Showing posts with label Turkish Airlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkish Airlines. Show all posts

March 26, 2017

Review: Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge IAD

We spent a long weekend in Washington, D.C. for my birthday.  On Sunday morning, we woke up early and headed out to Dulles.  We cleared security in a matter of minutes and took the airtrain to the B gates and located the lounge next to gate B43.



February 11, 2017

Turkish Airlines IAD Lounge Now Part of Priority Pass

Turkish Airlines has among of the best (if not the best) business class lounges in the world at the their Istanbul hub.  We've spent time there on several occasions including an extended visit last August.


Turkish recently opened a lounge at Washington's Dulles airport and now that lounge has been added to the Priority Pass network of lounges.  I'm pretty excited about this given a couple of upcoming trips through IAD.


Keep in mind that many credit cards offer Priority Pass access.  Some are better than others with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ritz-Carlton Rewards cards offering unlimited, free guest access.


The lounge features both showers and a bar and likely top notch food.  We flew to London from Dulles last year and while the lounge hopping was good, this will certainly step it up a bit.

I'm flying through IAD in March and will provide a full report of the experience after we visit.

Thanks to View From the Wing for pointing this out.

October 9, 2016

Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 Istanbul to Male

Introduction
Introduction Part Two
Planning & Booking
Sheraton JFK Airport
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge JFK
Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER New York (JFK) to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Arrivals Lounge
St. Regis Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-200 Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA First Class 777-300ER Tokyo (NRT) to San Francisco

Turkish Airlines TK730 
Istanbul (IST) to Male (MLE)
August 20, 2016
Aircraft:  A330-300
Seats:  1E/1F

We headed to the gate where we'd have yet another bus gate.  The gate area was pretty chaotic and there was already a lengthly line for the bus.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a a business class line or bus so we headed to the back of line and waited our turn.  We boarded the bus and headed out to our waiting A330-300.


October 2, 2016

Review: Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul

Introduction
Introduction Part Two
Planning & Booking
Sheraton JFK Airport
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge JFK
Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER New York (JFK) to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Arrivals Lounge
St. Regis Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-200 Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA First Class 777-300ER Tokyo (NRT) to San Francisco

The cab to Ataturk took around 25 minutes until we came to a complete stop in less than a mile from the airport.  The cab driver flipped on the lights inside the cab so the police/military security could see our faces.  Not the most high tech security measure.  There was more security at the airport than I remember the last time (three years ago) but not the overwhelming show of force that I expected.

After another 20 minute of moving slowly, we finally reached the checkpoint were security offices scanned our faces and waved us through.  We grabbed our bags and headed into the terminal.  First a security checkpoint upon entering the terminal.  Once through security, we struggled to find the Turkish Airlines business class check-in row.  It was late and we were a bit tired but I don't think that was it.  Being in the terminal just a few months after the attack and a month after the coup that halted airport operations was surreal.  We both wanted to get through security again as fast as possible.

Turkish Airlines CIP lounge pool table
Check-in was smooth and we were soon on the other side of security making a left and walking maybe 100 yards to the lounge.

The last visit, the lounge was only one level.  It's since been expanded and even more amenities added.  Upon entering, you simply scan your boarding pass for admittance.   No lounge dragons, just a giant lounge to explore and enjoy.

September 24, 2016

Review: Turkish Airlines Istanbul Arrivals Lounge

Introduction
Introduction Part Two
Planning & Booking
Sheraton JFK Airport
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge JFK
Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER New York (JFK) to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Arrivals Lounge
St. Regis Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-200 Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA First Class 777-300ER Tokyo (NRT) to San Francisco

After a solid flight from New York, we eventually found our way to the Turkish arrivals lounge.  After customs, make a right and look for the Starbucks.  The lounge is to the left.

Entrance to the Turkish Airlines arrivals lounge
The lounge is relatively new and I didn't find much online in terms of pictures/services.  So I wasn't sure what to expect.  I had read that the lounge is only open until around 11AM so only open for a handful (TK4 from JFK) of US departures.

Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER New York to Istanbul

Introduction
Introduction Part Two
Planning & Booking
Sheraton JFK Airport
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge JFK
Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER New York (JFK) to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Arrivals Lounge
St. Regis Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-200 Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA First Class 777-300ER Tokyo (NRT) to San Francisco

Turkish Airlines TK4
New York (JFK) to Istanbul (IST)
August 18, 2016
Aircraft:  777-300ER
Seats:  3A/3B

Boarding was called in the lounge and we proceeding to the gate.  There was already a dozen people queuing in the business class line when we arrived.  At this point we were a few minutes passed our boarding time so I checked FlightAware and our departure was pushed back 30 minutes.  We each made a few last minute calls while standing in line and then boarding was finally called.  Note that no announcements were made about the delay.

We boarded and bounded down the jetway before turning left into the larger of two business class cabins.  We were seated in 3A/3B in four row cabin setup 2-3-2.  


Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Business Class
While seating in the middle of the middle section would really suck, that wasn't  a problem for anyone on this flight.  The cabin seats 49 and we pushed back with roughly 25 seats occupied.  We had flown Turkish a few times in 2013 but we were eager to see how the service and product had evolved since.  We would not be disappointed.

September 4, 2016

Review: Lufthansa Business Class Lounge JFK

Introduction
Introduction Part Two
Planning & Booking
Sheraton JFK Airport
Lufthansa Business Class Lounge JFK
Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Business Class New York (JFK) to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Arrivals Lounge
St. Regis Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines A330-300 Business Class Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines 777-200 Business Class Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER Business Class Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA 777-300ER First Class Tokyo (NRT) to San Francisco

We took the 9AM shuttle from the Sheraton JFK to the JFK airport arriving at Terminal 1 around 9:15 for our 12:05PM departure.

JFK Terminal 1
Check-in desks were right in front of us as we entered the terminal. There was a bit of confusion after we asked to check our bags to Istanbul vs. our final destination of Male but that was cleared up in a few minutes after speaking with a supervisor.  Boarding passes in hand, we waited in the security line given the lack of pre-check on international airlines (although that is about to change).

August 6, 2016

Planning & Booking: I'm Going Going, Back Back to Maldives, Maldives

Introduction
Introduction Part Two
Planning & Booking
Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel
Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Business Class New York (JFK) to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Arrivals Lounge
St. Regis Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines A330-300 Business Class Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines 777-200 Business Class Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER Business Class Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA 777-300ER First Class Tokyo (NRT) to Houston
American Express Centurion Lounge Houston (IAH)

We are just a few weeks away from our RTW adventure to Istanbul, Maldives, Singapore, and Tokyo.  This will be our second RTW trip in the last year and we're really excited about how this trip came together.  If you're interested in reading in previous updates, check out the latest introductory post.

Lots of flying but looks worth it
Hotels:

As it stands now, we have 9 hotel nights planned.  We needed a Newark overnight and I ended up booking the Marriott Renaissance Newark Airport for 25,000 Marriott Rewards points.  This ended up being a phenomenal use of points as the the hotel is selling for $249/night which comes to $288/night with taxes.  Getting more than 1 cent per Marriott point is amazing.

Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel Rates
In Istanbul, we ended up booking the St. Regis through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts since we really need the ability to check-in early and in theory, we should be able to get in the room at noon or earlier.  The rate came to $251 USD with taxes.  That includes the early check-in, likely room upgrade, and $100 food and beverage credit.  While we could have certainly saved money by staying at the Park Hyatt ($180 USD/night) or a few other options, we wanted to checkout a new property in Istanbul and figured the rooftop Spago would be a nice way to end the day and burn our $100 credit.

St. Regis Istanbul Rooftop Views

Navigating Istanbul Layover Options

For our upcoming RTW adventure, we're ending up with ~21 hours in Istanbul.  Turkish Airlines has a generous layover policy in that they offer several complimentary choices (requirements vary based on travel class) to enjoy the city between flights.  We've gone back and forth several times on the best option but finally made a decision this week.

Here were are options, logic, and why we chose to pay our own way for our one night stay.

1)  We could stay at the airport and enjoy the amazing Turkish Airlines CIP lounge (now remained the July 15 Heroes of Democracy Lounge).  I am not kidding.  Based on our original plan, this would have made more sense as we only had a 9 hour layover.  The lounge is massive (60,000 square feet) and has plenty of space to relax, (although it does get crowded) eat, drink, and sleep.  With a 21 hour layover, this made a lot less sense.

July 15 Heroes of Democracy Lounge
2)  Turkish Airlines offers a free hotel room (typically by the airport) for economy layovers of 10+ hours and business class layovers of 7+ hours.  They transport you to the hotel and back to the airport.  The layover must be "forced" in that there can't be an earlier Turkish flight to your final designation.  In our case, there's only one flight a day to Male so we qualify.  While this would save us money, it would not save us time and we'd end up in a hotel close to the airport and still have to get into the city.

Turkish Airlines free hotel T's & C's
3)  Turkish Airlines offers free tours of the city!  There are minimal requirements related to layover/travel class - you just need sufficient time for the tour.  The tours vary by day and time and include transportation, an English speaking guide, and meal(s).  We generally aren't the biggest fans of tours (even free ones) as we prefer to explore on our own.  So while this would be a great option for a ~10-12 hour layover, we opted to skip the free tour this trip.

Tour Istanbul with Turkish Airlines


Sample Friday tours
4)  Build our own itinerary.  We'll be landing around 5AM local time and departing at 2AM the next day.  By the time we clear immigration and shower/eat in the arrivals lounge, it will likely by 6:30 AM.  We'll head into the city (in theory traffic should be lighter at that hour) to explore.  We opted to book a hotel room (more details in the planning and booking post) through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts which should allow us to check into the hotel by noon or earlier.  We'll have a home base to shower, rest, and generally relax while we spend the day exploring the city.

