Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - EY-Reduced power takeoffs and mini-review

Just finished 4 flights on EY in J class. Overall a very good experience given that standards across the board have fallen. Food excellent, seats good (too narrow for me) and service varies between excellent to average depending on the flight crew.

The only complaints I have were the reduced power takeoff at CDG in the A340-500. Dangerous and no room for error. We just cleared the end of the runway and could have easily been off in half the distance with a safety margin. I also did not like the op-ups which made every J cabin flight full. I guess op-ups are the norm nowadays, but it dilutes the service and means that you are stuck if your seat malfunctions.

Of course my seat did just that on the MNL-AUH segment...At least I received 25K points for the inconvenience.

Etihad is falling way short of expectations from feedback I have received from many colleagues and relatives flying with EY over the European & Middle Eastern summer. In-flight/ground soft product is way below the hype and "disappointing". In-flight hard product seems excellent though. The AUH experience inc lounges have also been very ordinary.

I've yet to fly them, however, would only do so on a QF ticket. I don't want to be stung by an EY pull-out in a few years when the ruling family's ego calms and they realise Sydney runs are generally unprofitable PR exercises! not to mention the EK and soon to be QR competition:D

CJ

The new AUH lounge is really very nice. The only problem is that it was built to accommodate about 100 people instead of the 500 or so that use it at any one time. Peak periods are standing room only and I doubt they can address this issue anytime soon (especially since they just built this lounge).

Thanks for the report - not much around on Etihad. :)

Although my primary airline for travel is BA I have to use other airlines ex-CAI when my travels take me eastbound.

I think that for the price EY's Business Class takes some beating. I used to travel a lot with EK (even did a CO/EK J RTW in 2005) but EK's prices have just gone into orbit ex-CAI.

For example CAI-BKK-CAI in J is currently US$1,600 with EY; it's US$3,000 with EK! CAI-SYD-CAI in J is currently US$3,400 with EY; it's US$7,500 with EK. :eek:

I've not been through EY's new AUH T3 yet, but hoping to rectify that in November.

I'm 6'4"/110kgs and I have no problems with EY's J seats.

Etihad is falling way short of expectations from feedback I have received from many colleagues and relatives flying with EY over the European & Middle Eastern summer. In-flight/ground soft product is way below the hype and "disappointing". In-flight hard product seems excellent though. The AUH experience inc lounges have also been very ordinary.

I've yet to fly them, however, would only do so on a QF ticket. I don't want to be stung by an EY pull-out in a few years when the ruling family's ego calms and they realise Sydney runs are generally unprofitable PR exercises! not to mention the EK and soon to be QR competition:D

CJ
I started flying Etihad from Manchester to Saudi Arabia a year ago. I haven't noticed a significant decrease in the quality of the onboard J soft product. They could do with updating their menus and TV shows a little more often. And handing out a hot towel at the beginning and end of an overnight flight wouldn't kill them.

Regarding T3 - the lounge has more seating capacity than the one in T1, but it can still be standing capacity only at busy times.

I would recommend flying EY J class to anyone.

I started flying Etihad from Manchester to Saudi Arabia a year ago. I haven't noticed a significant decrease in the quality of the onboard J soft product. They could do with updating their menus and TV shows a little more often. And handing out a hot towel at the beginning and end of an overnight flight wouldn't kill them.

Regarding T3 - the lounge has more seating capacity than the one in T1, but it can still be standing capacity only at busy times.

I would recommend flying EY J class to anyone.


That's good to know. Perhaps the EY marketing machine raised expectations for some. Feedback I got mentioned issues such as boarding being a shambles at most ports, cabin crew seemed a bit lost giving J class service IFE wasn't as good as expected(although much better than most), lounges not at all a relaxing experience and AUH staff needing attention. I'll look forward to flying them in any case and make up my mind. EY are charging top $ from SYD thus one would expect equivalent service. I used to fly GF from SYD for the bargain their F class product represented for the price ...it's all what you pay for in the end...one doesn't always get what they pay for..sometimes more, sometimes less.

CJ

The only complaints I have were the reduced power takeoff at CDG in the A340-500. Dangerous and no room for error. We just cleared the end of the runway and could have easily been off in half the distance with a safety margin.



How do you know they did a reduced or flex power takeoff? Where you in the cockpit monitoring the thrust levers and flex computer? I can't the difference between a full or flex t/o when I am in the back so I highly doubt (actually I know you can't) you could either. Flex t/os are not dangerous as you state when the use is warranted. Using flex still gives a balanced field length and the ability to stop all the way up to V1. Almost all airlines do flex thrust takeoffs if and when the conditions warrant its use. Using full thrust or max thrust still would not have gotten you off the runway in "half the distance". How do you know how much runway you really used in the acceleration to V1. Once again, where you in the cockpit? or just looking at the runway distance markers? There can be a large split between V1 and Vr and I have seen in excess of 20kts split on the 74 and that 20kts seen like it takes forever.

I think this is the case of another ill-informed pax commenting on something they really don't know much about.

If a family member goes in for surgery, do you stand of the surgeons shoulder critiquing his work also?

