Middle East and Africa Airlines Trip Reports Index

[BiziBB]

This list summarises reports and mini-reports from both this forum and Trip Reports.
Please add yours and PM me if you need any links or corrections to what is already here.

EgyptAir [MS]
CAI-RUH or this trip Lax-las-jfk-fra-ist-cai-ruh-ist-otp-waw-ams-iad by Wiggums [Sep, 2009]
The Egyptair F and C experience with pics BKK-CAI-AMS (nice work, golsquare) [Nov, 2008]
Trip Report. MS961 BKK-CAI, MS799 CAI-CDG. No pics!(thanks, tlongdon) [Sep 6, 2008] (- a very colourful report)

Emirates [EK]
KLM, Emirates, Kenya in Business + Qatar,Air Arabia,Jazeera in Y by rankourabu [Sep 2009]
LONG TRIP REPORT OF A LONG TRIP bom-dxb-sfo in First Thanks again, Down_the_back) [July, 2009]
EK 413 Inaugural A380 AKL-SYD flight Thanks, EK_Flyer) [Feb, 2009]
EK412 Inaugural B772LR SYD-AKL (nice!)Thanks, EK_Flyer) [Feb, 2009]
Ek433 Auckland - Brisbane in J (coming over for some Gold Coast sun! Thanks, EK_Flyer) [Jan, 2009])
AKL - MRU - AKL Mileage run for EK Gold and a stay at The Atlantis (lots of pics - great! Thanks, EK_Flyer) [Dec, 2008]
EK 406/407 MEL-AKL in J and complimentary upgrade(with pics! Thanks, EK_Flyer) [Dec, 2008]
KLM Emirates Kenya [J] Qatar/Air Arabia/ Jazeera [Y] some pictures

Emirates First Class Lounge, Terminal 3 (The New One!!!) with photo's (thanks, roadwarriorafrica) [Nov, 2008]
EK932 HBE-DXB Y A330-200 seat 26A (thanks, jpatokal) [Sept 5, 2008]
Emirates A380 to first fly JFK-LHR and DXB-SYD-AKL [March 3, 2008]
New 777-300ER - Wow! [Dec 11, 2007]
Any EK trip reports in F JFK-DXB? (3 777W types) [Oct 20, 2007]
NBO-DXB-NBO EK F + SHANGRI LA DXB report [Oct 12,2007]
B777-200LR in J - Trip Report [Oct 11, 2007]
Trip Report - EK First LHR-SIN-BNE SYD-DXB-LHR [Mar 14, 2007]
Flight Report- JFK-DXB [Mar 5, 2007]

"Triple 777": BNE-SIN-DXB-MUC on Emirates B777-200ER & B777-300 (Y) [Apr 29, 2007]
EK First - LHR-SIN-BNE SYD-DXB-LHR (plus some internal Y flights) with pics [Mar 14, 2007]
Flight Report- JFK-DXB [March 5, 2007]
EK Impressions: JFK-DXB in F [Feb 27, 2007]
EK 203/ 204 trip report in Y [JFK-DXB-ACC] [Feb 10, 2007]
EK in J: LGW-DXB-BKK-HKG [Feb 8, 2007]
LGW - DXB - PER, Emirates (EK) in First and Business [Dec 27, 2006]
Trip Report - LGW - DXB - PER, in First and Business [Dec 27, 2006]

Etihad [EY]
EY 451 Sydney to Abu Dhabi[etravelblackboard Oct 7, 2008] (SYD Int A area; QF lounge)
LHR-AUH-BKK and return in C on EY (PHOTOS) (thanks, tolsti) [Jun8, 2008]
EY 470 AUH-SIN Y B777-300 seat 54K
EY 316 RUH-AUH Y B777-300 seat 26D (thanks, jpatokal) [Mar 13, 2008]
EY 315 AUH-RUH Y B777-300W seat 19C (thanks, jpatokal) [Feb 28, 2008]
EY 211 DEL-AUH Y A340-600 seat 43A (thanks, jpatokal) [Feb 28, 2008]
BNE-SIN on Etihad: Very pleasantly surprised [Feb 8, 08]
Etihad Airways - EY 502 (Toronto to Abu Dhabi via Brussels) - November 2005 [Oct 1, 06]
Etihad Airways - EY222/501 KHI-AUH / AUH-YYZ via BRU. December 2005 [Oct 1, 06]
Wahhabalinese Adventures 2: SIN-DEL-AUH-RUH-JED on 9W/EY/SV/XY
AUH-FRA on Etihad: Inconsistencies but Great Routing (Jumeirah Palm Overflight) +pics [Dec 12, 2005]

Gulf Air [GF]
GF J Class trip report[May 28, 2009]
GF DXB-BAH-CAI in J - 'flight from hell' [Apr 29, 2008] [Apr 29, 2008]
GF BAH-LHR (in F) and the LHR AA Flagship Lounge (thanks HFF!) [Apr 25, 2008]

I looked around the cabin with a bit of nostalgia...I likely would not be on a GF flight again for quite some time, especially in F

GF LHR-BAH-DXB in F (T3) (thanks, HedgeFundFlyer) [Apr 20, 2008]
Gulf Air Trip Report & 146 Photos [Aug 4, 2006]
Also references this review site.

