Trip Reports - Singapore and Lufthansa First, Turkish Airlines Business to Uzbekistan and Berlin!

Just returned from Uzbekistan and Berlin, and the trip reports are following! I'm adding one or two parts a day. Check 'em out below.

Please let me know of any suggestions, comments, or improvements!

The Report:

1/2: Introduction (http://waapblog.com/2009/03/22/trip-report-uzbekistan-and-berlin-extravaganza-introduction/);

1. Singapore Airlines (SQ) First Class from JFK to Frankfurt (FRA), plus the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK (http://waapblog.com/2009/03/22/singapore-airlines-sq-first-class-from-jfk-to-frankfurt-fra-plus-the-virgin-atlantic-clubhouse-at-jfk/);

2. Arrival at FRA, Lufthansa Euro Business class FRA - Istanbul (IST) (http://waapblog.com/2009/03/23/part-2-arrival-at-fra-lufthansa-lh-euro-business-class-fra-istanbul-ist/);

3. Arrival in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines (TK) business class IST - Tashkent (TAS), plus, early morning arrival in Tashkent; (http://waapblog.com/2009/03/26/arrival-in-istanbul-turkish-airlines-tk-business-class-ist-tashkent-tas-plus-early-morning-arrival-in-tashkent/)

4. Day 1 in Tashkent; (http://waapblog.com/2009/03/29/part-4-day-1-in-tashkent/)

5. Day 2 in Tashkent; (http://waapblog.com/2009/04/03/part-5-day-two-in-tashkent/)

6. Day 3 in Tashkent, plus the lowdown on Tashkent’s metro system;
(http://waapblog.com/2009/04/05/part-six-day-three-in-tashent-plus-the-lowdown-on-tashkents-metro-system/)
7. Turkish Airlines Business Class TAS - IST, IST - Berlin (TXL), plus TK lounge in IST; (http://waapblog.com/2009/04/23/turkish-airlines-business-class-tas-ist-ist-berlin-txl-plus-tk-lounge-in-ist/)

8. Berlin, Day 1; (http://waapblog.com/2009/04/25/part-8-berlin-day-1/)

9. Berlin, Day 2; (http://waapblog.com/2009/05/09/part-9-berlin-day-2/)

10. TXL - Zurich (ZRH) - FRA in Swiss Air Euro Business class, plus arrival in FRA; and (http://waapblog.com/2009/05/17/part-10-swiss-air-euro-business-class-berlin-zurich-frankfurt-plus-arrival-in-fra/)

11. Lufthansa First Class Terminal and Lufthansa First Class, FRA - JFK. (http://waapblog.com/2009/06/06/lufthansa-first-class-terminal-and-lufthansa-first-class-fra-%E2%80%93-jfk/)

Great first part of the report! Am looking forward reading part 2

Thanks a lot! Part 2 will be up tomorrow!

It's really fun to read your TR. Thank you very much

Part 2 is live, folks. Enjoy! Click the above link.

Please let me know of any ways to improve the report!

Great Report. Love the humor

Excellent so far! Keep it up.

thank you, PanHam.
Great report.
I am really looking forward to your TK business class and you FCT experience in FRA.

Thanks, folks. Thanks for being patient on Part 3! I'll post it tomorrow.

great report!

I'm almost done with Part 3! I'll have it up tomorrow morning - I am just too damn jetlagged, still, to stay up any longer.

Thanks so much for your patience folks. I promise it'll be up early tomorrow morning!

Looking good PanHam... but someone had a tinsy little bit too much krug methinks ;)

And humor. It works in trip reports doesn't it? ;)

Looking forward to the rest!

Looking good PanHam... but someone had a tinsy little bit too much krug methinks ;)


Perhaps, just a bit :D. (They say they can always spot the rookie international first class flyers).

Part 3 is up, folks! So sorry for the delay! It's a long segment, complete with the fun of someone being removed from the TK flight, and the customs process in Uzbekistan! Find the link above.

Enjoy, and please let me know of any suggestions or criticisms.

I just snagged a JFK-FRA-SIN SQ F award seat! So excited. This wonderful report is putting me in the mood already. Thanks.

