As I walked onto my Middle Eastern Airlines A320 flight from Dubai to Beirut, cigarette smoke wafted out of the cockpit. What was in store for me?
I know the cigarette smoke will immediately and automatically turn many people away from the airline. I’m not going to sugarcoat it one bit: the plane stunk and pilots smoked at least twice during the 3hr flight to Beirut. Perhaps my nose just got used to it, but the plane did not smell like an ashtray between smoking breaks.
This is truly a shame because the flight was otherwise excellent. The crew was beautiful and provided excellent service:
The seat was superb for an A320 and I was able to take a nice nap during the flight.
Yes, the Middle East Airilnes A320 business class seat had ashtrays.
Breakfast was served after takeoff and excellent: to the level of the Turkish Airlines. Every course was exceptionally tasty, particularly the labneh.
Finally, the IFE was library was comprehensive.
CONCLUSION
If you can deal with the smoking, I thought this Middle East Airilnes A320 business class flight was excellent in every other way. While Emirates offers better business class seats on the same route, I have never enjoyed service this good on Emirates.
One other interesting tidbit. The journey on Middle East Airlines takes one hour less than the same journey on Emirates or flydubai. Why? Middle East flies over Iraq and Syria while Emirates and flydubai travel over Saudi Arabia and Egypt, totally avoiding Jordanian, Iraqi, and Syrian airspace. That adds an hour of travel time.
It actually looks reasonable for short-haul biz (however, the ashtrays are awful lol)
However, I think your last statement is wrong…no way does a MEA plane fly over Israeli airspace – Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic relations at all, and are even (on paper) at a constant war state, what is referred to around here in the mid east as a “continuous cease fire” (since 1948).
Sorry, I meant Iraq and not Israel.
Were you afraid to fly over Syria?
Not really, though I did not even know about it until after. I slept through that portion of the flight and did not view the moving map.
Are those flight attendants going to get stoned for showing face, neckline, and legs?
What a completely and utterly asinine thing to say.
Dear,
This is Lebanon… You’d better google “Beirut night life” before posting comments…
Yeah… no. Not every Middle Eastern country is run by ISIS.
Way to ruin a trip report with your stupid and uneducated comment.
I’ve been on half a dozen flights on MEA in Cedar Class, and I’ve never smelt cigarette smoke coming from the cockpit before. I don’t think it’s a usual occurrence.
Glad you enjoyed it, as I’ve usually found MEA to be average at best, overall.
I’d eat Labneh off that FA in the middle…
“I have never enjoyed service this good on Emirates.” Ouch…
Matthew I usually trust your judgement but that runny vomit-like egg could NOT have been up to Turkish DO&CO catering standards.
All kidding aside, were the economy seats fixed-shell seats (i.e. reclined into their own space as opposed as into the space of the seat behind them)?
Those eggs were delicious. Seriously!
The economy seats were in fixed shells.
Are passengers allowed to smoke?
If they can would try that once for fun.
No, passengers are not allowed to smoke.