Kuwait Air
An almost fatal flight (story)
LXR-DOH-DXB Qatar Airways - Airbus A330-200

Qatar [QR] see also Trip Reports in Qatar Forum
NewMiddle East Sampler:LXR-DOH-DXB (Y) Qatar Airways - Airbus A330-200 (thanks, FinalCallDXB) [Sept 23, 2009]
Querulous QR Quest to Q8: SIN-DOH-KWI vv in QR whY (thanks, jpatokal) [July 5, 2008] [u]"meet the Assmats"
Qatar First HKG-DOH-CDG with pix link (thanks, Carfield) [May 12, 2008]
QR A340 BKK-DOH: As Bad As Anticipated [Sept 29, 2007]
QR trip report FRA-DOH in Business Class [July 29, 2006]
LHR-DOH [Apr 3, 2006]
BAH-DOH in F (GF or QR?) [Nov 05]

Saha [an Iranian military 'subsidiary' airline]
Boeing 707; Tehran – Mashad; Saha Air thanks, MilesDependent) [June 17, 2008]
- I hope we can see the pics again!

Turkish
Turkish Airlines Business Class - A review of the newest *A member! (with pics) (thanks, jacob_m) [July 16, 2008]

- - - - - - - -
LCCs:
Air Arabia
NewSHJ-LXR Air Arabia - Airbus A320 (LCC Y) (thanks, FinalCallDXB) [Sept 23, 2009]
Air Arabia SHJ-RUH Trip Report (thanks, HedgeFundFlyer) [Mar 8, 2008]

Jazeera [JZ]?
Return KWI-DXB (the LCC comparison verdict)
To the Sweltering Sun of Kuwait: Jazeera Airways DXB-KWI-DXB (thanks, HedgeFundFlyer) [Jun 23, 2008]
Jazeera KWI-BEY-KWI - Excellent (thanks, moocherx) [May 6, 2008]

[KR] ???

Nasair [XY]
XY 406 JED-RUH Y A320 seat 15E (thanks, jpatokal) [Mar 11, 2008]

Sama [ZS]
LCC in Saudi Arabia: Sama Airlines DMM-RUH (thanks, trsqr) [May 8, 2008]
ZS754 DMM-RUH Y 737 seat 17F (thanks, jpatokal) [May 5, 2008]
(from Beer, Bacon and Bargirls: A Multimodal Escape to Bahrain (ZS Y and more))
Saudi Arabian Airlines GVA-RUH in C

Saudi Arabian/Saudia [SV]
SV1069 RUH-JED Y B777-200 seat 45D (thanks, jpatokal) [Feb 28, 2008]
SV 554 RUH-DXB Y B777-200 seat 54L (thanks, jpatokal) [Feb 28, 2008]
SV 559 DXB-RUH Y B777-200 seat 40C (thanks, jpatokal) [Feb 28, 2008]

Wataniya (Kuwait)
(awaiting moocherx's trip report )

- - - - - - - -
General Mid-East Trip Reports including sightseeing
Schof's excellent Abu Dhabi adventures (BA, LH)
-----
Africa

Ethiopian Airlines (that $0 fare!)
Ethiopia Adventure for $274.. IAD-ADD-LLI-BJR-ADD-IAD on Ethiopian Airlines
[thanks hauteboy] (April 10, 2008)

Air Madagascar
Air Madagascar TLE to FTU (with pics!)
Air Madagascar

Royal Air Maroc
Royal Air Maroc Flight 287 Casablanca – Douala - Brazzaville (in J)
[thanks You want to go where?] (March 10, 2008)

South African Airways [AA]
My experience with flying SAA from JNB to LHR
Greetings from South Africa - a short trip report[/url]

[BiziBB]

Thanks berlinflyer for the sticky!

