Around the World in 14 days: Turkish Airlines Business Class & EVA Air Royal Laurel
Aug 17, 2014, 6:35 am
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Around the World in 14 days: Turkish Airlines Business Class & EVA Air Royal Laurel
Introduction
Devaluations are every mileage aficionado’s worst nightmare. They often times happen unexpectedly, and airlines usually tend to reciprocate one and other once they occur. One of the most notable devaluations to occur was Uninental, sorry United Airlines Mileage Plus award chart devaluation where many premium cabin redemptions almost doubled in price. It became very clear that other airlines would soon chose to follow.
I’ve been a loyal and slightly fanatic about Turkish Airlines for the better part of a year, and their Miles&Smiles program offered some of the best award rates in the industry which in combination with their generous earnings made them one of the best mileage programs in Star Alliance. Of course a part of me began sensing that these award rates were too good to last, and in December 2013 I began looking for ways to burn my miles before any potential devaluation. Having qualified for Elite the proper way, I had roughly 40 000 miles at my disposal, which were enough for a one-way Business Class award ticket from Europe to North America.
Turkish Airlines are notoriously stingy with releasing award space to North America as both New York and Los Angeles had just about ZERO award seats available during the first half of 2014, which isn’t really surprising when there are only 28 seats in the cabin. Luckily however, when the springtime the 3rd daily IST-JFK was loaded into the system in early December, a handful of award seats opened and I was able to grab one of the last available seats for June. A one-way Business Class award to New York set me back 35 000 miles and €175 in taxes and fuel surcharges, which is easily some of the best value you can get from a Star Alliance program. The Miles&Smiles chart was sadly devaluated a few months later, and the same award now costs 45 000 miles which is still a pretty good deal.
As for the return flight, I resorted to LifeMiles who happened to run a 100% bonus sale in December. Seeing that my main objective of this trip was to circumnavigate the globe, I booked my return flight on EVA Air from New York to London via Taipei, giving me 34 hours to enjoy their Royal Laurel Class. The final leg of the trip from London to Stockholm was booked in SAS GO.
My itinerary spanning 22600 miles.
With nine nights to spend in New York and three nights in London, it was now time to look for suitable accommodations. Since hotels in NYC tend to be overpriced at this time of year, I resorted to AirBnb where I was able to rent a room in Battery Park City, Manhattan for just under $400 for my nine night stay. In London things got trickier since The Wimbledon Tournament was taking place during my dates, which resulted in most hotels being sold out or shamelessly priced. I resorted to burning some Club Carlson points on the Park Inn Harlow, located 20 miles from town. It wasn’t exactly the most ideal solution since I had to commute for 90 minutes back and forth, but rather that than spending half a fortune for a hotel in town.
June 13th 2014
It’s a rainy friday morning when my alarm goes off at 6am. Due to my excitement and the fear of oversleeping, I only manage for hours of sleep. After a hot shower, I quickly get dressed and pick up my bag before heading off to the train station which is a short 10 minute walk from my house.
The train ride to Arlanda took roughly one hour during which I managed a short nap in the comfortable 1st Class seats.
The train arrives on time, and I find myself at the Turkish Airlines check-in counters at twenty past nine in the morning. The Business Class counter is completely empty, and the friendly Menzies agent quickly prints out my boarding cards and supplies me with a fast-track voucher for the passport control in Istanbul. With no luggage to check in, I quickly head off to security followed by the lounge.
SAS Gold Lounge Arlanda
At the lounge my boarding pass is scanned by one of the few male dragons, who rather grumblingly directs me to the Business side. I point out that my TK Elite card is entered to which he rolls his eyes, sighs and points me to the Gold side.
SAS recently completed a well needed renovation of the lounges at their Arlanda hub, a project which has been taking place for the better part of a year between March 2013 and April 2014. Long gone are the brightly colored IKEA armchairs which have been replaced with a more heterogeneous mix of wingback chairs, compact armchairs and kitchen stools. The bright color scheme have been replaced with more soothing tones of dark wool, leather and piano black. Thankfully the kitchen section in cherry wood and marble has remained untouched.
SAS Lounge entrance.
The seating in the main section of the lounge.
The annex section where the worn out wooden floors have been replaced with a wool carpet.
The large communal tables, which feel quite cheap in my opinion. Especially since they’re re-used the kitchen stools from the old Business side.
The kitchen section which happens to be my favorite part of the lounge has thankfully remained untouched.
The food offerings today consisted of chicken skewers and couscous salad.
Considering the fact that I didn’t have time to eat breakfast this morning, I grab myself a bowl of yogurt and muesli, along with a glass of OJ and some coffee. I decided to go light on breakfast as I didn’t want to stuff myself before the flight.
My light breakfast.
I spent roughly two hours in the lounge before it was time to head to gate 18 which is in the non-Schengen part of the A-pier. After a very swift passport control I find myself in the gate area, where the scanning of boarding passes was already in full swing. Having monitored the flight on ExpertFlyer a few days earlier, it appeared that this flight was overbooked and as a result I overheard at least a dozen red lights.
Turkish Airlines flight TK1794 Stockholm Arlanda – Istanbul
Departure: 11.45
Arrival: 16.20
Duration: 3h 35m
Date: 13 June 2014
Aircraft type: Airbus A320-200
Seat & Class: 2A Business Class
Despite the fact that Turkish Airlines hand out gold cards like free candy, there are actually very few status passengers onboard their flights as I’ve been upgraded on half of the flights I’ve done with them in Economy. On this flight they appeared to have run out of status passengers as nearly all of the remaining seats in the cabin were taken up by non-status upgrades. How could I know? Well seated beside me was a mother and her two kids who clearly didn’t know how to operate the tray tables, nor to stove away their hand luggage at takeoff. The same goes for the two 20-something guys in row 1 who kept looking for the middle seat, for their friend who didn’t get upgraded.
The main reason for the upgrades was due to a last minute aircraft change. According to the seat map this flight was scheduled to be operated by an A320 in European configuration which got replaced with an A320 featuring proper recliner seats in Business Class, hence reducing the number of Economy seats. The recliners were of a slightly older version than those found on the airline’s new A321. The seats were very comfortable, easy to adjust and offered a good amount of personal space.
