ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 1541 posts, RR: 54 Posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
I N T R O D U C T I O N
A lot has happened with Royal Jordanian during the past several years. After the initial restructure, privatization, and the subsequent Oneworld alliance entry, the airline has established itself as a premier regional carrier in the Middle East, catering for Jordan’s point-to-point market; all thanks to the airline’s previous CEO, Samer Majali.
But under the new management, a need for more change seems to be on the cards. Jordan’s strong O&D market in the GCC region for example, is inevitably prevalent so long as job opportunities for expatriates continue to be in abundant availability. Moreover, EK, EY, and QR’s least concerns are to serve this type of market, and this will continue to be an effortless achievement for the Jordanian carrier. But it is the thought of venturing beyond this local market that Royal Jordanian is currently entertaining. There are many unique destinations served by this airline that could possibly fit into a wider hub-and-spoke strategy, but do they really want to cross those borders and enter the vicious battlefields of the 3 Gulfies?
The Jordanian economy has drastically progressed over the past several years. This is probably due to a ‘Team Jordan’ type of approach that aligned all the functions of those necessary drivers such as tourism, transport, business, real estate, and what have you. Part of this initiative is the role of easing the bilaterals on the Jordanian skies and allowing the likes of Air Arabia Jordan to join in. Royal Jordanian no longer enjoys those preferentials it once did many years ago, and it may take more than a dynamic forward-moving strategy to play the part.
All mysteries of what the future beholds aside, today marks another milestone in the achievements of this humble Jordanian carrier. Two almost-new A330’s have entered the fleet mainly to cater for the airline’s expansion into the long-lost destination Kuala Lumpur. They may be a stop gap measure until the 787’s arrive, but we all know that Royal Jordanian will see through every aircraft type in its fleet till the very end.
Please join me as we take a look inside Royal Jordanian’s new A330-200!
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 1541 posts, RR: 54 Reply 1, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
WELCOME TO MY 24th TRIP REPORT
This TR will cover the following flights on Royal Jordanian in Economy Class (yes, you read it correctly, Y Class!):
A) Dubai – Amman (A330-200)
B) Amman – Dubai (A320)
B A C K G R O U N D
This trip was decided on the spur of the moment, and due to the recent introduction of the A330 to RJ’s fleet, I decided to interrupt the sequence of my Asia trip in order to maintain currency of this story. Rest assured however, that documentation for my Asia trip will resume immediately after.
Thanks to the wonderful OAG, I discovered that Royal Jordanian had filed A330 schedules for Aqaba, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Kuwait, and Dubai effective May 24th and all the way through to June 1st when the aircraft are officially deployed to London, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. It was the perfect excuse for this mandatory one-night weekend trip to Jordan.
A friend of mine -a non-aviation enthusiast- took an interest in this trip and decided to join me. The final plan was to fly the A330 to Amman, rent a car and drive down to Petra, spend one night, and return back the following day on the last flight back to Dubai.
Booking my ticket wasn’t an easy task at first. The security settings on Royal Jordanian’s online booking engine are set far too high for the everyday traveler. In fact, one of the reasons why many times I end up flying on other airlines is because the website always declines my credit card for no reason. Furthermore, after a couple of attempts, the website timed out and prevented me from attempting even the simplest of queries. A nice-looking website is one thing, but one that doesn’t function competitively is a major drawback for an airline in today’s times.
But I didn’t give up. A few simple clicks on Expedia’s website resulted in a purchase of a roundtrip ticket on Royal Jordanian, and even that with a slightly cheaper fare than what the airline’s website had offered me.
O U T B O U N D
I left my apartment at 11:05am and took a taxi to Dubai International Airport. After the usual 20 minute drive, I was dropped off at the curbside of Terminal 1, in front of Departures Area C.
DXB Departures area C on a quiet Friday
The check-in counters were not open yet so I headed to the food court located one level above the departures area. Anyone who isn’t familiar with that food court, it offers an excellent view of the tarmac with some aircraft taxiing by very close to the building.
View of the main departures hall from above
Airline offices are also located on this level
Views of the seating and food court area
An excellent view of A6-ECQ as it taxi’s by
9W B738 (VT-JBB) pushing back
FIDS
At 12:10pm, I headed back down to the departures level as the RJ check-in counters had already opened.
On my way to departures area C
After the usual pre-check in security, I arrived at a small queue that had formed right in front of the Royal Jordanian counters. Three counters had been allocated for RJ, one for Crown Class and the rest for Economy Class.
Royal Jordanian check-in counters at DXB
Check-in was quick and smooth, though the agent wasn’t too bothered. But I have found this to be typical of front-line staff working on a Friday. My boarding pass was issued, and with no luggage to check, I was checked in within moments.
