wainza1

Yet another brilliant trip report. looking forward to the next one. Also Happy New Year

Jenbel

Love your photos from the air on this trip - it looks like an amazing flight back

Moomba

Thanks wainza1. Happy New Year to you also.

Thanks Jenbel. Some people don't like the daylight flights from Asia but I love staring out the window. I have taken some great shots in the past from these flights and there was some spectacular scenery to be witnessed from 30,000 feet on this flight too.

Moomba

Now for something we hope you’ll really like….

It was time for Moomba to mix it up a bit after travelling many miles on OW and *A carriers it was time for a change.
When looking at my options for getting me back to MCT to pick up my RTW again I happened across a sale fare in J on WY (Oman Air). Having seen a TR about this carrier and looking at their website I decided to give them a try. It was actually cheaper to book LHR-MCT-BKK and return than a simple LHR-MCT return flight. I was able to add in a ‘stopover’ in MCT on the return and will pick up the MCT-LHR sector of my RTW on the way back from BKK.
That is how a long weekend in Bangkok merged into my plans over the New Years weekend.

The fare I ended up booking was slightly more expensive that the sale fare I originally saw but it did include transfers to and from the airport at London and Bangkok.
I rang Oman Air in the UK and they were able to book the limo service for me a few weeks prior to my trip.

My flight posted an hour delay at around 11am of the morning of my flight and I contemplated ringing the car service to see if they would come a little later but decided against it in the end.
My car was booked for 18:30 and at 18:20 I got a text to say that my car had arrived. I was in the throws of final packing and quickly did so before saying goodbye to my cold flat for the second time in 8 days.

The car was a very spanky BMW but the driver was not the friendliest of fellows. He kept playing with the radio throughout the trip and relied on GPS system to get us to our destination.

We arrived at T3 in around 45 minutes and I made my way inside to the WY desks that are located down near the BA/QF end of the terminal.

I waited a moment until an agent was free and the F agent called me over. She was a bit on the ‘I am doing my job and asking the questions but not really listening to your answers’ mode. She asked how many bags I had to check and I said none. She then proceeded to sort out BPs. She then asked me to put my checked bag on the scales. I said I would not be checking a bag. She then wrote out an invitation for both the lounge in LHR and the lounge in MCT. She informed me the flight was an hour late due to late incoming aircraft. She didn’t inform me if I had fast track access but I assumed I did so I made my way through that door. The queue man didn’t object so I gather I did have access.

As per my last few times at LHR T3 the fast track security lived up to its name. There was a very short queue and they had two WMD machines operating.
After this it was that anomaly this is T3 where I had to undergo a passport check on leaving the country. I don’t know why UK Immigration think people who fly from T5 don’t overstay their welcome yet those who fly from T3 do!

I made a quick purchase from Boots (no it wasn’t cold & flu drugs) and then walked on down to find the No. 1 Lounge that WY now use at LHR. It is located down the same alley as the BA lounge but is one floor up.

I was welcomed inside and given a menu and told by the agent that I could have any meal and beverages as an Oman Air visitor to the lounge. Other PP customers and the like do not get the full free deal.
The lounge was absolutely heaving and I managed to only find a spot on a stool by the window but this did offer views out to the apron. The lounge has various different zones including a snug, library, games rooms, kids room, TV room and cinema, a restaurant area with tables and chairs and the more traditional lounge style seating. There is also a spa inside the lounge.
The lounge was way too crowded to facilitate pictures as you will have noticed that I am not fond of taking photos with people in them for my reports.

To start my 3 hour stay I grabbed some juice and a quite nice leek, pea and goat’s cheese tart. There was an area with free for all snacks that included the tart, breads, biscuits, pastries, fruit, salads etc. Later as the lounge cleared out a little I decided to get something more substantial to eat. I went to the bar and ordered a sauvignon blanc and the pasta with mushrooms.
My pasta was delivered shortly after and it was very palatable if just a tad too garlicky.



