Tag: flight

Flight Report: BRUSSELS AIRLINES SN 2811 – Brussels to Prague – Belgium’s Flag Carrier & My First Ever European Airline Experience

Hello & welcome to a new flight report. In the last flight reports, I shared with you how my Manila to Singapore & Singapore to Amsterdam flights with Singapore Airlines went. I flew with this Skytrax 5-star rated airline & I definitely had a great time. My journey to Singapore was fast & on time & my 13-hour flight to Amsterdam didn’t feel that long.

Today, I will share with you details about my first ever flight with a European airline. After spending 5 days around The Netherlands & 4 full days around Belgium, I hopped on a 65-minute flight from Brussels Airport (of course in Brussels) to Václav Havel Airport in Prague, Czech Republic. I flew with Belgium’s flag carrier, Brussels Airlines. I will give you details about the airlines & how this 65-minute international flight went.

Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines is Belgium’s national airline & the country’s largest airline. It is part of the Lufthansa Group, which also owns airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Eurowings & Austrian Airlines. The airline flies to over 100 destinations across Europe, North America, Africa & Middle East. Its (all) Airbus fleet consists of 10 Airbus A330s, 17 Airbus A320s & 22 Airbus A319s.

Brussels Airlines’ base airport is Brussels Airport, about 20 minutes from the Brussels city center. The airline adopts Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program – Miles & More & is also a member of Star Alliance group.

Airfare

Brussels Airlines offers their inter-Europe fares in 4 classes. Its European flights follow the low-cost carrier model where the cheapest fare only includes the a randomly assigned seat in the flight & a carry-on baggage. All other add-ons come with a free. Fares go higher as soon as you avail more services. Check out the image below for Brussels Airlines’ fare types. Please take note that their medium & long-haul flights use the Economy (with 3 variants) & Business class format.

Took this screenshot from Brussels Airline’s website – here are the 4 fare types for European flights

I availed the Light&Relax fare option & paid €67,40 for this one-way flight. The non-refundable fare includes a regular seat, 23 kilograms check in baggage allowance & 12 kilograms carry-on allowance. It also includes a free change to an earlier flight as long as it’s on the same fare class. Food & drinks are for sale during the flight. I booked my tickets 4 months before the flight & I think it’s still cheap in European aviation standards.

Flight & Aircraft Information

Brussels Airlines operated this flight from Brussels (BRU) to Prague (PRG) with an 18-year old Airbus A320-214 aircraft. This aircraft, with registration OO-SNB, has been with the airline since May 2011. The plane is named Rackham & sports such black livery – patterned after the shark submarine from the famous Belgian comic series, The Adventures of Tintin. The plane has 180 seats in on a 3-3 configuration over 30 rows. Bizz&Class passengers occupy the front row seats.

The flight to Prague took 1 hour & 16 minutes with the first few & the last minutes used for taxiing. The flight itself (from take-off to touch down) took only 1 hour & 5 minutes (65 minutes). We left the gate in Brussels on time & arrived Prague a few minutes early. The flight went smooth – no turbulence happened given the rainy weather in both cities.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Check in process for this Brussels Airlines flight was fast & efficient. I scanned my passport & got my boarding pass from the self-check in kiosk. I went to the automatic bag drop counters to check in my luggage. I placed my bag in the counter, scanned my passport, got my bag tag & placed it around my luggage handle. The machine got my luggage & I got it back when I arrived in Prague. This process took me less than 5 minutes; that includes the short queue in the bag-drop counters. Security check also didn’t take long – it was quick & easy.

Baggage allowance for Brussels Airlines’s European flights based on the fare types. The Light&Relax fare I bought included a 23-kilogram check in baggage allowance for this flight. This is on top of the 12-kilogram carry-on baggage allocated for every passenger. The airline’s carry-on baggage allowance is very generous compared to the 7-kilogram allowance I’m used to here in the Philippines.

The airline boards the passengers based on fare types. The Bizz&Class & Flex&Fast passengers boarded the plane first & the Light&Relax & Check&Go passengers followed. The boarding process didn’t take long; it only took us 20 minutes to board the plane. One thing I noted in this flight (probably an airport thing) was that the boarding gate was announced an hour before the flight. It was the first time I had that case but not really an issue.

