dg4255

I will begin a C class RTW on Feb 20.
Here is the itinerary:
Leg 1: VCE (KL) AMS (KL) CDG (AF) EZE
Leg 2: EZE (AM) MEX (AM) CUN
Leg 3: CUN (AM) MEX (AM) NRT
Leg 4: NRT (KE) ICN (KE) DXB
Leg 5: DXB (KQ) NBO (KQ) JNB
Leg 6: JNB (AF) CDG (AF) VCE

I will keep every menu and take pictures.

dg4255

February 20, 2008
KL 1654 Venice – Amsterdam
737-300 Seat: 1D – Europe Select
ETD: 1205pm ATD: 1202pm
ETA: 215pm ATA: 146pm

I arrived at Marco Polo airport 2 hours in advance and went directly to check-in. Had no problems at all and was even able to secure seat 3B on the AF flight from CDG-EZE. I had originally been in 3E, but really preferred 3B. Happy about that!
I spent my pre-departure time in the Marco Polo Lounge, which I have to say I believe is one of the nicest and best non-airline managed lounges. It is run by the airport authority and they do a fantastic job. My favourite thing, regardless of the season or time of day, is the outdoor terrace where you get a very close look at every plane taking off, landing, and taxiing. As VCE is my hometown airport, they have a program for those that use the airport frequently to earn free membership to the lounge. It also serves as the lounge for all of the airlines except the Skyteam carriers as there is an Alitalia lounge. That lounge, however, is sad and not very nice.
Excellent crew on KLM as usual. Pushed back early. Lunch was a choice of Chicken in Green Curry with sautéed mushrooms and green beans in a cream sauce and a side of basmati rice with slice red chili peppers, or penne pasta in a blue cheese sauce with sautéed red and green peppers. There was an excellent appetizer of an Italian sopressa wrapped around a mild white cheese, 2 olives stuffed with pimentos and 2 artichokes with stuff with roasted red peppers in a bed of cheesy hummus. It was fresh, delicious and absolutely perfect for the short 1h44m flight to AMS.


February 20, 2008
KL1239 Amsterdam – Paris CDG
737-800 Seat: 2D
ETD: 450pm ATD: 446pm
ETA: 610pm ATA: 544pm

Ten rows of Europe Select. Every seat filled. French man sitting next to me asked for champagne, they gave him the usual stuff.. cava. He gave it back. Snack box was breaded prawns with mango and coconut milk and 3 chocolate truffles with apricot and orange sauce. Very uneventful flight. The French man sitting next to me was entertainment enough. Upon arrival, I headed over to 2E S3 to the lounge.



February 20, 2008
AF 418 Paris CDG – Buenos Aires Ezeiza
77W-300ER Seat: 3B
ETD: 1115pm ATD: 1139pm
ETA: 950am# ATA: 1005am#

At the lounge, signed up right away for the 15 minute Clarins massage. Ahhhhhhhh.. heaven. She could’ve been a bit more rough with me honestly. I even told her to really give it to me. It was still great though. Big soccer game on tv, Lyon vs Manchester so every tv was turned to the game with huge hoardes of people crowding about intently watching the game.

Boarding started a bit late due to a refueling problem with this aircraft. Plane was completely full. Not a single seat in F, C, or Y was empty. The Chef de Cabine, Francis, was AMAZING!! He spoke 9 languages and gave announcements in all nine quite fluently. Even though I speak English as my native language, he was able to coax out of me that I spoke Italian as I live in Italy. And from then on, for the entire flight, he spoke only to me in Italian. Quite beautifully, I might add. And while everyone else was having normal coffee after dinner and during breakfast, he was making Illy espresso for me without even asking for it. BRAVO!!!
But back to the beginning, I found my seat in the bulkhead of the Class Affaires cabin on the aisle. It is my preferred seat for no other reason than I do not have anyone sitting directly in front of me. In the seat was my amenities kit consisting of socks, shoe horn, Clarins moisturising cream, eyeshades, and ear plugs. This was different than one given to me in August on the same route. Now, they are of a nicer quality fabric, but soft-sided instead of hard-sided as before. Pre-departure drinks consisted of champagne, orange juice, or water. Shortly after take off, hot towels were brought around and printed menus were delivered. The menu was:

Choice of Hors d’Oeuvre
Duck foie gras terrine, gingerbread and onion marmalade with Sultana raisins
Parmesan cheese cream with tomato chutney accompanied by rosemary focaccia

Choice of Main Courses
Pan-seared filet of beef served with buttered French green beans and dauphinoise potatoes au gratin
Fillet of cod complemented by scallion vinaigrette, Chinese-style sautéed vegetables and basmati rice
Fillet of chicken with orange sauce filled with dried fruit. Accompanied by buttered sautéed zucchini and dauphinoise potatoes au gratin

Our Special Selection of Cheese
Camembert, Comté, Sainte-Marie

Assortment of Desserts
Lemon merinque shortbread pie
Coffee croquant
Sherbet served with cookes
Fresh Fruit

Wine List
Deutz Brut Classis Champagne
Graves Château de Chantegrive 2006 Lévêque White Bourdeaux
Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne 2006 Les Vins de Vienne Red Rhône Valley
Saint-Estèphe Château les Ormes de Pez 2004 Cru Bourgeoi Exceptionnel Red Bourdeaux


The foie gras was fantastic as usual, but I absolutely LOATHE anything with raisins in it, so I avoided the onion marmalade. I paired this with the white bourdeaux. Oh, what a bad choice. The wine tasted like flowers and vanilla. Blecht. Not good to me. The beef was cooked perfectly to my liking, however I can see where some people that like it bloody and rare would’ve been disappointed. I chose the St-Estèphe Bourdeaux which was really quite excellent. Service was fast, efficient, friendly and quite good as I usually find it.