My boarding pass
Traces of an upcoming Cathay Flight from JED with continuing service to HKG
Reaching the airside terminal area by 12:45pm, I passed through the Duty Free area and headed up one level for a sit-down at Costa for a quick bite to eat.
Terminal signage
Terminal & duty free views
A tasty chicken sandwich from Costa
Passenger activity was quite negligible at that time of day, with only a few passengers from Africa sprinting to the final calls of an Afriqiyah Airways flight bound for Tripoli. And apart from the few and far apart Amman traffic, nothing much else was around. In fact, Terminal 1 at DXB is showing a very KLIA-esque atmosphere on this Friday afternoon (minus the radical ‘new gate’ activities of course).
FIDS at the Terminal
At around 1:55pm, I had arrived at Gate 118 only to find that the ground staff had only began their preparations and set-up prior to opening.
Gate 118
However a look outside showed this beauty had just pulled into the gate as RJ 610 from AMM
Gate opened at 2pm, and I stood in line to go in
Approaching the DNATA agent, my boarding pass was scanned and ripped, and I was wished a pleasant flight before entering the holding area. I have noticed quite an improvement to the customer service provided by DNATA lately, and this is really a major step forward. But then again, a less congested terminal can really help deliver something like this too.
Inside the holding area of Gate 118
A general boarding announcement was made at 2pm, without any scheme going by row numbers. From previous recent Royal Jordanian flights, I have noticed it to be common, even at Amman. However, I think it could be more chaotic had a boarding policy according to row numbers been enforced. Many, if not all just wouldn’t pay attention anyways and this would cause additional unnecessary chaos at the entrance to the aerobridge.
By then, I had packed my big camera away, and pulled out my smaller point-n-shoot which is now officially designated as the Royal Jordanian camera. RJ’s flights are infested with sky marshalls, and a ‘Trip Report on a.net’ would never ever land as an excuse for excessive picture-taking.
General boarding call
In queue for boarding
RJ’s A330, only 4 days old with the airline
Going through the aerobridge, I arrived at Door 2L of the aircraft, where the purser of the flight, a female from Jordan, was standing with one of her colleagues welcoming all passengers on board.
“Good afternoon sir and welcome on board”
By 2:35pm I was on board.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 1541 posts, RR: 54 Reply 2, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
F L I G H T
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Proceeding towards my seat, a quick glance to the left reveals the lead Crown Class crew dressed in the Jordanian national costume that is handmade and cross-stitched with a colorful pattern of embroidery. This signifies that ‘Ya Hala’ service is available on board this flight, which is the ‘full on’ premium service that is normally associated with longer-haul flights. Generally however, and as Dubai is a favorite destination amongst Jordanians, this type of service is also available on wide-body RJ flights to and from DXB. Too bad I’m turning to the right for this flight!
Passing through the cabin, I could feel the essence of pure Arabia all throughout the atmosphere. This is no show of artificial culture or any of the sort, but the presence of laid-back Jordanian crew who don’t feel a need to fake any smile -but would do so genuinely when required- really brought me back to something more down-to-earth that is so hard to find in the GCC region. Everything flowed naturally, and the crew was very welcoming to all passengers. Not surprisingly, I can easily contradict previous claims of RJ’s crew having been ‘abused’ in their lives (as per previous TR’s by the make-believe alleged consultancy firm).
Introducing the Economy Class cabin on board Royal Jordanian’s A330-200
The cabin was fresh, new, perfect, and as expected of a newly refurbished aircraft. The coloring of the seats was also unobtrusively grey with a few randomly scattered fiery red seats that added a touch of drama to the ambience. However, this light-colored theme will easily show signs of wear and tear in the future.
The seat
Settling into my seat, I found it to be very comfortable, with the seat-bottom almost perfectly padded. The major advantage of Royal Jordanian’s Economy Class is the decent legroom which Skytrax reports as 34”.
Leg Space
Passengers boarding
Aisle view
Nuha from Jordan, who seemed to be the lead-ranking crew in Economy Class –or at least the dominating go-to girl that the rest of the crew looked up to- took charge of the aisle by my side, and passed around the cabin handing out headsets. Another perk in RJ’s Economy Class is the free headsets that are yours to keep. They may be slightly cheaper in quality than those that are airline-property, but they have a logo on them and are ridiculously collectible-worthy.
Headsets distributed
“Are these headsets for us to keep?” I asked, pretending not to know
“Sure, and you can have an extra pair too!”
My two pairs of headsets
At 2:55pm, the doors were closed, and the seatbelt sign was switched on. This was immediately followed by a purser announcement to welcome us on board and inform us of our 3 hour flight time to Amman Queen Alia International Airport.