Lounges and reviews

Emirates
LHR & Emirates (F?) Lounge (from LHR-SYD report above)
DXB F lounge (same detailed trip report as above)
SIN lounge
(Just for fun - same great report, Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast)

Etihad
Etihad LON-AUH-CMB in Diamond zone (first class) [Oct 05]
Surprisingly superb experience on Etihad! (EY211 AUH-DEL) [Jul 05]
Slide show of AUH Pearl Lounge areas (.pdf)

Gulf Air
BAH
BKK [Feb 08]
LHR
GF Heathrow Lounge and London (Thanks HedgeFundFlyer) [April 17, 08]

Qatar - note new lounge info thread in QR forum!
CMB - Araliya Lounge
Hilarious Araliya story! [Dec 23, 2006]
PRG-DXB-CMB on OK (Araliya stuff midway through) [Apr 22, 2006]

Doha Premium Lounge
First Class
Business Class ...hating it
12hr transit & rule enforcement
transiting / carrying alcohol duty free

EWR

LGW: US / StarAlliance Lounge - Gatwick South

LHR

Lounge Finder
Etihad

• Amman - Jerash Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Bahrain - Delmon Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Bangkok - SKY Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Beirut - Cedar Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Brussels - SN Brussels Airlines Business Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Cairo - Airport Authority Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Casablanca - VIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Colombo - Lotus Lounge (Diamond First) & Palm Strip Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Damascus - Business Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Dammam - First Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Dhaka - Sheraton Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Doha - Oryx Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Frankfurt - Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Geneva - The First and VIP Airport Lounge (Diamond First) & Horizon Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Islamabad - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Jakarta - Pura Indah Lounge Premier Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Jeddah - First Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Johannesburg - South African Airways Cycad Premium Lounge (Diamond First) & South African Airways Baobab Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Karachi - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Khartoum - First & Business Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Kuala Lumpur - MH Golden Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Kuwait - Pearl Business Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Lahore - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• London Heathrow - SAS Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Manchester - Servisair Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Manila - Manila Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Mumbai - Clipper Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Munich - Atlantic Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Muscat - Oman Air Premium Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• New Delhi - ITC Sheraton Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• New York - Swiss Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Paris - Admirals Club (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Peshawar - Executive Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Riyadh - First Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Tehran - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Toronto - BICI Casey’s (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Sydney - Qantas International Business Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)

---
Call for reports and reviews
Have you flown in the last few months on one of these airlines? Why not add your own report on your trip, your lounge experience, your in-flight experience and any extra touches from staff on the ground or in the air?

While Trip Reports is the best place for big reports, we could include mini-reports here for the benefit of anyone seeking up to date info.

[HedgeFundFlyer]

I just added an Air Arabia report.

[ijkh]

Trip report done 17 May 08 with photos.

two flights taken in April 08
TLE-FTU Tulear to Fort Dauphin
FTU-TNR Fort Dauphin to Antananarivo.

Remember in Madagascar every town has two names so:
Tulear = Tolira
Fort Dauphin = Taolagnaro

This just makes everything a little more of travel challenge. We believe this trip was more than worth every bit of our time and effort.

[BiziBB]

I've just added LOTS of new reports, thanks to jpatokal's post!

A good beginning, a good read...

At a squeak over 10,000 miles, this trip is no great shakes when it comes to distance, but there can't be too many places on Earth with a greater level of contrast than its endpoints.

In the left corner, we have the virtually untouristed capital of a filthy rich, rigidly conservative, strictly Islamic absolute monarchy in one of the world's most arid countries:
http://jpatokal.iki.fi/photo/travel/...IbnSaud_tn.JPG http://jpatokal.iki.fi/photo/travel/...urtyard_tn.JPG http://jpatokal.iki.fi/photo/travel/...ybridge_tn.JPG
RUH DAFIF Riyadh [King Khalid Airport], SA

And in the right corner, we have the rather less wealthy yet famously liberal, only notionally Hindu and immensely tourism-friendly tropical paradise of Bali...

Wahhabalinese Adventures: SIN-DXB-RUH-DPS on SQ/SV Y/C
Etihad/Saudi Arabian/Nas Air:
EY 211 DEL-AUH Y A340-600 seat 43A
EY 315 AUH-RUH Y B777-300ER seat 19C
SV 1069 RUH-JED Y B777-200 seat 45D
XY 406 JED-RUH Y A320 seat 15E
EY 316 RUH-AUH Y B777-300ER seat 26D
EY 470 AUH-SIN Y B777-300ER seat 54K

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting when I stepped inside the door of my first Saudi Arabian Airlines plane, and I'm not quite sure if it matched those fuzzy expectations. A B777 is still a B777, even though this one was a little faded and scruffy on the edges.

