I’ve decided to stick to SkyTeam for my trip home from Dubai. I just booked flights from Dubai to Frankfurt on a carrier I’ve been wanting to try for years, Middle East Airlines.
Middle East Airlines (MEA) is a Lebanese carrier based in Beirut. It is also a member of the SkyTeam alliance. The carrier has a limited route network within the Middle East and to Europe and Northern Africa. Its flagship plane is the A330-200, which features angled lie-flat beds in business class (fully flat seats, but sloping downward rather than horizontal with the floor).
I’ve mentioned before how much I’d like to try to the carrier’s A330 service. I noticed a very attractive paid fare from Dubai to Frankfurt and also noticed that MEA is running an A330 between Beirut and Frankfurt this summer (usually it is Paris and London only).
The same ticket was 42,500 Delta SkyMiles + about $140 in taxes/fees. I value Delta miles at 1.5 cents, so that would have made the effective cost $637.50 + $140, or $777.50. In this case, the paid ticket worked out much better and will earn miles as well. Since I have a surplus of AMEX points at the moment, I applied Membership Rewards points from my American Express Platinum Business card, paying 49,945 all-in since AMEX provides a 30% rebate on points when using the AMEX Travel portal to book travel with points.
From Frankfurt, I’ll likely take United home…though that is up in the air as well.
CONCLUSION
Trying new airlines is always something that excites me. Stay tuned for flights on Aeromexico, Air France, and now Middle East Airlines later this month. I’m greatly looking forward to trying three new SkyTeam carriers!
image: Eric Salard / Wikimedia Commons
@Mathew you didnt mention the cash cost of your ticket. Realm curious how much u paid. Thanx a lor for all the great work and for being my favorite blog out there
Sorry. I guess the screenshot didn’t load on my browser. All good. Thanx again
Did you mean A330-200?
Yes indeed.
That sounds cool. Too bad you can’t work in a stopover in Beirut.
I’ve spent time in Beirut before. Great city!
Review: Four Seasons Beirut
I have flown MEA a few times and enjoyed it. BTW, for fun—do a web search for their vintage travel posters…some of the best I’ve ever seen!
Go with low expectations on the hard product…as for the soft product, it can be hit or miss.
Also, the IFE system can be a bit annoying. They play ads that cannot be avoided once the place takes off, and their TV selection, while decent, doesn’t allow you to select individual episodes.
“MEA is running an A330 between Beirut and Frankfurt this summer (usually it is Paris and London only).”
In the past few summers, they’ve actually been using both the A330 and the A320, depending on the need. But this does seem to be the first summer where they have been using just the A330 to FRA.