Well I'm off to another overseas trip in November, and will be flying with Emirates from New York. I know most of the EK FA's whose blogs I have been following fly the Boeing 777-300ER which is what I will be flying on. It was just too expensive to fly the Airbus A380 out of Toronto. (After I booked the special from New York, they go and reduce the fares out of Toronto...C'est la vie).
I've basically flown the very same route before, that is getting into New York via La Guardia on AC and then EK from JFK all they way across the pond. Except the flights on Emirates previously were on the Airbus A340-500, such a gorgeous plane to look at, but so tight with space when it came to the seat pitch. On the way into Dubai I was kicked in the back of my seat ever so often, during the +12 hour stretch, that on the way back I sat in the last seat, which had limited recline and was really cramped than the rest due to the curvature of the aircraft, both of which I was well aware of when I selected it online. Also http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Emirates_Airlines/information.php had warned me about this before hand lol. However, that was the start of me booking these last seats on every flight if possible, and being a window person that is sometimes not possible, so i'm usually somewhere along the last few rows. I am not one to sleep on planes and not having somebody behind me makes it so less traumatic. I remember on an AC domestic flight I had this huge guy behind me who held the top of my seat with one hand, shaking it furiously as he laughed hysterically to the show he was watching on the seat back video. I had to call an FA to have him stop it, or I would have had to resort to stabbing the top of his hand with my fork!!
However this trip on Emirates is going to be the test of the EK FA's being called "a bag of mixed nuts", which has been repeated over and over again on Airline trip report sites like www.airliners.net. I know not all flights are perfect, but when you keep on seeing this inconsistency in the level of service, it's difficult not to be a bit more observant next time. Now it would make a world of a difference if one of the EK FA bloggers whose blogs I avidly follow is on board, as that might distract me from keeping an eye for the service; I will be chatting them up instead, perhaps do their interview while on the job!!
The service from New York is on the Boeing 777-300ER and the return is on the Boeing 777-200LR and what is quite exciting is unlike the last trips, these have the brand new uniforms out, which I quite like over the old ones, but I still need to get used to the male FA's uniforms. What is more I have come to understand that the seat back videos are huge, so it's going to be movie after movie on Emirates great and well known ICE system. I know on my flights on Qantas I watched a whopping eight movies on the sectors to and from Los Angeles to Sydney. I will be a bit anxious if we hit some severe turbulence, bringing to mind the Air France crash which was not purely due to turbulence but failed pitot tubes, nevertheless all that rocking to and fro will not put me to sleep this time like it used to in the past!!!
I was hoping to fly Qatar, as that would have definitely added to my list of carriers, and added another Middle Eastern carrier to my list, Emirates and Etihad being the other two. However Emirates' fare won my heart over lol. It was a not that much cheaper but when you are already flying on a budget every dollar counts, and especially when you had no plans to fly in the first place. Well it will be a delight to take to 39000ft and watch the clouds go by!! Well for most of the flights it's night flights, so at least if there are clouds there should be a nice full moon to go with them to blanket them nicely with the soothing moonlight!!
Here is the slideshow from the last trip on Emirates.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcopolovoyager_2001/sets/72157600652466159/show/
And I also flew Emirates DXB-KHI-DXB when I flew on Lufthansa from Toronto to Dubai en route to Karachi.
Sorry adding both the slideshows here which include the Emirates/Lufthansa portions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcopolovoyager_2001/sets/72157604394577438/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcopolovoyager_2001/sets/72157604398938711/show/
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A couple of firsts!!
Just a quick blog about some of the new airlines, colour schemes and new landings during the past few days spotting at Pearson. Included are the following
- Inaugural flight of Turkish Airlines Airbus A340-300 service to Toronto!
- The Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER sporting the Vancouver 2010 games sticker!
- Austrian Boeing 767-300 with winglets in the Star Alliance colours.
- British Airways Boeing 747-400s both in corporate & One World colours
- British Airways Boeing 777-200.
- Carribean Airlines & Canjet Boeing 737-800 with winglets.
