SURREAL Karachi · AIRBLUE Economy A320 🇵🇰 Karachi ✈ Dubai 🇦🇪 Great Little Airline!

[@tfft]

Drop your questions for future Community Q&As here: bit.ly/tfft_qa1

[@tugboat6313]

In a world where other Aviation youtubers are courting trouble everywhere they go and another is selling courses for $1000....please be a Kevin. Thanks for the refreshing and honest take in all your videos and your up beat attitude towards other peoples cultures and life in general.

[@tfft]

Oh... and here I thought it was still the bargain basement price of $747! lol Appreciate the kind words!

[@j.s.1872]

wait, who's selling courses?

[@777adorer]

Who's selling courses bro? Just curious.

[@AirbusA--si4kw]

@@777adorerNonstop Dan

[@Hey87man]

@@tfft you are by far one of the best flight reviewers. I love the history and the other stats you bring up. It truly gives insight to the growth of the aviation world. Thank you for all you do.

[@RustamShah]

*I completely agree with you. Some KZbinrs tend to exaggerate their complaints, likely aiming to increase views, but this can have a negative impact. It often discourages potential travelers from trying something new or adventurous, missing out on unique experiences. Thank you for your honest and balanced reporting-it’s refreshing to see someone focus on the true aspects rather than just chasing views.*

[@tfft]

Appreciate that!

[@yasserdiwan1900]

No josh cahill was hurt in this comment

[@srijitmukherjee1038]

In a world of so many fake avgeek “ influenzas” you and Jeb Brooks give me happy nice vibes and not clickbaits! Thanks and love from SFO !

[@and1baumann]

couldn't agree more!

[@mtalhaawais]

*cough* NonstopDan *cough*

[@Ali_ON3]

Thank you for keeping it real and not making it. Click bait, rage bait, and all that other terms you explained. Appreciate your honest personal opinion and straight facts. Keep on flying.😊

[@sushi777300]

I love your straight reporting 😊 We don't need any Joshs and Dans in this world

[@tfft]

We do though- more creators bring more viewers into the niche- and I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but Dan and Josh are in very different categories in my opinion lol

[@Canleaf08]

Sam however is the worst of all reviewers. He gets a show all the time. Flight attendants do not like to work with him.

[@kkongkham]

@@tfftI enjoy all 3 of you plus Noel as well. Great to see the world and all these airlines through your collective eyes. 🙏🏼

[@Rammstein66-u9v]

Sam Chui is a disgrace to aviation geeks who get paid to tell a beautiful story and harass everyone.. Josh Cahill is 10 000 more genuine

[@MrTomcat104]

@@Rammstein66-u9v Josh is that you? Josh can be pretty irritating in a lot of his videos, exaggerating some small issue out of all proportions.

[@sharifur]

I travelled Air Blue once from Karachi to Islamabad (Pakistani domestic flight) and was pleasantly surprised and impressed. The ticket was cheap and the service was comparable (and actually somewhat better) than the low cost European carriers.

[@tfft]

Thanks for watching

[@kokofruitkokotree]

LCCs in Asia >>>> LCCs in Europe any day.

[@DeniseSommerRoque]

It always amazes me how many small airlines like this exist in the world and how pleasantly you can be surprised. In a world where scaling is everything, competition is fierce and the margins are so low, it is quite a miracle. Thank you for the review 🙏🏼

[@tfft]

Yes! There's something to be said about an airline that just stays in it's lane and does what it does... and does it well.

[@MrKumail123]

Your always true and honest about your experience. Keep it up. Love from Bangalore.

[@tfft]

Appreciate that!

[@PAKAviation2219]

This video is absolutely amazing! I hope to see more Pakistan trip reports in the near future, reviewing airlines like Sereneair, AirSial, and maybe even reviewing Airblue’s best aircraft, a321neos, I absolutely agree that Karachi airport really gives that palace-like vibe, if you want more retro, visit Lahore :) Also fun fact: Airblue tried to start up an American based carrier, Airbahn (Weird name). Although theres barely any much footage about them, they did use one of their a320s and put an American flag on the winglets, the airline failed as soon as it was introduced

[@juergenruss1366]

Kevin you are my favorite vlogger these days and I wish more people like you would get the fame you deserve.

[@thomasmooreCQ]

For me, you set the standard for travel content because you make it about the trip and less about you. I may not have opportunity or interest in visiting the hotels or taking flights you show but the quality of your videos is first class. For the other creators who show themselves, it's like what tv travel shows used to be like. I may've enjoyed them for a while until it just got too much. Maybe they feel it's what they have to do to keep people interested. Especially if this is their career. It's good to check out various channels to see what you enjoy. There's only 2 others i take seriously and a handful of others i may occasionally watch. As for subtitled travel channels, sometimes it's too much to focus on the subtitles and the videos. Though I'd prefer that over an AI voice. Keep up the good work and i look forward to what you have in store.

