Istanbul via AA, IB, TK & OS with visits to VS, IB and TK lounges
Apr 17, 2012, 11:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Burlingame, CA
Programs: TK Miles & Smiles, CM ConnectMiles, AA Advantage
Posts: 2,129
Istanbul via AA, IB, TK & OS with visits to VS, IB and TK lounges
It's 4:30A and I am already awake. It's a cold morning at the end of March and I grudgingly leave the warmth of my bed covered by a thick comforter to get ready for my long journey to Istanbul. My schedule takes me from SFO-JFK with a 7 hrs layover, then JFK-MAD with a little over 6 hrs in MAD and finally arriving in IST at 9:45P the following day. The anticipation of discovering a new city and flying a couple of new airlines fills me with excitement and helps abate my lethargic mood. I take a hot shower and after bundling up, I venture out into the dark street from my Burlingame apartment and walk to the bus stop to catch my ride to the airport. I am fortunate to live so close to the airport in a great neighborhood. Driving from my place to SFO airport takes less than 10 minutes and public transportation is convenient.
As I walk I clear my throat and pray that my cold symptoms that manifested two days ago would not develop into a major nuisance for the rest of the trip. Just in case, my carry on resembles a mini pharmacy with nasal decongestant, throat lozenges, antihistamine, vitamin C supplements and miscellaneous medication. To compound matters, I have been feeling a slight pain on my left foot. I suffer from gout and usually these types of pain could be a precursor of a flare up or attack. Should that happen, then I would really be in trouble. For those unfamiliar with this disease, an attack could literally handicap you and confine you to bed for a day or two. Ever since the first indication of pain a few days ago I switched to a vegetarian diet and that has helped me a lot. As a precaution, I take a bottle of colchicine and have been taking the medicine in hopes of curtailing an attack.
Using a $300 credit from AA, I purchased an economy open jaw ticket from SFO-MAD returning from ZRH-SFO. All segments will be on AA except for JFK-MAD which is on IB. Now, I am well aware of the service reputation that IB has, but I decided to take the risk because the novelty of experiencing a new carrier, even in the back, proved to be too tempting. One advantage that works in my favor is that I am fluent in Spanish, so I don't have much to lose. Getting into IST from MAD and out to ZRH would be on free awards courtesy of UA through its *A partners. I chose TK and OS because of their superb catering products and food is a big deal to me.
The flight from SFO-JFK was uninspiring and I secured an emergency exit aisle seat. BOB was conducted but I refused to pay for the excessive prices that AA charges so I was content with a glass of water and reading a few books. After about 5 hrs of flying I landed in JFK and hit the VS Clubhouse for a shower and some food.
VS Clubhouse @ JFK
VS operates some of the best lounges in the US and the ability to access them through VX is quite a value at $35.00 per person. I understand that the VS JFK Clubhouse has recently been refurbished and according to VS marketing it "oozes Uptown style and sensibilities." The heart of the lounge is the Uptown cocktail bar surrounded by a shooting pool, dining area, spa, and Bumble & Bumble hair salon. Attendants are everywhere and service is very soliciting at first. I also noticed supervisors tidying the place from time to time and making rounds to make sure that things were alright.
Upon entering I asked for the showers and the attendant directed me there. The bathroom was roomy enough with stands to place items on top and stocked with Dr. Hauschka's toiletries. After a refreshing shower I felt famished and went into the dining room. An attendant showed me to my seat and brought a menu right away. I sampled a few vegetarian dishes that hit the spot.
Reception area
Showers
Computer stations
Dining area
Jerusalem artichoke soup with hazelnut and mustard seed oil
There were 3-4 different types of bread offered from a basket
Beluga lentil, quinoa and cauliflower salad with fennel and raisin croutons served with citrus vinaigrette.
Maytag Blue, Cabot Cheddar cheeses with poached pear and water crackers.
Mango sorbet with mint salad
Moments later I ordered a dessert that was called "kitchen table". It was a surprise and an attendant came by with a tray and build the dessert in front of me.
The cocktail bar
Shooting pool
Around the lounge
Which is the sweetest of them all?
So how was Iberia? to be continued.....
As I walk I clear my throat and pray that my cold symptoms that manifested two days ago would not develop into a major nuisance for the rest of the trip. Just in case, my carry on resembles a mini pharmacy with nasal decongestant, throat lozenges, antihistamine, vitamin C supplements and miscellaneous medication. To compound matters, I have been feeling a slight pain on my left foot. I suffer from gout and usually these types of pain could be a precursor of a flare up or attack. Should that happen, then I would really be in trouble. For those unfamiliar with this disease, an attack could literally handicap you and confine you to bed for a day or two. Ever since the first indication of pain a few days ago I switched to a vegetarian diet and that has helped me a lot. As a precaution, I take a bottle of colchicine and have been taking the medicine in hopes of curtailing an attack.
Using a $300 credit from AA, I purchased an economy open jaw ticket from SFO-MAD returning from ZRH-SFO. All segments will be on AA except for JFK-MAD which is on IB. Now, I am well aware of the service reputation that IB has, but I decided to take the risk because the novelty of experiencing a new carrier, even in the back, proved to be too tempting. One advantage that works in my favor is that I am fluent in Spanish, so I don't have much to lose. Getting into IST from MAD and out to ZRH would be on free awards courtesy of UA through its *A partners. I chose TK and OS because of their superb catering products and food is a big deal to me.
The flight from SFO-JFK was uninspiring and I secured an emergency exit aisle seat. BOB was conducted but I refused to pay for the excessive prices that AA charges so I was content with a glass of water and reading a few books. After about 5 hrs of flying I landed in JFK and hit the VS Clubhouse for a shower and some food.
