A Jetstar Airbus A320. Photo / Mark Mitchell
From Auckland to Queenstown, Guam to Saipan and beyond, here are our latest airline reviews.
Helen van Berkel flies Jetstar JQ0281 Auckland to Queenstown
Plane: Airbus A320.
Class: Economy.
Price: I was on a work trip but Jetstar's website shows Sunday flights ranging from $109 to $145.
On time: Yes.
My seat: 1D - the exit row, with an empty seat between me and an ageing hipster in salmon shorts.
Fellow passengers: Lots of fit-looking people in sturdy walking shoes and two family groups, one Chinese, the other Indian.
How full: About 90 per cent.
Entertainment: An inflight magazine kindly tucked into the pocket in front of you.
The service: Staff seemed efficient, serving those who paid extra for food.
Food and drink: I wasn't one of those who paid, but the breakfast smelled nice. A coffee would have cost $3.50, a beer $7.
The toilet: Clean, with Jetstar-branded hand cleanser and, oddly, disposal for used syringes.
Luggage: 20kg, which you pay extra for.
The airport experience: Here's a hint, fellow passengers: Board when it's your turn. Or queue for longer than you need to and block everyone else from boarding. The plane ain't leaving without you.
Would I fly this again? Always up for a trip to Queenstown.
*****
Ewan McDonald flies from Dubai to Glasgow on Emirates EK027
The plane: Boeing 777-300.
Class: Economy.
Price: The nice people at VisitScotland paid. I got on Scot-free, you could say.
On time: Pretty much.
My seat: 42K. Window, reasonably close to the start of the dinner run and the facilities.
Fellow passengers: Nearly all human life was here.
How full: As full as a (insert your own metaphor).
Entertainment: Emirates' ICE system - live news, onboard cameras and information; communications including phone, text and email; 1600 entertainment channels. Movies aren't always the latest releases, however.
The service: It's been a long haul (almost four hours from Auckland to Brisbane, 14 more to Dubai, and now another eight to Glasgow, with time on the ground). To be frank, the out-of-Auckland crew appeared several tads frazzled. The new team who come on duty for this leg are chipper and on to it.
Food and drink: Deli platter breakfast, chicken cacciatore or lamb biryani at lunch. Plane rather than fancy food. They have better taste than most airlines in wine.
The toilets: Clean, fresh, spacious.
Luggage: Can't blame the airline, but the handlers certainly took their time in Glasgow.
The airport experience: After the Duty-Free City that is Dubai, Glasgow's welcome is underwhelming. Rather like Auckland's walkway for passengers arriving in the Big City from Blenheim. At least Glasgow's cattle race is enclosed and it feels as if the place is being done up for the Commonwealth Games and other tourist-attracting events.
Would I fly this again? Och aye.
The writer toured Scotland and Ireland with VisitScotland, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Tourism Ireland and Emirates.
*****
Lincoln Tan flies KE724 from Osaka to Incheon
The plane: A near-new Korean Air Airbus 330-300. The flagship carrier of South Korea started using this aircraft just two months ago, which is said to be more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly. The jetliner has a maximum cruising speed of 879km/h, a maximum flying distance of 9450km and flying time of 11 hours.
The route: Osaka, Japan, to Incheon, South Korea.
My seat: 9H, the last row in the 2-2-2 configured Business cabin. In Business - or Prestige Class as Korean Air calls it - passengers enjoy lots of attention from the immaculate air hostesses. I did get really comfortable in my seat, which could go completely flat. The seat position can be changed with a button. It took me a while to figure out what to do, but once I got the hang of it, it didn't take long for me to cosy up in my favourite La-Z-Boy position.
On time: The flight left a few minutes late, but it made up for lost time in flight and arrived in Incheon right on schedule.
Entertainment: I was told the 38cm LCD monitor had a touch screen, but it was beyond my reach from my "comfort" position so I operated the programming with my multifunctional controller. There was a large selection of movies and television shows but it was a relatively short flight, so not much opportunity to enjoy many of them. Seats also had AC and USB ports for charging devices.
Service: Excellent. The crew was extremely friendly and attentive, and Prestige Class passengers were personally greeted by the co-pilot before take-off. Hot towels, juice and snacks were offered soon after we took our seats, and requests for drink top-ups were greeted with smiles.
Food and drink: Baked fish with asparagus, gravy and rice, green salad, warm bun and a fresh fruit platter to finish. It was pretty bland and unadventurous compared to the bibimbap (a Korean mixed rice dish) I had on a previous Korean Air flight. I expressed my disappointment to a crew member who apologised and immediately asked if I would like to have shin ramyun (spicy Korean instant noodles) instead. A large range of beer and wine was on offer, and I thoroughly enjoyed my choice of Choya umeshu plum wine.
Fellow passengers: Besides the New Zealand travel agents on a famil trip, the other passengers were mainly Korean passengers returning from holiday or business from Japan.
The airport experience: Check-in at Kansai International Airport, Osaka, was smooth and effortless before we were guided to the Korean Air Lounge. It was one of the smallest airport lounges I have been to, but it was cosy and nicely designed. The food selection was small, comprising mainly pastries, onigiri (Japanese rice balls) and instant noodles. Therewas a range of beer, coffee and juices on offer to go with the snack meals.
Final thoughts: I didn't pay for my flight, but the travel agents in my group said flying Business Class on Korean Air was generally cheaper than most other major airlines. The aircraft, service and my overall flight experience was terrific, and in fact better than some of the other "more expensive" airlines.
