The "Widget" Comes to Dubai
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 655
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From: Magic Kingdom
DL has lots of 767's even some of the old GF ones.
On a separate note: Why DXB-ATL and not DXB-JFK? Just curious as ATL would provide much more feeder traffic for the flight so I can pretty much guess their reasoning.
On a separate note: Why DXB-ATL and not DXB-JFK? Just curious as ATL would provide much more feeder traffic for the flight so I can pretty much guess their reasoning.
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Out on the catwalk
Okay, at the risk of displaying my ignorance, I have to ask: would someone please explain the "Widget" reference?
I've spoken to a former Atlanta Center controller, as well as some other Yanks, who's never heard of it either - Cockney rhyming slang, perhaps?
I'll brace myself for the response.
I've spoken to a former Atlanta Center controller, as well as some other Yanks, who's never heard of it either - Cockney rhyming slang, perhaps?
I'll brace myself for the response.
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 987
Likes: 0
From: 24 27 45.66N 54 22 42.28E
I don't know officially what the load factors have been, but on the flights to and from Atlanta this Summer the flights were packed (mostly filled with military men going home from Iraq/Afghanistan etc etc etc.). A couple of points though,
1. They charge $5 per alcoholic drink after your "complimentary" drink with dinner???!!!??? Maybe I am used to Cathay/Singapore/Emirates/Etihad/Malaysian but that seems a bit rough.
2. They have some free movies, but for a lot of them it is $5 to watch, and $2.50 to watch HBO TV series like Band of Brothers and Sex in the City. Thats $2.50 per episode!!??!!! Again maybe spoilt on all the airlines above but after shelling out 4,000 dirhams (plus 2,500 dirhams extra cos I had to change my dates ???!!??) this seems a bit cheeky.
3. Even when request for baby basinette is made on booking no plans are made to accomodate that until checkin so we were allocated normal economy seats in the middle of the cabin and apart from each other, even though we had a 2 year old (had his own seat purchased) and a 2 month old. So both legs we had to have everyones seats shuffled around to accomodate us. See airlines above to see operators that don't do it this way.
Bottom line is Delta have to realise that to compete with Asian airlines they need to up their standards otherwise they will continue to lose money. Having travelled United the year before I can see why American carriers are all bankrupt.
Oh, and why are all the cabin crew older than my grand mother. Personally I would be worried in an accident that they would all be in the aisle with broken hips instead of being in a position to help evacuate the passengers. Seriously the youngest cabin crew I saw on either leg would have been a 45 ish year old guy, and the rest were 50 +.
1. They charge $5 per alcoholic drink after your "complimentary" drink with dinner???!!!??? Maybe I am used to Cathay/Singapore/Emirates/Etihad/Malaysian but that seems a bit rough.
2. They have some free movies, but for a lot of them it is $5 to watch, and $2.50 to watch HBO TV series like Band of Brothers and Sex in the City. Thats $2.50 per episode!!??!!! Again maybe spoilt on all the airlines above but after shelling out 4,000 dirhams (plus 2,500 dirhams extra cos I had to change my dates ???!!??) this seems a bit cheeky.
3. Even when request for baby basinette is made on booking no plans are made to accomodate that until checkin so we were allocated normal economy seats in the middle of the cabin and apart from each other, even though we had a 2 year old (had his own seat purchased) and a 2 month old. So both legs we had to have everyones seats shuffled around to accomodate us. See airlines above to see operators that don't do it this way.
Bottom line is Delta have to realise that to compete with Asian airlines they need to up their standards otherwise they will continue to lose money. Having travelled United the year before I can see why American carriers are all bankrupt.
Oh, and why are all the cabin crew older than my grand mother. Personally I would be worried in an accident that they would all be in the aisle with broken hips instead of being in a position to help evacuate the passengers. Seriously the youngest cabin crew I saw on either leg would have been a 45 ish year old guy, and the rest were 50 +.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
From: Magic Kingdom
Okay, at the risk of displaying my ignorance, I have to ask: would someone please explain the "Widget" reference?
I've spoken to a former Atlanta Center controller, as well as some other Yanks, who's never heard of it either - Cockney rhyming slang, perhaps?
I'll brace myself for the response.