VS Clubhouse @ JFK
VS operates some of the best lounges in the US and the ability to access them through VX is quite a value at $35.00 per person. I understand that the VS JFK Clubhouse has recently been refurbished and according to VS marketing it "oozes Uptown style and sensibilities." The heart of the lounge is the Uptown cocktail bar surrounded by a shooting pool, dining area, spa, and Bumble & Bumble hair salon. Attendants are everywhere and service is very soliciting at first. I also noticed supervisors tidying the place from time to time and making rounds to make sure that things were alright.
Upon entering I asked for the showers and the attendant directed me there. The bathroom was roomy enough with stands to place items on top and stocked with Dr. Hauschka's toiletries. After a refreshing shower I felt famished and went into the dining room. An attendant showed me to my seat and brought a menu right away. I sampled a few vegetarian dishes that hit the spot.
Reception area
Showers
Computer stations
Dining area
Jerusalem artichoke soup with hazelnut and mustard seed oil
There were 3-4 different types of bread offered from a basket
Beluga lentil, quinoa and cauliflower salad with fennel and raisin croutons served with citrus vinaigrette.
Maytag Blue, Cabot Cheddar cheeses with poached pear and water crackers.
Mango sorbet with mint salad
Moments later I ordered a dessert that was called "kitchen table". It was a surprise and an attendant came by with a tray and build the dessert in front of me.
The cocktail bar
Shooting pool
Around the lounge
Which is the sweetest of them all?
So how was Iberia? to be continued.....
Last edited by aw; Apr 17, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Apr 19, 2012, 1:23 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Burlingame, CA
Programs: TK Miles & Smiles, CM ConnectMiles, AA Advantage
Posts: 2,129
How was Iberia?
Thanks PK777, senatetalker33 and Carfield.
When I purchased my ticket on aa.com, I requested seat 37C (bulkhead aisle) on IB. The plane was an A340-600 and there are only 6 optimum seat pairs with plenty of legroom that every frequent flyer in the know covets. Those are 10AC & JL, 22AC & JL and 37 AC & JL. For some reason, I had a hard time finding an accurate seating chart of IB's planes through most airline seating sites and only expertflyer.com provided me with the right one. The one on seatguru.com is incorrect and seatexpert.com does not even list IB. I wanted to double check my seat assignment with IB but they could not pull my PNR until I gave them the AA one. IB claimed that since this was booked as a code share through AA, there is not an equivalent PNR on their Amadeus system and the only way to access my reservation was through AA's record locator. At least when I access the seat map through expertflyer, it showed my seat occupied so I hoped that my seating through AA was honored. Another interesting thing was that the whole plane seemd nearly empty according to expertflyer. As I found out later while talking to an IB rep, that could be misleading. I was told that since IB charges a fee to pre-assign seats in Y (except for pax with high status in their program as well as oneworld equivalents), most travelers wait until 24 hrs. before departure to request their seating assignments, which by then become free.
I have found that dealing with IB over the phone was straight to the point and efficient, although some of the greetings and responses felt very scripted. At first, I used the English line and it took forever. Then I tried the Spanish one and the call was answered in less than a minute. If you are calling from the USA, you will be connected to MIA headquarters. I personally think that if you speak to them in Spanish, they tend to take the time to explain things further and are a bit more patient with you.
IB 6252 JFK-MAD
EQP A340-600 - Seat 46D Economy
Dept. 2205 - Arriv. 10:15A +1
I left the cozy confines of the VS Clubhouse at around 1.5 hrs before my departure and took the AirTrain to T7. Once there, I went straight to the J counter (AA Gold here) and asked if there was any way that I could get an empty seat next to me. I was even willing to sit all the way back if that meant a bit more room to spread out. I had a nice chat with the agent in Spanish and she offered me 46D. She said that at the moment the seat next to me was empty but she could not guarantee it to be that way which was fair enough. I thanked her and breezed through security quickly. Once in the secured area, I walked around and stopped by the gate to inquire if the flight was really full. The agent advised me that there were a couple of empty seats and I crossed my fingers that one of them was my neighbor.
About 45 min. before departure the IB crew came and they hovered around the gate for a few minutes. First impressions? This crew is very stylish. Most of them were females and thin, with long ponytails as the preferred hair style. A couple could very well grace the cover of a fashion magazine. Then again, Spanish women (esp. those from MAD and BCN) can be very chic and on par with those of Paris and Rome. It's the Latin flair I guess. Passengers started to line up at the gate and there was already some chaotic activity with people cutting in the lines and acting clueless. A couple of agents tried to establish some order and surprisingly things went pretty smoothly.
The FA at the door was greeting passengers proactively and directing them to their respective seats. I walked past the first section of the Y cabin and another FA by the bulkhead of the second cabin greets me with a smile saying "Buenas noches". For a second I wondered if all those negative critiques about IB inflight product were really fabricated by malevolent flyers working undercover for the competition. But the flight has just started and there is plenty of time to observe and assess this journey objectively. I take my aisle seat 46D and there are 4 seats including mine in the center row. The cabin starts to fill out with passengers tickling down and the seats around me are occupied one by one. Finally, when the door closes, my neighboring seat is still vacant. I survey the surrounding area and realize that I am one of the lucky few who has an empty neighboring seat, so giving up the bulkhead paid off. I also see the my old seat was now occupied by a tall woman who looked like she belonged on the runway. I guess that made the guy in 37A happy, provided that he is heterosexual. As for me, I raised the armrest and made myself pretty comfortable.