I went off into slumberland only to be awakened by an announcement for a doctor on board the airplane. This is the 3rd time in my last 3 long haul flights this has happened. The CdB told me that a 71 yr old man traveling with a very large group on vacation drank about 5 glasses of champagne and wine then took a sleeping pill and his wife thought he had died. Turned out he was just drunk and passed out cold. So, they dragged him through the aisle to the back and smacked him awake and a doctor was on board to assist. It’s so stupid what people think they can do to their bodies at 36,000 feet!
I normally do not sleep well on any plane in any seat, but I actually slept about 4 hours. I was impressed with this. We encountered a little turbulence when crossing into Brazil, but other than that, it was a very smooth flight. I must say one thing though, this plane’s interior was looking a little worse for wear. Lots of scuff marks on the seats and the carpet needed to be replaced. I really am tired of the IFE screens. So dark you cannot see anything and even when you adjust the brightness, it is still too dark to see anything. Thankfully, I had tons of stuff from my video iPod to watch.
Breakfast was served about 2h20m before landing.
Fruit juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Fresh fruit, cereal yoghurt

Fresh bakery selection, breakfast pastries, butter and preserves

Choice of Main Courses
Scrambled eggs with shellfish cream sauce and emmental cheese
Crêpes with pear and chocolate, apple and double cream

I love eggs from my head down to my legs. Really, I LOVE EGGS! I don’t care how they’re cooked. I love ‘em. These were AWESOME! The lady in 3A had the crepes and scarfed them down like she had never eaten before. She said they were perfect. They sure smelled good. ILLY ESPRESSO!! Francis, you are my saviour! Can’t beat Italian espresso! :-D

dg4255

February 21, 2008
AM 29 Buenos Aires Ezeiza – Mexico City
767-200 Seat: 1A
ETD: 1155pm ATD: 1230am
ETA: 535am# ATA: 555am
I arrived at Ezeiza airport precisely 2 hours prior to departure and found no one in line at the AeroMexico Clase Premier line. The agent asked if I was willing to move from 2A to 1A as there was a couple that wanted to be seated together. I was fine with that. So far, so good. From there, downhill fast. She advised me that the American Express lounge, which they normally used was under renovation, so I could access the Sala de las Americas next to gate 2. I went to the lounge and immediately wished I hadn’t. It was packed to the gills, the air conditioning was not working, it was filthy and the smell was overwhelming. The staff were just sitting about chatting and laughing. Literally, piles of trash, used glasses, etc were left on the tables so much so that they became unable to be used. I will never ever ever go into that lounge ever again. Just horrible. I decided to walk over to Gate 11. Now, could they have put a gate any further away from the lounge? Perhaps Gate 12, fine. Grrrrrr.. Smoking areas literally next to the gate and in the hallways. Just nasty. Now, I remember why I hate Ezeiza airport so much. Boarding was finally called about 20 minutes prior to departure and I walked down the jetway to the waiting 767. Immediately after walking on the plane, I was met with this odor of stale body odor and urine. The smell was just overwhelming. This airplane was old, worn, dated, and dirty. The seats, while wide and fairly comfortable, were the old style and didn’t recline all that far. We were offered orange juice, apple juice, or water for pre-departure drinks. After takeoff, the flight attendants stood about in the galley for a good 45 minutes chatting, talking, and not even caring to work. Finally, about an hour after take off, which was late due to ATC issues at the airport, they walked around with pillows, blankets, amenity kit, and printed dinner menus with a separate wine menu. One hour and 30 minutes after take-off, we were given a small plate of canapés consisting of 3 toasted bread disks topped with ham and a green olive slice, chicken breast chunk and red pepper slice, and marinated artichoke heart with shredded carrot and cabbage. Kind of an odd combination, but not all that bad. We were offered our choice of apperatives: Moët & Chandon Champagne, Ron Bicardi Blanco, Stolichnaya Vodka, or Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey. Two hours after take-off (mind you, this is a 9h15m flight taking off shortly after midnight), dinner was placed on a single tray and placed on AeroMexico monogrammed linens.

Appetizer
Smoked salmon salad served with cream cheese, dill, carrot bâtonnets, black olive, celery, radicchio, lettuce and lemon wedge.

