Kulula Boeing 737 - MN909

Route

MN909,  Johannesburg to George, 20 January 2015.

Scheduled Duration

2 hours.
Departure: 07:50
Arrival 09:45
George Airport is known for dense fog, our flight was delayed for almost an hour.

On time departure and arrival

Departed late.
Arrived late.

Ground crew and check-in

We checked in online 24 hours before the flight.
The airport was quiet, luggage drop off at the check in counters took around 5 minutes.
There was dedicated online check-in counters.
There were enough other counters open.
Our printed online boarding passes served as boarding tickets.
Ground staff was friendly.

Boarding procedure

Priority boarding for assisted passengers.
The ground staff scanned our tickets.

Luggage allowance

Hand luggage - One carry-on bag 7kg max.
Checked luggage - 20kg.
Kulula luggage information

Seating

Economy class only.
We sat in row 7, a normal 3 seater row (6 seats in total per row), with adequate overhead locker space.
The seats are comfortable enough for a short flight.
Flight seats may be selected when you check in online, check in on-the-go (mobi check-in), arrive at the airport check-in counter or at airport kiosks at no charge.

"You can have the certainty of sitting together on the plane when you pre-pay and secure your favourite seat by selecting a pre-paid seat. Pre-paid seats are priced according to the different types and start from as little as R55 incl. VAT. This option is available at the time of making your booking or as an added extra 24 hours before your departure.
If you need to have extra space for your personal comfort, you may call us to assign and book an extra seat for you, subject to the cost of the additional seat." - Kulula website.

Amenities

None.

Entertainment

In-flight magazine available in seat pocket.

In-flight communication

None.

Meals and refreshments

Refreshment available for purchase.
On-board Menu

Toilets

The toilets were kept clean. There are toilets at the back and front of the plane.

In-flight shopping

None.

Traveling with Children

I am not sure if milk and baby food can be warmed up by the cabin crew.
I did not notice any diaper changing facilities.
Read more on Kulula - Flying with infants and children

Crew

I found the crew competent and friendly. Instructions were given English.

Disembarking

Disembarked from the front.

Overall opinion

What I liked
Affordable and comfortable.

Not so good
No app or electronic updates on delays.

Seats

Seats

Overhead locker

Leg room
















Bidvest Sky Lounge - O.R. Tambo Airport Domestc Departures

Airport

O.R. Tambo International

Lounge

Bidvest Sky Lounge
More information on Bidvest Lounges

Location

Airside - after Security Checks turn right. Take the lift to the 4th Floor and the lounge is located on the left hand side. The lounge is not accessible to any passengers departing on an international flight who must use lounges located in Terminal A.
 

Entry to Lounge

Business and First class passengers for selected airlines
Priority pass
Walk-in passengers for a fee of R219.00, online booking R204.00. Valid for three hours prior to flight departure

Services

Complimentary snacks and refreshments

• We visited early in the morning and there was a  choice cereals, fresh fruit, pastries and yogurt.  
• Coffee, Tea, Soft drinks, Alcoholic drinks.

Free Wi-Fi

• Login details displayed

Telephone and fax
TV, newspapers and magazines
Flight information display
Electrical outlets to charge phones and laptops etc.
Non-smoking lounge

Seating

Comfortable chairs and tables

Ambiance

Mostly quiet, but can become very busy during peak times

Bathroom Facilities

Toilets are kept clean.
Basin to wash hands and freshen up
Body Lotion
No shower facilities

Charging points

Chairs and table

Breakfast

Toilets

Wine Fridge

Breakfast

Working stations

Breakfast

Lufhansa Boeing 747-8 - LH572

Route

LH572, Frankfurt to Johannesburg, 12 January 2016.

Duration

10 hours

On time departure and arrival

Departed late but arrived on time.

Ground crew and check-in

We were able to check in online 23 hours before the flight.
Our flight was from Munich to Frankfurt, and then onwards from Frankfurt to Johannesburg.
Passport Control was at Frankfurt Airport
Security checks was at Munich Airport, at Frankfurt we departed from the same terminal building (landed in Terminal 1 A and departed from gates Z), and did not have to go through security at Frankfurt. 
We were unsure if our luggage would be booked through to Johannesburg so we handed in our luggage at the check-in counters. The lady confirmed that we could drop off our luggage at the automatic/self-service Lufthansa counters and our luggage will be booked through to our final destination.
Ground staff was friendly and very helpful.