IB has a camera mounted on the plane that shows the take off and landing on the screens located throughout the cabin. No PTV's so it is a captive audience. After a cool take off, the service started with flight attendants offering earphones followed by another one with newspapers from a cart. I was even asked if I wanted an English publication by the time the FA got to my row. About 50 minutes into the flight, dinner was served. There was a choice between chicken or beef. I chose the chicken and a tray with covered dishes were presented, so I had to take the lids off. I was pleasantly surprised by the contents of the meal. The main dish consisted of dark meat chicken with mashed potatoes with bacon bits and vegetables, accompanied by an appetizer of marinated white beans with a shrimp, an apple pastry dessert with whipped cream and a package of cheese. Fresh rolls were offered from a basket which added a dignified touch to the dining experience in the back. The meal was followed by the drink cart and free wine was offered along with other soft drinks. The selection of juices were orange, apple and pineapple. I requested a pineapple one and the FA asked me to wait and told her co-worker to get me one. When I realized that I was skipped when she came back, I reminded her of my drink request and she brought it right away with a sincere apology. Moments later, I saw the same FA offering a second round of bread to everyone.
After the meal service the purser announced the sale of duty free items and the cart made its way to the back with few takers. Eventually the lights were dimmed and the majority of passengers went to sleep. In the middle of the night I decided to walk to the galley for a drink and no one was there. As a matter of fact, I did not even see a beverage station set up. I spotted a sleeve with plastic glasses and some bottles semi hidden by the galley and when I took a glass a FA showed up and poured water in my cup. Later during the flight there was a male FA stationed in the galley reading something from his jumpseat. Flights from JFK to Europe are not that long and with about 1 more hour to go breakfast was served. FA's distributed long boxes which contained a bag of fruit bites, a wrapped chicken and cheese croissant, an orange muffin and a very tiny Milky Way chocolate. In addition there was this tiny yellow cup that seemed like one of those that girls use when playing "tea time" used for coffee or tea. This was a joke since FA's had to constantly walk around to make refills for passengers. Why can't IB do a proper drinks cart service and use a decent sized styrofoam cup for hot beverages? I hardly touched any of the contents preferring to have something more substantial at the IB Dali lounge.
In conclusion, despite some very negative remarks about IB, I found the crew to be polite and professional if not overly friendly at times. Then again, this is only 1 flight so it is inaccurate to make an objective judgement based on one sampling alone. I really believe that if you have the language edge, your experience will be a bit more positive. For example, when I said "gracias" to one of the less friendly crew she responded "de nada". The guy behind me also said "thank you" but the FA did not respond and kept moving.
Chicken dinner
Notice that most European carriers will not uncover the meals for you when they present you the food. Choices were beef or chicken. They also had fresh bread to go with the meal and later on the flight attendant made a second round with the bread.
Surprised!
Nice appetizer
Main dish
This beats a packaged brownie any day.
Cheese
The most important meal of the day
I don't eat pre-packaged croissants. Good lord, did you read the chemical cocktail contained in this morsel? It's enough to preserve a mummy.
Once the plane landed, I joined the crowd of other passengers coming from other destinations and made the long line in Immigrations. The lines were moving slowly, like a movie played in slow motion. Every few minutes we made progress by moving a couple of inches. Is this what a slow death feels like? I sure had plenty of time to ponder upon that question. Finally I make it and my passport gets stamped with a seal of approval, but the worst is not over yet. After Immigrations, I felt like a rat running in a maze in order to get to Customs. Go out, go down, take the train, go up again, down again. Did a sadist design the traffic flow for this terminal? Yes, T4 is big, modern, with artistic aspirations, but is it user friendly?
I am finally out and ready to go back through security to enter IB Dali Lounge. But first, my cough is getting worse and the menthol lozenges are losing their effectiveness so I stop by the pharmacy for some cough tablets. I make the line through security but I am told to wait because I am too early for my flight and the agent needs clearance. Thankfully they waive me in and I am on the other side. Apparently the guy manning the x-ray machine is having a bad day since he throws a fit when I failed to take the tray to the end of the belt and stack it with the others. I almost asked him if he forgot to take his Prozac but I bit my tongue. It's not worth having my bodily cavities violated.
When I arrived at the Dali Lounge, I felt like I stepped into a sanctuary. I grabbed a bite and then headed to the Sala de Descanso (resting room). Food selection was not bad, consisting of crackers, olives, different sandwiches, salads and other tidbits. A selection of wines were available for those aficionados who want to know what IB serves onboard. Inside the Salad de Descanso there were several "beds" in the dimly lit room in an individual cubicle setting. Next to the table an eye mask and ear plugs were provided in a neat package. After a quick nap, I was ready to take a shower and asked for a key at the reception area. Feeling invigorated, I headed to T1 for my TK flight to IST.
IB Sala Dali
Snack area
Bathroom
Does TK deserve to be one of the top European airlines?...
When I purchased my ticket on aa.com, I requested seat 37C (bulkhead aisle) on IB. The plane was an A340-600 and there are only 6 optimum seat pairs with plenty of legroom that every frequent flyer in the know covets. Those are 10AC & JL, 22AC & JL and 37 AC & JL. For some reason, I had a hard time finding an accurate seating chart of IB's planes through most airline seating sites and only expertflyer.com provided me with the right one. The one on seatguru.com is incorrect and seatexpert.com does not even list IB. I wanted to double check my seat assignment with IB but they could not pull my PNR until I gave them the AA one. IB claimed that since this was booked as a code share through AA, there is not an equivalent PNR on their Amadeus system and the only way to access my reservation was through AA's record locator. At least when I access the seat map through expertflyer, it showed my seat occupied so I hoped that my seating through AA was honored. Another interesting thing was that the whole plane seemd nearly empty according to expertflyer. As I found out later while talking to an IB rep, that could be misleading. I was told that since IB charges a fee to pre-assign seats in Y (except for pax with high status in their program as well as oneworld equivalents), most travelers wait until 24 hrs. before departure to request their seating assignments, which by then become free.
