[audioholic]

I was on a Singapore airlines flight from Changi to BLR on their new A359. One strange thing that happened prior to landing was they did not turn off the cabin lights even though they announced that they would do so. I travel abroad regularly and this is the first time an airline has missed to do this, even after announcing. End of the day, it was a smooth flight and uneventful, but I was wondering how much of a lapse this would be. As far as I understand it is a guideline to turn off the cabin lights during take off and landing to help the eyes adjust to outside darkness. Was wondering if this is ok to be missed or is a big deal for the cabin crew or Pilots to face since it was a very obvious miss.
OTOH, I liked the cabin of the A359 as well as its ride(flight) quality. While returning to BLR, my seat was towards the rear end of the plane and yet the noise was negligible. However, the same area on a B777 or even the A380 is noisy. However, I am not sure of the direct competitor, ie 787. Could hardly hear the engine spool up during take off.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I was on a Singapore airlines flight from Changi to BLR on their new A359. One strange thing that happened prior to landing was they did not turn off the cabin lights even though they announced that they would do so.

Was wondering if this is ok to be missed or is a big deal for the cabin crew or Pilots to face since it was a very obvious miss.

IMO, this is not a minor issue. If they missed something today, they may miss something more major tomorrow.

I think the captain no more controls these things directly though he stands responsible for everything ultimately. The cabin crew controls all these matters from a touchscreen, where all the landing conditions for the cabin shall ideally be fulfilled in one touch, through an automated program. Either the crew did not execute that program or the program might have been edited inadvertently to skip cabin lights switch-off or the hardware failed to switch off the lights in spite of the command from the program.

Aviation experts can throw more light on this.

[the_skyliner]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I was on a Singapore airlines flight from Changi to BLR on their new A359. One strange thing that happened prior to landing was they did not turn off the cabin lights even though they announced that they would do so. Was wondering if this is ok to be missed or is a big deal for the cabin crew or Pilots to face since it was a very obvious miss.

Considering the fact that it was Singapore airlines, it could have been some system failure rather than a miss from the crew. However, no way to know this now. Or may be you can raise this with their support team to get some feedback.

Originally Posted by audioholic

OTOH, I liked the cabin of the A359 as well as its ride(flight) quality. However, I am not sure of the direct competitor, ie 787. Could hardly hear the engine spool up during take off.

A350-900 is a fantastic plane in cabin comfort aspect. It can maintain a higher cabin pressure than B777 or any other older gen plane which means less fatigue for passengers and those Winglets ensure not only efficiency but also a smoother flight.

787 is quite close in all aspects but I found A350 to be a tad more quieter and comfortable for passengers seated across the cabin.

[libranof1987]

Just read on CNN that 2300 airport workers have gone on strike at Hong Kong airport and Cathay Pacific has canceled more than 150 flights.

If you have connections through HK, might want to check the status.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/05/b...ong/index.html

[audioholic]

What happened to Plaza premium in KIAL international departures? I see that the area was closed during my recent trip. There was a new lounge downstairs but I wasn't able to visit. Do they accept Priority pass? KIAL badly needs two lounges in the international side. One for customers like me using priority pass and another for Business and First class passengers. Not sure why they even shut Plaza premium

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Just read on CNN that 2300 airport workers have gone on strike at Hong Kong airport and Cathay Pacific has canceled more than 150 flights.

Industrial action and cancellations at Heathrow still happening?

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by audioholic

What happened to Plaza premium in KIAL international departures? I see that the area was closed during my recent trip. There was a new lounge downstairs but I wasn't able to visit. Do they accept Priority pass? KIAL badly needs two lounges in the international side. One for customers like me using priority pass and another for Business and First class passengers. Not sure why they even shut Plaza premium

It was being renovated when I passed through in June

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by audioholic

As far as I understand it is a guideline to turn off the cabin lights during take off and landing to help the eyes adjust to outside darkness. Was wondering if this is ok to be missed or is a big deal for the cabin crew or Pilots to face since it was a very obvious miss.
.

