabin crew.

Celebrity hair and makeup artist Ambika Pillai was brought in to give the crew a new global look. Along the lines of Singapore Airlines and its famous "Singapore Girl" Pillai came up with a standard and unique IndiGo look for all the girls with a set short hair style. The makeup is a beautiful pink and brick red color on the lips and nails makes a remarkable statement and the eyes are nude with a pull out liner, thus creating an entirely new look for the IndiGo cabin crew.
IndiGo is commencing an image revamp ahead of its planned international operations which are due to commence in late 2011.

What are your views on the new uniform? Post a comment.

I like the concept of the standardised make-up and look, but I am not impressed with the new outfit. Surely the designer could do a lot better. Just look at the picture above. Even with models, the tunics are singularly unflattering to the ladies' bodies. Quite clearly the airline is missing its "hot and chic" look. Added to this, hats?!?!?! Is it not an absolute nuisance for the cabin crew to wear and maintain?

The most important piece of the outfit, is something all airlines in India miss out on -- the shoes. Well heeled but with no protection for the toes. Painful for the crew who regularly hit their toes on the carts and painful for the passengers as the heels ensure good vibrations in the cabin floor when the crew move about.

How I wish IndiGo would have led the way, learning from Singapore Airlines, who first give their crews flat, full-soled, steel-tipped shoes for on-board use, and then specially train them to walk without disturbing passengers.

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"Terrorist" commandos cause security flap at New Delhi airport

Call it post 26/11 jitters, but an quick reacting flight attendant and under-cover commandos caused a security flap and high drama at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

An Air India Airbus A320-200, IC-401 from New Delhi to Kolkata with 104 people on board, was lined up awaiting clearance for take-off when a woman passenger, an off duty flight attendant for another airline, alerted cabin crew of the suspicious behaviour of three fellow passengers travelling together, after she observed one of them reading a book about Air Disasters.

When she questioned them they were dismissive claiming the book had nothing to do with her. Her suspicions raised the off-duty flight attendant passenger alerted the Air India cabin crew. The three suspect passengers refused to answer questions about the book to the on-duty crew and also did not identify themselves.

The quick reacting Air India flight attendant informed the captain, who, following procedure decided to return to the gate.

The alert created high drama. As the airplane returned to the gate, security forces cordoned off the airplane and interrogated the three suspect passengers, who turned out to be three commandos of the elite Special Protection Group,which is entrusted with protecting amongst others, the Prime Minister of India.

The book they were reading was a training manual. For obvious reasons SPG commandos are expected not to reveal their identity, so no action could be taken against the commando for failing to clear the air at the outset. The airplane was finally able to depart after a delay of two hours.

Talk about the ultimate anti-climax.

What is your view of this incident? Post a comment.

Hat tip to Simon Hradecky for the tip.

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Time for zero tolerance on "air rage", drunk, and lewd passengers in the Indian skies

The recent "hijack" incident involving Indigo airlines flight 6E344 from Goa to New Delhi, has created the furore all over India, and even on to the international stage.

I am glad, Jitendra Kumar Mohala, a 42-year-old chartered accountant, and son of a retired air commodore of the Indian Air Force, has been booked under sections 336 (endangering life and personal safety of others) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Suppression of Unlawful Act Against Safety Of Civil Aviation Act, 1982, which is non-bailable. Now let us hope the authorities throw the book at him.

In the last 15 days alone, there have been three other reported instances of passengers creating trouble on board an aircraft.

• January 14th. An Air India passenger, Valli Panikker (42) got so drunk on the flight that he started abusing and misbehaving with fellow passengers, and hit two cabin crew members on board a New York-Mumbai flight. He was handed over to Mumbai police after the plane landed. Penalty ? Rs. 1,200 fine. News report here.


• January 30th. A 72-year-old man, on a Chennai-Delhi flight, was completely drunk and started groping some women and tried to 'feel up' some of the stewardesses. Penalty ? He was de-planed. As per a police official at Chennai "As he was an aged man, the crew decided to not file a complaint against the man. We warned him not to repeat such activities and let him leave after some time." News report here.


• January 30th. A passenger, Prashant Imene, on board a Jet Airways London-Mumbai flight, molested a woman co-passenger, assaulted the cabin crew and hurled cuss words at them, threatened to throw his passport out of the window (I wonder how, at 30,000ft), tore his boarding pass, threw water on a flight attendant's face and hit an elderly passenger with a spoon. He was not drunk. Penalty ? The police booked him for outraging the modesty of a woman, threatening and assaulting. He was produced in court on January 31st. Sentence unknown. News report here.


• February 1st. Jitendra Kumar Mohala, 42, passenger on board Indigo 6E 344 misbehaved with an stewardess over some issue and threatened her, saying that he was armed. He said he had two accomplices on the board and they would hijack the plane. He also said that he was official of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and will inspect the plane. Penalty ? Let us see what develops.
  

Outside this 15 day window,

• July 12, 2008, a drunk Kuwaiti national, Bilal Ahmed, 40, forced a Doha to Bangkok Qatar Airways flight. to make an emergency landing in Mumbai. Sources said his hands and feet had to be tied together to bring him under control. The Mumbai police meekly returned Bilal Ahmed to Doha on the very next Qatar Airways flight, instead of meting out any punishment.

Airlines, including those in India, hire attractive young ladies as customer service and cabin crew to inject glamour in to an otherwise tiresome travel experience. The Singapore Airlines' "Singapore Girl" is renowned globally. Virgin Airlines is considered "Still Red Hot" with its glamorous red uniformed female cabin crew, a theme followed by Kingfisher airlines in India. The crews of Jet, Indigo, SpiceJet, and some in Air India, are no less, in the glamour quotient.

Indian air crews, particularly, females, have to put up with troublesome passengers some who are over-aggressive, often hostile, many times drunk and lecherous, believing that the stewardess is their personal property to grope, fondle and abuse.

In the land where 'Devi', the female goddess, is worshipped, this lack of respect for women in the air, is utterly disgusting.

It is not just passengers, just yesterday (February 3rd), in a most shocking incident, an Andhra Pradesh Home Guard attached to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, B Vinod Reddy, was arrested for eve-teasing some girl students and then beating up their male classmate when he attempted to intervene and get Reddy to stop. Reddy was finally arrested and charged under sections 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt) and 509 (Insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code, after the students went on a protest at the airport.

Despite India having the laws under the Indian Penal Code, and being a signatory to all United Nations' conventions and treaties covering civil aviation, recent incident indicate a pattern of not levying punishment.

Compare the minor penalties in India, to the penalties in the United Kingdom which mandates a penalty of £5,000 or 2 years’ imprisonment. In the United States, criminal penalties are a fine of up to US$ 11,000 or 20 years imprisonment, civil penalties aside.

India has to enforce its laws, and severely punish offenders, only then, will passengers learn to control their mouths, their hands, and their behaviour.

What also surprises me is the lack of complaints from the airlines or the crews. I refuse to accept that a stewardess is not disgusted to the point of making a complaint, after being groped, abused, or 'felt-up'. An airline looses a lot of money by making emergency landings, and looses the goodwill of passengers who have to put up with a horrible experience.

It is time for all of us to stand firm with a "zero tolerance" policy against these maniac passengers, and also empower the crew by supporting their complaints. Otherwise, we risk the typical knee-jerk reaction, one can expect from the government -- to ban serving of alcohol on board any flight, which will only inconvenience 99.9% of passengers instead of punishing the offending 0.1%, and still leave cases like Prashant Imene (who was not drunk) and Jitendra Kumar Mohala (who drank before the flight) un-addressed.

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