Legroom was more than enough for this three and a half hour flight.
Shortly after boarding was completed, welcome drinks were served by the friendly crew. As usual I went with the strawberry soda to sip while taxiing to the runway. After an on-time departure we quickly made our ascent to cruising altitude which was reached approximately twenty minutes into the flight. Bearing in mind that our flight departed at lunch time, the crew were quick to commence the service once the seatbelt sign had been switched off.
Serving the Business Class cabin were two crew members, one male and one female, both in their late 20s. As always the crew was friendly and attentive, and while the service may not have been as polished as on SWISS or Lufthansa they did their job more than well. Due to the lack of chef the male steward was manning the galley, whereas his female colleague served the cabin.
Menus had been distributed on the ground, and drink orders were taken before the meal. As usual my choice fell for Champagne of the brand Charles Heidsieck Blue Top Monopole. Not exactly my favorite but it’s palatable enough for my likings.The linen clad meal trays were soon brought out by the stewardess.
Starter consisting of mashed eggplant, grilled chicken breast, cherry tomato, pesto and lettuce. Very tasty!
Once the starter trays were cleared, the stewardess rolled out a cart with the main courses. This is a fairly new procedure which was introduced along with the new catering concept, which is hugely appreciated as it allows you to see pick and choose whichever dish that looks the best. Since I was anticipating a rather substantial dinner on my connecting flight, I decided to go light and order the pasta this time.
Main course consisting of a [vegetarian] Pasta Rigatoni with a creamy parmesan sauce, plum tomatoes and pine nuts.
I’m normally not a big fan of pasta dishes on planes, but I had long been curious to see how the chefs at Do&Co manages to cook pasta which can be a fairly challenging dish on planes since you often find it overcooked or bland. To my great surprise the pasta was perfectly cooked with a nice al dente texture. The parmesan sauce was rich, creamy and incredibly tasteful and was nicely complemented with the pine nuts, which added a nice crunchy texture. The plum tomatoes too were cooked to perfection as they were neither soggy or scoldingly hot. Instead they had a soft and warm texture, with a slightly sweet and fruity taste. Overall this was a great main course, but then again what else can you expect from the chefs at Turkish Do&Co.
Once the trays were cleared a tea trolley was rolled out, featuring traditional turkish tea, coffee and a selection of digestifs. I settled for a cup of coffee and some Baileys to go along with my dessert.
Dessert consisting of chocolate covered profiterole, with a nice custard filling. Delicious!
Once the meal service was completed, I put my seat in a comfortable lounge position, ordered a few glasses of Champagne and listened to some music through my Bose QC15 headphones. I managed to fall asleep in-between. Towards the end of the flight, I made sure to have a look around the cabin on this A320.
The Business Class cabin consists of three rows of recliners with twelve seats in total.
Before I knew it, we were already on descent to Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and after a spectacular approach over central Istanbul we make a smooth touchdown before parking at a remote stand. Due to overcrowding but gates are a common thing at Istanbul Airport, but finally a separate Business Class bus was parked right by the stairs. Unfortunately since nobody checked the eligibility to use the bus, it was also used by Economy passengers.
After a quick ride I am dumped off at the international terminal, and to my surprise I don’t have to pass through any transit security which have been the case during previous visits. It takes a while to figure out how to get to the lounge due to the lack of security check, but I eventually make it there.
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Up until recently I wasn’t really a fan of the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge at Istanbul. Mainly for the fact that it was overcrowded most of the time, the lack of lavatories, the noise levels and the birds. Thankfully however, with the opening of the new bottom floor those issues have now been solved and I could easily say that it’s THE best Business Class lounge in the Star Alliance network.
The spectacular lounge atrium, featuring a giant version of the airline’s iconic Globe logo.
One of the two food section in the lounge. At this particular station the chef prepares turkish tortellini, which are to be enjoyed with some home made Ayran.
There’s plenty of space for everyone to stretch out at one the many couch sections..
One of the two tea salons where a Barista is at hand to make a latte or espresso. In addition there is a large selection of desserts and sweets. Sacher cake, apfel strudel or baklava anyone?
The tea garden where you can enjoy a cup of turkish tea along with a simit (turkish bagel).
Since I was traveling on a US bound flight which is subject to an additional security screening and documents check at the gate, I was told upon entering the lounge to be at the gate one hour prior to departure. Bearing this in mind, I only had half an hour to spend in the lounge which is a shame since I would have loved to spend at least three hours here. Feeling full from the flight, I settle for a few bottles of water while I surf the wifi. At approximately 5pm I leave the lounge and head for the gate.
Turkish Airlines flight TK11 Istanbul – New York JFK
Departure: 18.20
Arrival: 21.55
Duration: 10h 35m
Date: 13 June 2014
Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat & Class: 3K Business Class
Bearing in mind the fact that Turkish nationals require a visa for entering the United States, a documents checkpoint had been set up outside the gate area. A long queue had formed behind the checkpoint and upon closer inspection I notice an empty counter for premium passengers. Naturally I walk past the queue to the premium counter which is not appreciated by the other passengers as I hear a handful yelling after me.
My youngish looks may have given the officer the preconceived notion of me cutting the line, but after an inspection of my boarding pass he quickly apologizes and proceeds to check my documents. I am asked to present a printout of my ESTA application, which isn’t really necessary stating that the passport details are enough pull out the application from the database. He then continues with the security questions before scribbling and stamping my boarding pass.
Just as I’m about to proceed to the security screening I take a closer look at my boarding pass to see SSSS printed in small letters in an obscure corner. F@#%!!!! I am somewhat surprised that a non-US airline would issue this to one of their own Elite members flying in Business Class, but then again I suspect my one-way ticket may have been a triggering factor. Thankfully the security check isn’t as scrutinizing as the one I had at Shannon four months earlier, and I am soon released into the holding pen.
Boarding is soon called for passengers in Business Class and Star Alliance Gold members. Surprisingly the boarding process is civilized, and I’m eventually welcomed onboard by the friendly crew. After a glorious left turn, I find myself at seat 3K which will be my home for the next 10 hours.
The spacious Business Class cabin of Turkish Airlines 777-300ER.