I've spoken to a former Atlanta Center controller, as well as some other Yanks, who's never heard of it either - Cockney rhyming slang, perhaps?
I'll brace myself for the response.
Not sure why, but as soon as I was the "widget" reference, I figured it out.
Been hanging around the brits for too long I suppose
Last edited by Desert Diner; 9th September 2007 at 15:23.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
From: UAE
From the ATC perspective
I have to say that the Delta pilots that I have spoken to thus far have been great.
OK it may take them 10 or 15 miles to drawl back that readback
but at least they listen out, answer first time, and use their callsign! Qatari and Indian Air pilots please take note!
OK it may take them 10 or 15 miles to drawl back that readback
but at least they listen out, answer first time, and use their callsign! Qatari and Indian Air pilots please take note!
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 284
Likes: 0
From: in a van, down by the river
AirNoServeAus,
That was too funny! But that is so typical of ALL North American carriers. Just got back from the land of snow and it was the same bloody thing with AC?!?! We weren't dragging any kids with us, but saw what the people who were had to go through. I pitied them. On the flight over, if I wasnt the 1 billionth ass to have sat in that seat then I must have bean the 1 billionth and 1! I like how the frame of the seat starts digging into your backside just prior to push back! At least on your flight you had the option of renting a video, AC still had a single screen about 45 row ahead on the bulkhead! Oh and the variety of what to watch?!?! not to mentin the bragging of XM radio in the on board magazine, ...but not on this beat up old 67!! Must be on the 'other' airplanes?? Doing the other 8 hour flights. What am I talking about XM radio for, the music system went down about 10 minutes after we plugged the headset in. OH, I forgot to mention the nasty long black hair I found half way through my chicken!! like i wasnt enjoying the flight enough, they thru in a balck hair for good measures. lufthansa who we code shared with, well that was another story. They were pretty good. Better then ol' AC at least. but what I thought was the best touch was the metal utensils. Sure beat trying to butter a piece of bread with that slightly-harder-then-elastic knife AC gave us!! I'm surprised really, because the costs saving plan the have implemented with the wages they offer the front seaters I was sure they could have afforded reusable metal utensils?!!? So I'm thinking Business Class next trip for sure, right? But the stale green vomit colored Biz class decor I'm sure would have had us on the Gravel pills from about top of cruise. But on the upside, when its all over and you are finally released, at least flying on the National Carrier gives you a prefered gate which means you dont have far to walk to get your bags.
...and that's how my Summer Trip Home 2007 edition started?!?! Stay tuned for the 2008 edition.
That was too funny! But that is so typical of ALL North American carriers. Just got back from the land of snow and it was the same bloody thing with AC?!?! We weren't dragging any kids with us, but saw what the people who were had to go through. I pitied them. On the flight over, if I wasnt the 1 billionth ass to have sat in that seat then I must have bean the 1 billionth and 1! I like how the frame of the seat starts digging into your backside just prior to push back! At least on your flight you had the option of renting a video, AC still had a single screen about 45 row ahead on the bulkhead! Oh and the variety of what to watch?!?! not to mentin the bragging of XM radio in the on board magazine, ...but not on this beat up old 67!! Must be on the 'other' airplanes?? Doing the other 8 hour flights. What am I talking about XM radio for, the music system went down about 10 minutes after we plugged the headset in. OH, I forgot to mention the nasty long black hair I found half way through my chicken!! like i wasnt enjoying the flight enough, they thru in a balck hair for good measures. lufthansa who we code shared with, well that was another story. They were pretty good. Better then ol' AC at least. but what I thought was the best touch was the metal utensils. Sure beat trying to butter a piece of bread with that slightly-harder-then-elastic knife AC gave us!! I'm surprised really, because the costs saving plan the have implemented with the wages they offer the front seaters I was sure they could have afforded reusable metal utensils?!!? So I'm thinking Business Class next trip for sure, right? But the stale green vomit colored Biz class decor I'm sure would have had us on the Gravel pills from about top of cruise. But on the upside, when its all over and you are finally released, at least flying on the National Carrier gives you a prefered gate which means you dont have far to walk to get your bags.
...and that's how my Summer Trip Home 2007 edition started?!?! Stay tuned for the 2008 edition.
Last edited by JoeCo; 12th September 2007 at 17:10.