At 21:45 I decided to head down to the gate. The new posted time for the flight was 22:30 and hadn’t changed since the initial schedule adjustment earlier in the day. At the gate they were advising people to wait outside the corral, as it was quite full inside. I hung around for another 15 minutes and things finally started to move. The agent called those of us outside to come forward. I did so and had my BP checked and BP swiped. Boarding had just commenced with F/J only. I walked straight on down towards the aircraft.

Flight WY0102 LHR-MCT Seat 11K
Aircraft: 330-300
Departure time: 21:25

Once on board I was directed to my seat and I stowed my bags in the overhead and beside my seat. The J cabin is set up in a 1-2-1 configuration with 2 rows before the galley at door 2 and another 3 behind. The window seats have two storage bins each along the lines of those upstairs on a 747.

I sat my jacket on the side of the seat and waited. There was no acknowledgement from the crew of my appearance in the cabin. The A side of the cabin was being served pre-departure drinks but my side seemed to be a dry affair. A crewmember kept walking past to the rear J cabin but never even made any contact with me. It seemed quite strange for them not to even say hello.

The doors were shut and we were just about to push back when the crewmember who had been running and up and down my aisle finally asked me if I would like some champagne. I said yes and she returned a while later with a glass and a hot towel and then returned with the bottle of warm bubbly.

We pushed back at 22:32 and the captain announced a flight time of 6 hours and 14 minutes. The safety briefing then started with the crew pointing out the exits and floor lighting. The safety briefing was then shown on the IFE, first in Arabic and then in English. The cartoon characters in the demo were a woman and her son. It was quite funny when the woman had to take the Gameboy off the son who then did a big pout. During the demo the crew came around handing out menus and amenity kits. The amenity kits were the only bit of bling experienced with this Middle Eastern airline and were gold and contained Amouage branded Lip Balm, Facial Moisturiser, Eye Gel and Hand & Body Lotion along with socks, eyeshade, toothbrush and paste, a mint, comb, ear plugs, mouthwash, sewing kit, shoe horn and saving cream and shaver.

After the briefing the IFE showed nose cam on our way out to the runway and into the take off. We took off at 22:50 and eight minutes later the belt sign was off and the cabin crew started about their service.

Arabic coffee and dates started the service routine and then the crew came around taking food orders. In a routine unusual to me they took orders for all elements of the meal including drinks and dessert and asked what I wanted for the second meal (breakfast) as well.

The Menu

A la Carte

Creamy leek and potato soup fresh chives

Arabian mezzeh selection
Smoked salmon on cucumber and red peppers
Herb and garlic labneh
Zucchini and cherry tomato kebab
Golden baked spinach fatayer

Thinly sliced smoked duck breast
Roasted pear and walnuts
Seasonal leaves
Raspberry vinaigrette

Grilled salmon filet
Light dill cream sauce
White and brown steamed rice
Young carrots, sautéed spinach

Rich beef and mushroom pie
Crushed herb potatoes
Roasted root vegetables

Dessert
Freshly sliced fruit

Gourmet ice cream selection

Chocolate and orange ganache slice
Candied citrus
Vanilla anglaise

Warm rice pudding
Poached peach
Raspberry sauce
Pistachios

Selected farmhouse cheese
Traditional accompaniments

Breakfast

Fresh seasonal fruit
Natural yoghurt
Berry coulis

Bircher muesli
Dried fruit julienne

Wood smoked salmon
Spiced herb ricotta
Cucumber and red pepper salad

Selection of cereals
Fresh full cream or low fat milk

________________

Creamed mushroom omelette
Grilled chicken sausage
Roast potatoes
Garlic scented spinach

Rosemary potato, red pepper and sweetcorn frittata
Tomato and pimento coulis
Grilled asparagus

Golden baked Belgian waffles
Caramelised apples
Berry compote

Arabic cuisine

Mezzah
Red pepper dip

Feta cheese
Herbs, olive oil

Gourmet olive salad

Zucchini and cherry tomato kebab

Golden baked spinach fatayer

Fresh coriander leaves, lemon

Arabian festival combination dish

Ful medames breakfast beans

Herb scrambled eggs

Grilled chicken medallion
Roasted peppers and zucchini
Chunky tomato salsa

There was also a breakfast card a la hotels where you could sleep a little longer.

