    Cleared for take-off! Ready for departure at Shanghai Hongqiao: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  Shanghai Airlines  Shanghai Airlines, service with a smile!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Route: Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Departure date and time of flight: 08:30am in July 2012 Flight Number: FM9309 Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes Class: First Class Aircraft type: Boeing 757-200 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around 20 minutes late due to the morning rush hour in Shanghai. We were behind a whole host of big jets such as an Air China 747, China Southern 777s, and even Hainan Airlines A330s. Rush hour at Hongqiao can be hectic. The flight route provided some fabulous views across to the horizon, and even had splendid views when coming into land at Guangzhou. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Hongqiao airport. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two-hour flight, a choice of Chinese or Western breakfast was offered in the First Class cabin. I opted for the Western breakfast. A tray containing hot dishes including: 1. Oats porridge blended with corn cereal 2. A warm omelette, boiled carrots, a soggy piece of broccoli, sautéed potatoes and a small slice of bacon. 3. A warm croissant from the bread basket. 4. A pot of yogurt 5. A pot of freshly cut exotic fruit (dragon fruit, melon and water melon) 6. Anchor butter and strawberry jam The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. There was also apple juice as well. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The Cabin Crew seemed proud to work for Shanghai Airlines and were very welcoming. The passengers in First Class were kept well informed of any delays, and even the weather situation in Shanghai. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The ageing Boeing 757 aircraft belonging to Shanghai Airlines had a seat configuration of 2-2 in First Class, and a configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class. The plane was not clean and the toilets showed signs of an aged plane- quite easily in fact as it had the old 1980s style toilet as opposed to the new toilet that most modern aircraft have. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches (139 seats) First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (20 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10                         
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CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES (Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, MU5306) AIRBUS A3218/21/2012   An A321 belonging to China Eastern Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  Shanghai Hongqiao Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Departure date and time of flight: 08:30am in July 2012 Flight Number: MU5306 Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A321 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around 55 minutes late due to strong winds and rain in the Guangdong region. As we sat in the plane, one could feel the A321 swaying gently side to side because of the wind. The flight route provided some fabulous views across to the horizon once we had departed. The skies over Shanghai provided splendid views when coming into land at Hongqiao. Once we landed on the ground in Shanghai, the visibility was very clear. From the terminal building you could get a clear view of Pudong (IFC and the Jinmao Tower) with the naked eye. Photos are shown below. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Guangzhou airport despite the bad weather. There was no rush and everyone was very professional in what they did. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks (non-alcoholic), and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two-hour flight, a choice of Chinese or Western breakfast was offered in the Economy Class cabin. I opted for the Western breakfast. A tray containing hot dishes including: 1. A warm omelette, two cherry tomatoes, a soggy piece of lettuce, and sautéed potatoes. 2. A warm cake containing almonds and vanilla. 3. A bread bun The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee. Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. No alcohol, but plenty of milk, coffee and tea. There was also apple juice as well. Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for China Eastern Airlines, and were very welcoming. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The brand new A321 aircraft belonging to China Eastern Airlines had a seat configuration of 2-2 in First Class, and a configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class. The plane was very clean, felt fresh, and the toilets showed signs of a new plane out of the factory. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches (139 seats) First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (20 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10                            A plane takes off on a clear day at Shanghai Hongqiao: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh  CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES (Shanghai Hongqiao to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, CZ3596)- AIRBUS A3218/14/2012   Tail fin of China Southern Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Route: Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Departure date of flight: June 2012, evening flight Flight Number: CZ3596 Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Airbus A321 Punctuality of the flight: The flight departed around 10 minutes late due to heavy air traffic control around the Shanghai area. Once we got started there was hardly any sign of any delays, and it actually turned out to be a smooth flight. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Shanghai Hongqiao airport. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks, and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two-hour flight, a choice of two dishes (Chinese) for dinner. One was noodles with beef, or pork with rice. I opted to take the pork with rice. The shredded pork and the white rice tasted nothing like one would expect...I took one look under the foil lid and nearly got my eye gouged by a crocodile.... China Southern Airlines in-flight catering needs to be improved. A tray containing the following was included: 1. A packet containing pickles 2. A packet of apple chips (yeah, tastes a cross between your conventional crisps and an apple) 3. A small pot of mineral water offered by Bilin. The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee (and beer if needed). Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. There was also local Yanjing beer (Guangzhou brand). Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any): None Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew: The cabin crew seemed proud to work for China Southern Airlines, and were very welcoming. Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The brand new A321 aircraft belonging to China Southern Airlines had a seat configuration of 2-2 in First Class, and a configuration of 3-3 in Economy Class. The plane was very clean, felt fresh, and the toilets showed signs of a new plane out of the factory. Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches (139 seats) First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches (20 seats). Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 6  Take off!! Spectacular view as we leave Shanghai for Guangzhou!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh         Interior of the Boeing 777-200 of China Southern Airlines: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Route: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Departure date of flight: June 2012, 7pm Flight Number: CZ3547 Flight duration: 2 hours 20 minutes Class: Economy Class Aircraft type: Boeing 777-200 Punctuality of the flight: Amazingly, the flight departed on time from Guangzhou, considering the evening rush hour. A slightly bumpy ride due to some turbulence, nevertheless other than that it was a nice flight. Nothing unusual. Any baggage issues: No issues- I only had hand luggage. Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at check-in at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. The check-in gates for domestic flights to Shanghai at located in the A-section of the building after security. There is a Starbucks coffee shop, and plenty of other small food and drink shops (expensive through of course being an airport). Various souvenir shops too. Comments regarding the pre-meal service: Just drinks, and including tea and coffee. Comments regarding the first meal: For this two-hour flight, a choice of two dishes (Chinese) for dinner. One was noodles with seafood, or chicken with rice. I opted to take the noodles with seafood. The main hot dish contained delicious noodles, along with various bits of seafood including crab meat, baby squid, and prawns. Very healthy and scrumptious for an evening dinner. A tray containing the following was included: 1. A bunch of fresh cherry tomatoes 2. A delicious coconut and vanilla flavoured cake. Very soft to the tongue and just perfect after the seafood! 3. A small pot of mineral water offered by Bilin. 4. Chilli sauce to put onto the noodles-another innovation by China Southern Airlines. The above dishes were accompanied with tea or coffee (and beer if needed). Comments regarding the drinks service: A second round of drinks were offered before (orange juice and water), during, and after the meal. Plenty of milk, coffee, and tea. There was also local Yanjing beer (Guangzhou brand). Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): China Southern Airlines use a mixed fleet for the Guangzhou to Shanghai route. The evening slots can be busy so that’s why they use the Boeing 777 for the fully packed evening flight. The China Southern Airlines Boeing 777-200 uses: Economy Class seats have a pitch of 32 inches, and a width of 18 inches First Class seats have a pitch of 38 inches, and a width of 21 inches Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10        |
 Navjot inside an Airbus A320 cockpit of British Airways at Heathrow Airport About Airline PRThis is a special section on airline branding and public relations, based on flights I have personally experienced. These are not second-hand accounts; they reflect my own journeys. 
Navjot at a Chinese Military Airfield
Watch exclusive videos below taken in the cockpit of a Boeing 777-300ER in-flight over Chinese Airspace.
Special thanks goes to Turkish Airlines B777-300ER Cockpit Video 1B777-300ER Cockpit Video 2
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