I just snagged a JFK-FRA-SIN SQ F award seat! So excited. This wonderful report is putting me in the mood already. Thanks.

Wow, very jealous, Buster CT1K. Just remember to control yourself a little more than I did on the short hop over the water. That FRA - SIN segment is a lonnnnng flight, and more conducive to excess and imbibing because of the opportunity to sleep it off :p.

Excellent report so far PanHam!

Wow! I haven't seen one of these in a while ~ an old fashioned style trip report! More than just the increasingly common bunch of photos accompanied by sparse comments, you've combined good pictures with a well written, descriptive and entertaining commentary. You even included the menu transcript. Thank you for what is shaping up to be a First Class trip report!

Very entertaining description of events on the IST-TAS flight--thank you.

More than just the increasingly common bunch of photos accompanied by sparse comments...

I'm guilty of this, but please remember that not everyone has time to write long, detailed trip reports.

Wow! I haven't seen one of these in a while ~ an old fashioned style trip report! More than just the increasingly common bunch of photos accompanied by sparse comments, you've combined good pictures with a well written, descriptive and entertaining commentary. You even included the menu transcript. Thank you for what is shaping up to be a First Class trip report!

Thanks so much, Seat 2A! I'm an admirer of your writing style and trip reports (I recently checked out your master list), and that means a lot. Thanks, again.



I'm guilty of this, but please remember that not everyone has time to write long, detailed trip reports.

Ha, no worries - I somehow make the time. Believe me - there are many other things I should be doing :D (studying for midterms comes to mind).

Thanks, again, for reading folks! I'm hoping to have the Tashkent reports up late tonight or early tomorrow.

The Russian Aircraft you are referring to is a Yakovlev Yak-42, the bigger brother of the Yak-40.

Originally Posted by Seat 2A
More than just the increasingly common bunch of photos accompanied by sparse comments...

I'm guilty of this, but please remember that not everyone has time to write long, detailed trip reports.

I understand. However, as one who used to troll the trip reports forum specifically to find, copy and save some of the best written reports (I've saved over 300 since 1999, though far fewer over the past couple of years), I would say that these days, with the advent of photo imbedding, considerably less people than ever before actually take the time to "write" a trip report. Not that there's anything wrong with this, and I accept that indeed some folks will never have the time. However, this is also our collective loss, for I believe that a nicely written trip report can take the reader along on the journey far better than a simple collection of photos alone.

Great trip report so far! I cannot wait to hear about your travels in Tashkent.

Sadly, travel to much of the Former Soviet Union besides Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltics, means arriving and departing at ungodly hours. I think many airlines look at the republics as a way to sneak in a profitable flight on an aircraft they can then use on other routes during the day.

And, one last observation, it seems almost every trip report that includes a SQ F segment has the reporter book the cook for the Lobster Thermidor. Its kind of funny.

Ha, it's true - I think the experience of eating lobster on a plane, especially for us SQ F rookies is just too much.

Sorry for the delay in part 4, folks. I'm off to run more errands, and I promise I will post it later!

Part 4, Day One in Tashkent, is live! See the OP.

Sorry for the delay, folks. Let me know of any comments or criticisms. Thanks for reading!

Just read part 4 and have to say its very interesting, the buildings and especially the mosque is very beautiful. A great city to visit, but not anytime soon.
Can't wait for the next part.

Studying for another midterm, but, will have Part 5 up tonite!

Gracias, folks.

Really enjoying this TR, I've always wanted to go to Tashkent, and Samarkand too.

Keep it coming, its taking me back 25 years when i visited Tashkent as part of the USSR as it was then, i remember some of the photo's so well. although others seem to have taken a step for the better.

They were the days when your trips were organised by Intourist the State travel agency, and we took in Samarkand, Moscow and Leningrad too.
All flights were of course by Aeroflot and i can remember the flight attendant coming round with a massive tray of chicken legs on one of the internal flights and that was the in flight meal.

Great trip report! I must admit to checking Trip Reports fairly frequently for your updates. The last time I was so eager for a new installment of a series was the anime Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex. Of course, I mean that in a good way :D

Wow, simply a superior trip report and great pictures! Very nice job! ^

Wow! I haven't seen one of these in a while ~ an old fashioned style trip report! More than just the increasingly common bunch of photos accompanied by sparse comments, you've combined good pictures with a well written, descriptive and entertaining commentary. You even included the menu transcript. Thank you for what is shaping up to be a First Class trip report!

