ffay005

My AY1962 yesterday had a flight time of 9 hours 10 minutes. Wow. I wasn’t as disappointed as I was on the outbound, as my expectations were lower (and more realistic?) now. But the service concept sure was poor for a nine-hour flight.

On one hand I feel sorry for AY because they have huge extra expenses due to the Iranian situation. On the other hand, I still feel they should have upgraded the service concept to reflect the new flight times. I wouldn’t mind an extra €50 ”detour fee” if it meant full longhaul J service.

They swapped the plane to an A330 after check-in had already opened. Managed to switch from 8L to 2A, so quite happy with that. This plane had less Y seats than the one originally assigned, so the day before, I got an SMS offering a €500 voucher, €300 cash or 60 000 points for switching to AY1970, leaving (theoretically) at 6:05 the same morning. After less than 90 minutes I received a new SMS – they had reveiced enough volunteers, so no overbooking anymore.

No predeparture drinks, but a 0.5 L Emirati water bottle was provided. Everything else, both food and drinks, was from HEL.

No memory foam pillows. This time, socks were provided without a hassle, and I wasn’t even the only one asking for them. Amenity kits, old slippers. I find it a smart move to use up the old slipper stock on these flights. Longhaul bedding and headphones.

Boarding was completed in only 17 minutes, at 18:27! Unfortunately, we weren't airborne until 18:53.

A very nice and personal Plat talk from the purser, a lady in her mid-fifties. The whole J crew was about the same age. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a senior crew.

Drinks and pretzels were served 45 minutes after take-off. 35 minutes after that it was time for dinner, with trays served from the cart. Plat orders had been taken well in advance. Other pax’ orders weren’t taken separately.

Dinner was a typical Euro J tray with a smoked duck appetizer, three main course options (smoked salmon lasagna, chicken with creamy Jerusalem artichoke ragout, and an Indian vegetarian option of Paneer butter dal jamavar) as well as a delicious lemon cake for dessert.

I chose the chicken, and it was alright. Not superdelicious, but completely edible.

Midflight snacks on this 9+ hour flight consisted of Fazer chocolates. Maybe there would have been more pretzels, too.

The second service 1.5 hours before landing was a joke, and a bad one at that. It consisted of a prepackaged cheese roll, with a slice of red bell pepper. I wonder if there’s any way to make it a bit cheaper still? Leave out the bell pepper? If it has to be a small prepackaged roll, then so be it, but would it be too much to ask for some alternatives? Perhaps salmon and roastbeef or cold smoked reindeer?

FFlash

Would like to see old or any slippers on LHR widebodies too but hey, 1st world things..

Alec84

Has anyone checked availability to HEL-DXB in February lately? I’m planning a Sat-Mon trip just for fun with AY points, but can not find anything on the AY website. Hard to imagine the loads being particularly high with the 10h flight times.

ffay005

That's "hiihtoloma", weeks 8-10. Probably good loads, with most trips booked before the Iranian restrictions.

Alec84

Thanks! I always forget about this holiday.

WilcoRoger

The flight (A350) was already chock full last Sunday - no C available for love or money (or points), even though it’s only wk 7 now. Got my first ever flight in Eco extra, survivable even in the middle seat - on a day flight, but I dread a night flight there (we tried to be clever, booked J & L, but the flight was really so full, that they put a pax in K - so I offered to change seats. To her credit the young FA managed well the switch when it came to the champers distribution, but the purser got around it only at the end of the flight and came to chat)

The boys in the front put the pedal to the metal, we clocked in 1000km/h+ speeds over Arabia total flight time 6h50m

NoWindowSeat

I’ve only flown to DXB previously with BA in J, now I booked with AY for the first time. My dates were fixed so 359 was out of question so the flights will be on 320. I guess service is just as on any longer short haul...one service and that’s it?

ffay005

It's a bit improved from your regular FCO or MAD run. Euro-J meal after departure and ARN riistaleipä on arrival. No midflight snacks. Euro-J drinks.

OH-LGG

Yesterdays AY1969/today AY1970 via HRG was switched to A333 and nonstop.

WilcoRoger

They must be reading this thread

ffay005

Pax were claiming their last bags when I came to arrival hall 2B from another flight today a bit before 4 pm. STA 17:35. Not bad

UNC

I’m fairly confident that not a single post here goes unnoticed by someone at AY. A lot of people who work for AY are aviation enthusiasts, and I wouldn’t be shocked to even find someone with a background in ”idiotism” there..

FFlash

They do have at least one recent poster here. Not sure though which role (ay or ft) he takes and when maybe he can comment it directly here
cheers to you!

WilcoRoger

But I'm still surprised that they'd take advice on matters of aircraft rotation from this thread

SuloL

Actually a friend of mine was on the AY1970 today on that A330. As I was advising him on how to try to get his points upgrade as a basic member, I kept a close look at the seat maps until departure. J ended up being full, and maybe 15 seats left in Y. Therefore, the pax wouldn't have even fit into the original A321. So might just be a one-off substitution to accommodate for the overbooking