My Flight Review for 2022

 Welcome to my flight review for 2022! 

Introduction 

Finally after 2 years of hiatus, I got to resume my flying adventure with trips to the U.S, U,K and nearby destinations such as Bangkok and Phuket. The presence of the Covid has certainly made travelling more challenging such as showing proof of negative covid test to gain approval to entering the country, routes getting cut due to financial woes and flights getting pricey due to demand, I managed to get some good deals as I booked my flights slightly more than 6 months in advance. The advantage of it is getting good deals but the bad thing is that the flight schedule can change including the aircraft types. Fortunately, most of my flights went ahead according to plan except for Southwest flight from LGA (New York) to TPA (Tampa), which I have to last minute cancel it due to bad weather that afternoon. 

Anyway, just like my previous reviews, I will be summerising my flight experience with the airlines I flew in 2022 and grade them accordingly. Hope you enjoy this review. 

My flight routes for 2022

Flights: 20 

Miles: 38,700

Type of Class: Economy (Majority of the flights), U.S Domestic First class and Premium Economy 

Most flown aircraft type: Airbus A320CEO and Airbus A321NEO (3 flights) 

New aircraft types flown for 2022: Airbus A220-300, A320NEO, A321NEO and Boeing 767-400ER

Number of airlines flown in 2022: 8 

Airlines and aircraft types flown in 2022: 

Alaska Airlines: Airbus A320CEO, Airbus A321NEO and Boeing 737-900ER

Delta Airlines: Boeing 757-200, 757-300, 767-400ER, Airbus A321CEO and A321NEO 

Jetblue: Airbus A321NEO and ERJ 190 

Swiss Airlines: Airbus A220-300, A320NEO, A340-300 and Boeing 777-300ER

Singapore Airlines: Boeing 737-800

Thai Smile: Airbus A320CEO

Thai Vietjet: Airbus A320CEO

Virgin Atlantic: Airbus A330-300 and A350-1000

Airports visited in 2022 

Zurich (ZRH)

London Heathrow (LHR)

New York (JFK)

New York (LGA)

Los Angeles (LAX)

Boston (BOS)

Atlanta (ATL)

San Francisco (SFO)

Minneapolis (MSP)

Seattle (SEA) 

Phuket (HKT)

Bangkok (BKK) 

New airports visited in 2022 

Atlanta, Boston, New York (LGA and JFK), Minneapolis, Phuket, Seattle and Zurich 

Airline Review 

1. Alaska Airlines 

Introduction 

This is one of the airlines that I wanted to fly for a long time especially operating the Airbus fleet after taking over Virgin America, the airline inherit the fleet with its intention to operate them for a short while before replacing them with the 737 MAX. I am just glad to have flown on the A320 and A321 in the airline's products. 

Airbus A320 (N844VA - Photo: Jonathan Morgan) 

Route: SFO-LAX

For the trip report, click here

Domestic First Class 

Airbus A321NEO (N927VA, Photo: Eric Dunetz - SpotJFK) 

Route: SEA-JFK

For the trip report, click here

Economy Class 

Boeing 737-900ER (N277AK, Photo: Andrew Compolo) 

Route: JFK-SEA 

For the trip report, click here

Premium Economy 

My thoughts: 

Flying with Alaska Airlines has always been in my mind for a while. I booked my flights with this airline for the JFK-SEA-JFK and SFO-LAX routes was to fly the Airbus A320CEO, A321NEO and Boeing 737 MAX 9. Unfortunately the 737 MAX was changed to 737-900ER later on but at least I manage to fly on the former Virgin America's Airbus A320 and A321 which was a good thing as currently, the A320 fleet has been retired while the A321NEO will continue to fly until some time this year (2023). This airline offers In-Flight streaming and Wi-Fi, but you have to use your own device to enjoy the entertainment offerings. Just like any other U.S domestic flights, no hot meals are offered, with just a light snack and a choice of soft drink or hot beverage is offered (depends on duration of the flight). I find the in-flight service to be pleasant on all my 3 flights and the seat was comfortable in the Economy Class as I slept for most of the time on the A321NEO SEA-JFK sector. The domestic First Class seats is of the older recliner seat design, and I find it nothing special about it. Unless the price is right, I am happy sitting at the back of the plane. As for the Premium class, the 3-3 seater is similar to the standard Economy Class, only difference is the better legroom space, I would certainly pay more for it on transcontinental routes especially. Overall, I was satisfied with my experience with this airline and would certainly recommend this airline. 