Seat, In-flight Meals & Entertainment

There isn’t much to talk about in terms of seats, in-flight meals & entertainment. The aircraft has standard leather seats. The leg room was okay (for me) but can be too tight for taller people. Each seat has a small storage space by the knees. In-flight magazines & safety cards were placed in a small pocket in front of the passenger. The seats had no USB ports & power outlets. Its layout is almost similar to the seats of Asian low-cost carriers.

The crew offered in-flight snacks & beverages for a fee. Passengers can buy snacks after the pilot switches off the seat belt sign. The in-flight menu is available in the seat pocket in front of the passenger. Brussels Airlines do not offer in-flight entertainment for its inter-Europe flights – no person entertainment screens or mobile entertainment options. It has pretty basic flight features.

Lavatory

I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory on this 18-year old aircraft. I got a window seat (seat 9F) & I didn’t feel the need to visit the lavatory on this short flight. I reckon its features are basic; I just hope they maintained it well over the years.

Cabin Crew Service

The Brussels Airlines cabin crew service were alright. They helped the passengers that need help in putting bags in the overhead cabin. They entertained questions from the passengers. They were in all smiles selling food & drinks to the passengers. They also took care of the minor who flew by himself to Prague – the crew assisted the kid from check in, to boarding up until inside the plane. They even gave him a snack & assisted him in Prague until he got reunited with his parents. Cabin crew service was not outstanding but not bad either. They deserve more praise for the way they took care of the minor passenger.

Verdict

Overall, this Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels, Belgium to Prague, Czech Republic was alright. It was my first European airline & it didn’t disappoint. I did some research & watch trip reports on Brussels Airlines & European airlines prior to the flight so I know what to expect in the flight. I cannot compare this flag carrier with the likes of Singapore Airlines or Philippine Airlines. Brussels Airlines’ European flights are somewhat the same with low-cost airline flights here in Asia.

This flight was cheap considering its cost & the European living standards. Every add-on has a price tag & of course, you get what you pay for. The Light&Relax fare’s 23 kilograms baggage allowance is already a win for me. I’d like to highlight the generous 12-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance. Thank you, Brussels Airlines!

My ground experience in Brussels Airport was excellent. All processes were fast & efficient. I finished check in & security check in minutes. The hard product was alright – seats were okay & the leg room was standard. The aircraft was 18-years old & somewhat didn’t smell well during boarding. The bad smell eventually disappeared when the pilot turned the engines on. The soft product was standard & simple – on time boarding & flight departure, earlier flight arrival, normal cabin crew service & services for additional fees. Flight announcements were made in English, French & Flemish languages.

Will I fly Brussels Airline again? Maybe yes, maybe no depending on the fare. If I get the same low fare value for an hour flight, then yes. If there’s another airline who flies the same route & offers better hard & soft product for a few extra euros, I might opt for that airline. Will I recommend Brussels Airlines to you guys? Of course, especially when its cheaper & more valuable than European low-cost carriers. Trust me, I had a good flight in an old aircraft – very basic on-board service but excellent ground experience. I’d also like to try their medium & long-haul flights in the future.

In case you want to know the specific details of this flight, check out the list below:

Airline: Brussels Airlines
Flight Date: 1 November 2019
Flight Number: SN 2811
Route: Brussesls (BRU) to Prague (PRG)
Duration: 1:16 hours
Seat Number: 9F
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: OO-SNB
Aircraft Engine: 2 x CFM International Jet Engines
Age: 18 years old
Year Delivered: 2001 (Delivered to Brussels Airlines 2011)

Have you ever flown Brussels Airlines in the past? How was your in-flight experience with them? Will you fly them again? What’s your favorite European airline & why? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments below. Do you have any questions about this flight? Feel free to send those questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. By the way, please help me promote my social media platforms – Facebook & Instagram.

Thanks for joining me today’s flight report! Watch out for my posts about Prague & Czech Republic in my Going Solo in Europe series.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6244 – Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila – Quick Turboprop Flight Back To The Metro

Hello & welcome to another flight report. Today, I will tell you more about my recent flight with Cebu Pacific Air’s subsidiary, Cebgo. I flew with them from Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila in September after spending 4 days with my high school friends in paradise. Join me as I share with you some details about Cebgo, the flight, the aircraft used & the flight experience.

