Category: Flight Reports

Flight Report: VIETNAM AIRLINES VN 219 – Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City – Wide-Body Business Class Product in One of the World’s Busiest Domestic Routes [January 2023]

The Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City flight route has amazed me ever since; it is always busy with flights departing every 30 minutes. In an article published by Simple Flying last 29 December 2022, this domestic route within Vietnam was the world’s 4th busiest domestic route in the world for the year. It trailed behind Seoul Gimpo-Jeju, Melbourne-Sydney, and Jakarta-Denpasar Bali. The route had 21,574 flights for the whole of 2022 and even reached a peak of 70 flights daily.

Early this year, I had the chance to fly this busy domestic route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. I flew with Vietnam Airlines on flight VN 219 on business class on board their Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Join me in today’s flight report as I share with you my Vietnam Airlines experience in one of the world’s busiest domestic routes.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Emirates & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines traces its roots back in January 1956 when the government formed the Vietnam Civil Aviation.  For decades, the carrier focused on expanding its reach domestically and internationally. In 1993, the airline went through restructuring and became a state-owned transport enterprise. It was also in the same year the airline was hailed as the Flag Carrier of Vietnam. The airline has experienced important developments throughout the years such as rebranding in 2002, receiving IATA membership in 2006, joining Skyteam Alliance in 2010, listing publicly in 2014, receiving 4-star rating from Skytrax and welcoming ANA Holdings as strategic investor in 2016.

Fast forward to 2023, Vietnam Airlines is the country’s biggest carrier. With a fleet of close to 100 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the airline flies to over 20 domestic destinations and over 40 international destinations across Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania. It has main hubs in Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and in Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi – the country’s capital. The airline also has substantial stakes in Pacific Airlines (formerly known as Jetstar Pacific) and VASCO (Vietnam Air Services Company).

Vietnam Airlines is known for its Golden Lotus Brand which drew inspiration from the Lotus flower – the country’s national flower. The airline is a member of the Skyteam Alliance and has codeshare agreements with a few airlines. The list of codeshare partners can be found here. The airline also has a frequent flyer called Lotusmiles. Lastly, Vietnam Airlines is a full-service carrier; it means that they provide check-in baggage, meals / snacks, and entertainment in their flights.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I booked my ticket 5 months before the intended flight date. I was searching for the best Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City flight and randomly found a good business class deal from Vietnam Airlines. I got my ticket for $118.20 one-way on business class. For context, a normal one-way business class fare for this route costs $200-$380 per person. I paid my ticket in Japanese Yen (¥) because I believed it was the best currency to pay with at the time of booking. The ticket cost me ¥15,950. My bank charged me ₱6,733.73 including foreign currency conversion charges.

The business class ticket included 18 kilograms of hand baggage (allowed up to 2 bags + 1 accessory bag), 32 kilograms of checked baggage, priority check-in and security, lounge access before departure and a lie-flat seat with personal entertainment screens and a full meal onboard. The business class privileges seemed to be the usual ones; the deal breaker was the wide-body aircraft to be used in the flight. The flight utilized an Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft – the same type of aircraft used by most carriers for long-haul flights. It is hard to find an Airbus A350 assigned to a domestic route elsewhere.

The business class privileges I got plus the wide-body aircraft used for the flight made the ticket price worth it. Not bad for a first business class experience, eh?

Travel Requirements

Vietnam Airlines staff only requires a valid ID or passport (for foreign nationals) during check-in. Covid-19 requirements and restrictions have long been removed in Vietnam.

Before the Flight

Vietnam Airlines does not send any pre-flight reminders via e-mail. The airline cancelled my initial flight, VN 265, and did not inform me ahead of time. They moved me to the next flight VN 219 without any e-mail notification or alert.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Vietnam Airlines flight VN 219 was operated by a 7-year-old Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The aircraft, delivered to Vietnam Airlines in December 2015, is equipped with 29 business class seats on a 1-2-1 layout, 45 premium economy class seats on a 2-4-2 configuration and 231 regular economy class seats on the standard 3-3-3 layout.

This VN 219 flight took off from Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi at 7:32pm and landed Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Saigon at 9:15pm, a few minutes behind schedule. This smooth flight only took 1 hour and 43 minutes in contrast to its 2 hours and 10 minutes flying schedule.

Ground & Airport Experience

Vietnam Airlines’ domestic flights operate out of Nội Bài International Airport Terminal 1.

BUSINESS CLASS CHECK-IN

Business class passengers have dedicated check-in counters in the right part of the Vietnam Airlines section. The whole check-in process only took a few minutes. The check-in agent informed me that I have been moved to a later flight (VN 219 from VN 265) and that I was still given a window seat for the flight. After check-in, I went through security. Business class passengers have access to the fast-track section. Security was a breeze considering it was the start of the peak Lunar new year holidays in Vietnam.

DOMESTIC LOTUS LOUNGE

My business class ticket gave me access to Vietnam Airlines’ Domestic Lotus Lounge. This huge lounge is located on Level 3 Wing D and provides a nice view of the tarmac. It has hundreds of seating options, toilet and shower areas and a buffet spread. Food options were good but limited. It has a dedicated phở station for those who want to indulge in local Vietnamese noodles.

I was 3 hours early for my flight so I stayed in the lounge for more than 2 hours. I enjoyed the buffet spread, drinks selection, the comfortable seats and the beautiful tarmac view. I wish I had more space for the phở – maybe next time. I noticed the lounge did not get crowded during my whole stay.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After my long stay at the lounge, I went down and walked to Gate 5 to wait for boarding. The ground staff did not make any announcements regarding the status of our flight. I sat down and still waited for a few minutes before the boarding announcement was made.

BOARDING

The boarding process started at 6:48pm. Business class passengers, Lotusmiles and Skyteam status holders boarded the plane first. Economy class passengers followed and boarded by groups. Business class passengers boarded through the front jet bridge while economy class passengers took the rear jet bridge. The whole process only took 21 minutes; the cabin doors were closed exactly at 7:09pm.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

WELCOME DRINK & NEWSPAPER SERVICE

After all business class passengers settled in their respective seats, the crew started to walk around the cabin, introduced themselves and offered cold towels and welcome drinks. They offered a glass of passion fruit juice or water as welcome drink. The drink was served in Vietnam Airlines-branded coaster and glass. They also went around and offered local and English newspapers to all business class passengers.

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT FEATURES

Business class passengers on Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A350 aircraft have an access to lie-flat seats even on short domestic flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These seats are 21 inches wide and have a generous legroom of 42 inches. The seats have a footrest under the entertainment screens and can be placed in bed (lie-flat, reclined (or relaxed) and upright positions. These also feature adjustable head rests. Pillow and blanket are only available upon request.

The seat has a console that features the following: adjustable reading light, magazines, aircraft safety card, stowage spaces, seat controls, entertainment control system, water bottle holder, universal power outlet, USB port and a soft arm rest. The headphones are placed under the arm rest while the table and safety cards are found by the seat entrance. Unfortunately, the seat does not feature individual air nozzles.

INFLIGHT MEAL

Vietnam Airlines offers a full course meal on their domestic business class routes. Normally, they offer noodles, pasta or rice meals on these domestic routes. This flight, however, had a different meal offering. To join the whole country in celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year), the airline offered 2 traditional dishes on this flight to Ho Chi Minh City. I forgot the other option but I went for the Bánh Chưng / Bánh Tét – Vietnamese sticky rice meal.

The traditional meal came with a big portion of sticky rice with fatty pork and green bean fillings served in banana leaf, a piece of orange fruit, củ kiệu or pickled scallion heads and a traditional rice cake dessert. It also came with a glass of water and a drink of choice. Drink choices include carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, wines, fruit juices and beers.

The crew went around for the 2nd round of drinks offering tea, coffee, and water. Overall, it was a solid and filling meal. The only thing I hoped for during this flight was a non-traditional meal option for foreign passengers like me.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

All business class seats on Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A350 aircraft are equipped with 16 inches of personal entertainment screens. These personal screens, at that time, had 66 movies and around 100 television show episodes to watch and over 160 audio options to listen to. It also had games and a kids-only option for those travelling with kids.

The entertainment system also featured an inflight map which passengers can use, monitor and play around with during the flight. Individual headphones (which were not noise-cancelling) were also provided.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

The aircraft assigned to this flight was not equipped with inflight Wi-Fi connectivity.

LAVATORY

The business class cabin has 2 lavatories in the front section of the aircraft. These lavatories were both relatively spacious, clean, and well-maintained. It had a plant ornament in it and smelled great throughout the flight.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this business class flight was exceptional. The assigned cabin crew in our area introduced herself individually to the passengers. She served us with her best smile, answered our questions politely and even took note of our requests. She also engaged in small chats during the meal service.