I have found that dealing with IB over the phone was straight to the point and efficient, although some of the greetings and responses felt very scripted. At first, I used the English line and it took forever. Then I tried the Spanish one and the call was answered in less than a minute. If you are calling from the USA, you will be connected to MIA headquarters. I personally think that if you speak to them in Spanish, they tend to take the time to explain things further and are a bit more patient with you.
IB 6252 JFK-MAD
EQP A340-600 - Seat 46D Economy
Dept. 2205 - Arriv. 10:15A +1
I left the cozy confines of the VS Clubhouse at around 1.5 hrs before my departure and took the AirTrain to T7. Once there, I went straight to the J counter (AA Gold here) and asked if there was any way that I could get an empty seat next to me. I was even willing to sit all the way back if that meant a bit more room to spread out. I had a nice chat with the agent in Spanish and she offered me 46D. She said that at the moment the seat next to me was empty but she could not guarantee it to be that way which was fair enough. I thanked her and breezed through security quickly. Once in the secured area, I walked around and stopped by the gate to inquire if the flight was really full. The agent advised me that there were a couple of empty seats and I crossed my fingers that one of them was my neighbor.
About 45 min. before departure the IB crew came and they hovered around the gate for a few minutes. First impressions? This crew is very stylish. Most of them were females and thin, with long ponytails as the preferred hair style. A couple could very well grace the cover of a fashion magazine. Then again, Spanish women (esp. those from MAD and BCN) can be very chic and on par with those of Paris and Rome. It's the Latin flair I guess. Passengers started to line up at the gate and there was already some chaotic activity with people cutting in the lines and acting clueless. A couple of agents tried to establish some order and surprisingly things went pretty smoothly.
The FA at the door was greeting passengers proactively and directing them to their respective seats. I walked past the first section of the Y cabin and another FA by the bulkhead of the second cabin greets me with a smile saying "Buenas noches". For a second I wondered if all those negative critiques about IB inflight product were really fabricated by malevolent flyers working undercover for the competition. But the flight has just started and there is plenty of time to observe and assess this journey objectively. I take my aisle seat 46D and there are 4 seats including mine in the center row. The cabin starts to fill out with passengers tickling down and the seats around me are occupied one by one. Finally, when the door closes, my neighboring seat is still vacant. I survey the surrounding area and realize that I am one of the lucky few who has an empty neighboring seat, so giving up the bulkhead paid off. I also see the my old seat was now occupied by a tall woman who looked like she belonged on the runway. I guess that made the guy in 37A happy, provided that he is heterosexual. As for me, I raised the armrest and made myself pretty comfortable.
IB has a camera mounted on the plane that shows the take off and landing on the screens located throughout the cabin. No PTV's so it is a captive audience. After a cool take off, the service started with flight attendants offering earphones followed by another one with newspapers from a cart. I was even asked if I wanted an English publication by the time the FA got to my row. About 50 minutes into the flight, dinner was served. There was a choice between chicken or beef. I chose the chicken and a tray with covered dishes were presented, so I had to take the lids off. I was pleasantly surprised by the contents of the meal. The main dish consisted of dark meat chicken with mashed potatoes with bacon bits and vegetables, accompanied by an appetizer of marinated white beans with a shrimp, an apple pastry dessert with whipped cream and a package of cheese. Fresh rolls were offered from a basket which added a dignified touch to the dining experience in the back. The meal was followed by the drink cart and free wine was offered along with other soft drinks. The selection of juices were orange, apple and pineapple. I requested a pineapple one and the FA asked me to wait and told her co-worker to get me one. When I realized that I was skipped when she came back, I reminded her of my drink request and she brought it right away with a sincere apology. Moments later, I saw the same FA offering a second round of bread to everyone.
After the meal service the purser announced the sale of duty free items and the cart made its way to the back with few takers. Eventually the lights were dimmed and the majority of passengers went to sleep. In the middle of the night I decided to walk to the galley for a drink and no one was there. As a matter of fact, I did not even see a beverage station set up. I spotted a sleeve with plastic glasses and some bottles semi hidden by the galley and when I took a glass a FA showed up and poured water in my cup. Later during the flight there was a male FA stationed in the galley reading something from his jumpseat. Flights from JFK to Europe are not that long and with about 1 more hour to go breakfast was served. FA's distributed long boxes which contained a bag of fruit bites, a wrapped chicken and cheese croissant, an orange muffin and a very tiny Milky Way chocolate. In addition there was this tiny yellow cup that seemed like one of those that girls use when playing "tea time" used for coffee or tea. This was a joke since FA's had to constantly walk around to make refills for passengers. Why can't IB do a proper drinks cart service and use a decent sized styrofoam cup for hot beverages? I hardly touched any of the contents preferring to have something more substantial at the IB Dali lounge.
In conclusion, despite some very negative remarks about IB, I found the crew to be polite and professional if not overly friendly at times. Then again, this is only 1 flight so it is inaccurate to make an objective judgement based on one sampling alone. I really believe that if you have the language edge, your experience will be a bit more positive. For example, when I said "gracias" to one of the less friendly crew she responded "de nada". The guy behind me also said "thank you" but the FA did not respond and kept moving.