- Thomas Cook-Scandanavia Airbus A330-300!
- Luthansa Airbus A340-300 from Dusseldorf!
- Finnair Boeing 757-300 with winglets.
- CSA Airbus A310 with the new corporate colours.
- Air France Boeing 747-400 and
- PIA Boeing 777-200LR and some others.
Friday, July 3, 2009
You win some, You lose some!!
July 1, 2009 was Canada Day and a statutory holiday! It was a Wednesday and one of the three days in the week that Emirates flies to Toronto, the other days being Mondays and Fridays. It's difficult to go spot the Airbus A380 during the week, so any statutory holiday falling on these days is definitely to be used to go see this bird! Runway 23 was in use and the weather was just great! Thunderstorms were supposed to past through the area, but fortunately the weather did not deteriorate. Got some usual arrivals like KLM, and some never seen before like the Transaero, before the beast arrived.
The Emirates Airbus A380 has drawn tons of non-spotters to the airport. Nowadays it almost feels like a celebrity is arriving at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International airport. Airport Road (yes that is the name of the road bordering the airport perimeter) is lined up with cars and tons of people, most of whom disperse no sooner the jet lands. And then with the warm summer nights there are line ups again at night when it departs at 2140, and then too the crowds disperse ever so equally once she takes to the skies. I can now say I have seen all three A380s flying in the world, the SQ and QF jets in Sydney and the EK whale jet here in Toronto!!!
Here is the beast arriving. I finally nailed it!! Not a very gorgeous plane though :(
The afternoon progressed with the other usual arrivals like Air India and Lufthansa. I finally, yes finally managed to get a fairly decent picture of one of the longest birds in the sky, the Airbus A340-600!! It's hard to sometimes fit it in your viewfinder but I guess that day I got lucky. I was there for over 8 hours (see reason why below) that I actually saw it arrive around 4:30pm and then leave some two hours later. I hope you like the pics too :)
Air India Boeing 777-200
Lufthansa Airbus A340-600. Now that is a gorgeous bird!!
And here she is departing back to Frankfurt from Rwy 23, where it landed some two hours earlier.
It was followed by the equally long and gorgeous Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER! I think this bird was going to London Heathrow!
A very unfortunate accident happened that day. From the last few arrivals around 4:30pm to almost 6:00pm Rwy 23 went "dead". Every single jet was landing and taking off on the far side on Rwy 24R and 24L. So when I saw the transit bus approaching, I decided there was no point waiting at this spot so I ran to get it. In a hurry I sat on the bus and removed my sunglasses, turned my head and saw a jet heading to the Rwy23 where I was just at, lining up to take off. It looked like the runway was going to go back into operation!!!. I pulled the cord immediately and ran off the bus to get a shot of it, and in all that hurry left my "Prescription sunglasses" on the seat of the bus! It is only after I had taken the photos, I went to put my sunglasses on, that I realised what had happened!
During the 45 minute wait between the next bus I photographed the LH A346 and AC 773ER above and some others. When the next bus arrived, I got on and frantically asked the driver if he could contact the driver of the earlier bus. He said he could not by any transit means, but happened to have his cell phone number. He got in touch with him and asked if anyone had handed him sunglasses when he finished the Southern route about 25 minutes ago, to which his response was "No". I was devastated. However he suggested I wait at the Airport terminal (where the bus makes a loop) and get on that driver's bus who was doing the return Northern trip to where I had got on earlier. So I waited and he came back and I frantically searched the bus where I had lost the sunglasses, to see if they had been left on the seat. They were gone and now I'm only hoping somebody returns it to the "Lost and Found", considering they can only use it should their eyes be as bad as mine.
I was so pooped by then I just had to sit down and relax my mind. . I got into a nearby coffee shop and as I was ordering the Air Canada Boeing 777-200LR to Sydney, Australia passed by and I was quite upset I missed it. Anyway I have my eyes set on being on that bird sometime next year using my FF points to travel the route! Fortunately Aeroplan (Air Canada's FF programme) is linked with American Express, so the more I use my credit card the more I rack up on the points. Sweet!!). It was almost 8:30pm now and I decided to wait to see the Emirates A380 take off in about an hour. Fortunately it left on time and around 10pm I was heading back home after a very great day of spotting but unfortunately a sad one where I lost my expensive prescription sunglasses on the bus!!