Plus one. Great effort Seat 2A!


The reports that are just a collection of photos leave me cold.

This is the first TR I've read and if they are all like this, I won't have time for anything else. I've always wanted to go to Tashkent and Samarkand.

To bad I am so far away from an F award ticket on SQ.

Very good trip report so far. I found your flight on Turkish Airlines to Tashkent especially fascinating.

Folks, thanks so much for the nice comments. I'm glad people are enjoying the report.

I'm really sorry not to have part 5 up sooner. I'm working on it right now, and it should be up in less than an hour! Each part takes me a while to write, because I want to articulate my thoughts and experiences in both words and pictures. Thanks for your patience.

I'll add another post when the link is up!

Part 5 is live, folks! Find the link in the OP, or click here! (http://waapblog.com/2009/04/03/part-5-day-two-in-tashkent/)

Thanks so much for reading.

Great report, looking forward to Berlin. ;)

PanHam - did you get to Samarkand? How much of a pain was it getting the Uzbek visa?

Great report! Looking forward to reading more.

PanHam - did you get to Samarkand? How much of a pain was it getting the Uzbek visa?

Great report! Looking forward to reading more.

dcmike: (love your signature, by the way) - did not make it to Samarkand - will have to, next time :D. You can find the fun of obtaining my Uzbek visa here (http://waapblog.com/2009/02/26/fun-and-shouting-at-the-uzbek-consulate-wingandapraye/), and here (http://waapblog.com/2009/03/02/fun-and-shouting-at-the-uzbek-consulate-part-ii/). Overall, not terrible, but, a bit of a pain in the posterior.

Part Six will be up shortly!

Here's Part Six (http://waapblog.com/2009/04/05/part-six-day-three-in-tashent-plus-the-lowdown-on-tashkents-metro-system/), folks! Enjoy.

Hilarious Trip Report so far :) Especially the Tashkent experience.. reminds me a lot of flying into Moscow a few years back.

If you were wondering about the Russian plane, that's a Yakovlev Yak-42 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak-42) of Krasnodar, Russia based carrier Kuban Airlines. They say it can fly on two engines, and continue level flight on one. It was designed to take off from *very* short runways.

Great trip report. Makes me wanna fly SQ F...

I have been to Tashkent and Samarkand. It can be recommended BUT you have to be aware of the clueless service, potential harrassment by police etc etc. If you are prepared for that then go for it.

I haven't forgotten about Part Seven! I'm so sorry for the delay - I've been studying for a huge exam on Monday. I'll try my damndest to get it up tomorrow (Sunday).

Thanks, folks.

Great trip report. Makes me wanna fly SQ F...

I have been to Tashkent and Samarkand. It can be recommended BUT you have to be aware of the clueless service, potential harrassment by police etc etc. If you are prepared for that then go for it.

Hmmm . . . interesting point. I found all of the policeman ridiculously nice, but, perhaps I only have a small sample size. Some service, yes, was downright spotty.

Me and my friend were stopped by police and taken to a room where they wanted money from us. After a while they let us go but when we arrived at the next metro station we were stopped again for a document check. Obviously because we were foreigners. In Samarkand on the other hand the police were friendly and at Registan offered us to climb one of the minarets (for a fee of course).

It's a small sample size here as well but document checks and attempts to get money from tourists in the metro are what guide books warn about.

I liked your photos of apartment blocks. One thing that fascinated me was the ones were you could find a restaurant or a shop on the ground floor that looked nice and then you looked up and noticed the other floors were in terrible shape.

I haven't forgotten about Part Seven! I'm so sorry for the delay - I've been studying for a huge exam on Monday. I'll try my damndest to get it up tomorrow (Sunday).
Thanks, folks.

Can not wait for the next part either, but we can wait one more day... take your time for your exam and good luck ^

Really enjoying this report. Well done. Forget about the Maths and take up a career in writing!! :D

Gray: Part 6 is awesome.

Well done.

Moscow and St. Petersburg also have the timers between trains in their beautiful Metro system.