Chicken dinner
Notice that most European carriers will not uncover the meals for you when they present you the food. Choices were beef or chicken. They also had fresh bread to go with the meal and later on the flight attendant made a second round with the bread.
Surprised!
Nice appetizer
Main dish
This beats a packaged brownie any day.
Cheese
The most important meal of the day
I don't eat pre-packaged croissants. Good lord, did you read the chemical cocktail contained in this morsel? It's enough to preserve a mummy.
Once the plane landed, I joined the crowd of other passengers coming from other destinations and made the long line in Immigrations. The lines were moving slowly, like a movie played in slow motion. Every few minutes we made progress by moving a couple of inches. Is this what a slow death feels like? I sure had plenty of time to ponder upon that question. Finally I make it and my passport gets stamped with a seal of approval, but the worst is not over yet. After Immigrations, I felt like a rat running in a maze in order to get to Customs. Go out, go down, take the train, go up again, down again. Did a sadist design the traffic flow for this terminal? Yes, T4 is big, modern, with artistic aspirations, but is it user friendly?
I am finally out and ready to go back through security to enter IB Dali Lounge. But first, my cough is getting worse and the menthol lozenges are losing their effectiveness so I stop by the pharmacy for some cough tablets. I make the line through security but I am told to wait because I am too early for my flight and the agent needs clearance. Thankfully they waive me in and I am on the other side. Apparently the guy manning the x-ray machine is having a bad day since he throws a fit when I failed to take the tray to the end of the belt and stack it with the others. I almost asked him if he forgot to take his Prozac but I bit my tongue. It's not worth having my bodily cavities violated.
When I arrived at the Dali Lounge, I felt like I stepped into a sanctuary. I grabbed a bite and then headed to the Sala de Descanso (resting room). Food selection was not bad, consisting of crackers, olives, different sandwiches, salads and other tidbits. A selection of wines were available for those aficionados who want to know what IB serves onboard. Inside the Salad de Descanso there were several "beds" in the dimly lit room in an individual cubicle setting. Next to the table an eye mask and ear plugs were provided in a neat package. After a quick nap, I was ready to take a shower and asked for a key at the reception area. Feeling invigorated, I headed to T1 for my TK flight to IST.
IB Sala Dali
Snack area
Bathroom
Does TK deserve to be one of the top European airlines?...
Last edited by aw; Apr 19, 2012 at 11:33 pm
Apr 19, 2012, 7:56 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLT, FPC PLT, Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond
Posts: 264
Great report and pictures! We will be traveling on some of IB intra-European Flights in June. Good to see pictures of IB Dali Lounge. We are thinking about a trip to IST from MAD on IB also. Looking forward to your report on thay part of journey.
Apr 19, 2012, 11:27 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Burlingame, CA
Programs: TK Miles & Smiles, CM ConnectMiles, AA Advantage
Posts: 2,129
Does TK deserve to be one of the best European airlines?
1stClassFamily - IST is amazing and it is a one of a kind destination. I believe IB operates 2 flights a day from MAD-IST. The food selection at Sala Dali is fine but not buffet style like the Velasquez lounge at T4S.
chicagodesi - thanks and there is more to come. Stay tuned.
Bretteed - I am not surprised by your predicament. Given the high surcharges that BA charges for flying J or F and the lack of availability of award seats on AY, I am afraid that IB is the only European alternative for finding "affordable" awards in the front cabin. Hopefully the addition of AB might somewhat alleviate this situation.
TK 1860 MAD-IST
EQP 738 - Seat 2D Business
Dept. 1645 - Arriv. 2145
Feeling recharged, I exit T4 and take the terminal bus that will drop me to T1 for my TK flight. Leaving T4 and arriving into T1 is like day and night. T1 is a darker and older terminal with lower ceilings that makes you want to leave as soon as you set foot in it. I walk up to the TK counter and the agent issues me my boarding pass, an invitation to the Cibeles lounge and a "fast track" pass to be used at IST immigrations.
The security line moved quickly and the staff were much more pleasant than at T4. I head up to the Cibeles lounge and upon entering I am reminded of a school cafeteria. Leave any notions of style behind because you won't find it here. This is a lounge that is more utilitarian in nature and it gets the job done. You can help yourself to drinks and some wrapped sandwiches, bags of snacks and olives. Some of the furniture seems slightly worn and when I used the men's toilet, the light by the urinals was broken and it was dark, which can be slightly uncomfortable or welcoming depending on your perspective. After sitting for 15 minutes I stocked up a few bottles of water in my bag and proceeded to the gate. Given the nature of my late arrival in IST and my precarious health condition, there is no way that my lips will touch the tap water in IST. The last thing I needed was to succumb to the "sultan's revenge" and I was going to take my precautions. Besides, a few credible publications state that the locals don't drink the tap water and suggest that travelers refrain from doing it as well.
Excited at the prospect of flying a new airline, I take a picture of the plane parked at the gate and wait in anticipation for boarding to commence. A line starts forming as soon as the gate agent starts to talk on the microphone. Boarding is orderly and upon reaching the aircraft's door, the male purser greets me and wish me a pleasant flight. The seats are in a 3x3 configuration covered in aquamarine leather with the middle one blocked and with the tray down. A female crew brings a tray of drinks and I take a glass of water. There are a lot of Japanese passengers boarding and I suspect that they are connecting on a later flight to NRT. Later on I found out that my seat neighbor is connecting to PVG so it seems that TK is efficiently using IST as a hub to connect passengers between Asia and Europe. Throw in a free stopover in IST and you got a winning deal.