The safety demonstration followed -a crisp animated video similar to that of Oman Air’s- and pushback occurred at exactly 3pm. This new A330 began her gradual dominance on the tarmac as each of her engines spooled into life. It may be a typical day for everyone else, but those progressing sounds are definitely the start of my own weekend celebration on that day.
Cabin during taxi
We taxied for 20 minutes and in parallel to an Emirates 773 that eventually made a left turn towards the same runway and held short at a point perpendicular to our location. As the EK 773 continued to hold short, we were cleared to takeoff first, and the A330 silently whisked through the runway frisking her wings like gigantic bird before lifting off at 3:22pm. It was my quietest A330 takeoff experience, but that is probably because of where I was seated.
As we reached cruising altitude, the seatbelt sign was switched off and the crew was released to prepare for the in-flight service.
Service commenced with the distribution of hot towels
Which were then promptly collected afterwards
While preparations were going on for the meal service, I decided to make use of the available time by experimenting with Royal Jordanian’s IFE system. It was definitely a very modern system with a great interface, but unfortunately the entertainment selection was so miniscule that it left so much to be desired. If RJ invested this much in providing an otherwise decent IFE system, they could have gone a step further to add more variety to the available selection. But as always, I settled for the route map.
Royal Jordanian IFE
Onboard literature featuring RJ’s latest destination
Cabin view in-flight
The meal service commenced shortly afterwards, and two sets of carts were rolled out across each aisle. The first set of carts that was released was for the beverages while the second was for the meals.
Beverage carts rolled out first
Followed by the meal trolley
Raneem from Jordan was in charge of the meal trolley, and reached my seat before Nuha did, who was in charge of the beverages.
“What would you like for lunch sir? I have chicken with vegetables or lamb with rice”
“I’ll take the chicken please”
My meal tray
The meal tray was nicely set up, and all meal-wares were trim and proper. The entire meal consisted of a main entrée of chicken with mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, and on the sides of it were a small salad plate, a bread bun with butter, cheese and a packet of crackers, and finally a dessert plate which consisted of a fruit cake.
Entrée
Salad
Dessert
Bread, butter, cheese, and crackers
The entrée was very tasty with no major complaints, however I would have preferred it to be a Middle Eastern dish which Royal Jordanian is usually known for offering on their flights. Nevertheless, the chicken was tender and the potatoes and vegetables perfectly cooked. Salad was crisp and fresh and the dessert was excellent too.
The beverage cart arrived at my seat
Water bottles were handed out
And I asked for a tomato juice
After the meal service, the crew passed around with a trolley collecting empty cups first, and this was followed by another round to collect the meal trays.
Cups collected first
Followed by another trolley to collect the trays
I asked for a cup of coffee to keep me awake for the long drive ahead
And this is Royal Jordanian’s lavatory on the A330
Cabin views after the meal service
At 4:45pm Jordan local time, the seatbelt sign was switched on as we had begun our initial descent towards Queen Alia International Airport. As everyone returned to their seats and fastened their seatbelts, the crew continued to ready the cabin for arrival, and at 5pm, the purser made an announcement to inform us that we were expected to land shortly.
A R R I V A L
At exactly 5:10pm, JY-AIE touched down at Queen Alia International Airport. My fantastic experience onboard the A330 had come to an end however, I had an array of other activities waiting for me momentarily.
After a short taxi, the aircraft docked at the gate and the engines powered out. The seatbelt sign was switched off and everyone was released to gather their belongings.
Deplaning
Economy Class cabin view after arrival
Screaming my name for a future TR!
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 1541 posts, RR: 54 Reply 3, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
PETRA
I had been to Petra once before, but that was over 15 years ago. So my going there this time can be considered as my first.
My friend and I had only one night and several hours the next day, to make the most out of Petra. In the end, we managed to squeeze in all the major sites and it was one of my greatest experiences. Although the tourist site is quite expensive, everything else was perfectly tourist-friendly with multi-lingual staff scattered all throughout.
Petra is truly what they say, a wonder of the world! Take a look at the following pictures and see for yourself…
We rented a car from the airport for a 3 hour drive to Petra
Stopping at a rest-area along the way
And arriving Petra several hours later
checked into the Sun Set Hotel
Had Mansaf for dinner: The flagship Bedouin Jordanian dish
The following day we got up at 5am and made it to the tourist site after sunrise while the weather was cool and before it got too crowded.
A quick horse ride to the Siq
Arriving at the Treasury
Continuing our way
Souvenir shops located all throughout the site
Riding the donkey up the mountain
And arriving at the Monastery
Horrific spelling and grammar!
