Royal Jordanian Crown Class Business Class Review: Amman AMM to Bangkok BKK aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Long-Haul In-Flight Review · Royal Jordanian RJ182 · Crown Class
Amman Queen Alia (AMM) · Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK)
Queen Alia Airport and the Crown Lounge
After a pleasant flight with RJ118, we discovered with excitement the state-of-the-art new International terminal at Queen Alia Airport.
Inaugurated in March 2013, it has already been awarded "Best
Improvement by Region for Middle East" and "Best Airport by Region for
Middle East" by the Airport Council International. It looks like Dubai
Airport quite a lot, on smaller scale. Nicely designed by architects
Foster&Partners, this is a landmark of modern Middle-Eastern
architecture, with a roof inspired by Bedouin tents and composed of 127
concrete domes: each weighing up to 600 metric tonnes. With a capacity
of 7 million passengers per year, it remains far less crowded compare
with Dubai Airport (we won't mention Istanbul Ataturk...). Sparkling
and immaculate, it has a very attractive Duty Free shopping area
(proposing traditional and Dead Sea gifts, featuring spendid mosaics)
and many bars, restaurants... and even a nuts roastery! Actually it
looked so quiet at only 6pm. We dislike very much the long security
control procedure with erratic queues at Dubai Airport; nothing like
this at Queen Alia, offering no rush and much relaxation to those
transiting between two flights. Approximately 8 hours separated us from
our departure to Bangkok (RJ has much better connections of course);
which was no problem, as we decided to fully enjoy the privilege of the
Crown Lounge / Oneworld Lounge.
The newest, second largest first class / business class lounge in the
Middle East, winner of the Priority Pass Lounge Award 2015 in the
Middle East and Africa, can handle over 340 passengers. Located in the
South Terminal on the second floor, it has an atrium view on the Duty
Free area and on the runways. Maybe was it exceptional, but that
evening we were 20 till maximum 30 lucky passengers to use it. Which
sounded odd, compared with the impressive size of this plush VIP space.
We showed our boarding pass, which was enough to be invited to safely
leave both our jacket and cabin bag at the cloakroom before visiting
this welcoming place. It has much to offer, indeed, with different
bars: including The Grove, featuring a full menu of fresh fruit juices
and cocktails. There was also a nice selection of mineral waters,
sodas, beers, and liquors. The place must be sponsored by Saint George Vinery,
as this was the unique brand of red and white wine available the day of
our visit. We like Jordanian wine, and this was our pleasure to drink
one glass of this nectar to pair our selection of Mezzes (silky smooth
hummus, shish kebab, olives and Nabulsi goat cheese, olives). We had it
with freshly baked pita bread, self-serviced from The Chandeliers
Bistro & Bakery. WiFi Internet was very high-speed. We enjoyed the
individual TV suites, playing programs and VOD which we could select
stretching at ease on the ergonomically designed seating. We also
experimented the large sofas for a short nap... before we realized that
there was a special dimmed room with five leather beds ideally designed
to fight the jet lag. We liked also very much the Shower Suites, smart
and super clean, tailored made to feel fresh between two long-haul
flights. It would take dozens of pages to describe the Crown Lounge,
and only one word to summarize: impressive!
Time
flew so quickly: already 1 am! “Our” Dreamliner was waiting for us. Of
course, Crown Class passengers are invited to board in priority if they
like: they should do so, as there is no business class cabin-crossing
by economy class passengers with this splendid aircraft.
The Crown Class cabin
We
have been called by our name -like with Emirates- as soon as we got
into the cavernous entrance-way of this flying palace-hotel. Though we
already saw many pictures and videos of the RJ Crown Class cabin, we
have been actually surprised by its ideal volume. It is much more
intimate compared with many airlines. First of all, this segment of the
cabin is called Premium Business Class (J), with only 4 rows of 2+2+2
seats. 24 in total. This represents 10% of the volume of the B787 (246
Economy Class seats in total). Compared with Emirates A380, featuring
approximately 80 business class seats, Royal Jordanian acts one more
time very much boutique style: with a cosier atmosphere, dedicated
comfort, and the real impression that you fly first class.