I would also like to give a special shoutout to the cabin manager. After the assigned cabin crew took our food orders, she personally went up to me and apologized for only having the traditional food options. She explained what the meals consist of and advised me to reach out to her in case I have problems or issues with the food. After the meal service, she again came to my seat and asked how the food was. I appreciate her going out of her way and taking care of the only foreign passenger (me) in business class during the flight.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

Disembarkation and baggage claim on this flight to Ho Chi Minh only took a few minutes. Business class passengers disembarked first. Checked baggage were already in the luggage belt when we arrived in the arrival hall. Our aircraft apparently parked near the baggage claim section of the terminal. Believe it or not, I was already out of the terminal in about 5 minutes after I stepped out of the aircraft.

Final Thoughts

I had a decent and memorable first-ever business class experience with Vietnam Airlines. I believe the airline has a potential to become a major carrier in the region if they continue to improve their service and offerings.

This business class flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City had some notable positives. First, the airfare was affordable for such an experience. Imagine paying only $118 for a one-way full-service business class flight on a wide-body aircraft? It was definitely a steal. I got more than what I actually paid for. Second, the check-in process and security were quick. I finished everything in less than 10 minutes. Of course, I was able to enjoy this as part of the privileges of a business class passenger.

Lounge food..
More lounge food!

Third, Vietnam Airlines’ Domestic Lotus Lounge at Nội Bài International Airport offered limited but decent food and drink choices. The lounge had plenty of seat options and had a nice view of the tarmac. It also remained quiet during my stay given it was peak season in Vietnam. Fourth, it is rare these days to find lie-flat business class seats and wide-body aircraft utilized in short domestic routes. Flying the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City route on a wide-body was a pleasant experience.

Lastly, the cabin crew service on this flight was pure excellence. The assigned cabin crew and the cabin manager took care of me throughout the flight and made sure that I have a memorable flight with Vietnam Airlines.

This flight also has some areas where the airline can further improve on. First, the airline should make sure that passengers are well-informed of flight changes, cancellations, and delayed boarding schedules. I was told by the ground staff during check-in that my initial flight, VN 265, was cancelled and that I was moved to the next flight, VN 219. I did not receive any e-mail notification of this last-minute flight change. Also, I, together with the rest of the passengers were not informed of the delay in boarding schedule.

Second, the seat assigned to me, 6A, is starting to show its age. I can hear an annoying eeky sound every time I try to adjust the seat from the bed, to relax and upright positions. Third, while I did not have issues with the traditional meal options (in fact I liked it), I hope the airline can include a third and western option for foreign passengers who do not want to have the traditional meal options. Maybe retaining the noodle option all throughout is a good option.

Fourth, the headphones provided in business class were not noise-cancelling. Fifth, I hope the airline can start rolling out Wi-fi connectivity systems in all their widebodies. Today, I believe Wi-fi connectivity service (whether free or paid) is already an integral part of the flight experience. I hope the airline works on these areas and try to further improve the passengers’ flying experience.

This sums up my first ever business class flight with Vietnam Airlines. Will I fly them again in business class? I will but only if the price is right. I am also keen on trying their economy class in both short and long haul if given the chance in the future.

For those aviation geeks out there, here are the technical details of this flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Airlines:

Airline: Vietnam Airlines
Flight Date: 17 January 2023
Flight Number: VN 219
Route: Hanoi, Vietnam (HAN) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (SGN)
Duration: 1 hours & 43 minutes
Seat Number: 6A (window)
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 XWB
Aircraft Registration: VN-A889
Engines: 2 x Rolls Royce Trent XWB
Age (at the time of the flight): 7.1 years old
Delivered: December 2015

Have you flown with Vietnam Airlines in business class? How was your experience? Have you flown with them in economy? How was it? Is it worth trying? I had a memorable flight with them but I am also interested in your experiences. Feel free to share them in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about those mentioned above? You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Vietnam Airlines flight report! I hope you can also check out my previous flight reports with Emirates, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air & other airlines I flew with in the past. Also, please watch out for more in the coming weeks & months. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: EMIRATES EK 073 – Dubai to Paris CDG – Excellent Airbus A380 Superjumbo Flight to the Famous French Capital [November 2022]

A few weeks ago, I shared with you my first ever flight experience with Emirates on their Manila to Dubai sector. I had a nice & smooth flight even though I didn’t sleep well on that overnight long-haul flight. Today, I will share with you my connecting Emirates flight from Dubai (DXB) to Paris (CDG) Charles de Gaulle on the Airbus A380 superjumbo. Join me in today’s flight report as we go into details on why this flight was an excellent one.

EMIRATES

Emirates commenced operations in 1985 from its home hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 37 years after, the airline is now one of the world’s biggest airlines. The airline is a subsidiary of the state-owned The Emirates Group. Most, if not all, of its flights depart & arrive from the massive Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

The airline flies to over 80 countries & 150 destinations in the 6 habitable continents. It has a fleet of over 250 wide body aircraft with 200 more on order. The airline currently operates only Boeing 777 & Airbus A380 aircraft in their fleet; it is also the largest operator of both aircraft types. It makes use of Dubai’s strategic location in connecting people from all over the world.

Apart from its commercial division, the airline also has its cargo & corporate subsidiaries. Its cargo division is called Emirates SkyCargo, while its corporate & private subsidiary is called Emirates Executive.  Emirates’ frequent flyer program is called Emirates Skywards. The airline is not part of an airline alliance but has codeshare & partnership agreements with airlines like flydubai, Qantas, United, Air Canada & a lot more.

Emirates is a full-service airline. This means that the airline offers services & amenities such as inflight meals & snacks & personal entertainment screens on every flight. All Emirates tickets also include check-in baggage allowance depending on the booking / ticket class where the passengers are booked.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I booked my Emirates ticket in January 2020 before all borders closed due to the pandemic. Back then, my ticket was from Hong Kong to Munich, Germany via Dubai & back to Hong Kong via Dubai from Budapest, Hungary. I wasn’t able to use this 2020 ticket, but I was so pleased that Emirates offered the most flexible airline ticket option.

Basically, they extended the ticket validity for 3 years & allowed passengers to rebook the ticket when they are ready to fly as long as there are seats available. The flights tickets should be used within the validity period. On top of this, they also allowed the passengers to change the airports of origin & destination as long as the airports are within the same Emirates region. Emirates also waived all fare difference, rebooking & change fees.

Fast forward to 2022, my friends & I decided to fly to Europe for a 3.5-week holiday. After getting my tourist visa from the Embassy of Italy, I called the Emirates hotline & requested for my ticket to be issued. I changed the airport of origin from Hong Kong to Manila (both in the Far East) & the airport of destination from Munich to Paris (both in Europe). My return flights were also changed from Budapest to Barcelona (both in Europe) & then back to Manila. I got my new ticket in less than 2 minutes after the Emirates agent confirmed my preferred flight schedules & details. The best thing was this new ticket didn’t cost me anything – no additional fees, change fees or airport taxes or whatever. It even included a 20-25 kilograms check-in baggage allowance from previously 15 kilograms.

Believe it or not, I only paid HK$4,039 or ₱27,072.73 for this return ticket. This ticket includes inflight meals, personal entertainment screens & even baggage allowance both ways. Compared to the usual tickets to Europe, this one didn’t cost much. Thank you, Emirates, for this flexible ticket. I know I’ve booked tons of cheap tickets in the past, but I believe this was probably the best-valued to date.

Travel Requirements

Last August 2022, France removed all pandemic-related restrictions & Covid-19-related entry requirements. This means that visitors only need to provide the usual entry requirements such as passport & visa (if needed).

Before the Flight

Emirates sent an e-mail & mobile application check-in reminder 48 hours before my scheduled flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline offers free standard seat selection during web or mobile check-in.

I already had my seats pre-booked at the time of booking this ticket so I didn’t bother checking or changing them during web check-in. I checked in for the flights to Paris immediately I received the check-in reminder. Take note that you will need your passport information & other necessary details to complete this early check-in.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Dubai to Paris Emirates flight was operated by a 1-year-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A380-800 aircraft. The aircraft, delivered to Emirates in December 2021, is equipped with 14 First Class seats on a 1-2-1 configuration, 76 Business Class seats on a 1-2-1 layout, 56 Premium Economy Class seats on a 2-4-2 configuration & 338 Economy Class seats on a 3-4-3 layout. The First & Business Class sections are located in the A380 upper deck, while the Premium Economy & Economy Class sections are found in the A380 lower deck.