[@tfft]

I appreciate that. I will be completly honest, there will likely be a point in the future (after 2026 at the earliest) where I myself may need to reveal myself in videos for a variety of reasons. That said though, the objective will never change. The videos will never be about ME. But there's something to be said about how a familiar face builds much more trust with an audiance rather than only a voice.

[@SpeedBird4284]

Wonderful trip report as always Kevin. Loved this one. That check in hall at Karachi was one of the best I've seen. Old fashioned, beautiful decorations and those lovely chandeliers. One of the least crowded check in halls I've ever seen. Keep up the good work! ❤

[@tfft]

Yeah, the lack of crowds at airports in Pakistan is a definite surprise- nearly as much as how well preserved they are.

[@nejibdahech4191]

I do appreciate your honesty and you stating facts and not looking for drama like some german vlogger with a fake aussi accent ;-)))) Its always a pleasure watching hour vlogs!

[@AndrewSephiTV]

I just found this channel and by the first 30 seconds that you said you flying economy and you doing the old Kangaroo route already deserved my sub and my life. I am glad I found It now because I have over 300 other flights to check!

[@tfft]

Appreciate that!

[@jasongarufi8187]

Great video Kevin nice jab at QF for the high prices!

[@tfft]

Was waiting for someone to catch that haha.

[@mark123655]

Granted it was pretty much all first class in those days with full meals and I believe even hotels at some of the stops.

[@notactuallymyrealname]

As someone with a Google Map full of dream trip routes that includes some out-of-the-way detours, I'm really appreciating the opportunity of this series to be shown some airports and flights from destinations that are more difficult to find quality content on. Thanks so much!

[@notactuallymyrealname]

That's a little word salad-y, but I hope my point comes across 😅

[@tfft]

I love a good word salad! Understand completely and can’t say that my same sentiment is how I ‘justified’ doing this trip to begin with!

[@MattBlankenshipPhotography]

Always until the end, including the ads, and I am still watching the intro ads! Stay well Kevin!

[@karachiwallainla8354]

Thank you! These days the perception is more than the reality!

[@botruong4102]

Thank you Kelvin it is a great vlog as always.

[@RRAviation]

Good to see Karachi airport in a positive manner, the airport might be old but it’s beautiful and in a way peaceful

[@mdjay1000]

And this is why I love your channel. While Pakistan isnt a country on my list to visit soon, Id def would love to see the mughal architecture of the olden days and experience the Pakistani hospitality one day.'

[@Canleaf08]

5:15 the same happened to Gander in Canada. This was a huge stop for refueling until the planes got the range ro fly longer. Then only Soviet and east German carriers stopped over. Now nobody stops over, only if you have an emergency.

[@tfft]

Yeah I was about to say the only time I hear of it now is an emergency lol.

[@ahmadasabah]

I started my aviation career in Karachi , now working in civil aviation authority Australia CASA

[@well-blazeredman6187]

Good review. Get a print-out of an e-ticket? Cripes. Yep - that food looked really good.

[@tfft]

An e(xtra)Ticket perhaps lol

[@mark123655]

Still common in some other Asian ports - you need a printout of the e-ticket to enter the terminal.. And confirming credit cards still a thing, particularly in a place like Pakistan with FX controls. 10+ years ago I took two oneworld RTW business fares from Karachi but always did them back to back due to difficulties getting a visa.. but back then no credit card and I had to use third party transfers to buy a ticket.

[@jimmyjames6492]

Thanks for the info + video!

[@MarkusHarooo]

Kevin the quality of your videos are too good for you to only have sub 500k. Subs. I think you need to partner with other aviation KZbinrs to get better exposure. You deserve more views and subs!!

[@tfft]

I’d just kindly remind you that every channel that has over 500k subscribers at one point has 132k subscribers lol

[@CLAR-oo1lg]

I have to say; there is something very refreshing about you Kevin. Your work is Superb and please don't go anywhere. I have moved away from mainstream airline vloggers, 2 of which seem to be in a bitter conflict at present and another that was so rude to me, I was stunned and dropped him like a stone. There are some real humble, yet amazing vloggers out there, that produce amazing content, you included. I just cannot bear looking at some of the titles, those that I have dropped or in the process of dropping, sensationalised, damaging, clickbait. Is it any wonder QR has banned one of them. Back to KHI, I was expecting worse, with the exception of the hold inbound to DXB, I was pleasantly surprised! Amazing and educational and your narration rocks

[@taariqq]

@ 7:40 ... you earned my subscription. From Karachi btw.