Express Breakfast
If you prefer to sleep a little longer, we will be happy to wake you 1 hour before landing to serve you your express breakfast.
MY BREAKFAST ORDER IS
Fresh Lime juice
Bakery Selection
Fresh Fruit

TEA
My choice is ___

COFFEE
Cappuccino
Latte
Espresso
Decaffeinated
Americano
Macchiato
Mocca

My single dish preference from the a la carte breakfast menu is: ___________

BEVERAGES
CHAMPAGNE
R. Pouillon Cuvee de Reserve NV
Champagne, France
Gold in colour, the Cuvee de Reserve has beautiful aromas of acacia, pine needles and hawthorn with some quince jelly overtones. On the palate, well balanced with almond – like freshness and honey finish.

WHITE
2008 Max Reserva Errazuriz Chardonnay
Casablanca Valley, Chile
With soft yellow colour and golden touches, this wine offers elegant notes of fresh fruit nicely enhanced by delicate aromas and lightly toasted caramel and butterscotch. A light swirling produces notes of white citrus lowers (sic) similar to grapefruit and mandarin blossoms, which highlight the wine’s minerality.

2008 Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Margaret River, Australia
A Margaret River benchmark, night harvest in cooler temperatures, great care in vilification and a proportion of fermentation in new oak French barrels contributes to this stylish wine. Fresh fruit characters with oak adding palate structure and the hallmarks of this crisp complex style.

RED WINE
2008 Mencia Cuatro Martin Codax
Bierzo, Spain
This wine has a morello cherry red colour with violet tints. On the nose it is of medium-high intensity with dominant varietal aromas of ref fruits and a touch of oak. It is well structured with firm but rounded tannins which make it elegant and balanced on the palate. The finish is full of vibrant varietal fruit.

2006 Shaw & Smith Shiraz
Adelaide Hills, Australia
The palate has rich blackcurrant with hints of coffee and white pepper adding depth. The fruit contributes onto the palate and leaves a nicely rounded spicy finish.

DESSERT WINE
2003 Chateau Armajan Des Ormes
Sauternes, Bordeaux, France
A wonderfully rich dessert wine with a floral nose complimented by ripe apricot notes. A full body that is sweet but not cloying. The softer acidity, from hot 2003 vintage makes sure this is entirely ready to drink now. Perfect with cheese, dessert or after dinner

SPRIRTS, COGNACS and LIQUEURS
Glenlivet 12 year old
Chivas Regal
Jack Daniel’s

Absolut
Grey Goose
Smirnoff

Tanqueray

Remy Martin VSOP
Courvoisier

Drambuie
Tia Maria
Cointreau
Baileys
Graham’s 10 year Old Port

BEERS
Heineken
Amstel
Foster’s

COCKTAILS
Bloody Mary
Champagne Cocktail
Screwdriver
Bucks Fizz
Rusty Nail
Dolce Vita

WATER
Voss still
Voss sparkling

TEA
Fine selection of Dilmah Exceptional

COFFEE
Filter
Decaffeinated
Cappuccino
Espresso

Selection of fresh juices
Selection of soft drinks


I found the menu a little hard to digest as the Arabic cuisine section was listed after the breakfast items on the menu and wasn’t sure if was supposed to be an option for dinner or breakfast and then another Arabic option that looked like it was breakfast items.

The meal started with a drink, in my case the shiraz and a plate of nuts.



