GF-A330 From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2001, 1643 posts, RR: 3 Posted (10 years 8 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 1692 times:
GULF AIR ANNOUNCES DAILY FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE GULF AND FRANKFURT
[22,Sep,2002]
Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, UAE, Oman and Qatar, has announced the introduction of daily flights between the Gulf and Frankfurt.
The increased frequency from the present total of four weekly flights to and from Frankfurt will commence with the airline's new winter schedule.
Gulf Air passengers will be able to fly non-stop from Bahrain to Frankfurt four times a week and from Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt three times a week on wide-bodied Airbus A330 aircraft. Passengers arriving in Frankfurt from these two gateways will also be able to connect to other European and North American cities. Germany's domestic land transportation infrastructure also offers very efficient train services within the country.
"The offer of daily flights in both directions has been made in direct response to the demands of our passengers for more frequent and convenient services between the Gulf and Germany," said James Hogan, President & Chief Executive, Gulf Air. "In addition, the three-class configuration of our A330s provides a superior level of comfort."
"The opportunities for promoting business and leisure between the Gulf and Germany are also significantly enhanced by the increased frequency," added Mr Hogan.
Na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9602 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (10 years 8 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 1650 times:
...hey, if you can get a suntan on the terrasse of Burj-al-Arab, one of the most spectacular hotels on this planet for the price of a ridiculously overpriced decent middle-class-hotel in central London, why not go to the U.A.E.?
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (10 years 8 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1613 times:
I agree with Na, on our last FRA meeting we talked about a short trip to the United Arab Emirates in Spring next year. A holiday there can be quite interesting because:
DXB, AUH and SHJ are ideal for spotting
The weather is always nice there
Duty free shops wherever you are
Excellent airlines e.g. EK and GF
Excellent hotels for favorable prices
No Jetlag, only three hours time difference between Central Europe and the UAE
SQ325 From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 1437 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (10 years 8 months 10 hours ago) and read 1547 times:
Hey Patrick,
the DXB & SHJ trip is a need. As far as i can see when i have some days of duty I will contact you.
Just for info take a look on Wingtips.de there are intersting offers to DXB.
starting from 189€ with Gulf Air to 220€ on EK. We should be able to find some interesting PEP fares!
regards Bjoern
btw. does anybody know about my previous question regarding A330/340?
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (10 years 8 months 9 hours ago) and read 1522 times:
Hi Bjoern,
the fares to DXB with GF and EK are really cheap. In January we should start to check out some PEP fares because I want to fly to DXB in the Spring and not in the Summer (way too hot there).
Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3582 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (10 years 8 months 7 hours ago) and read 1501 times:
I am not exactly sure if DXB is that ideal for spotting. Security is pretty tight from what I have heard and seen and most traffic is at night.
And don't go June - September (like I did) - hot hot hot. Hotels and flights seem to be much cheaper at that time of the year, though - Emirates even threw in a complimentary 2 day stop-over on a flight to Australia incl. hotel, transfer etc. because nobody would go holidaying in DXB at that time of the year.
Andreas From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, RR: 34 Reply 11, posted (10 years 8 months 4 hours ago) and read 1478 times:
just some thoughts on Dubai:
Good for spotting??? Where did you read that?? Forget it, it's not, the same goes for Abu Dhabi!!
Dubai during the summer months: Forget it, we are talking around 50 degrees celsius (NOT Fahrenheit), I've been there in late may, and it was already extremely hot!
Duty free shops: Forget it, too. Dubai is incredibly expensive, even if you haggle down prices by 30-40%, you're just close to german big city level. But it is sure fun to be there, sit and drink coffee and watch all those rich Arabian ladies in their elegant burqas, showing off much more than it covers!
Burj al Arab: Yes though it's still way too expensive, and the Royal Mirage is better, trust me. Ask any hotel expert, they'll gladly support this (keep in mind: The Burj belongs to the crown prince, the Mirage belongs to the Emir al-Makhtoum himself, now which one will be better do you think?)
