ON BOARD
Business Class
As we entered A7-AEN at 19.40, Indonesian flight attendant Yenny greeted us at the door, “Good evening, Mr. Akhmad. Nice to have you on board,”
She got in charge of our row during the flight.
Malaysian purser Farul looked at our boarding passes and waived us through to our seats.
Our seats
2A and 2B
Big sized pillow and wrapped thick blanket had been placed on each seat.
Neighbor view
My seat
2A
Legroom
Yenny took the coats of other passengers
We did not bring along any coat. It was summer anyway!
Yenny appeared on our side. “Good evening, Sir. Can we offer you anything to drink? Water, orange juice or laban?”
“Orange juice for me please,” my partner said.
“Can I have the last one?” I asked.
“Certainly,”
Our welcome drinks were delivered shortly.
My laban and my partner’s orange juice
I looked out the window while sipping laban.
A7-AEI
One of the perks of flying J is that you have got an individual battery charger which I really needed for the sake of my trip reports.
Yenny returned to individually hand out the nighttime amenity kits. Nice touch on the contrary to our previous experience on the MUC-DOH leg! This amenity kit has similar content as the daytime one. One difference is the black colored bag.
Amenity kit
About ten minutes before ETD, Yenny passed on the pyjama bags as opposed to the comfort bag we got earlier. “I have brought the XL-ones for you. Please let me know whether they fit. Otherwise, I will exchange it,”
The difference with the daytime comfort bag is the bigger size of the bag where you will find a cotton pyjama top inside.
Hot or cold towel service followed shortly.
Pyjama bag
The content
Five minutes before ETD, an announcement came that all customers were on board. I counted 16 people in J.
Pushback commenced right on time. The lovely humming sound filled the cabin. The in-flights safety demonstration was displayed, followed by another announcement five minutes later that the IFE had been switched on.
Welcome greeting from attractive QR flight attendants
A330 or B777?
During the taxi, Yenny took the meal orders.
Attending family of three at the first row
I explored the content of the seat pockets. All of them are similar to those on our earlier flight, except for the menu.
Menu
Menu and beverage list inside a leather jacket
Main meal
Indulgence
Yenny just managed to finish taking the order of the first row passengers, when all the attendants were requested to get seated for take-off.
Let me take you along the take-off experience. My apology though for the blurriness.
Indulgence
The engines spooled up, followed by a powerful take-off
Lift off at 20.20
Doha’s skylines
Passing over Doha, we banked to the right to reach our cruising altitude.
IN FLIGHT
We leveled off at 20.30, Yenny continued her task shortly after the fasten seat belt signs were switched off.
“Good evening, sir. Are you joining us for the main meal?” she asked me.
“Can I have the butternut squash soup as a starter and the noodles?”
“Certainly. Do you want anything to drink to go with it?”
“I will have the Shiraz, please,”
“Certainly. How about you, Sir?” she turned to my partner.
“I skip the starter. I will have the noodles and the Shiraz as well,”
“Certainly,”
Cuisine
Fifteen minutes into the flight, the palate pleaser was served together with our Shiraz.
Shiraz and filled pancakes
The pancakes were filled with salmon caviar, a hint of coriander and accompanied with sweet chili sauce. My partner did not really like it. But I took care of his and mine as well.
Yenny cleared up our bowls and returned to set our table one by one. As a window seat passenger, I got attended first. The table setting procedure was strictly followed again. Firstly, she covered my table with a white crisp linen. Secondly, she folded a napkin across and laid it on my lap. Finally, she put richly filled bread bowl, mini pepper and salt containers, butter dish and a water glass.
Table setting
Close up of bread bowl
After setting my partner’s table, Yenny returned with my starter. The soup bowl was brought to my table covered. Once it was set, she removed the lid, revealing the piping hot squash soup.
Butternut squash soup
The soup was tasteful. The curry went harmoniously with the coriander, spicing each other up.
In the meantime, my partner’s main meal was delivered.
Pad Thai noodles
The noodles were wrapped in a crispy egg net. The sensation of well flavored soft noodles and cracking undertone of egg net was really fantastic.
Of course, Yenny did not forget to top up our glasses during the meal.
About thirty minutes later just after we finished our meal, our dirty plates were cleared up.
“Do you care for the dessert?” Yenny asked.
“No, I am fine, thank you,”
“No problem. I will keep your tables this way,”
We were completely stuffed. My bread bowl even remained untouched.
Yenny returned about ten minutes later. “Do you want me to clear up your table?”
“Yes, please,”
“Do you want anything else?”
“Could we have a glass of whiskey?”
“Single or double?”
“Just single to start,” my partner and I replied almost simultaneously.
‘What a funny girl,’ I thought.
Our whiskey was soon delivered with each a box of Godiva chocolates.
Whiskey and Godiva chocolates
Then it was about time to explore the rest of the cabin.
J lavatory
Love the lavatory with a window
Amenities
Shaving kits and toothbrushes
Eau de cologne, hand lotion, hand soap
Then, I made my way backwards. Somehow, I got the feeling that J cabin got darkened sooner than Y cabin.