This EK 073 flight to Paris departed Dubai International Airport on-time & landed at CDG Airport 15 minutes ahead of schedule. This smooth & non-turbulent flight only took 6 hours & 42 minutes. 

Ground & Airport Experience

I already checked-in for my flight in Manila so I was at Dubai International Airport only for a good 3-hour layover.

DUBAI TRANSIT

Transiting in Dubai is easy. The airport is full of signs pointing passengers to where they should head next. After getting off the plane, I immediately went to the Connections area & looked for my next boarding gate. I cleared security & took the train from Terminal Concourse C to Terminal 3 Concourse A, where my flight to Paris will depart from.

DXB TERMINAL 3 CONCOURSE A MARHABA LOUNGE EXPERIENCE

My recently-acquired Security Bank Platinum Mastercard credit card (not sponsored) comes with 2 complimentary airport lounge access per year at any LoungeKey-affiliated lounge around the world. This is on top of the unlimited Marhaba Lounge access I have in NAIA Terminals 1 & 3 here in the Philippines. I used a complimentary pass & checked out the Marhaba Lounge at DXB Terminal 3 Concourse A.

Terminal 3 Concourse A’s Marhaba Lounge has plenty of seating & has complete food options – salads, sandwiches, breads, desserts & even fruits. Guests can also have coffee, tea, milk, juice & basic alcoholic drinks. The lounge toilets were clean & well-maintained. I arrived at the lounge during off peak hours so I enjoyed some quiet & relaxing time in it.

PRE-DEPARTURE

While at the lounge, Emirates notified me via the mobile application of the assigned boarding gate for my flight to Paris. The notification also included what time boarding will start & what time the doors will close. A few minutes, I got another notification advising that boarding was about to commence soon at our assigned gate. I finished my food, packed my stuff, left the lounge & walked to Gate A16.

The friendly Emirates ground staff welcomed me to the gate, even poked a joke that the flight I am about to take is going back to the Philippines & not France. They advised me to wait for our boarding group to be called & wished me a pleasant journey to Paris.

BOARDING

Boarding process commenced on time at 7:10am. First Class, Business Class & Skywards status holders were asked to board at their own convenience. Premium Economy Class passengers were asked to board the A380 lower deck first. Economy class passengers seated at the back went in the plane next. Passengers assigned at the front economy cabin boarded the plane last.

The boarding process took about 40 minutes & finished exactly at the flight’s scheduled departure time of 7:50am. The flight was almost full, so I won’t blame Emirates if the whole process took some time.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This flight from Dubai to Paris was operated by Emirates’ flagship Airbus A380-800 aircraft. This plane has 4 passenger classes – First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy Class & Economy Class. First class passengers have access to their own enclosed suite with a wide seat convertible to a lie-flat bed. According to SeatGuru, first class seats on Emirates have a seat pitch of 86 inches & a seat width of 23 inches. Business class passengers are seated in the upper deck business class cabin. Each business class seat can be converted into a lie-flat bed. This seat has a seat pitch of 48 inches & a seat width of 18.5 inches. All first & business class seats on the Airbus A380 have a 1-2-1 configuration; with all seats having aisle access.

Premium Economy Section
Economy Class Seat

Premium economy seats on the Emirates Airbus A380 have a 2-4-2 industry standard layout. Each seat has 40 inches of legroom & 19.5 inches (an inch bigger) of seat width. The premium economy seats also offer a generous recline. These premium economy seats are found in the forward lower deck cabin. Economy class passengers on the A380 have access to a spacious 32 to 34 inches of legroom & a seat width of 18 inches. Economy seats have a 3-4-3 configuration & are located in the middle to rear part of the lower deck.

Economy class seats feature a touch-screen personal entertainment screen, a big tray table, a cup holder, a coat hook, a USB charging port, a seat pocket with Duty Free magazines & aircraft safety card, a shared universal power outlet (2 in a row of 3 seats), a pillow, a blanket, a pair of headphones & an adjustable headrest. Every economy class passenger also has access to spacious overhead cabins, individual reading lights & air vents.

I got window seat 57K for this flight; I was seated in the forward economy class cabin. The economy seats on the Emirates A380 are by far the most comfortable economy seat I’ve experienced in my years of flying. It offers spacious leg space & a comfortable seating experience.

ONBOARD BAR & SHOWER SPA

Emirates first class & business class passengers have access to an onboard bar & lounge area found at the rear upper deck of the plane. Here, the passengers can enjoy a glass of their premium drink of choice while having some canapes & chatting with their co-passengers or crew.

First class passengers also have access to an onboard shower spa. They can freshen up or even take a shower before they arrive at their destination. Please note that these facilities are only available to passengers flying in the premium classes & only on the Airbus A380 aircraft.

INFLIGHT MEALS

Emirates provides complimentary meals on all their flights. Passengers can access the inflight menu from the airline’s website as early as a week before the flight. They also have the option for passengers to request for or book special meals up to 24 hours before the scheduled flight. The airline doesn’t provide physical menus; instead, they ask passengers to access & browse the menus through their on-board portal.

Emirates offered 2 meals for this flight. 40 minutes after take-off, the crew went around & gave away continental breakfast to all passengers. They first served passengers who requested special meals, then distributed breakfast meals to the rest of the cabin. The continental breakfast meal has a fruit yoghurt, a breakfast cupcake, a cup of water & a choice between a blueberry Danish pastry or egg & cheese sandwich. It also comes with a drink of choice. Drink choices include fruit juices, tea, soda, wine, coffee or water.

Throughout the flight, the crew went around the cabin a few times to offer pretzels as snacks & water or juice as refreshments. Passengers can also request a snack or drink at any time.

2 hours before landing, the crew commenced lunch service. They distributed the special meals first, then followed by the regular meals. They offered 2 options for lunch – chicken in creamy mushroom sauce pasta & beef goulash. These meal options come with a roasted beetroot & couscous salad served with humous, an apple crumble with vanilla sauce for dessert, a bread roll, cheese & crackers, a cup of water, a granola bar & an Emirates-branded chocolate. It also came with a drink of choice – juice, tea, coffee, soda, beer, wine & other alcoholic drinks.

The meal offerings on this flight to Paris were tasty & of good quality. Also, the portions were big enough to fill the passengers’ tummies. These meals were one of the many highlights of this excellent flight.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Emirates’ personal entertainment system, ICE, offers a wide selection of options to choose from. It has thousands of options to choose from; it has movies, television shows, documentaries, music albums & even games which you can play together with your seat neighbor. It even has region-specific movies & television shows. ICE also offers live television coverage of news channels like BBC World News, CNN International, Sports 24 & Sky News Arabia.

ICE also offers access to 3 aircraft cameras installed in the front, under & on the tail of the superjumbo aircraft. It also shows the complete flight & aircraft details & even has 2 kinds of moving flight maps. The airline indeed offers the best entertainment system in the skies – a system every airline in the world should copy.

The entertainment system on this A380 aircraft is probably Emirates’ latest. The entertainment screens are also equipped with Bluetooth connectivity. Passengers with Bluetooth headsets & earphones can connect their audio to the screens & listen from their own devices.

The entertainment screen on seat 57K was fast & responsive. I also noticed that the ICE on this plane offered more options compared to their 777 one I rode with to Dubai.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Emirates offers paid inflight wi-fi connectivity on their flights. Rates range from $4.99 – $16.99 depending on the type of use the passengers need. The cheapest onboard internet plan costs $3.99 & is only limited to messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.

I didn’t try this service during this flight; I don’t need to use the internet during this overnight flight. I think it would be nice if the airline offered complimentary but limited connectivity / data allowance at least for Emirates Skywards members like how Singapore Airlines offers to their Krisflyer members.

LAVATORY

The lavatories on the Emirates A380 were probably the most spacious I’ve seen in my years of flying. The lavatories had the usual amenities like tissue, hand lotion & perfume. The lavatory in the middle economy class section were kept clean & tidy throughout the flight.

CABIN CREW SERVICE

The cabin crew service on this flight was exceptional. The crew greeted me with their best smile upon entering the flight. One even helped me put my bag in the overhead compartment even if I didn’t need the help. The crew were friendly during the breakfast & lunch service; they also attended to the passengers needs one after the other. They also continuously offered snacks & drinks throughout the flight. Before deplaning, the same crew who welcomed me said thanks, bid goodbye & wished me a pleasant stay in Paris.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

The disembarkation process at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport was quick, in order & efficient. Premium economy passengers deplaned first. Economy class passengers disembarked next. Immigration queues were fast.