Once airborne, FA's sprang into action by offering a printed menu, hot towels and food trays from a cart. I was surprised that they did not start with a drink service with some sort of snack before the meal but it was not a big deal. I was presented with a hearty tray made up of 3 sides (vanilla profiterole covered in chocolate sauce, green beans in tomato sauce and cheese with olives) and a large appetizer of smoked aubergine with chicken slices. The presentation was very nice and the attendant offered a selection of warm breads to go along with the appetizer. I really enjoyed the delicious combination of smoked eggplant and chicken savoring every bite thoroughly. A few minutes later the purser asked for your choice of drink and brought it from the galley individually. I requested sour cherry juice and it was served with a bag of roasted hazelnuts. Once the appetizer plates were cleared, FA's offered the main dish from a cart along with more warm bread. I had the artichoke raviolis and it was a bit dry around the edges. The scattered pieces of artichokes and pine nuts on top provided an interesting texture to the dish but this was an average entree that did not measured up to the first appetizer course. When dinner was finished, the FA's rolled out a cart once again offering Turkish tea, coffee or liquors.
Menu
Assorted Turkish Appetizers
Marinated Green Beans
Please choose from our selection:
Mediterranean Prawns with Tomato Sauce
sauteed leaf spinach/buttered rice
or
Specials from Turkish Cuisine.....
Turkish Style Grilled Minced Beef
sauteed zucchini/red peppers/bulgur
or
Home Made Artichoke Ravioli
pan fried artichokes/cherry tomatoes/parmesan
Home Made Profiterole with Vanilla Cream/Chocolate Sauce
Assorted Cheese
Oven Fresh Bread Selection
Turkish plane
Tray
Sides
Appetizer
Main dish
Sour cherry juice with roasted hazelnuts
Profiterole
Turkish tea
At the conclusion of the meal service, not much happened and the FA's were confined to the galley. Although the crew was polite and professional, they were not very soliciting and at one point I saw the purser taking a couple of water glasses to the passengers sitting in the back of the J cabin but he did offer them to those of us sitting in the front. Later during the flight, I rang the attendant button but it was not answered and I knew that there were 3 FA's in the galley. My seat neighbor rang the button again about a minute later and a FA finally stepped out of the galley and surveyed the cabin but did not stop by our row, so I had to flag her down to get her attention and request a glass of water. My neighbor also asked for another glass after mine was brought and the attendant complied quickly.
As an airline memorabilia collector, I asked the purser for any items with the logo of the carrier and he said that unfortunately there was nothing available. At the conclusion of the flight when I disembarked, he stopped me and gave me a logo pen from his shirt pocket saying that this is the only thing that he was able to give me. I appreciated his gift and thanked him profusely. Needless to say, the kind gesture left a positive lasting impression despite the "uneven" service experienced earlier.
TK is definitely an up and coming airline that tries hard to establish a quality image in the global stage. Its catering reputation is well deserved and this is perhaps one of its strongest points when compared against its competitors. As you will see later, the Business CIP Lounge in IST is also quite an asset in its portfolio and sets a precedence for lounges everywhere. I personally felt that the weakest part of my experience was the inflight service provided by some crew members. Although the crew was polite, I think a more proactive customer service approach would have contributed to the overall flight experience. Having said that, I would gladly fly TK again in the future.
Seduced by Istanbul......
chicagodesi - thanks and there is more to come. Stay tuned.
Bretteed - I am not surprised by your predicament. Given the high surcharges that BA charges for flying J or F and the lack of availability of award seats on AY, I am afraid that IB is the only European alternative for finding "affordable" awards in the front cabin. Hopefully the addition of AB might somewhat alleviate this situation.
TK 1860 MAD-IST
EQP 738 - Seat 2D Business
Dept. 1645 - Arriv. 2145
Feeling recharged, I exit T4 and take the terminal bus that will drop me to T1 for my TK flight. Leaving T4 and arriving into T1 is like day and night. T1 is a darker and older terminal with lower ceilings that makes you want to leave as soon as you set foot in it. I walk up to the TK counter and the agent issues me my boarding pass, an invitation to the Cibeles lounge and a "fast track" pass to be used at IST immigrations.
The security line moved quickly and the staff were much more pleasant than at T4. I head up to the Cibeles lounge and upon entering I am reminded of a school cafeteria. Leave any notions of style behind because you won't find it here. This is a lounge that is more utilitarian in nature and it gets the job done. You can help yourself to drinks and some wrapped sandwiches, bags of snacks and olives. Some of the furniture seems slightly worn and when I used the men's toilet, the light by the urinals was broken and it was dark, which can be slightly uncomfortable or welcoming depending on your perspective. After sitting for 15 minutes I stocked up a few bottles of water in my bag and proceeded to the gate. Given the nature of my late arrival in IST and my precarious health condition, there is no way that my lips will touch the tap water in IST. The last thing I needed was to succumb to the "sultan's revenge" and I was going to take my precautions. Besides, a few credible publications state that the locals don't drink the tap water and suggest that travelers refrain from doing it as well.
Excited at the prospect of flying a new airline, I take a picture of the plane parked at the gate and wait in anticipation for boarding to commence. A line starts forming as soon as the gate agent starts to talk on the microphone. Boarding is orderly and upon reaching the aircraft's door, the male purser greets me and wish me a pleasant flight. The seats are in a 3x3 configuration covered in aquamarine leather with the middle one blocked and with the tray down. A female crew brings a tray of drinks and I take a glass of water. There are a lot of Japanese passengers boarding and I suspect that they are connecting on a later flight to NRT. Later on I found out that my seat neighbor is connecting to PVG so it seems that TK is efficiently using IST as a hub to connect passengers between Asia and Europe. Throw in a free stopover in IST and you got a winning deal.
