Flyingfox
Oct 23, 05, 7:31 am
Kuwait F JFK-LHR
Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - Trip Report: Kuwait Airways in F JFK-LHR
View Full Version : Trip Report: Kuwait Airways in F JFK-LHR
RTW4
Oct 23, 05, 9:17 am
I loved your report. If I am correct Kuwait airways has one of the least expensive F fares to LHR besides AI..Am I correct?...
Flyingfox
Oct 24, 05, 11:42 am
I loved your report. If I am correct Kuwait airways has one of the least expensive F fares to LHR besides AI..Am I correct?...
Thanks for the feedback! :D
We paid a whopping $1209 each for one-way tickets for this flight - well worth it, even with the business-class seat.
Air India at the time was around $1900 for the same evening flight.
Thanks for the feedback! :D
We paid a whopping $1209 each for one-way tickets for this flight - well worth it, even with the business-class seat.
Air India at the time was around $1900 for the same evening flight.
azmmza
Oct 24, 05, 5:05 pm
what did the J seat look like?
how many j seats did they have?
would you consider this a true F product?
how many j seats did they have?
would you consider this a true F product?
Babu
Oct 24, 05, 6:04 pm
FF,
Well done! I sure wish this was my experience when I took them in F class 4 years ago.
I don't think I am quite ready to give them another shot however, since I think your experience was skewed by the fact that you were the only pax in F. Every time I was the only pax in F on a number of airlines, I have also received fantastic service, while a fully packed cabin on the same airline is often a different experience altogether.
Well done! I sure wish this was my experience when I took them in F class 4 years ago.
I don't think I am quite ready to give them another shot however, since I think your experience was skewed by the fact that you were the only pax in F. Every time I was the only pax in F on a number of airlines, I have also received fantastic service, while a fully packed cabin on the same airline is often a different experience altogether.
Flyingfox
Oct 24, 05, 9:01 pm
what did the J seat look like?
how many j seats did they have?
would you consider this a true F product?
The business seat looked a bit cramped - there were not many seats, I believe it was a 2-3-2 arrangement and maybe 3 rows max? It looked more like premium economy, but I've read the seats have 45 inch pitch in their J.
It's hard for me to say regarding the true F product question - the service items (chinaware, utensils, napkins, glasses) were are "true F", as was the food quality itself and the overall presentation, but the seats were not up to the standards of other carriers in F.
Think of the old WBC seat on NW - wide, cushy, but with 60 inches of pitch, so not flat. But comfortable enough for a 6 or 7 hour flight.
I would think that the cabin may feel a bit tight if the flight was full (with all 24 seats taken), and I'm quite sure the service would not be quite as good as it was on our particular flight. That was only the second time we've been the only 2 in F. It happened once on a SQ international flight in F, which was like heaven!
The price would be very reasonable in F on this carrier. It was less than business class for other carriers on the route. BA and Virgin have their lie-flat products, but most American carriers I'm aware of don't have much more to offer than the 60 inch pitch in business, and you'll likely pay more for their business class product than flying in F on Kuwait anyway.
We came back to the US in Continental's BusinessFirst, and the seat was not so great - it was angled lie-flat, but not very comfortable. The position is actually very awkward and you slide down the seat. We preferred the non-lie-flat seat on Kuwait over the Continental seat!
how many j seats did they have?
would you consider this a true F product?
The business seat looked a bit cramped - there were not many seats, I believe it was a 2-3-2 arrangement and maybe 3 rows max? It looked more like premium economy, but I've read the seats have 45 inch pitch in their J.
It's hard for me to say regarding the true F product question - the service items (chinaware, utensils, napkins, glasses) were are "true F", as was the food quality itself and the overall presentation, but the seats were not up to the standards of other carriers in F.
Think of the old WBC seat on NW - wide, cushy, but with 60 inches of pitch, so not flat. But comfortable enough for a 6 or 7 hour flight.
I would think that the cabin may feel a bit tight if the flight was full (with all 24 seats taken), and I'm quite sure the service would not be quite as good as it was on our particular flight. That was only the second time we've been the only 2 in F. It happened once on a SQ international flight in F, which was like heaven!
The price would be very reasonable in F on this carrier. It was less than business class for other carriers on the route. BA and Virgin have their lie-flat products, but most American carriers I'm aware of don't have much more to offer than the 60 inch pitch in business, and you'll likely pay more for their business class product than flying in F on Kuwait anyway.
We came back to the US in Continental's BusinessFirst, and the seat was not so great - it was angled lie-flat, but not very comfortable. The position is actually very awkward and you slide down the seat. We preferred the non-lie-flat seat on Kuwait over the Continental seat!
Flyingfox
Oct 24, 05, 9:07 pm
FF,
Well done! I sure wish this was my experience when I took them in F class 4 years ago.