Assortment of bread

Main Course
Tenderloin of beef with tomato sauce and fine herbs, offered with parisienne potatoes and Vichy carrots

Breast of Chicken with rice pilaf, carrots, and asparagus tips, served with a creamy sauce

Penne Pasta with shrimp cream sauce and julienned leeks

Cheese and Fruit
A selection of fine international cheeses served with fruit

Dessert
Black Forest cake

The wines available were:

White Wine
Montes Alpha Chardonnay (Chile)
Monte Xanic Sauvignon Blac, Valle de Guadalupe (Mexico)

Red Wine
Terrazas de Los Andes, Reserva Malbec (Argentina)
Rouge E. Guigal, Château d’Ampuis, Côtes-du-Rhône (France)
Monte Xanic Cabernet Sauvignon, Valle de Guadalupe (Mexico)


I ate the tenderloin which was very disappointing. Tough, chewy, overcooked. The salad was horrible (I really don’t like salmon so that didn’t help things). The only saving grace was the Terrazas Malbec which was a beautiful deep, velvety, delicious fine wine. I could’ve easily drank the whole bottle by myself. My neighbour, a delightful man born and raised in Mexico but educated at UCSB and Cornell, ate the pasta and declared it mushy, overcooked and bland. He had the Cabernet and said it was drinkable, but not his favourite. The flight attendants were lazy, not friendly, and just unimpressive. In fact, 1 hour after he had finished eating, my neighbours tray was still on his table. Finally, he just got up and took it into the galley and left it on the counter in there.
The amenity kit was very different. It contained products from Annick Goutal Paris. Inside were socks, shoe horn, eyeshades, earplugs, comb with mirror, toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, Body Crème, Refreshing Facial Mist, and Eau de Toilette. The scent is fresh, citrus, and bold. I like it, but perhaps if 19 Clase Premier pax were to all use the products at once, we might gag to death from over-scent.
About 45 minutes prior to landing, they came around with breakfast which was a fresh fruit plate (cantaloupe, honeydew, and sliced oranges), grapes, warmed croissants and cinnamon rolls, and strawberry yoghurt.

I have to say that I was really really disappointed with this entire leg of the trip. The staff were not interested in the passengers and more interested in gossiping with each other in the galleys. Not a single bottle of water was passed out to the passengers. The seats are not comfortable and not ideal for sleeping. Think of it like a leather barcolounger than doesn’t go back quite as far. IFE was horrible. Three screens mounted on the bulkhead walls. The flight attendant did come around and ask if anyone had a preference of which movie to watch. No one cared so she just plopped in whatever was on top. Not a single passenger watched it. The cabin is layed out very oddly. There is a galley and bathroom in front of Row 1. Then, rows 1 and 2. Behind row 2 is another galley. Then, rows 3 and 4. Then 2 bathrooms before economy class starts. It was odd because the lights were always kept on in the middle galley which flooded both mini-cabins of Clase Premier making any sleep impossible even with the eyeshades. In addition, the turbulence was horrible. HORRIBLE. Nine hours of bouncing around and never quite finding the right altitude that was smooth. Now, I do realise that is not the airline’s fault really. It just was the icing on the cake. Kind of a Murphy’s Law moment. I have flown AM before and was quite happy with them, but this was a third world experience from a third world airline on a third world aircraft. Shame on you, AeroMexico.
Then, as if the bad flight wasn’t enough, the line for immigrations in the new Terminal 2 was over an hour long and I almost missed the connecting flight.


February 22, 2008
AM 1451 Mexico City – Cancun
737-700 Seat: 2B
ETD: 700am ATD: 725am
ETA: 900am ATA: 915am

As we waited to push back, pre-departure drinks of orange juice, apple juice or water were offered. AM’s Clase Premier on the 737s is nice with American-style premium cabin. Two across leather seating with a few extra inches of legroom.
Right after takeoff, a breakfast tray with a fruit plate and granola with yoghurt was placed on our trays with the AeroMexico monogrammed linens. Something I really liked was that the coffee on both AM flights was fresh-brewed as opposed to AF or KL with the instant stuff. Blecht! (Although AF does have the Illy espresso in Classe Affaires).
The flight was quite smooth and we landed just 15 minutes late. Had to take the stairs down to the tarmac and a short walk to baggage claim in the warm sunny Mexican air was refreshing.
I am on the AM 777 flight to Tokyo. I am going into it with skepticism. It is a much newer plane and this is one of their prime routes, so I hope the cabin crew and seats are much better.

dg4255

February 25, 2008
AM 944 Cancun – Mexico City
737-800 Seat: 3B
ETD: 530pm ATD: 545pm
ETA: 755pm ATA: 755pm

I checked in exactly 2 hours before departure. No one was in the AeroMexico Clase Premier line. The agent was very friendly and helpful and directed me to the Salon Premier. Upon entering the lounge I wasn’t really impressed. While they had a nice stock of liquor, it was VERY hot inside, complete with an unenclosed smoking area. Although no one smoked while I was there, the place had that “smokey” smell to it. There is free internet access, so I was able to get online and take care of some business.
Boarding was done by stairs and was a bit late getting started. We were offered pre-departure orange juice or water. Nothing was served to us the entire flight. I mean not even peanuts. Two hours during the dinner time period and nothing? Not that I needed to eat, mind you, but it seemed odd to me. We landed just a tad late, but my connection time was long enough that it didn’t matter to me. I took my time getting from the Nationals side of the new Terminal 2 to the Internationals side. The Salon Premier is located just inside of security. WOW! Very impressive. They have a very nice wine bar, espresso bar, and a glass-enclosed gaming area with 3 large flat-screen LCD tvs set up with Xbox. It is a bit dark inside, but there are purple, red, and green muted neon lights set up behind plants and pillars. It made for a very tropical, yet classy décor. I have pics and will upload them soon.