We left Petra at 3pm and headed back to Amman to catch out flight to Dubai. I was so exhausted by then as I had been walking, climbing, and basking under hot sun for almost 9 hours, that I slept all the way to Amman and had my friend take over the driving.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 1541 posts, RR: 54 Reply 4, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
I N B O U N D
Arriving Amman Queen Alia International Airport at 5:30pm, I parked the car and headed to the arrivals hall to return the keys.
Very busy arrivals hall at AMM
Reaching the departures area at 5:50pm
Queen Alia Airport is in a desperate need for a change. Not much of that has happened since it was first constructed, however under the new management of Airports International Group, a new airport is currently being constructed on the same airport boundary, and will be ready by 2012. In the meantime, making the best use of the available facilities is the only solution.
Pre-check in security at Amman is slightly more thorough than in the UAE. My backpack was packed with cameras, lenses and the like, and this resulted in an additional hand-search after passing through the usual screening process. The security officers were nevertheless quick and professional.
I arrived at Royal Jordanian’s self-check in kiosks at 6:05pm
The kiosk was easy to use, and I managed to print my boarding pass within seconds.
My boarding pass to Dubai
A quick stamp on my passport at the immigration desk, and I was airside at 6:20pm.
New Shopping and F&B outlets at the airside facility as an improvement measure
The usual Duty Free at AMM, managed by Aldeasa from Spain
Which always carries a selection of aircraft models
FIDS
At 6:55pm I proceeded through security and towards Gate 6C. This bus gate is located one level below the main departure gates on the far end of the building. It seems to be a new gate as I have not seen it before, and also offers some view of the apron.
Apron views at AMM are quite rare
Arriving at the podium before Gate 6C at 7pm, my boarding pass was scanned and ripped, and the agent wished me a pleasant flight before entering the holding area.
Holding area of Gate 6C
The crew operating the flight to Dubai had arrived at the gate at around 7:20pm, along with the sky marshals, and they immediately boarded a bus that took them to the aircraft.
General boarding was announced at 7:30pm
Hopping onto the bus at 7:35pm, a seven minute drive around the apron lead us to the left side of the aircraft where the bus parked and released everyone right next to the steps. At the steps leading to Door 1L, a security officer was guarding the aircraft, silently monitoring every boarding passenger.
Arriving at Door 1L, I was greeted a very friendly male purser.
“Hi welcome on board sir”
At 7:45pm, I was on board.
CONTINUED BELOW
A Stop Away From One-Stop, Is Non-Stop : Airbus A340-500
ronerone From Jordan, joined Aug 2004, 1541 posts, RR: 54 Reply 5, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
F L I G H T
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Two of the cabin crew on this flight were from Thailand. There has been an increasing number of South-East Asian cabin crew on Royal Jordanian, which is presumably to cater for the airline’s flights to Asia.
The interior of the aircraft was still adequately maintained, however signs of wear and tear were evident on the seat fabrics.
The seat
Leg Space
Boarding
At 7:56pm, the seatbelt sign was switched on, and the purser made an announcement to welcome us on board and inform us of our 2 hour and 40 minute flight time to Dubai. The doors were closed immediately afterwards, and the safety video was played on the IFE screens.
Headsets distributed by he crew
My headset
We pushed back at exactly 8pm, and after a 15 minute taxi to the runway, we took off into the night at 8:15pm and began out short hop to Dubai.
IFE was powered on after the seatbelt sign was switched off
Similar system as on the A330 with limited variety
IFE controller
Hot towels distributed by Kaouther
And collected shortly afterwards
The meal service commenced quickly after the hot towel service, and in a similar fashion as on the outbound flight.
Drinks trolley was rolled out first
Followed by the meal service
On offer tonight, were the usual chicken or beef options that Royal Jordanian had adopted ever since my first flight with them when I was a child. However, an additional fish option had been recently introduced. I chose the chicken, which turned out to be ‘Moghrabia’ which is a ‘Levant’ version of couscous with chicken. It was absolutely mouth-watering!
Meal tray
Moghrabia
Salad
Stale cake for dessert
Meal-wares
Another cup of tomato juice for me
Right after dinner, I fell asleep for the remainder of the flight, all the way until we had begun our initial descent towards Dubai International Airport. At 11:15pm UAE local time, the seatbelt sign was switched on, and everyone returned to their seats while the crew prepared for landing.
A quick glance at the literature offering prior to landing
A R R I V A L
We touched down at 11:45pm, approximately 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Due to the amount of activity that happened over the past 24 hours, it seemed like I was gone away for a proper holiday. As such, it did not feel too bad to be getting back to work in the upcoming 8 hours, as reality kicked in after we had docked at the gate.