The table was then set and an appetiser of grilled haloumi cheese with pepper and olives was handed out.



Those of you who have travelled with me before won’t be surprised to find that I ordered the soup to start with. This came out next and was quite nice indeed.



I had contemplated the Arabic cuisine but decided I would try that on my next flight so went with the lovely sounding beef and mushroom pie. It was as lovely as it sounded and was full of flavour.



During the meal explored the IFE and found a huge selection of music, movies and TV to choose from. Unfortunately the complete list is not written anywhere and you have to negotiate the menus of the IFE to find what is on offer. I was able to do my favourite trick of selecting multiple albums from the music range and place them in a play list. I then set this to random and listened to my hearts content. Unfortunately this was another IFE system that won’t allow you to watch the map as well as listen to your playlist.

The crew were good at keeping the wine topped up and offered bread several times during the meal.
I was offered dessert (as I didn’t initially ask for any) but declined. The crewmember asked if I would like her to make seat up as a bed. I agreed. In the meantime I visited the little boys room and discovered that the Oman Air 330 aircraft were fitted with toilets with a spray your bum feature a la Japanese toilets.

On return I found that the seat had been lowered to a fully flat bed with a bottom sheet placed on the seat and the duvet on top.

I snuggled down for some kip and was given a bottle of Voss water. The cabin was terribly hot and the duvet was unnecessary. I slept for a while and woke and the slept again until around 1.5 hours out. The seat wasn’t as brilliant as one might imagine as a bed. It seemed to drop away from the footstool and left a void at calf level that was uncomfortable. As a seat I have no complaints though.

The breakfast service had begun with others eating already. I had asked not to be woken for breakfast but on seeing me awake one of the crew dropped by and asked if I would like anything to eat. I declined but ordered a coffee and some more water.
I downed both quickly and more water was offered along with a hot towel shortly afterwards.

It was great to fly into MCT in the daylight as all my previous flights have been on the BA late night arrivals. I was able to see how mountainous the area was and could see villages and towns below. We passed over the airport before turning back and skimming the coast before landing at 09:32 local time.

There were two F passengers on this flight in the forward cabin and they had a set of stairs attached to door 1 just for them and had their own bus to take them to the terminal.

The business passengers left through door 2 and went onto our own bus that whisked us to the terminal.
I did the now very familiar transit routine in MCT and walked upstairs, waived my BP at the agent and then proceed to the security screening. No liquids out, no laptop out, how pleasant it was.

I had already sussed out where the Oman Air lounges were on my last visit a week or so ago and I made my way straight to the lounge complex. The F lounge was closed but the J lounge agent welcomed me in and said they would make an announcement when the flight was ready.

The J lounge was quite large and had a quite a few people in it at the time I arrived. I managed to grab a seat down one end and then did a little exploring. There was a kids room, a spa, computers & free wifi and a food area with all sorts of hot and cold goodies. There was fruit, yoghurt, cereals, cold meats, eggs, foul (beans), frittata, corn fritters, cheese and more. There was a coffee machine and drinks fridge with juices, water etc.



I munched on some fruit and yoghurt and drank some water while waiting for my next flight. The flight was called at 11:00 and I made my way out of the lounge and down to the gate in an area I had not been to in MCT before.

There was no separate entry into the lounge corral and I joined the end of the short queue. There was no further security required and after waiting inside for a while the agent started to let people onto the busses. The usual MCT thing of economy first followed by the J passengers on their own bus.

Flight WY0815 MCT-BKK Seat 11K
Aircraft: 330-200
Departure time: 11:45


I was on board by 11:32 and my jacket was taken straight away and I was offered some OJ or lemon or champagne. I of course went with the bubbly and it was quite nice, but not a Comtes de Champagne though.



The cabin on the 200 series does not have F and the 1-2-1 arrangement was this time 3 rows forward and 2 behind the galley.





The captain came on the horn and announced a flying time of 5 hours and 40 minutes.
Arabic coffee and a date was offered on the ground this time.

