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Canadian Airlines
I boarded my flight from Toronto to Santia- go at midnight on a rainy night and found it so comfortable that I promptly fell asleep. I woke up just in time for breakfast the next morning when the flight made a scheduled stop in Lima. My return flight left at 2100 hours, allowing me time to glance through the newspapers and magazines which the flight attendants distributed before dinner.
Canadian International's Business class is spacious seat width 51 cm/20 ins, seat pitch 114 cm/45 ins - and the 2-3-2 seating configuration on the 747-400s it now uses on international flights plus the fact that the flight was not crowded meant that I could stretch out on two seats. In-flight service on Canadian International is gracious and I en- joyed my grilled prawns (filet mignon and roast breast of duck were the other choices). Canadian International in-flight meals are freshly prepared without using any frozen foods.
Canadian Airlines hands out amenities kits according to gender. I received makeup re- mover pads, nail file and Christian Dior lotion, skin freshener, eau de toilette and moisturiser, along with the usual comb, toothpaste, clothes brush and shoehorn. Men receive a razor and shaving cream, as well as Christian Dior moisturiser.
Both of my flights departed and arrived on schedule. KR
Cathay Pacific
Full-fare Business class Cathay Pacific pas- sengers enjoy a free limo within a 40-mile/ 64 km radius of Gatwick, plus comfortable lounge facilities in the hushed surroundings of the airport's North Terminal – a far cry from its southern counterpart.
Cathay runs a regular six to eight flights a day between Hong Kong and Taipei. My timings were not quite right to enjoy Ken Hom's specialities an effort to provide lighter in-flight food ~ so I left them and car- ried on working. Business class of 54 seats to Taipei was only half-occupied, but full on my return. Both flights on the 1 hr 20 min journey were ten-15 minutes late. Beware long lines in immigration on departure.
Business class on the Hong Kong-London leg, flown by a 747, saw only about a third of the 92 seats occupied, which gave room to stretch out. A main course of Shanghai fil- let of beef was shanghaied by the fact that I'd spent a week sampling some first class cuisine in Taiwan. Otherwise no complaints about food and drink, including good quan- tities of champagne.
30
Business Traveller/May 1991
The flight left 50 minutes late but made up 25 of them before predawn Gatwick touchdown 13 hrs 11 mins later, again non- stop. Service by Cathay's purser and multicultural staff was very good and friend- ly. PC
Continental
Continental's standard of service was very good on my outward bound Gatwick to Hou- ston flight, with handshakes from the cabin staff on arrival. Lunch was fine, at least as far as the champagne, canapés and a salmon starter were concerned, though the lemon sole main course was fairly ordinary. Des- sert of Arlequin gateau was excellent.
There was a good selection of US and British magazines and newspapers. One complaint was that in a small Business class of only 11 seats, a row of only four was for nonsmokers.
The scheduled 10 hr 45 min flight was 20 minutes late, which gave only just over an hour for the sometimes ponderous Houston immigration and my connection to Mexico City. No problem. After a drink in the First and Business class lounge, I was boarded swiftly for what is one of Continental's busi- est routes and often full.
The return flight from Mexico to Houston was relatively empty, with only four people in the 14 First class seats. Service was ex- cellent, with a surfeit of champagne and more handshakes on departure. Arrival was early by 25 minutes.
Boarding the homebound transatlantic flight was a little more disorganised, with disagreements between a stewardess and myself over where I should stow my hand luggage. In the centre section of seats, op- tions are limited, the laws inflexible.
The food was good, including the sauteed shrimp main course. Sleep, always a crucial indicator on the Red-Eye, amounted to just over four good hours.
We were 45 minutes early on the sched- uled nine-hour flight. No handshake as we deplaned. Funny that you get to expect that kind of thing. PC
Garuda
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Throughout my flight from London to Jakar- ta, service by the members of Garuda's cab- in staff in terms of friendliness and atten- tiveness was of high quality. They were let down by lapses on the ground. At Gatwick, I'd asked for a nonsmoking, aisle seat on the Boeing 747. I got smoking by the window. Since there were only three passengers in the 48-seat Business class for almost all the journey. I had no problem changing seats.
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***** & *VER MAXXELS FEATURE TRASNE MENGINE ALL DRESOLS FEATURE 25 UTIPE TURBO DIESEL ENGINE STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON MOGLA DE INCLUDES ABS AUTOMATA, TRANSMISSION AIR CONDITIONING CONNOLLY HUR TEAM HINGG
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