AM 58 Mexico City – Tokyo Narita (with stop in Tijuana)
777-200ER Seat: 1C
ETD: 1010pm ATD: 1045pm
ETA: 645am#2 ATA: 650am#2

AeroMexico’s flight 58 with direct service to Tokyo Narita (via Tijuana) started boarding on time. I was deeply saddened when I got on board. This was a former Varig 777-200ER, mustard-yellow and navy blue cloth seats - really, really uncomfortable. The only good thing was the size of the bathrooms. They were HUGE. Three people could’ve easily fit in there. Amenity kits were passed out (same ones as on the Buenos Aires flight a few days before) and we took off to Tijuana. Hot towels came around and we were asked if we wanted the Japanese dinner or the Western dinner. I chose the Western dinner which was a spicy shrimp gumbo with rice. It was really quite tasty, but for international business class, it wasn’t even close to being on par with any of the other Skyteam carriers. The crew were quite pleasant and right after eating, I simply moved the seat into it’s furthest back position and popped 2 sleeping pills. How awful. Really. This plane sucks. The crew even apologized and mentioned that the real AeroMexico 777s are so much nicer. The centre consoles are so large and bulky that they infringe on the seat width. I felt like I was in a coach seat with just a ton of legroom. The IFE is well, better than KLM 747 in WBC, but no where near the AVOD on the A330. Approximately 5 to 6 movies in 3 to 4 different languages were put on a loop. We landed in Tijuana, everyone was forced off the plane with luggage in tow. If you were continuing on the same flight to Tokyo, they gave you an “In Transit” card and we walked down some stairs to the basement where they had a makeshift Immigrations area. That took a total of 30 seconds to clear and I headed back upstairs to locate the Salon Premier. I was the only passenger in there until another couple from the same flight popped in. Boarding was called and we went back onto the plane. Out of 49 seats in Clase Premier, only 21 were taken. I did not have a neighbour so I was able to have a bit more space. As we’d already eaten dinner on the MEX-TIJ leg, they came around with little canapés and drinks and we settled in for some more sleep. Approximately 3 hours before landing, breakfast was served – BBQ Beef Tips in tomato sauce. How odd! For breakfast? I mean, it was good, but just very odd. We’d had a change of crew in TIJ for the international leg and they were really good. We landed at Narita and pulled into the gate just 5 minutes late. I have to say that I am happy to not fly AeroMexico for the rest of this trip. I had high expectations from them and they really disappointed me all around. With the exception of friendly crew, the long-haul planes are crap and the IFE is horrible. The food is random and definitely not up to standard. I won’t be going out of my way to fly them again in the near future.

dg4255

February 27, 2008
KE 704 Tokyo Narita – Seoul Incheon
747-400 Seat: 3H
ETD: 155pm ATD: 150pm
ETA: 435pm ATA: 420pm

I decided to see if I could check in for my flight really early and sure enough, I COULD! However, the wonderful check-in agent advised me that the plane was going to be changed and she couldn’t give me a correct boarding pass just yet. She told me to make sure I was in the KE lounge by 1pm and she would bring me a new boarding pass. I had been on the long, not-so-good AM flight from MEX and really wanted a shower. So, I went through customs/immigrations and headed over to the NW Lounge near gate 15. Man, that was perhaps the best shower I have ever had in my entire life. I have to say, I was really impressed with this lounge. The food was great, the view was great, the staff were great, the internet was great. It was just, well, GREAT! Finally, about 1245pm, I decided to head over to the KE Lounge. Alright, well, it’s not so impressive. It is smallish, hot, very little food, and there isn’t a bathroom in the lounge. You have to go outside and use a public one next to a gate. There is another NW lounge literally right next door that is larger, nicer, certainly cooler, with food, and a private bathroom. So, I hopped over there to use their facilities. Just shortly after 1pm, the friendly check-in agent from earlier came in and advised me that due to the plane change from a 777 to a 747, they had decided to upgrade me all the way to Dubai as a way to say they were sorry. Wow! That was a surprise. She did warn me that on the flight to Seoul, while the seat was F class, ths service was C class. Ummm.. ok, I’ll suffer. Boarding began promptly at 130pm and we pushed back at 150pm with a full flight in Y and just 4 in F. The FA’s were not only beautiful, but so incredibly genuine. I had cut my finger on a piece of paper in my backpack. Three of them rushed to grab the medicine kit, in unison, cleaned my really superficial paper cut with a cold, wet towel, disinfected it with antibacterial cream, put on the band-aid, then gave me a glass of champagne. The lead FA came over to my seat and told me a little Korean story about how when small things like this happen in life, it is a commonly held belief in Korea that small good things must follow immediately. She bowed deeply, smiled warmly, and excused herself so that we could take off. WOW!
Right after take-off, more champagne was brought around and we were asked what we wanted to eat for the meal.

Prestige Class Menu

Appetizers
Pollack Soup
Vegetable spring rolls

Korean Bibimbap. Grilled beef served with steamed seasonal vegetables, hot chili paste, and sesame seed oil.

Filet of beef accompanied by grilled zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms.

Grilled Chicken Breast Teriyaki Style with wild rice and glazed carrots.