In case you missed it, I shared with you last week details of our Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) flight with Cebu Pacific Air. It was an enjoyable, short yet relatively empty flight to paradise island. Know more about that flight report here.

cebgo

Cebgo is a low-cost carrier & is a subsidiary of Cebu Pacific Air. The airline previously operated as South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) & Tigerair Philippines until Cebu Pacific Air acquired the whole company in 2014. Cebgo currently flies to 29 domestic destinations with Manila & Cebu as its main hubs.

The airline used to operate an all-Airbus fleet until its parent company transferred all its turboprop operations to the subsidiary. Now, the airline subsidiary operates an all turboprop fleet of 20 ATR aircraft. It is also the only Philippine-based airline that operates a full cargo ATR turboprop aircraft.

airfare

As mentioned in my Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) flight report, I only paid ₱1,147.72 & 100 GetGo points for the round-trip ticket. It included seats on both flights & a 7-kilogram carry on baggage per way. We didn’t purchase check in baggage allowance because we were only there for 4 days. Check out the screenshot of our ticket below.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

This Cebgo flight from Caticlan (Boracay) to Manila was operated by a 2.2-year ATR aircraft delivered to the airline in September / October 2017. This turboprop plane can carry 78-passengers in an all-economy seat configuration. The flight took only 52 minutes including taxiing. We left Caticlan Airport 15 minutes early & arrived Manila Airport 58 minutes earlier than the scheduled arrival time.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Just like its parent company Cebu Pacific Air, Cebgo also offers mobile & web check in feature for all their flights. Passengers travelling without check in baggage can skip counter check in & go straight to their respective boarding gates. My friend & I already checked in for the flight days before & we already had our boarding passes in our phones. We didn’t have to go through the normal check in process at Boracay Airport.

Here’s a screenshot of my mobile boarding pass. I presented this with a valid ID during boarding.

Cebgo offers prepaid baggage on all its flights. All tickets come with a free 7-kilogram carry on baggage. Check in baggage is available for purchase at the time of booking the ticket up to 4 hours before the flight schedule. In case you are wondering how much does the check in baggage allowance cost, here are the rates as of today, 1 December 2019 from the Cebu Pacific Air website.

This flight’s boarding process took a bit of time. The people were asked to board 2 buses, depending on their seat number. Those seated from rows 1 to 10 boarded the plane first, while those seated in the last 10 rows boarded the plane last. We utilized the sole passenger door at the back.

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Seat, In-Flight Meal & Entertainment

Passengers are not allowed to choose or change seats in turboprop flights from check in up to the flight itself. The airline system automatically assigns seats to the passengers a week before the flight while the airline ground staff assign seats to passengers while maintaining the aircraft’s weight stability. Preferred seats are available for purchase up to 4 hours before the flight.

The aircraft has a 2 x 2 seat layout. Each row has 2 window seats & 2 aisle seats. The seat pitch was alright; there was not enough legroom as expected. The seats only have armrests as dividers & no ‘individual’ seat space unlike those from jet planes.

In-flight snacks are available for purchase up to 24 hours before the flight or during the flight. Please take note that meals can be limited only to light snacks because DG flights are not ‘long’ flights. Most of them only take about an hour.

Cebgo’s ATR aircraft do not offer personal entertainment screens. The airline subsidiary, just like its parent company, is a low cost carrier thus only offers the basic flight service. On the good side, they have the in-flight Smile Magazine & an aircraft safety card in every pocket found in front of every seat.

Lavatory

The aircraft’s only lavatory is found at the back of the plane, near the main passenger door. It is clean & well-maintained. The lavatory space is just basic & alright, nothing fancy.

Cabin Crew Service

Cabin crew service in this short flight was good. All passengers were greeted with warm smiles. The crew also helped out the passengers in sorting their bags in the overhead storage spaces. They also finished offering & selling snacks to passengers minutes after the seat belt sign was turned off.

