I just got off my UL flight from SIN to FRA via CMB and here are my brief observations for my fellow FTers...

Just to say.. if people find MH to be underwhelmed, you'd better avoid UL.

I tried checking in at 7am at SIN T3, Aisle 8, for my 955am flight to CMB on Thur 1st May. I was expecting balloons, streamers, cake and all the hoopla for their first day entry into Oneworld.. and I was sorely mistaken. There was nothing. The staff however seemed to be rather tense as they all have to learn new codes from the check in system. At 700am, I was asked by the security officer to move forward to check in but she wanted to see my proof of travel first. Seems rather paranoid I think... but anyway, it was only at the check in counter, that the fun began..

I have one ticket to FRA on UL and another ticket on SK continuing onto BGO via CPH. The check in agent did not know if she can check the bag through and only when the duty manager assured her that it can be done did she try to print the baggage label. She then asked me what I was doing in Europe. And for how long? And do I have an onward ticket? On which airline? ...

Then upon printing the baggage label , it is discovered that their current system cannot handle anything over 2 connections. If they are to print the tag as I requested it will end up having two tags ! So I said to just tag it to FRA and I will recheck the bag there.

In Singapore, UL uses the DNATA lounge. The same lounge that fellow OW member QR uses. The lounge is small and with limited food offerings. I wish that all OW carriers consolidate into one terminal in Singapore and we can use the fab QF lounge but they are in Terminal 1 and they don't open till 230pm.

At 915am, I make my way to the gate. Today, we're at gate B2. Boarding was orderly although another security officer prevented me from using the Business Class line until she saw my ticket. The BP does have a lovely OW logo on it though. And oh yeah, although they said that the system has my AA FFP on it, it didn't print on the BP. I couldn't enter my number till the 1st as their GDS did not accept any OW members prior to the joining date. I had booked my ticket through UL directly in HK.

The flight was full. Seating on this A320-200 aircraft was 2x2 with wide seats and a good touchscreen IFE. There are electrical sockets too for those who care but there are no leg or foot rests in the Business Class cabin.

Cabin crew came round with hot towels and drinks with nuts to accompany. Main courses were some curry dish. Actually 3 out of 4 of the choices were hot and spicy.

I didn't watch anything but tried to take a nap instead. Just as I wake we're about to land.

Now for a long layover, UL provides hotel accomodation. You go to the Colombo Stopover Counter as you walk up to the main hall. Arriving and departing passengers mingle together in the same building. The immigration counters are to the left of the terminal. But the problem with here in the Indian subcontinent is that no one queued. I was standing in line in the Business Class counter when a few guys just walked in front of me oblivious to the fact that there is somebody there. Thank goodness the woman behind the counter shoo'd them back to the other line. Transfers of less than 7 hours are given a refreshment voucher. There were nothing to indicate that UL is part of OW. No streamers. No signs. Nothing. I asked some staff and they said it was yesterday on the 30th and it was in town where OW members came in to party along with all 15 female flight attendants from the various airlines posing for photos I hear.

Finally at the counter , I was asked if I want to stay inside the airport or outside. I said outside and she picked up the phone to call 'someone' and said here, take this paper and go outside and meet the Colombo Stopover Counter people.

Off I went. But at the counter, I asked if the hotel was near a beach and the guy just said no, its in a large garden. Then he tried to sell me some tours for the day. I said no. Then he asked me to wait by the main seated area amonst the people waiting for their loved ones to come out. I was then led by another guy to the curb to meet my driver.

Amongst the decent looking cars, suddenly one whipped up around the corner, and I thought, 'Gawd, I hope not...' But surely it was as it displayed a 'Sri Lankan' sign in the front dashboard. The car was a Nissan circa 1980s and it was almost falling to bits. But in I went, and the driver had his music on rather loud and made no attempt to decrease the volume. He didn't have his seat belt on either. And I truly believe that the lines on the road were to guide the driver to drive in the middle of the road whilst dodging the oncoming tuktuk and the bus. The big big bus that doesn't seem to know where his side of the road was either.

Sri Lanka is still very much a Third World country. It may be developing but the road to the lovely Tamarind Tree Bungalows (and I say it sarcastically) seemed to go through farms, and areas were poverty is high. The bus coming head on seems to be falling to bits and crammed full of people - and May 1st is a holiday. I hate to see what a normal working day would be like.