I was in an adventurous mood so I went for the bibimbap. It was really really good. I enjoyed the spicy paste that was on the tray. WOOH! I finished my meal, leaned the seat into the bed position and fell asleep. When I woke up an hour later, I noticed that the FAs had very quietly gone around to every window and closed the blinds. I hadn’t even heard a peep! Immediately when they saw I had sat up, they rushed over with a hot towel, glass of cold water, and asked if I wanted some coffee or tea. I accepted the offer of coffee and it was brought to me within 20 seconds. No less than 3 times did they inquire about my very very slightly cut finger. And upon departing, they all bowed deeply with big smiles and wished me a happy continuation to Dubai.


KE 951 Seoul Incheon – Dubai
777-200 Seat: 1A
ETD: 630pm ATD: 630pm
ETA: 1215am# ATA: 1236am#

Incheon International Airport was an absolutely zoo. For all its beauty, spaciousness and openness, I couldn’t help but feel like a sardine due to the large number of people. I made my way to the First Class Lounge and there wasn’t a seat to be had. Completely packed. Another 5 or 6 pax were standing about waiting for someone to get up and leave. I only had 2 hours of connection time so I wasn’t really concerned about not having a seat. I wasn’t going to be there long. I had a few bites to eat and a quick club soda before I decided to leave and explore the shopping. It’s not the best shopping, quite honestly. But it’s interesting to note the differences in snacks, fashion, and even colognes/perfumes.
Boarding began on-time and I entered into the jetway marked First/Business Class. Again, I was greeted by my name, with deep bows, sincere smiles and amazing graciousness. The seats were the new Cosmo Sleeper. Very nicely done in an acquamarine leather with touches of beige accents. I was offered champagne (Piper Heidsick) and a small ceramic cup of soy crackers. Interesting combination, but not bad. Before take-off, menus were passed around to the half-filled cabin.

First Class Menu

Appetizers
Steamed rice balls filled with barbecued beef
Sliced smoked salmon served on toasted rye bread with whipped cream and dill
Tapanades of olive paste, sweet chili paste, and hummus on grilled pita

Soup
Cream of Asparagus

Main Entrees
Filet Mignon au jus accompanied by rosemary oven-roasted potatoes, buttered green beans with caramelized onions

Korean chicken stew served with steamed rice and bok choy

Steamed cod with lemon capers cream sauce and lightly buttered fettuccine pasta




Dessert
International cheeses and fruit
Haagen-Dasz Ice Cream
Black Forest Chocolate Cake
Sliced Tropical Fruits

The Filet Mignon was cooked to order. I asked for medium plus 2 minutes or so and it came exactly as I ordered. Every time they came to my seat, they used my name. I am not one to usually care for that, but this crew was so incredibly genuine that I just couldn’t help but feel so welcome and special to them. Immediately after food being placed in front of me, a different FA would come by with this classy wicker basket filled with 4 choices of wines. Just the way she held it and presented the bottles to me was classy and graceful.

Then, we were served another hot snack before arrival into Dubai:

First Class Menu
White truffle ravioli with grilled scallops in a creamy parmesan sauce
Sliced duck breast in orange sauce with rice pilaf

A fresh fruit plate with creamy yogurt was served right after the snack plate was removed. I had the ravioli and it was simply divine. Again, wine was presented in the wicker basket and service was impeccable.

About 30 minutes from landing, I decided to change my shirt into something fresher. While I was in the bathroom, I blew my nose as I was pretty dehydrated of course. I sat down in my seat thinking everything was fine. Suddenly, I had the sniffles. Well, as if a very slightly cut finger wasn’t enough bloodshed, now I had a bloody nose!! I stood up and before I made it 2 steps to the bathroom, 2 FAs guided me to the galley, sat me down on one of those metal boxes that holds the glasses and plates, tilted my head back, pinched the bridge of my nose, grabbed a cold, wet towel and started cleaning my nose and upper lip, and apologized profusely for my bloody nose. As if it was their fault!?!?! Within 2 minutes, my bloody nose was over and I was all cleaned up. They gave me another glass of really cold water (so refreshing!) and a small package of tissues in case it happened again. Not a drop of blood on my fresh shirt. No damage done whatsoever. Again, IMPRESSIVE and certainly not what I would ever expect from any crew. Upon departure, using my name, they wished me a happy stay in Dubai and hoped to see me again on another Korean Airlines flight.
I gotta say, this is by far the classiest airline I’ve ever flown in my life. Every little detail was looked after and I felt so comfortable every step of the way. I am so happy to flew on them. I highly recommend flying on KE and hope they have continued success.

dg4255

February 29, 2008
KQ 233 Dubai – Nairobi
767-300 Seat: 2B
ETD: 205am ATD: 315am
ETA: 610am ATA: 700am