[@davenorth2903]

Air blue kinda reminds me of my experiences on domestic Cebu pacific. Absolutely low cost but great crew and a pleasant experience. Nice review Kevin.

[@tfft]

I can see that.

[@dreadedscorpion]

Thank you very much for an honest video on Karachi and Pakistani aviation.

[@vishwanathchidambaram7241]

I am totally with you on your gentle, genial approach, Kevin! Eagerly share the positives of your experience. If something is not quite right, just mention it, and move on. No need to make a lengthy rant about it.

[@spinalcrackerbox]

Karachi airport sure is a gem.

[@syedwasilkaleem295]

Love your trip reports ! Thanks for posting! AirBlue was once a full-service carrier with a premium cabin but has transformed into a “hybrid” one over the years, as you’ve put it. Slight correction: the two meal gig has been introduced by AirSial, another Pakistani hybrid carrier, and their strategy definitely is incredibly successful! Food is always a great bait! 😉

[@gulnazanwar9285]

FANTASTIC VIDEO...TYSM👍🏻 WITH LOVE FROM HIGHGATE, LONDON ❤

[@waterhouse8432]

Your viedo is very informative. Good on you .keep it up

[@jmaxim917]

Been to Karachi a few times, a very crowded city but appears to be improving quite a bit.

[@hypnoticube]

Would you ever do a video where you go through how you film these videos? Like what you do on the day, the research, the graphics or just the equipment you use?

[@tfft]

No, because it would be a painfully boring video lol.

[@hypnoticube]

@@tfft Ok. Cool

[@ANONYMOUS-hu1um]

Was hoping to Use air blue KHI-DXB and after this reveiw it just made me book without any delay thanks for such a detailed review

[@r3m_2m]

11:01 Ayo! That’s Emaar Crescent Bay, my second home!

[@mpaul2012]

Kevin, glad to see you at Karachi! I do hope that at least some of the Karachi Jinnah KZbin vidoes you watched had one of my videos recommended to you 😉. There is a dedicated playlist of all arrivals and departures in and out of Karachi, on various airlines on my channel. Hope you dont mind me mentioning this here. Thanks for being completely honest about Karachi Jinnah, and keeping it positive which is how I've always experienced it. There is a part of me growing up there in the early 80s where Karachi had so many international carriers. Emirates was just being born!! Monsoon wearher and some cold wintry days was a treat as these airlines would fly low over rhe city to land from rhe West. The stuff memories are made up of!! Always been landing from rhe East, however in Nov 2022 (daylight port side) and Feb 2024 (night starboard side) both of which happened to be up front in Business gave me wonderful views of rhe city from above as we came in to land from the West.

[@noumaan]

Loved the honest review. It is small and not very lavish but Jinnah international is a beautiful airport with slightly inefficient procedures. Nothing too bad but those chandeliers and architecture makes it stand out for us Pakistanis when we come back home.

[@2THGap]

re: clickbait. That's exactly like that and nothing to offer at all on so many aviation related youtube channels I encounter.It's like they flaunt to the world their travel lifestyle. Oh Pleeeeeeaasse!. I.E. - "Hey!! Look at me! I'm traveling business class or first class. Don't you wish you're flying the way I do too?" I'm just thankful that yours is quite educational with a touch of humor (and sarcasm) to draw watchers to keep engaging. Just keep doing what you're doing Kevin, I think you're the best aviation related travel vlogger and lets no forget resort hotel vlogger too. Cheers. And lastly, I wil be traveling to South East asia for about 3 month and I wil be taking Starlux airline, China Airlines, Jeju, Cathay Air Asia Phiippines and China Eastern. hotel accomodations are non like yours because I will be using airbnb and vrbo to attempt to get some rest in between.Cheers.

[@MrTomcat104]

I appreciate you giving a fair take on Pakistan aviation. Its positive and problematic things. And spot on, I really admire you giving your videos a more accurate review than the "click baits" exaggeration prevalent on youtube. One of the well-known troublesome issue with youtubers is their need to exaggerate either positive or negative aspects of something, to create drama or have some irritating persona just for the views. Partly that is the fault of youtube's algorithm, which recommend videos based on how outlandish some video can be. And let's face it, no airline is perfect. I hate it when some youtuber feel compel to highlight some minor issue as some major defect that ruins the whole flight, when in fact its really a minor thing. In a lot of cases, especially flight and hotel reviews, I just want an accurate video that highlights the pros and cons of the airline or hotel. I mean, some interesting take on the airline or airport in question is fun and enjoyable, but no need for exaggeration.