The car turned left to a gated driveway lined with lovely trees. Then we turn up to a building that looked like something out of 'Out of Africa'... circa 1960. The building looked tired and so did some of the staff. They just advised me that lunch is from 1230-3pm and dinner is from 630pm to 930pm. Then a bellboy came up (and he's wearing slippers) to lead me to my bungalow. Which seemed a walk away. But no worries, I only had that and he away we went. Past the swimming pool. Past the meandering path. Past a couple of horses munching on the grass. I guess it cuts down on the gardening bill. Then my bungalow B8. It is 4 units and I am shared with B6 and B4 and B2.

There I was made away of where all the switches are.. while I eye a large spider staring at me up on the window sill. I didn't say anything while screaming silently 'Get me outta here'..

More to follow - I've got to board my SK flight now.

Continuing with my adventure in CMB..

The complimentary car transfer for the airport came at 9pm. Three hours prior to departure.. I already have my boarding passes. That was printed out in Singapore.

The car took me to the special Business Class check in - it seems its at a side entrance. No, its not like AA's check in at Heathrow, or Qatar's check in in Doha. Its a side entrance with 4 UL women manning the tables. And one security person scanning your bags. CMB airport checks everyone's baggage going into the airport. The airport has been targetted in recent years by the Tamil Tigers and so they are a bit cautious.

Anyway, from the check in area, I was led to the main departure hall and then directed to the immigration and then the lounge.

The lounge. Ah. This is the Serendip Lounge. UL's flagship lounge in CMB. Let me warn you. It is small. Functional. But nothing like the other OW partners' lounges eg CX's Wing, QF's Club, BA's Terraces. Even MH's Golden Lounge seems heavenly compared to this. Again there were nothing fancy to indicate UL joined OW other than the OW logo on many of their signs. I was told I had missed the celebrations the day before.

There is one shower stall at the men's room. It looked like it has hardly been used.

Boarding was 45 mins prior to departure.

At the gate, the security screening is done there. Belt off, shoes off. Then the security personnel double checks everyone's passport with a magnifying glass. Then I boarded the A330-200 aircraft.

The plane had the newish leather seats. The IFE looks decent but airshow was not working. The seats do recline flat and are quite comfortable.

The menu : (I'll fill this in later)


Then lights off. It was fairly uneventful except the Chief Purser came round to all (it seems) OW partner's FFP and said thank you for flying with us.

Breakfast menu (will fill this in later) - funny that they served breakfast 3 hours prior landing. In fact, there was still 2 hours of flight time to go after breakfast was cleared.

Update : Overall I like UL. They were very hospitable - more so than BA when I asked for tea, and they asked 'One lump or two'. You certainly don't get that sort of service even in CW on BA anymore.

UL is a good airline for service and they are trying hard to impress since joining OW. They have reasonably good fares that's good for BA's Tier points accrual for those who want it. But for better service, there's QR.

Thanks for the report! That all does sound closer to a proper developing country experience than any of the other OW members. After all Sri Lanka is the OW airline country that is the least developed. At a minimum it sounds like the car to the hotel and the hotel could use an upgrade! But were you really expecting a lounge comparable to The Wing or a Porsche ride to the hotel? FWIW I really love the idea of the spicy meal options. Anything to make up for all the bland BA meals I've consumed over the years.

Actually, i tried SQ,CX,CA,CI,MH etc.... one baggage tag max. for 3 flights. more than that system will print out another baggage tag... However, some of the airport using RFID and the baggage system will confuse 2 bag tag's luggage. then your baggage will auto send to problem area in the basement.... if you are lucky, will have staff to pick up your luggage from problem area. Otherwsie, your baggage will still there until someone comes.....

Yes, GB, UL is the airline of a developing nation and it's support system is too. Welcome to that reality. However, I really believe that UL will develop, as will Sri Lanka.

That said, I fly UL in business class because for about $200 more than an economy flight on SQ I get additional baggage allowance, better seating, better sleep ability and lounge access ...

The UL seats and leg room in business class are better than ANY economy seats on ANY airline. The lounge in CMB is functional and larger than it used to be - but at least the drinks and food are decent - and I have not found dried sandwiches etc like at the lounge in KUL's LCCT - that I HAD to PAY for access to

Nice food and yogurt on the UL business flights. Decent bubbly too (name escapes me), but not Tattinger - more like Jacob's Creek bubbly.

Flying to/from KUL this summer will assure my of BAEC Silver for another year because of the TPs. Yippee

GB, I look forward to the future comments about your flight and ground experience with your first (??) UL business class flights.

Thanks Guy for the TR.