I thanked the crew for their great efforts, and proceeded inside the terminal to clear immigration, and catch a cab back home for a few hours sleep before work the following morning.
C O N C L U S I O N
I had a pleasant experience with Royal Jordanian. They offer a competitive product in Economy Class that can match that of any of the top carriers. Great legroom, comfortable seating, tasty meals, and cabin crew that really aren’t so bad, all of which add up to a solid product in my books. My major gripe however, was the poor selection of IFE options, which could be improved. Even for a non-movie follower like myself, I found much room for improvement in that area.
Most importantly however, this trip was mainly focused around the airline’s new A330, and this was a fantastic experience. This aircraft, along with its great product offering is definitely a pleasant welcome to Royal Jordanian’s fleet, and a greater incentive to continue racking up those Oneworld miles!
This concludes my Trip Report. I hope you have enjoyed it, and your comments are always welcome!
Regards,
Roni
E Q U I P M E N T
- Camera:
-Canon PowerShot G11
- Canon 50D
globalflyer From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 800 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Fantastic report and beautiful pictures of Petra! I really enjoy all of your TR's. I have got to start because I travel all the time! Cheers, Liam
Landing on every Continent almost on an annual basis!
Carfield From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1726 posts, RR: 9 Reply 8, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Thanks for a wonderful trip report! I am looking forward to my RJ Crown Class flight from BKK to HKG next month!
RJ has really become a star among Oneworld carriers, especially the major ones all suffer from major cutbacks in various service items in all cabin classes.
The new Airbus A330-200 looks beautiful and the interior looks brand new. I am glad that RJ has decided to install new seats and AVOD PTV at each seats.
Thanks again and look forward to your next report!
767747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1748 posts, RR: 26 Reply 9, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Ronerone,
Thanks for sharing your flights with RJ! Your pictures, are as usual, very good! I like the picture of the wing tip through the window at the beginning of your report a lot!
RJ looks very impressive, and I really like their livery/design for seats/uniforms, etc. I hope to get a chance to fly them at some point. Crown Class does look very nice as well!
b737100 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 131 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
What a great trip report and really fantastic pictures...the meal photos were especially well done! I have always wanted to go Jordan from the days of the Alia L1011 tristar direct flight via AMS. Your TR is proving the impetus to do so. thank you!
ChrisCruise From Netherlands, joined May 2010, 109 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Hello Ronerone,
What a great report and what a great airline RJ seems to be.
That A330 looks absolutely stunning from the outside as well as the inside! But also the A320 looks inviting with the PTVs.
Absolutely amazing that you got served a hot meal and hot towels on a +/- 2:30h flight. That is, for someone mainly flying within Europe, to dream about!
ba319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8258 posts, RR: 56 Reply 12, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Hi Roni,
Another stunning report, well done my friend!
The A330 looks excellent in RJ colours, I suspect almost all planes would though!
Quoting ronerone (Reply 1): Booking my ticket wasn’t an easy task at first. The security settings on Royal Jordanian’s online booking engine are set far too high for the everyday traveler. In fact, one of the reasons why many times I end up flying on other airlines is because the website always declines my credit card for no reason. Furthermore, after a couple of attempts, the website timed out and prevented me from attempting even the simplest of queries. A nice-looking website is one thing, but one that doesn’t function competitively is a major drawback for an airline in today’s
- Interesting comment, we all like websites to be easy to use, not just good on the eye.
Quoting ronerone (Reply 1): Anyone who isn’t familiar with that food court, it offers an excellent view of the tarmac with some aircraft taxiing by very close to the building
- Thanks for the tip, will bear that in mind.
Quoting ronerone (Reply 1): Jordanian in Economy Class (yes, you read it correctly,
- Feeling ok?
Quoting ronerone (Reply 2): aircraft. The coloring of the seats was also unobtrusively grey with a few randomly scattered fiery red seats that added a touch of drama to the ambience. However, this light-colored theme will easily show signs of wear and tear in the future.
- Nice touch having the odd red chair, though the grey ones will look grubby quickly.
Quoting ronerone (Reply 2): per. The entire meal consisted of a main entrée of chicken with mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, and on the sides of it were a small salad plate, a bread bun with butter, cheese and a packet of crackers, and finally a dessert plate which consisted of a fruit
- Not a bad looking meal & a good portion size, quite impressive for this length of flight, its bigger than many meals across the atlantic!
Petra looks like a very interesting place to visit, thanks for including the pictures, it's additions like this that give us view and insight into new places to travel.