Baggage claim took 20-30 minutes after I cleared immigration. This was due to the big volume of passengers & luggage onboard this superjumbo flight. On top of that, we arrived at the same time as another large Qatar Airways flight.

Final Thoughts

As the title says, it was an excellent flight with Emirates on their flagship Airbus A380 aircraft. Everything fell into place for this flight – from the time I entered the boarding gate, to the time I stepped into the aircraft & until disembarkation. I said this on my Manila to Dubai flight & I will say it again here. Emirates flight experience in economy class is worth the hype.

I have a long list of ‘likes’ for this flight. First, the ticket price was out of this world. Imagine flying 4 sectors to the other side of the world with baggage, meals & entertainment system included & in a modern & comfortable economy class cabin for only a little over ₱27,000 – it was definitely a steal! Second, the airline made sure that passengers in Dubai were informed of the real-time updates of the flight. They sent mobile application notifications where the assigned boarding gate is & when the flight is about to start boarding.

Third, Emirates offered world-class & modern economy class cabin on this Airbus A380 aircraft. The cabin was well-designed & even included wooden finishes from the lavatories to the tray tables. The seats were spacious & comfortable; it provided enough legroom & generous recline even with the 4-3-4 configuration. Fourth, the Airbus A380’s entertainment system had plenty of options to choose from. It was modern & very responsive; it even had Bluetooth technology for those who wanted to use their own audio pieces.

Fifth, the quality of food onboard this Emirates flight to Paris was exceptional. I know I raved about the beef tapa offered on my Manila to Dubai flight, but I seriously think the beef goulash & houmous served on this flight was on another level. The meals on this flight, particularly the lunch service, were delicious & full of flavors. The food portions were also bigger than the usual airplane food servings. So far, Emirates’ onboard food is worth raving about. Also, the meal service pace was just right – not too rushed & not too slow.

Sixth, the lavatories were clean & well-maintained throughout this 6-ish hour flight. The wooden finishes add to the class & premium feel of these lavatories. Seventh, the Emirates ground & cabin crew made a difference in my passenger experience from the time I arrived at the boarding gate up to the time I left the plane. They were all friendly, hospitable & very customer-oriented. Hats off to the crew on this EK 073 flight to Paris last 16 November 2022!

I know I’ve described this as an excellent flight, but I think Emirates still can improve on some aspects. First, I don’t know if it was just me, but my seat kept on going back to the normal upright position every time I moved towards the screen. I didn’t know how to keep it reclined for a long time. Second, it would’ve been nicer if the lavatories had additional amenities like toothbrush & toothpaste. Lastly, I hope the airline provides limited Wi-Fi access at least to Skywards members. The limited access could be something like 1 hour of free messaging or a consumable complimentary data allocation which passengers can use.

Overall, it was a fun first flight with Emirates’ Airbus A380 aircraft. I don’t mind flying the A380 every time; I hope that’s even possible. Thank you, Emirates, for this memorable flight! I already miss it & I can’t wait to fly with the airline again in the future.

Allow me to share the technical details of this flight to you:

Airline: Emirates
Flight Date: 16 November 2022
Flight Number: EK 073
Route: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB) to Paris, France (CDG)
Duration: 6 hours & 42 minutes
Seat Number: 57K (window)
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Aircraft Registration: A6-EVR
Engines: 4 x Rolls Royce Trent 972
Age (at the time of the flight): 1 year old
Delivered: December 2021

Have you ever flown with Emirates on their Airbus A380 aircraft? How was your experience? I enjoyed my first ever flight with the superjumbo but I also want to hear about your experiences. Feel free to share them in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about this flight or the experience? You may also send your questions via e-mail  to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thank you for joining me in today’s Emirates flight report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Paris, France. I hope you had an excellent time reading just like the flying experience I had with the global airline. This is just the start of our journey around Europe. Watch out for the upcoming posts regarding France, Italy & Spain. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: EMIRATES EK 335 – Manila to Dubai – Overnight Long-Haul Flight with the Middle Eastern Global Carrier [November 2022]

Late last year, my friends & I flew to Europe for a 3.5-week holiday. I shared in my 2022 Recap post that we went to France, Italy & Spain. Before I share the details of our visit to each city, allow me to share with you the first leg of my trip to Europe. I took Emirates on their long-haul service from Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB) on their flight EK 335. This long-haul flight will be the subject of today’s flight report. Join me as I run you through this overnight flight to the Middle East.

Emirates

Emirates commenced operations in 1985 from its home hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 37 years after, the airline is now one of the world’s biggest airlines. The airline is a subsidiary of the state-owned The Emirates Group. Most, if not all, of its flights depart & arrive from the massive Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

The airline flies to over 80 countries & 150 destinations in the 6 habitable continents. It has a fleet of over 250 wide body aircraft with 200 more on order. The airline currently operates only Boeing 777 & Airbus A380 aircraft in their fleet; it is also the largest operator of both aircraft types. It makes use of Dubai’s strategic location in connecting people from all over the world.

Apart from its commercial division, the airline also has its cargo & corporate subsidiaries. Its cargo division is called Emirates SkyCargo, while its corporate & private subsidiary is called Emirates Executive.  Emirates’ frequent flyer program is called Emirates Skywards. The airline is not part of an airline alliance but has codeshare & partnership agreements with airlines like flydubai, Qantas, United, Air Canada & a lot more.

Emirates is a full-service airline. This means that the airline offers services & amenities such as inflight meals & snacks & personal entertainment screens on every flight. All Emirates tickets also include check-in baggage allowance depending on the booking / ticket class where the passengers are booked.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Airfare

I shared in my No Travel 2020 recap that I booked a ticket to Europe with Emirates back in January 2020. My previous Emirates ticket had flights from Hong Kong to Munich, Germany via Dubai & back to Hong Kong from Budapest, Hungary via Dubai. Because of the pandemic & the closed borders back in 2020, Emirates gave us the option to keep our ticket & made it valid for 3 years. Also, they allowed us to change destinations as long as the new destination is within the same Emirates region for free. This ticket can be booked anytime as long as there are seats available & as long as the trip is finished before the ticket expiry – in my case, before 3 February 2023. This was probably the best possible airline ticket option in the whole world. Emirates’ competitors didn’t have this flexible ticket option.

Fast forward to 2022, my college friends & I planned to fly to Europe for 3.5 weeks. Borders have been opened & pandemic-related requirements have been removed; traveling to another country has become easier compared to how it was in 2020 & early 2021. After getting my visa from the Italian Embassy, I called the Emirates hotline & requested for my ticket to be issued. I changed the airport of origin from Hong Kong to Manila (both in the Far East) & the airport of destination from Munich to Paris (both in Europe). My return flights were changed from Budapest to Barcelona (both in Europe) & then back to Manila. The ticket got issued in less than 2 minutes after the Emirates agent confirmed my preferred flight schedules & details. The best thing was this new ticket didn’t cost me anything – no additional fees, change fees or airport taxes or whatever. It even included a 20-25 kilograms check-in baggage allowance from previously 15 kilograms.

You will not believe me when I tell you how much this ticket cost me back in 2020. Believe it or not, this ticket only cost me HK$4,039 or ₱27,072.73. Cheap-o, right? This ticket was definitely a steal. Thank you, Emirates, for this once-in-a-lifetime deal back in January 2020!

Travel Requirements

All pandemic-related entry / travel requirements to both France (my final destination) & United Arab Emirates (transit airport) have been removed. France removed these restrictions back in August 2022 while United Arab Emirates phased these out last November 2022.

Please take note that these entry protocols may change anytime. Best to always check with the airline you’re flying to days before your flight.

Before The Flight

Emirates sent an e-mail & mobile application check-in reminder 48 hours before my scheduled flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline offers free standard seat selection during web or mobile check-in.

I already had my seats pre-booked at the time of booking this ticket so I didn’t bother checking or changing them during web check-in. I checked in for the flights to Paris immediately I received the check-in reminder. Take note that you will need your passport information & other necessary details to complete this early check-in.

Aircraft & Flight Information

This Manila to Dubai Emirates flight was operated by a 12-year-old (at the time of the flight) Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The aircraft, delivered to Emirates back in 2010, has 2 cabin classes. The business class section has 42 angle lie-flat seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. The economy class section has 386 standard seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.

Business Class Seats
Economy Class Seats

This EK 335 flight departed Ninoy Aquino International Airport a few minutes before 12 midnight & arrived Dubai International Airport at 4:17am local time. The flight only took 8 hours & 29 minutes in contrast to its 9 hours & 15 minutes flying schedule.

