Review: Gulf Air Business Class A330 London To Bahrain

"While it’s perhaps embarrassing for a grown ass man, I do have a tendency to collect airline teddy bears."

Ass man? Teddy bears? Is this code language? 😉

All that food? Stay in shape for Nick Jonas and the like.

Excellent review! I await parts 4 to 40.

Hey Ben,

Just wanted to let you know that the "outrageously tasty chocolate cake thing" is a Lamington, a popular Aussie dessert. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamington)

Best,
Todd

a) Gulf Air's lamb shank remains one of the best airplane meals I have ever had (and this was 10 years ago!).

b) You can get an e-Visa for Bahrain in advance that will save you the visa-on-arrival hassles. It codes as travel when purchased online so you can earn double miles for this with relevant cards.

https://www.evisa.gov.bh/

looks pretty good to me for a 7 hr flight in J. that chocolate cake thing is called a lamington, it's an aussie dessert. is the biz seat on this aircraft fully lie-flat with a cubbyhole for the feet? i thought i recalled seeing a photo of the seat with that annoying footrest thing at the bottom.

@ pavel -- Nope, the cubby isn't for your feet. The seat is fully flat, and your legs simply go on the footrest when fully extended.

What do you DO with the collection? It would seem weird and really impractical to drag dozens of teddy bears around the world. I'm trying to visualize explaining the bears to a customs agent.

"Ass man? Teddy bears? Is this code language?"

Based on the Hawaii Five-0 pic he posted, I'm guessing he isn't a fan of bears...

"Back in the day they were a leader in the Middle East'

Don't forget, back in the day, they were co-owned by Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Oman. Once the latter all decided to start their own airlines and pulled out, poor Bahrain was left alone. And, as possibly the poorest of the GCC, doesn't have natural resources to fund/subsidize it's airline...

Thanks for the report.

@Christian - presumably easy to explain away as gifts.

@ Christian -- Hah, I leave them at home with my parents. When I get a place of my own again one day I guess I'll proudly display them there. 😉

"I was quickly offered a pre-departure beverage, with the choice between lemon juice, orange juice, and water. I selected the former."

"The former" can only refer to an item in a list of two.

Ben - you compare Gulf to Ethiad and Emirates, but leave out Qatar. Curious where you would include their international J product in that ranking of 4?

I'll have my first Qatar experience later this week, so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

@ Lucky - Have you flown on a military aircraft before? Just curious on the military pilot "feeling" comment. I'm guessing you are assuming that's how a military pilot would fly a commercial aircraft?

"These seemed to be military pilots, because their flying was really abrupt. For example, when the plane rotated there was nothing gradual about the climb, but it was almost like he flicked his wrist once he reached the “rotate” speed."

@ BP -- Military pilot as in that's their background. There's a difference in how military pilots fly vs. those that learned to fly purely for commercial aviation, IME.

One error in your write-up: The best episodes of Hawaii-5-0 are undoubtedly actually the "V for Vashon" trilogy. Of those three episodes, this one is the best if one has to pick only one: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0598237/

yay for lamingtons!
best stuff on earth.

Thanks for this. Have the choice to fly back to LHR on miles in business rom AUH on EY and BA via Doha (or GF the whole way via Bahrain. What would be your vote for better service and product??
Thanks!

@ Zach -- Qatar is all over there in terms of quality, in my opinion. On their 777s it's a mediocre product, given that they're just standard forward facing seats. However, on their A350, A380 and 787 it's a top notch business class product.

@ Charlie -- All else being equal I'd choose Etihad, then Gulf Air, then BA, I think.

Thanks Lucky. No Etihad availability to LHR so would be etihad to Doha (with a stop at the QR lounge which I think we can get into on a BA club ticket) and then BA on from there or GF from AUH to Bahrain and then on to LHR on the red eye. So overall you reckon GF trumps BA???... Thanks!

@ Charlie -- That's a toughie. If it's an award booking then I'd go Gulf Air since you wouldn't pay fuel surcharges. Otherwise if everything is otherwise equal I might connect through Doha since it's a much nicer airport.

That was a reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy ssssssssssslllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww flight, Lucky:

Distance to Destination: 70km

Time to Destination: 1:18

How much was the teddy bear ?

How strange they were serving lamingtons? They are an Aussie cake - basically our national dessert (fighting for that position with Pavlova and ANZAC biscuits/cookies). They even look correct! The key is the very finely desiccated coconut covering the cake.

Are you going through something emotional right now? This just read very sad.
Cedric's cute; You clearly liked him. Exchange numbers?

@ Mike S. -- I want to say ~$20.

Never thought I'd see a Royal College of Surgeon's in Ireland show in an airline

That is a seriously adorable teddy bear. Which have you found more interesting to collect: the Rimowa cases, or the teddy bears?

@ Prin -- Don't make me choose! 😀

Hi,

I am a big fun for this glorious airlines,

I have flight in few months with them,

Can you tell me more about the cabin crew, why do you think that they will leave gulf air and works for emirates if they have the chance ?

As I know that gulf air operates 9 cabin attendants in their 330 (4 for J & 5 for Y)

Did you face any hard turbulance & do you have pictures for the crew ?

Regards,

@ Golden Flyer -- The flight was smooth, and no, I didn't take any pictures of the crew. Sorry.

Well, Welcome to Bahrain!

I was quite surprised that our "national carrier" had a decent business class. With all the troubles we hear about it every now and then in local news papers, I was under the impression that it descended into LCC levels of service.

Hi, just wondering if you ever have flown easyjet? They have two cute teddy bears, and an A319 and A320 model for £12 each! (£12 for 2 teddys or 2 models) I will defenitely buy the teddys for my wee cousins. Excuse the Northern Irish slang and mobile typos!
Would you fly on an airplane just to get a teddy bear, amenity kit, free headphones, rubber ducks, etc etc?

@ JMR -- Haven't yet, but I'm tempted if they have teddy bears!

Is it just me or are these posts getting gayer by the day?

Is the teddy bear for sale?
I would buy it from you 🙂

Hi Ben!

I'm travelling from Manila to Paris via Bahrain with Gulf Air (Business class), was your ride bumpy or had a lot of turbulence? because they use an A330-200, which is kinda small. I'm kinda worried since my mom is old and she really doesnt want to experience those things and she panics a lot. And to add, to they have a vegetarian meal? Thank you so much!

I've flown Gulf Air in first class when I was a child. It was a code share between TWA (now American) and Gulf Air. The Golden Falcon L1011. Gulf Air has an order for 787s in 2018.

This version of the A330-200 operated by GF has 30 seats, 2 rows between doors 1 and 2 and then another 3 rows aft.

The other version operated has 8 old first class seats sold as falcon gold between doors 1 and 2, then economy aft.

Where do you get the 3 rows before door 2?
Can you not count.

Hey Lucky

I'm flying this route next month to AUH in gold class, i usually like seat 1A but sadly i wasnt quick enough off the mark back down in 5A is that right next to the economy cabin or is there a barrier ie not just a curtain .

Flying from Bahrain to Moscow, flight GF12 in business. A catastrophy. I have used Gulf Air long time ago. I remember Gulf Air as a correct company. Therefore I choice this airline as I should travel the all night.
The crew was OK, but the seats were old fashion without possibility to sleep as they were more or less out of order, with the only possibility to seat and not lay down.
As I should work the day after, I was very tired and had a bad day.
It was waste of money using Business class from Gulf Air.