Verdict

It is always a pleasure flying with Cebgo. I prefer flying with Cebgo than its mother company, Cebu Pacific Air, because of their flights arrive on time, if not way earlier than the expected touchdown time. This good practice is evident in this flight when we left Caticlan 15 minutes early & arrived Manila 58 minutes ahead of schedule. Keep it up, Cebgo!

The aircraft used was relatively new & modern. Seat pitch was acceptable; legroom wasn’t that good. Seat comfort was fine, nothing extraordinary. These seats will do for short intercity / region flights. Personally, I still prefer the seats in their Airbus jet aircraft.

Overall, it was a quick but enjoyable flight with Cebgo. There isn’t much difference with the other Cebu Pacific Air flights & service, except the timely performance & the type of aircraft used. I’m happy to say that I am flying Cebgo again in a few weeks to Legazpi for the holidays. I’m already excited for the flight. I’m sure it’ll be great!

If you want to know the technical details of this flight & the aircraft used, check out the information below.

Airline: Cebgo
Flight Date: 16 September 2019
Flight Number: DG 6244
Route: Caticlan (Boracay) (MPH) – Manila
Duration: 52 minutes
Seat Number: 14B
Aircraft: ATR 72-600
Aircraft Registration: RP-C7286
Age: 2.2 years
Year Delivered: 2017

Have you ever flown with Cebgo? How was your experience? How do you like (or dislike) it compared to its parent company, Cebu Pacific Air? Share your good & bad experiences in the comments section below! Do you have any questions about the flight, Cebgo or Cebu Pacific in general? You can send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to turn your notifications on for my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

I appreciate you reaching this part of this trip report. Thank you for your time. Don’t worry, I’ll take you to Singapore & Europe in the next flight reports!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 905 – Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) – Short & Relatively Empty Flight To Paradise Island

Hello & welcome to another flight report. I’ve been away for a while, but fret not, I am now back & ready to share more with you. I have close to 10 flight reports (from Cebu Pacific Air, Singapore Airlines, Brussels Airlines & Czech Airlines) coming up; so stay tuned for these reviews & posts.

Look at that beautiful wing tip of the Airbus A320 sharklet that flew us from Manila to Boracay.

In the last flight reports, I shared with you details about by Indonesia Air Asia flights from Jakarta to Yogyakarta & back, from Yogyakarta to Jakarta. I also gave some details about my Cebu Pacific Air piso-fare flight from Manila to Jakarta which was booked just 2 months before the trip. Today, we’ll go back to my most-used local airline – Cebu Pacific Air. This time, I’ll take you with me from Manila to Caticlan (Boracay).

Check out the post below as I share with you some information about this short flight to the paradise island of Boracay.

cebu pacific air

As mentioned in my previous flight reports (Legazpi to Manila & Manila to Jakarta), Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippines’ largest low-cost airline that flies to various destinations within the country, across the Asia Pacific & the Middle East. It is wholly-owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. Including its subsidiary Cebgo, the airline operates a fleet of 70+ Airbus & ATR commercial & cargo aircraft with a number of new generation aircraft orders in place.

The airline has opened the opportunity for every Filipino to fly domestic & international at extremely low prices compared to its industry rivals. It is known for its ₱1-base fare promotions offered a few times a year. It has its own loyalty program called GetGo & is a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers.

airfare

Early this year, my friends booked a September Boracay trip for about ₱4,500 per person. A few weeks after they secured their tickets, I decided to secretly join them & booked my return ticket for ₱1,147.72 & 100 GetGo points. Yes, I paid about 1/4 of what my friends paid & even got better flight times.

By the way, the ticket only included a seat in both flights & a carry-on baggage up to 7 kilograms. Nothing more, nothing less. It only takes about an hour to fly to Boracay & it was only a weekend trip; there was no need to bring a lot of stuff. Check out the screenshot of my ticket below.

flight information

The flight was operated by a 6.4-year old Airbus A320-214 twin jet aircraft sporting the new Cebu Pacific Air livery. The plane was built & delivered from Toulouse, France last July 2013. It operates an all economy class configuration with 180 seats in total. The flight, including taxiing, took about 1 hour & 7 minutes. The plane was only airborne for 42 minutes.

