fokker50
Jun 11, 12, 3:20 pm
jub(a321)-cai(b737-800)-cph
What I did like:
Huge seats in both A321 (JUB-CPH) and B737-800 (CAI-CPH), 2+2 seating, really spacious and usually empty cabins (CAI-CPH flight had 24 seats in J and probably only 6 or 7 passengers). Very acceptable legroom for medium-haul flight, domestic First style (fyi: both flights taken were lengthwise comparable to shorter US transcons).
Attentive and service minded crew. Hot fragranced towels and nice selection of juices (from real glasses) were offered prior takeoff. Guava juice was particularly good ^. Hot fresh mint tea - made by the crew on request from real mint leafs - is highly recommended as well.
Very nice new terminal at Cairo with free wifi and efficient immigration (yes, it even resembled me passport control in Singapore). Maybe I was just lucky (and maybe I just too vividly remember old and horrible terminal MS used to use few years ago), but I really liked new one - spacious, airy and peaceful. From Europe only perhaps LH terminal in Munich is comparable. I did not had too much time to spend in lounges, but had impression that MS operates one big and three smaller lounge in international section and they were acceptable with quite nice selection of finger food and other snacks.
MS accommodates connecting long-haul paxs (and 4 hrs flight from JUB seemed to be long enough) for free in CAI Airport Novotel. (it seemed to be that hotel was provided also to connecting paxs from Y). And Novotel is really acceptable hotel with fresh crisp linen, free wifi, free dinner and breakfast (for MS voucher holders). No problems whatsoever.
Generally secure feeling. I too remember what happened to MS990, but overwhelming feeling was that I was flying with very experienced airline. On flights to more problematic sports (and Juba in Southern Sudan with its totally chaotic terminal, crime level and overall crisis is as problematic as it can get) MS seems to carry their own security personnel all the way from CAI in order to monitor fueling and cargo loading on the ground and screen passengers on the aircraft door. So far I have experienced such thing only when flying AI from Kabul. Those two (or maybe three) men in MS uniform were only paxs besides me on JUB-CAI sector in J class (and all got to select their meals before me, which was not particularly tragic however, as food was horrible. And this leads to
What I did not like:
Way below average meals - although there is a selection (on both flights fish with rice, chicken with pasta and beef with potatoes were offered) it just does not taste in any way. Everything is presented quite enthusiastically - think: white linens, real silverware - but taste just is not there. And it could be there if some herbs, spices and creativity would be included. I have had better meals in DL TATL Y.
Hors d'oeuvres (probably nobody has made such compliment to few slices of cheese, bit of average tasting salmon and two tired and raw carrots before) + dessert (horribly sugary cheesecake) did not save a day.
No snacks, even no peanuts. Not even in business class, not even for money. Once meal service is over, its really over (and there are still few hours to go).
No newspapers in English with the exception of The Egyptian Gazette (which is not very interesing unless you are deeply involved in Egyptian affairs). No magazines (with the exception of onboard magazine Horus, which is probably weakest onboard magazine I have seen). No personal IFE (only random movie presented from overhead screens) and few channels of music with horrible quality (both sound and selection-wise).
No alcohol on board. However that MS allow paxs to enjoy their own alcohol (strangely, as I was told - and maybe its not true in every case -, paxs must pour drinks themselves and FAs only provide ice and glasses (and maybe monitor consumption and its side-effects from distance)).
What I did like:
Huge seats in both A321 (JUB-CPH) and B737-800 (CAI-CPH), 2+2 seating, really spacious and usually empty cabins (CAI-CPH flight had 24 seats in J and probably only 6 or 7 passengers). Very acceptable legroom for medium-haul flight, domestic First style (fyi: both flights taken were lengthwise comparable to shorter US transcons).
Attentive and service minded crew. Hot fragranced towels and nice selection of juices (from real glasses) were offered prior takeoff. Guava juice was particularly good ^. Hot fresh mint tea - made by the crew on request from real mint leafs - is highly recommended as well.
Very nice new terminal at Cairo with free wifi and efficient immigration (yes, it even resembled me passport control in Singapore). Maybe I was just lucky (and maybe I just too vividly remember old and horrible terminal MS used to use few years ago), but I really liked new one - spacious, airy and peaceful. From Europe only perhaps LH terminal in Munich is comparable. I did not had too much time to spend in lounges, but had impression that MS operates one big and three smaller lounge in international section and they were acceptable with quite nice selection of finger food and other snacks.
MS accommodates connecting long-haul paxs (and 4 hrs flight from JUB seemed to be long enough) for free in CAI Airport Novotel. (it seemed to be that hotel was provided also to connecting paxs from Y). And Novotel is really acceptable hotel with fresh crisp linen, free wifi, free dinner and breakfast (for MS voucher holders). No problems whatsoever.
Generally secure feeling. I too remember what happened to MS990, but overwhelming feeling was that I was flying with very experienced airline. On flights to more problematic sports (and Juba in Southern Sudan with its totally chaotic terminal, crime level and overall crisis is as problematic as it can get) MS seems to carry their own security personnel all the way from CAI in order to monitor fueling and cargo loading on the ground and screen passengers on the aircraft door. So far I have experienced such thing only when flying AI from Kabul. Those two (or maybe three) men in MS uniform were only paxs besides me on JUB-CAI sector in J class (and all got to select their meals before me, which was not particularly tragic however, as food was horrible. And this leads to
What I did not like:
Way below average meals - although there is a selection (on both flights fish with rice, chicken with pasta and beef with potatoes were offered) it just does not taste in any way. Everything is presented quite enthusiastically - think: white linens, real silverware - but taste just is not there. And it could be there if some herbs, spices and creativity would be included. I have had better meals in DL TATL Y.
Hors d'oeuvres (probably nobody has made such compliment to few slices of cheese, bit of average tasting salmon and two tired and raw carrots before) + dessert (horribly sugary cheesecake) did not save a day.
No snacks, even no peanuts. Not even in business class, not even for money. Once meal service is over, its really over (and there are still few hours to go).
No newspapers in English with the exception of The Egyptian Gazette (which is not very interesing unless you are deeply involved in Egyptian affairs). No magazines (with the exception of onboard magazine Horus, which is probably weakest onboard magazine I have seen). No personal IFE (only random movie presented from overhead screens) and few channels of music with horrible quality (both sound and selection-wise).
No alcohol on board. However that MS allow paxs to enjoy their own alcohol (strangely, as I was told - and maybe its not true in every case -, paxs must pour drinks themselves and FAs only provide ice and glasses (and maybe monitor consumption and its side-effects from distance)).