Boarding procedure

Priority boarding for first and business class passengers, families with small children and assisted passengers. We used the electronic gates to scan our boarding passes and boarded via a mobile bridge.
Boarding was a bit chaotic, this route used to be serviced by an Airbus A380 aircraft. At the time of booking it still showed the A380 seating options. The Boeing 747 takes less passengers and the flight was overbooked. The ground staff asked for volunteers to fly the next day on partner airlines. This caused a delay in boarding.

Luggage allowance

Hand luggage - One carry-on bag 8kg max
Checked luggage - One bag not exceeding 23kg, Lufthansa make use of the Piece concept for luggage

Seating

Number of seats - 208 in standard Economy
Emergency exit row seats cannot be book online, they are allocated when checking in at the counters.
Seat pitch - 78.74 cm (31")
Seat width - 43.18 cm (17")

Number of seats - 32 in Premium Economy
Seat pitch - 96.52.74 cm (38")Seat width - 45.72 cm (18")

View more information at Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 seat map or Seatguru Boeing 747-8 Economy seat information

We sat in row 32 against the bulkhead. These seats have limited recline, the kitchen are behind them and this can be a nuisance.
The overhead locker space was limited, and there were crew luggage behind our seats.
The USB port was underneath the armrest.
The controls to adjust the lights, call the attendant etc. was in the armrest. There is no cover on it so you very easily press the buttons by accident.

Amenities

Small cushion and blanket.
Headsets and covers for headsets speakers. The covers are very flimsy and mine tore when I tried to put it on the speakers of the headset.
Headsets were collected just before landing.
You have to ask for flight socks, eye masks and toothbrush.

Entertainment

German and English newspapers were available upon boarding.
Personal touchscreen monitor with additional controls in armrest. The selection of movies was a bit limited in my opinion, but still enough to keep you entertained on a 10 hour flight.
Lufthansa magazine available in seat pocket.
USB port underneath the armrest.

In-flight communication

Internet access via WLAN and mobile telephony via GSM was available after take-off.
See more information on Fly-Net 

Meals and refreshments

Dinner
The in-flight service started as soon as we reached cruising altitude.
We were served a hot dinner. There was a choice between a chicken dish and a pasta dish.
The food tasted good.
On the tray - Salad, bread bun, dessert, butter, salt, pepper, sugar, cheese, cutlery, wet wipe and serviette. Cup for Coffee.
Any special meals must be pre-ordered when you make your reservation.
Coffee, tea, beer, wine and other beverages were served before our meal as well as afterwards.

Breakfast
A hot breakfast was served around 2 hours before landing.

Toilets

The toilets were kept reasonably clean. In my opinion there are not enough toilets on the aircraft.
Basin to wash hands and brush teeth.

In-flight shopping

Available. Shopping magazine in seat pocket

Travelling with Children

Milk and baby food can be warmed up by the cabin crew
Read more on Lufthansa - Travelling with children

Crew

I found the crew competent and friendly. Instructions were given in German and English.

Disembarking

First and Business class disembarked first. We had an aircraft bridge to the terminal building at O.R Tambo airport.

Overall opinion

What I liked
The seats are wide enough and the legroom is adequate.
The staff was friendly and attentive
The plane was quiet with not too many rattles and noise.

Not so good
Limited recline on bulkhead seats.
Limited overhead locker space at bulkhead seats. The 
Configuration of Premium Economy seats makes the aisle very narrow when walking towards the toilets.
Not enough toilets.




Entertainment screen








 











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

Transit at Doha - Hamad International Airport

I arrived at Doha airport with a flight from Johannesburg. I had a two hours layover before my next flight and was a bit nervous that it would not be enough time.

Before going to the transit gates, you have to go through security. The lines were very long but moved quickly. I approached a staff member at the Business class line and told him I had a very short layover. He allowed me to use the business class line.

Sign posted

The way to the transfer gates were very well sign posted in English and Arabic

Laptops

I did not have to take out my laptop from its bag to go through security

Lounges

There are business class lounges but no Priority pass lounges as yet.
Next to my departure gate was a quiet/family lounge. The lights were dimmed and you could lie
comfortably on the seats (reclined). Entry was free of charge

Refreshments

There are enough shops to buy refreshments, magazines etc

Announcements

Boarding announcements were made

Departure Gates

Business class and priority passengers were allowed to enter the gates first.
Ground crew scanned boarding passes at the gate and passengers were then seated in a holding area
Boarding of the plane was done first by business class and priority passengers. Economy class passengers boarded by row, those sitting at the back of the plane boarded first