QA: Back to reality

I arrived safely at DOH around 2140hrs local time. While transiting at AUH, both myself and JJ had a coffee at C0sta coffee and stayed there from the moment we reached AUH until the boarding time. The 4 hours waiting was uneventful. The terminal was not yet crowded since most of the EY departures are past midnight.

I always feel claustrophobic everytime I am at AUH terminal. Its sphere design sort of makes the place looks smaller.

Boarding started around 2100hrs local time and no separate boarding for Pearl Zone guests. Well, not a problem since the flight was not full. It was a smooth boarding although I believe the crew were not that ready. I noticed that there were only two crew in Pearl Zone in which I think it should be more than that. I was right. After half of the guests boarded, two more crew join the flight. And it included the Cabin Manager... hahahahhaha...the Cabin Manager was late for duty.

I was so tired and the moment the pushback started, I fell asleep. Only to wake up when the crew served snacks, which I declined politely. But not before I snap some photos :-) Snapping is a must!

One of the great things flying business class into DOH is you get to disembark the plane first. Not that other airports not doing the same, but the immigration situation at DOH is a chaos. I was right. Just before us, there were flight from MAA and MNL. And the queue overflowed to Marhaba Meet and Greet section.

(In DOH, if you are travelling first time to Qatar and want to avoid queuing for immigration, you can book for a Marhaba Meet and Greet service. They will settle all your visa related and escorted you until you out of the arrival hall. This also means, no need to queue. Just stay back at their lounge enjoying snacks and drinks).


Have no problem on my visa. Was granted to stay for three months as usual. The baggage reclaim was at carousel number 2 and to my dismay, it was not working. I have to pull my 27kg Samsonite from the "bridge" connecting the baggage carousel from the outside one. Only after 15 minutes they changed to another carousel.


No problem as well for my luggage.. I was expecting to be stopped by the Customs since I am carrying two bottles of "kicap" (don't laugh... - they don't have Malays1an "kicap" here). Customs normally will ask you to open your bag if the x-ray machine detects there are bottles in there.

Outside the arrival terminal was crowded. Called Zal whether he's here to pick me up (although I didn't ask him to). And yes he's at the airport and I asked him whether the can drop JJ home. His Tiida is big enough to for two big suitcases, two medium size boxes and two cabin luggage. Hmm.. perfect score for Tiida.

Went straight home after dropping JJ. Unpacked, had a shower and off to bed. As my dearest blogger friend said, back to reality... back to life in hot and dusty D0ha....

~ MT @ Qatar
~~ Sadd, D0ha

~ To Travel Is To Discover Oneself ~

In-Flight: KUL-AUH

Today is the day I will be traveling back to dusty and hot Doha. Couple of days before, I had requested for extra luggage allowance and the Etihad Country Manager, Mr Lindsay White has approved it. I thought it was a nice gesture from Etihad… Thanks a lot Lindsay.. If you are reading this blog, do leave a comment and I can assure you that I have written a positive feedback to EY management on this :-)

My journey started at 11 am. Drove to KLIA with my family and BH entailed in his car with my younger brother. Received SMS from Shah wishing me bon voyage. Then Famil texted me and followed by Zal.

Checked in was abreeze. It was at counter island A. Altogether, I checked in 51.3kg of luggage, mostly belongs to my friends in D0ha. EY check in was managed by KLIA Airport Service (unlike Qatar which was handled by MH staff). The staff in charge, Azman was very helpful. Spoke to him a bit about EY in general. They have only three people (including the supervisor) at the airport working in shift and two people at the town office for reservation. Also I praised him on the excellent cooperation given by the staff which is way better compare to Qatar Airways staff.

Post checked-in, had a light lunch at McD KLIA with family. At 1.30pm, I said goodbye to my family and went directly to the satellite building. Today, EY411 is at gate C12. Apparently, this gate is synonym with Middle East destinations. I flew MH to DXB last year and it departed from this gate as well. Same went to BH when he flew to DXB last Saturday.

Stopped at the cigarettes shop to buy Gudang Garam for ZI. I didn't know they sell Gudang Garam here. Bought a carton at RM39 only. Pretty cheap I guess. Then went directly to the MH Golden Lounge for a short relaxation moment. I only have about 15 minutes before boarding time, so I didn't eat much. Just had few slices of fruits only. Before leaving the lounge, performed a Zohor/Asar "jamak" at the lounge prayer room.

In my opinion, the MH Golden Lounge (Business Class) has marginally losing its appeal. I was not greeted appropriately when I showed my invitation at the reception area. The condition of the seats, prayer room and washroom has deteriorated. The signs of wear and tear are obvious. Hope MH can still maintain its Lounge as one of the best in the world. When I left, I gave a smile to the two guys at the reception, but in return one of them looked at me differently. I believe it is my dressing :-) I am wearing a green tee bought from a factory outlet and a brown corduroy slack with a black sandal. (Actually, BH laughed at my colour coordination!) Maybe the receptionist thought that I sneaked into the lounge without his knowledge... hahahhaahaha...