Wahhabalinese Adventures 2: SIN-AUH-RUH-JED on EY/SV/XY
Etihad, Saudia and Nas Air trip reports
SQ 494 SIN-DXB Y B777-300 seat 35H
SV 559 DXB-RUH Y B777-200 seat 40C
SV 554 RUH-DXB Y B777-200 seat 54L
SQ 375 DXB-SIN Y B777-200 seat 59D

I had high expectations for Etihad, and they were pretty much met, but I was a little disappointed in the ungenerous seat pitch (esp. on the A346) and the cumbersomeness of the IFE system. On the plus side, service was very good for economy, their hub AUH is not bad and is likely to soon get very much better, and their network is also growing furiously. The main downside really is the total lack of usable frequent-flyer miles usable anywhere other than EY.

[BiziBB]

Seeking new Trip Reports or reviews of flights and terminals.

Note that Etihad is publicising reduced connection times at Abu Dhabu (AUH) for many routes.

I'll update the index tonight with new reports in Trip Reviews.

[BiziBB]

In response to the request about lounge access for guests I'll try to put all of the info here.

I've not found the info to answer the query about Etihad F pax sponsoring guests, but that is alowed by GF, so it may be possible to rgue to similar service.

Lounge Access / Eligibility:
Gulf Air
First and Business Class passengers
Gold and Silver Frequent flyer members
Gold members may bring one travel companion in to the lounge with them, free of charge

Etihad

Qatar

[BiziBB]

Airport Lounge Finder

Sorted by airline:
Etihad

• Amman - Jerash Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Bahrain - Delmon Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Bangkok - SKY Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Beirut - Cedar Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Brussels - SN Brussels Airlines Business Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Cairo - Airport Authority Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Casablanca - VIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Colombo - Lotus Lounge (Diamond First) & Palm Strip Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Damascus - Business Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Dammam - First Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Dhaka - Sheraton Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Doha - Oryx Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Frankfurt - Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Geneva - The First and VIP Airport Lounge (Diamond First) & Horizon Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Islamabad - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Jakarta - Pura Indah Lounge Premier Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Jeddah - First Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Johannesburg - South African Airways Cycad Premium Lounge (Diamond First) & South African Airways Baobab Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Karachi - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Khartoum - First & Business Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Kuala Lumpur - MH Golden Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Kuwait - Pearl Business Lounge (Pearl Business)
• Lahore - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• London Heathrow - SAS Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Manchester - Servisair Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Manila - Manila Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Mumbai - Clipper Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Munich - Atlantic Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Muscat - Oman Air Premium Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• New Delhi - ITC Sheraton Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• New York - Swiss Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Paris - Admirals Club (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Peshawar - Executive Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Riyadh - First Class Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Tehran - CIP Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Toronto - BICI Casey’s (Diamond First & Pearl Business)
• Sydney - Qantas International Business Lounge (Diamond First & Pearl Business)

Gulf Air
Bahrain
Dubai
London Heathrow (Departure and Arrival lounge)

Qatar
QR Premium Terminal
Spa
Privelege Club Qmiles
Qbiz

[BiziBB]

Is this the reason why Qatar is the choice Mideast FFP airline for FTers?

An index of redeeming miles on partner airlines:

Etihad
- ?


Gulf Air
- American Airlines
Redemption units, via Gulf Air Offices
GF office contact list

Royal Jordanian
Oneworld redemption?

Qatar- United
QR - UA redemption

Syrian Arab Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines

[BiziBB]

A big Arab Air Carriers Organisation list (AACO), in my attempt to broaden the list of carriers where we can Trip Report links, add reviews or info:
• Afriqiyah Airways
• Air Algérie
• Air Arabia
• Air Cairo
• EgyptAir
• Emirates
• Etihad Airways
• Gulf Air
• Iraqi Airways
• Jordan Aviation
• Kuwait Airways
• Libyan Airlines
• Middle East Airlines
• Oman Air
• Palestinian Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• Saudi Arabian Airlines
• Sudan Airways
• Syrian Arab Airlines
• Trans Mediterranean Airways
• Tunisair
• Yemenia

[Source: wikipedia]

[BiziBB]

Sorry to have neglected African airlines so far in the index!

I've just added a couple of TRs for SAA.
Has anyone recently travelled on an Arica-based airline?
Maybe it's a market served by just SAA, QR and more recently EY and EK?

[BiziBB]

This is such a horrible story, anyone considering an airline they are not well-informed about, should read first. Then check you're not flying on an airline like this!

Kuwait Airlines
Kuwait Airways: An Almost Fatal Flight

[BiziBB]

Some new Trip Reports were added to that forum, hooray!

Saudi Arabian Airlines GVA-RUH in C

Ethiopia Adventure for $274.. IAD-ADD-LLI-BJR-ADD-IAD on Ethiopian Airlines

[BiziBB]

I have updated the Qatar Airlines section with a link to a Trip Reports index in that forum.

On that new index, reports are sorted by destination.

[HedgeFundFlyer]

I have a trip report going now that is partially on GF, LHR-BAH-DXB-BAH-LHR, along with impressions of the GF lounges, etc.