Fujairah-DXB-DOH-FRA on Qatar Airways





Salaam aleikum again, dear readers

and welcome to the second part of our "Explore the Emirates" trip.
The first example is covered here

The Emirates Explorer: Dubai And Al-Ain On Qatar (by FLIEGER67 Nov 14 2009 in Trip Reports)

Now I will show you some pics from our stay at the Indian Ocean.
Hotel was the JAL Fujairah Resort at Dibba. The Emirate there is called Fujairah
and further our drive through the desert with some interesting encounters back to Dubai.

The lobby:


Our room:


View from the balcony:


The beach:


King crab:


Some oasis close to the Omani border:


And what about this?:


Free camels:


Desert view:


Mama camel:


And baby camel:


Sharjah airport:


Tuesday afternoon was the time to return the car, let me say not that easy with all that construction work around T1. Finally we found the way to the separate return area. The check was rather strict, the guy
looked also under the car and searched closely for any scratches. But no problem at all.
We decided to try check-in, the bags gone scanned at the entrance to the check-in area.
Only pax allowed.
Three desks open, some five minutes to wait. But the guy there dont want to accept it, we´re to early.
So changed to the arrivals area where Dnata offers bag storage.
Fixed and by taxi to the city center to have a view to the smuggler dhaus into persia and a ride with the water taxic called abra. Unbelievable to see all that stuff, from TV´s to climatization engines and further on to masses of beer cans.
Great fun for us and good to spend the time this way till departures.

Riding the abra:


Some Dhau´s:


Above the creek:


Back at the airport at around 8 pm.








Tuesday, 27.10.2009

Clear sky, Temperature 28 degrees

Clear sky, Temperature 28 degrees
Duration: 45 minutes announced
55 minutes actual

Service QR 119 operated by Qatar Airways
Scheduled: 23.15 // 23.15 1 hour time distance
Actual: 23.55 // 23.50
Gate: 105 Seat: 44B
Load factor: Around 50%

Better luck this time with the bags to check in but less luck with the agent.
A pretty bored asian woman. I´ve dont secured the last row during booking on both flights here and therefore asked if its possible to change seats. But she doesn´t answered my question at all, accepted the bags handed us our boarding passes and looked for the next customer.
Passed security with the guys there joking with my son, no time to wait and also passport control. Time enough now to explore DXB´s terminal, the older part 1 and also the new EK area called T3. With the nightly conditions not good for pix but interesting to follow the movements.

DXB new terminal:


The EK board:


At the airport:


And again:


Departures from T1:


Dnata intern with our flight:


Lots of people waiting around our gate, so it seems a better load than on the inbound leg.
Gate opened one hour prior to departures, boarding passes screned and more time to wait inside.
Our plane docked and it was the first scheduled change here. Originally booked was the 773,
but this machine was definitely an A330. It was not possible to check the reg from the gate, but during
boarding A7-AEO showed up.
An A330-300 delivered to QR at 14.04.2008 . Another one of the total 13 in the fleet.
Leg no. 4 for me on type and a new registration.

Boarding:


Seats:


Finally the door to the finger bridge opened and we´re welcomed again by a friendly cabin crew.
I´ve counted two European, also two African, three Arabic and also three Asian flight attendants.
The cabin here fitted with the dark red fabric seats, spotless clean and good legroom.
The arabian captain welcomed us very frienly during boarding.
He stated that we need to wait for some minutes till all cargo was loaded.
With the low pax numbers, despite my personal feeling at the gate, it seems that was more a cargo than a pax flight.
Departure time comes and goes. The captain was twice more on the speakers and explained the situation.
Heavy cargo was loaded in the forward compartment, but finally the ramp agent decided that the load was to heavy in the front and they had to reload the cargo from the forward to the backward compartment.
The pilot explained the situation very detailed later on in the flight.
No comment from the FO.
Very close to noon we´re ready for pushback and taxied further to departure from the 4000 meters runway 30R.
The route over water directly to Doha at 22.000 feet.
Service was a sandwich and orange juice.
Touchdown on DOH´s 4572 meters runway 34 finally some minutes late.
Parked on the apron and by bus to the terminal.
FRA was on the screen, "last call", our flight?. No way, we had time enough, that was the earlier LH operated service.







Wednesday, 28.10.2009

Clear sky, Temperature 26 degrees

Light clouds, Temperature 8 degrees
Duration: 6 hours, 10 minutes announced
6 hours, 30 minutes actual

Service QR 27 operated by Qatar Airways
Scheduled: 01.45 // 06.50
Actual: 02.15 // 06.45
Gate: 10 Seat: 49B
Load factor: Around 80%

More time now than the first visit to explore DOH´s small terminal.
No airbridges, all flights boarded by bus.
Lots of pax all around, nearly all seats taken. On the upper level in the far end was the only way to secure some seats. A good view to the apron and the runway from here, but no way for fotos during the night.
Our flight was called early, a good number of pax, looks like a good load again on the FRA leg.
A nice surprise waited on the apron.
The second equipment change, A7- AGB an A340-600 delivered at 07.10.2006 to QR.
One of only 4 in the fleet. Leg no. 2 for me on type and a new registration.

And the A346 to FRA:


Also here mostly Asian cabin crew, together with some Arabian and European members,
all together friendly.
Again the dark red fabric seats, legroom ok, clean and real comfortable.
Also the temperature during the nightflight was ok and more welcomed, the last row remained empty,
so the chance for us to change seats.
The South African captain with a very friendly and detailed welcome during boarding,
no comment from the Italian FO.

Our seats:


Departure from runway 34 like arrivals in direction Bahrain-Kuwait-Basra-Above Iraq and Turkey to Varna-Bucharest-South of BUD and VIE-LNZ-NUE.
Flightlevel 40000 feet.

Hot meal:


Cabin lighting:


Service was a sandwich and free drinks short after departure.
As usual during nightflights me taking a nap immediatelly and dont noticed much more around till
nearly Hungary when they offered a hot meal for breakfast with coffee and tea.
And also here as usual, no way to eat all that stuff, the bread roll was ok for us.

Main menue:


IFE details:


Again:


The moving map:


Waking up above Romania:


Nice light effects:


Prior to arrivals:


The breakfast menue:


Approach into FRA´s 4000 meter runway 07R started early, flying by the airport, turning and finally touched down
well ontime in a clear and cold german autumn morning.
Warm welcomed here, apron deboarding to catch a couple of pics around these mighty machine,
real nice.

Four engines in the early morning:


On the apron:


Wing reg. shot:


Disembarking:


The wing again:


Logo:


Tyre check:


Under the wing again:


By bus to the terminal.
No complaints here this time around passport control, fairly quick, also the bags.
The tourcare shuttle waited at the door and soon thereafter we´re on the way back home.

Two more comfortable legs on Qatar done.
The rescheduling from the B773 to the A333, well not my real choice, I prefer the 773, but ok
logged one more A333.
And the A346, superb and warm welcomed, a comfortable ride trough the night with some hours
good sleep for us.
Staff was again above average, the flights nearly ontime, cockpit crew was informative,
well done QR!.

And now the usual look forward, checking AB after taking over the X3 routes and collecting
LH Italia to my log on the BRI-MXP route.

Comments welcome,
Markus (FLIEGER67)