Review of Pakistan International Airlines flight Manchester → Lahore in Economy

PIA FLIGHT PK710
MANCHESTER - LAHORE 24FEB10
B777-300
AP-BHW LAHORE-GARDEN OF THE MUGHAL
STD 1830PM
ATD 1930PM

Airports I have seen PIA in or have flown with PIA from/to

MAN/LHR/JFK/DXB/AUH/MUX/LYP/ISB/AMS


Welcome to Flight Report's first ever trip report on PIA - Pakistan International Airlines !!!

Apologies for the lack of photos as the trip report was meant as feedback for PIA and my personal blog. The photo quality is due to varying camera/phones. This trip report dates back to February 2010. The cover photo shows a PIA 747-300 with the world famous Green tail with white PIA lettering. I have purposely used this as my cover photo to mark the first PIA Flight Report and the fact that I have not believed in PIA's livery/tails since 2004. This tail really was powerful and meant a lot to Pakistanis around the world. PIA had once been one of the leading airlines in the world,trained the staff of around 30 airlines at it's Karachi headquarters and was instrumental in helping setup Emirates and Air Malta.

It had been 5 years since I had last flown on PIA .Since that time, I had been lucky enough to actually fulfill my childhood dream to work for PIA. my heart I have always had a deep love for PIA and indeed out of all airlines I have flown with, I have flown the most with PIA. From New York to Jeddah, From Manchester to Lahore, London to Karachi and domestically in Pakistan. I have experienced service that has been acceptable,ok,great ,good and bad. PIA provides a very important nonstop airbridge between the large Pakistani communities in Manchester/Scotland and Pakistan.

As someone who places and values high emphasis on customer service and service levels,it is with a lot of reluctance I chose to book with PIA. have always supported PIA through the good and bad times and when in 1999 I went to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, one of my first prayers in front of the Holy Kaabah was to make PIA a world class airline.

Although PIA was a leading airline in the 60's/70's and 80's, The 90's onwards saw major mismanagement and corruption and PIA's reputation and image went into a nosedive and stayed in that position for a long time.I had no expectations of good service on PIA and simply saw PIA as a way to get from Manchester to Lahore and back.

The flights would be operated by the hi-tech 777-300 aircraft and provide a nonstop service as well as a 40kg baggage allowance in Economy Class. Once again I emphasise I had absolutely no expectation of good service and let's just say I was proved completely wrong in every way ! Here is my story and I hope you enjoy the read. The first flight also marked 2 milestones :

* My 1st time flying on PIA in 5 years
* My 1st time flying on a PIA B777 aircraft

A little history lesson about PIA's liveries

As you can see the 747 was a large part of PIA's longhaul operations for many years.

1979-1991 "The Sohni Dharti Livery" better known simply as "The Gold and Green livery"; the all time favourite when PIA was excelling highly. Sohni Dharti is Punjabi for Beautiful Land. The Green and White represented Pakistan and the Gold represented prosperity and some of Pakistan's Sandy areas.
( photo courteousy of Remi Dallot )


1991-1999 then 2000-2003 "The Sports/Stripes Livery " ( photo courteousy of Kevin Minter )
This livery was introduced in 1991 with smaller Pakistan titles and the "International" was dropped . The livery represented PIA's sponsorship of Pakistani sports.
In 1999,PIA introduced a Euro all white livery with a Pashmina tail and some aircraft went back to the Sports Livery. This particular 747-200 kept the larger Pakistan titles from the 1999-2000 refresh.


1999 saw the induction of 747-300 aircraft and a stepup in passenger comfort and service. PIA introduced a beautiful two tone Green Pashmina tail which also incorporated Pakistani artwork and was a treat to look at,not to mention proudly representing Pakistan on a global scale. Due to a major change in government,the tail was dropped in early 2000 in the middle of a full rebrand exercise.


I am strongly against PIA's livery and tails since 2004,so won't post these here. However,in 2015, to celebrate 60 years of PIA,the airline painted a a 777-200 leased from Vietnam Airlines,in this retro 1960's livery. The tail has been slightly tweaked by me as the actual paint job is wrong ! Whereas a leased A320 of PIA carries the correct tail signage. It was however a joy to see the famous PIA tail on a modern 777 after the mess made of PIA's identity since 2004.



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Using PIA's website is simple and I booked approx 2 weeks ahead of departure. I do feel the website could have a more professional look and be a bit more efficient( i.e. a back key on the booking engine would be so helpful,instead of having to input details for every new flight date you want. Contact Centre Service is always great and Nasir whom I spoke to on the morning of departure, wished me a nice flight and a good experience with PIA.