I don't think I am quite ready to give them another shot however, since I think your experience was skewed by the fact that you were the only pax in F. Every time I was the only pax in F on a number of airlines, I have also received fantastic service, while a fully packed cabin on the same airline is often a different experience altogether.
Thanks, Babu - things were surely better on this flight with just us in F. The weird thing was everyone filing past on the way to the C and Y cabins - somewhat awkward! :eek:
Well done! I sure wish this was my experience when I took them in F class 4 years ago.
I don't think I am quite ready to give them another shot however, since I think your experience was skewed by the fact that you were the only pax in F. Every time I was the only pax in F on a number of airlines, I have also received fantastic service, while a fully packed cabin on the same airline is often a different experience altogether.
Thanks, Babu - things were surely better on this flight with just us in F. The weird thing was everyone filing past on the way to the C and Y cabins - somewhat awkward! :eek:
Flyingfox
Oct 25, 05, 5:12 pm
I took several cabin, seat, and meal service pictures and will work on putting them into a gallery. Will post the link to it here. :)
terrysalmi
Oct 25, 05, 5:21 pm
Great report! Lucky you got to be the only 2 in F, especially with the cheap fare.
Flyingfox
Oct 28, 05, 12:28 pm
I can't post pictures - sorry all! :(
fromYYZ_flyer
Oct 31, 05, 9:12 pm
Interesting to see a report on KUWAIT airlines. May I ask, what nationality was most of the pax of? Does this flight continue from LHR to Kuwait?
Flyingfox
Nov 2, 05, 4:27 pm
Interesting to see a report on KUWAIT airlines. May I ask, what nationality was most of the pax of? Does this flight continue from LHR to Kuwait?
Okay - I'll give it a try! :)
We were the only 2 in F. C was half-full and 90 percent were Caucasians, mostly British it seemed. Y was full and was mostly middle-eastern flyers and lots of families.
Okay - I'll give it a try! :)
We were the only 2 in F. C was half-full and 90 percent were Caucasians, mostly British it seemed. Y was full and was mostly middle-eastern flyers and lots of families.
snorkmaster
Nov 11, 05, 3:01 am
curious -- where did you find the fare? (don't see it on the travelocity fare list)
sadiqhassan
Nov 11, 05, 10:05 am
Thanks for the feedback! :D
We paid a whopping $1209 each for one-way tickets for this flight - well worth it, even with the business-class seat.
Air India at the time was around $1900 for the same evening flight.
$1209 is amazing! matrix.itasoftware.com is showing $4000 OW.
Cheers
We paid a whopping $1209 each for one-way tickets for this flight - well worth it, even with the business-class seat.
Air India at the time was around $1900 for the same evening flight.
$1209 is amazing! matrix.itasoftware.com is showing $4000 OW.
Cheers
JohnnyUMF
Nov 20, 05, 6:57 pm
One day took the opportunity to use a NYC phone book and found quite a few foreign TA's that were able to provide good rates in C Class.
The other interesting options from JFK-LHR-? are Pakistan Airlines, which I think has a shell like flat seat and great catering, as well as Air India, which really doesnt seem like it would be a bad choice for inexpensive first with there new flat seats.
Also, an airline that I had heard little about, with nothing on FT...Biman Bangldesh, with something like $600 C class to BRU, it sounded more like WT+ on BA though.
The other interesting options from JFK-LHR-? are Pakistan Airlines, which I think has a shell like flat seat and great catering, as well as Air India, which really doesnt seem like it would be a bad choice for inexpensive first with there new flat seats.
Also, an airline that I had heard little about, with nothing on FT...Biman Bangldesh, with something like $600 C class to BRU, it sounded more like WT+ on BA though.
sadiqhassan
Nov 20, 05, 8:06 pm
One day took the opportunity to use a NYC phone book and found quite a few foreign TA's that were able to provide good rates in C Class.
The other interesting options from JFK-LHR-? are Pakistan Airlines, which I think has a shell like flat seat and great catering, as well as Air India, which really doesnt seem like it would be a bad choice for inexpensive first with there new flat seats.
Also, an airline that I had heard little about, with nothing on FT...Biman Bangldesh, with something like $600 C class to BRU, it sounded more like WT+ on BA though.
PIA only flies between MAN and JFK, it stopped its LHR-JFK-LHR flights a long time ago. It also flies IAH-MAN vv
The other interesting options from JFK-LHR-? are Pakistan Airlines, which I think has a shell like flat seat and great catering, as well as Air India, which really doesnt seem like it would be a bad choice for inexpensive first with there new flat seats.
Also, an airline that I had heard little about, with nothing on FT...Biman Bangldesh, with something like $600 C class to BRU, it sounded more like WT+ on BA though.