We pushed back a few minutes behind schedule, but we were able to land at Caticlan Airport earlier than the scheduled arrival time. The flight was alright, with a few turbulence experienced.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebu Pacific Air offers counter, mobile & web check in for all their domestic flights. Since I was travelling light (no check in baggage), I immediately went to the boarding gate with my mobile boarding pass. There was no need to drop by the check in counters for check in.

Here’s a screenshot of my mobile boarding pass for 5J 905 from Manila to Caticlan (Boracay).

The airline offers prepaid baggage for all its flights. Guests have the option to travel light (7 kilogram carry on baggage only) or to purchase baggage for their flights. The baggage rates depend on when the allocation was purchased. See the updated baggage rates to & from Caticlan (from Manila) from the Cebu Pacific Air Fees Summary page as of 24 November 2019.

The boarding process was fast & efficient. It didn’t take long because the flight was not full. There were many empty seats & available cabin storage space. Take note that the ground staff checks your identification card when you are boarding with your mobile boarding pass. They make sure that the passenger on the ticket & boarding pass is the one taking the flight.

There were many empty seats in this domestic flight to MPH. Seats 16D, 16E & 16F were vacant!!

Seat, In-Flight Meals & Entertainment

Cebu Pacific Air, being a low-cost carrier, offers everything for a fee. Preferred seats are available for purchase up to 4 hours before the flight. If no seat is purchased, the airline’s system automatically assigns seats to all passengers a week before the flight. Each seat has a standard 28-inch pitch & has a basic recline. The seat pitch & recline doesn’t really matter for short flights like this. My friend & I were seated one row apart; it kinda sucks because we had 2 separate booking reference numbers. He eventually moved in the seat beside me since it was not occupied.

Snacks & meals are available for pre-purchase up to 24 hours before the flight. If you missed out booking your meal, you can always buy from the snack trays being rolled out by the cabin crew during the flight. The prices of in-flight snacks are expensive. It’s best to just bring your own snack, which the airline allows by the way.

The airline doesn’t offer in-flight entertainment. The back of the seats in front of each passenger has nothing. Each passenger has a seat pocket in front; the seat pocket contains the aircraft safety card & in-flight magazine.

The crew held a fun game during this flight. They asked 3 questions under a category & gave airline merchandise to the passengers who gave the correct answers. It’s this small touch that gives some passengers something to look forward to flying with the airline.

lavatory

We were only airborne for 42 minutes & I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory. I always go to the toilet before boarding because I want to avoid the hassle of asking my seat neighbor to stand up & make way for me going to the toilet.

cabin crew service

Cabin crew service in this flight has been just alright – it was not outstanding or special. They greeted each passenger entering the aircraft during boarding. One thing I noticed is they finished the meal / snack service just a few minutes after the seat belt sign was turned off. I suppose there were not many people who bought snacks during the flight.

verdict

Overall, it was a usual Cebu Pacific Air flight. I really did not expect so much considering I only paid ₱1,147.72 return; that’s half of that fare for this flight. What I particularly liked about this flight is it being on schedule. We were able to arrive Caticlan Airport earlier than expected & managed to surprise our friends who were already in Boracay that day.

I have a few upcoming Cebu Pacific Air flights on their Airbus A330 & Airbus A321 aircrafts. I wonder if the experience will be different from this flights, but I am already looking forward to that. In case you are wondering about the specifics of this flight & the aircraft used, check out the details listed below.

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 13 September 2019
Flight Number: 5J 905
Route: Manila (MNL) – Caticlan (Boracay) (MPH)
Duration: 1:07 hours
Seat Number: 16A (changed from 16C)
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Sharklet
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3275
Age: 6.4 Years Old
Year Delivered: 2013

Have you used Cebu Pacific Air in your recent flight? How was your experience? Do you plan to fly with them again in your future flights? Let’s engage into a discussion in the comments section below. You can also share your experiences, ideas, comments & suggestions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to turn your notifications on for my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Please also help me promote these pages to your families & friends.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Watch out for the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: EVA AIR BR 277 – Taipei to Manila – Taiwan’s 5-Star Airline For An Affordable Fare

Last month, I ran a poll on my Facebook page & asked you, my readers, if you are interested in reading flight / trip reports in this platform. 101 out of the 107 respondents said they want to see this type of content here. A few weeks later, here I am, sharing with you the very first flight report on this website.