The champagne was topped up and amenity kits and menus handed out before we left the stand at 11:49.

After the seat belt signs were switched off the crew came around to take lunch orders.

The Menu

A la Carte
Creamy celeriac and parsnip soup
Crispy pita croutons

Salad of grilled autumn vegetables
Orange vinaigrette
Yoghurt drizzle

Homemade chicken terrine in walnut and herb coating
Vegetable remoulade
Fragrant orange filets
Cranberry jelly

Centre cut smoked salmon
Asian style rice vermicelli and vegetable salad
Sesame seeds
Tangy citrus and sweet chilli dip

______________

Artisan vegetarian pasta parcels
Creamy pimento and sundried tomato sauce
Caramelised cherry tomatoes, pumpkin and red peppers
Goats cheese crumble

Red seafood curry
Omani hamour and king prawns
Steamed rice
Traditional garnishes

Arabian spiced chicken and vegetable kebabs
Traditional machboos rice
Braised tomatoes and green beans
Fresh lemon

Arabic Cuisine
Mezzeh
Hummus
Tabouleh
Muamarra
Falafel
Red pepper and pumpkin kebab
Fresh coriander leaves, lemon

Arabian Festival Combination Dish
Saffron rice

Chicken and beef kofta kebab
Spicy chick pea and tomato ragout

Roasted mixed peppers, zucchini, haloumi

Dessert
Freshly sliced seasonal fruit
Berry coulis

Gourmet ice cream selection

Arabic coffee tiramisu
Cardamom caramel drizzle

Selected farmhouse cheese
Traditional accompaniments

The Wine and Beverage menu was the same as the LHR-MCT sector.

I started off with my favourite scotch and ginger ale with the nuts.






My table was set and a charger plate was placed on the table. WY are only the second carrier I have flown that have done this, with LX being the other. The appetiser for this flight was a grilled scallop.



The inflight manager came around with immigration cards for Thailand and a fast track pass for immigrations.

As suggested earlier I had decided to go with the whole Arabic deal for this flight and true to my word that is what I did.

The mezzeh starter was lovely and consisted of some of my all time favourites namely, tabouleh, hummus and falafel. My work café does a great falafel, hummus and sundried tomato wrap that I am addicted to. The hummus on this plate was probably the best I have ever eaten.



I was again drinking the Shiraz on this flight and there were plenty of refills offered and again extra bread was offered. I must say I am a great fan of saffron it has a subtle yet wonderful taste and really enhanced this dish.



One thing I noted with this meal was that the plate was warmed which is nice touch.
For dessert I went with the Arabian inspired Tiramisu and it was lovely, the addition of the cardamom was perfect. I decided to try the dessert wine with this option. I have yet to find a sauternes that can match a botrytis wine.



During the meal I was offered water and asked for sparkling. Later in the flight when my glass was empty another crewmember came to top up my glass and I was surprised that she knew I was drinking sparkling.

After lunch I sat back and listened to my playlist and watched the world go by beneath me. One of the crew had, earlier in the flight, shut all the blinds but as he saw me staring out the window refrained from closing the two blinds directly in my sight lines.

About an hour before landing in Bangkok the crew were out again offering the refreshment service for the flight. This was not listed on the menu but consisted of a small burger like bun with pepper and cream cheese, a pastry slice with feta and vegetable, a fruit kebab with passion fruit sauce and a mini chocolate tart.







We made ready for landing after this meal and touched down at 20:41 local time.

It took a while and a few stops before we finally made it to our gate. The crew needed to remind everyone to stay seated several times.

The J cabin exited through the front door and at the top of the bridge I was met by someone from the car service who escorted me to fast track immigration. There was no wait and I was processed immediately.
Once landside I was handed over to another person who escorted me to the car. The driver then whisked me off to the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit for the next few days.





