Inflight Review by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
News : MIAT Mongolian Airlines plans to launch scheduled flight to Guangzhou in 2018 but this was deferred to 31 March 2019.
Livery : The official horse logo colours of MIAT Mongolian Airlines, white and blue, do not appear on the MIAT aircraft's body, However, this makes the livery sleek and induces travel desire with MIAT in any weather, haze included. The livery itself connotes smooth and luxurious travel experience. ****
Aircraft : The B737-800 seat legroom is spacious. ****
Postcard / Stationery : No aircraft postcards onboard all MIAT Mongolian Airlines flights as the crew have never seen an aircraft postcard. Postcards are only collected at MIAT Building or at travel marts which MIAT exhibit at such as JATA Tourism Expo and ITB Berlin. Therefore, MIAT Mongolian Airlines has extended inflight travel experience to the ground. Scribble on MIAT barf bags instead if one has no paper to write on to kill time onboard. No Mongolian immigration forms onboard as these are aplenty at the Immigration section of the small Ulaanbaatar airport.***
Ground service in response to passengers' requests and enquiries : MIAT Building (as above) staff's customer service is the best. Overseas ticketing office communication experience needs to improve. For example, ticketing staff need to inform passengers the true scenario, that the airport staff do not check the passenger name on the debit/credit card used for each online booking and not raise the fact that different name on credit card from the passport may lead to boarding denial as long as the passenger has a valid passport and visa and the passenger's name on the itinerary is the same as that on the passport and visa. Singaporeans do not require tourist entry visas to Mongolia for one month.***
Overall Impression : MIAT Mongolian Airlines should raise carry-on baggage weight allowance and open more branch offices overseas to promote Mongolia travel and deliver the correct information on ticketing and check-in matters. Owing to the acceptable inflight and excellent ground service quality of MIAT, it is a three-star airline that is approaching four-star service quality.***
** Poor / two-star
*** Good / three-star
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to Everyone
During the week of Hong Kong's premier travel mart ITE & MICE 2018, the reporter of this travel news medium embarked on his inaugural flight to Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, from Beijing, with MIAT Mongolian Airlines B737-800 on 11 June 2018, and returned to Singapore on 16 June 2018 with the following review on MIAT flights. Hong Kong was not chosen as the stopover point as air fares from Singapore to and from Ulaanbaatar via Hong Kong are higher than via Beijing and there was extremely bad weather in and around Hong Kong. Besides, MIAT Mongolian Airlines does not have its booth at ITE this year.
Airline and Routes : MIAT Mongolian Airlines operates a fleet of B737-800 aircraft on international flights from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing, Hong Kong, Incheon, Busan and Narita while its B767-300ER aircraft operates charter flights to Sanya, Singapore, Suvarnabhumi, Jeju, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Delhi and Dubai as well as routes to Hong Kong, Beijing, Incheon, Narita, Moscow, Berlin and Frankfurt. It is a full-service airline that competes with Air China and other airlines for passengers to Ulaanbaatar. MIAT has code-sharing flights with Cathay Pacific to Singapore, Suvarnabhumi, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Manila, Denpasar and Jakarta using Cathay Pacific aircraft. It has connecting flight arrangements to Kuala Lumpur with Cathay Dragon.
Airline and Routes : MIAT Mongolian Airlines operates a fleet of B737-800 aircraft on international flights from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing, Hong Kong, Incheon, Busan and Narita while its B767-300ER aircraft operates charter flights to Sanya, Singapore, Suvarnabhumi, Jeju, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Delhi and Dubai as well as routes to Hong Kong, Beijing, Incheon, Narita, Moscow, Berlin and Frankfurt. It is a full-service airline that competes with Air China and other airlines for passengers to Ulaanbaatar. MIAT has code-sharing flights with Cathay Pacific to Singapore, Suvarnabhumi, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Manila, Denpasar and Jakarta using Cathay Pacific aircraft. It has connecting flight arrangements to Kuala Lumpur with Cathay Dragon.
News : MIAT Mongolian Airlines plans to launch scheduled flight to Guangzhou in 2018 but this was deferred to 31 March 2019.