Overall rating: 

In-Flight Service: 4/5

In-Flight snack/meal: 2.5/5

Economy Class/Premium/First Class seat: 3.5/5

Cleanliness: 5/5 

In-Flight Entertainment (Streaming): 3.5/5 

Total: 18.5/25

2. Delta Airlines 

Introduction 

I joined the Northwest programme which caught my attention as it does not have expiry points and after Delta took over, I knew I would used this for airlines in the skyteam and with Delta's partners. So flying with this airline was not a difficult decision even though I flew with them quite a number of times. The main reason I flew this airline was flying the Boeing 767-400ER, 757-200 and 757-300. 

Airbus A321NEO (N501DA) Photo: Josh Frizzell 

Route: BOS-ATL

For the trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

Airbus A321CEO (N360DN) Photo: Jason Whitebird

Route: MSP-LGA

For the trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

Boeing 757-200 (N822DX) Photo: Pauli Hankonen 

Route: LAX-MSP

For the trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

Boeing 757-300 (N584NW) Photo: Szabo Gabor 

Route: ATL-SFO 

For the trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

Boeing 767-400ER (N840MH) Photo: Jason Whitebird 

Route: JFK-LAX

For the trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

My thoughts 

Delta Airlines's has a pretty decent Economy Class product among its fleet. Most of the aircraft types feature the In-Flight Entertainment system which provides a good source of entertainment for the general public and even though the airfare can be expensive at times, the airline's massive network with a good frequency of flights on its popular routes, I won't be too worried if thing go wrong compare to flying with the smaller size airlines with limited network. My flights with this airline went smoothly, with the cabin crew being professional and I was fortunate to have a cockpit visit granted on of the flights. I do enjoy flying with this airline and won't hesitate to recommend this airline to anyone visiting within the U.S. For international flights, I can't comment as I have only flown with this airline on the domestic flights, perhaps one day from Tokyo to Seattle or Portland. 

Overall rating: 

In-Flight service: 3.5/5 

In-Flight snack/drink: 3/5 

Economy Class Seat: 3.5/5 

Cleanliness: 5/5

IFE System: 4/5 

Total: 19/25

3. Jetblue 

Introduction 

Jetblue has fast established one of the strong players in the Eastern part of U.S and have routes all over the countries. With a strong fleet of Airbus and Embraer (for now) fleet, I was excited to give this airline a try and when I saw the chance to do so, I chose the routes specifically for the aircraft type and fortunately for me, I got what I want, the A321NEO (Premium configured aircraft) and the ERJ-190 which would be replaced by the A220-300 in the near future. 

Airbus A321NEO (N2142J) Photo: Will Callaert 

Route: LAX-JFK

For the trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

ERJ-190 (N307JB) (Photo: Derek Morrison) 

Route: JFK-BOS

For the trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

My thoughts 

Flying with this airline had already been in my mind since its launch. I have been following this airline for a long time and quite impressed with the expansion of the airline causing headache for the other airlines especially the likes of United and Delta. American Airlines and Jetblue has started codesharing on each other's flight especially on the East Coast side of the United States. I am impressesd with the cabin of the airline's A321NEO and now that N2105J and N2142J have joined the trans-altantic network, I would not mind flying this aircraft in Y class across the pond. The seats are comfortable with ample legroom space with a nice cabin ambiance and good IFE system including complimentary WiFi for all passengers, I have to say this has to be one of the best A320 cabin products I have flown so far. As for the ERJ-190, the cabin is dated and would be replaced by the A220 so no comments about that, though I won't mind flying on it on short sectors as the 2-2 seating configuration is definitely more comfortable than flying on any 3-3 configured narrow-body aircraft. Fly with Jetblue if you have a chance. 

