Ferrry between Malta and Sicily

Route

Virtu Ferries between Valletta (Malta) and Catania (Sicily). Return weekend trip. Euro Class.
This trip consists of a Ferry ride from Valletta to Pozzallo. From Pozzallo you board a coach to Catania. This review is only for the Ferry. 

Scheduled Duration

90 minutes.

On time departure and arrival

Departed and arrived on time on both journeys.

Booking a ticket

Virtu Ferries have a website that you can use to make a booking. It was easy enough to use. You need to fill in your preferred dates and passport details. The site does not have a secure payment page and I did not feel comfortable supplying my credit card details. I sent them an email and confirmed that I will come in to their office to make the payment. This can be a problem if you are making the booking from outside of Malta. You can use a travel agent to make the booking but they are likely to be  more expensive. You can buy the ticket on the day of travel.

Check-in and seat selection

You must be at the Port at least an hour before departure to check in. After check in you need to go to the boarding queue and present your ticket and passport.

Luggage

Hand luggage is restricted - "passengers may take to their seats or allotted places only one item of hand luggage of not more than H 37cm x W 45cm x L 25cm in measure and 5 Kg in weight"

Checked luggage  - "Maximum 3 pieces of baggage per person.  Any one piece of baggage must not exceed H 50cm x W 40cm x L 80cm (170 linear cm).  Excess Baggage: A charge of € 20.00 per piece applies"

Crew

The crew was friendly and helpful. Most spoke Maltese, English or Italian.

Boarding procedure

After check in, you need to go to "Passport control". Your passport and ticket are checked against each other. If all is in order you can board the vessel. Just before you reach the boarding staircase, there is a luggage van where you hand in your luggage.

Seating

This ferry had 2 classes, Euro and Club.  You pay extra for club class.

On Board

There is a cafe, some shops and a mini casino on board.The selection of food and their prices at the cafe is reasonable.

Entertainment

A movie is shown on the overhead screens.

Charging points for electronic devices

None that I am aware off.

Toilets

The toilets were kept clean. There were some problems with flushing.

Disembarking

People who boarded with vehicles were asked to go back to their vehicles.
Club class disembarked first, then euro class. 

After leaving the vessel, you need to collect your luggage from the van.

Overall opinion

What I liked
 The Ferry is spacious and comfortable.

Not so good
The website is not a secure site for bookings.
No Wi-Fi.
 

Seating at a table

Seating in Euro class

Seating and screen in Euro class

Casino area

Toilets

South African Airways - Economy Class Airbus A340-300

Route

SA265 from Munich to Johannesburg April 2015.

Scheduled Duration

10 hours 30 minutes.

On time departure and arrival

Departed on time and landed just a couple minutes later than scheduled.

Booking a ticket

I was booked on a partner airline that was overbooked. They asked for volunteers to fly with other partner airlines. I was re-booked on a direct flight from Munich to Johannesburg with South African airways.

Online check-in and seat selection

Not applicable since I was re-booked. According to the SAA website (www.flysaa.com) you can check in online 24 hours before departure. 
You pay extra to sit at the emergency exits. No additional fees to select regular seats.

At the airport - Ground crew, check-in and luggage

There was queues for Business class and Economy class. There was no additional check-in counter for online check-ins

The ground crew were friendly and helpful.

Lounge Access

There are Lufthansa business and first class lounges in Terminal 2.  There are no pay-per-visit lounges.

Boarding procedure

There was a separate queue for Business class and assisted passengers.
Boarding passes were scanned by the staff

Luggage allowance

Hand luggage - 1 x 8 kg. Dimensions for carry-on baggage (length + height + width): 56 x 23 x 36 cm; 

Checked luggage - 1 x 23 kg  Max dimension (length + height + width) of 158 cm
See more on  baggage allowances and rules.

Before take-off

News papers were on offer.

Seating

This flight had 2 classes, Business and Economy. 

Standard overhead lockers.
Seat configuration 2-4-2. 

Seat pitch - 85 cm (33.5").
Seat width - 43 cm (17").

Seat map can be viewed on Seatguru or on South African Airways Airbus A340.

Reading light above seats. No manual air vent

Please take note that the airline use different type of planes for this route. On this particular day it was an Airbus A340-300.

In flight Amenities

Plastic bag with eye shades, flight socks, toothbrush and toothpaste.
Cushion and blanket.
Headphones.

Entertainment

In flight magazine.
Personal Entertainment screen with a selection of movies, TV-shows, music and games.
The selection are limited.

