[Anonymous]

[DavidGordon10]

As many more members of the Forum are likely (I guess) to travel to Iran in the next year or two, here are three obsevations from a recent visit.

Internal flights. The FCO website is pretty negative about internal air travel, but is not explicit about any particular airline, our experience may help. We took three internal flights, all on airlines deemed acceptable by the international agency for whom we were working.

Mahan Air, from Tehran to Mashhad was in an elderly 747. Interesting to be in such a beast for a relatively short hop. Perfectly acceptable flight – incidentally, the many Mahan Air large airbus aircraft originally from Virgin (see the other recent Iran thread) were very much in evidence on the apron at the international airport in Tehran (IKA).

Return to Tehran was by Aseman Airlines – a very elderly and very late 727. Ages since I have been on one, quite nostalgic. Again, a perfectly acceptable fight, decent seats and decent food.

Getting back to the hotel at 01.00 made the 05.30 start to Isfahan the next morning a little tough – this was Iran Air, a fairly modern A319, not really different from any similar flight in Western Europe. (Travel back to Tehran the next day was by a very luxurious bus.)

Second observation: CIP. “CIP” is the “Commercially Important Person” service at Iranian airports – certainly available in Tehran and Marshhad. You are not a VIP, but you are met at the aircraft stairs, whisked to a separate arrival lounge, your baggage is brought to you, and so on. Departing, your passport is taken and all the check-in and baggage handled for you, and you are handed your passport back with a smile as you are taken to special transport to get you to the plane. You can just wait and eat and drink while all the work is done for you. If you are offerend CIP, accept!

Third observation: dress. The question of ties has been raised in the Forum. Iranian men do not wear ties: it is completely OK for Western visitors to wear one, but we (an all male team) were happy to fit in by being tieless. The only two big no-noes for male visitors at a business meeting, we were authoritatively told, are short sleeves (if you wear a short-sleeved shirt you must keep your jacket on) and sandles worn with no socks. Of course, there are special rules for women visitors, but nothing like as arduous as some other countries.

Our Iranian hosts and contacts were, without exception, charming, helpful, generous and positive. They are looking forward to relations returning to normal, and so am I.

[stevescoots]

Interesting post, Iran is somewhere we are considering looking at or future growth in our business, just have to work out where to start!

[BTMEEditor]

Timely post indeed!
Just back from a couple of days myself in Tehran with Accor – went for the opening ceremony for the airside ibis/Novotel, which will fully open in October.
I found the ‘CIP’ lounge useful both ways, for the points you mention. I flew with EK from DXB (another option – 4x flights a day, and less than 2 hrs from DXB) and was told CIP is complimentary for premium pax or $85 otherwise.
Interesting observation about the ties – yes, I stuck out in the ballroom!
Full details in BTME October issue.
Dominic

[MrMichael]

DavidGordon10, thanks for the tip. With the easing of restrictions on doing business with Iran my company is in talks with the Iranian transport ministry. I feared the worse….but your post has allowed me to consider that Iran might not be the shortest straw after all.

[AnthonyDunn]

A niece is currently reading Middle East politics at SOAS (University of London) and I have kept telling her to make the most of her time there by starting to learn Farsi. Looks as if the timing could not be better.

[PeterCoultas]

Been looking forward to visiting Iran post-shar but was told that tourists need to be “accompanied” – do recent visitors know if this is still the case?

[TominScotland]

PeterCoultas, not sure where you got the information about tourists but certainly not true of my travels in Iran, dating back to the mid-1990s and, at its peak, involving 5 or 6 trips a year. Less now but now change to travel arrangements. Independent travel is fine if at times a wee bit frustrating…

[rferguson]

Interesting! And yes I guess travel to Iran will definitely pick up over the next couple years.

I encountered a Mahan Airlines crew at BKK last year – they were so lovely, chatty, hospitable and seemed very genuine. I did remark to one of the male cabin crew how I was envious that they were able to go about their duties without a uniform tie. Only then I discovered that they are frowned upon in the workplace (although he did say most Iranian men still ‘dressed up’ and chose to wear ties to personal occasions such as weddings/parties etc).

[icenspice]

Like your references to domestic 747 and 727 flights DavidGordon, but you forgot to mention how you got to Tehran!

[DavidGordon10]

Sorry, icenspice, I though the most interesting bit of my travel “to” was the CIP service on arrival!

I travelled to Iran on Turkish, economy, and then returned on TK again, this time in business. I was very tight for time at the end of the visit, needing to be in Glasgow before the afternoon, the day after we finished the work. The agency I was working for fixed the only possible connection, IKA – IST – EDI, and then the bus to Glasgow. The TK flights were all good, the IST – EDI leg being enlivened by Scottish football fans returning from Tbilisi.

[PeterCoultas]

TominScotland: thanks for info – read about “minders” in one of the Sundays but given your experiences will go ahead with planned visit – hoping to both ski and to look around and see how much has changed

[tomyam42]

Mr. Michael: I spent 5 of my 74 years in Iran and they were the best years of my life. 4 1/2 were with the Shah and 6 months with the Ayatollah, after being in the thick of it at the time of his arrival. I managed to travel all over the country. The people, the country and its history were all superb. Unfortunately just before the end I believe the Ayatollah said to one of his underlings “you know that Tomyam chappie, I think it’s time you told him that he has trained his fellows so well that we no longer need him contributing to our economy” so off I went.

I returned for an independent tour based on Shiraz about 10 years ago. Again a wonderful time, no question of being accompanied. Most people dreamed of being in the West, but also believed it was a national insult that Pakistan and Russia (both bordering Iran) had nuclear weapons while they did not, being a country with 2500 years of history while Pakistan had barely 50 and Russia less than 1000.

[tomyam42]

Mr. Michael: I spent 5 of my 74 years in Iran and they were the best years of my life. 4 1/2 were with the Shah and 6 months with the Ayatollah, after being in the thick of it at the time of his arrival. I managed to travel all over the country. The people, the country and its history were all superb. Unfortunately just before the end I believe the Ayatollah said to one of his underlings “you know that Tomyam chappie, I think it’s time you told him that he has trained his fellows so well that we no longer need him contributing to our economy” so off I went.

I returned for an independent tour based on Shiraz about 10 years ago. Again a wonderful time, no question of being accompanied. Most people dreamed of being in the West, but also believed it was a national insult that Pakistan and Russia (both bordering Iran) had nuclear weapons while they did not, being a country with 2500 years of history while Pakistan had barely 50 and Russia less than 1000.

[tomyam42]

Mr. Michael: I spent 5 of my 74 years in Iran and they were the best years of my life. 4 1/2 were with the Shah and 6 months with the Ayatollah, after being in the thick of it at the time of his arrival. I managed to travel all over the country. The people, the country and its history were all superb. Unfortunately just before the end I believe the Ayatollah said to one of his underlings “you know that Tomyam chappie, I think it’s time you told him that he has trained his fellows so well that we no longer need him contributing to our economy” so off I went.

I returned for an independent tour based on Shiraz about 10 years ago. Again a wonderful time, no question of being accompanied. Most people dreamed of being in the West, but also believed it was a national insult that Pakistan and Russia (both bordering Iran) had nuclear weapons while they did not, being a country with 2500 years of history while Pakistan had barely 50 and Russia less than 1000.

[Author]

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