Livery : The official horse logo colours of MIAT Mongolian Airlines, white and blue, do not appear on the MIAT aircraft's body, However, this makes the livery sleek and induces travel desire with MIAT in any weather, haze included. The livery itself connotes smooth and luxurious travel experience. ****
Baggage Requirements : A carry-on baggage measuring 115 cm in total to be stowed in the overhead compartment and a small item to be stowed under the seat are accepted. Total carry-on baggage weight is maximum 5 kg only, however. MIAT needs to consider raising the carry-on baggage weight allowance to 7 kg or 10 kg in order to compete with other full-service airlines for passengers since it is not a budget airline like Spring Airlines and West Air.**
Safety Demonstrations : Adequate. ****
Inflight Magazine : MIAT Mongolian Airlines Inflight Magazine is the official inflight magazine of MIAT Mongolian Airlines. MIAT also provides copies of Mongolia Forbes magazine onboard. Inflight magazine copies are not available at its ticketing offices outside Ulaanbaatar. It is the best tool to market MIAT's flight services, corporate image and Mongolia tourism, however. The airline needs to widen distribution channels for its literature.***
Inflight Service / Entertainment / Onboard Meals and Refreshments : The air stewardesses serve mixed nuts first followed by more than one standard Economy Class complimentary meal and drinks. The journalist ordered tasty Mongolian vegetarian meal as above, which includes cheese, fruits and more nuts but no noodles or rice. There is no inflight audio-visual entertainment to match the expensive fares. ***
Postcard / Stationery : No aircraft postcards onboard all MIAT Mongolian Airlines flights as the crew have never seen an aircraft postcard. Postcards are only collected at MIAT Building or at travel marts which MIAT exhibit at such as JATA Tourism Expo and ITB Berlin. Therefore, MIAT Mongolian Airlines has extended inflight travel experience to the ground. Scribble on MIAT barf bags instead if one has no paper to write on to kill time onboard. No Mongolian immigration forms onboard as these are aplenty at the Immigration section of the small Ulaanbaatar airport.***
Sky Shop : Yes.****
Surcharges : None. ***
Bookings : One can book a MIAT Mongolian Airlines ticket at www.miat.com, Skyscanner, Ctrip, Zuji, Alternative Airlines and MIAT's ticketing and GSA offices. The Mongolian TDB bank gateway accepts online payments from the world. However, flight amendment and cancellation cannot be performed on-line. It is advisable to book at Ctrip, MIAT's ticketing offices and agents.***
Bookings : One can book a MIAT Mongolian Airlines ticket at www.miat.com, Skyscanner, Ctrip, Zuji, Alternative Airlines and MIAT's ticketing and GSA offices. The Mongolian TDB bank gateway accepts online payments from the world. However, flight amendment and cancellation cannot be performed on-line. It is advisable to book at Ctrip, MIAT's ticketing offices and agents.***
Check-In and Departures : Check-in at international airports opens 2 hours 30 minutes before departure and closes 30 minutes before departure. If one arrives 3 hours and more at Ulaanbaatar airport before departure, please wait at the Passenger Send-off Section of the terminal building for the check-in call. The airport staff do not check the weight of carry-on baggage and passengers can easily walk off with 7 kg carry-on baggage. Although MIAT Mongolian Airlines has records of flight delays from its destinations, the travel experience with MIAT is rewarding. ****
Ground service in response to passengers' requests and enquiries : MIAT Building (as above) staff's customer service is the best. Overseas ticketing office communication experience needs to improve. For example, ticketing staff need to inform passengers the true scenario, that the airport staff do not check the passenger name on the debit/credit card used for each online booking and not raise the fact that different name on credit card from the passport may lead to boarding denial as long as the passenger has a valid passport and visa and the passenger's name on the itinerary is the same as that on the passport and visa. Singaporeans do not require tourist entry visas to Mongolia for one month.***
Overall Impression : MIAT Mongolian Airlines should raise carry-on baggage weight allowance and open more branch offices overseas to promote Mongolia travel and deliver the correct information on ticketing and check-in matters. Owing to the acceptable inflight and excellent ground service quality of MIAT, it is a three-star airline that is approaching four-star service quality.***
** Poor / two-star
*** Good / three-star
**** Very good / four-star
****** Excellent / six-star (the highest category)
****** Excellent / six-star (the highest category)
Will Soon Travel to mongolia
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