The Emirates A380 departing for Dubai, some 6 hours after it landed earlier in the afternoon.
The Emirates Airbus A380 has drawn tons of non-spotters to the airport. Nowadays it almost feels like a celebrity is arriving at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International airport. Airport Road (yes that is the name of the road bordering the airport perimeter) is lined up with cars and tons of people, most of whom disperse no sooner the jet lands. And then with the warm summer nights there are line ups again at night when it departs at 2140, and then too the crowds disperse ever so equally once she takes to the skies. I can now say I have seen all three A380s flying in the world, the SQ and QF jets in Sydney and the EK whale jet here in Toronto!!!
Here is the beast arriving. I finally nailed it!! Not a very gorgeous plane though :(
The afternoon progressed with the other usual arrivals like Air India and Lufthansa. I finally, yes finally managed to get a fairly decent picture of one of the longest birds in the sky, the Airbus A340-600!! It's hard to sometimes fit it in your viewfinder but I guess that day I got lucky. I was there for over 8 hours (see reason why below) that I actually saw it arrive around 4:30pm and then leave some two hours later. I hope you like the pics too :)
Air India Boeing 777-200
Lufthansa Airbus A340-600. Now that is a gorgeous bird!!
And here she is departing back to Frankfurt from Rwy 23, where it landed some two hours earlier.
It was followed by the equally long and gorgeous Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER! I think this bird was going to London Heathrow!
A very unfortunate accident happened that day. From the last few arrivals around 4:30pm to almost 6:00pm Rwy 23 went "dead". Every single jet was landing and taking off on the far side on Rwy 24R and 24L. So when I saw the transit bus approaching, I decided there was no point waiting at this spot so I ran to get it. In a hurry I sat on the bus and removed my sunglasses, turned my head and saw a jet heading to the Rwy23 where I was just at, lining up to take off. It looked like the runway was going to go back into operation!!!. I pulled the cord immediately and ran off the bus to get a shot of it, and in all that hurry left my "Prescription sunglasses" on the seat of the bus! It is only after I had taken the photos, I went to put my sunglasses on, that I realised what had happened!
During the 45 minute wait between the next bus I photographed the LH A346 and AC 773ER above and some others. When the next bus arrived, I got on and frantically asked the driver if he could contact the driver of the earlier bus. He said he could not by any transit means, but happened to have his cell phone number. He got in touch with him and asked if anyone had handed him sunglasses when he finished the Southern route about 25 minutes ago, to which his response was "No". I was devastated. However he suggested I wait at the Airport terminal (where the bus makes a loop) and get on that driver's bus who was doing the return Northern trip to where I had got on earlier. So I waited and he came back and I frantically searched the bus where I had lost the sunglasses, to see if they had been left on the seat. They were gone and now I'm only hoping somebody returns it to the "Lost and Found", considering they can only use it should their eyes be as bad as mine.
I was so pooped by then I just had to sit down and relax my mind. . I got into a nearby coffee shop and as I was ordering the Air Canada Boeing 777-200LR to Sydney, Australia passed by and I was quite upset I missed it. Anyway I have my eyes set on being on that bird sometime next year using my FF points to travel the route! Fortunately Aeroplan (Air Canada's FF programme) is linked with American Express, so the more I use my credit card the more I rack up on the points. Sweet!!). It was almost 8:30pm now and I decided to wait to see the Emirates A380 take off in about an hour. Fortunately it left on time and around 10pm I was heading back home after a very great day of spotting but unfortunately a sad one where I lost my expensive prescription sunglasses on the bus!!
The Emirates A380 departing for Dubai, some 6 hours after it landed earlier in the afternoon.
Friday, June 19, 2009
How much more real can it get!