Unlike most other major airlines, Turkish Airlines have chosen to only install 28 seats in the Business Class cabins onboard their Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER. As a result the cabins are full on almost every flight, and award seats are incredibly hard to come by. Thankfully the airline is taking delivery of new 777s configured with 49 seats in Business Class. The cabin consists of 4 rows in a traditional forward facing 2-3-2 configuration, taking up the space between door 1 and 2.
With a near 80-inch pitch the legroom is very generous.
Much has been said and written about the Business Class seat on Turkish Airlines and to be honest I wasn’t much of a fan of this seat. While the seat itself does offer a good amount of space, I do believe that much of this space is wasted. Especially considering that you can fit the same number of reverse herringbone seats in the same space.
The seat is fairly comfortable in the upright mode, and I am pleasantly surprised to see that Turkish have added a memory foam pillow for your lower back to improve the ergonomics. However in terms of the lounge mode which is almost crucial on a daytime flight like this one, I wasn’t able to find a comfortable lounge position. The seat controls were slow to operate and didn’t offer you the possibility to fine-tune the position of the seat. The ottoman was also another useless feature as it only took up space without adding any comfort, and neither did it add storage space as it was intended to house the bed set. In the bed mode however, the seat was very comfortable, and I recon for night flights it’s a perfectly fine seat. Getting out of the seat with the aisle passenger sleeping was also fairly effortless. All in all it’s a fairly decent Business Class seat, but there are better ones for sure.
The 15-inch entertainment screen.
Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A330-300 and newer versions of the A321 and B737 feature the latest version of the Planet IFE entertainment system. The selection of movies is fairly generous, and I’m also pleasantly surprised to see that this aircraft features onboard wifi and live television.
Very soon I am joined by my seat mate who happens to be an american gentleman in his early 70s. The gentleman turns out to be an affluent New York lawyer heading home after a business trip in the middle east. We end up sharing many interesting conversations during the flight, as well as getting a few tips on what to see, do and eat in New York.
Once boarding is completed the onboard chef comes out to greet passengers while distributing menus and amenity kits followed by welcome drinks. Doors are closed, and the aircraft makes an on-time departure, before thundering down the runway. Despite being fully loaded the powerful General Electric engines rocket us into the skies, where we reach cruising altitude in less than twenty five minutes.
Reaching cruising altitude shortly after takeoff.
View of the cabin in-flight.
The crew springs to life shortly after the seatbelt sign is turned off. Given the fact that IST-JFK is the flagship route, the airline made sure to bring their A-game in terms of the crew. The Business Class cabin is served by an all-female crew, the majority of them [including the chef] in their mid 20s, and all very attractive. And as you’d might expect the service was very friendly an attentive.
Since our flight left at dinner time, the crew is quick to commence the dinner service by laying table linens and taking drink orders. As usual my choice of drink this evening fell for the Champagne – Gosset Grand Reserve which is the standard Business Class Champagne on Turkish Airlines long haul flights. Once again palatable, but not really my favorite as it lacks some fruitiness and acidity in my opinion.
Starting off with a glass of Champagne, some canapés and a bowl of nuts.
The Champagne is once again served lukewarm, making it fairly difficult to finish the whole glass. The canapés consist of a lamb meatball, vegetable salsa in a butter dough pastry and shrimp rolled in filo-pastry. The canapés taste ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL, and my seat mate insist that we order in some more meatballs which the crew happily supplies. Unlike many European airlines Turkish actually served the nuts warm, and the bowl consisted of almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and cashews. Very tasty and of good quality. Much better than the pre-packaged Lidl nuts Kaiserhansa serves to their Business Class passengers…
Following the canapé service the crew comes around to lay the table. On certain daytime flights Turkish Airlines use a tray-less service for Business Class which adds a nice premium touch to the service. In fairness, setting the tables up doesn’t take much effort at all and I’m surprised why so many airlines still insist on using trays in Business Class.
Very elegant table setup in Business Class.
On selected daytime flights Turkish Airlines offers a hors d’oeuvre service from a trolley, and much to my pleasure that happened to be the case on this flight. It takes a while before the cart reaches my row, and on it are at least a dozen different starters which you could pick and choose. Our lovely chef insisted that I try all of the starters, and I accept her offer to make me a mixed plate.
Hors d’oeuvres consisting of shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, salmon tartar, stuffed zucchini and a turkish specialty meatball. It was SENSATIONAL!
Once the starter trays are cleared, the stewardess comes around to take orders for soup. An offer which both I, my seat mate and the other 26 passengers accept. The soup is individually brought out shortly afterwards and it comes served in a lovely faux gold-plated bowl atop of a slate. Just gorgeous!
Creamy potato and saffron soup with croutons and dill.
The soup was once again out of this world, and I was seriously contemplating licking my bowl clean. The soup had a nice and creamy taste without that overly rich feeling which can often be the case with cream based soups. The saffron added both a lovely color and smell to the dish, and overall it was one of the best soups I’ve had on a plane or on the ground for that matter. I can’t think of any other airline that serves soup in Business Class.
Next up was the main course which once again took a while to be served. Four choices of main course were available, lamb, chicken, pasta or fish. Since I’ve stopped ordering red meat on planes I went for the fish. Each dish was once again brought out individually from the galley which is a nice touch.
Fish main course consisting of sole roulades with fingerling potatoes and sautéed zucchini.
My biggest gripe about the main course [as you can see] was the minimal portion size. But apart from that the dish consisted of three sole roulades which tasted very fresh and flavorful. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, and the zucchini had a nice, slightly hard texture. Overall another fantastic dish which could easily rival what’s served in many restaurants.
By the time the dessert cart is rolled out we have already passed the southern tip of Sweden and are heading towards Norwegian airspace. My seat mate dozes of on two occasions which well indicates how long the service actually was. The dessert cart is of course the highlight of the meal, and I decline any offer of cheese and go straight for the sweet stuff.
Turkish baklava, home made vanilla ice cream and chocolate mousse for dessert.
Followed by turkish tea and a Brownie.
The dinner service is finished three hours into the flight which is fairly long in my opinion, and while the food was absolutely friggin amazing, I wasn’t too happy about the fact that the service took so long. Neither were the crew very proactive with offering refills on the drinks which as a result had be drinking water throughout most of the meal service. Serving lukewarm Champagne is once another minus, but I was overall very pleased with the service on Turkish Airlines.