When I reached the gate, I saw a familiar face at the nearby seat. It was JJ. JJ is a CSD with QR. She is flying back to DOH on the same flight with me after 2 days in Malaysia. Haven't seen her for quite sometime. It was nice to be able to catch up with her.

I am updating this entry on board. Seat 11A Pearl Zone. We have 2 hrs and 21 minutes before landing in Abu Dhabi. 3335km from Mecca and flying at 38000 ft. Just passed India and now over the Indian Ocean heading northwest.


The aircraft today is A345. Out of six times per week (except Saturday), Sunday turnaround flight is with and A345, while on other days, it is B773. The Captain is a Malaysian and I guess the same goes for the FO. The crew are a mixture of Filipinos and Middle Easterns. For the Pearl Zone, all are female. Comparable to B773, this A345 has smaller overhead bin. There is no overhead bin in the middle and this creates a feeling of a bigger space. The lavatory is nicer compare to B773. There is a window and is upholstered with a wood-like panel just like the galley.

The Diamond and Pearl zones are full while the Coral zone is around 90% full (based on my observation).


The services were nothing to shout about. I noticed that it is better than my AUH-KUL leg last two weeks. I had Nasi Lemak Sambal Udang for my lunch. It was spicy. Just like the rendang ayam served on AUH-KUL sector. As far as I can remember, I never taste spicy food like this on any airlines. Even Nasi Lemak on MH didn’t taste spicy like this. Being a true blue Kelantanese, I don't eat spicy food. The portion is a bit smaller than QR or MH, which I think is appropriate. I don't eat a lot in flight. The juice was great. Really fresh. I had watermelon juice and I can assure its freshness.

Couple of hours after lunch, I walked to the Coral Zone looking for JJ couple, but she was in the Dizzyland… Better not disturb her :-)
Etihad entertainment has quite a good selection. From classics in the sixties to the latest movies in this millenium. I watched three movies, Casino Royale, Happy Feet and Dreamgirls, in that order. Being me, I seldom understand James Bond movie until I watched it at least twice hehehehe…. While watching the Dreamgirls quarter way, the system down. Aarrghh…

The aircraft is also equipped with a forward camera and down (belly) camera for guests to view what is ahead of the aircraft and the world down below. It was a good "entertainment" for the guests I would say.

Overall, I would rate the sector KUL-AUH today as fair. Out of 10, I gave 7. Nothing outstanding.

For more photos, click here.

~ MT @ International Airspace
~~ Indian Ocean

~ To Travel Is To Discover Oneself ~

AE: AUH Lounge

Will write an entry on my trip from DOH-AUH and AUH-KUL.

Conclusion: Nothing great about Etihad Airlines...... :-)

~ MT @ U A E
~~ Al-Dana Lounge, Abu Dhabi International Airport

~ To Travel Is To Discover Oneself ~

QA: The Start of the Journey....

[IGNORE THE FORMATTING... WILL FIX LATER]

Zal drove me to the airport around 7.15pm. The plan was to check in first and then went to dinner at the airport vicinity. Reached there within 15 minutes and noticed that the airport was so crowded. Out of three x-ray machines available, only two were operational. At DOH airport, the moment you enter the airport, you have to scan your luggage. Only passengers can go beyond this point.

EY check in counter shares the same counter for all business and first class passengers for other airlines, except QR and BA. QR check in for premium travelers are at the Premium Terminal while BA premium passengers have their own check in counters at the main terminal.
















While queuing for the security, I noticed a familiar sign. OMG… I put all my toiletries in my hand luggage and the hand luggage was in the car with Zal. Asked the nice QAS check in lady and she told me they do enforce the new “liquid transportation” rule (as per Lond0n’s and US’ airports). I have no choice but to check in only one luggage and brought back the other one to transfer all my toiletries. This means I have to go through that “stupid” x-ray machine again. Aarrgghhhh….

Once everything was done, we went to the Central Indonesian restaurant for dinner. Met up with ZI over there who asked me to give some money to his wife when I got back home.

After saying goodbye to Zals, ZI and SK, I went to the departure hall. The immigration and security was a breeze. Actually after traveling via this airport for numerous times, I know what to do when go through the security (in which I didn’t really practice it AUH later on – will blog about this later).

Went to the Oryx Lounge, the premium lounge for all first and business class passengers traveling with other airlines than QR. A windowless lounge and crowded. Not much food selection and no seat for me. So, I decided to go to the new “surau” located on the first floor to perform my Isyak prayer. Hold and behold, I bumped into my ex-colleague who was traveling from Pak1stan to the US. I knew he was travelling the same night, but never have intention to meet him. Unplanned things always happen and what ever you plan, seldom materialized…. Hahahahaa

Browsed duty free, same old stuff and nothing interesting. At around quarter past ten, went to Gate 2 for boarding. I was greeted with a familiar sounds… hmmm… it took sometimes for me to figure that out… after hard thinking, hah! I got it… it was CT Nurha1iza song! Looked around and saw a bunch of Malays1ans at one row and they were listening to the tune from their handphones! Hahahaha.. I bet they miss Malaysian song so much.