This video created with Flight Simulator was posted on another forum. So I decided to post it here and dedicate it to the Emirates flight attendants, that blog regularly to tell us about their lives! This goes without saying the blogs of other flight attendants are just as interesting and a joy to read. However since this is a FS2004 video regarding an Emirates A330-200 this is to you guys out there, Sodwee (Ben), Melissa, Carine, Clauderic, Matt, Marlon and Toby. Oh what the heck this one is dedicated as well to Traytable, The flying Pinto, GirlonTour, The flying Camba (QR) and Nikita (EY) and many others out there living their dreams!!!!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Airports I've been through, and Airlines I've travelled with!!
I did this post for another website and I thought I'd share it here. As you know I never really could become an FA however, I have been fortunate enough to have travelled with quite a few airlines and transited through many different airports. Here is my travel history so far :). I have been flying progressively every year on one long haul flight since 1994! From flights over the Atlantic, to over the Pacific, to over the South China sea, to over the Alps, to over the Arabian Sea I've been there. Never been though to South America or Africa but would be great to fly between the two with my favourite carrier, Malaysia Airlines between Buenos Aires and Cape Town and also get to travel over the South Atlantic! Ah, one can dream can they not! LOL
I nearly booked a flight on KLM for December to Dubai (onward to Karachi with either Malaysia Airlines or Emirates), but with a Credit card nearly maxed out and the recession looming, I did not go ahead with it. Or else by December KLM would have been added to the list below. If I don't land up flying this year (I have some FF points to use), it will be the second time since 1994 that I have not flown, the first time since then was in 2004 the year my parents came for a visit to Canada.
Click on the underlined links to go to the airport or airline websites!! (Remember to right click on the link and select "Open link in new tab" or you may not return to my page LOL!!
(Tch) = Technical stop
(Tr) = Transit stop
(Dis) = Disembarked
Karachi - Where it all began :)
Travelled from/to Karachi up to 1996
Travelled from/to Toronto since 1996
http://www.karachiairport.com.pk/
Mumbai (Dis)-1981 - IC & PK
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA)
Singapore (Tr)-1988 SQ, (Dis)-1988 SQ, (Dis)-2000 SQ, (Tr)-2000 SQ
Welcome to Changi Airport
Sydney - (Dis)-1988 SQ, (Dis)-1994 BA , Dis-(2001) NZ, Dis-(2008) QF
Sydney Airport
Bangkok - (Tr)-1994 TG, (Dis)-1994
Don Muang Airport (DMK) Details - Thailand
Colombo - (Dis)-1995 UL
Welcome to Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd.
Dubai - (Tch)-1996 SR , (Tch)-1998 SR*, (Tch)-1999 EK, (Tch)-2002 MH, (Dis)-2006 EK, (Dis)-2007 LH
Dubai International Airport
Zurich - (Tr)-1996 SR* , (Tr)-1998 SR*
Zurich Airport
Toronto - (Dis)-1996 (Moved to Canada)
Greater Toronto Airports Authority - Home
New York - (Dis)-1996 KU, (Tr)-2003(EWR)MH, (Tr)-2006 EK
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - Kennedy Airport
London - (Tch)-1996 KU, (Tr)-1999 EK,
BAA Heathrow: Welcome to Heathrow Airport | Parking | Terminal 5
Kuwait - (Tr)-1996 KU, (Tr)- 1997 KU,
Kuwait International Airport
Chicago - (Tr)-1997 AA/KU,
Chicago Airport System ®
Amsterdam - (Tch)-KU,
Homepage - Schiphol
Montreal - (Tr)-1998 AC/SR*
Welcome to Montréal-Trudeau
Minneapolis/St'Paul - (Tr)-2000 NW
Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport - home
Los Angeles - (Dis)-2000 NW, (Tr)-2000 AC/SQ,(Tr)-2001 AC/NZ, (Tr)-2002 AC/MH, (Tr)-2008 AC/QF
LAX - Los Angeles International Airport. Flights, Parking, Airlines
Tokyo - (Tch)-2000 SQ
NARITA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Vancouver - (Tr)-2000 SQ/AC
YVR - Vancouver International Airport
Taipei - (Tch)-2002 MH
Taipei SongShan Airport-Home
Kuala Lumpur - (Dis)-2001 MH, (Dis)-2002 MH,
Welcome to KL International Airport
Brussels - (Tch)-2005 EY
The Brussels Airport Website
Abu Dhabi - (Tr)-2005 EY
Welcome To Abu Dhabi International Airport
Frankfurt - (Tr)-2007 LH
Frankfurt Airport City | Homepage
*SR indicates Swissair
I nearly booked a flight on KLM for December to Dubai (onward to Karachi with either Malaysia Airlines or Emirates), but with a Credit card nearly maxed out and the recession looming, I did not go ahead with it. Or else by December KLM would have been added to the list below. If I don't land up flying this year (I have some FF points to use), it will be the second time since 1994 that I have not flown, the first time since then was in 2004 the year my parents came for a visit to Canada.