With roughly seven hours remaining of the flight, I put the seat in bed mode and enjoy a few movies on the entertainment system. I end up falling asleep half ways through The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I end up getting a good three hours of sleep.
Cruising over the Atlantic, on my way to the land of the free…
I spend the final hours of the flight chatting with my seat mate and surfing the free onboard wifi before the 2nd meal was served. The service is practically identical to what’s served in Business Class on short haul flights and since my camera was in the overhead bin, I decided not to take any pictures. The starter dish consisted of tomato and mozzarella salad, and the main course was chicken fillet with a mushroom risotto. The starter dish tasted fine, but I was not very happy about the main course as the chicken was overcooked and the risotto undercooked. I end up finishing just half before calling quits.
Shortly after the meal service was finished, we began our descent to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, and after a smooth approach over Long Island and Queens we touch down according to schedule. We end up circling the tarmac for half an hour due to a delayed Lufthansa flight occupying our gate, but eventually we park at Terminal 1.
My seat mate was kind enough to offer me a ride to Manhattan in his town car, and since he had Global Entry we agreed to meet at the bagage carousel. The queues at passport control were fairly short at this hour, and being seated at the front of the plane I quickly raced before the crowds. Once again the SSSS curse struck me again as I was forced to leave some additional details about my stay at the CBP office before being granted access to the country. Apparently my previous 6 hour visit to New York had triggered some warning bells.
I arrive at the belt just in time for the bags to show up, and we soon make our way to the arrivals hall where the driver meets us up. It was past 11pm when we left JFK for Manhattan and I can’t stress how thankful I was for the ride. Taking the train in the middle of the night after a long flight wasn’t something that I looked forward to, and after a quick stop at the Upper East Side to drop my seat mate off at his apartment, the driver took me to my address in Battery Park City where my host was already waiting. All in all a pleasant end to a pleasant day of traveling…
Coming up: 9 days in New York and Washington DC.
Devaluations are every mileage aficionado’s worst nightmare. They often times happen unexpectedly, and airlines usually tend to reciprocate one and other once they occur. One of the most notable devaluations to occur was Uninental, sorry United Airlines Mileage Plus award chart devaluation where many premium cabin redemptions almost doubled in price. It became very clear that other airlines would soon chose to follow.
I’ve been a loyal and slightly fanatic about Turkish Airlines for the better part of a year, and their Miles&Smiles program offered some of the best award rates in the industry which in combination with their generous earnings made them one of the best mileage programs in Star Alliance. Of course a part of me began sensing that these award rates were too good to last, and in December 2013 I began looking for ways to burn my miles before any potential devaluation. Having qualified for Elite the proper way, I had roughly 40 000 miles at my disposal, which were enough for a one-way Business Class award ticket from Europe to North America.
Turkish Airlines are notoriously stingy with releasing award space to North America as both New York and Los Angeles had just about ZERO award seats available during the first half of 2014, which isn’t really surprising when there are only 28 seats in the cabin. Luckily however, when the springtime the 3rd daily IST-JFK was loaded into the system in early December, a handful of award seats opened and I was able to grab one of the last available seats for June. A one-way Business Class award to New York set me back 35 000 miles and €175 in taxes and fuel surcharges, which is easily some of the best value you can get from a Star Alliance program. The Miles&Smiles chart was sadly devaluated a few months later, and the same award now costs 45 000 miles which is still a pretty good deal.
As for the return flight, I resorted to LifeMiles who happened to run a 100% bonus sale in December. Seeing that my main objective of this trip was to circumnavigate the globe, I booked my return flight on EVA Air from New York to London via Taipei, giving me 34 hours to enjoy their Royal Laurel Class. The final leg of the trip from London to Stockholm was booked in SAS GO.
My itinerary spanning 22600 miles.
With nine nights to spend in New York and three nights in London, it was now time to look for suitable accommodations. Since hotels in NYC tend to be overpriced at this time of year, I resorted to AirBnb where I was able to rent a room in Battery Park City, Manhattan for just under $400 for my nine night stay. In London things got trickier since The Wimbledon Tournament was taking place during my dates, which resulted in most hotels being sold out or shamelessly priced. I resorted to burning some Club Carlson points on the Park Inn Harlow, located 20 miles from town. It wasn’t exactly the most ideal solution since I had to commute for 90 minutes back and forth, but rather that than spending half a fortune for a hotel in town.
June 13th 2014
It’s a rainy friday morning when my alarm goes off at 6am. Due to my excitement and the fear of oversleeping, I only manage for hours of sleep. After a hot shower, I quickly get dressed and pick up my bag before heading off to the train station which is a short 10 minute walk from my house.
The train ride to Arlanda took roughly one hour during which I managed a short nap in the comfortable 1st Class seats.
The train arrives on time, and I find myself at the Turkish Airlines check-in counters at twenty past nine in the morning. The Business Class counter is completely empty, and the friendly Menzies agent quickly prints out my boarding cards and supplies me with a fast-track voucher for the passport control in Istanbul. With no luggage to check in, I quickly head off to security followed by the lounge.
SAS Gold Lounge Arlanda
At the lounge my boarding pass is scanned by one of the few male dragons, who rather grumblingly directs me to the Business side. I point out that my TK Elite card is entered to which he rolls his eyes, sighs and points me to the Gold side.
SAS recently completed a well needed renovation of the lounges at their Arlanda hub, a project which has been taking place for the better part of a year between March 2013 and April 2014. Long gone are the brightly colored IKEA armchairs which have been replaced with a more heterogeneous mix of wingback chairs, compact armchairs and kitchen stools. The bright color scheme have been replaced with more soothing tones of dark wool, leather and piano black. Thankfully the kitchen section in cherry wood and marble has remained untouched.
SAS Lounge entrance.
The seating in the main section of the lounge.
The annex section where the worn out wooden floors have been replaced with a wool carpet.
The large communal tables, which feel quite cheap in my opinion. Especially since they’re re-used the kitchen stools from the old Business side.
The kitchen section which happens to be my favorite part of the lounge has thankfully remained untouched.