Also, and this is important: the air feels fresher, with a better
distribution throughout the cabin in the Dreamliner compared with other
long-haul aircraft from Boeing. A revolutionary air-humidifier makes
all the difference. It often happened that we felt uncomfortable, and
even sweating a little because of a dry and warm heating. This was not
the case at all during that flight. We felt comfortable on the spot
and, once again, the cabin crew did a lot to make us feel like in our
own private-jet.
The
head steward was anticipating with all passengers: responsive on any
request immediately reported to the two stewardesses wearing the
traditional Jordanian dress. This is a large plane, and it takes
approximately 20 minutes to have all the passengers boarding. Our glass
of Taittinger Brut Réserve
came on a tray as soon as we got rid of our overcoat and hat. We kept
our cabin bag with us: there was plenty of room, and each second seat
was empty to increase the comfort of the passengers. We visited the
aircraft a little further, and loved the design of the bar with the
noticeable RJ golden crown. The steward told us that many people asked
to have their picture taken at the bar; we did so, as this is already
like a tradition. The toilet was spotless, with the same toiletry
described in our CDG-AMM review
(hand-cream from the Dead Sea, 4711 Kolnisch Wasser), and cleaned
repeatedly during the 7 hours and 26 minutes long flight. We peeped in
the Economy Class cabin. It was full, but did not look particularly
cramped. This generation of airplane offers more comfort in all
classes, and the RJ B787-8 Dreamliner had been recently delivered with
plenty of options to please the passenger whatever the class he paid
for.
Dining and wines
Take-off
was right on time, at 01:59am, and the GEnx new generation of reactors
are so silent that we had to look through the window to see that we
were climbing in the skies. Well installed in our width, 21' seat
(against 17' in Economy), we had a quick look at the magazines and
newspapers which the attendant brought to us with a second glass of
Taittinger Brut Réserve, inspected the quality headsets and checked the
content of the fashion-chic and complete Aigner amenity kit. We
received The Cellar Wine list and Royal Dining Menu with an aperitif
(Campari) and nuts. The wine list is the same on medium and long-haul.
The menu offers more options.
We
could order either European or Middle Eastern appetizers. Of course we
chose the second options, with refreshing “Mezzes”(Hummus, salmon in
dill and lemon, with aromatic salads and olive oil).
From the selection of 4 main courses, Stir-Fried Beef with Vegetables
in Oyster Sauce, Grilled Chicken with Chasseur Sauce, Fusilli Alfredo
and Hammour fish, we selected the latter. Actually, this was the first
time that we heard of that fish (something like a grouper), very
popular in the Middle East. Flavorful, light, and flaky, it was served
from the trolley with a generous selection of side dishes. We had it
“Sayyadiya”: pan-seared, on a bed of spiced Arabic rice, topped with
browned onions and pine seeds, complemented with an aromatic
“Bagdounsiya” sauce. This was definitely not tasting nor looking like
industrial airlines food! The stewardess kindly suggested that we could
order another main course from the menu. Sure she was joking... as the
portion was set for a pasha. We paired both Mezzes and Hammour with the
same glass of Saint George Sauvignon Blanc, a curious yet remarkable
organic white wine, handpicked in Sama (Northern Jordan). Refreshing,
it shows a nice mixture of chocolate toffee and a touch of vanilla.
We concluded this fine dinner with a yummy Cassandra Truffle, rich in
cocoa, proving that on all RJ destinations pastries are exceptional in
the definitely gastronomic Royal Jordanian Crown Class. We had it with
a cup of very good coffee, and one glass of Cointreau to facilitate our
sleep.