Once airborne, FA's sprang into action by offering a printed menu, hot towels and food trays from a cart. I was surprised that they did not start with a drink service with some sort of snack before the meal but it was not a big deal. I was presented with a hearty tray made up of 3 sides (vanilla profiterole covered in chocolate sauce, green beans in tomato sauce and cheese with olives) and a large appetizer of smoked aubergine with chicken slices. The presentation was very nice and the attendant offered a selection of warm breads to go along with the appetizer. I really enjoyed the delicious combination of smoked eggplant and chicken savoring every bite thoroughly. A few minutes later the purser asked for your choice of drink and brought it from the galley individually. I requested sour cherry juice and it was served with a bag of roasted hazelnuts. Once the appetizer plates were cleared, FA's offered the main dish from a cart along with more warm bread. I had the artichoke raviolis and it was a bit dry around the edges. The scattered pieces of artichokes and pine nuts on top provided an interesting texture to the dish but this was an average entree that did not measured up to the first appetizer course. When dinner was finished, the FA's rolled out a cart once again offering Turkish tea, coffee or liquors.
Menu
Assorted Turkish Appetizers
Marinated Green Beans
Please choose from our selection:
Mediterranean Prawns with Tomato Sauce
sauteed leaf spinach/buttered rice
or
Specials from Turkish Cuisine.....
Turkish Style Grilled Minced Beef
sauteed zucchini/red peppers/bulgur
or
Home Made Artichoke Ravioli
pan fried artichokes/cherry tomatoes/parmesan
Home Made Profiterole with Vanilla Cream/Chocolate Sauce
Assorted Cheese
Oven Fresh Bread Selection
Turkish plane
Tray
Sides
Appetizer
Main dish
Sour cherry juice with roasted hazelnuts
Profiterole
Turkish tea
At the conclusion of the meal service, not much happened and the FA's were confined to the galley. Although the crew was polite and professional, they were not very soliciting and at one point I saw the purser taking a couple of water glasses to the passengers sitting in the back of the J cabin but he did offer them to those of us sitting in the front. Later during the flight, I rang the attendant button but it was not answered and I knew that there were 3 FA's in the galley. My seat neighbor rang the button again about a minute later and a FA finally stepped out of the galley and surveyed the cabin but did not stop by our row, so I had to flag her down to get her attention and request a glass of water. My neighbor also asked for another glass after mine was brought and the attendant complied quickly.
As an airline memorabilia collector, I asked the purser for any items with the logo of the carrier and he said that unfortunately there was nothing available. At the conclusion of the flight when I disembarked, he stopped me and gave me a logo pen from his shirt pocket saying that this is the only thing that he was able to give me. I appreciated his gift and thanked him profusely. Needless to say, the kind gesture left a positive lasting impression despite the "uneven" service experienced earlier.
TK is definitely an up and coming airline that tries hard to establish a quality image in the global stage. Its catering reputation is well deserved and this is perhaps one of its strongest points when compared against its competitors. As you will see later, the Business CIP Lounge in IST is also quite an asset in its portfolio and sets a precedence for lounges everywhere. I personally felt that the weakest part of my experience was the inflight service provided by some crew members. Although the crew was polite, I think a more proactive customer service approach would have contributed to the overall flight experience. Having said that, I would gladly fly TK again in the future.
Seduced by Istanbul......
Apr 21, 2012, 12:15 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Burlingame, CA
Programs: TK Miles & Smiles, CM ConnectMiles, AA Advantage
Posts: 2,129
Seduced by Istanbul
A melodious chant from the nearby mosque pierces through the silence of the early morning inviting the faithful to join for prayers. I take a look outside of my room balcony and it is still pitch dark outside. The call for prayers reminds me that I have arrived in a place that for so long has captivated the imagination of the western world with nostalgic and romanticized visions of the exotic Orient, roughly referring to the expanse of land between Morocco and Afghanistan. This generalization can be misleading because it doesn't take into account the individual character and history of the cultures that comprise this group. Turkey, and specially Istanbul, has a long history that challenges its travelers to define it and in the process discover its complex multifaceted layers.
I view Istanbul as a living contradiction, but not one in which opposites clash but rather coexist harmoniously side by side. Religious and secular, at one time a stronghold of the Christian world as former Constantinople to present day Istanbul where more than 90% of the population is Muslim, this city will leave you with a lasting impression. As a first time visitor with limited time, I decided to stay in Sultanahmet (the old city district). This area is where most of the major sites such as Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar among others are concentrated. Most of these attractions are so conveniently close to each other that sometimes all it took is to walk a couple of meters from one to the other.
Aya Sofia
More than 1,400 years old and a testament to the architectural genius of the 6th century Byzantine capital, the "church of holy wisdom" is one of the world's greatest building achievements. During the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a mosque and the minarets, tombs and fountains were added. Once inside, you can't help but be in awe at the monumental scale and beauty of this former church.
Outside from a distance
Getting closer
Mosaic over the Imperial Gate, which is now the public entrance. In the past, only the emperor and its entourage were allowed to pass through it.
Mosaic depicting Christ on the throne with an emperor(perhaps Leo VI the Wise) kneeling beside him.
Inside
Feeling a bit tired, I headed back to the hotel and along the way purchased a huge bottle of water (5 litres) for 2 TRY which was about $1.10 USD. I took a nap and by the time I woke up it was around 10P. I guess I was feeling the effects of jet lag and decided to stay in the room for the rest of the night.
to be continued.....
