Blown Away by Royal Jordian

[Cocitus23]

I recently completed a trip on a OneWorld Around-the-World economy class ticket. Part of the itinerary involved getting from Rome (FCO) to Bangkok (BKK) via Amman (AMM) on Royal Jordanian (RJ). The bad thing about this routing was that it entailed a scheduled seven hour delay at AMM.

The flight from FCO was perfect - beautiful new aircraft and excellent service. When I arrived at AMM at about 7.30pm, I asked at the RJ transit desk if they had a lounge where I might while away the hours. The response was to check my itinerary and to announce to me, "Oh, Mr Cocitus, we have been expecting you. We are pleased to offer you something much better than a lounge. We have reserved a room for you, free of charge, at the 5-star Golden Tulip hotel, and you will be our guest for dinner. Also, we have arranged a free visa into Jordan for you. Our driver is waiting outside to take you to your hotel." And so it was. Just fabulous, and I didn't pay a cent.

I'm still wondering what I did as an economy passenger to deserve it. And the flight from AMM to BKK was just as good as the flight from FCO.

Any explanations? Have any of you ever been recipients of such largesse? Is RJ just trying to impress their OneWorld affiliates? By the way, I am OneWorld Sapphire these days.

Cocitus23.

 

[RB]

Maybe your stopover was related to this
What is Zuwar?

 

[nlagalle]

I'm still wondering what I did as an economy passenger to deserve it. And the flight from AMM to BKK was just as good as the flight from FCO.

Any explanations? Have any of you ever been recipients of such largesse? Is RJ just trying to impress their OneWorld affiliates? By the way, I am OneWorld Sapphire these days.

Cocitus23.

Perhaps because you were a OWE might have helped? either way, fantastic reception for you!!

 

[Cocitus23]

Maybe your stopover was related to this
What is Zuwar?

Maybe, RB, maybe. In any case, let's hear it for Zuwar, and may it spread far and wide!

Thanks for alerting me to the concept.

Cocitus23

 

[ozmille]

That is amazing service... I have looked at RJ as an option to fly BKK to BRU somewhere next year. Their fares aren't bad at about EUR600 return

 

[moa999]

A few of the teams on Amazing Race Australia got the same treatment... asume they were non status travelling Y

 

[docjames]

I think they may be encouraging you to fly them again...... :idea:

 

[Cocitus23]

I think they may be encouraging you to fly them again...... :idea:

Yes. And probably they are hoping that I will tell a few of my mates - like the entire readership of this web site! I think I've done my duty. And, hey, I WOULD fly with them again if I was going anywhere they go.

Cocitus23

 

[simonpenny408]

I got offered that hotel as well but turned them down because I would much rather spend time in the lounge with the free food and beverages and a good internet connection. 4 hours on the outward leg and 7 hours on the return. I feel like I KNOW that lounge

 

[Alanslegal]

Lucky ducks!!

About a month I did a 12 hour transit in Jordan ... FRA to CDG via AMM and what's this offer of a hotel and dinner for the night that you guys are talking about?!?!

I arrived at 730pm, flight departd 725am or so the next morning .... but had to slum it in the lounge. Both of us are QF WPs and were flying RJ J on both sectors.

 

[Cocitus23]

Lucky ducks!!

About a month I did a 12 hour transit in Jordan ... FRA to CDG via AMM and what's this offer of a hotel and dinner for the night that you guys are talking about?!?!

I arrived at 730pm, flight departd 725am or so the next morning .... but had to slum it in the lounge. Both of us are QF WPs and were flying RJ J on both sectors.

Sorry, Alanslegal, I have no idea why I got lucky and you did not.

But your post raises one question in my mind. Why on earth did you choose to travel from FRA to CDG via AMM, especially when it entailed a 12 hour transit? Sounds weird to me. Even if you were constrained to using OneWorld carriers surely there was a more convenient possibility, such as BA via LHR.
Tell me what I am missing.

Cocitus23.

 

[Alanslegal]

But your post raises one question in my mind. Why on earth did you choose to travel from FRA to CDG via AMM, especially when it entailed a 12 hour transit? Sounds weird to me. Even if you were constrained to using OneWorld carriers surely there was a more convenient possibility, such as BA via LHR.
Tell me what I am missing.