[@susangomes9373]

Who knows about fair take on Pakistan aviation ,But Pakistani military propaganda arm hires foreign travel vlogger to show only positive side of Pakistan. These paid foreign travel vlogger are given special access and armed guards. Few month ago even Sam Chui done these Pakistan aviation positive paid vlogs. All these things are even reported in International press like, The Guardian -- How western travel influencers got tangled up in Pakistan's politics.

[@MrTomcat104]

@@susangomes9373 People can decide for themselves what is fair or propaganda. They are not that stupid to be unable to tell the difference.

[@gr-dxb]

I'm ur new subscribers frm Pakistan , Like ur vlog ❤

[@gregj7916]

Was the coffee in the dance club any good?

[@anarvanchigtseren4907]

You should fly to Mongolia!

[@tfft]

Already in the works.

[@memeranglaut]

Interesting flight indeed. Something I noticed - PA had the Pakistani flag on the sharklets . Thought it would be a pk thing only

[@tfft]

With all of PK's issues, Air Blue is nearly the second de facto national airline, so- not surprised they are country forward. Thanks for watching

[@fhaqqie]

you are very expressive

[@mujtabaleghari8284]

Thank you for the honest review 👏👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️

[@charliebrown5]

Thank You ✈️

[@ALJVD]

that landing though

[@TheRareVideosXL]

You should fly PIA and AirSial as well as Serene Air and please go to Islamabad.We have a new airport there.

[@tfft]

Would have helped if PIA didn't cancel 2 of my flights 😉

[@TheRareVideosXL]

@@tfft Sorry.Hope you do travel next time.

[@Akshay.Rajbongshi]

Air Blue Of 💙 Pakistan 🇵🇰 💙 JetBlue Of America 🇺🇸

[@ShguftaParween-lb9te]

Is food is included in ticket price

[@VaibhavShete1981]

Best airline reviewer !! even better than Josh Cahill. Can you do a face reviel

[@SubhadipSen]

In another world, if things had gone right, Karachi would be the Dubai - I would even argue it is better located with the balance of wealth gradually shifting eastwards with massive populations of South Asia and East Asia becoming more productive faster than anywhere else on earth. I've transited through Karachi in 1995, and it was hands down the best South Asian airport at the time - and arguably among the second tier Asian airports overall just short of the very best at the time like Changi or Narita. The problem is, it has stayed still, but the world has moved forward rapidly. It's hard to imagine Karachi was busier than Bombay then, but now Mumbai does 10x the traffic beyond capacity and is opening a new airport soon and expanding that over time to 3x that. Appreciate that you edit your content for reality rather than drama! It may lead to less clickbait views in the short term, but I believe you'll have the most engaged audience in the long term. Also, good to see these lesser-known South Asians doing well - particularly enjoyed Air Blue and Bhutan Airlines.

[@tfft]

Yes, for sure my focus has always been the long game. A click bait viewer who watches once and never again isn’t a viewer, it’s just a view.

[@Notyourbusiness-n3w]

Josh is the king 👑 of negative reviews!!!

[@sohailzuberi8460]

I hope you're enjoying the Pakistan visit of Pakistan & Flight ✈️ in travels different cities. Best of luck ❤❤❤

[@crypton7572]

fun fact: airblue tried launching an american low cost subsidiary called airbahn in 2022 to serve places in california, but it didnt happen for an unknown reason

[@yourpapa6641]

Air Canada gave me 2 cookies and small water glass for a 2 hour flight...

[@makanmata]

Karachi was actually not a particularly major city before Partition. It was a port and the capital of Sindh, but it's population was only around 400K people who were mostly Hindu and neither a commercial nor government capital. After Partition, the Hindus of Karachi were mostly expelled (to the extent they survived, which several million people on both sides did not) and their homes and neighborhoods taken by Muslims who were expelled from what became India and Karachi became the first capital of Pakistan (while Islamabad was built) and grew to ~20 million. Lahore was actually a much more important city historically as the capital of Punjab, a Mughal capital before the British, and a seat of the High Court during the British Period, and became an important stop on the Hippy Trail between Afghanistan and India. Karachi is certainly an interesting city and I would say that it has a strong argument for the most hospitable place on earth (Daniel Pearl's sad experience notably and emphatically excepted), and it is difficult for a foreigner to pay for a meal. Lahore though is more interesting for the traveler in my opinion, has the unbelievable Walled City (probably the biggest and most intact in the world) but the Sikhs and Hindus that once made up half the population are now living over the border and it must have been an incredibly diverse and cultured city when they were around. The food in both Lahore and Karachi are simply world class. Incidentally, I flew Airblue from Lahore to Karachi recently, and I thought it was completely fine. My only gripe was that they made me check my carry on. I suggest that you be the first aviation vlogger to fly on PIA's ex-SQ 777 nonstops to Canada (or v.v.) in which they sell the old Raffles Business Class Spacebeds as "Premium Economy" for reasonable fares.

