Royal Jordanian in Oneworld???
Dec 15, 2005 | 9:19 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 949
RJ is continually improving
Royal Jordanian, while not to the standard of Cathay is continually improving and will within the next three years be a very solid regional carrier with great Customer products and services.
RJ's new Airbus 320 and 321 being delivered from now and throughout 2006 will feature AVOD in both classes of travel. It is my understanding AVOD will be introduced on long-haul A340 aircraft. Inflight Entertainment is the main point where RJ was behind the competition. RJ also recently acquired Dash-8 Q400 aircraft to increase Regional routes, and the airline will have 35 aircraft by the end of 2008 in its 5-year improvement plan.
RJ's Crown Class is fantastic, especially on the Airbus 340 aircraft servicing the USA, Bangkok, Dubai and London (might be a 310 now). The A340 features flat beds with an 83-inch seat pitch and food seems infinite (always offered seconds of mains and dessert, even in a full cabin). Combined with friendly crews and the imminent addition of AVOD in my eyes it will offer the best Business Class product in oneworld. I always use RJ Business Class when travelling to the Middle east on the Bangkok-Amman route and they always outshine British Airways in my eyes.
As for food and service in Economy, three choices of main meal on Amman-Europe flights and on long-haul services in Economy seems pretty good to me. The airline offers a seat pitch of 34-inches on long haul flights which is better than what can be said for some other oneworld airlines.
Two things let RJ down - Amman Airport and their lounges in the airport. Amman Airport is bad, but I wouldn't call it a dump. I think it's reached its capacity especially at peak times and a new terminal needs to be built with a new Crown Class Lounge facility. Remodelling of the terminals has not helped either. I've heard rumour that a new terminal is planned but not officially announced. My suggestion is just to demolish the current airport and move it 1km down the road.
RJ is continually improving and in my opinion will prove to be a valuble addition to oneworld providing the missing Middle Eastern link.
RJ's new Airbus 320 and 321 being delivered from now and throughout 2006 will feature AVOD in both classes of travel. It is my understanding AVOD will be introduced on long-haul A340 aircraft. Inflight Entertainment is the main point where RJ was behind the competition. RJ also recently acquired Dash-8 Q400 aircraft to increase Regional routes, and the airline will have 35 aircraft by the end of 2008 in its 5-year improvement plan.
RJ's Crown Class is fantastic, especially on the Airbus 340 aircraft servicing the USA, Bangkok, Dubai and London (might be a 310 now). The A340 features flat beds with an 83-inch seat pitch and food seems infinite (always offered seconds of mains and dessert, even in a full cabin). Combined with friendly crews and the imminent addition of AVOD in my eyes it will offer the best Business Class product in oneworld. I always use RJ Business Class when travelling to the Middle east on the Bangkok-Amman route and they always outshine British Airways in my eyes.
As for food and service in Economy, three choices of main meal on Amman-Europe flights and on long-haul services in Economy seems pretty good to me. The airline offers a seat pitch of 34-inches on long haul flights which is better than what can be said for some other oneworld airlines.
Two things let RJ down - Amman Airport and their lounges in the airport. Amman Airport is bad, but I wouldn't call it a dump. I think it's reached its capacity especially at peak times and a new terminal needs to be built with a new Crown Class Lounge facility. Remodelling of the terminals has not helped either. I've heard rumour that a new terminal is planned but not officially announced. My suggestion is just to demolish the current airport and move it 1km down the road.
RJ is continually improving and in my opinion will prove to be a valuble addition to oneworld providing the missing Middle Eastern link.
Dec 16, 2005 | 1:22 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2001
Programs: AA Plat & LTG; QF LTG
Posts: 9,837
Originally Posted by Platinum A332
Royal Jordanian, while not to the standard of Cathay is continually improving and will within the next three years be a very solid regional carrier with great Customer products and services.
Originally Posted by Platinum A332
RJ's new Airbus 320 and 321 being delivered from now and throughout 2006 will feature AVOD in both classes of travel. It is my understanding AVOD will be introduced on long-haul A340 aircraft. Inflight Entertainment is the main point where RJ was behind the competition.
. AVOD on an A320 is more than just a minor improvement over what some other airlines provide.
Originally Posted by Platinum A332
RJ's Crown Class is fantastic, especially on the Airbus 340 aircraft servicing the USA, Bangkok, Dubai and London (might be a 310 now). The A340 features flat beds with an 83-inch seat pitch and food seems infinite (always offered seconds of mains and dessert, even in a full cabin). Combined with friendly crews and the imminent addition of AVOD in my eyes it will offer the best Business Class product in oneworld. I always use RJ Business Class when travelling to the Middle east on the Bangkok-Amman route and they always outshine British Airways in my eyes.
Originally Posted by Platinum A332
As for food and service in Economy, three choices of main meal on Amman-Europe flights and on long-haul services in Economy seems pretty good to me. The airline offers a seat pitch of 34-inches on long haul flights which is better than what can be said for some other oneworld airlines.
.
Originally Posted by Platinum A332
RJ is continually improving and in my opinion will prove to be a valuble addition to oneworld providing the missing Middle Eastern link.