I happen to like the Tamarind Tree. Though I haven't stayed there for a couple of years. And their buffet meals were quite acceptable, especially if Sir Lankan cuisine is acceptable. The hotel environment in Sri Lanka has seriously changed in the last few years and yes, it can be considered a work in progress. The roads (as congested as they are) are seriously improved over the last ten years. And while the current government may be considered less than "squeaky clean" from an international perspective, my contacts are very happy with the program of infrastructure improvements that have been completed (and are continuing). But it will many, many years for the general population to achieve anything like western living standards. Any support for improvement in the educational standards will not be wasted. And maybe someday the "commis" culture will not be as pervasive.

And airlines into/out of CMB can be considered as a similar environment. I have yet to fly BA, but every time I have looked, the Y+ cabin seems rather unavailable. This may say something about the demand level exUK.

The airport check-in for CX and MH seems to be reasonably organized (though definitely done by the clock) compared with UL. When one considers the number of flights I guess a certain amount of confusion is expected. But hopefully it will improve over time.

And I will repeat the previous comment about a biz class seat being better than a Y class seat... Especially when on a 10+ hour flight segment.

Hopefully we will see UL in Australia sooner rather than later. CMB-PER-MEL seems like a perfectly logical route to me , And MEL-CMB-LHR divides the flight times far better than (SIN/HKG/DXB/AUH)

Happy wandering

Fred

Seems perfectly logical to me too
Especially the CMB-PER bit

I have been traveling to CMB even during the civil war and was on a CX plane that was halted when the tigers crashed a homemade plane into the middle of Colombo.

Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan airlines are a success story. Things could have been left at all of their fleet destroyed after the attack on the airport.

I love this idea and have asked them (UL) several times in the past if they had codeshares to/from Australia. Negative answers..

Oh well, here IS hoping.

Thanks, Fred, for voicing this idea again ^

At the Serendib lounge right now (first time after so many trips to CMB)- and you know what- it's better than half decent.

The food's ok (if Sri Lankan cuisine is acceptable to you- I love it! And the western options look ok too)..the whiskey's Glenlivet 15 - I've certainly had worse in JCL Lounges and the snooze area looks perfectly acceptable for people who're not in a long transit (where UL would give you a hotel room that, even if basic, would be better than the cabanas in the wing to lie down for a bit).

Yes, it's smallish, but there's been a lot of seats available through the evening. (Think UL's access rules for own elites/shorthaul biz preclude access...couldn't quite understand what they had in the article on joining oneworld in their mag).

Oh please. I am merely giving my perspective for people who expect what a OW carrier should be. People were complaining about the lack of amenities when comparing MH's lounge in KUL to CX in HKG. So I thought I'd better prepare people here on what to expect.

Yes UL is a success story. In the 80s when they started, training were done by SQ. In early 2000, when EK bought a share in them, they fashioned UL like them. UL today is perfectly acceptable. I found them better than MS but then again, MS isn't in OW so can't compare.

Useful TR, GB. My experience flying UL a few years ago was vaguely similar, though actually booking the ticket and getting clear information on its schedule was a PITA. Perhaps that's improved, perhaps not. I knew roughly what to expect on at the airport and in the air, so no disappointment involved. It was, and perhaps still is, a good, cheap way of flying in J on the pretty short hop from CMB to the Maldives.

I think your TR will be useful in informing folks unfamiliar with UL to ratchet down their expectations. At the right fare or as an award option for certain trips, I'd certainly consider flying it again.

Alas it seems to want a subscription to read the entire article.

[Extract of header]
SriLankan Airlines is aiming gradually to turn around its financial situation as it renews its fleet and leverages its new membership in oneworld.
The flag carrier, which has been highly unprofitable since a 10-year management contract with Emirates ended in 2008, expects another large loss in the current fiscal year. But SriLankan is confident it is now tracking in the right direction and should be able to break-even after the conclusion of its five-year business plan in 2016.
[end]

http://centreforaviation.com/analysi...neworld-167181

UL's entry to Oneworld seems to have provoked the opening of a few more fare buckets from MH and CX. Definitely less expensive in the Y cabin now intra-Asia exCMB.

Happy wandering

Fred

I have done four segments on one bag tag (CLT-DFW-LAS-MIA-LGA - yes, it was a mileage run, and I then connected on to JFK-HKG, and earlier in the trip I had done LHR-DXB-LHR-JFK back-to-back)

I've only flown through CMB about ten times - half with UL, half with other airlines, mostly in J class - and have never had much success with flights being on-time.

That said, I have found UL's on-board service to be more pleasant that QR, even if the latter gets higher marks in every other in-flight category.