Thanks again Roni, as always, looking forward to more of your trips as they happen.
akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 2325 posts, RR: 53 Reply 13, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Hi Roni,
What a delightful read I have had and a great start for the weekend. The RJ meal presentation has left me hungry even after I have finished my rather substantial breakfast.
Quoting ronerone (Thread starter): Please join me as we take a look inside Royal Jordanian’s new A330-200!
My pleasure.
Quoting ronerone (Reply 1): But I didn’t give up. A few simple clicks on Expedia’s website resulted in a purchase of a roundtrip ticket on Royal Jordanian, and even that with a slightly cheaper fare than what the airline’s website had offered me.
Oh yes, it reminds me at my own booking experience with PK. I did not expect that booking directly with RJ could be such cumbersome. Unimpressive.
Quoting ronerone (Reply 2): The meal tray was nicely set up, and all meal-wares were trim and proper.
The crockery's look similar to those of SQ. I wonder whether RJ has appointed the same supplier.
Quoting ronerone (Reply 2): Screaming my name for a future TR!
Please, Roni, please!
Quoting ronerone (Reply 3): Had Mansaf for dinner: The flagship Bedouin Jordanian dish
Quoting ronerone (Reply 5): And collected shortly afterwards
Well done for this shot. Especially with the air Marshall's on board.
Quoting ronerone (Reply 5): Another cup of tomato juice for me
Hey, am I missing something here?
You took the challenge of writing a RJ trip report on A.net and succeeded. I think Ryanair owes you something. Hehe...
burj From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 838 posts, RR: 5 Reply 14, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Another great TR!
Getting meals on a 3 hour flight...wow! There are plenty 3 hours flights here in the U.S. where you don't get a meal in first class (and of course you NEVER get free meals in steerage class!)
Sorry if I missed it, but what were the load factors on your flights? Is there enough demand to fill an A330 on such a route?
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 904 posts, RR: 3 Reply 15, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 32767 times:
Thanks for the great pictures. An airline that offers good legroom and decent food in Y is rare these days, at least among the US and European carriers. Jordan isa country I would love to visit.
As you say I have a funny feeling the colour of the seats is not a good idea but they look nice. So do the uniforms. About 15 years ago I saw an RJ crew and they were all European and Asian.
luxair747SP From Germany, joined May 2010, 444 posts, RR: 18 Reply 16, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 32767 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
Hi Roni
Your TR are always simply amazing.
It is every time a pleasure to read it.
All the beautiful picture give me a really good impression of the product of RJ.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6183 posts, RR: 79 Reply 17, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 32767 times:
Hi Roni,
what a nice surprise to find another one of your superb reports here - well-written and well-documented by excellent pictures! I just noticed some days ago that RJ had taken delivery of two used A332s - and I had been wondering how they would be like. Great to see they were equipped with the airline's latest interior.
Quoting ronerone (Thread starter): The cabin was fresh, new, perfect, and as expected of a newly refurbished aircraft. The coloring of the seats was also unobtrusively grey with a few randomly scattered fiery red seats that added a touch of drama to the ambience. However, this light-colored theme will easily show signs of wear and tear in the future.
Excatly my thoughts, I'm not a fan of light-colored seats and carpets on planes.
Quoting ronerone (Thread starter): The major advantage of Royal Jordanian’s Economy Class is the decent legroom which Skytrax reports as 34”.
What about the IFE box?
Quoting ronerone (Thread starter): While preparations were going on for the meal service, I decided to make use of the available time by experimenting with Royal Jordanian’s IFE system. It was definitely a very modern system with a great interface, but unfortunately the entertainment selection was so miniscule that it left so much to be desired. If RJ invested this much in providing an otherwise decent IFE system, they could have gone a step further to add more variety to the available selection. But as always, I settled for the route map.
Bad to hear, reminds of Air Canada. Let's hope the system can be upgraded.
Quoting ronerone (Thread starter): The entrée was very tasty with no major complaints, however I would have preferred it to be a Middle Eastern dish which Royal Jordanian is usually known for offering on their flights. Nevertheless, the chicken was tender and the potatoes and vegetables perfectly cooked. Salad was crisp and fresh and the dessert was excellent too.
Very nice tray, good to hear the food quality was alright, too.
Quoting ronerone (Thread starter): Had Mansaf for dinner: The flagship Bedouin Jordanian dish
Were they still in good shape? I had a similar handset on the Air China A332 and wasn't satisfied at all. Have you seen the CA report yet?
Quoting ronerone (Thread starter): I chose the chicken, which turned out to be ‘Moghrabia’ which is a ‘Levant’ version of couscous with chicken. It was absolutely mouth-watering!
