Originally Posted by norse_aztec
The AY long haul lounge seemed to have two sections, as I was directed to the "First Class" section even though FC service was not offered on the flight.
Ay doesn't have FC, but the non-Schengen long-haul lounge is reserved for sapphire/emerald and long-haul business travellers. But there must have been some changes that I haven't seen yet as the non-Shengen side has been extended a couple of months ago.
Originally Posted by norse_aztec
On board, the seats were acceptable but we all look forward to the new seats. I got a kick out of being handed, with some importance, the typical pair of slippers and, later, the eyemask for sleeping. No other amenities.
AY used to give an amenity kit still two years ago, but now they only distribute a few amenities and the rest (such as tootbrush and razors) are in the lavs. One thing I lpersonally like with the AY service is the duvet you get for sleeping (much better than blankets).
Originally Posted by norse_aztec
The service was fine, but unfortunately it wasn't from one of those blondes/brunettes that spotwelder fondly remembers. My guy was over 200 lbs and bald, but he weighed less than his female counterpart handling the other side. Counterbalance I guess.
Business class on long-hauls is almost always reserved for the senior staff. And sadly it's not a very nice experience for the passenger.
Originally Posted by norse_aztec
AY's strategy of concentrating on the Asian market seems to be working, as I saw a lot of Chinese and Japanese pax in the long haul section of the airport. But some staff training seems in order, as I saw a few incidents on AY intra-European flights between AY employees and Asian customers that demonstrated insensitivity to the language difficulties faced.
AY has Asian FA's on their Asia long haul flights, however usually they work in the economy class section. Probably they should have a few one on the intra-European connecting flights also. The Asian staff is usually leased from a Chinese company.