Overall rating: 

In-Flight Service: 4/5 

In-Flight snack: 3/5 

Economy Class seat: 5/5 

Cleanliness: 5/5 

Entertainment system: 5/5 

Total: 22/25 

4. Singapore Airlines 

Introduction 

I deliberately choose Singapore Airlines is to fly on the 737 MAX 8 and at that time of booking, the airline was offering some good deals. Phuket was not my first choice and I chose this for the aircraft type. However just few weeks before my flight, the aircraft type was changed to 737-800. So with that, I just went with the flow. I didn't like Silkair's products as the seat was not comfortable and legroom space was quite tight. The intriguing part of these flights was the meal, I expect more from a 5-star airline to be honest. 

Boeing 737-800 (9V-MGC) Photo: Vivek Manvi 

Route: HKT-SIN

For the trip report, click here

For the SIN-HKT trip report, click here

Cabin interior 

My thoughts 

What caught my attention was the in-flight meal boxes which I would expect from a Low Cost Carrier than Singapore Airlines. Enjoying the meal from the box has its own issues such as having to hold on to the cover while eating and ensuring the sauce doesn't spill out from the box, that may cause a mess if you are not careful. The seat comfort and legroom is adequate for short haul flights, or flights not longer than 2 hours, so if I have to fly with this airline, I will try my best to avoid this aircraft type. It's not like I have a choice since the original scheduled aircraft, 737 MAX 8 was changed to the 737-800 about a couple of weeks before the scheduled flight. I am planning to do another regional flight on the MAX 8 but I will probably wait until more 737-800 aircraft leave the fleet. 

Overall rating: 

In-Flight Service: 3.5/5 

In-Flight Meals: 3/5 

Economy Class Seat: 3/5 

Cleanliness: 4/5 

Entertainment (Steaming): 1/5 

Total: 14.5/25 

5. Swiss Airlines 

Introduction 

Swiss Airlines has been in my mind for quite a while and when I saw the airfare, I knew I have to go for it. I was excited with the  ZRH-LHR-ZRH as at that time of booking, the A220-300 was operated on this route. After a few changes from the airline, I finally got my first ride on the A320NEO and A220-300 and also fly on both A340-300 and Boeing 777-300ER meaning 4 different aircraft types for me. 

Airbus A340-300 (HB-JMH) Photo: Charles Cunliffe

Route: SIN-ZRH

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo 

Airbus A220-300 (HB-JCA) Photo: Javier Bravo Munoz 

Route: ZRH-LHR

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo 

Airbus A320NEO (HB-JDB) Photo: Tim Lowe 

Route: LHR-ZRH

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo 

Boeing 777-300ER (HB-JNK) Photo: Thomas Tse 

Route: ZRH-SIN

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo 

My thoughts 

Flying with Swiss Airlines was one of my wishes and since its under the Lufthansa group, I was expecting a strong product from the airline even in the Economy Class. Among the 4 flights, I enjoy the A220-300 the most as its a new aircraft type (subtype also counts) and also flying the A320NEO for my first time. The flights were pleasant, but the service was average. The crew on board my flights were of any typical European service you can get, nothing to shout about. As for the in-flight meals, nothing outstanding same goes with the Economy Class product, I would rate it average. The A340 in particular is quite uncomfortable because of the tight legroom space, while the Y class configuration of the Boeing 777-300ER is not comfortable for long haul but overall, I won't mind flying with this airline if the price is right. 

Overall rating 

In-Flight Service: 3/5 

In-Flight Meal: 3.5/5 

Economy Class Seat: 3/5 

Cleanliness: 4/5 

Entertainment: 3.5/5 

Total: 17/25 

6. Thai Smile 

Introduction 

I had a choice of airlines to fly within Thailand. With Thai Vietjet chosen on the first leg, I had to choose between this and Nok Airlines. I decided on this airline as it flies to BKK airport and the timing was better. The last time I flew with this airline, I had a pleasant experience and I won't mind flying on it. This turns out to be a good decision as it's parent airline, Thai Airways announced recently that it plans to merge this airline with the parent airline meaning Thai Smile would most likely be absorbed and the branding would be gone. 