The flight's STD( Scheduled Departure Time) was at 1830pm. Due to the timing of my lift ,I arrived at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2 at 1500pm. It was a sunny afternoon and really set a nice mood. I noted that check in was already open. The terminal was therefore empty and free of the usual rush of people dropping off relatives ! Although this was of course to come as I was the first few to check in !
PIA was handled at Manchester Airport in 2010 by Servisair Globeground and today's staff looked very well groomed and professional. My check in agent was bubbly and friendly and clearly enjoys her job. My friend and former colleague had arranged Business Class checkin for us so we were met at checkin and whizzed through checkin and also given Fasttrak security invitation ! I had been assigned seats 21L,also known as a window bulkhead row on the 1st row in Economy !

After security,I suddenly,I saw my aircraft on it's inbound flight PK709 from Lahore taxying to it's gate. The aircraft looked huge. This aircraft painted in the Punjab tail design and registered AP-BHW is named Lahore-Garden of the Mughal and inspired bu the tiles of the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore. Said aircraft's tail had for the last few years had a white rudder and part painted tail. Due to the ongoing usage of this aircraft on longhaul routes,PIA no doubt hadn't had the time to get this tail fully painted. Although (thankfully) the Provincial tail designs went and were replaced with the Flag tail ahead of a proposed new livery in 2017. I then got a nice surprise in the Duty Free area.

In the Tax Free shopping area, I saw the cabin crew of my flight PK710 and I have to say they looked very well groomed and professional. The crew were mainly young and I looked forward to getting to know some of them during my flight. I eventually took a seat at Gate 202 ( some 8 gates away from where PIA flight's normally board !).

Despite several calls to board by seat row number almost everyone stood up. I really feel an Urdu announcement would have got the message home but one didn't materialise and although boarding commenced at 1745pm it continued well up to 7pm ! Again I must mention I had no expectation of a great flight and thought I would board and after take off have a meal and go to sleep. How wrong I would be !

Finally, the moment came for me to board my flight. As I excitedly headed through the airbridge I noted that I couldn't smell the usual PIA aroma of biryani,airfreshener and mothballs which all Auntie jees seem to carry !

As I got to the aircraft door, an Airhostess in a mustard Salwar Kameez greeted me with a smile and said "Salaam Alaikum" an Islamic greeting,the main greeting of the Muslim world and Pakistan. Airhostesses of PIA wear Tropical Pink, Mustard Yellow or Jade Green depending on their mood.




As I entered the cabin I noted no boarding music was playing however most passengers had boarded,the cabin hadn't been sprayed but was clean and tidy. I called my friend in PIA that I had been seated. He then surprised me by telling me he had ordered a cake for me to celebrate my 1st PIA 777 flight ! What a lovely gesture I thought.

However the cake was boxed and in a Tesco bag and the Flight Purser came up to me,said "Cake" ! I then asked the crew to store it in the fridge until landing in Lahore ! The Purser later told me that in over 20 years of flying for PIA and carrying movie stars, government officials and VIPs he had never seen a passenger receive a cake ! After a lovely Dua-E-Safar ( pre travel prayer) video, there was a cabin crew welcome and then another by the Captain.Announcements were clear and upbeat all through the flight. The safety video is split into 2 videos and the strange oriental music is an odd combination along with the irritating over the top American accent used for the English version of the safety video. PIA could do with creating a more upbeat video,perhaps using real people instead of cartoons and more attention grabbing music. No water was offered pre-take off as is the norm on most PIA flights.

We then pushed back at 1915pm and all lights were dimmed following the cabin secure check . I noted no Humsafar magazines on the whole row of seats so asked the smart Steward if he could find me a copy ? He knew there were none in Economy and said he would go and check for me. As soon as the Steward went away,the double chime sounded for cabin crew to take their seats. We taxied for a little while longer and then at 1930pm,with over 400 passengers onboard,the 777-300 began it's take off roll down Runway 2. Take off I found was noisy and rough but the engine roar soon died down as it does on take off from Manchester. As we turned right from the airport and levelled off over Manchester,the city looked beautiful this evening with lights illuminating the whole landscape.The aircraft climbed for a good 30-40 minutes and then began levelling out.
Earphones are now offered in Economy for the Inflight Entertainment and unlike those on Qatar Airways the PIA ones are comfortable and sound clarity is terrific. Business Class passengers get the standard headsets ( which I prefer !).
Bulkhead seats on the PIA 777-300's row 21 ( and I am sure most airlines) are not meant for someone of my bulky build and the various buttons for the inseat video screen and traytable can cause problems as I found out in the last hour of my flight as both trouser pockets of my expensive suit got caught on the buttons and ripped my trouser pockets thereby revealing my boxer shorts ! It was thanks to some pins from y wife and other passemgers that we managed to keep face ! Thankfully this Mr Bean style incident occured in the very last part of the flight ! The particular seating area me and my wife sat in is formerly Economy Plus,also known as P class. Rows 22 onwards upto the wall all offer increased legroom as such !