The food offerings today consisted of chicken skewers and couscous salad.
Considering the fact that I didn’t have time to eat breakfast this morning, I grab myself a bowl of yogurt and muesli, along with a glass of OJ and some coffee. I decided to go light on breakfast as I didn’t want to stuff myself before the flight.
My light breakfast.
I spent roughly two hours in the lounge before it was time to head to gate 18 which is in the non-Schengen part of the A-pier. After a very swift passport control I find myself in the gate area, where the scanning of boarding passes was already in full swing. Having monitored the flight on ExpertFlyer a few days earlier, it appeared that this flight was overbooked and as a result I overheard at least a dozen red lights.
Turkish Airlines flight TK1794 Stockholm Arlanda – Istanbul
Departure: 11.45
Arrival: 16.20
Duration: 3h 35m
Date: 13 June 2014
Aircraft type: Airbus A320-200
Seat & Class: 2A Business Class
Despite the fact that Turkish Airlines hand out gold cards like free candy, there are actually very few status passengers onboard their flights as I’ve been upgraded on half of the flights I’ve done with them in Economy. On this flight they appeared to have run out of status passengers as nearly all of the remaining seats in the cabin were taken up by non-status upgrades. How could I know? Well seated beside me was a mother and her two kids who clearly didn’t know how to operate the tray tables, nor to stove away their hand luggage at takeoff. The same goes for the two 20-something guys in row 1 who kept looking for the middle seat, for their friend who didn’t get upgraded.
The main reason for the upgrades was due to a last minute aircraft change. According to the seat map this flight was scheduled to be operated by an A320 in European configuration which got replaced with an A320 featuring proper recliner seats in Business Class, hence reducing the number of Economy seats. The recliners were of a slightly older version than those found on the airline’s new A321. The seats were very comfortable, easy to adjust and offered a good amount of personal space.
Legroom was more than enough for this three and a half hour flight.
Shortly after boarding was completed, welcome drinks were served by the friendly crew. As usual I went with the strawberry soda to sip while taxiing to the runway. After an on-time departure we quickly made our ascent to cruising altitude which was reached approximately twenty minutes into the flight. Bearing in mind that our flight departed at lunch time, the crew were quick to commence the service once the seatbelt sign had been switched off.
Serving the Business Class cabin were two crew members, one male and one female, both in their late 20s. As always the crew was friendly and attentive, and while the service may not have been as polished as on SWISS or Lufthansa they did their job more than well. Due to the lack of chef the male steward was manning the galley, whereas his female colleague served the cabin.
Menus had been distributed on the ground, and drink orders were taken before the meal. As usual my choice fell for Champagne of the brand Charles Heidsieck Blue Top Monopole. Not exactly my favorite but it’s palatable enough for my likings.The linen clad meal trays were soon brought out by the stewardess.
Starter consisting of mashed eggplant, grilled chicken breast, cherry tomato, pesto and lettuce. Very tasty!
Once the starter trays were cleared, the stewardess rolled out a cart with the main courses. This is a fairly new procedure which was introduced along with the new catering concept, which is hugely appreciated as it allows you to see pick and choose whichever dish that looks the best. Since I was anticipating a rather substantial dinner on my connecting flight, I decided to go light and order the pasta this time.
Main course consisting of a [vegetarian] Pasta Rigatoni with a creamy parmesan sauce, plum tomatoes and pine nuts.
I’m normally not a big fan of pasta dishes on planes, but I had long been curious to see how the chefs at Do&Co manages to cook pasta which can be a fairly challenging dish on planes since you often find it overcooked or bland. To my great surprise the pasta was perfectly cooked with a nice al dente texture. The parmesan sauce was rich, creamy and incredibly tasteful and was nicely complemented with the pine nuts, which added a nice crunchy texture. The plum tomatoes too were cooked to perfection as they were neither soggy or scoldingly hot. Instead they had a soft and warm texture, with a slightly sweet and fruity taste. Overall this was a great main course, but then again what else can you expect from the chefs at Turkish Do&Co.
Once the trays were cleared a tea trolley was rolled out, featuring traditional turkish tea, coffee and a selection of digestifs. I settled for a cup of coffee and some Baileys to go along with my dessert.
Dessert consisting of chocolate covered profiterole, with a nice custard filling. Delicious!
Once the meal service was completed, I put my seat in a comfortable lounge position, ordered a few glasses of Champagne and listened to some music through my Bose QC15 headphones. I managed to fall asleep in-between. Towards the end of the flight, I made sure to have a look around the cabin on this A320.
The Business Class cabin consists of three rows of recliners with twelve seats in total.
Before I knew it, we were already on descent to Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and after a spectacular approach over central Istanbul we make a smooth touchdown before parking at a remote stand. Due to overcrowding but gates are a common thing at Istanbul Airport, but finally a separate Business Class bus was parked right by the stairs. Unfortunately since nobody checked the eligibility to use the bus, it was also used by Economy passengers.
After a quick ride I am dumped off at the international terminal, and to my surprise I don’t have to pass through any transit security which have been the case during previous visits. It takes a while to figure out how to get to the lounge due to the lack of security check, but I eventually make it there.
Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul
Up until recently I wasn’t really a fan of the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge at Istanbul. Mainly for the fact that it was overcrowded most of the time, the lack of lavatories, the noise levels and the birds. Thankfully however, with the opening of the new bottom floor those issues have now been solved and I could easily say that it’s THE best Business Class lounge in the Star Alliance network.
The spectacular lounge atrium, featuring a giant version of the airline’s iconic Globe logo.
One of the two food section in the lounge. At this particular station the chef prepares turkish tortellini, which are to be enjoyed with some home made Ayran.
There’s plenty of space for everyone to stretch out at one the many couch sections..
One of the two tea salons where a Barista is at hand to make a latte or espresso. In addition there is a large selection of desserts and sweets. Sacher cake, apfel strudel or baklava anyone?
The tea garden where you can enjoy a cup of turkish tea along with a simit (turkish bagel).
Since I was traveling on a US bound flight which is subject to an additional security screening and documents check at the gate, I was told upon entering the lounge to be at the gate one hour prior to departure. Bearing this in mind, I only had half an hour to spend in the lounge which is a shame since I would have loved to spend at least three hours here. Feeling full from the flight, I settle for a few bottles of water while I surf the wifi. At approximately 5pm I leave the lounge and head for the gate.