Dec 17, 2005 | 8:47 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Citizen of the world
Programs: QF Plat./OW Emerald + Life Gold, IC Plat. Royal Ambassador, etc.
Posts: 2,891
Originally Posted by virtualtroy
Announced this morning by OW. Expected to become a fully-fledged member sometime between the end of 2006 and early 2007.
"OW set to grow when RJ joins in mid 2006"
Is this loose PR speak, or is it gonna actually happen this quick ?
Dec 17, 2005 | 10:02 am
#21
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Pennsylvania
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, AC *S, Marriott Gold Elite, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 9,791
The problem with RJ is not so much their product, which IMHO is good, it is the fact that I don't see them being the best addition as middle eastern carrier, their route network is small and they just don't have the best connections to other cities in Asia or Africa. With that being said, their middle east network is ^ ^ and their European network is good too, but frequencies aren't that great. They no longer fly to Karachi either - very annoying 
Cheers
Cheers
Dec 17, 2005 | 6:05 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 949
Originally Posted by sadiqhassan
The problem with RJ is not so much their product, which IMHO is good, it is the fact that I don't see them being the best addition as middle eastern carrier, their route network is small and they just don't have the best connections to other cities in Asia or Africa. With that being said, their middle east network is ^ ^ and their European network is good too, but frequencies aren't that great. They no longer fly to Karachi either - very annoying
Cheers
Cheers
Operationally, the coming year is expected to witness several positive developments, as RJ's daily flights will mark an increase of 35 per cent.
Non-stop flights will be operating to most destinations in the Arab Gulf and European countries, and there will be more frequent daily and weekly flights to some destinations starting next summer.
There will be three daily flights to Beirut, two to Aqaba, Cairo and Baghdad, one daily flight to Damascus, Aleppo, London, Kuwait, and Sharm Al Sheikh, marking an obvious increase in the airline's operations. There will also be nine weekly flights to Dubai and 12 weekly flights to the United States.
Originally Posted by NM
While not being a Cathay Pacific, how do they compare to other OneWorld airlines? I have not used RJ, but have experience the rear cabin of a USA-based OneWorld airline on several occasions, and don't expect RJ could be in the same league.
Originally Posted by NM
And I suppose they don't chAArge for drinks either .
.Jordan also is very liberal and western especially when it comes to alcohol, you will find liquor shops throughout Amman (mainly Western Amman) and most restaurants and hotels do have alcohol. Also Amstel Beer has a bottling plant in Jordan, so Jordan and RJ are by no means 'dry'.
Dec 18, 2005 | 12:12 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: country Western Australia
Programs: QF WP(LTS) - AA LTG(1MM)
Posts: 2,857
In any case Amman->USA on a single One World Explorer flight coupon with RJ will make the mileage run addicts a bit happier.
Will be interesting to see how the various economy fare classes on RJ will post to the existing programs.
Happy wandering
Fred
Will be interesting to see how the various economy fare classes on RJ will post to the existing programs.
Happy wandering
Fred
Mar 13, 2006 | 1:47 pm
#26
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: JNB
Programs: Air France Platinum - Qatar Airways Gold
Posts: 1,659
Paris: RJ transfer their operations from Orly to CDG
Starting March 26, RJ will operate to and from CDG instead of ORY (Orly, South of Paris):
Source
Terminal 1 handles international flights and is the terminal used by the members of oneworld, an airline alliance which RJ will be joining as a fully fledged member in the second half of 2006. This is one of the main reasons that induced RJ to use Charles de Gaulle Airport, thus providing high-quality services to the passengers, on par with the services offered by other oneworld members.
(...)
Royal Jordanian has been servicing Paris since 1966; it operates five weekly flights using its new Airbus 320 aircraft.
(...)
Royal Jordanian has been servicing Paris since 1966; it operates five weekly flights using its new Airbus 320 aircraft.
Mar 16, 2006 | 2:56 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS
Posts: 781
Originally Posted by RioFF
Does RJ have any African connections (other than Cairo)?
Casablanca, Tunis, Tripoli, Cairo, Khartoum
Michael
Mar 17, 2006 | 7:59 pm
#29
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,678
Looking at their website, it seems that their service is of an acceptable quality. Interestingly their 180 deg. flat J seats are not the new generation versions, instead they are similar to those old CX A340 F seats.
They generally have good connections to ME/N.Africa, however, I think they should consider flying to HKG, where it could feed of CX flights.
They generally have good connections to ME/N.Africa, however, I think they should consider flying to HKG, where it could feed of CX flights.
Mar 20, 2006 | 6:54 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-PP, HL-DM, MR-LTP, HY-LTG
Posts: 26,017
Originally Posted by B-HQC
Looking at their website, it seems that their service is of an acceptable quality. Interestingly their 180 deg. flat J seats are not the new generation versions, instead they are similar to those old CX A340 F seats.
They generally have good connections to ME/N.Africa, however, I think they should consider flying to HKG, where it could feed of CX flights.
They generally have good connections to ME/N.Africa, however, I think they should consider flying to HKG, where it could feed of CX flights.
HKG charges high landing fees and that's enough to deter many airlines from going there.