In
Crown Class, the AVOD has a large library of movies, television shows,
audio and games, as well as news provided by CNN displayed on a
panoramic 17' plasma touchscreen.
Unlike
with Emirates, Internet is not available on RJ yet... and this is a
pity, as we dreamed to share our impressions with our friends. Showing
them for instance the “Magical Windows”, which we discovered for the
first time thanks to Royal Jordanian. The B787 Dreamliner has the best
airplane windows ever. It ditches that small window with a pull-down
plastic shade and replaces it with a larger 16' tall (65% larger than
the standard airplane windows), dimming window that can be adjusted to
let in various amounts of light. An electrified gel, sandwiched between
two thin pieces of glass, darkens when the electric current increases;
when it drops, the gel lightens. The system is as innovative as simple.
We could control our window from a switcher: it allows five levels of
aperture. Just like the diaphragm of a camera. The “Magic Windows” are
also networking together: so flight personnel can control the windows,
too. Attendants can adjust each window, adjust windows in an entire
section of the plane or adjust them for the entire plane. These new
dimming windows are just the beginning for Boeing and its research
partners PPG Aerospace and Gentex Corporation.
The fully flat bed
The
efficiency of the dimming windows, plus the calm, cool palette of
colours in the cabin made us feel so relaxed during the rest of the
flight! The head steward brought us a pillow and a soft cotton blanket,
and converted our seat into a 180-degree fully flat-bed. The mattress
was not too soft, not too hard, and we slept like a rock until a soft
wake-up from the stewardess for a full breakfast.
We
only selected some fresh fruits, and excellent, freshly Danish
pastries. The coffee was not Arabic, but American (though we are sure
that they would have prepared Cardamon coffee on request). We had been
also proposed Mango, Tomato, Orange or Apple Juice.
Royal Jordanian now also offers Wi-Fi on the majority of its flights,
with complimentary access for Crown Class passengers and eligible Royal
Club members.
We
filled the Thai Immigration form, then could enjoy the last moments of
this unforgettable flight until a soft landing by skilled Captain Zaid
at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
at 2:25pm (two hours before the peak traffic time on the airport –
Bangkok downtown highway)... a little jealous of the passengers
remaining in the Dreamliner continuing to Hong-Kong. We received a fast
track to the Premium Lane, allowing a faster control at Immigration;
however, we still waited for our “priority” luggage more than 45
minutes. Such is Thailand, where time does not seem to count. “Mai pen
rai”!
Our verdict
We
have mentioned a lot of pros concerning Royal Jordanian, globally. And
more particularly about its distinguishing Crown Class. What about the
cons? Except for WiFi, which should be part of the hi-tech equipment of
the tailored-made-for-geeks Dreamliner, we would hardly find any
negative comment, and actually do not understand why Royal Jordanian is
rated 3-star by SkyTrax.
We experienced the best service, no delay, delicious food, quality
entertainment and a very high-level of security in a well-maintained
A320 and a brand new B787-8. Moreover, RJ covers many interesting
destinations in the Middle East... including Tel Aviv. This is the
unique Arabic airline serving Israel. It has also more and more clients
from Russia (Moscow) and Ukraine (Kiev). Which explains why both RJ118
and RJ182 flights had a Russian speaking stewardess. Last but not
least, this passenger-friendly airline gives all of us the possibility
to get upgraded through a very exciting on-line “Bidding Offer”:
tell them how much you are ready to pay for an upgrade, maximum 36
hours prior to departure, and RJ will email you before check-in to let
you know whether your offer was accepted. From our point of view, Royal
Jordanian ranks four - five star, indeed; due to the harsh competition
from Etihad, Qatar or Emirates, this reliable and lovable mid-size
airline is trying its best to capture more passengers (Oneworld
helps a lot), developing the already described “boutique” service and
comfort which will make us want to travel with them again, and visit
the Kingdom of Jordan so well promoted in the air by the spontaneous
hospitality and kindness of the crew.