PIA only flies between MAN and JFK, it stopped its LHR-JFK-LHR flights a long time ago. It also flies IAH-MAN vv
okko
Nov 21, 05, 10:00 am
...and let's not forget PIA's ORD-MAN and YYZ-MAN flights :)
I will be very tempted to give them a try during 2006.
Edit: actually was going to say that I enjoyed reading the report, thank you ^
I will be very tempted to give them a try during 2006.
Edit: actually was going to say that I enjoyed reading the report, thank you ^
Babu
Nov 21, 05, 10:14 am
Although AI raised its prices for NYC to LHR and EWR since adding the new seats in F and J, its still a bargain.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend AI first class to LHR (or India, for that matter).
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend AI first class to LHR (or India, for that matter).
erik123
Nov 21, 05, 11:16 am
PIA is supposed ot use ex-Cathay Pacific 777's - AFAIK you can only book heavily discounted tickets in C when they are pretty sure they are not going to sell the seats. Booking months in advance doesn't seem to work. r/t in C class JFK-MAN is less then $1,000.
sadiqhassan
Nov 21, 05, 11:46 am
PIA is supposed ot use ex-Cathay Pacific 777's - AFAIK you can only book heavily discounted tickets in C when they are pretty sure they are not going to sell the seats. Booking months in advance doesn't seem to work. r/t in C class JFK-MAN is less then $1,000.
Fares from their website in PKR JFK-MAN vv
Business
Oneway 28680 ($479 USD)
Round-trip 49240 ($825 USD)
Economy +
Oneway 12250
Round-trip 27250
Economy
Oneway 11180 ($186 USD)
Round-trip 23720 ($396 USD)
Given above are only basic adult fares.
No tax has been included.
Fare valid for sale from the point of origin.
Other conditions apply.
The fares are readily available, just phone the PIA office to book.
Cheers
Fares from their website in PKR JFK-MAN vv
Business
Oneway 28680 ($479 USD)
Round-trip 49240 ($825 USD)
Economy +
Oneway 12250
Round-trip 27250
Economy
Oneway 11180 ($186 USD)
Round-trip 23720 ($396 USD)
Given above are only basic adult fares.
No tax has been included.
Fare valid for sale from the point of origin.
Other conditions apply.
The fares are readily available, just phone the PIA office to book.
Cheers
okko
Nov 21, 05, 11:54 am
sadiqhassan,
good info, thanks ^
http://www.piac.com.pk/PiaFares.aspx
I can't find fares BKK-NRT though, any idea how to find these?
on a related note, biman fly the route as well - I'm seriously interested, but can't find fares with them either.
good info, thanks ^
http://www.piac.com.pk/PiaFares.aspx
I can't find fares BKK-NRT though, any idea how to find these?
on a related note, biman fly the route as well - I'm seriously interested, but can't find fares with them either.
aa767flyer
Nov 21, 05, 2:10 pm
I have tried t book on PIA before. Its a joke. You cant get anyone on the phone and when you do they ont wanbt to help you. Now, I was at JFk once and inquired at the sales conter and was told I could buy a ticket at the airport for sameday travel but I had to pay in cash ...shaddy!
Babu
Nov 21, 05, 2:16 pm
AA767flyer,
You can book via a travel agent, not the airline directly. There are many in the NYC area that cater primarily to the ethinic traffic to the Subcontinent.
You can book via a travel agent, not the airline directly. There are many in the NYC area that cater primarily to the ethinic traffic to the Subcontinent.
okko
Nov 21, 05, 2:32 pm
If anybody can recommend a travel agent that sell PIA/biman etc in Chicago or London, I would be interested.
in any case, AI's internet sales worked fine when I used it (ORD-LHR booking) ^
in any case, AI's internet sales worked fine when I used it (ORD-LHR booking) ^
sadiqhassan
Nov 21, 05, 2:44 pm
I have tried t book on PIA before. Its a joke. You cant get anyone on the phone and when you do they ont wanbt to help you. Now, I was at JFk once and inquired at the sales conter and was told I could buy a ticket at the airport for sameday travel but I had to pay in cash ...shaddy!
The agents in Toronto and London have been more than helpful. The phone was picked up within seconds. Also - at the airport their office was good too (when it was open)
The agents in Toronto and London have been more than helpful. The phone was picked up within seconds. Also - at the airport their office was good too (when it was open)
gkbiiii
Mar 23, 08, 4:17 am
I have talked with agents about these fares and they are quite good. MSY (new Orleans) to MAN J class RT PIA was under $800. They had an agreement with with American or Delta for domestic US flights. Kuwait was $2,000 FC JFK-LHR and $2,800 for AI. These three airlines seem to offer a great price: how bad can they be compaired with all US carriers? Also, both AI and KU offer cavier, like United or American would offer this in 2008.