Dark J cabin
Y cabin
Backward view
Front view
I wanted to get to know Yenny and her colleagues, so I headed to the galley. Yenny was not there at the moment. Malaysian flight attendant Azwani greeted me instead.
“Hello, Sir. Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you. I am just curious about the galley,”
“Oh yes, please. Do you want to take any picture?” Azwani asked upon noticing me holding a camera.
“Oh yes, may I?”
“Sure. Let me tidy it up first for you.”
J galley
“Please, have a sit here,” Azwani folded down the attendant seat next to her.
We engaged in a nice conversation about things like where we are come from, how long she has been working for Qatar.
“So, you are born in Indonesia. My colleague has told me that she is having a Malaysian passenger instead,” Azwani said. “By the way. I can speak Indonesian as well. I spent couple years living in Indonesia when I was young,”
Yenny returned to the galley and three of us got chit-chatted a bit until Captain Monin appeared.
“Hello,” he said.
“Are you the captain?” I asked while shaking his hand.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I am just a passenger sitting on 2A,” I replied.
Captain Monin had such look in his eyes which was somehow forcing me to ask, “Do you want me to go back?”
“If you do not mind. You are not supposed to be here,” he replied.
“OK, I am gone,”
I kept thinking, ‘Am I doing anything wrong? I just wanted to socialize a bit,’
Entertainment
I kept myself occupied with QR’s Oryx IFE system.
Start screen
Broadcast map
My own play list
I was so tired that I dozed off pretty quickly.
I woke up after another two hours. It was 04.40 on Malaysian time. From now on, any time reference further on this report will be Malaysian time.
I was wondering whether the mood lighting was on in Y cabin, so I went backwards again. What a difference from my previous visit. The cabin was immersed in blue. So calming.
Forward view
Backward view
When I returned to my seat, my partner was awake and both of us were in real need of some strong caffeine, I went to the galley to order a double espresso for me and a cup of coffee with milk. Azwani and Yenny were in the galley that time.
“Please take a sit. I will bring it to you,” Yenny quickly met my request.
“Before I go, I would like to thank you for your service so far,” I said.
“Thank you very much,” Yenny replied. “Would you mind filling out the feedback form for us?”
“Not at all.” I returned to my seat.
In-flight survey
Our coffees were delivered with each a tray of Shortbreads.
A small cup of double espresso and a big coffee mug
Window view
The sunrise starting
View of the wing
About two hours before landing, Azwani started collecting headsets out of the empty seats.
Cuisine
At 07.20, Yenny emerged from the galley to take our breakfast order.
“Are you joining us for breakfast?”
“Yes, please. I would like to have the energizer and Arabic breakfast,” I said.
“For me also the energizer and Greek yogurt instead,” My partner said.
“Certainly,”
Yenny set our tables and soon returned with the energizer.
Date and banana energizer
My partner’s table setting. Note the preserve offering
In the meantime, Farul was handing out the landing card for Malaysia.
Landing card
Our main meal was delivered not long after.
My Arabic breakfast consisted of cold and warm plates. The cold plate contained hummus, labneh, grilled feta, baba ghannouj and hard-boiled egg accompanied with pita bread. The warm dish consisted of warm beans.
Cold plate
Warm plate
I fell in love with QR’s Arabic breakfast when I got the taste of it for the first time two years ago. They have become my reference to similar dishes ever since.
My partner’s tropical fruit with Greek yogurt
I kept my window shade open from now on.
The sun is shining
While we were savoring our breakfast, menus were recollected from the empty seats. At 08.05 Captain Monin made an announcement that we would start to descend within ten minutes.
Landing
As soon as we were leaving our cruising altitude, our tables were cleared up followed by hot towel service.
Malaysian coast line
At 08.25, flight attendants were requested to seat in preparation for the landing.
KLIA in sight
Five minutes later, two cabin attendants walked along each side of the cabin and spraying something. I was wondering what it was all about. I would have expected on Australia bound flights before landing. Could any fellow A.netters know anything about it?
Anyway, let me take you along the landing moments.
Malacca Street
Port Dickson
Making an U-turn
Somewhere near Siliau
View on Bukit Tajam
Chasing our shadow
Touch down at 08.45
Entering the taxiway
New location of the low cost terminal being built on the background
VIP Terminal
During the taxi, a common welcome announcement was made. But at the end, we got warned that you will get sentenced with death penalty for drugs trafficking.
Anyway as we entered the platform, I realized that I found myself in another spotter’s heaven. This one in Asia!
Main terminal with many Malaysian B734’s docked
9M-MLC, former XL Airways B73H
MH B772
Uzbekistan B752
Silkair A320
We were finally docked at 08.55 at the satellite terminal. Before saying goodbye, there was time for a photo session.
Farewell photo with Farul, Azwani and Yenny[Edited 2010-08-28 14:14:04]
There is no deity except You. Exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.
