Flying to Mauritius - which airline?

[Matt]

Ud, I agree with you regarding the Duty Free at Dubai....complete and total rip-off. I`ve never seen somewhere thats supposed to be `Duty Free` that turns out to be more expensive than normal shops outside the airport.

Emirates are a very good airline, much much better than Air Mauritius, but my advice would be to anyone going via Dubai...keep your money in your pocket !

[ud]

I've just flown recently and updated my post on page 4.

I can confirm what Matt is saying. It is ridiculously expensive there. I currently hold a grudge against their Philipino staff for very low quality of service and some racism. I think I do look like an Arab/ fair Asian bloke but the service I received was really poor and I got completely put aside when asking about duty free items and services. It is a shame really. Dubai seems to be a great place but hey maybe I should have worn what they wear in Dubai and look like one of the princes or Sheiks for better treatment next time.

Ud

[leftright]

Ud, I agree with you regarding the Duty Free at Dubai....complete and total rip-off.

Duty Free doesn't mean profit free, especially when one is a "captive audience". I have yet to come across a duty free shop that defies this principle.

Take the fact that EMPTY bottles of water are confiscated at security, when asked the reason, the terse reply was "security issue, must confiscate", they're so afraid that you'll fill your empty bottle of water from a tap in the departure lounge, their intention is to force one to buy the bottled water from a vendor within the departure lounge at their hyper inflated prices. The hard liquor prices are a 1L bottle at duty free versus a 750ml bottle in the local store for the same price, soft spirits are mostly more expensive at duty free than at bulk stores i.e. "Game" or "Makro", and marginally cheaper at duty free versus a normal bottle shop/store, and so it goes...

[Yuma]

...
I always choose back seats as you are:
1) near to the toilets and don't have to walk long distances to reach there
2) near to the hostess area where you can easily top up on drinks and snacks
3) have a 65% more chance to survive an airplane crash.
...

Hello Udester and everybody!
Yours opinions and impressions Ud are very useful and i read you with interest but let me say somthing to you and to all forum's friends about your point 3)

A study of the Greenwich University say the contrary: as the problem in the crash landing is mostly to be very fast in getting out the plane (fire and toxic fumes), according the study passengers sitting towards the front of the aircraft had a 65 per cent chance of escaping, while the survival rate for those at the rear was 53 per cent
For the best chance of getting out alive from a burning aircraft, people should choose an aisle seat near an emergency exit. That's what i know about real studies (and i've read that virgin atlantic airlines charges like 70$ more the exit row ) and give to all of you as advice about it

[ud]

Hello Yuma,

Yes it is true that they have done a study, Greenwich university..... but it's not even in the top 100 universities in the UK . I have worked in an airport and know basics of aircraft automation engineering. I can tell you that this study is stupid.
From an engineering perspective, the chances of surviving an aircraft increases the closest you are to the back of the airplane. Did you know this is where the black box resides at the tail segment of the plane?

Previous crashes have most of the time shown the rear tail segment of the planes intact at the site of the crash but the passengers have died on impact but hey atleast your body will come out intact even if you die.

Here have a read about this:

1) http://www.brighthub.com/science/aviation/articles/65900.aspx
2) http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/safety/4219452


In reality you will most likely die in any circumstances due to the shock of the impact. Did you know that the brace solution was longingly debated as not a safety precaution but to ensure the person dies immediately upon impact believe it or not?

Well putting this aside, the reason I also sit at the back is because the middle seat arrangement diminishes at the back and if you've got a seat on the sides ideally the aisle, you've got plenty of room on your side and the passing trolleys won't bother you at all for both airbus A340 and Boeing777.

The seats start changing around row 37-39 if you look here on the Air Mauritius planes. I think it's 46-48 on a Boeing.

http://www.airmauritius.com/aboutus/a340eseatmap.pdf

Does it make sense?

ud

[Yuma]

Very intresting articles Ud! So I take back my advise and will use yours

...and anyway i'd always prefer back seats because i really agree with your point 2)... near to the hostesses