Turkish Airlines flight TK11 Istanbul – New York JFK
Departure: 18.20
Arrival: 21.55
Duration: 10h 35m
Date: 13 June 2014
Aircraft type: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat & Class: 3K Business Class
Bearing in mind the fact that Turkish nationals require a visa for entering the United States, a documents checkpoint had been set up outside the gate area. A long queue had formed behind the checkpoint and upon closer inspection I notice an empty counter for premium passengers. Naturally I walk past the queue to the premium counter which is not appreciated by the other passengers as I hear a handful yelling after me.
My youngish looks may have given the officer the preconceived notion of me cutting the line, but after an inspection of my boarding pass he quickly apologizes and proceeds to check my documents. I am asked to present a printout of my ESTA application, which isn’t really necessary stating that the passport details are enough pull out the application from the database. He then continues with the security questions before scribbling and stamping my boarding pass.
Just as I’m about to proceed to the security screening I take a closer look at my boarding pass to see SSSS printed in small letters in an obscure corner. F@#%!!!! I am somewhat surprised that a non-US airline would issue this to one of their own Elite members flying in Business Class, but then again I suspect my one-way ticket may have been a triggering factor. Thankfully the security check isn’t as scrutinizing as the one I had at Shannon four months earlier, and I am soon released into the holding pen.
Boarding is soon called for passengers in Business Class and Star Alliance Gold members. Surprisingly the boarding process is civilized, and I’m eventually welcomed onboard by the friendly crew. After a glorious left turn, I find myself at seat 3K which will be my home for the next 10 hours.
The spacious Business Class cabin of Turkish Airlines 777-300ER.
Unlike most other major airlines, Turkish Airlines have chosen to only install 28 seats in the Business Class cabins onboard their Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER. As a result the cabins are full on almost every flight, and award seats are incredibly hard to come by. Thankfully the airline is taking delivery of new 777s configured with 49 seats in Business Class. The cabin consists of 4 rows in a traditional forward facing 2-3-2 configuration, taking up the space between door 1 and 2.
With a near 80-inch pitch the legroom is very generous.
Much has been said and written about the Business Class seat on Turkish Airlines and to be honest I wasn’t much of a fan of this seat. While the seat itself does offer a good amount of space, I do believe that much of this space is wasted. Especially considering that you can fit the same number of reverse herringbone seats in the same space.
The seat is fairly comfortable in the upright mode, and I am pleasantly surprised to see that Turkish have added a memory foam pillow for your lower back to improve the ergonomics. However in terms of the lounge mode which is almost crucial on a daytime flight like this one, I wasn’t able to find a comfortable lounge position. The seat controls were slow to operate and didn’t offer you the possibility to fine-tune the position of the seat. The ottoman was also another useless feature as it only took up space without adding any comfort, and neither did it add storage space as it was intended to house the bed set. In the bed mode however, the seat was very comfortable, and I recon for night flights it’s a perfectly fine seat. Getting out of the seat with the aisle passenger sleeping was also fairly effortless. All in all it’s a fairly decent Business Class seat, but there are better ones for sure.
The 15-inch entertainment screen.
Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A330-300 and newer versions of the A321 and B737 feature the latest version of the Planet IFE entertainment system. The selection of movies is fairly generous, and I’m also pleasantly surprised to see that this aircraft features onboard wifi and live television.
Very soon I am joined by my seat mate who happens to be an american gentleman in his early 70s. The gentleman turns out to be an affluent New York lawyer heading home after a business trip in the middle east. We end up sharing many interesting conversations during the flight, as well as getting a few tips on what to see, do and eat in New York.
Once boarding is completed the onboard chef comes out to greet passengers while distributing menus and amenity kits followed by welcome drinks. Doors are closed, and the aircraft makes an on-time departure, before thundering down the runway. Despite being fully loaded the powerful General Electric engines rocket us into the skies, where we reach cruising altitude in less than twenty five minutes.
Reaching cruising altitude shortly after takeoff.
View of the cabin in-flight.
The crew springs to life shortly after the seatbelt sign is turned off. Given the fact that IST-JFK is the flagship route, the airline made sure to bring their A-game in terms of the crew. The Business Class cabin is served by an all-female crew, the majority of them [including the chef] in their mid 20s, and all very attractive. And as you’d might expect the service was very friendly an attentive.
Since our flight left at dinner time, the crew is quick to commence the dinner service by laying table linens and taking drink orders. As usual my choice of drink this evening fell for the Champagne – Gosset Grand Reserve which is the standard Business Class Champagne on Turkish Airlines long haul flights. Once again palatable, but not really my favorite as it lacks some fruitiness and acidity in my opinion.
Starting off with a glass of Champagne, some canapés and a bowl of nuts.
The Champagne is once again served lukewarm, making it fairly difficult to finish the whole glass. The canapés consist of a lamb meatball, vegetable salsa in a butter dough pastry and shrimp rolled in filo-pastry. The canapés taste ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL, and my seat mate insist that we order in some more meatballs which the crew happily supplies. Unlike many European airlines Turkish actually served the nuts warm, and the bowl consisted of almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and cashews. Very tasty and of good quality. Much better than the pre-packaged Lidl nuts Kaiserhansa serves to their Business Class passengers…
Following the canapé service the crew comes around to lay the table. On certain daytime flights Turkish Airlines use a tray-less service for Business Class which adds a nice premium touch to the service. In fairness, setting the tables up doesn’t take much effort at all and I’m surprised why so many airlines still insist on using trays in Business Class.
Very elegant table setup in Business Class.
On selected daytime flights Turkish Airlines offers a hors d’oeuvre service from a trolley, and much to my pleasure that happened to be the case on this flight. It takes a while before the cart reaches my row, and on it are at least a dozen different starters which you could pick and choose. Our lovely chef insisted that I try all of the starters, and I accept her offer to make me a mixed plate.
Hors d’oeuvres consisting of shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, salmon tartar, stuffed zucchini and a turkish specialty meatball. It was SENSATIONAL!
