Air Astana KC901 ALA-LHR

Having completed my work in Almaty, it was time to fly home again. This time (maybe because I’d done a good job at Air Astana), they offered to upgrade me to business class and so the report is worth continuing…

The international check-in desks at ALA are “protected” by a customs check-point, and passengers for Air Astana flight KC901 were only allowed through to the check-in desks two hours before the flight was due to depart – having arrived at the airport slightly before that time (the fault of the hotel that suggested I be at the airport “at least two hours prior to departure”!). When the check-in desks were opened and the passengers let through, check-in was very efficient and quick – at least for business class passengers, although at this early stage of the check-in process there were only a few passengers waiting for the economy desks too. My baggage was despatched into the depths of the airport appropriately “priority” tagged (although I sometimes question the benefit of such tagging, as it seems they are sometimes treated rather disdainfully, especially on arrival at LHR).

Outbound immigration was relatively perfunctory (photo taken on a web-cam type camera a la USA, passport stamped), and security efficient – laptop separate, belts off being the mirroring the usual elsewhere these days.
ALA’s modern terminal is not huge and the international departure lounge would be quite packed should there be two 757 loads waiting to depart. However, at 10:45 the next departure was the London flight at 12:30 and the following flight was an Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi at 14:30 and therefore passenger numbers were not too much of an issue. The international departure area has a single fairly small and simple common-use business class lounge, a large duty free shop, a small café charging rather extortionate prices (equivalent of almost GBP£2.50 for a bottle of coke, whereas the vending machine land side charge around GBP£0.40), and views of the ramp and runway through two layers of glass. Aside from the assorted Soviet hardware dumped around the ramps, several of Air Astana’s Airbus, Boeings and Fokkers were parked around the ramp, and again the glorious IL-18 UP-I1804 was seen performing a rather noisy start and smoky departure.

Two Air Astana 757s sat on the ramp – P4-FAS and P4-MAS. Hoping for the latter, the London flight was sadly allocated to the former so it was to be the same aeroplane as I flew out on. I was quite surprised to see that the baggage was loaded in pieces, rather than containerised. Boarding for KC901 was called around 20 minutes before scheduled departure time, again through one of the four jetway served contact gates in front of the terminal. The boarding process was somewhat disorganised – no distinction was made for business class passengers – and very slow due to the close scrutiny each passenger’s passport and boarding was given at the top of the jetway.

Turning left at the L2 door gave sight gave first sight of a 20-seat business class cabin. Seats were again covered in blue leather at a fair pitch, with in seat audio but again no PTVs. Air Astana’s business class seats are of a mechanical cradle type, with a good recline but by no means offering a lay-flat option. As with the economy cabin, the interior was clean but fairly well worn. Champagne (fizzy wine?) was offered, in addition to water and juices, prior to departure and boiled fruit sweets were also distributed just as pushback occurred. Doors closed and departure were around twenty minutes late, seemingly primarily due to the convoluted boarding process the resulted in passengers still coming down the jetway some fifteen minutes after STD. Nineteen of the twenty business class seats were occupied. A short taxi to ALA’s long runway and an immediate takeoff got KC901 airborne around 25 minutes after STD.

Climbing into clear skies, this time the cabin crew were let loose fairly soon after takeoff, although again passengers were kept strapped in until top-of-climb. Amenity packs were again offered, these being somewhat better than those offered in economy class and included, with shades, socks, toothbrush and paste, ear plugs, safety razor, lip balm etc. As there are no PTVs on Air Astana’s 757s, portable digital players and in-ear headsets were offered to business class passengers, the players being pre-loaded with around 15 new release and classic movies, a selection of TV shorts (that were also played on the overhead monitors), an increased audio selection over that offered through the seat, and several games. The digital players had plenty of battery power for the entire flight, and could be hung over a strap on the seat in front so that they didn’t encroach on table-space.

Menus were brought around as pre-dinner drinks were offered, with the selection including a good range of spirits, wines, beer and soft drinks. Meal service was accomplished onto linen cloths with each course being served separately – an appetiser of mozzarella and picked herring (nice) was followed by a salad with balsamic dressing (good); then spicy pumpkin soup (nice – only the second time I’ve been offered soup in flight – the first being on Delta first class over 20 years ago); a choice of chicken stuffed with goats cheese and tomato (far too hot and somewhat over cooked), beef, or stuffed trout; desert; cheese; and finally tea or coffee. On the whole, the meal service was not a bad offer and was served by very efficient and friendly staff.

The flight progressed overhead Moscow and onwards through eastern Europe and northern Germany, the Netherlands and thence over the UK to Clacton VOR. The digital players provided plenty of entertainment, the cabin crew offered further drinks on a regular basis, the seats were comfortable and the flight smooth. Some seven hours after departing ALA, things were looking good for an on-time arrival despite the delayed departure, and this continued right up to the point where KC901 was put into the BPK hold for four holds after which a rather extended downwind for Heathrow’s runway 09L put the flight on the ground about 20 minutes behind scheduled arrival time. A rather extended taxi over to terminal 4, with an extended wait to cross runway 09R, meant that the flight blocked on around 40 minutes behind schedule. However, as the flight was parked on one of the gates closest to the immigration facilities, quick deplaning and a very short walk put Air Astana’s passengers into the very congested immigration hall within very short order. Having used IRIS (for which there was no queue), I was in the baggage hall ten minutes before the bags, but surprisingly the “priority” bags did seem to be the first up on the carousel.

A

Although I am a little skeptical of the 757s existence in 1898! :eek::D

Dammit! 😮 1989! :p