It was part of a dONE4, I had 2 spare sectors to use up, and to maximise the mileage rules within the EUR sector FRA-AMM-CDG was those legs. Some folks for example fly the LHR-DXB-LHR runs as they max out the mileage given DXB,AMM,DOH are considered in the EURope region.

Also my transit was originally booked for 22hours or so - which meant I could get a driver, duck into town, grab a kebab, smoke a shisha, sleep at the Sheraton, and fly out the following day after spending the afternoon,night in town. [Then the schedule change happens and reduces that down to 12hrs].

 

[Foreigner]

I recently completed a trip on a OneWorld Around-the-World economy class ticket. Part of the itinerary involved getting from Rome (FCO) to Bangkok (BKK) via Amman (AMM) on Royal Jordanian (RJ). The bad thing about this routing was that it entailed a scheduled seven hour delay at AMM.

The flight from FCO was perfect - beautiful new aircraft and excellent service. When I arrived at AMM at about 7.30pm, I asked at the RJ transit desk if they had a lounge where I might while away the hours. The response was to check my itinerary and to announce to me, "Oh, Mr Cocitus, we have been expecting you. We are pleased to offer you something much better than a lounge. We have reserved a room for you, free of charge, at the 5-star Golden Tulip hotel, and you will be our guest for dinner. Also, we have arranged a free visa into Jordan for you. Our driver is waiting outside to take you to your hotel." And so it was. Just fabulous, and I didn't pay a cent.

I'm still wondering what I did as an economy passenger to deserve it. And the flight from AMM to BKK was just as good as the flight from FCO.

Any explanations? Have any of you ever been recipients of such largesse? Is RJ just trying to impress their OneWorld affiliates? By the way, I am OneWorld Sapphire these days.

Cocitus23.

Seems to me you got a, well, Royal treatment.

 

[drron]

Now if we could be quaranteed this treatment it would be a better way of flying BKK-IST next year.Murphy's law would see us having the Alanslegal experience methinks.

 

[Limewood]

They might have you mixed up with the real Mr Cocitus

 

[Cocitus23]

They might have you mixed up with the real Mr Cocitus

Very funny, Limewood. I love it.

And drron, being serious for a minute, if I were flying BKK - IST, I would by all means check out connections with RJ. It seems to me that it might be a very convenient way to go.

Cocitus23

 

[Moopere]

Any explanations? Have any of you ever been recipients of such largesse? Is RJ just trying to impress their OneWorld affiliates? By the way, I am OneWorld Sapphire these days.

It must be an RJ thing. I was treated in much the same way during a long transit to Syria in the 90's - great to hear it wasn't a one-off but seems to be their modus operandi.

Part of it is self serving I believe, letting you into the country will buy them brownie points with you (and so it should) but hopefully you'll also pull some hard currency from your wallet.

Its all good in my opinion.

 

[rechoboam]

It must be an RJ thing. I was treated in much the same way during a long transit to Syria in the 90's - great to hear it wasn't a one-off but seems to be their modus operandi.

Part of it is self serving I believe, letting you into the country will buy them brownie points with you (and so it should) but hopefully you'll also pull some hard currency from your wallet.

Its all good in my opinion.

Gulf air did much the same for me in Bahrain when I asked them (they hadn't offered though). The meal was indescribably good, I couldn't believe a small hotel restaurant put on a buffet like that.
Arab hospitality...sampled in Israel, the Gulf and North Africa, very impressive in my experience. But NEVER share a shisha or any water pipe, terrible bugs breed in the fluid.

 

[goldy]

Now tell me again, how a small airline like RJ can do this but the behemoth that is QF treats you as if your'e an inconvenience??

I know where id be spending my $$ next time....

 

[Roma16]

I had a similar experience from Cathay Pacific when I flew the new Sapporo (Japan)-Hong Kong flight recently. My flight to Perth wasn't till the following day which meant I had to o'night in HK, but because it was less than 24 hours I was allowed to disembark and didn't have to collect luggage. They had also arranged a hotel and gave me a meal voucher for the departure day. Must say I was impressed.