Anyway have fun there, I liked it though it is very expensive overall!!
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (10 years 8 months 4 hours ago) and read 1467 times:
Andreas, thanks for your information about the UAE!
I have heard that you can buy a ramp pass at SHJ for US$ 60, than you are able to access the tarmac. I saw it also on TV, there was a very good report about FRA on the ZDF last year, the camera team attended a group spotters who took a trip to the UAE, these guys were able to access the ramp after they passed a security. Maybe it is also possible at DXB and AUH?
A few month ago I saw some ads about Dubai in the magazine "Business Traveler", the caption in the ad said something like:" Come to Dubai where you get almost everything for duty free prices". But now I believe Andreas who has been there and not some magazine ads. Are food and drinks are also very expensive? I can imagine that the prices for alcoholic drinks are very high there.
Anyway, I think that a three day trip will not ruin us.
Danialanwar From Switzerland, joined Mar 2001, 421 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (10 years 8 months 3 hours ago) and read 1453 times:
When (not) to go there ...
A few years ago I went to Abu Dhabi in April, and temperatures were quite ok then (a bit "warm" but I like that). Definitely avoid summer (unless you're into 40+ degrees celsius); winter in Saudi Arabia can be cold but I don't know if that applies to U.A.E. as well.
Also, try to avoid fasting months and the first few weeks after (up to a month) (For 2002, fasting month is 2nd week November to 2nd week December). Out of cultural respect, but also because you don't want to spend 100% of your time in the hotel / airport even if it's a plane spotting trip!
Duty Free Prices Come to Dubai where you get almost everything for duty free prices does NOT mean cheap ... it can still be "horribly expensive", just not "horribly expensive + tax"
Gulf Air
Didnt Qatar (or Oman ... not sure now) withdraw from Gulf Air ownership recently? Wonder if flights to/from Doha will be scaled back as a result.
Best Business Class: Royal Brunei. Best Economy: Singapore Airlines. First: please send money first!
Andreas From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, RR: 34 Reply 14, posted (10 years 8 months 3 hours ago) and read 1453 times:
... I loved every single minute there, it's a fascinating region, the hotels are just great, especially the Royal Mirage, just bring a lot of money with you ... and duty-free means you don't pay duty and/or local taxes, it says nothing about the prices per se!!! And they are high, Lord in heaven, they certainly are!!! But you can buy everything money can buy, as long as you have enough of it.
I don't know the airport of Sharjah, though Dubai's little neighbouring emirate is pretty close; I flew there on LH, to Dubai and back from Abu Dhabi. I tried to find a place to take pics of the airport in Dubai which is right in the middle of the city, I even asked someone at the Hyatt Hotel to find out for me but he came up with nothing. I don't really think they'll change that policy but maybe you are lucky.
btw: Choose a hotel at Jumeira beach, if not the Royal then another good one (not the Jumeira beach Hotel, though, opposite Burj al Arab, it's popular in Germany but feels like the waiting room in a station...not nice). Don'tgo for a city hotel as I did for the first 3 days, it's just not necessary, ways are short and taxis are relatively cheap, and all hotels do offer transfer for free to alle large malls in the city).
Have fun...a great country!
Andreas
PS: make trip into the desert, preferably during the night time, that is extremely fascinating!! There's more to Arabia than just Airports and hotels.
Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3582 posts, RR: 5 Reply 15, posted (10 years 8 months 3 hours ago) and read 1442 times:
No - it is only Sharjah, no "cash for access" deal at AUH or DXB - and as I said before, a lot of traffic at night. Sharjah is mainly for freight and charters, so different story there. If you are only into reg-spotting, DXB might work if you have a room at a nearby hotel, but for taking pictures, just forget it.
