Georgia on my mind...
Written: Nov 16 '03 (Updated Nov 16 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Western aircraft, clean, quite comfortable
Cons: Not much warmth, disorganised boarding, meal quite poor.
The Bottom Line: ---
|
|
|
| vodkaboy's Full Review: Airzena Georgian Airlines |
AirZena Georgian Airlines, the national airline of Georgia (the country, not the state!) was formed in 1999 when two small private airlines, Air Georgia and Air Zena, were merged.
They are based in Tbilisi, Georgia and operate a fleet of two Boeing 737s leased from Germany. They also have their predecessors' aircraft, a handful of Tupolevs and an Ilyushin but there are rarely used nowadays.
In spring 2003, two of the three European airlines flying to Tbilisi suspended their flights, as their licences were either refused, or severely restricted. This was allegedly because they were being forced to sign agreements with AirZena that they did not want, so they refused. The result has been that AirZena now have a near monopoly on flights between Georgia and Europe.
I flew with AirZena recently, in business class. Having heard so much rumour about the goings on, I was looking forward to seeing what travellers to and from Georgia have to look forward to.
Check In
I arrived in good time and check in was quick and smooth, if not exactly warm and friendly - but not unpleasant either. I asked for, and was given, a window seat. I had only carry on baggage, which I was permitted to take.
The flight was called an hour before departure, summoning everyone to Tbilisi airport's one and only departures gate. The plane load of people were all ushered through the security check to wait at the gate. About twenty minutes later, the boarding started for real.
There are no air bridges at Tbilisi airport, so everyone has to talk down the ramp to the ground floor then take a bus out to the plane. Then of course everyone is pushing and pressing forward, trying to get quickly to the steps. There is no priority given to mothers with babies or elderly; it is everyone for themself. Not so bad in the autumn, but I would not look forward to it in winter!
On board
The aircraft looked clean and tidy, both inside and out. There was a stewardess standing just inside the door, welcoming everyone on board, dressed in a smart red uniform.
My seat was in row 3, so I made myself comfortable in the third row, then when someone appeared and told me I was in his seat I discovered that the third row is actually row 4. There is no row 1...the first row is Row 2. Make sense? So sheepishly I moved.
The seats in business class were two on each side of the aisle. The leg room was a little tight for business class, but the seats were wide and fairly comfortable. A small tray table slid out from under the armrest, to place a glass. The seatback recline was limited - not much at all. Okay for shorter flights but I would not want to spend a night in it! My seatback was not quite stable, it rocked slightly whenever I sat back. There was a footrest under the seat in front.
The decor was tasteful; the floor was blue wool carpet, in two shades of blue, and the seats upholstered in a different shade of blue, with a rose trim.
Departure
Business class passengers were offered a pre-departure drink of juice or Borjomi, a sparkling Georgian mineral water, with the emphasis on "mineral".
There were TV sets overhead, which were used to play the safety briefing video. There were lots of shorts of people getting onto the plane, smiling stewardesses waving, all to a backing track of the music from "Chariots of Fire". It was played twice, with the voiceover in Georgian and then Russian, with the "Chariots of Fire" music going throughout.
In flight
Head phones were distributed free of charge. There was no video to watch, but there were some channels of music. I found the headphone socket on the very front of the armrest, and found the channel indicator showing it was set on channel six, but I could not find any way to change the channel.
The TVs showed a moving-map throughout the flight, so we could follow the progress.
There was no in-flight magazine, the seat pocket contained only a safety instruction card.
Food and drink
After departure, the stewardess took drinks orders then distributed the drinks with a meal.
The meal tray contained a plate of cold cuts, a few slices each of cheese and ham. There was a small tomato and cucumber salad, in a wafer thin plastic container. There was a hot main course of chicken, beef or fish. I chose the chicken, which was a rather dry piece of breast on a mound of watery buckwheat. Desert was a fruit salad made of tinned fruit; a chocolate bar and two chocolate biscuits. The meal was accompanied by two bread rolls. Overall, the cold cuts and salad were ok, but the main course was disappointing.
After the meal was cleared away, I reclined my seat the full couple of inches and slept for the rest of the flight.
Arrival
The crew did the usual seatbelt checks before landing. Almost as soon as we turned off the runway, after a smooth landing, cell phones started ringing.
We parked up a little way from the terminal and again there was a bus to take us in. The stewardess was stood at the door saying goodbye as we left.
Summary
Overall the flight was reasonably comfortable. The Boeings were clean and tidy and the seats were ok for a few hours but I would not look forward to spending the night in them. The food was a bit substandard - I have had much better on Aeroflot and other airlines from the area. The service lacked any warmth of friendliness, but that is the norm over here. Nothing special, but the western aircraft are probably a plus for the more nervous flyer.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
vodkaboy
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Location: Somewhere over here
Reviews written: 168
Trusted by: 72 members
About Me:
I've been thinking. That's an improvement.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.