In-flight communications

None. Electronic devices could be used. Mobile phones had to be on flight mode.

Charging points for electronic devices

USB charging point.

Meals and refreshments

Dinner
Dinner was served shortly after take-off.
There were three options on the menu, including a vegetarian dish.
I had the Veal. It was served with mash and vegetables.

Special meals have to be ordered before check-in.
On the tray - Salad, bread roll, Dessert, crackers, cheese, butter and chocolates.
Cutlery, cup for beverages and serviette.

Breakfast
Breakfast was served shortly before landing.
There were two options on the menu, a warm dish with eggs or a continental breakfast.
I had the continental breakfast that consisted of yoghurt, cold meats, cheese and bread rolls.
Special meals have to be ordered before check-in.


Refreshments
Drinks and wine were served before the meal. 
Coffee/tea was served after meals.

Toilets

The toilets were kept clean.
Paper towels and tissues.
Basin to wash hands.

In-flight shopping

In-flight shopping was available.

Travelling with Children

Baby bassinets must be pre-booked. Meal request for children must be made at time of reservation.
Read more on  SAA- Travelling with children.

Crew

The on board crew was friendly and helpful. This is a improvement on previous experiences I had with SAA.

Disembarking

Business class disembarked first, then economy class. 
Economy class disembarked from the front of the plane.

Overall opinion

What I liked
The seats were comfortable. Each seat had a footrest and adjustable headrest.

Not so good
Limited selection of movies and TV shows.
No Wi-Fi.
The tap in the toilet was broken. 

Seats with headrest

Overhead locker

Entertainment system

Leg room

Dinner

Footrest

Seats with cushion and blanket

Lufthansa - Business Class Airbus A321 LH1277

Route

LH1277 from Malta to Frankfurt  April 2015.

Scheduled Duration

2 hours 40 minutes.

On time departure and arrival

Departed late but made up most of the time and landed almost on time.

Booking a ticket

I had some frequent flyer miles that was due to expire and used them to make the booking. There were no economy seats available, only business class seats. The miles required for a business ticket on a short trip is not that much more than for an economy ticket so it is definitely worth it. You can use your miles to pay for the taxes. I found the process of booking a ticket with your miles easy and straight forward. I got my booking confirmation via e-mail as soon as the booking was confirmed.

Online check-in and seat selection

There were no additional charges to select your preferred seat. 
I could check in online 24 hours before departure.

At the airport - Ground crew, check-in and luggage

There was a dedicated queue for Business class.

The ground crew were friendly and helpful.

Lounge Access

Business class passengers are invited to use the La Valette lounge. 
There are comfortable chairs, self service drinks and food. 
The toilets were kept clean and serviced.
Free Wi-Fi.
Newspapers and magazines to read.
News channels on television.

Boarding procedure

There was a separate queue for Business class passengers
There were no call for priority boarding. 
We took a bus to the aircraft.
Passengers sitting at the back of the aircraft were requested to board the plane at the back.

Luggage allowance

Hand luggage - 2 x 8 kg. Dimensions for carry-on baggage: 55 x 40 x 23 cm; 
Foldable garment bags: 57 x 54 x 15 cm.
Checked luggage - 2 x 32 kg  Max dimension (length + height + width) of 158 cm
See more on  baggage allowances and rules.

Before take-off

News papers and Magazines were on offer.

Seating

This flight had 2 classes, Business and Economy. 
The configuration is adjustable. There is no difference between the Business and Economy class seats. 
Standard overhead lockers.
There are 3 seats in a row.
The middle seat in Business class rows cannot be booked.
Seat pitch - 76.2 cm (30").
Seat width - 44.45 - 45.72 cm (17.5" - 18").
The configuration is 3 - 3  .
Seat map can be viewed on Seatguru or on Lufthansa Airbus A321.

Manual air vent and reading light above seats.

In flight Amenities

None.

Entertainment

Lufthansa magazine.

In-flight communications

None. Electronic devices could be used. Mobile phones had to be on flight mode.

Charging points for electronic devices

No USB charging point.

Meals and refreshments

Lunch
Lunch was served shortly after take-off.
There were only one option on the menu. 
It was a selection of meats, hummus and an asparagus salad. Bread roll/ Bretzen with butter.
Special meals have to be ordered before check-in.
On the tray -  Desert, butter, chocolates.
Cutlery and serviette.

Refreshments
Drinks and wine were served before the meal. 
Coffee/tea was served after meals.

Toilets

The toilets were kept clean.
Paper towels and tissues.
Basin to wash hands.