Obviously we chose option # 4.  While we're spending a bit more money with this option, if we didn't book a hotel room, we would be traveling nearly 48 hours without one - way too long.  Given the current state of affairs in Istanbul, we both felt more comfortable staying in an area we are familiar with and at a hotel chain we trust.

Turkish Airlines provides a ton of great options to entice travelers to fly through Istanbul.  So many options, it's challenging to make a decision!  Stay tuned for more details on our trip in upcoming posts.

July 31, 2016

Introduction Part Two: I'm Going Going, Back Back to Maldives, Maldives

Introduction
Introduction Part Two
Planning & Booking
Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel
Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Business Class New York (JFK) to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines A330-300 Business Class Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines 777-200 Business Class Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER Business Class Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA 777-300ER First Class Tokyo (NRT) to Houston
American Express Centurion Lounge Houston (IAH)

I've updated the post below based on changes made to our itinerary.  I'll post the Planning & Booking section in the next week or so.

I've eluded to our upcoming RTW adventures in posts about the brand new Houston Centurion lounge as well as getting the most out of Hyatt Gold Passport points.  We're leaving next month and the trip is almost complete so figured I'd provide a bit more of a teaser in the form of an introductory post.

We were in the Maldives last year and just loved it.  There is something completely magical about the remoteness of it all.  There's no denying the fact that it's an incredibly challenging to get there.  Especially from the US.  But once you are there, it's the most beautiful place on earth (at least that I've seen).  So we set out to return later this summer.  While we loved the Park Hyattgetting there is more of a challenge than other resorts.
Our 23,000+ mile RTW itinerary (courtesy of the Great Circle Mapper)

July 10, 2016

Business Class Seat Selection Strategy

Selecting the "right" seats can make a huge difference in terms of comfort on a flight.  Especially during an international long haul.  Across 10+ hours, you are going to have to get up to use the restroom multiple times, you're going to want to get some sleep (thus minimal light/noise is key) and you're  probably going to want to look at the window at least once.  Balancing all three in first class isn't really an issue given that most first class cabins are configured in a 1-2-1 configuration.  Meaning if you want a window, that's no problem.  Everyone has direct aisle access and crews are typically great at ensuring the cabin stays quiet and dark during sleeping hours.

In business class, it's a bit of a different story.  While airlines are improving their cabin setup to provide aisle access for everyone, there is still a push to cram as many seats into each plane as possible.

Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Business Class

For our upcoming trip to the Maldives, we'll be flying two different Turkish Airlines configurations.  The first segment (from Houston to Istanbul) will be flown by a Boeing 777-300ER.  The second segment (from Istanbul to Male) will be flown by an Airbus A330-300.  While we've flown Turkish's 777 before, this will be our first time flying their A330.

July 3, 2016

Introduction: I'm Going Going, Back Back to Maldives, Maldives

Introduction
Planning & Booking
American Express Centurion Lounge Houston IAH
Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Business Class Houston to Istanbul
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Turkish Airlines A330-300 Business Class Istanbul to Male
Transfer from Male to Conrad Maldives
Conrad Maldives
Transfer from Conrad Maldives to Male
Singapore Airlines 777-200 Business Class Male to Singapore
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Singapore
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Class Lounge to Singapore
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER Business Class Singapore to Tokyo (HND)
Andaz Tokyo
ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
ANA 777-300ER First Class Tokyo (NRT) to Houston

I've eluded to our upcoming RTW adventures in posts about the brand new Houston Centurion lounge as well as getting the most out of Hyatt Gold Passport points.  We're leaving next month and the trip is almost complete so figured I'd provide a bit more of a teaser in the form of an introductory post.

We were in the Maldives last year and just loved it.  There is something completely magical about the remoteness of it all.  There's no denying the fact that it's an incredibly challenging to get there.  Especially from the US.  But once you are there, it's the most beautiful place on earth (at least that I've seen).  So we set out to return later this summer.  While we loved the Park Hyatt, getting there is more of a challenge than other resorts.

24,000 miles RTW - map courtesy of the Great Circle Mapper

April 2, 2016

Outstanding Business Class Availability on Turkish Airlines

Via VFTW, there is outstanding award availability for the entire family on Turkish Airlines from the US to Istanbul and beyond.  We flew Turkish several times in late 2013 from Istanbul to Dubai and back home through Houston.

Turkish IST lounge putting green

We greatly enjoyed the entire experience from the lounge in Istanbul to food and service on board.

Turkish Istanbul IST lounge pool table

With fully flat seats (unfortunately in a 2-3-2 layout on the 777) you'll arrived rested and ready to explore Turkey, Europe, or wherever your final destination takes you.

Turkish 777-300ER

A quick search using the United.com search engine (where a one-way ticket will cost 70,000 miles with no fuel surcharges) yields availability virtually everyday through the summer months and beyond.

Denver to Istanbul this summer for 2

There is business class availability everyday you see blue or green.  Sample routing (from Denver) routes through Atlanta where the long haul segment is operated by Turkish's 777-300ER.


280,000 miles for two roundtrips is easily obtainable since United is a Chase Ultimate Rewards partner.