Also, sitting on the bulkhead row means that if you are on an overnight flight and want some shut eye,bring eyeshades ! This is due to the wall mounted tv monitor which displays Airshow moving map and VisitPakistan adverts throughout the flight ! The glare is most annoying and prevents proper sleep and I do hope PIA start handing out eyeshades as a result ! One thing however that does help a lot, is the mood lighting which alleviates jetlag. I can vouch for this as normally it takes me 2 days to get over my jetlag when flying to Pakistan but after this flight I landed at 0740am,had a 3 hour road journey home,slpet at 4pm for 3 hours and was up the whole night !!!!!!!!!!!!!It really does work !

Not long after take off a video was shown on how to operate seat functions and how to use the toilets. Both very useful videos and they certainly work as the cabin was in pristine condition and the toilets kept meticulously clean throughout. Again,sitting on the bulkhead means queues for the washrooms as well as the occassional smell of people's deposits !
I walked to the galley for a quick stretch and the Steward I had asked to get a Humsafar before take off,immediately got me a Time International and an Urdu magazine ! I scoured the aircraft and found some magazines behind the seat on row 50( 1st row after washroom). And finally I got a copy of Humsafar although it was a November/December 2009 issue ! Inside was a lovely article on PIA's female cabin crew uniforms through the years. The cover featured Benazir Bhutto and the back cover had a fight terrorism advert. I'm unsure if such content is appropriate for an inflight magazine. Further back in the aircraft was a selection of Pakistani newspapers on the magazines rack.

I then went back to my seat satisfied with my find and suddenly the Senior Purser walked up to me and asked if I was " Mr SkyLion?". I said yes and he smilingly shook my hand. He mentioned the letter I had handed to him before take off and how he had read it with interest. The letter had included information on my love and affection for PIA and my desire to see the airline return to it's rightful place among the best airlines in the world as well as information on myself and where I work etc as well as a request for some PIA items for my collection. When I had initially passed the letter to an Airhostess during boarding to give to the Senior Purser, she had jokingly asked if she could read the letter !
Through the natural course of things none of the request in the lettter were met ! This is due to me overly enjoying PIA's inflight entertainment and superior service !

The 2 cabin crew in my section,a Flight Steward and an Airhostess offered exceptional service throughout the flight. They were flexible in handling requests,spoke flawless English and never once let their smile slip during the flight. They won every passenger's heart and I certainly hope they are recognised for their efforts and get promotion when this due. During one of my frequent strolls,the Flight Purser said that he has been with PIA over 25 years and has flown government officials,VIPs,celebrities and many upper class figures but never has he seen anyone get a cake ! I advised him that this had been arranged through my friend in PIA. The Purser recognised me from my time in PIA Manchester Airport.

I felt as though I was the crew's friend and they too treated me as such. Then again the 2 lovely PIA ambassadors in my section made such a good impression on me that it was hard not to feel valued and special ! I did however note other crewmembers further back in the aircraft simply doing their job with not much feeling or a smile. I asked the Purser about the menu and I was told there are 3 options : Pakistani, Western and Vegetarian. I opted for the Pakistani choice which had a garden saled with Italian dressing, bread roll and butter, "Seviyan" or vermicelli pudding,tea,coffee and unlimited soft drinks and the signature dish was Murgh Mughlai,Jeera Pilau Rice and Vegetable Jalfrezi. PIA is one of the few Muslim airlines to not serve Alcohol ( Mashallah) and offer toothpicks in Economy Class ! Small thing but big impession. Tea and Coffee are served in Business Class style with you putting your cup on a tray offered by the crew and choosing your own creamer/sugar etc. The neutral cutlery pack lacked any PIA branding and looked very low cost rather than full service.

Not long after the trays were collected and stowed the obligatory queues for the washrooms began ! I once again went for a stretch and the chatty Flight Purser was opening the Duty Free trolley in the galley. The trolley now is now more attractive in a see through format so you can see all products on display. I asked if aircraft models were being sold( to complement my more than £200.00 collection) at home. However only the cheap plastic Schabak ones I got years ago were on offer so I declined to purchase these. I then took my seat. In what must have been a few seconds the Duty Free Trolley came into the cabin and on one side was the Flight Purser and on the other a very smart and smily Steward . As soon as the Steward saw me he smiled and asked if I would like to purchase Duty Free ? I asked for a Skyshop brochure and said I would see him in a few moments. By the time I had decided on a bottle of Chrome Aftershave, the Steward had passed into the send Economy Cabin. I got up and went to him and asked the price of Chrome. By the way I must mention that if you want to claim points for Awards Plus ( 1 point per dollar spent) you must ask for a receipt. Chrome was retailing at a bargaintastic £27.50 !