Ground & Airport Experience

All Emirates flights depart from & arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

CHECK-IN

Emirates check-in counters in Manila Airport open at least 4 hours before the scheduled flight. I arrived at the check-in area at 7:52 & noticed 8-10 queues. First class & business class passengers have 2 dedicated counters. Passengers traveling with kids, senior citizens & persons with disabilities have 1 dedicated check-in counter. Passengers who have already checked in online have 2 counters while the rest of the passengers have access to 3 check-in counters. Those traveling in groups have a dedicated group check-in counter.

I already checked in online so I proceeded to the mobile / web check-in queue. The ground staff allowed some passengers (including myself) to check-in using the first & business class check-in counters. The queue took some time, but the counter check-in process took less than 5 minutes. The whole process only took me 20 minutes.

Tip: Check-in online before the flight to have a faster check-in experience. I heard the regular check-in line took almost an hour to finish.

PRE-DEPARTURE EXPERIENCE AT MARHABA LOUNGE

My newly-acquired Security Bank Platinum Mastercard credit card (not sponsored) gives me unlimited complimentary access to the Marhaba Lounge in NAIA Terminals 1 & 3. After passing through immigration & security, I immediately went to the Marhaba Lounge in Terminal 3.

The lounge is separated into 2 sections – one section is reserved for Emirates passengers flying First Class & Business Class & the other section that’s open to everyone. The small lounge has plenty of seats. The food options were limited but tasty. They also have an extensive drink option – they also offer alcoholic beverages at no extra charge. The lounge also has a fast Wi-Fi connection.

I stayed in the lounge for 3 hours & noticed that it got busier past 10:00pm. Around 10:44pm, the lounge staff announced that boarding was about to commence for our Emirates flight to Dubai. Please note that they only make this announcement for Emirates-operated flights.

BOARDING

Upon hearing the announcement, I left the lounge & went to the crowded Gate 111. Boarding commenced at 10:54pm. First class, business class & Emirates Skywards status holders boarded the plane first. Economy class passengers boarded the plane by zone / row. Those seated at the back went in first, while those seated in the forward economy section (including myself) boarded the plane last.

The boarding process only took 30 minutes for such a big 400-seater full plane. The crew closed the cabin doors exactly at 11:25pm.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Manila to Dubai Emirates flight was operated by a 2-class Boeing 777-300ER. It has 42 business class seats & 386 economy class seats. According to SeatGuru, each business class seat has a seat pitch of 60 inches & a seat width of 20.5 inches. On the other hand, every economy class seat has a seat pitch of 33 to 34 inches & a standard seat width of 17 inches.

Economy class seats feature a touch-screen personal entertainment screen with remote, a foldable table, a cup holder, a coat hook, a USB charging port, a seat pocket with Duty Free magazines & aircraft safety card, a shared universal power outlet (2 in a row of 3 seats), a pillow, a blanket, a pair of headphones & an adjustable headrest. Every economy class passenger also has access to spacious overhead cabins, individual reading lights & air vents.

Emirates provides everything a passenger needs for a long-haul flight like this.

INFLIGHT MEALS

Emirates provides complimentary meals on all their flights. Passengers can access the inflight menu from the airline’s website as early as a week before the flight. They also have the option for passengers to request for or book special meals up to 24 hours before the scheduled flight. The airline doesn’t provide physical menus; instead, they ask passengers to access & browse the menus through their on-board portal.

Emirates offered 2 meals on this flight from Manila to Dubai. The light meal was served 30 minutes after take-off. This meal service only had 1 option – braised rice noodles with stir-fried chicken & vegetables. It came with chocolate mousse as dessert, a cup of water & a drink of choice. I went for whiskey & cola to help me sleep on this overnight flight.

3 hours before landing, the cabin crew started distributing the breakfast meal. They served the special meals first & then gave out meals to the rest of the economy class cabin. Passengers had 2 options for breakfast – scrambled eggs with chicken chipolatas, baked beans & creamy spinach & beef tapa with garlic fried rice & scrambled eggs. These options come with fresh fruit slices, yoghurt, bread roll, a fruit muffin, an energy bar, a cup of water & drink of choice. This time, I opted for the apple juice.

Both meals were tasty & filling. Personally, I enjoyed the breakfast service more than the light meal. The beef tapa was really good.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Emirates is known for its excellent inflight entertainment system called ICE. The entertainment system offers thousands of options ranging from movies, television shows & series, documentaries, songs & even games which you can play together with your seat neighbor. It even has region-specific movies & television shows. ICE also offers live television coverage of news channels like BBC World News, CNN International, Sports 24 & Sky News Arabia.

ICE also offers access to 2 aircraft cameras installed in the front of & under this Boeing aircraft. It also shows the complete flight & aircraft details & even has 2 kinds of moving flight maps. The airline indeed offers the best entertainment system in the skies – a system every airline in the world should copy.

I encountered a minor issue with the personal entertainment screen at Seat 18H. I found the screen not that responsive, but I will give the airline a pass considering how old the aircraft is.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Emirates offers paid inflight wi-fi connectivity on their flights. Rates range from $2.99 – $19.99 depending on the type of use the passengers need. The cheapest onboard internet plan costs $3.99 & is only limited to messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.

I didn’t try this service during this flight; I don’t need to use the internet during this overnight flight. I think it would be nice if the airline offered complimentary but limited connectivity / data allowance at least for Emirates Skywards members like how Singapore Airlines offers to their Krisflyer members.

LAVATORY

The lavatory on the middle economy class section was kept clean throughout the flight. It has hand lotion & perfume available for use. I didn’t see any toothbrush or toothpaste kept in the drawers – it would be nice to have them for such a long-haul flight. I like the wooden interiors added by the airline in their lavatories.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight was alright; it’s not something you will remember. They made sure all passengers had an enjoyable flight. The crew assigned to our area was helpful & friendly. She helped passengers put bags in the overhead cabin, answered questions by the passengers & engaged in small chitchats during the meal service.

Disembarkation

Upon arrival at Dubai International Airport, our aircraft taxied to Gate F25 for disembarkation. Business class passengers deplaned first. Forward economy class passengers, including myself, came next & those seated at the rear section followed.

I went to the Connections area & immediately checked the gate for my next flight to Paris, France.

Final Thoughts

This Emirates EK 335 flight from Manila to Dubai was definitely one for the books. It was my first ever flight with Emirates & I can definitely say that their product is worth raving about. I won’t say it’s a perfect flight, but I say it’s still a good flight.

Let’s talk about the great things about this flight. First, the fare was the best part of the experience. Imagine flying to & from Europe for around ₱27,000 – it’s a no-brainer. Second, Emirates is known for serving good food onboard & they delivered. The meals had sizable potions. The beef tapa was the best! Third, their inflight entertainment system, ICE, is just excellent. It has thousands of options from movies, to television shows, music, games & even life news shows. There’s no way that passengers with get bored given the available options. The access to the plane cameras also made the system exciting for aviation geeks like myself.

Fourth, the lavatories were kept clean & tidy throughout the flight. I also liked the wooden finishes used in the lavatory interiors. These details added class to the lavatories. Lastly, the seats have everything a passenger needs for a long-haul flight like this.

The flight also had some misses. First, the personal entertainment screen is no longer that responsive. It worked well using the remote but not while using the touch screen option. The screen is already outdated. Second, the lavatory had incomplete amenities. It only had hand lotion & perfume. I wish it also had toothbrush & toothpaste for passengers to use. Lastly, both meal service on this flight felt rushed. After giving out meals, to all passengers, the crew started to collect meal trays from those they gave out first.

Overall, it was still an enjoyable & memorable first flight with Emirates. I hope they offer the same deal I got for this flight so I can fly with them again in the future. Thank you, Emirates, for such a wonderful flight!

Allow me to share with you the geeky details of this flight:

Airline: Emirates
Flight Date: 15 November 2022
Flight Number: EK 335
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB)
Duration: 8 hours & 29 minutes
Seat Number: 18H (aisle)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Aircraft Registration: A6-ECY
Engines: 2 x GE GE90-115B
Age (at the time of the flight): 12 years old
Delivered: January 2010

This ends my flight report on Emirates’ EK 335 service from Manila to Dubai last 15 November 2022. Have you flown Emirates in the past? How was your experience? Will you fly Emirates soon & have questions? Feel free to share your experiences or post your questions in the comments section below. You may also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope I gave you some insights on how it is to fly with Emirates. Make sure to catch the next flight report on another Emirates flight, but this time to Paris, France! Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: PHILIPPINE AIRLINES PR 2920 – Daraga (DRP formerly Legazpi LGP) to Manila – Last-Minute Mabuhay Miles Redemption Ticket to the Metro [December 2022]

Hey, long time no post! Not many of you know, but I recently finished a 24-day trip around Paris, Italy & Barcelona. Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to start writing about the trip. I’ve been busy with Christmas festivities & reunions since I arrived back from Europe. Don’t worry, I will start writing about them in the next few weeks.