Airbus A320-232 HS-TXR (Photo: Gerry Stegmeier)

Route: BKK-HKT

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo 

My thoughts 

It was a routine Thai domestic flight, was glad that things were returning back to normal as in-flight meal/snack was served on both this and Thai Vietjet flight. Service was not bad while the seat itself was comfortable, what is lacking the lack of Wi-Fi and entertainment system. However for such short duration, like this flight, it doesn't matter. Let's see what the management have in mind regard with the fleet of Thai Smile. Most likely I think it will be absorbed by the parent airline and the current routes would continue to operate. One advantage about this is for Star Alliance members especially for passengers, they can earn miles on these flight or flight rewards which be a win-win situation for all related to Thai Airways and the alliance. 

Overall rating: 

In-Flight Service: 3.5/5 

In-Flight Snack: 3.5/5 

Economy Class seat: 4/5

Cleanliness: 5/5

Entertainment: 0/5

Total: 16/25 

7. Thai Vietjet 

Introduction 

This airline is one of the airlines I haven't flown before so picking this airline is an easy choice. A subsidiary of Vietjet Airlines. This airline, a Low Cost Carrier, has been a good competition for the other Thai airlines. Currently operating a fleet of Airbus A320CEO, this airline will be replacing them with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the near future so I am glad to fly on one of the A320s and ticked this off the list of airlines to fly on. 

Airbus A320-214 HS-VKO (Photo: Tek) 

Route: HKT-BKK

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo

My thoughts 

It was a nice and pleasant flight with this airline and what stands out for me is the delicious in-flight meal, I had the green curry rice and yes, its better than the meal I had with Singapore Airlines. The airfare I paid for this airline was certainly worth the value I paid for this short flight. Will I fly with them again? Definitely. The seats in the front rows are highly recommended as they have better legroom space and of course you can be one of the first to disembark. Overall, I recommend this airline. 

Overall rating: 

In-Flight service: 3.5/5 

In-Flight meal: 4.5/5

Economy Class seat: 3/5 

Cleanliness: 4/5

Entertainment: 0/5

Total:15/25 

8. Virgin Atlantic 

Introduction 

Flying with Virgin Atlantic has always been in my mind for a long time and also to fly on the trans-atlantic route and I chose LHR-JFK as this is one of the most popular routes across the continent between the U.S and England. I booked with this airline to fly on both the A350-1000 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The disadvantage of booking early is that schedule and operation changes can take place anytime before departure. The aircraft of both of my flights were changed to A330-300, however, I managed to change one of them back to the A350-1000. As for the Boeing 787-9, I hope to do it another time. 

Airbus A350-1000 (G-VEVE) Photo: Hector Rivera Valentin

Route: LHR-JFK

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo 

Airbus A330-300 G-VINE (Photo: Ruimin Yan)

Route: JFK-LHR

For the trip report, click here

Cabin photo 

My thoughts 

It was an enjoyable ride on both flights with this airline. The new A350-1000 has certainly impressed me with its comfortable cabin and Virgin's Y class product. The 7 hours plus flights went past quickly especially on my premium cabin experience with the A330. Only downside is the in-flight meals, hopefully they improve the quality and size of the meal. Flights on the transcontinental routes can be quite expensive depending on the period so do look out for offers from time to time. The time I booked, the airline was offering a few good deals and I was glad to have taken advantage of it. Overall, I recommend this airline to anyone, it's a great option to consider flying from the U.K to the U.S and also to the carribeans. 

Overall rating: 

In-Flight service: 4/5 

In-Flight meal: 3/5 

Economy/Premium seat: 4/5 

Cleanliness: 5/5 

Entertainment: 4/5 

Total: 20/25 

Charles Ryan's Award For 2022

Best Premium Airline Flown: Virgin Atlantic 

Premium Class on the A330-300

Economy Class on the A350-1000 

My in-flight experience of both classes gave me a positive impression with this airline, with a modern cabin and great cabin crew on both flights, not a difficult decision at all. 

