Europe Trip 2014
Europe Trip 2014
The following trip was undertaken between 16 May and 18 June 2014. During this time we visited Brunei, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Italy, France, UK and Denmark.
The following will list the different airlines used and a brief review of each along with places and hotel reviews of importance.
Flights:
Royal Brunei
Melbourne to Brunei – BI054 16 May – Boeing 787 Dreamliner – business class
Brunei to Hong Kong – BI635 17 May – Airbus A320 – business class
Hong Kong to Brunei – BI636 17 June –Airbus A320 – business class
Brunei to Melbourne – BI053 17 June –Boeing 787 Dreamliner – business class
This was the first time I had flown with Royal Brunei and was aware that this was a no alcohol airline. However I had been told you could take your own on board for consumption. We were allowed to use the Cathay Pacific lounge in Melbourne, the Sky Lounge in Brunei and the Hong Kong Airlines lounge in Hong Kong.
On board on the B787 the experience was a definite wow – with only 18 seats in business class on a 2 – 2 – 2 configuration. The space was amazing and the new aircraft outstanding. The service was welcoming and the food was good. The seats also convert to a fully lie-flat bed for a very nice overnight sleeping experience. On the first flight I did take a beer and there was no problem with consuming this on-board, however for all the other flights I decided to forego the alcohol.
The total experience was good but with the A320 they are undergoing a refurb. We had an old aircraft going to Hong Kong and a much better cabin and seats on the way back to Brunei. The lounges were fine but the Skylounge at Brunei was a bit disappointing. The lounge staff also did not control an unruly child (family) which made the experience rather stressful on the return.
Qatar Airlines
Hong Kong – Doha – QR815 20 May – Airbus A330 – economy class
Doha – Zurich – QR095 20 May – Boeing 787 Dreamliner – economy class
Copenhagen – Doha QR160 13 June – Boeing 787 Dreamliner – economy class
Doha – Hong Kong QR5801 14 June – Airbus A330 – economy class (this flight was operated by Cathay Pacific Airways)
I had been looking forward to flying the “World’s Five Star Airline” but the experience did not live up to the marketing hype. The first flight was very disappointing with an old dingy aircraft and a crew to match. The two Dreamliner flights were excellent and this was only given the fact that this brand new exceptional aircraft really lifted the bar. The staff seemed better also on both these flights. The flight from Doha – Hong Kong was operated by Cathay Pacific. I had called ahead and asked the airline to provide one of the rear rows of 3 seats as I was travelling with an elderly lady. I was advised by Cathay that this was done. The problem was the configuration was 2 – 4 –2, which is why I had asked for the few rear 3 seat configuration options. I had been able to do seating on all the flights, but when Qatar changed the return flight to be operated on the Cathay Pacific codeshare I had to call Cathay direct. When we got on the aircraft we were very disappointed to find ourselves in a row of 4 in the middle cabin. (Moral of the tale is don’t trust the airline call centres)
At Doha we had very different experiences. We travelled into the old airport but on the return the new Hamid International had opened and was much smoother. There had been quite an issue and confusion on the outbound to the old airport. (see below)
On arrival in Doha the experience turned to be a bit of a nightmare. The aircraft parked in the middle of nowhere, along with lots of other aircraft. From what I could see this seemed the norm. I didn’t see any terminal air bridge facilities, and all aircraft were met by buses and the passenger transported to a number of terminal options. This in my mind was not well communicated, and passengers were confused as to which terminal they should be getting off at. Staff at each terminal had to check passengers getting off. The first terminal was for plane arrivals into Doha, and passengers with blue edged cards were to alight there. Other passengers with yellow or orange edged cards were to go to the transit terminal. This was the majority, given the airline is primarily a feeder carrier operating through its hub with a very extensive network. On arrival at the transfer terminal it was chaos. There were very few staff to meet and greet the arriving passengers and there were lanes and check-in areas for short transfers, long transfer etc. Again as we had an elderly person, and had not been escorted off the last flight we had to find a customer service staff member to point us in the right area. After this we were escorted to a holding area for special assistance passengers. Here the security was done and we just waited. There were dozens of flights going and it was chaos with concerned passengers asking when they would be collected etc. We were told not to worry and wait, but when the flight went from last call to gate closed I started to be concerned. Still they said don’t worry and a few minutes later called us forward just 20 minutes from departure time. We boarded another bus and were driven to the aircraft for our next flight to Zurich. On arrival at the aircraft we were escorted into a special van that was raised to door level and entered the cabin. All other passengers were already boarded, but the flight was not too full so there was ample room and luggage space available.
Ryanair
Rome, Malpensa - Cagliari – FR4675 23 May –Boeing 737-800
This was a low cost flight booked online at the airlines website. As usual with Ryaniar it is priced low, and you can select from a whole range of ancillary products. We added one bag per person, and were also able to take advantage of assistance due to the elderly person travelling with us. The original flight had been booked from Milan’s Bergamo airport, but Ryanair communicated well in advance about the change of airport (due to some terminal works) and offered the chance to confirm the booking or get a refund. For us Malpensa was better placed so we stuck with the change. Onboard it was comfortable and clean, and you pay for everything.
Volotea
Bastia, Corsica – Bordeaux – V72403 29 May– Boeing 717
This was a very quick flight to connect from Corsica, through Bordeaux to London with British Airways. Nothing special about the flight!. Was comfortable enough with a drink served on board and baggage included
British Airways
Bordeaux – London, Gatwick – BA2789 29 May– Airbus A320
We arrived with 3 ½ hours to spare and were not able to check in until 2 hours prior. Plus the girls opening check-in were slow and determined to not open 1 minute before time. Once on board, the flight was delayed by 30 minutes, putting my car hire collection at Gatwick in jeopardy, as arrival was planned for 11pm and would now be around 11.30pm with midnight closing of the car hire desks. The flight was ok, nothing spectacular and the crew were very average.
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Edinburgh – Copenhagen – DY3503 – 11 June –Boeing 737-800
Norwegian is another low cost carrier, and again the booking was done on their website. We added baggage and special assistance and booking stage. On board the aircraft was very cosy, with friendly Scandinavian crew. They had in-flight entertainment and refreshments for sale, and provided free in-flight Wi-Fi. This was a real bonus and allowed me to stay in touch in flight with friends via email and Facebook.
Coming Soon – Hotels and Experiences
I will be posting photos on my Pinterest account and also information on flights, hotels and sightseeing undertaken.
I hope you enjoy!