For today, I want to share with you my recent experience with Philippine Airlines on their PR 2920 flight from Daraga, Albay (DRP – formerly LGP Legazpi) to Manila (MNL). This flight was unique because it happened during the 1st day of using the new 3-letter DRP airport designator code & it was booked using Mabuhay Miles – Philippine Airlines’ loyalty program. Join me in today’s flight report & find out how this flight went.

Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines, commonly known as PAL, is the Philippines’ flag carrier. The airline started operations back in 1941 & is currently the region’s oldest commercial airline. Majority of the stake in PAL is owned by PAL Holdings under Dr. Lucio Tan – also the owner of one of the country’s biggest conglomerates – LT Group. World-famous ANA Holdings, the parent company of All Nippon Airways, also owns a minor stake in the airline.

Philippine Airlines operates around 60 Airbus, Bombardier & Boeing aircraft to over 40 international & 31 domestic routes. Its hubs are located in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark & Kalibo. PAL is the country’s biggest full-service airline offering premium experience to its passengers. They offer business class, premium economy & economy class to most of its routes.

PAL is not a member of any airline alliance but has code-share flights with major carriers such as All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Turkish Airlines, Gulf Air & many more. PAL also has its own frequent flyer program called Mabuhay Miles. PAL is also the only Philippine-based carrier to receive a 4-star rating from world-renowned air transport rating organization Skytrax.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

Airfare & Inclusions

It’s not a secret that airfares are more expensive during the festive season. Many people take advantage of the Christmas holidays & go home to their respective hometowns. The demand for plane seats is higher than usual. I didn’t have a fixed schedule at that time, so I had no choice but to book the ticket last-minute. The one-way bare fares for both Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air at the time of booking were at around ₱4,000 to ₱5,000 without baggage. On the other hand, there were no available CEB Super Pass seats on my preferred flight.

I checked my Mabuhay Miles account & saw that I have enough miles to use for a one-way ticket to Manila. I immediately redeemed these miles using the airline’s portal & booked this PR 2920 flight from Daraga to Manila. I used 4,500 miles & only paid ₱870 for taxes & fees. The redeemed Mabuhay Miles ticket included 7-kilogram carry-on baggage, 20-kilogram check-in baggage allowance & a free standard (non-aisle & non-exit) seat.

I may have used up most of my Mabuhay Miles, but I believe I got a good deal with this ticket. I booked it 9 days before the intended flight date during a peak travel period. I was also happy that the ticket included a free check-in baggage allowance. This ticket was definitely a steal!

Travel Requirements

There are no COVID-19 related travel requirements between Albay & Metro Manila. These requirements were abolished a few months ago. The process & requirements are back to the old times where passengers were only asked to bring a valid ID during counter check-in & sometimes, boarding.

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Before The Flight

2 days before the flight, I received an e-mail from Philippine Airlines that Bicol International Airport’s designator code will be changed from LGP to DRP effective December 15, 2022. This e-mail required passengers to accept the said changes. Unfortunately, it resulted in an error on the Philippine Airlines website. Minutes after the initial e-mail, I also received an email from the airline containing the official announcement of changing the airport designator code to DRP. I immediately called the airline & had my ticket sorted.

24 hours before the flight, I received another airline from Philippine Airlines informing me that online check-in was already available for my flight. I checked in right away for my flight. The new Philippine Airlines mobile application displayed my mobile boarding pass & the flight details on the homepage.

Flight Information

This Daraga (DRP) to Manila (MNL) flight was operated by a 15.2-year-old Airbus A320-214 aircraft. The plane was initially delivered to Philippine Airlines in November 2007. The plane was initially configured with 12 business class seats & 144 economy class seats but was reconfigured to 180 all economy class seats in May 2022.

PR 2920 took off from Bicol International Airport 22 minutes behind schedule at 5:17pm. The flight took 50 minutes & landed smoothly at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 6:07pm. The flight landed 12 minutes behind schedule.

Ground & Airport Experience

CHECK-IN

I arrived at Bicol International Airport 2 hours & 45 minutes before the flight & I was surprised to see the check-in counters open that early. I went to the counters to drop my luggage & get my paper boarding pass. Check-in process took less than a minute – no queues, no whatsoever.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I went up to the pre-departure area & waited for the flight. Bicol International Airport’s pre-departure area has more food & pasalubong store choices now compared to when it opened back in October 2021. There’s a dedicated laptop area for those who need to do some work while waiting for their respective flights. There are charging stations on both sides – provided by Smart & Philippine Airlines; there are a lot of seats to choose from.

The Philippine Airlines ground staff informed passengers of the expected aircraft arrival time after it departed Manila. The plane touched down at 4:25pm.

BOARDING

Boarding process started at 4:42pm. Priority passengers, senior citizens & those travelling with kids boarded the plane first. Regular passengers followed. Everyone boarded the plane using the jet bridge & only through the front door. The boarding process finished at 5:07pm.

Please note that face masks are mandatory on all flights within the Philippines. The ground staff announced this during the boarding process.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Philippine Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft has 180 seats in an all-economy class cabin configuration. Each row has 6 seats divided into 2 by an aisle. According to SeatGuru, all seats on this Airbus A320 aircraft have a seat width of 19.7 inches. Economy plus seats have a seat pitch / legroom of 34 inches, while standard economy seats have a legroom of 29-30 inches.

Each seat features a tray table, a small pocket with the aircraft safety card, individual air vents & reading lights. The seats don’t feature personal entertainment screens because this type of aircraft is only used in domestic short haul services.

I got window seat 54K for this flight. The seat had a decent recline & a clean tray table. The seatbelt needs to be replaced since it’s already worn out. In fact, most of the seats on this flight are already worn out. These are still functional but would need some refit soon.

INFLIGHT SNACK

After take-off, the crew went around & gave out a pack of green peas & dried mangoes with a cup of water. Philippine Airlines is the only domestic major carrier that offers complimentary snacks on board. Better than nothing.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Philippine Airlines did not offer inflight entertainment options for this flight & aircraft. The flight only took 50 minutes & this additional feature isn’t essential.

LAVATORY

I didn’t get the chance to visit the lavatory on this Airbus A320 aircraft. The 3 lavatories were occupied throughout the flight. Some even queued for a few minutes just to use the lavatory.

Cabin Crew Service

Philippine Airlines brands their service as the ‘Heart of the Filipino.’ The cabin crew on this Legazpi to Manila flight embodied that way of service & gave their best in catering to the needs of the passengers. They welcomed all passengers with their best smiles & helped in putting passengers’ bags in the overhead compartment. They gave passengers the best possible service they could provide. Kudos!

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

The cabin crew implemented an organized disembarkation process for this flight. They called 5 rows at a time & asked passengers seated on these rows to stand up, get their bags & disembark. All passengers followed & got off the plane in an orderly manner.

Baggage claims didn’t take long. Our check-in bags were already at Carousel 4 a few minutes after we arrived at the baggage claim area.

Final Thoughts

It was another excellent flight with Philippine Airlines. The positive points outweighed the negative points by a mile.

Let’s start with the positive points. First is miles redemption & value for money. This flight only cost 4,500 Mabuhay Miles & ₱870 worth of taxes & fees. This was a steal considering the redemption ticket was booked 9 days before the intended flight date & during peak travel season. The original flights were priced at 4.5x the fare I paid above. Second, the redemption ticket already included 20 kilograms of check-in baggage allowance. This allowance could easily cost ₱500 if you booked the regular ticket. Third, the check-in counters opened earlier than the usual 2 hours before the flight schedule. This made the check-in process easier & faster as the ground staff didn’t have to deal with a lot of passengers at a time.

Fourth, Philippine Airlines still gives out complimentary snacks on a short domestic hop like this from Daraga to Manila. I flew with Singapore Airlines on their Singapore to Kuala Lumpur & Kuala Lumpur to Singapore routes & I was only given a drink of choice – no nuts, crackers or whatsoever. Props to PAL for keeping the onboard service. Fifth, it’s been a while since I experienced an orderly disembarkation process on a plane. The crew on this flight managed to ask all passengers to follow the disembarkation process they organized. Lastly, the cabin crew on this flight was excellent. Their quality of service was top-notch – indeed the Heart of the Filipino.