(I was joined by a good friend from the US who wanted to travel with me on the last week of the trip. We met up in DXB. So, when you hear me refer to we, it is not because I have included my other personalities or sprouted an imaginary friend!)
Well, after the great experience on KE, you can imagine I had to lower my expectations for KQ. We arrived really early to the airport because the hotel would not let us extend checkout past 1pm even though I am a Gold Elite with Marriott. So, we arrived about 12 hours early. I decided to seek out the ticketing office in the basement of the airport to see if there was any way they could let us into a lounge. A wonderful woman, Pauline, was there and she surprisingly arranged for us to CHECK IN!!! She escorted us upstairs, found a manager for DNATA (the Dubai airport authority that runs the check in desks) and opened up a check-in position for us. Another man checked us in, tagged our bags and handed us lounge passes for the DCA lounge near gate 18 as the KLM lounge would not open until 8pm. I actually prefer this DCA lounge. They have a HUGE food spread, free internet, and the bathrooms are clean and spacious. We just spent a lot of time in there online, sending emails, using Skype to call home, and eating too much.
The plane was inbound from Guangzhou, China before continuing on to Nairobi. They started “boarding” 1 hour before scheduled departure. This “boarding” procedure involved having your boarding pass scanned, then being led into a pit from hell. All of the Kenyan deportees from China were waiting in the gate area protected by 2 Chinese Immigrations authorities. Then, there was every other Kenyan and their child/ren plus 7-10 bags of carryon all heaped into piles. There was no air circulation at gate 6, so we all stood there (As there was no seating. It had been taken up by the piles of carry-on in plastic garbage bags) and sweated. Finally, about takeoff time, we boarded the plane. An all-male crew greeted us on board with great effort. They moaned about being tired from working the CAN-DXB leg. We sat in our seats, 2A and 2B. One good surprise right off the bat. The seats in Premier World on the 767-300 are truly lie-flat. Not at an agle, but lie-flat. Very comfortable. VERY! Seventy-three inches of pitch is a lot. I am not so tall, so I don’t really notice these things, but I really noticed how much 73” really was. Right after we all boarded, we were told not to buckle our seat belts because they were refueling the plane. Now, what in the heck were they doing all that time we were standing in the boarding area? The plane arrived in DXB ontime! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
When that was finished, they came around and offered us “champagne” or water. I took the “champagne”, tasted it, then wished I’d taken the water.
Menus were handed out and we were advised that due to the late hour, we wouldn’t be served anything at all until about 2 hours outside of Nairobi when we would have a breakfast.

Premier World Class Breakfast Menu

Fresh Fruit Appetizer
Fruit Yoghurt
Cereals

Entrée
Scrambled Eggs in Herb Crêpe gratinated with breakfast steak, hash brown potatoes, and sautéed mushrooms
Sliced Chicken with Teriyaki sauce served with fried noodles garnished with spring onion, red chilies, and shallots

Assorted breakfast rolls
Butter and preserves

Choice of regular or decaf coffee, or Herbal Teas

My tv didn’t work, so I just reclined the seat into the bed, put on the eyeshades and earplugs and went to sleep. I slept a good 2h40m. Very well, I might add. I woke up and smelled the food warming up. I had the eggs again. I love my eggs, you know. Yes, from my head down to my legs. I LOVE EGGS! They were good, although I only had sautéed mushroom, not mushrooms. Just one little one. Good tasting little guy, he was, but only one. Kinda was hoping for plural mushrooms. Oh well. Again, service without a smile and done with great, exhausting effort.
We landed late and hurried over to our connecting gate. Big mistake. It was late too. We could’ve actually gone to the lounge, even though I’ve read that it’s not all that great. Nairobi’s airport is in need of great repair. It’s certainly not a pleasant place to go. We waited in the heat of the early African morning for our boarding to begin.

KQ 460 Nairobi – Johannesburg
737-800 Seat: 2D
ETD: 740am ATD:810am
ETA: 1040am ATA:1100am

Our flight began boarding a bit late due to the aircraft coming in delayed. Took our seats and waited again. I wasn’t a sucker for the “champagne” this time, so I settled for the water. The seats are ok, but with only 40” of seat pitch on this plane, it wasn’t so comfortable to lean back. Menus were passed out.

Premier World Breakfast Menu

Fresh Fruit Appetizer
Plain Yoghurt with cereal

Egg and Mushroom Omelette with tomato sauce, oven-roasted potatoes, and chicken sausage.
Sweet waffles topped with orange marmalade and sultanas served with apple compote.

Assorted breakfast rolls
Butter and preserves

Choice of regular or decaf coffee, or Herbal Teas

Again, predictably, I went for the eggs. They were good, again. I’ve never met a chicken sausage I liked, so I tasted it just for tasting’s sake and left the rest of it on my plate.
The coffee was excellent. I gotta say, to AF and KL, SHAME for serving Nescafé. If AM, KE, and KQ can serve fresh brewed, then SO CAN YOU!
In between bites of breakfast we saw a volcano spewing ash and soot miles into the air. The pilot dipped the plane to the left so we could all ooooh and ahhhhh and snap photos. Really good stuff!
Our flight landed just a tad late, but then we sat at the gate forever. The ramp and gate workers had announced a strike that morning so there was no one to pull the jetway to the plane. We waited, and waited and waited. Finally, some KQ ticketing agent did her best to maneuver that thing to the plane while all of the striking workers stood on the tarmac laughing their butts off as she pushed it in, then pulled it back, up and down, down and up. When we disembarked, the poor gal looked a little worse for wear!

dg4255

(This part of the trip on SA was not part of the Skyteam RTW ticket. We had to add it separately)

SA 1765 Johannesburg – Gaborone, Botswana
DH8 Seat:2B
ETD: 215pm ATD:245pm
ETA: 320pm ATA:355pm

