YOU don't want to be just an anonymous passenger on the plane.

That's why Mr Arun Bhardwaj takes his hat off to the crew at Cathay Pacific.

The 39-year-old loves how they never fail to greet him by name whenever he's onboard, and for that, he rates the Hong Kong carrier highly on its service.

As the managing director of Starbucks Singapore, he travels at least once a month.

The mild-mannered New Zealander, who has been based in countries like China, Indonesia and India, relocated to Singapore in July.

He is married to Ying Zi, 38, a housewife, and they have a four-year-old son called Aryan.


Which is your favourite airport?

Changi Airport is my favourite. It is efficient, has a warm and homely feel and great facilities.

Changi has something for everyone - tonnes of food options to suit all tastes, play areas for kids, quiet areas for rest, great shopping and a friendly and simple layout.

Another great airport is the Hong Kong International Airport. It is also simple in design, very functional and easy to navigate. But it can be a bit tiring to walk around in.

I like the amount of skylight it has and the views outside.

Has your luggage ever been lost?

I've had a few cases of lost baggage.

The most recent experience was when Spanish carrier Iberia lost my suitcase when I was travelling from Barcelona to London and on to New Delhi in India.

So there I was in New Delhi, with no change of clothes and nothing with me. The first thing I did was to go to a mall and buy some clothes and basic toiletries.

The worst part of that incident was that I lost all my data as my laptop was in the lost bag too. This was a huge disruption that affected my work for several weeks because I lost a lot of information.

Besides the aggravation of waiting for the baggage, which in the end was never found, I had to manage with a paltry $500 compensation which was not even enough to cover basic expenses.

Lesson learnt - never pack your laptop in your check-in bags and always be prepared to lose your luggage every now and then.

Ever had a scary flight or something interesting happen on a flight before?

Well, we once had to make an emergency landing in Moscow, Russia, as a passenger had a heart attack on the plane.

It was on a Lufthansa flight from Hong Kong to Frankfurt in 2005.

We landed in Moscow and were kept on the plane while the sick passenger was evacuated.

Although it was an inconvenience for the passengers, I must applaud Lufthansa for putting the safety of its passengers first and taking the step of making the unscheduled landing in Moscow and getting necessary treatment for the sick passenger.

After a delay of about two hours, we took off for Frankfurt.

Which airlines have the best service and food?

Overall, Cathay Pacific provides the best value - good food, professional, friendly and efficient service, and much better pricing across all classes.

Also, they constantly recognise and thank their loyal customers.

Frontline staff are more empowered to recognise their customers, they always come over to greet their regular passengers by name, regardless of what class they may be in, and I have often been upgraded for free.

How do you handle jetlag?

Sleep based on the local time.

I try to get outdoors, drink plenty of water and keep myself occupied.

If you go to sleep, you're gone. You'll wake up at a strange hour and with a buzzing headache.

Which airlines have the best uniforms?

Cathay Pacific, especially when it did its Journey Through History campaign last year.

The staff were dressed in uniforms from the past to the present, starting from the black and white ones with brass buttons and a navy cap in the 1950s to the latter ones with more Chinese influence.

There were about five or six different uniforms on each aircraft.

It was great to see how the uniform had evolved from the early days into the current style. The airline also had little handouts that gave information about all this.

What drink do you always ask for on board?

Mostly Diet Coke. Sometimes a glass of red wine with my food.

frankiec@sph.com.sg