*****
Shandelle Battersby flies on Berjaya Air J8 302
The plane: A decrepit Dash 7 dating from the 1970s consisting of just 12 rows of 2x2 seats. My tray table was held up with masking tape.
The route: Tioman Island, Malaysia to Changi Airport, Singapore.
My seat: 9D - a window seat, which is great in a small plane because you're so low to the ground meaning you get the best of the great views.
Price: $114.40. With food, alcohol and basic accommodation very cheap on Tioman Island, this makes for a really cheap holiday after you make it to Singapore.
Fellow passengers: All tourists. Locals catch the boat.
On time? No, but considering you can rock up to the airport just an hour or so before take-off and get through the totally lax security and Customs service on the island in about two minutes, this is no biggie. The only shame is that Tioman is a duty-free zone and the baggage allowance is only 10kg, so you can't stock up on cheap grog unless you travel extremely light.
Entertainment: There wasn't even an inflight magazine though there was a sort of newsletter stuffed in the seat pocket. Luckily the bumps and jars provided plenty of distraction. On the journey to Tioman from Kuala Lumpur we took off in an intense electrical storm (!) and had to run to the tarmac stairs in torrential rain. The gate staff very kindly gave out umbrellas - they're used to this sort of weather in this part of the world - but it's still not an experience I'm keen to repeat.
The service: Very good.
Food and drink: All hail the budget airlines in Asia. All three I flew on this particular trip offered snacks - in this case peanuts, a small croissant and a bottle of water.
The toilets: I think there was one. The flight time on this trip was less than an hour so I didn't need to investigate.
The airport experience: Hilarious. I've never seen so many photo shoots on a runway - the tourists went mad for the tiny jet.
Would I fly this again: There is no other choice if you want to go to Tioman by plane, though next time I hope the aircraft is a little newer. And I could do without the electrical storm.
*****
Aaron Hailwood flies Aeroflot SU232 to Delhi
The plane: Airbus A330-300. Modern and clean, but with a rather garish orange colour scheme.
The route: Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, Russia (SVO) to Delhi, India.
Class: Economy.
My seat: 15K, however, the flight was only about half full, so before take-off I stole a row to myself.
Price: $620 including a connecting flight from Yerevan, Armenia. A one-way Moscow to Delhi flight can sometimes be found for as little as $400. Flying Aeroflot with a Moscow connection is a relatively cheap way to get from Europe to East/South Asia.
Fellow passengers: A lot of single Indian men and no infants to keep me awake on an overnight flight.
On time: 15 minutes late waiting for transferred baggage, but we landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule at 2.50am.
Entertainment: Seat-back screens featuring an excellent range of new and classic movies, a few TV shows, and lots of music and games. The entertainment units wouldn't work until well after take-off, but they did show the pilot's POV until then.
The service: Pleasant and unobtrusive, with an excellent command of English.
Food and drink: Alcohol had to be purchased but tea, coffee, water, juice, and Coke were free. There was a fish or chicken option for the main meal - which was surprisingly delicious - as well as an excellent salad and dessert.
The toilets: No issues with the wharepaku on board.
Luggage: 20kg, checked through from Yerevan, Armenia to Delhi with no hassles. Carry-on baggage limit of 10kg not really enforced.
The airport experience: Moscow SVO is a huge airport and changing terminals can sometimes prove challenging with passport checks also done even when transiting. A huge range of shops and food and beverage but it all feels a little crammed in. Sadly no American asylum seekers seen wandering around.
Would I fly this again? With Aeroflot offering some of the cheapest fares between East Asia and Europe, and pretty decent service, I'd happily fly the airline again.
*****
Patrick O'Rourke flies UA5077 Guam to Saipan
The plane: ATR42 from Cape Air operating as United Express.
Class: The plane has 50 seats, and all are Economy Class.
Price: This is part of the Narita-Guam-Saipan return itinerary with a stopover in Guam. It's US$683 - a very fair price.
On time: Guam was hit by Typhoon Dolphin the day before we flew (May 16) so flights were suspended. We were meant to fly on UA5039 at 12.55am; eventually we got under way on UA5077 at about 8pm.
My seat: 3B.
Fellow passengers: Mainly Guam or Saipan residents travelling between the two islands and a few visitors. It was a Saturday and many had been delayed by the typhoon since Thursday afternoon.
How full: After the connecting passengers had boarded there were five free seats. The captain was seen outside on the tarmac counting the bags which were too big to be taken in the cabin. He then announced he was doing his calculations of baggage and weight to see how many of the standby passengers could be taken on the flight. Fifteen minutes later two extra passengers joined us. After sitting on the plane for an hour we were cleared for take-off.
Entertainment: None.
The service: One flight attendant. She made sure everyone was comfortable for the potentially rough flight in the wind and rain.
Food and drink: A bottle of water.
The toilets: One at the rear.
Luggage: One checked bag and one computer backpack that fitted in the overhead locker.
The flight: There were a couple of big air pockets which gave the plane a good shake, but this was a surprisingly smooth 40-minute flight through the tail of a typhoon.
The airport experience: Guam International Airport has a lot of flights and is spacious, but the food and drink facilities are uninspiring. It does have free wifi. If you have flight delays, go to the airport to get them sorted. Phoning is a nightmare.
Would I fly this again? I was visiting to referee international junior tennis events in Guam and Saipan. If I am visiting Guam and Saipan there is no other way to get there, so I'd have to get back on board.
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