Click on the underlined links to go to the airport or airline websites!! (Remember to right click on the link and select "Open link in new tab" or you may not return to my page LOL!!
(Tch) = Technical stop
(Tr) = Transit stop
(Dis) = Disembarked
Karachi - Where it all began :)
Travelled from/to Karachi up to 1996
Travelled from/to Toronto since 1996
http://www.karachiairport.com.pk/
Mumbai (Dis)-1981 - IC & PK
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA)
Singapore (Tr)-1988 SQ, (Dis)-1988 SQ, (Dis)-2000 SQ, (Tr)-2000 SQ
Welcome to Changi Airport
Sydney - (Dis)-1988 SQ, (Dis)-1994 BA , Dis-(2001) NZ, Dis-(2008) QF
Sydney Airport
Bangkok - (Tr)-1994 TG, (Dis)-1994
Don Muang Airport (DMK) Details - Thailand
Colombo - (Dis)-1995 UL
Welcome to Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd.
Dubai - (Tch)-1996 SR , (Tch)-1998 SR*, (Tch)-1999 EK, (Tch)-2002 MH, (Dis)-2006 EK, (Dis)-2007 LH
Dubai International Airport
Zurich - (Tr)-1996 SR* , (Tr)-1998 SR*
Zurich Airport
Toronto - (Dis)-1996 (Moved to Canada)
Greater Toronto Airports Authority - Home
New York - (Dis)-1996 KU, (Tr)-2003(EWR)MH, (Tr)-2006 EK
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - Kennedy Airport
London - (Tch)-1996 KU, (Tr)-1999 EK,
BAA Heathrow: Welcome to Heathrow Airport | Parking | Terminal 5
Kuwait - (Tr)-1996 KU, (Tr)- 1997 KU,
Kuwait International Airport
Chicago - (Tr)-1997 AA/KU,
Chicago Airport System ®
Amsterdam - (Tch)-KU,
Homepage - Schiphol
Montreal - (Tr)-1998 AC/SR*
Welcome to Montréal-Trudeau
Minneapolis/St'Paul - (Tr)-2000 NW
Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport - home
Los Angeles - (Dis)-2000 NW, (Tr)-2000 AC/SQ,(Tr)-2001 AC/NZ, (Tr)-2002 AC/MH, (Tr)-2008 AC/QF
LAX - Los Angeles International Airport. Flights, Parking, Airlines
Tokyo - (Tch)-2000 SQ
NARITA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Vancouver - (Tr)-2000 SQ/AC
YVR - Vancouver International Airport
Taipei - (Tch)-2002 MH
Taipei SongShan Airport-Home
Kuala Lumpur - (Dis)-2001 MH, (Dis)-2002 MH,
Welcome to KL International Airport
Brussels - (Tch)-2005 EY
The Brussels Airport Website
Abu Dhabi - (Tr)-2005 EY
Welcome To Abu Dhabi International Airport
Frankfurt - (Tr)-2007 LH
Frankfurt Airport City | Homepage
*SR indicates Swissair
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The joys of summer :)
Saturday June 6th, 2009
The spotting continues as Sat was another incredible warm sunny day, and with arrivals on Rwy 24R who could resist. I got a bit fed up with the parade of the Air Canada A320s, A319 and Embraers and the West Jet Boeing 737s of every imaginable kind, I just hoped to get some good aircraft which I did. The Etihad is a really gorgeous colour scheme and beats the Emirates colours any day! I was lucky to get that Air Jamaica as the new colour scheme is pretty bland.