All in Oman Air have a pretty decent product for the price with J seats that leave other carriers F to shame. There were some inconsistencies with the service however the second flight was almost flawless in execution. The London Muscat sector left a little to be desired though. I would happily fly them again except that being a OW miles whore it would mean no mileage accrual.

Next up part the way back to the UK with Oman Air and the next sector of the RTW with BA.


More photos here

hilltopper

Thanks for the report moomba, it's a great read
Pity Oman Air went all the way to provide flat beds without making them comfortable!
The food choices on QF look very comprehensive... I assume the tasting menu is not an option on the flight via HKG as opposed to the one via SIN due to the late night departure?

Crampedin13A

Thanks for the great read so far. Loved those pictures of the mountains on the HKG-LHR leg especially the one 2 pictures before the soup on the flickr set.^

wbasc

I've never noticed before that Moomba is a southpaw..

Moomba

Thanks hilltopper
Yes as it is a late flight it is only a limited supper service and also quite a short flight too to HKG.

Thanks Crampedin13A
One of the reasons I love flying is being able to see the world from 33000 feet. I spent hours on the flight listening to music and watching the world go by beneath me.

Ah all those soup spoons are a giveaway are they not? You will note that I do eat with a fork in my left hand also which is a bit of an anomaly amongst us lefties.

Kiwi Flyer

A great trip so far, and thanks for the report on an airline not often commented on. I think your MCT-BKK flight is headed up wrong.

I am the opposite - right handed but left hand for spoons. I'll use my right hand for cake forks though.

Moomba

Thanks Kiwi Flyer

It was indeed incorrect; that has been rectified.

Kiwi Flyer

Aren't passports checked at conformance in T5? The other LHR terminals do not have conformance check thus passports are checked at the gate?

Moomba

T3 have UKIND peeps checking passport after security (sometimes). There are still the normal passport checks at check-in and the gate.

Kiwi Flyer

I just recall my recent trips where I had T5->T5 transit = passport checked at conformance, and T5->T3 transit = passport checked only at gate, and T3->T3 transit = passport checked only at gate. The 3 LHR departures were with 3 different airlines.

Moomba

My time in Bangkok was a mixture of some sightseeing, shopping and just lazing about. The later two of these aren’t really worth reporting on.

On day two I decided to take the BTS to National Stadium station and walk down the street to visit Jim Thompson’s house. The admission price includes a guided tour of his house and a brief history of the significance of this man to the Thai silk industry.

Unfortunately you cannot take pictures inside the house but I was able to take some pictures of the gardens and you were able to take some photos of the inside from the outside. I will let the pictures do the talking from here on.









My other excursion was to the Damnoen Saduak floating market. This involved an early start and a bus ride to around 100 clicks southwest of Bangkok. On the way we stopped at a palm sugar farm where sap from the coconut tree is boiled down to produce a syrup that is made into palm sugar.







After this we stopped short of the market and were thrown into some longtail boats to take us to the market around a 30 minute ride.



We were left to wander the heavily touristy market and shop for all sorts of tourist tack. There didn’t seem to be too much selling of anything apart from ‘fast food’ and it was a little disappointing not to see a more authentic market.











On the way back we stopped at a teak carving centre and could see the artists at work and of course purchase anything from tourist nick knacks to huge pieces of furniture that would be shipped to your home country.







I also did a bit of hotel hopping whilst in Bangkok and spent a night at Plaza Athenee Royal Meridien.









My last night was spent back at the Sheraton Grande Suvhumvit and a really pleasant evening listening to a piano, bass and drum jazz ensemble whilst sipping on my free cocktails.

Another 78 photos can be found here

SASDC8

Thank you so much for this excellent report! Your pictures are astonishing and you pen is amongst the best I have seen here on FT. I have truly enjoyed every bit so far ^

You have covered both SYD and BKK which I will be visiting in about a weeks time. Looking forward to my first visit down under ^

^ ^ so far from me