Thank you for all this information and the great writing style. I really appreciate the quick break during a long work day! ;)

Folks -

I confess. I have failed you. I have said, repeatedly, that I expected to finish this trip report earlier. Two midterms, however, for chemistry and physics, have heavily impeded my progress, with the trip report, and with taking care of little things in life. I'll probably be out of action until next Wednesday, when the physics midterm finishes, and by then, I absolutely promise that I will roll out the rest of the reports.

Thanks for the comments, the patience, and understanding.

Enjoy, folks! Find it in the OP, or here! (http://waapblog.com/2009/04/23/turkish-airlines-business-class-tas-ist-ist-berlin-txl-plus-tk-lounge-in-ist/)

Thanks for waiting - I'll promise I'll finish this TR up quickly. ^

Looking forward to part 8!

I'll be flying TK soon. About that blow up airplane - do you think they carry them on all the flights? And do you have a pic?

I've been holding on to my comments, but I must say you have something quite special going on here PanHam. Simply enjoyable, and great writing. I can't wait for the next installments ^

I'll be flying TK soon. About that blow up airplane - do you think they carry them on all the flights? And do you have a pic?

Thanks for all the nice comments, folks! I'll have Part 8 up by tomorrow!

And, I will definitely post pictures of the inflatable airplane as well (we're so funny, us FTers! :p) And, jvquarterback, I think they do carry them on all flights.

Part 8 is up and running. Find the link in the OP, or click here (http://waapblog.com/2009/04/25/part-8-berlin-day-1/).

Enjoy.

Okay - after my pathetic hiatus, I'm back at the trip-reporting. Part 9, Day 2 in Berlin, can be found in the OP, or here (http://waapblog.com/2009/05/09/part-9-berlin-day-2/).

Enjoy!

Thanks PanHam. :)
Something to while away on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

I have so enjoyed your journey and thank you for letting us share it with you. Your writing style is wonderful as is your attention to detail. ^

Thanks for a great trip report and for the photos of Tashkent. It brings back lots of memories. I took the same flights from TAS>IST>TXL in June 2008 but in coach. I hope you get to Samarkand - it was my favourite place in Uzbekistan.

Thanks for posting Day 2 in Berlin: it was a great read.

Food is still cheap in Germany--you gotta' love EU 3,00 pasta!

Thanks, folks, for the comments.

One more final exam . . . and then, we can finish this baby up. Thanks, dear readers.

Part 10. Click here (http://waapblog.com/2009/05/17/part-10-swiss-air-euro-business-class-berlin-zurich-frankfurt-plus-arrival-in-fra/), or see the OP.

pretty sweet trip report! Can't wait for the ending!

Do you say anywhere on your blog or other posts how you got so many miles, etc, as a student? I wish i could fly that much when I was a student!

I don't want this to end :confused:

pretty sweet trip report! Can't wait for the ending!

Do you say anywhere on your blog or other posts how you got so many miles, etc, as a student? I wish i could fly that much when I was a student!

Lots of DEQM Mileage Runs to maintain the status, and before that, lots of Mileage Runs in general, is my guess.

Brilliant report! Really enjoying it! ^

Nice to hear you appreciate TK C-class just as much as I did, it's such an undervalued airline.

All right, folks - after all my lies that I would finish this report ages ago, here it is! (Warning: it's realllllllllllllllly long).

Part 11, the final section of the epic. Click here (http://waapblog.com/2009/06/06/lufthansa-first-class-terminal-and-lufthansa-first-class-fra-%E2%80%93-jfk/), or see the OP.

Thanks for reading folks! As always, I'd love to hear any comments and suggestions.

All right, folks - after all my lies that I would finish this report ages ago, here it is! (Warning: it's realllllllllllllllly long).

Part 11, the final section of the epic. Click here (http://waapblog.com/2009/06/06/lufthansa-first-class-terminal-and-lufthansa-first-class-fra-%E2%80%93-jfk/), or see the OP.

Thanks for reading folks! As always, I'd love to hear any comments and suggestions.
It's about time Gray! Geez. ;)

Nicely done. ^

All right, folks - after all my lies that I would finish this report ages ago, here it is! (Warning: it's realllllllllllllllly long).

