SAS enters into agreements with Cityjet for wet lease and sale of Blue1
Mar 30, 2016, 12:17 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
Flew on a WX CR9 for the first time recently. Some brief observations:
All in all though, I think I'd rather be on a KF 717 given the cramped feel of the CR9, but it's not too bad.
- As with other wet lease operations, onboard service is standard SAS. I was upgraded at the gate to Plus; breakfast was served.
- EI-FPA has a "new plane smell" still, and the leather seats and wood effect on the front bulkhead look very classy. Somehow (perhaps it is just my perception) it feels much more cramped than the CR9s operated by Cimber and I had to do the tyrannosaurus arms thing to eat and type on my laptop. I'd much rather be in a front row seat than anywhere else.
- Both the flight and cabin crew appeared to be Finnish, and the service was conducted in Finnish (I suppose I had a vanishingly tiny expectation that they would be Irish). I did not recognise any of them from KF. An announcement from the captain started off in Finnish, but he stopped himself and switched to English. Perhaps there is a WX company policy to prefer only English for announcements?
- The cabin crew did not appear to be familiar with the aircraft, or the order in which things were done in the safety demonstration, but seemed very familiar with the soft product. This does not worry me, it will take a few weeks for everyone to learn the location of everything.
All in all though, I think I'd rather be on a KF 717 given the cramped feel of the CR9, but it's not too bad.
Mar 31, 2016, 3:10 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: EuroBonus Diamond, Delta Skymiles 360, BAEC LTG, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 2,826
Nobody cares about the service, the service items, the weather, the flight time or other useless information. People care even less about hearing it in 2 or 3 different languages by a FA that struggles with the ones that are not their native tongue.
Mar 31, 2016, 3:34 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
It would be a major improvement to SK service if they adopted that policy for all SK flights. The endless intercom hogging with irrelevant nonsense information in 3 languages going on for the first 25 minutes of the flight, not allowing you to focus on reading or work is massive annoyance.
Mar 31, 2016, 3:48 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferable @30.000 feet
Programs: More than one
Posts: 1,673
It would be a major improvement to SK service if they adopted that policy for all SK flights. The endless intercom hogging with irrelevant nonsense information in 3 languages going on for the first 25 minutes of the flight, not allowing you to focus on reading or work is massive annoyance.
Nobody cares about the service, the service items, the weather, the flight time or other useless information. People care even less about hearing it in 2 or 3 different languages by a FA that struggles with the ones that are not their native tongue.
Nobody cares about the service, the service items, the weather, the flight time or other useless information. People care even less about hearing it in 2 or 3 different languages by a FA that struggles with the ones that are not their native tongue.
I just put in my earplugs ... soon as I'm seated and start reading the news papers I picked up in the lounge. The information speeches doesn't really bother me.
Mar 31, 2016, 4:47 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: EuroBonus Diamond, Delta Skymiles 360, BAEC LTG, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 2,826
Usually the security information has a summary in another language. All other information is really irrelevant. What sandwich they serve today, what you can buy, what is included, flight time, meals served in business, plus and coach on longhaul etc. Nothing that can't be solved using screens or flyers, no need to bother your passengers. Loosing 20 minutes on a 1-2 hour flight where you want to prepare for meetings but can't due to the highly unnecessary intercom messages isn't an improvement.
Board, security briefing, fly to destination, security briefing for landing, land. No need to use the intercom otherwise, let people sleep/work/read/concentrate.
Board, security briefing, fly to destination, security briefing for landing, land. No need to use the intercom otherwise, let people sleep/work/read/concentrate.
Mar 31, 2016, 9:53 am
#21
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferable @30.000 feet
Programs: More than one
Posts: 1,673
Usually the security information has a summary in another language. All other information is really irrelevant. What sandwich they serve today, what you can buy, what is included, flight time, meals served in business, plus and coach on longhaul etc. Nothing that can't be solved using screens or flyers, no need to bother your passengers. Loosing 20 minutes on a 1-2 hour flight where you want to prepare for meetings but can't due to the highly unnecessary intercom messages isn't an improvement.
Board, security briefing, fly to destination, security briefing for landing, land. No need to use the intercom otherwise, let people sleep/work/read/concentrate.
Board, security briefing, fly to destination, security briefing for landing, land. No need to use the intercom otherwise, let people sleep/work/read/concentrate.
Apr 6, 2016, 4:54 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: EFHK - HEL
Programs: AY, LH, KL, SK, D8, Marriott, Melia.
Posts: 609
Apr 7, 2016, 12:07 am
#24
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
Also, i've been on a remote stand at both ends 4/4 times so far on WX, so any advantage of being the very first off is minimal; plus one has to wait for the bags to be loaded onto the little trolley.
PS: I note that at least some flights operated by QA are no longer shown as "operated by Cimber" on the SAS website, but still show as such on Google Flights and ExpertFlyer. I wonder why; are they changing hands internally?
Apr 7, 2016, 3:36 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: EFHK - HEL
Programs: AY, LH, KL, SK, D8, Marriott, Melia.
Posts: 609
What about normal size cabin baggage; no chance that it will fit in to the overhead bin even in Plus on CRJ-900?
I have never been on board CRJ until in this month.
Apr 7, 2016, 4:16 am
#26
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)
Posts: 584
Upon disembarking, your bag will be on a similar trolley. They don't start to let passengers off the plane until at least some of the "delivery at aircraft" bags are on this trolley. It does not go into the standard luggage system.
My Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45 bag fits if it's not too full. I think you might have a bad time if you have a maximum-size, hard case bag.
Apr 7, 2016, 5:29 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: EFHK - HEL
Programs: AY, LH, KL, SK, D8, Marriott, Melia.
Posts: 609
CRJ-900 cabin baggage
Good info klmml ^
I have Rimowa 55x40x20; I tend to avoid checking it to the hold. Well I have to used to it with this aircraft. Even if Plus is not full... So far I'm only one there in all of my bookings.
I have Rimowa 55x40x20; I tend to avoid checking it to the hold. Well I have to used to it with this aircraft. Even if Plus is not full... So far I'm only one there in all of my bookings.
Apr 7, 2016, 12:24 pm
#29
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,971
The bulkhead seats in the CRJ are not a good choice imho. Less room than in a row with seats in front of you to my personal feeling (haven't measured it)
The overhead bins are really small. In almost all cases they will force you to gate check the carry-ons which are larger than a backpack or very small roller/spinner
The overhead bins are really small. In almost all cases they will force you to gate check the carry-ons which are larger than a backpack or very small roller/spinner
Apr 8, 2016, 4:08 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Koala Lemur
Programs: SK EBD LTG (*G)
Posts: 2,447
Actually fairly large cabin bags fit (as long as they are quite narrow), but the GAs will often apply a simple heuristics. If it has wheels then it has to be gate checked 
I know that my trolley fits, but still often leave it at the stairs at boarding, to avoid discussions. I value my energy
I know that my trolley fits, but still often leave it at the stairs at boarding, to avoid discussions. I value my energy