Marco From United Arab Emirates, joined Jul 2000, 4161 posts, RR: 18 Reply 18, posted (10 years 8 months ago) and read 1411 times:
I agree with Andreas. I lived in Dubai from 1993-2002 (I just moved back to Montreal) and IMO the Burj al Arab is an overpriced, overrated and TACKY. I would definately chose the Royal Mirage over the Burj. It's so not worth the thousands of dollars you have to shell out per night.
Good for spotting? Nope, the weather and the police won't allow you.
Good for shopping? For electronics, gold yes. For clothes the prices are more or less equal to those in Europe.
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (10 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1395 times:
Hi Bjoern,
a visit to SHJ with a ramp pass is perfect, especially for us because we can watch and listen to all the loud Russian planes there, of course we will spend at least two days at the beach.
KHI747 From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 1609 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (10 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1387 times:
OHHHH come on Marco!! There isnt a hotel in this world like Burj Al-Arab......number 1 by a long shot even on the countown of the best hotels on Travel Channel ....infact Travel channel even made a documentary just on this Hotel.....interesting that you said overpriced....no doubt it is expensive but not that much more then a very regular expensive hotel in London or NewYork....You get an average room at the Four Seasons Hotel here in Boston for around $600....you can get a suite at the Burj for that price and even to compare the these hotels is INSANE!
ClipperNo1 From Germany, joined May 1999, 671 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (10 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1386 times:
I was in Oman late this June....Heat is just beyond extreme. Landed at Muscat around 23:00 in complete darkness...and it was still around 40C. Most of the flights are operated at night. I don't standing on the shadowless tarmac all day long must be very exhausting. A lot of freak airlines flying workers home to Pakistan and India.
Abu Dhabi has very extensive security...we weren't even allowed of the plane there on the stop-over...although i was waiting for a smoke and duty free shopping. Didn't see much action or rare things there...VIPs sitting at the ramp most remberable. BA also has great rates to Abu Dhabi ex-FRA. Go there and take a rental car to SHJ. Must be spectacular I heard.
RE. Gulf Air
In Fact Oman is thinking about to get out of there and established Oman Air internationally. I flew on Oman Air on a domestic 35min flight..the service was above all. 1 full meal, 3 drink services, music videos on screen...I still can't believe today.
Arabia itself is f*cking exoensive. I paid €4 for a Heineken at the hotel. All the duty free stuff really is at european prices. outrageous
"I really don't know one plane from the other. To me they are just marginal costs with wings."� Alfred Kahn, 1977
Andreas From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, RR: 34 Reply 22, posted (10 years 7 months 4 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1365 times:
..because I have! ...and it is as marco said: overpriced and worst of all for a hotel: I don't immediately feel at home there!!! The Burj as a prove for architectural art...yes why not, it looks spectacular, even on the inside, but I do not care about a foyer reaching up nearly to the roof of the building as long as I feel like walking around in a modern museum or so.
Go visit the Oriental in bangkok, still the best hotel in the world: Looks somewhat shabby from the outside, but the second you set foot inside the foyer, they make you feel like an old friend coming home, and THAT'S why it is the best hotel in the world.
...and to get back to the Emirates: Yes, that's how I felt when I came to the Mirage ... just great, and a spectacular building, too!
Don't rely on travel channels all over the world, they get paid for doing flicks on the Burj, same here in Germany, though over here they chose the worst possible channel and the dumbest sh.theads to promote it, which was abig mistake. There's just one way to make up your mind: Go there, spend some time there and FEEL it, and then come again to talk about the Burj!
btw: it is completely useless to compare prices of hotel rooms in new York or London to those in Bangkok or Dubai, it depends on the ongoing cost basis, on capital cost etc., therefore any hotel in NY or LON will always have a huge disadvantage over a hotel in BKK or so, and still a disadvantage to any hotel in Dubai. And if I chose to visit Boston, I certainly don't give a sh.t about the price of a suite in the Burj, believe me!
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Too bad that it is only possible at SHJ but the traffic there is quite interesting in my opinion because you can spot a lot of Russian planes.
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