This flight wasn’t perfect. The flight left Bicol International Airport 22 minutes behind schedule & landed 12 minutes after the intended schedule. These delays are inevitable in a congested airport like Ninoy Aquino International Airport, but it still somewhat affected the whole flight experience. Second & finally, the seats on this Airbus A320 aircraft need some refit. The seatbelts are already worn out & could use some replacement.

Will I fly them again in the future? Definitely – it’s a no-brainer. I hope I can also fly their international sector in the future.

For those interested in the nerdy details of this flight, see below:

Airline: Philippine Airlines
Flight Date: 15 December 2022
Flight Number: PR 2920
Route: Daraga, Albay (DRP) to Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Duration: 50 minutes
Seat Number: 54K
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C8610
Engines: 2 x CFM International Engines
Age: 15.2 years old
Delivered: November 2007

Have you flown with Philippine Airlines recently? How was your experience with the country’s flag carrier? Feel free to share your personal experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about flying Philippine Airlines? You may post them below or you may send an e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me in today’s flight report. Stay tuned for the next one coming in shortly. I also have a few flights lined up in the coming weeks & months. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: SINGAPORE AIRLINES SQ 916 – Singapore to Manila – Excellent but Turbulent Flight Back to Manila [July 2022]

After deplaning from my Singapore Airlines Flight SQ 107 from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, I immediately walked to the assigned gate for my onward flight to Manila. This Singapore to Manila SQ 916 flight on Singapore Airlines will be the subject of today’s flight report. Join me as I share with you details about this excellent but turbulent flight back home.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is Singapore’s national carrier. This award-winning world class airline is based in one of the world’s best airports – Singapore Changi Airport. The airline starred as Malayan Airways in 1947; it then re-branded & commenced operations as Singapore Airlines in 1972. The airline has been a top contributor in terms of the world’s revenue passenger kilometers & the number of international passengers carried worldwide.

The airline currently flies to over 60 destinations in more than 30 countries across 5 continents. Singapore Airlines is one of the leading carriers in the Southeast Asian Region with the help of its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot. The airline’s previous regional subsidiary, Silk Air, has been incorporated into SQ’s operations as of March 2021.

Singapore Airline flies a modern aircraft fleet consisting of Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 Max & Boeing 737-800 NG. The airline is the world’s largest Airbus A350-900 operator with 60 currently in service & 5 more on order. 7 of the 60 Airbus A350’s in service have the ultra-long range (ULR) premium (only business & premium economy class) configuration. These ULRs are mostly used in the North America routes.

Singapore Airlines is a full-service carrier. It means that every flight includes all the necessary in-flight amenities & services you can think of. All SQ tickets include free check-in baggage, meals & in-flight entertainment. The airline has a frequent flyer program called KrisFlyer & PPS Club. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance – one of the world’s biggest airline alliance networks.

Singapore Airlines is not a new airline on this website. In fact, it is the 2nd most reviewed airline after Cebu Pacific Air.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category..

Airfare

This SQ 916 flight from Singapore to Manila was part of a 4-sector ticket from Manila to Kuala Lumpur & back on Singapore Airlines. The return ticket cost me US$147.69 + 7,665 KrisFlyer miles I earned during my Singapore Airlines flights to Europe in 2019.

My bank charged me ₱7,926.12 including foreign currency conversion charges. This return ticket includes 25 kilograms check-in baggage allowance, 7 kilograms carry-on allowance, inflight meals & snacks, personal entertainment screens on 3 of 4 flights & a 5-star flight experience with well-trained & passionate cabin crew on all 4 sectors or flights.

This return ticket was a great deal considering it was booked a month prior to the scheduled flights. It also gave me all the benefits of a full-service airline. Believe it or not, return tickets on Philippines-based low-cost carriers were more expensive than this SQ ticket!

Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.

Travel Requirements

A few months ago, the Philippine government relaxed entry requirements for those who want to travel to or go home to the country. The requirements differ based on the individual’s vaccination status.

Fully-vaccinated passengers who have received a booster dose are exempted from providing a negative antigen or RT-PCR test result. They only need to provide their vaccination certificate issued by the respective health authorities. Fully-vaccinated passengers who have not received a booster dose need to present a negative antigen test result taken 24 hours before departure.

Unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated individuals need to present a negative RT-PCR result taken 48 hours before the departure or a negative antigen test result taken 24 hours before the flight. They also need to undergo facility-based quarantine, take a test on the 5th day & if negative, continue quarantine at home until 14th day from arrival.

On top of these vaccination or test requirements, all incoming passengers, regardless of nationality, need to register on the One Health Pass website 72 hours before the flight. He/she must also save a printed or digital copy of the QR code at the end of the form.

Please take note that some nationalities still require additional requirements such as a visa (if needed) or proof of onward ticket when entering the Philippines. These requirements can be changed anytime. It’s always best to check the Covid-19 Travel Information page of the airline you’ll be flying with to the Philippines.

Before The Flight

A few days after booking the flight, Singapore Airlines sent an e-mail reminder to check the updated travel requirements of the chosen destination. The e-mail included helpful links where I need to check the updated protocols for both transit area & destination.

Fast forward to a few days before the flight, the airline sent an e-mail about mySQupgrade. It is their instant upgrade program for economy class passengers who want to pay for a business class seat on that specific flight. I didn’t bother to check the minimum upgrade price because I don’t have the funds for it.

48 hours before my Kuala Lumpur to Singapore flight, the Singapore Airlines mobile application notified me that check-in is now available for both flights. I immediately checked-in & chose my seats for both Kuala Lumpur to Singapore & this Singapore to Manila flights. Singapore Airlines allows their passengers to choose their preferred seats for free during the online check-in process.

Flight Information

This Singapore to Manila flight was operated by a 6.5-month-old (at the time of the flight) Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The aircraft, which was delivered to Singapore Airlines in January 2022, has the two-class regional configuration consisting of 40 lie-flat business class seats & 263 standard economy class seats.

SQ 916 took off from Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN) at exactly 1:48pm & landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) at 5:13pm. The flight had a smooth & quiet take-off & landing but also had a very turbulent journey up in the air. It experienced several turbulences throughout the 3.5-hour flight. The whole journey from Singapore to Manila took 3 hours & 25 minutes.

Ground & Airport Experience

This Singapore to Manila flight on SQ 916 is a continuation of my Kuala Lumpur to Singapore flight. I did not clear immigration in Singapore & only stayed airside at Singapore Changi Airport.

CHANGI AIRPORT TRANSIT EXPERIENCE

Transit at Singapore Changi Airport is back to pre-pandemic times. The airport does not require a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination during transit. The only requirement they have for transit passengers is to have both flights (to Singapore & out of Singapore) under the same ticket or itinerary & have the passenger’s baggage tagged from the airport of origin to the final country or airport of destination.

My flight back to Manila was booked under the same itinerary. I checked in for both Kuala Lumpur to Singapore & Singapore to Manila flights in Kuala Lumpur. I also had my check-in luggage tagged from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to my final destination, Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines.

SQ 107 from Kuala Lumpur arrived a few minutes behind schedule. After disembarking from the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, I immediately headed to Terminal 3 Gate B9 to board this flight to Manila. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to go around Terminal 3 on this short connection. This transit experience was seamless & hassle-free.

PRE-DEPARTURE

I submitted myself & my carry-on bag for a final security check at the doors of Gate B9 & went to the staff counter to request a seat change. I mentioned in my SQ 107 flight report that I tried to request a seat change during check-in at KLIA. I was advised by the check-in agent that the system doesn’t allow her to do it & mentioned that I can request this in Singapore before I board the flight to Manila. I went to the flight staff & was immediately granted a new seat at the 2nd to the last row – 69B.

I went to the pre-departure area, took a seat & enjoyed the view of the beautiful Airbus A350-900 aircraft that will fly us to Manila. Ah, such a beautiful plane!

BOARDING

At exactly 12:58pm, the ground staff called all business class passengers & status holders to board the aircraft to Manila. 2 minutes later, they called all economy class passengers seated at the rear part of the cabin (that’s us) to board the plane. Shortly after our batch, those seated in the forward economy cabin boarded the plane last. Boarding was done by group & took 28 minutes to finish. The cabin crew closed the aircraft doors at 12:28pm.

Inflight Hard & Soft Product

SEAT FEATURES

This Singapore to Manila flight was operated by one of Singapore Airlines’ newest Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The plane sports the regional seat configuration with 40 lie-flat business class seats & 263 standard economy seats. According to SeatGuru, each business class seat has a 60-inch seat pitch & 28-inch seat width. The seats have a 1-2-1 configuration, with each seat having direct aisle access. All business class seats are equipped with a large personal entertainment screen paired with noise-canceling headphones. Each seat also includes a pillow, a blanket, several storage spaces & a large tray table.