In-flight shopping

In-flight shopping was available.

Travelling with Children

Baby bassinets must be pre-booked. Meal request for children must be made at time of reservation.
Milk and baby food can be warmed up by the cabin crew.
The airline has activity packs for young children.
Read more on  Lufthansa- Travelling with children

Crew

The on board crew was friendly and helpful.

Disembarking

Business class disembarked first, then economy class. 
Economy class disembarked from the front of the plane.

Overall opinion

What I liked
The meal was adequate for a short trip.
The seats are standard economy seats but comfortable enough for a short trip.

Not so good
No Entertainment system.
No Wi-Fi.

Seats with blocked middle seat

Overhead locker space

Seat back

Legroom

Seats

Lunch

Air vents and reading lights

Lufthansa - Business Class Airbus A321 LH1276

Route

LH1276 from Frankfurt to Malta  April 2015.

Scheduled Duration

2 hours 35 minutes.

On time departure and arrival

Departed a bit late but landed on time.

Booking a ticket

I had some frequent flyer miles that was due to expire and used them to make the booking. There were no economy seats available, only business class seats. The miles required for a business ticket on a short trip is not that much more than for an economy ticket so it is definitely worth it. You can use your miles to pay for the taxes. I found the process of booking a ticket with your miles easy and straight forward. I got my booking confirmation via e-mail as soon as the booking was confirmed.

Online check-in and seat selection

There were no additional charges to select your preferred seat. 
I could check in online 24 hours before departure.

At the airport - Ground crew, check-in and luggage

I arrived at Frankfurt airport by long distance train. There are Lufthansa check-in counters to the right just as you enter the terminal building. I already checked in online so just needed to drop off my luggage. There was a dedicated queue for Business class.
If you did not check in online, you can use the check-in terminals here to get your ticket and then proceed to drop off your luggage.
The ground crew were friendly and helpful.

Lounge Access

I had access to the Lufthansa Business class lounge close to the gate. 
There are comfortable chairs, self service drinks and food. 
The toilets were kept clean and serviced.
Free Wi-Fi.
Newspapers and magazines to read.
News channels on television.

Boarding procedure

Boarding was a bit chaotic. There were no call for priority boarding. 
We took a bus to the aircraft.

Luggage allowance

Hand luggage - 2 x 8 kg. Dimensions for carry-on baggage: 55 x 40 x 23 cm; 
Foldable garment bags: 57 x 54 x 15 cm.
Checked luggage - 2 x 32 kg  Max dimension (length + height + width) of 158 cm
See more on  baggage allowances and rules.

Before take-off

News papers and Magazines were on offer.

Seating

This flight had 2 classes, Business and Economy. 
The configuration is adjustable. There is no difference between the Business and Economy class seats. 
Standard overhead lockers.
There are 3 seats in a row.
The middle seat in Business class rows cannot be booked.
Seat pitch - 76.2 cm (30").
Seat width - 44.45 - 45.72 cm (17.5" - 18").
The configuration is 3 - 3  .
Seat map can be viewed on Seatguru or on Lufthansa Airbus A321.

Manual air vent and reading light above seats.

In flight Amenities

None.

Entertainment

Lufthansa magazine.

In-flight communications

None. Electronic devices could be used. Mobile phones had to be on flight mode.

Charging points for electronic devices

No USB charging point.

Meals and refreshments

Lunch
Lunch was served shortly after take-off.
There were only one option on the menu. 
It was a selection of cold meats and cheeses, fruit salad and bread roll with butter and jam.
Special meals have to be ordered before check-in.
On the tray -  fruit salad, butter, jams, cream for coffee, sachet with sugar.
Cutlery and serviette.

Refreshments
Drinks and wine were served before the meal. 
Coffee/tea was served after meals.

Toilets

The toilets were kept clean.
Paper towels and tissues.
Basin to wash hands.

In-flight shopping

In-flight shopping was available.

Travelling with Children

Baby bassinets must be pre-booked. Meal request for children must be made at time of reservation.
Milk and baby food can be warmed up by the cabin crew.
The airline has activity packs for young children.
Read more on  Lufthansa- Travelling with children

Crew

The on board crew was friendly and helpful.

Disembarking

Business class disembarked first, then economy class. 
Economy class disembarked from the front of the plane.

Overall opinion

What I liked
The meal was adequate for a short trip.
The seats are standard economy seats but comfortable enough for a short trip.

Not so good
No Entertainment system.
No Wi-Fi.

Lunch

Inside the cabin