How do you know they did a reduced or flex power takeoff? Where you in the cockpit monitoring the thrust levers and flex computer? I can't the difference between a full or flex t/o when I am in the back so I highly doubt (actually I know you can't) you could either. Flex t/os are not dangerous as you state when the use is warranted. Using flex still gives a balanced field length and the ability to stop all the way up to V1. Almost all airlines do flex thrust takeoffs if and when the conditions warrant its use. Using full thrust or max thrust still would not have gotten you off the runway in "half the distance". How do you know how much runway you really used in the acceleration to V1. Once again, where you in the cockpit? or just looking at the runway distance markers? There can be a large split between V1 and Vr and I have seen in excess of 20kts split on the 74 and that 20kts seen like it takes forever.

I think this is the case of another ill-informed pax commenting on something they really don't know much about.

If a family member goes in for surgery, do you stand of the surgeons shoulder critiquing his work also?




Great, so you're a pilot too...I have 24 years of experience and I do not need to be told whether or not I observed an unsafe reduced power takeoff. You were not onboard, nor was my post detailed enough for you to come to the conclusion that you arrived at.

Not all reduced-power takeoffs are dangerous, and obviously anyone in the aviation industry knows that they are widely used to save on long-term engine wear. However, this takeoff was not normal IMHO. And Middle East airlines do have an issue with reduced power take-offs. Emirates is a prime example with their tail-strike at Melbourne back in April.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25387505-5014090,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25407900-661,00.html

Great, so you're a pilot too...I have 24 years of experience and I do not need to be told whether or not I observed an unsafe reduced power takeoff. You were not onboard, nor was my post detailed enough for you to come to the conclusion that you arrived at.



Looks to me your one of those private pilot types or so called experts on CNN that like to spout off about things you have a tiny understanding about. You may have held a certificate for 24 yrs but flying around in a bug smasher or Microsoft flight sim doesn't qualify you to talk about large transport category aircraft. I am telling you, there is NO WAY you can tell whether a full or flex thrust t/o was used by sitting in the back. Even in the bunk in the upper deck of a 74, I could not tell whether flex was used or not and I have been flying the thing for several yrs.



And Middle East airlines do have an issue with reduced power take-offs. Emirates is a prime example with their tail-strike at Melbourne back in April.



So EK has one incident while using flex and you deem all carriers using flex unsafe. This was more a case of human error on more than one level. I happen to know a couple of checkairman at EK and there is more to the story.

Looks to me your one of those private pilot types or so called experts on CNN that like to spout off about things you have a tiny understanding about. You may have held a certificate for 24 yrs but flying around in a bug smasher or Microsoft flight sim doesn't qualify you to talk about large transport category aircraft. I am telling you, there is NO WAY you can tell whether a full or flex thrust t/o was used by sitting in the back. Even in the bunk in the upper deck of a 74, I could not tell whether flex was used or not and I have been flying the thing for several yrs.




So EK has one incident while using flex and you deem all carriers using flex unsafe. This was more a case of human error on more than one level. I happen to know a couple of checkairman at EK and there is more to the story.



Absolute drivel...You know nothing about me so don't invent stories. Go back to being a Fed up flyer or whatever you do with MS Flight Sim. :mad:

Absolute drivel...You know nothing about me so don't invent stories. Go back to being a Fed up flyer or whatever you do with MS Flight Sim. :mad:


Ha.
I must have stuck a nerve with such a poor response such as "you don't know me" type retorts.
Call it what you like but I am still here pointing out the fact that you are making comments/accusations on things you don't have a clue..

Ha.
I must have stuck a nerve with such a poor response such as "you don't know me" type retorts.
Call it what you like but I am still here pointing out the fact that you are making comments/accusations on things you don't have a clue..



I'm glad you enjoy posting derogatory comments on Flyertalk. I stand by my claim that Etihad performed an unsafe takeoff. You are welcome to disagree, but you need an attitude adjustment. Polite disagreement instead of rudeness, would have enhanced your opposing view. I will leave it to others to comment further.

I'm glad you enjoy posting derogatory comments on Flyertalk. I stand by my claim that Etihad performed an unsafe takeoff. You are welcome to disagree, but you need an attitude adjustment. Polite disagreement instead of rudeness, would have enhanced your opposing view. I will leave it to others to comment further.

I don't see any of my comments being classified as derogatory. I am purely stating that you are un-qualified to make the accusations that you have made. Esp in the light that some of us (me) actually make our living flying wide-bodies around the world.

How do you know they did a reduced or flex power takeoff? Where you in the cockpit monitoring the thrust levers and flex computer? I can't the difference between a full or flex t/o when I am in the back so I highly doubt (actually I know you can't) you could either. Flex t/os are not dangerous as you state when the use is warranted. Using flex still gives a balanced field length and the ability to stop all the way up to V1. Almost all airlines do flex thrust takeoffs if and when the conditions warrant its use. Using full thrust or max thrust still would not have gotten you off the runway in "half the distance". How do you know how much runway you really used in the acceleration to V1. Once again, where you in the cockpit? or just looking at the runway distance markers? There can be a large split between V1 and Vr and I have seen in excess of 20kts split on the 74 and that 20kts seen like it takes forever.

I think this is the case of another ill-informed pax commenting on something they really don't know much about.

If a family member goes in for surgery, do you stand of the surgeons shoulder critiquing his work also?

I'd have to agree the tone of the above is hardly healthy debate, more-so condescending. why not just PM each other and exchange quals so at least you know where the other stands professionally-or take it to pprune;)

CJ