Coincidentally, this is also my website’s 100th post – YES!! I believe the best way to celebrate this milestone is to introduce this new section called Flight Report. This blog section will always include information about the fare & the flight. It will also tackle experiences about the check in & boarding procedures, seat quality, in-flight service & a lot more.

My family & I flew to Taipei, Taiwan (I know – wait for the newest Taipei posts in the coming weeks) about a month ago for a 4-day father’s day weekend trip. I’ve been to Taipei twice, one in 2015 with my high school friends & the other in 2017 with my colleagues / office friends. My mom insisted that we go to Taiwan (again for me) to have another family trip since our last was Singapore in 2015. Third time’s a charm & the trip happened. We flew with Evergreen Airways, commonly known as EVA Air, for both Manila to Taipei & Taipei to Manila legs.

EVA Air

EVA Air is a privately-owned & international full-service airline based in Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. It commenced operations in 1991 & since then has been flying to multiple destinations in Asia Pacific, North America & Europe. It is also Taiwan’s second largest airline, next to the flag carrier, China Airlines. The airline is Taiwan’s 5-star carrier certified by Skytrax, an international airline & airport review company.

Our ride back to Manila – a 3.5-year old Airbus A330-300 aircraft delivered to EVA Air in 2015 🙂

Let me share with you my thoughts about our EVA Air BR 277 flight last month. EVA Air runs 3 daily flights between Manila & Taipei. The flight I am about to tell you was our Taipei to Manila afternoon flight. Apologies, I wasn’t able to get as much detail as I can during our Manila to Taipei flight because of its early morning departure. I was asleep most of the time on board that Airbus A321-200 flight to Taipei.

Airfare

My family & I booked our tickets about 4 months before our intended trip. Each economy return ticket cost USD 127.32 or about PHP 6,600+ in our currency. You might think this is expensive; but it’s not. My previous tickets to Taipei cost me PHP 2,700+ return, but only provided an airline seat & carry-on baggage. It didn’t include check in baggage, food or whatsoever; the schedules were inconvenient. Our ticket to & from Taipei included in-flight meals & entertainment, 30-kilograms check in baggage per way & free seat selection. If you try to add these services to my previous tickets, it’ll be pretty much the same cost.

Details of our Manila – Taipei – Manila ticket. Each passenger only paid USD 127.32 round-trip.

The fare we paid for was such a great deal for a return flight to Taipei on a 5-star airline. It was worth every single peso.

Flight

BR 277 from Taipei to Manila took 1 hour & 55 minutes in the air. The plane left Taoyuan Airport a little late but managed to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on schedule. The flight used a 3.5-year old Airbus A330-300 delivered to EVA Air in 2015. The plane has 2 passenger classes – business class & economy class. Business class seats were at 2-2-2 configuration while the economy class followed a 2-4-2 seat configuration.

Check-In & Boarding

EVA Air’s Economy Class Check-in Counters at Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2.

Check-in & boarding was alright. We were travelling with a kid so we were always a priority during check-in & boarding. The ground staff assisted us to a special check-in counter while we boarded the plane first among the economy class passengers. I can’t say the experience was amazing or bad because I didn’t get to experience the usual process.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

EVA Air offers a great range of in-flight services. First, seat selection is free of charge upon booking / online check-in. Take note that our fare is the lowest possible fare the airline can offer & with that, the seat selection feature is still free. The seat pitch of EVA Air’s Airbus 330-300 is 33 inches; pretty decent for me. The leg room was generous enough for it to be apt for a long haul flight. The seat was comfortable; it also featured an adjustable headrest. The seat pocket contained the necessary safety card, in-flight magazine & Duty Free brochure.

Such a generous leg room on EVA Air’s Airbus A300-300 aircraft.. Or maybe I’m not that tall? LOL

Second, in-flight meal was okay. It didn’t have the best taste, but it was decent enough to fill our stomach. And oh, they offered a full rice / pasta meal with salad & fruits on a 2-hour flight. Passengers can also choose the type of meal (low calorie, halal, vegetarian, etc.) they prefer up to 24 hours before the flight.