Once the starter trays are cleared, the stewardess comes around to take orders for soup. An offer which both I, my seat mate and the other 26 passengers accept. The soup is individually brought out shortly afterwards and it comes served in a lovely faux gold-plated bowl atop of a slate. Just gorgeous!
Creamy potato and saffron soup with croutons and dill.
The soup was once again out of this world, and I was seriously contemplating licking my bowl clean. The soup had a nice and creamy taste without that overly rich feeling which can often be the case with cream based soups. The saffron added both a lovely color and smell to the dish, and overall it was one of the best soups I’ve had on a plane or on the ground for that matter. I can’t think of any other airline that serves soup in Business Class.
Next up was the main course which once again took a while to be served. Four choices of main course were available, lamb, chicken, pasta or fish. Since I’ve stopped ordering red meat on planes I went for the fish. Each dish was once again brought out individually from the galley which is a nice touch.
Fish main course consisting of sole roulades with fingerling potatoes and sautéed zucchini.
My biggest gripe about the main course [as you can see] was the minimal portion size. But apart from that the dish consisted of three sole roulades which tasted very fresh and flavorful. The potatoes were perfectly cooked, and the zucchini had a nice, slightly hard texture. Overall another fantastic dish which could easily rival what’s served in many restaurants.
By the time the dessert cart is rolled out we have already passed the southern tip of Sweden and are heading towards Norwegian airspace. My seat mate dozes of on two occasions which well indicates how long the service actually was. The dessert cart is of course the highlight of the meal, and I decline any offer of cheese and go straight for the sweet stuff.
Turkish baklava, home made vanilla ice cream and chocolate mousse for dessert.
Followed by turkish tea and a Brownie.
The dinner service is finished three hours into the flight which is fairly long in my opinion, and while the food was absolutely friggin amazing, I wasn’t too happy about the fact that the service took so long. Neither were the crew very proactive with offering refills on the drinks which as a result had be drinking water throughout most of the meal service. Serving lukewarm Champagne is once another minus, but I was overall very pleased with the service on Turkish Airlines.
With roughly seven hours remaining of the flight, I put the seat in bed mode and enjoy a few movies on the entertainment system. I end up falling asleep half ways through The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I end up getting a good three hours of sleep.
Cruising over the Atlantic, on my way to the land of the free…
I spend the final hours of the flight chatting with my seat mate and surfing the free onboard wifi before the 2nd meal was served. The service is practically identical to what’s served in Business Class on short haul flights and since my camera was in the overhead bin, I decided not to take any pictures. The starter dish consisted of tomato and mozzarella salad, and the main course was chicken fillet with a mushroom risotto. The starter dish tasted fine, but I was not very happy about the main course as the chicken was overcooked and the risotto undercooked. I end up finishing just half before calling quits.
Shortly after the meal service was finished, we began our descent to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, and after a smooth approach over Long Island and Queens we touch down according to schedule. We end up circling the tarmac for half an hour due to a delayed Lufthansa flight occupying our gate, but eventually we park at Terminal 1.
My seat mate was kind enough to offer me a ride to Manhattan in his town car, and since he had Global Entry we agreed to meet at the bagage carousel. The queues at passport control were fairly short at this hour, and being seated at the front of the plane I quickly raced before the crowds. Once again the SSSS curse struck me again as I was forced to leave some additional details about my stay at the CBP office before being granted access to the country. Apparently my previous 6 hour visit to New York had triggered some warning bells.
I arrive at the belt just in time for the bags to show up, and we soon make our way to the arrivals hall where the driver meets us up. It was past 11pm when we left JFK for Manhattan and I can’t stress how thankful I was for the ride. Taking the train in the middle of the night after a long flight wasn’t something that I looked forward to, and after a quick stop at the Upper East Side to drop my seat mate off at his apartment, the driver took me to my address in Battery Park City where my host was already waiting. All in all a pleasant end to a pleasant day of traveling…
Coming up: 9 days in New York and Washington DC.
Last edited by LH4116; Aug 17, 2014 at 6:44 am
Aug 18, 2014, 3:29 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Thank you NA-Flyer, yes the food was absolutely fantastic. I haven't flown LH First, but I can imagine it matching the standards, sans the caviar and wine list of course... ^
Thank you guys, I'm glad you've enjoyed the report so far!
Yes the food tends to differ depending on the departure time. For late night redeye flights they do for instance use trays for the service, and the starter comes pre-plated. Also I suppose if the flight departs from Istanbul the catering will always be better 
It was great stuff indeed. They only need to improve the way they serve drinks...
It was great stuff indeed. They only need to improve the way they serve drinks...
Aug 19, 2014, 4:37 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
I'm using a Nikon D7000 + a 10-24mm wide-angle lens, and my iPhone 5S.
Aug 19, 2014, 3:22 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Nine days in New York
As mentioned earlier, my accommodation in New York was a livingroom couch rented on AirBnb and my host Joe couldn’t have been better. He was perhaps one of the coolest guys I’ve met. Mid 20-something, works as an accountant at a major television company. In addition to his day job he directs his own independent film on evenings and weekends, and by the looks of it it was a pretty ambitious project. Joe was really fun to hang out with, and since he was out for most of the day I practically had the apartment to myself. The couch itself was bigger than my bed at home and it gave many nights of good sleep. The location of the apartment was fantastic, with Wall Street and Battery Park just a few minutes away by foot. After getting registered at the doorman I’m given a key to the apartment, before I set off to explore the city.
I originally feared that nine days would be too long in the city but in reality it was anything but. There’s just so much left to explore in this city which well justifies a re-visit in the near future. Overall I had a fabulous time in New York, and here are some highlights from my stay:
Early morning in Battery Park City. Starting off the day with a coffee, bagel and a nice morning walk.
Ground Zero and One World Trade Center were just a stone throw away from the apartment.
Noon at the Flatiron District. It was hot outside, so I made sure to cool down with a Gelato from Eataly.
The Empire State Building. I got the impression that it was too much of a tourist trap, so I stayed away…
The Grand Central Terminal.
Lazy afternoon in Central Park.
Made a visit to Wall Street the following morning. Sadly jetlag had me up so early that I didn’t feel like waiting two hours for the stock market to open..