Correct, dimming cabin light during take off and landing is so everybody’s eyes adjust for outside darkness. The thinking behind this is in case of emergencies and the plane would need evacuating, people have already adjusted to night vision. So it is a precautionary safety measure.

Cabin lights are controlled by the cabin crew. Cockpit lights are controlled by the pilots. Obviously they will dim the cockpit lights too. They usually have the cockpits lighting dialled back much earlier then the cabin. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust. So when the plane is being pushed back from the gate, the cabin is still fully lit, but the cockpit will have gone dark much earlier.

When I fly as pilot I always carry a special torch that can show normal white light, but also red light. The red light has less impact on your night vision.

I am not sure why on this particular flight they did not dim the lights. It can hardly be an oversight. The chief purser might forget, but one of the other attendants would / should have caught it.

Jeroen

[audioholic]

Any updates on the lounge in KIA International side? I need to board Qatar airways on Sunday morning 3AM and need to spend some time since I will be leaving home a bit early on Saturday night. Any feedback on the new Bangalore International lounge? Do they accept priority pass?

[sairamboko]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Any updates on the lounge in KIA International side? I need to board Qatar airways on Sunday morning 3AM and need to spend some time since I will be leaving home a bit early on Saturday night. Any feedback on the new Bangalore International lounge? Do they accept priority pass?

I used the airport on July 31st. I didnt see any new lounges. Not sure if it was open. There was only one but small lounge. I used my HDFC Regalia mastercard to access the lounge. Not sure if they are accepting priority pass.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by sairamboko

I used the airport on July 31st. I didnt see any new lounges. Not sure if it was open. There was only one but small lounge. I used my HDFC Regalia mastercard to access the lounge. Not sure if they are accepting priority pass.

I checked it out and it is similar to a railway waiting hall, but with some food. It looks like they made it just for the ones seeking complimentary lounge access. The other side of the lounge is for First and Business class or with an entry charge of 2.7k. I am not sure why this move to close Plaza premium happened. Thankfully I was not having much time to spend and went in just to see how it was. At the entrance the manager or whoever was telling people that the lounge is closed and no more entry is possible. Most of the people were turned away. However, I had a few colleagues inside and I thought I will wait for sometime. Surprisingly, after the crowd went away I was let in without a question. But the experience was disappointing. It is just a place with Sofas all over and a buffet of sorts. The first and business lounge looked better though.

[condor]

Any idea about the current situation at Hong Kong airport - is transit / travel happening there amidst the current unrest ?

Cousin is in China right now on a business visit. Return date is on 7th from HK to Hyd on Malaysia airlines. He was asking about the situation there, and if it is safe to travel from there/via HK.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by audioholic

. Any feedback on the new Bangalore International lounge? Do they accept priority pass?

Just came through Bangalore yesterday, had used the lounge in Domestic section. A couple in front of me was denied on their Priority Pass, the attendee was saying they had recently cut ties.

No idea about International lounge though.

Edit: Saw your reply above ^^. Ignore my post

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by condor

Any idea about the current situation at Hong Kong airport - is transit / travel happening there amidst the current unrest ?

Transit/ travel is working. However:
- some flights were cancelled yesterday
- protests outside the airport caused delays for passengers to reach the airport. Airport express was shut for some time
- some strike ongoing by airport workers

Be prepared for delays or rescheduled flights at short notice. Over the last few weeks, weekdays have not seen too many protests. They usually peak during weekends.
I might have to go to the airport next Monday to pick up a colleague's relative. Already dreading that part.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by condor

Any idea about the current situation at Hong Kong. He was asking about the situation there, and if it is safe to travel from there/via HK.

Transfers with in Airport should be ok but ask him to check if he can reroute itinerary directly from China or use some other stop over. I don’t think we have seen the end of such protests and things can get bad in days to come.