EVA Air provided a full rice meal with salad & dessert on a 2-hour flight from Taipei to Manila. 🙂

Third, each seat has a small touch screen monitor & an old-style remote. The in-flight entertainment had an acceptable range of movies & programs to watch. It also had a number of albums you can listen to. I wish they had more choices though. Every passenger is provided with a pair of earphones sealed in a plastic container. Each seat is also equipped with a USB port. The in-flight entertainment in my seat didn’t work for the most part of the flight. The flight attendant tried to reset it but it still didn’t function. It’s not a major issue since the flight didn’t last long.

Fourth, the cabin crew provided pillows & blankets to passengers who requested for it. Again, it is a short flight so add-ons like these are not expected, but props to EVA for having them on board (even if the supply is limited & it is only available upon request). EVA Air’s in-flight amenities on our BR 277 flight were excellent. I’m not going to complain. We got way more than what we paid for.

Lavatory

The flight only lasted for less than 2 hours. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to go to the lavatory. Perhaps, I’ll check it out in my next EVA Air flight.

Cabin Crew

EVA Air’s cabin crew were alright. I only had a few encounters with them & with those times, not everyone was wearing a smile. There were one or two who were super nice & accommodating. I generally felt they’re like robots going around distributing food & getting food trays afterwards. I can’t blame them if they had to speed up their service but I think I’m just used to the hospitality of Southeast Asian airlines. It’s not the best & also not the worst, I’ve experienced worse in another airline.

Verdict

Overall, my experience with EVA Air on BR 277 from Taipei to Manila was great – extremely affordable fare for a full-service 5-star certified airline, with on-time flight departure & arrival, quick & special check-in & boarding process (thanks to my baby cousin), amazing in-flight amenities & so-so cabin crew service. I’m not going to judge the cabin crew on that flight & generalize that all EVA cabin crew are the same; perhaps that batch wasn’t having a great day.

Will I fly EVA Air again? YES, of course! They always offer extremely cheap fares to Australia, North America & Europe. I’d love to try their long haul product in the future, especially on their newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner. If you want to know more about our flight & the aircraft used, here are the complete details of it:

A glimpse of EVA Air’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I’d love to fly this new aircraft in the future!! 🙂

Airline: EVA Air
Flight Date: 18 June 2019
Flight Number: BR 277
Route: Taipei Taoyuan – Manila
Duration: 1:55 hours
Aircraft: Airbus 330-300
Aircraft Registration: B-16336
Aircraft Serial Number: 1690
Age: 3.5 Years
Year Delivered: 2015
Engine: 2 x GE CF6-80E1A4

Have you flown with EVA Air in the past? Was it on a short haul or long haul route? How was your experience? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about my experience or EVA in general? You can send it to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

One last look at the aircraft that flew us back to Manila last June ’19 – an EVA Air Airbus A330-300

Thank you very much for joining me in this very first flight report. I hope you are excited for the upcoming ones!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Tuesday Tip: How To Survive Low Cost Long Haul Economy Flights

Low cost airlines are starting to infiltrate the long haul flights market. These airlines offer basic & affordable fares to long haul destinations. Imagine paying ₱6,500 for a return flight from Manila to Sydney or paying around ₱2,800 for a return flight from Manila to Dubai. Super cheap, right? Yes, these fares are real. But as they say, you always get what you pay for. These tickets only include carry-on baggage & a pre-assigned seat. It doesn’t include check-in baggage, flight meal/s, insurance & in-flight entertainment. These options are always available for an additional cost; these can be availed up to few hours before the flight.

Recently flew with a low cost airline from Manila to Sydney

Recently, I had my first low cost long haul economy flight to & from Sydney, Australia. I paid ₱6,455.92 for a return flight from Manila (booked 8 months before the flight). I availed a few add-ons such as baggage, a flight meal & a comfortable front seat. I bought a seat because I initially don’t have an idea on how I will survive this close to 8-hour flight to Sydney with the seat assigned to me by the airline. The ticket with add-ons cost me ₱11,455.92. The flights surprisingly went well, even with the absence of in-flight entertainment. Legroom was alright; the service was also good.