We had to go to the transfer desk to get our SA boarding passes, but our luggage was checked all the way through to GBE. Painless procedure. Then headed off to find the AF lounge (as I am a NW WorldClubs member and this is the lounge they say we can use in JNB). Well, AF/KL lounge is under construction, so found the Premier Lounge which they are now using. Oh, My, God. How awful. Small, crowded, hot, unfriendly. Blecht. Hurry up and get the lounges fixed in JNB, AF/KL!
We went down to the gate about 30 minutes before boarding and waited and waited and waited. We struck up a conversation with the Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Harare. He was on his way to Namibia for some beach time. Nice guy!
We waited some more. No update from the SA folks. Finally, we saw a bus pull up to the gate, but we waited until they found another driver. This guy was finished for the day. Ok, get on the bus. And then we waited some more. It was hot and awful. They found a guy finally and we went to the aircraft. But, they couldn’t figure out which airplane was ours. There were only 4 planes sitting there. So, we sat and waited. The driver wouldn’t budge from his seat. A pilot climbed out of one of the planes and went to the other planes to ask which one was going to Gaborone. He found the right plane for us and told the bus driver to pull up in front. But, we didn’t move. We just sat there. Finally, his supervisor arrived and told him to pull the bus forward to the correct plane. Then, we moved. Idiot!
Boarding the plane was fast and shortly thereafter we were airborne. Portia, our smiling South African Express flight attendant, passed out nice little boxes of snacks (1 cheese sandwich, 1 tuna sandwich, 1 PS chocolate bar) and drinks followed including complimentary wine or beer. As soon as the plane was in the air, we were back down again landing on the lone runway at Gaborone International Airport. Immigrations was a breeze. Customs was a breeze. Immigrations was quicker. Walked right outside the front door and found the hotel shuttle van waiting for us even though we were late. Piece of cake. Good start to the safari weekend!

SA 1776 Gaborone - Johannesburg
DH8 Seat: 1B
ETD: 105pm ATD: 120pm
ETA: 210pm ATA: 215pm

Check-in at Gaborone’s airport is kinda crazy. There are only 2 airlines: South African Express and Air Botswana. The SA counter only had 1 working BP machine, so the line was a tad long. When we were finally up, checking in was quick and easy. We cleared the customs and immigrations and waited in the rather small boarding area. We had a very odd moment there, however. A small group of 4 Christian missionaries from West Virginia were also on our flight. They were.. um.. well.. the epitome of the backwoods, to be quite kind. The three men were all dressed in.. well.. deer hunting gear including the hunting boots, etc.. and the one woman was wearing a blue and purple muumuu. A security guard asked one of the men was asked to show what was in guitar case. He opened it and pulled out a banjo. Ok, not every day that one sees a banjo in real life. But, to my horror, he started to play it. Yes, he played the banjo. He sang and then played and played and sang. The locals thought he was drunk or high or something. The other 3 just smiled and clapped along and had big partially-toothless smiles on their faces. Oh boy, time to hide the passport.
Boarding was fast and we walked across the tarmac to the airplane. Just after takeoff, Mkakwi, our friendly flight attendant, passed out drinks and the SA Express lunch box. This contained two wooden sticks of chicken satay with a corn salad in a little cup and a PS chocolate bar for dessert. Quite good, really. Landing was quick and the bus took us to the terminal. I really like SAX’s service. It far surpasses anything in the US.

onedog

So far so good. Can't wait for the rest.

BIMMERKID2

Dudes give him a chance.. he hasnt traveled yet

dg4255

Thanx for the support there BIMMERKID2.. I see you are in St Cloud, MN.. I give you a big UFF DA shout out! :-D

dg4255

AF 995 Johannesburg – Paris CDG
77W Seat: 3B
ETD: 830pm ATD: 915pm
ETA: 600am# ATA: 6:30am#

