North Korea's Air Koryo to offer online booking
 

This is almost a joke, but then it isn't. Check out the carrier's website (link in the story)

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking...oking-20121024

"World's only 1-star airline". I love it.

I wonder what the food offering is on board? :eek:

I guess it's not surprising that they don't sell domestic flights on the internet site.

Even some so-called communists don't want to fly economy class, thus the business class offering. Like extreme communists or many capitalists, they want to fly in the premium cabin using OPM because they believe they deserve it.

I don't think you'll find any communists in the PRK. That's NOT a communist or socialist country. That's a fascist dictatorship.

I looked all over for pics of the airline's interiors (especially J class, of course ;)) has anyone seen these anywhere?

Anyone want to try doing a segment run with a direct turn in FNJ?

And y'all thought that the TSA counted as obnoxious in terms of airport security.

I can't get any flights to book, I keep getting:

We cannot find any flights for your flight schedule. Please change your schedule and try again.

I've carefully checked the schedule first, since they don't operate on all days, and still no dice.

I do, however, like the woman with her hand out who's on EVERY screen.

Can anyone explain the office in Berlin?? They have no flights there.

editing: just got a flight to Beijing to price - US$695 for business before taxes. Is that a good fare?? Dictators charge taxes??

Google Air Koryo and select images. Tons of pictures.

Please continue to follow this discussion in the FT Korea forum.
Thanks.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Skytrax, what a load of fluff. Who is doing the FNJ-PEK rounds enough anyway to grant them a 1-star rating, one of the Kim clan who tried to visit Tokyo Disneyland on a Dominican (Republic) passport?

Anyway, I flew with them twice, and for the PEK-FNJ leg, I was "upgraded" to the front. That is, I had a cushier seat, but still a hoi polloi-class meal. It was part of a Koryo Tour group, and I noticed that DPRK citizens/perhaps Chinese citizens as well were seated in the back (in other words, separate from the tour group), and in the way back, a huge pile of luggage strewn about. Just wish I had saved the issue of "The Pyongyang Times" that was distributed.

Not that bad
 

I've flown Air Koryo recently, Sept 6th PEK->FNJ.

The plane was a Tupelov, but I don't remember which model.

Check-in at PEK was a long process with visas being carefully examined and most people checking multiple bags.

The flight was delayed, the announced reason was fog in Pyongyang, but from the gate we could see people tinkering with one of the engines. Announcements were few and far between with most updates being passed from passenger to passenger like rumours.

Once onboard the plane was clean and modern looking. Narrow body with a 3-3 configuration and overhead LCD displays. There was an announcement of no photography and violators were glared at and told off by cabin crew.

We taxied away from the gate and then stopped. For an hour. No announcement was made explaining the delay. We finally took off and at altitude the cabin crew started their inflight service. Reading material was handed out - a Korean language publication and three English options - the "newspaper", the Pyongyang times offered colourful and entertaining insights in to world news and updates on "puppet government" of South Korea. The second option was a trade journal which highlighted the many achievements of DPRK industry. Lastly a photographic magazine showing the recents achievements in the country such as construction of a new amusement park and apartment buildings.

Crew came through again with food and drink. Complimentary beer was available, although served in small soft plastic glasses. The beer foamed greatly so each passenger got little more than a mouthful. The food was not impressive - a small salad, some sort of cold jellied fish and then a combination of fish and meet in an unidentified sauce with rice. I tried everything and didn't finish any.

In flight entertainment on the overhead LCDs was a karaoke video with music played over the speakers - no need for headphones on this flight. Thankfully nobody was singing along that I could hear.

When we crossed over the border from China in the DPRK airspace an announcement was made and many people on board cheered.

Landing in Pyongyang is not what I'd expected. For a start the airport is far outside of the city and surrounded by farmland. On approach it looked like we'd be landing in a field as there was no visible infrastructure, but sure enough the captain found the runway and we touched down smoothly. We taxied and then taxied some more. It had to have been at least 10 minutes before terminal building was visible. We pulled up in front of a small building next to the tower and deplaned by stairs from both the front and rear doors.

All in all, not a bad flight. My luggage arrived, although not as quickly as you'd expect when there was only one plane to unload.

Unfortunately no airmiles for this flight.

If anyone has questions I can try and answer them.

I don't really understand the Sky Trax rating.

I did PEK-FNJ-PEK in June and as the Tupolev was being under maintenance, it was operated on the Iljushin IL-62. For it's age it was in excellent shape.

The cabin crew was a bit stiff but friendly in general (I guess most people expect some kind of spy things while boarding..), the food wasn't really that bad, the cider was excellent (I didn't try beer on the plane but DPRK beer is excellent for most part), and where else do you receive both newspaper and a glossy magazine on such a short flight?

I had relatively fast check-in, the passengers didn't cheer for entering DPRK airspace. On the return flight the customs was a bit funny (lost sunscreen, hand sanitizer and parfume) but otherwise quite fine.

They didn't like photographing the crew or too obnoxious photography but got plenty of photos at the airport, of and in the plane.

Air Koryo didn't cause me any grey hair but some western airlines most definetly have done so.

This is amazing. I would've sung along.

Obviously no liquid policy is heavily enforced for possible terrorism reasons. :D

Absolutely, from a bag that is going the be checked luggage and on the way out from the country :)

As a brilliant excuse the customs man was looking for a water bottle I had forgotten on the side pocket. He didn't took it away, was just cheerful to have found it. Also the north korean beer bottle wasn't a problem.

A fun place.