Premium zone guests have their own transport. At that time, there were only three of us traveling in the Pearl Zone. EY called their first and business class Diamond Zone and Pearl Zone respectively. Coral Zone is the economy class.

The aircraft today was A330-200 – delivered to EY in June 2006 and interior is specially designed to suit EY needs.

Will blog about the flight in the next entry….

~ MT @ Q4tar
~~ D0ha Int’l Airport, D0ha

~ To Travel Is To Discover Oneself ~

QA: Travel Plan

Just booked my ticket with EY. Apparently, EY is offering very good fare compare to QR and EK. And the timing is better compare to other two.

These are the aircrafts I will be flying with:

• D0H/AUH/D0H - Airbus A330-200
• AUH/KUL - Boeing 777-300ER
• KUL/AUH - Airbus A340-500

This would be my first time in B777-300 and Airbus A340-500. Looking forward to experience it. :-)

If I stick to my original travel dates, I would have a chance to meet my friend who will be in the B777 cockpit. Am not sure whether he will be in the cockpit on the dates I'll be travelling.

Apa-apa pun, dah tak sabar nak balik ni.... hehehehe....

~ MT @ Q4tar
~~ Sadd, D0ha

~ To Travel Is To Discover Oneself ~

AE: Etihad Airways.. DOH.. AUH..

Last weekend I went to Abu Dhabi (AUH) - renewing my visa. Every three months, I have to fly out of Qatar to get my business visa renewed. And I just love doing it. First, I cna collect miles and second, I can travel... Normally, I just go to Bahrain for a day. This is the cheapest fare around QAR670 on weekend (on week days, it can reach up to QAR1000 return fare - mostly cater for business travellers).

Searching the internet, I found Etihad Airways offering fare of QAR710 to AUH. Wow.. that was cool. QR is charging QAR790 for the same sector. Since I never try EY product, I grabbed the chance to fly with EY's only B767-300ER.

Sector time from DOH to AUH is only 40 minutes. Snacks were served - dates, chicken pie, coleslaw, cheesecake and orange juice. For both DOH-AUH and AUH-DOH, the same captain pilot the aircraft and both sectors also were serviced by all famale cabin crews.
A short hop so nothing much to write about. Inbound into AUH, the flight was around 40% full with majority of guests (yup.. EY defines the passengers as Guests) were transit guests to Manila. Outbound from AUH, most guests were South Asians going to Qatar for work.










Check in at DOH was abreeze. Only two check in counters for EY and only 3 guests were checking in when I reached there. It took me around three minuets to complete the check in procedures.

Queuing for immigration and security were a bit unpleasant. While I was in the queue, suddenly the Immigration Office decided to close the lane. Apparently, at that time, it was a change of shift. Hmmm..

I handed over my passport and Exit Permit to a female Immigration Office - no kidding this officer has a very thick make up on her face!. She muttered that there was something wrong with the system and ignored my Exit Permit. Ok.. no issue to me as long as I can go out and come back without any hassle!

Security is another issue. Frankly, I do not know what's wrong with my belt. It always "beep" whenever I go through the metal detector at DOH departure hall. And it only happens in DOHA Airport! Kidding you not! Since I am flying Economy class, I have to take out my belt and went through the detector again. [If you are flying Business class, just ensure your boarding pass is visible to the officer - u might get away easily - I have done it!]

It was a surprise to see the improvement that has been made to the airport. A huge passenger area is now available on the upper level. A generous space of Prayer Room is also available. Another food court is now open, thus pulling some passengers from the existing congested food court. A Flight Information Display (FID) is now installed and the departure gates have been refurbished!










A step towards getting accreditation by the US FAA I guess - I read somewhere that FAA does not "recognize"/"approve" Doha Airport - thus preventing QR to fly to US destination. Surprise isn't it?

Coming back from AUH, I checked myself in at the AUH City Terminal. A deserted building - am the only passenger! As I was flying Economy, I have to pay Dhs70 for the service - an exclusive Etihad Guest coach to the airport. My advice, it is not worth it!

The landside of the AUH is cleaner albeit small. A dedicated area for premium passengers to check in is under construction. As per most airports in the Middle East that I have been (DOH, DXB, JED), the check in area is exclusively for passengers only. You need to scan your luggage before entering the check in area. The airside is a different story - with a with a weird low curve design made me claustrophobic! To make the thing worse, the whole terminal turned out to be smoking area where people lit their cigarettes whenever they want, wherever they want! Hmm.. so much about civilized Westerners!
Anyway, I have updated some photos in my fotopages... check it out and please, do leave a comment.. :-) [if you don't mind]

~ MT @ UAE
~~ Le Meridien, Abu Dhabi

~ To Travel Is To Discover Oneself ~