Hm, it looks a bit...strange. But what counts is the taste!
dsinghdahiya257 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2010, 9 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Lovely TR mate.
The vibrancy and attention to detail of your photographs are stunning.
The A330-200 certainly is a cosy plane.
Personally I hate all-white plain interiors - depressing. But I like those random placement of red seats, really boosted the ambience.
The meals served on Royal Jordanian looks appetising and the quantity is decent.
ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 2785 posts, RR: 23 Reply 19, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Hi Roni,
Brilliant, excellent TR yet again!
Quoting ronerone (Reply 1): A friend of mine -a non-aviation enthusiast- took an interest in this trip and decided to join me. The final plan was to fly the A330 to Amman, rent a car and drive down to Petra, spend one night, and return back the following day on the last flight back to Dubai.
Reading the caption of your TR for a moment I thought you were mentioning the fast food chain "Petra"; but still you have committed a crime of having me crave for a nice hot juicy chicken Showarmah
Quoting ronerone (Reply 1): Traces of an upcoming Cathay Flight from JED with continuing service to HKG
Every flight cannot be CX, at least you were on a one world carrier
Quoting ronerone (Reply 5): Another cup of tomato juice for me
A few things that still surprise me i.e the popularity of tomato juice in Arabia.
The hardware was excellent, and I do hope they have the same product on offer to India on their A319s to BOM (2pw) and A310s to DEL(5pw).
Thanks for sharing.
A lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 6079 posts, RR: 56 Reply 20, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Excellent report with fantastic pictures! Very nice that you got on a plane that have been in service with RJ for only four days.......Food looks really good and nice with PTVs on a A320.
Pictures from Petra are great WIll definatly go there some time.
The777Man
Need a Boeing 777 Firing Order....Further to fly....GA, T5, CI and LX 777s
reifel From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1127 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Excellent report and very impressing pictures from Petra. This is definitely a must-see, although I must admit that I'm not particulary attracted in the arabian area. Not because I don't like it, I've actually never been there but always found other attractive destinations around the world. I guess I'm wrong since it's very beautiful and the food there looks absolutely great!
nice to read about your nice experience with RJ. Would fly them right away if I had the chance!
directorguy From Egypt, joined Jul 2008, 1569 posts, RR: 12 Reply 22, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 32767 times:
Hey Roni!
Splendid TR, always a pleasure to read up on RJ and AMM. I had no idea that the A330s were going to be used on AMM-DXB. Love the pictures from Petra (incl. the town). I always think of Jordan as the quintessential Arab country.
Love the pics at the airport as well-I almost came close to booking RJ on a trip this summer, really should make sure to do that next time.
Regards =)
Royal Jordanian offers very good service for 3 hours flight. I think that with the upcoming B787s, AMM location, so as with Jordan good relations with both east and west, Royal Jordanian has a potential to be one of the major airlines in the middle east, not to mention it's skyteam membership.
If I am not mistaken, wasn't RJ's former CEO became later Jordan's Prime Minister?
I was looking to fly with Royal Jordanian, and my trip to Spain 2 months ago seems like nice option, but TLV-AMM-BCN price was way over $1000 (!!!) according to RJ's website.
Petra is amazing, isn't it? Been there last year (no flights unfortunately, I took a bus from Eilat). I may take another trip to Jordan around October.
Thx again,
LY
"In our country, those who do not believe in miracles are irrational" - David Ben Gurion.
25 Thai744: Great trip report, Roni! I think you've convinced me to use RJ between BKK and LHR next year - their J class fares are some of the cheapest out there.
26 ronerone: Dear All, Thank you for your comments and your usual support! Thanks ardian! I look forward to that too! Hi Liam, you should post some TRs for us! Hi
27 AI151: Hi Roni, yet again another fabulous TR. I remember you saying a while ago at how difficult it was to post a TR with RJ due to the security on board, h
28 SR 103: As usual, phenomenal job Roni! Some how I had a feeling you would be the first person to report on the RJ A330. It is really nice to see an airline tr
29 caleb1: Hail to the king of TRs!! Roni, when I grow up, I want to travel like you. Excellent job!!
