Airline Reviews
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Review: Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge Manila (MNL)
Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Lounge When the Mabuhay Lounge finally opened in November 2023, it ended a four-year wait for Philippine Airlines passengers at Manila’s Terminal 1. Since the carrier shifted part of its operations there in 2019, travellers had been relegated to the lacklustre PAGSS Lounge. Its arrival couldn’t have come at a better time,…
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Review: Philippine Airlines 777 Business Class (MNL-PVG)
Philippine Airlines flight details After spending about four hours in Manila, it was finally time to head to Shanghai! I was particularly excited for this flight as it was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, which usually flies longer flights to Europe or North America; this would certainly be a contrast to the regional Airbus A321-200…
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Review: Philippine Airlines A321 Business Class (CGK-MNL)
Philippine Airlines flight details Founded in 1941, Philippine Airlines (PAL) holds the distinction of being Asia’s first commercial airline. Over the decades, it has evolved into the Philippines’ flag carrier, maintaining a prominent role in the nation’s aviation landscape. Today, PAL operates a mixed fleet of Airbus A321s, A330s, and Boeing 777s, serving a wide…
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Review: Garuda Indonesia Lounge Jakarta (CGK)
Garuda Indonesia Lounge The Garuda Indonesia International Lounge at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3 is the flagship facility for the airline. Being the Indonesian flag carrier’s hub, the terminal is home to two adjacent lounges in the international section – a First Class lounge and a Business Class lounge; this review will focus on…
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Review: ANA 787-9 Business Class (CGK-NRT)
ANA flight details Founded in 1952 as Nippon Helicopters, ANA has steadily grown into Japan’s largest carrier, dwarfing its main rival – Japan Airlines. Today, the airline operates a diverse fleet of aircraft, including A321neos, Boeing 737s, 787s, and 777s, flying to a myriad of international destinations from its hubs in Tokyo Haneda and Narita.…
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Review: Garuda Indonesia A330 Business Class (SIN-CGK)
Garuda Indonesia flight details Being a prestige route of sorts, Garuda Indonesia often flies its long-haul widebody planes on its flights to Singapore. I have flown both the airline’s newest Airbus A330-900neo and the oldest Airbus A330-300 Business Class on this route. As I rushed to book this flight, I didn’t think twice and assumed…
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Review: Marhaba Lounge Terminal 3 (SIN)
Marhaba Lounge Marhaba (or ‘hello’ in Arabic) is a chain of airport lounges operated by the Dubai-based airport ground services provider, dnata. The Marhaba Lounge is one of two contract lounges in Terminal 3 (the other being the SATS Premier Lounge), a terminal otherwise populated mostly by Singapore Airlines lounges. I have previously reviewed Changi…
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Review: SriLankan Airlines A330 Business Class (CMB-SIN)
SriLankan Airlines flight details SriLankan Airlines operates a sub-fleet of seven Airbus A330-300s for premium long-haul routes to London and Paris, equipped with the airline’s best inflight product. Of its Southeast Asian destinations, Singapore is the only route to consistently be flown by these flagship aircraft. As I’ve mentioned in my previous instalment, I was meant…
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Review: SriLankan Serendib Lounge Colombo (CMB)
Serendib Lounge Open 24 hours a day, the Serendib Lounge is SriLankan Airlines’ flagship facility at its hub in Bandaranaike International Airport. Named after a historical monicker for Sri Lanka, the lounge is the best at the airport by a long shot. It is dedicated for use exclusively by Business Class passengers travelling on the…
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Review: SriLankan Serenediva Lounge Colombo (CMB)
Serenediva Lounge An analogue to the Serendib Lounge for Business Class passengers, the Serenediva Lounge is SriLankan Airlines’ dedicated lounge for frequent flyers. Open 24 hours a day, it carves a section from the larger Serenediva transit hotel, also operated by the airline. It is a much smaller facility compared to the airline’s flagship lounge,…