The spotting continues as Sat was another incredible warm sunny day, and with arrivals on Rwy 24R who could resist. I got a bit fed up with the parade of the Air Canada A320s, A319 and Embraers and the West Jet Boeing 737s of every imaginable kind, I just hoped to get some good aircraft which I did. The Etihad is a really gorgeous colour scheme and beats the Emirates colours any day! I was lucky to get that Air Jamaica as the new colour scheme is pretty bland.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Chasing the Airbus A380!
Was able to get off early on a Friday and head to Pearson. Rwy 24 was the active one for landings so I got off there. And they decide to send the EK A380 to Rwy 23
So I headed to Rwy 23 and had some decent arrivals
No idea what this green bug is?
A delivery truck stopped right in front of me and blocked me!! I was lucky to at least get this as it passed
It's funny there was this guy who was right by the fence, who security came up to and began to question him. I had the camera in my hand but she didn't see it. She then asked the guy to follow her, and when they passed me and had their backs to me I clicked this one. It turned out she just didn't want him to be right up close to the fence. I later spoke to him after the security guard had left and he told me he was new, first time today so I warned him to stand where I do which causes no problems..yet!!
Took a break and then decided to go to the other side, to get the light from the setting sun on the jets. Was quite happy with this one.
This pic was taken at 9:05pm. It was still dusk. Taken from the usual location which I headed back to.
I waited for the A380 to depart at 2140, which she did from Rwy 23. However my camera does not take good photos in the day to begin with, so at night it was a challenge. There were tons of people lined up against the fence around 40. (Ms.Security should have turned up at that time. She would have freaked out) There were lots of ooh and aahs when it finally taxied close by before performing a rolling take off. And then when it lifted off, there was this gush of wind that shook the fence and made all of us blink when the dust kicked into our eyes. It was the jet blast from the A380. Everyone said it was from the A380. Have stood many times there but never experienced even a mild jet blast with the other jets. And oh it was so quiet!!
Here are crappy pics but to give you an idea
Head on with the beast as it made it's way to Rwy 23.
Passing by the fence!! It just taxied by so quickly!
Beginning the take off roll
So I headed to Rwy 23 and had some decent arrivals
No idea what this green bug is?
A delivery truck stopped right in front of me and blocked me!! I was lucky to at least get this as it passed
It's funny there was this guy who was right by the fence, who security came up to and began to question him. I had the camera in my hand but she didn't see it. She then asked the guy to follow her, and when they passed me and had their backs to me I clicked this one. It turned out she just didn't want him to be right up close to the fence. I later spoke to him after the security guard had left and he told me he was new, first time today so I warned him to stand where I do which causes no problems..yet!!
Took a break and then decided to go to the other side, to get the light from the setting sun on the jets. Was quite happy with this one.
This pic was taken at 9:05pm. It was still dusk. Taken from the usual location which I headed back to.
I waited for the A380 to depart at 2140, which she did from Rwy 23. However my camera does not take good photos in the day to begin with, so at night it was a challenge. There were tons of people lined up against the fence around 40. (Ms.Security should have turned up at that time. She would have freaked out) There were lots of ooh and aahs when it finally taxied close by before performing a rolling take off. And then when it lifted off, there was this gush of wind that shook the fence and made all of us blink when the dust kicked into our eyes. It was the jet blast from the A380. Everyone said it was from the A380. Have stood many times there but never experienced even a mild jet blast with the other jets. And oh it was so quiet!!
Here are crappy pics but to give you an idea
Head on with the beast as it made it's way to Rwy 23.
Passing by the fence!! It just taxied by so quickly!
Beginning the take off roll
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