30 airpearl: Hey the man Roni! What an excellent job capturing the essence of the new Royal Jordanian. This is really a wonderful composition and the photos are ju
31 BrusselsSouth: Hi Roni, Excellent report, as usual. Service on RJ's A330 seems quite good and I like the cabin, except that as you say, wear will soon be apparent (a
32 gabrielchew: Great report, thanks for sharing. The food looks pretty good, as does the new A330. The controller on the A320 looks so old school, but better than mo
33 ronerone: Hi Sandeep! I'm not sure whether it's my fears have exaggerated the situation more than it really is, or whether indeed these marshalls can make or b
34 burj: If I am reading this right you are refering the lack of offerings given by the IFE? Well the cost to have AVOD IFE is pretty much all an up front, on
35 EL-AL: I was talking about Nader al-Dahabi, I think that the major change in RJ was during his time (1994-2001). Too bad, they may lose the Israeli far east
36 flightsimboy: Hello Roni, I would have totally missed this one, but it caught my eye in time . When I saw the opening pic of the winglet, I thought RJ had their Pre
37 ojas: Hmm ... I thought they were a chain all around the GCC, but maybe not. In Doha, they have 5-6 restaurants. They are an egyptian fast food chain and y
38 ronerone: Interesting, i hadn't kept too current with RJ up until they joined Oneworld. I guess i have some homework to do Hi Flightsimboy! LOL .. I can surpri
39 flightsimboy: I keep feeling more like one with the kind comments such as these from you. Hmmm is there such a thing as a cabin crew consultant job lol No, I was r
40 oa260: Nice report as usual I have to say I love the new interior of RJ. They certainly look like a decent airline and product, they never used to have a gre
41 ClassicLover: Brilliant report You will love it - RJ is amazing in Crown Class! I tried RJ as soon as they joined oneworld in 2007. I've never looked back - I rathe
42 ronerone: There is one now. On a.net It was definitely more top notch in Crown Class .. But both classes, and both experiences were great. Heya Phil. I am glad
43 airpearl: Don't know about you, but sometimes I think the reason for my existence... such a sad sap I am. hahaha You could be right, though it'd be nicer if th
44 Aleksandar: Hello Roni! Thank you for yet another wonderful TR. For some reason, Royal Jordanian is an airline I want to try some day. I will always remember thei
45 ronerone: This is an interesting development! I have checked before and i did not get any fares BKK-KUL. But i just checked again and it is available! Very ver
46 Aleksandar: Hello! Well, I've been travelling around Serbia for more than a month and you can see some of the photos on my Facebook profile. It is not much excit
47 chepos: Another wionderful trip report from you! as usual a very entertaining read Thank you for sharing. Great pictures of Petra by the way, Jordan is high o
48 bedo: Hi Roni! Great report as always. The Petra Pics are really good, but the interior ones are good too, it seems a good choice that G11. Thank you for sh
49 ronerone: Great! Looking forward to that! Thanks Chepos! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks Bedo! G11 is quite good yes, especially during daylight. Haha .. Interesti
50 flightsimboy: He probably had all his documents in the jacket pockets, and decided to keep it on for the short walk to the terminal from the taxi, for fear of losi
51 airbuseric: Hi Roni, finally I had the time to read this report. It's great to fly on such 'new' A330 and just in service. For sure you're the first again here sh
52 NZ107: Hi Roni, Another superb TR. Pictures were fantastic and it was well detailed. It's always intriguing when you can use a 3rd party website and book for
53 ronerone: Hi Eric .. Hope Morocco was fun! I think all this aircraft needs is a couple of high-peak full summer flights to the Gulf and the seats will be gone!
54 NZ107: Yeah, it was nice for me to read so many at once and finally comment on them! Stupid exams.. Considering that I already have a DSLR, I'd be wanting a
55 ronerone: Hope your exams went well! Unfortunately many of us here, i have a backlog now But i will squeeze them out in between my work schedule eventually Goo
56 gardermoen: Hello Another great trip report with fab photos. Your trip reminds me of my trip to Jordan not so long ago. In fact, some of your Petra photos are ver
57 ronerone: Hi gardmoen, Thanks for stopping by! It is quite normal to experience extremely slow immigration processing at AMM. While it has improved over the ye
58 NZ107: Sorry, completely forgot to reply. I hope so too! Haha, it's the telling story huh! Look out for my next one by the end of today. Umm, similar to the
59 LH4116: Hey Roni, great report! Sorry for the late reply. Seems like you and your friend had a good time in Jordan, and the flights looked very nice! The meal
60 ronerone: Salam Jonas! .. Good to hear from you. Was wondering where you've disappeared Now TAP is something i am interested to see! .. I was in LIS not too lo
61 NewYorkCityBoi: Hi Roni, I will have a 24 hour stop over in AMM (7pm-8pm the next day) and wondering what would be the best way to get to Petra. I read about it and s
62 ronerone: Hi Tum, Given that you have 24 hours in Amman, i would think the best way to get to Petra is to rent a car from the airport and drive there. Road sig
63 NewYorkCityBoi: Hi Roni, Thanks for the reply. I booked the car rental and the same hotel you went. Will be there next week, and continue my trip to Cairo (by plane).
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