Best Economy Class: Jetblue 

The comfortable seat with good legroom space plus the In-Flight Entertainment that comes with complimentary WiFi has made the airfare I paid for this trip a bargain. This is by far the best seats among the flights I took this year. I used to be skeptical about flying narrow-body aircraft on 3 hours and above but if the airline can provide a good and comfortable product for medium to long haul flights, I don't see a problem flying on one. 

Best In-Flight Meal: Thai Vietjet 

Green Thai Curry Rice 

This pre-ordered meal is definitely the best I had for this year. I could order 2 servings if I was hungry. Comparing this to the other meals I had on the premium airlines, there isn't much to compare as most of them are either blend or too salty. Hopefully the airlines I fly this year would offer better quality meals. 

Best In-Flight Entertainment System: Virgin Atlantic (A350-1000) 

Not only it has the tail camera view, you are able to enjoy the view outside while enjoying your programme. You don't need a window seat for this. The entertainment system is user-friendly and definitely among my flights with IFE system, this gets my vote. 

Earliest arrival: Jetblue A321NEO N2142J (39 minutes early) 

This has probably be one of the fastest flights I had. I really enjoy my time taking advantage of the airline's complimentary Wi-Fi and watching movies. I would certainly fly with Jetblue in the future. 

Most enjoyable ride: Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200 (N822DX) 

Not only I got to enjoy the wonderful performance of the 757-200 (take-off in particular), I scored a cockpit visit after the flight, visiting the Boeing 757/767 cockpit for the first time. It was definitely the most memorable flight for 2022. Big Kudos to the crew on board this flight. I am looking forward to another 757-200 ride this year, hopefully no equipment change! 

Most interesting livery: Alaska Airlines A321NEO 'More to Love livery' 

The probablity of getting this livery was 1/5 and lady luck struck on me when I saw this aircraft scheduled to operate on my flight. I love the colour scheme as the colour tone changes nicely from the bright red to purple before finally settling for dark blue. The odd nose cone ruins the beautiful livery but it doesn't matter. 

Most interesting airport: JFK (New York - John Kennedy Airport) 

This airport gets my vote as the amount of traffic here for plane spotting is impressive and the TWA hotel which brings back memories of the past. The skytrain ride across the terminals offer a good view of the apron and airport surrounding, similar to the DFW airport I visited last year. I had a good tour around the airport, it was indeed memorable especially in such good weather (shown below). 

Overview of JFK Airport 

The map layout of JFK Airport 

I was kept entertained during my plane spotting time at the airport and was fortunate that most of the time at JFK, the weather was good. However, travelling in and out of the airport is a different story for flying and travelling out to the city. 

Southwest Airlines flights  

Unfortunately, I had to cancel my flights with Southwest due to bad weather which affected the return flight. So for Southwest Airlines, I would have to fly this airline the next time I am in the U.S. You can check outmore information on my cancellation of Southwest Airlines over here.

Conclusion

This trip went ahead successfully after 2 years of being grounded due to Covid-19 virus. Thanks to the healthcare worldwide, vaccination from different companies were released and that helped to reduce the number of cases and possibly give us a better protection against this contagious virus. One may not believe in the vaccination of healthcare but you have to admit, it does help reduce the numbers and help to slowly get people's life back to normal with restriction of travel gradually easing before being removed altogether. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my flights especially to the U.S and managed to get some good airfare before it went ridiculously overpriced. Now that the demand of air travel is back, it is better to plan ahead and book your tickets at least a few months so that you won't have to worry paying over the odds for them. The airlines that I flew on, I enjoying flying on Jetblue and Virgin Atlantic. Delta Airlines and Swiss Airlines are not bad while for Singapore Airlines, I expect better from them especially in terms of meal service. For Thai Smile and Thai Vietjet, they are decent airlines to fly with. As for Alaska Airlines, it is a good airline to fly with even without the Airbus fleet which I will definitely missed. Overall, no complaints about any of these airlines and now I am looking forward to my next adventure. 

Thanks for reading this trip! Next blog post: My upcoming 2023 Trip to South America! Stay tuned. 

Have a good one! 

Charles