[@mujtabaleghari8284]

Subscribed your channel for your honesty ❤

[@tommykay7427]

Im going to be a bit sad when this series come to an end. Oooh? Could you do one like "Around the world in 80 days" ?

[@tfft]

80 days? Each flight would be like 20 minutes long lol

[@shaheerkhan9294]

I have to say that I noticed you said Pakistan with a soft T (as is said in Urdu)... but I wasn't expecting you to say Mughal properly (with the glottal sound). I've never flown on Air Blue myself, so thanks for your review! That's not to say I'll be flying on them now - it's just that I never got the opportunity to fly on them in the first place!

[@zeesmart6540]

Please do it for PIA too

[@26markp]

Kevin were you at all worried about your personal safety while in Pakistan?

[@foodlover2236]

Good report but i disagree with your statement that Pakistan is not a typical tourist destination/ vacation spot ( evidence the multitude of YT videos specially the northern area ). Now Karachi alone is a separate matter

[@tfft]

I'd encourage you to go survey 1000 non-Pakistanis from any nation on earth and ask them if they think Pakistan is a "typical tourist destinaiton"- I'd bet my house you'd get 95+% "No"... Key word, typical.

[@jimhearsonwriter]

Hopefully I wasn't alone in initially wondering why a US carrier was going from Karachi to Dubai... 🤦‍♂

[@mohsinmumtaz2390]

Largest airport is Islamabad now

[@congregationGlobal]

🎉

[@get2dachoppa249]

Being from the Northeast US like you, I thought I knew what urban sprawl was. Not so, not after I flew into Karachi on my way to Dubai while working in Afghanistan. Holy crap, NYC ain't got sheet on Karachi's sprawl. Also, since I'm a long time Dubai dweller, I'm pretty certain that if this flight is from April of this year (2024), the holding your flight experienced over Dubai was weather related. The UAE had the worst rainstorm in 75 years around that time-frame, and the airport flooded. The ramp at DXB still looked like it still had a lot of standing water from that storm.

[@tfft]

This was actually 2 days before those rains. I departed during them from AUH. Fun times with absolutely no rain coverings at the airport entrances and exits.

[@felixbuchwald2634]

Another thing is cultural biais or unconscious racism - can explain some negative videos about Karachi while the same would describe highly a chaotic and ran down US airport for example. Meal looks very nice ! Why is the title « surreal » though?

[@tfft]

If the far reaching expectation and narrative about a place is that it is extreme in every way, then arriving and having a perfectly "normal" experience somehow becomes surreal.

[@MuhammadAli-gi8tw]

🇵🇰❤️🇵🇰❤️

[@kaleidoscopeon]

Thank you for showing this side of Pakistan which no one shows. The positive side.

[@tfft]

Happy to show it as it happened, to me! Thanks for watching

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

I was couriering a parcel. I was currying favor. I was eating curry. All poor excuses.

[@STS_71]

josh cahill is the epitome of hypocrisy. Dan is ok, noel is downright racist, sam is a money merchant, Kevin is the best (I'm not trying to glaze, just being honest)

[@akumar678]

Kevin is being paid for portraying a positive image of Pakistan! There is going to be a Champions Trophy tournament in 2025 and the Government of Pakistan needs to pay influencers like Kevin and others who scream “video is not paid”! 😂

[@tfft]

And who’s paying you to troll like an absolute basement amateur?

[@kabir9501]

I thought your indian media portrayed pakistan doesn't have money so how are they paying all these vloggers?

[@777adorer]

Hating for no reason is just a waste of energy.

[@emilhilmy7740]

Another Indian Panjit Troll

[@susangomes9373]

@@tfft Well it is true.Pakistani military propaganda arm hires these foreign travel vlogger show only positive side of Pakistan. These paid foreign travel vlogger are given special access and armed guards.All these things are even reported in International press like, The Guardian -- How western travel influencers got tangled up in Pakistan's politics.

[@Jk399-s6b]

My house is near this jinnah International air port i see every plan land & takeoff beautiful views 👌🤙🏻❤️

[@mujtabaleghari8284]

❤ from PAKISTAN 🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