Business Class Seat
Economy Class Seats

Economy class seats have a seat pitch of 28 inches & seat width of 18 inches – slightly bigger than the Boeing 787-10’s 17.5 inches seat width. Each seat comes with a spacious leg room, an adjustable headrest & a personal entertainment screen. Seats also feature a seat pocket with inflight safety cards, a fold-able tray table with mirror, a coat hook, small storage space below the screen, a fold-able cup holder, a USB charging outlet & a universal power outlet in between seats. Pillows, blankets, face masks & disinfectant surface wipes are now available by request.

The seats on this Airbus A350 aircraft are complete & comfortable enough for a short-haul international flight. It has more than what a normal economy class passenger needs for a 3-hour flight.

INFLIGHT MEAL

Singapore Airlines served complimentary hot meals on this 3-hour flight to Manila. The airline has removed the physical menu cards & integrated the whole food & drink information in the flight’s onboard connectivity service. Passengers had the option to choose between Herb Crusted Fish Fillet & Roasted Chicken Rice. The main dish came with a bread roll & butter, ice cream & a drink of choice – coffee, tea, wine, beer, water or juice. The crew went around again to offer a second round of drinks & offered water, coffee & tea to those who want. Check out the full menu below.

I admire the airline for using metal cutlery & recyclable food containers during the meal service. It helps a lot in eliminating solid waste; it is environment-friendly. I hope they can find a sustainable alternative to plastic cups.

I chose the roasted chicken rice meal with a glass of red wine & enjoyed it. The rice, chicken & vegetable portions were just right. For dessert, we had Udders Dark Chocolate ice cream. The ice cream was thick & tasty; it was probably the star of the lunch service.

Immediately after the meal service, I asked for roasted nuts to help me finish my small glass of red wine. After this, I asked for the airline’s signature cocktail, Singapore Sling. I think I had 2 more glasses of this drink paired with their roasted cashew & almonds. Don’t worry, I didn’t feel tipsy or what.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Krisworld, Singapore Airline’s entertainment system, offers thousands of options to choose from. They have hundreds of movies & TV shows to watch, thousands of songs to listen to, games to play & a few local media content to check out. All these options can be accessed via the touch screen personal entertainment screens found in front of every seat. The touch screen screens were responsive & easy to navigate. It also showed the flight path & even details of onward connecting flights. The provided earphones were alright. They aren’t noise canceling but they did its job.

Krisworld also gives frequent flyers the option to personalize their experience. The system asks for the passengers KrisFlyer membership number & then shows the passenger’s favorites or the last song, movie to television show he/she watched / left unfinished. I hope Singapore Airlines install cameras in their A350’s which passengers can access / view during flights.

INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

Singapore Airlines offered Wi-Fi service on this flight. PPS Club members & business class passengers are given 100MB of data to use up during the flight. The airline also gives complimentary 2 hours of messaging service to KrisFlyer members in economy class. Non-members can opt to either register to KrisFlyer to avail of the data plans on board.

Sad to say this, but the Wi-Fi on this flight was close to not working. I had to try a lot of times before having access to the inflight food & drinks menu. I didn’t get to use the free 2-hour messaging service because I always got the ‘network error’ or ‘service unavailable’ notification.

LAVATORY

The rear lavatory on this Airbus A350 was spotless & well-maintained. It was clean; it had the amenities needed for a 3-hour flight. The sink had cold & warm water & had hand soap & tissue beside it. The lavatory console had a moisturizing hand lotion & the drawer had more amenities.

Cabin Crew Service

The cabin crew service on this flight was excellent. The cabin crew welcomed all passengers with their best smiles & wished us a pleasant & enjoyable flight. Upon arriving at my seat, I saw that the tray table had leftover crumbs. I notified one of the cabin attendants in the back. The cabin attendant apologized & immediately got back to me with disinfectant wipes & tissue.

The crew had to pause meal service a few times due to turbulence. They kept apologizing to the passengers every time the meal service was halted. They continued with the meal service after the turbulences. The guy who served my meal was polite & attentive. He asked what meal & drink options I preferred & gladly served it.

After the meal service, I asked for a glass of Singapore Sling. The cabin attendant misunderstood it, & thought I asked for a Bloody Mary. She came back & apologized that they don’t have Bloody Mary onboard; she also immediately offered to mix a special drink for me. I told her that I actually requested for Singapore Sling. She again apologized & came back with my requested drink with 2 packs of roasted nuts. Lovely!

Several members of the flight crew went around the cabin throughout the flight & attended to every passenger’s requests. They even went around & offered glasses of water to those who want.

The assigned crew on this flight showed true Singaporean hospitality. They served the passengers with their best smiles & catered to every request throughout the flight. They made sure that passengers had an enjoyable flight onboard Singapore Airlines. Their top-notch service made the flying experience a lot better. Cheers to the crew on this flight!

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

All passengers disembarked in an orderly manner. The ground staff checked every passenger’s One Health Pass QR code & instructed where to fall in line for verification / scanning. Immigration didn’t take long & check-in bags were available as soon as we arrived at the baggage claim hall. Believe it or not, I finished the whole arrival process (from stepping out of the plane to the arrivals area) in less than 10 minutes.

Final Thoughts

It was another excellent flight with Singapore Airlines. Both the hard & soft products stood out on this 3.5-hour flight from Singapore to Manila onboard their new Airbus 350-900 aircraft. I’d like to point out a few things that actually made this experience a great one.

First, the transit experience at Singapore Changi Airport was seamless. No requirements, no whatsoever. I just went from one airport gate to the other. Second, both the ground staff & cabin crew provided excellent service. The ground attendants in Kuala Lumpur & Singapore were polite & accommodating. Those in Singapore station even allowed me to change seats last minute. The cabin crew teams onboard the flight were hospitable & service-oriented.

Third, Singapore Airlines’ hard product on the Airbus A350-900 is modern & solid. The seats are comfortable; they have good leg space. The personal entertainment screens area big; it has thousands of entertainment options to choose from. The cabin also feels very spacious.

The airline’s soft product on this flight was as awesome as the hard product. Cabin crew service, as mentioned above, was top-notch. The inflight meal portions were just right. They also offered a long list of drinks for economy class passengers. I particularly liked the dark chocolate ice cream offered as dessert. Lastly, I also noticed the airline’s sustainable efforts by using recyclable food containers, providing metal cutlery & getting rid of physical menus.

This flight was not perfect. It also had some drawbacks which I hope the airline can improve on. First, the onboard Wi-Fi was close to not working. It only worked when I tried to access the inflight menu. Second, the airline still uses plastic cups for the drink service – particularly for water, wine & other alcoholic beverages in economy class. I hope they can find an environment-friendly alternative for it.

Third, I somehow felt a downsize in economy class service compared to how it was before the pandemic. Pillows & blankets are no longer provided to every seat & the towel service in economy class has stopped. I hope they can find a way to re-introduce them in the future. Lastly, not entirely the airline’s fault, but this flight was very turbulent. The meal service had to stop several times due to turbulence. I think the seatbelt sign was turned on for more than an hour in total. The frequent turbulence somehow affected the overall experience on this flight to Manila.

Putting these aside, I still enjoyed this flight with Singapore Airlines. I wish the flight time from Singapore to Manila was longer than 3.5 hours. Will I fly them again in the future? Definitely! In fact, I am already considering taking them again for another set of flights for next year.

Here are some geeky details about this excellent 3.5-hour hop from Singapore to Manila:

Airline: Singapore Airlines
Flight Date: 7 July 2022
Flight Number: SQ 916
Route: Singapore (SIN) to Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Duration: 3 hours & 25 minutes
Seat Number: 69B
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Aircraft Registration: 9V-SHW
Engines: 2 x Rolls-Royce Trent XWB
Age: 6.5-month-old
Delivered: January 2022

This sums up & ends by journey with Singapore Airlines on the trip to Kuala Lumpur last July 2022. Don’t forget to check out my other flights with them: Manila to Singapore on SQ 915, Singapore to Kuala Lumpur on SQ 114 & Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on SQ 107. Feel free to also check out my post about this quick international trip to Kuala Lumpur by clicking this link.

Have you flown with Singapore Airlines recently? How was your flight? Please share details about your experience in the comments section below. Do you have questions about this flight or anything related to the airline? You may post them below or send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com if you are shy to comment.

Thank you for joining me in today’s trip report. If you’re interested in my previous flight reports, feel free to check them out under the flight report category. I hope you’ll look forward to the next one. Also, before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.