Apart from my personal experiences, I also observed the people on the flights how they managed to conquer the 8-hour flight to & from Sydney. Here are some tips on how you can survive low cost long haul economy flights.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by a certain brand or company. I just used the photos I took in my recent low cost long haul flight.

Choose a red-eye flight

Flying a low cost long haul flight can be very difficult for first timers. Imagine doing nothing for 7 or 8 hours straight – no inflight entertainment, no food whatsoever. A tip to survive a low cost long haul flight is to choose a red-eye flight. Red-eye flights are those who leave late at night or wee hours in the morning. You won’t have any problems on how to endure the long flight because you will only sleep most of the time. Don’t forget to bring your own neck pillow, eye mask & blanket for a more comfortable sleep.

If the flight is a not full – you can always get the whole row of seats & sleep

Bring Personal Entertainment

What is there to do in the absence of in-flight entertainment? Simple. Bring a book to read throughout the flight. You can also stock up on movies in your personal electronic devices (laptops, tablets & phones). If you’re not into watching movies or reading books, make sure to have enough songs in your music player. Having these forms of distraction will help you kill time during the flight. Next thing you’ll know, you’re already on your final descent towards your destination.

Have Cash On Hand

Always make sure to bring cash when flying. There will be times when you want to buy something like a bottle of water or a cup of hot coffee. These items are always available for purchase during the flight. Also, please note that most airlines only accept cash payments of currencies from the country of origin & the country of destination. For example, the crew from Manila to Sydney flight will only accept Philippine Peso & Australian Dollar as the currencies of payment. Don’t expect the staff to accept Japanese Yen & Malaysian Ringgit.

Bring Your Own Food

Majority of low cost carriers in the world offer pre-paid in-flight meal. This means that passengers need to pre-order their meals at least 24 hours before the flight. Limited food options are available during the flight. However, the prices of these food are beyond the usual price. A good tip to get away with these expensive airplane food is to bring your own food. You can always bring a sandwich or two for your flight. Other options include chips, nuts & biscuits. Having these food on hand will save you loads of cash, plus you get to eat what you want or prefer.

Airline’s in-flight meal – bought this when I flew from Manila to Sydney; Brought my own food (sandwiches) when I flew from Sydney to Manila 😋

Bring Your Own Amenity Kit

Flying economy & flying low cost airlines give passengers limited facilities & services. Unlike full service airlines, low cost airlines do not provide amenity kits to fliers of low cost long haul routes. One thing you can do is to bring a small pouch with the necessary items such as toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, small towel, skin moisturizer & hand sanitizer. Nothing beats the refreshed feeling after a long & tiring fight.

Move Around

Sitting for 7-12 hours in a plane can be very difficult. Also, the passengers’ bodies don’t have enough movement for a long time due to limited legroom & space. Passengers are allowed to walk around the plane as long as the other passengers are not disturbed. The simplest exercise one can do is to stand up in the aisle & do some stretching. Remember that the blood in our bodies needs to circulate – a few minutes of movement won’t hurt.

Boarding pass & passport for my recent low cost long haul flight; sorry I had to cover the name & bar code

Be Friendly

The last tip I can give on how to survive a long haul low cost economy flight is to be friendly to your co-passengers. There is a big chance that you will be seated next to a stranger inside the aircraft. You can always start a conversation by saying ‘hi’ or ‘hello.’ The next thing you’ll know, you already have someone to share ideas & experiences throughout the flight. I’ve heard stories of people who talked to their seatmates during the flight & ended up traveling together in a certain place.

This sums up the list of tips on how to conquer a low cost long haul economy flight. It may sound hard at first but I believe that the experience all boils down to how a person prepares for the flight. Regardless of ticket price & flight class, all passengers on board the flight (may it be from a low cost or full service airline) will reach the destination at the same time.

One advantages of flying a red-eye flight – you witness the beautiful sunrise from your airplane seat 🌅

Have you tried flying a low cost long haul economy flight? How was your experience? Are there other tips you can share with the other readers? Feel free to share them in the comments below. You can also send those tips via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also connect with me via my social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.. If you haven’t liked or followed my Facebook page, check this link. You know what to do!

If you want to know about the past Tuesday Tips I posted, check them out here. Thank you for reading & until the next set of Tuesday Tips!