I went back to my seat to get the money and on returning to the Steward asked if there were any free gifts as PIA sometimes offer with Duty Free Purchases ? The Steward beamed his lovely smile and said the gift he could offer would be to personally bring the aftershave to my seat ! I commented that PIA's service is great today and noted several passengers smiling ! This Steward's cheery attitude certainly was refreshing and a true delight to see. Again it was as if I was interacting with a close and dear friend than a cabin crew member ! During the flight I chatted to the Steward as I believed I had seen him on Facebook via PIA contacts. He told me he comes to Manchester at least once a month, so hopefully on his next trip I will get the chance to meet him as we have exchanged email addresses.

PIA's inflight entertainment service has always been great and the 777's advanced AVOD (Audio and Video on Demand) simply magnifies the enjoyment ! The audio channel I always make a beeline for is the Instrumental channel and this is exclusive to PIA. I really enjoyed the zabardast tune Pyar Ki Ek,apparently from a film or album called Intezar. Can't find it on youtube or yahoo.com though ! Also liked listening to Kuch Loag Root Ke….PIA's instrumental selection was all from the 70's/80's and I missed the modern era sitar instrumentals !

The absence of an IFE magazine made chossing programmes at a glance difficult as you have to access every audio and video menu. Moviewise,the latest Bollywood,Lollywood and Hollywood blockbusters were on show incuding Golmaal Returns. The Pakistani pop audio channel should be renamed Bombay Mix as it plays mainly popular songs from Bollywood movies ! The games selection means you certainly won't get bored and Fix the Pix seemed to be a great way to while away the hours !

Comfy pillows were on most seats and blankets available on request. The moodlighting's night sky and stars effect is mystical. The call bell was never answered however I was served well throughout the flight. There is an announcement towards the end of the flight asking passengers to fill out comment cards so PIA can measure the quality of service provided !

The cabin was sprayed some 4 hours into the flight with an unbelievably bad smelling spray.

Pre landing a snack is offered but a hot breakfast would have been valued. Instead we got a fruitcake,tea,coffee and softdrinks/juices, a sachet of ketchup to complement the smelly chicken sandwich which had a side serving of lettuce and an olive. Like I said, a hot breakfast was much more appropriate. A neighbour asked for a veggie sandwich and although the Purser said there weren't any, the Flight Steward immediately got one which was very much appreciated. Trays were then collected and the securing of the cabin began.

Children by the way are served the kids meal ( if ordered) 1st and are also offered colouring books/games. I was informed by 1 crew member that on flights Pakistan-UK/Europe kids games/packs are loaded but not handed out as they are only handed out on flights TO Pakistan ????? Very strange considering that today's children are PIA's future passengers ! A rucksack with a PIA logo and some toys/games would really create a lasting impression on PIA's little passengers but the airline doesn't seem to feel this way. As Awais came to remove the bassinett from my row I thanked him for his wonderful service and wished him progress in PIA.

I did find it odd that crew came round with bags in which you could dump trash,earphones,half full drinks cups,blankets etc ???!!!!

Before landing a Pakistani immigration/Lahore Airport/Welcome to Pakistan video would all have been valued but non were shown ! Our area Airhostess specially came to say Allah Hafiz as she was going to take her seat in the back. I found this to be very personal and nice as she had indeed looked after me the whole way.

We then made a smooth landing into Lahore at 0736am and after Business+Plus passengers disembarked, we were the 1st off ! I shook Steward Awais' hand as I left and an Airhostess in a pink Salwar Kameez was at the door saying Allah Hafiz with a smile. Parked wither side of aour aircraft was an Antonov AN42 ANTONOV DESIGN BUREAU and also a PIA 777 and also an A310 named Taxila and registered AP-BGN.

Although through my contacts I recieved passport clearance within about 5 minutes of leaving the aircraft, I had to wait around 2 hours for my bags !!!!!!! It didn't help that Riyadh,Abu Dhabi,Kuwait and Manchester passenger's baggage was all on the same carousel ! Also, please note that Porters will try and fleece you as much as they can with their sweet talks and overniceness. The rate for their assistance is a mere PKR250.00.

So there we have it ! Part 1 of my PIA experience and I give it 10/10 ! The best ever PIA flight I have had by a long shot…



AP-BHW with the part painted tail. The tail has since been painted into the 2010 flag livery.


AP-BHW at Manchester with a full painted tail


Mini 777 !



Minar-E-Pakistan. The Eiffel Tower of Pakistan. There is now also a replica Eiffel Tower in Lahore !