I view Istanbul as a living contradiction, but not one in which opposites clash but rather coexist harmoniously side by side. Religious and secular, at one time a stronghold of the Christian world as former Constantinople to present day Istanbul where more than 90% of the population is Muslim, this city will leave you with a lasting impression. As a first time visitor with limited time, I decided to stay in Sultanahmet (the old city district). This area is where most of the major sites such as Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar among others are concentrated. Most of these attractions are so conveniently close to each other that sometimes all it took is to walk a couple of meters from one to the other.
Aya Sofia
More than 1,400 years old and a testament to the architectural genius of the 6th century Byzantine capital, the "church of holy wisdom" is one of the world's greatest building achievements. During the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a mosque and the minarets, tombs and fountains were added. Once inside, you can't help but be in awe at the monumental scale and beauty of this former church.
Outside from a distance
Getting closer
Mosaic over the Imperial Gate, which is now the public entrance. In the past, only the emperor and its entourage were allowed to pass through it.
Mosaic depicting Christ on the throne with an emperor(perhaps Leo VI the Wise) kneeling beside him.
Inside
Feeling a bit tired, I headed back to the hotel and along the way purchased a huge bottle of water (5 litres) for 2 TRY which was about $1.10 USD. I took a nap and by the time I woke up it was around 10P. I guess I was feeling the effects of jet lag and decided to stay in the room for the rest of the night.
to be continued.....
Last edited by aw; Apr 21, 2012 at 12:22 am
Apr 22, 2012, 9:28 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Burlingame, CA
Programs: TK Miles & Smiles, CM ConnectMiles, AA Advantage
Posts: 2,129
Istanbul
Hippodrome
An elongated public garden with a line of monuments is all that remains from this once impressive stadium that stood at the heart of the Byzantine capital. During ancient times it served as the center stage for chariot races and major public events, even after it felt into ruins following the Ottoman conquest, when it was used to commemorate a 52 day long festivity for the circumcision of Murat III's son with the guilds of Istanbul parading before the Sultan displaying their crafts.
The are only three surviving ancient monuments in this site. The Egyptian Obelisk built in 1500 BC which once stood outside Luxor until Constantine brought it to his city, the Serpentine Column dating from 479 BC from Delphi and a third obscure column known as the Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in honor of the emperor that restored it in the 10th century AD. There is a fourth missing column which once stood where the tourist information office is now located. At the top there were 4 bronze horses that were pillaged during the Fourth Crusade and are now inside the Church of St. Mark in Venice. Nowadays the Hippodrome is surrounded by museums, government buildings, restaurants and shops with a healthy mix of tourists and locals passing by every day.
Hippodrome
The broken Serpentine Column
Park
Hungry patron patiently waiting for restaurant to open
Shop corner
Basilica Cistern
The cistern is one of the most unusual attractions found in Istanbul and it is a beautiful achievement of Byzantine engineering. It supplied water to the Great Palace and this underground water cistern is held up by 336 columns each over 8 meters or 26 feet. It was capable of holding up to 100 million liters or 22 million gallons of water from the Belgrade Forest via the Valens Aqueduct.
Descending into the underground cistern
Medusa head
Blue Mosque
This impressive mosque gets its name from the blue Iznik tilework decorating its interior and it is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. It was built between 1609 - 1616 and its plan to include 6 minarets created quite a controversy at the time because this was considered a sacrilegious attempt to rival the architecture of Mecca.
more sights to follow........
An elongated public garden with a line of monuments is all that remains from this once impressive stadium that stood at the heart of the Byzantine capital. During ancient times it served as the center stage for chariot races and major public events, even after it felt into ruins following the Ottoman conquest, when it was used to commemorate a 52 day long festivity for the circumcision of Murat III's son with the guilds of Istanbul parading before the Sultan displaying their crafts.
The are only three surviving ancient monuments in this site. The Egyptian Obelisk built in 1500 BC which once stood outside Luxor until Constantine brought it to his city, the Serpentine Column dating from 479 BC from Delphi and a third obscure column known as the Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in honor of the emperor that restored it in the 10th century AD. There is a fourth missing column which once stood where the tourist information office is now located. At the top there were 4 bronze horses that were pillaged during the Fourth Crusade and are now inside the Church of St. Mark in Venice. Nowadays the Hippodrome is surrounded by museums, government buildings, restaurants and shops with a healthy mix of tourists and locals passing by every day.
Hippodrome
The broken Serpentine Column
Park
Hungry patron patiently waiting for restaurant to open
Shop corner
Basilica Cistern
The cistern is one of the most unusual attractions found in Istanbul and it is a beautiful achievement of Byzantine engineering. It supplied water to the Great Palace and this underground water cistern is held up by 336 columns each over 8 meters or 26 feet. It was capable of holding up to 100 million liters or 22 million gallons of water from the Belgrade Forest via the Valens Aqueduct.
Descending into the underground cistern
Medusa head
Blue Mosque
This impressive mosque gets its name from the blue Iznik tilework decorating its interior and it is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. It was built between 1609 - 1616 and its plan to include 6 minarets created quite a controversy at the time because this was considered a sacrilegious attempt to rival the architecture of Mecca.
more sights to follow........
Apr 23, 2012, 10:41 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold (thanks to BOB), UA, Flying Blue, Miles & Smiles, Amex BAPP & Platinum
Posts: 392
Really interesting (so far!). Both airlines suffer from inconsistency, so always a relief when things go well - especially on THY.