Part 11, the final section of the epic. Click here (http://waapblog.com/2009/06/06/lufthansa-first-class-terminal-and-lufthansa-first-class-fra-%E2%80%93-jfk/), or see the OP.

Thanks for reading folks! As always, I'd love to hear any comments and suggestions.

wow a pretty strong criticism of the LH F food :). Good TR as usual, FCT looks amazing-I have to get in there some time

wow a pretty strong criticism of the LH F food :). Good TR as usual, FCT looks amazing-I have to get in there some time
I have not written my TR yet, but I found the saddle of lamb to be terrible as well. Service was excellent in LH F, but both meals from FRA-LAX were really bad.

I have not written my TR yet, but I found the saddle of lamb to be terrible as well. Service was excellent in LH F, but both meals from FRA-LAX were really bad.

Agreed - service and seat were pretty darn good - but, food, not so much. Kind of the reverse from what I was expecting based on other reports from LH F.

That was a fantastic read. I really liked your evaluation/criticism of the food. I have two points. One is that if th food in LH F was not that good, it makes me feel better about UA. The other is that the LH F seats are not private "suites" like they are on UA. Just by the pictures, they look like business class seats with more legroom. This would give UA a slight edge also.

I say this not to compare LH & UA, but to make myself feel better about devoting so much money and travel to UA. People always say that UA international travel sucks, but looking at the LH seats and food, I'd say (with the new C seats on UA), UA is probably not that bad.

Great report!

That was a fantastic read. I really liked your evaluation/criticism of the food. I have two points. One is that if th food in LH F was not that good, it makes me feel better about UA. The other is that the LH F seats are not private "suites" like they are on UA. Just by the pictures, they look like business class seats with more legroom. This would give UA a slight edge also.

I say this not to compare LH & UA, but to make myself feel better about devoting so much money and travel to UA. People always say that UA international travel sucks, but looking at the LH seats and food, I'd say (with the new C seats on UA), UA is probably not that bad.

Great report!

Thanks for the comments, SFflyer! I agree that LH's F seats, because they are not suites, are behind other carriers' international F products. Still, though, I found that in the lie-flat bed setting, I have never experienced a finer bed - enough space, and most likely because they were not suites, enough space for my feet. Better than the suites that tend to taper at the end.

Nice report, I'd been looking forward to the final part. I may have missed it in there, but were you sitting next to anybody on LH? It seems to me like that lack of privacy in the seats would be less noticable if you had two to yourself.

Fantastic report. Been waiting to read about your trip home :-)

Now when are you off next? Looking forward to another adventure with you.

Fantastic report. Been waiting to read about your trip home :-)

Now when are you off next? Looking forward to another adventure with you.

Thanks for the comments!

Truthfully, not sure to where I am off, yet! I'm thinking I'd like to keep up my current streak of "less-commonly-visited" countries. Ethiopia, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, or even Iran top the list currently.

Where is the inflatable plane ?;)

Truthfully, not sure to where I am off, yet! I'm thinking I'd like to keep up my current streak of "less-commonly-visited" countries. Ethiopia, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, or even Iran top the list currently.

Great TR, PanHam! I really enjoyed it. PM if you are serious about going to Nigeria. I´m also planning another trip there (my second) and might be able to share some info.

Great TR, PanHam! I really enjoyed it. PM if you are serious about going to Nigeria. I´m also planning another trip there (my second) and might be able to share some info.

Thanks, Arnur! I will most certainly PM you in the coming days when I get around to thinking about the planning . . . .

Very nice TR! I've been wanting to get to the 'Stans for some time.

What a pleasure to read! Thanks for sharing. I liked how you described yourself as a "starving student".. who just happens to travel in world-class F and get driven around FRA in Porsches. ;)

What a pleasure to read! Thanks for sharing. I liked how you described yourself as a "starving student".. who just happens to travel in world-class F and get driven around FRA in Porsches. ;)

Haha - it's amazing the temporary treatment United frequent flyer miles can buy. Allows one to remain just a bit incognito :D.

Thanks for the comments.

Thanks for that extensive trip report. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I've never been to Tashkent and I doubt I'll be there any time soon so it was fun to travel vicariously through you. :)