We checked in at the AF counter 2 ½ hours prior to departure. After having our luggage weighed and receiving the obligatory slip of paper to had to the check-in agent, we rolled up to the Business Class check-in. We were advised that the AF lounge was still under construction and were given an invitation to the Priority Lounge. We’d already been there on our connection to Gaborone, so we knew exactly where to go.
Passing through Immigrations was fast and security was a breeze. Headed up to the lounge and WHOA NELLIE!!! There wasn’t a single seat to be had, nor square metre of open space. The lounge was being used for every departure under the sun, it seemed. Countless EK pax (1 flight was severely delayed), EY, DL, IB, and MS pax were crammed into this lounge. Not a speck of food was laid out. The moment the lady brought out a fresh tray, it was like watching piranha on a hamhock. No ice in the ice bucket. Not a single clean glass to use. Extraordinarily hot. And just one attendant on duty. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. We just ended up strolling around the airport, shopping a little, and taking care of our tax refunds. This is the second really bad lounge experience due to construction at the AF lounge. I mean, seriously, a “first-rate” airline like AF should know better than to contract to a crappy lounge. The VS Clubhouse is larger and has just the one flight at 840pm and when we walked by there were no more than 6 or 7 people in there. To have 6 flights leaving within 1 hour of each other (just say there are 30 C class pax on each flight, not counting those in F on AF, EK, and EY) puts over 180 people in a lounge designed to hold less than half that number. Poor decision making there.
We made it over to the gate (gate 3) to find that there was a long snaking line of Y pax. Then huddled around the door off to the side was a group of F and C pax. The sign said it was boarding time, but we weren’t boarding. An entire cadre of employees stood around behind the glass door doing nothing. 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes.. about 30 minutes past the listed boarding time, a woman appeared from behind the glass door and announced all passengers with babies can get on board. So, a small number of families with babies and strollers made there way throw the crowd and went down the jetbridge. Then, she yelled that all F and C class passengers could board. Out of NOWHERE, this incredibly obnoxious Dutch man begins yelling, “Business Class here!! Business Class here! We are in BUSINESS CLASS!!!!!” and starts pushing all the other F and C pax out of the way dragging his 2 children (probably 10-14 yrs old) and wife through the path he made. It was the most obnoxious scene I’d ever witnessed. Complete entitlement at it’s worst. He was dressed pretty funny too. He looked like Mr. Howell from Gilligan’s Island (but was probably no older than 45). An African couple also started pushing and shoving to get to the sliding glass door. Mayhem. Pure mayhem. Finally, the rest of the civilized F and C pax were able to squeeze past the anxious crowd of Y pax and board the airplane. We were stopped by a small group (3) of white South African immigrations officials and asked questions about our final destination. Well, we (the white European or North Americans) weren’t, but everyone else of colour was. Racism is alive and well at JNB airport it appeared.
We boarded the plane and easily found our seats. The flight attendants were fast to take my coat and after everyone was settled in, they came around with champagne, orange juice, and water. Amenity kits were stowed in their little cubbyholes and blankets and pillows were on the seats. This was a new interior with the NEV3 seats. It was easy to tell because they looked less-scuffed and the fabric was a darker blue. Menus were passed out.
Shortly after takeoff, the drink carts were rolled out and we were offered an aperitif and a small box of salty mini waffle crackers. When that was finished, the appetizer cart came by. We were offered:

Foie gras served with marmalade of onion and sultanas and toast
Cold crab with lemon olive oil dressing

The foie gras was great as always.

For the main course, the menu was:

Filet mignon au jus, dauphinoise potatoes and steamed carrots in butter sauce
Fillet of haddock with lemon cream sauce, steamed potatoes and asparagus topped with parmesan cheese
Roasted breast of duck with sweet apricot glaze, mixed steamed vegetables and buttered peas.

The beef was so-so. Not great, not bad. Just kinda so-so. The service was excellent and my wine glass never went to empty. Same wine list as the other long-haul AF flight from CDG-EZE.

I missed dessert because I leaned back in my seat and dozed for about 20 minutes. They’d come by and cleaned off the tray and stowed it for me. I never even heard them do it. I must’ve been realllllly tired. I ended up sleeping about 6 hours on this flight. Within an hour of waking up, breakfast was ready to be served.
Of course, I had the eggs. They were fine. Nothing remarkable. My traveling companion had the pancakes with strawberry compote. He said they were quite good.
We landed just a little late and headed over to the Arrivals Lounge in 2C for a shower. It was PACKED to the gills, but the waiting list wasn’t long. Within 15 minutes, we were both in our respective cabins having a refreshing shower. This is the one area that makes AF so much nicer than KL. It is unfortunate there is just the one lounge. We arrived in 2E and had to trek all the way over to 2C. It would be nice if they built another arrivals lounge in 2E.

dg4255

AF 1426 Paris CDG – Venice
A320 Seat:3D
ETD: 950am ATD: 1000am
ETA: 1130am ATA: 1130am

The AF lounge in 2F was also packed to the gills. So, we found the only 2 seats remotely near each other and took a seat. We were both really tired even though we’d slept and just had showers. I was afraid if we started to doze in the lounge, we’d miss our flight to Venice. At boarding time, we went upstairs to the gate to find not one AF employee around yet the line to board snaked through the terminal. It was drizzling in Paris, but planes were leaving and taking off as normal. Our plane was sitting at the gate, so there seemed to be no reason why the plane would not leave on time. Finally, 2 agents appeared and made an announcement that due to the weather, our flight would be delayed a few minutes. Just 20 minutes before our new departure time, we boarded, quite efficiently I might say. There were only 3 pax in C with Y completely full. We pushed back from the gate and taxied halfway to Venice before we took off. ;-)
I fell asleep before we took off and I woke up as we were coming in for our final approach. I have no clue if they served any food or drink as my companion also snoozed.

Overall, AF was as expected. KE was the big surprise. AMAZING service, food, flight attendants, IFE. KQ and AM were huge disappointments. SA was a nice experience overall. I am eager for my next KE flights!

dg4255

I have a few photos, but can someone give me a lead on the best way to post them?

MACH81

Look on top of this forum. There's a sticky!

Bowgie

Had the American Express lounge in EZE been open, you would have found it to be just as foul. I was there in January 08 for departure on MX. Apparently EZE exiles both Mexican air carriers to the farthest gate possible, too. However, I will say that Mexicana's 767 cabin service on the EZE route was outstanding. Something to consider if chosing between them and AeroMexico on that route at least. Mexicana's contract Argentine people staffing the check-in counter were the only bright spot in the EZE departure hellhole.