The Statue of Liberty seen from Battery Park.
Downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge.
Nice morning walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.
Manhattan Bridge seen from Washington Street, Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Bridge Park.
I spent the afternoon at a dive bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn enjoying a few cold beers while watching the world cup soccer games on TV. I really fell in love with Williamsburg…
I stopped by the Bose store in Columbus Circle mall to pick up a new pair of Bose In-Ear 2 headphones. My old ones broke down, so I got a nice $50 discount when trading them in.
Little Italy…
Dinner was had at a vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. Some say they had the best Pho in New York. Hmm…
Cooling off with a Salty Pimp from Big Gay ice cream in The West Village.
…Followed by a walk down The High Line, which was located nearby.
Times Square… Yet another tourist trap where you shouldn’t spend more than five minutes.
I made a visit to Coney Island the following morning. A Chili&Cheese hotdog from Nathan’s was on my bucket list. Tasty, but incredibly tiny for $6 and 500 calories!
Spent the remainder of the afternoon at a dive bar in The Bowery. Many glasses of artisanal hipster microbrew were consumed, while watching the world cup.
I think you all recognize this place!
Beautiful houses on the Upper West Side.
Escaping the rain at a cozy café on The Bowery. Locally grown, small batch roasted artisanal drip brew. Hipster much?
Swedish midsummer festival i Battery Park. Not my thing…
Day trip to Washington DC
For my last day before leaving America, I decided to book a day trip to Washington DC using my sister’s orphan British Airways Avios. For 3600 Avios and $15 in cash I was able to get a one-way award on US Airways from New York LaGuardia to Reagan Airport in Washington DC. The return trip was booked on MegaBus for $5 due to lack of suitable flights in the evening.
My alarm went off at 6am on Saturday morning June the 21st. With less than three hours to go before my flight departs, I quickly take a shower before grabbing my camera bag and leaving the apartment at 6.20am. The easiest way to LaGuardia is by subway to the 125th street and from there I transfered to the M60 ”Select Bus Service” to LaGuardia. The whole trip took roughly one hour, and at 8am I arrive at Terminal C where US Airways departs from. Being a saturday morning there were no queues at security, and the TSA agents were unusually friendly.
It’s the first time in years that I’ve flown Economy without status and frankly it didn’t really matter much this time since I only had 30 minutes to kill in the terminal. I stop by the food court to pick up a muffin for the flight, before sitting down at the gate for the remaining fifteen minutes.
The airside part of Terminal C at LaGuardia.
US Airways flight US2173 New York LaGuardia – Washington DC Reagan
Departure: 09.00
Arrival: 10.20
Duration: 1h 20m
Date: 21 June 2014
Aircraft type: Embraer E190
Seat & Class: 20F Economy Class
At 8.30am sharp boarding was announced. Being my second time flying a US Airline, and the first time flying domestic I was somewhat amused by the rather ridiculous boarding process. A pre-boarding announcement was made for First Class passengers, Dividend Miles Gold/Platinum/Chairman’s Preferred members, OneWorld Sapphire/Emerald card holders, customers who have purchased Preferred Access and Boarding Group 1. This was followed by Group 2 consisting of Dividend Miles Silver Preferred and OneWorld Ruby, as well as US Airways World MasterCard holders. The spectacle continued with group three and four, and by the time I was the only one sitting at the gate, Group 5 was finally announced. Upon scanning my Passbook boarding pass, the screen lit upp red with the text ”DO NOT BOARD PASSENGER”. F@#&!!! Naturally I thought the SSSS curse had struck me again, but it turns that I just got a seat change from 22F to 10F, with the aisle seat blocked… Thanks for that!
Economy Class cabin on US Airways Embraer E190.
The rather disinterested and [by the looks of it] overworked flight attendant didn’t bother welcoming me onboard, and by the time I buckled up boarding had already finished. Due to runway congestion we end up sitting on the tarmac for a few minutes, before getting clearance for takeoff. Our takeoff and climb offers some spectacular views over the Manhattan skyline and we quickly reach our cruising altitude.
Takeoff. Climb. Cruise.
With regards to the short flight time I didn’t expect there to be any service in Coach, but to my surprise I notice the drinks trolley being rolled out shortly after the seatbelt sign was turned off. In addition to the 40-something stewardess serving the First Class cabin, a male steward in his mid 50s is serving Coach.
While US Domestic airlines are constantly bashed for the abysmal service, I must honestly say that I was very pleased with the offerings. Compared to SAS who will serve you nothing but a cup of coffee (without refill), I was able to get a full can of orange juice and a cup of coffee served free of charge. Both went perfect with my ”BYO-Muffin”, serving as a light breakfast.
Breakfast consisting of blueberry muffin, orange juice and coffee.
Following breakfast, I pass out for the remainder of the flight, only to be woken up by the wheels hitting the tarmac. Upon exiting the aircraft the stewardess reluctantly responds to my ”Bye” and I’m quickly make my way to the arrivals hall and the Metro station. What follows is a productive day of sightseeing and long walks in the nation’s capital. I’ll let the pictures to the talking…
The Washington Metro feels so clean and civilized compared to the New York Subway.
First on the agenda was a visit to The White House… I managed to catch a glimpse of the President as he drove off in his motorcade. Pretty cool to watch.
The Washington Monument.
The Smithsonian Castle.
If you’re an aviation geek like myself, you have to make a visit at the National Air and Space Museum. Admission is free and you can easily spend half a day touring the exhibitions.
Capitol Hill.
The Lincoln Memorial.
The Reflecting Pool.
After a long and tiresome day, I take the metro back to Union Station at 8pm for my 9pm departure. I pick up a sandwich from a nearby panini place before locating the MegaBus departure gates which turn out to be at the upper floor. With nearly 40 minutes to go before departure a long queue had already formed, so I decided to join the line while eating my sandwich.
In retrospect I kind of regret my decision to take MegaBus. While the fare was ridiculously cheap, I somehow got the impression of it being a very ghetto-like experience. The clientele felt quite shady, and I ended up sitting beside a woman who clearly had overdosed on hairspray as I had trouble breathing for most of the ride. To add insult to injury the bus decided to break down half ways to New York, and we were forced to return to the bus garage to have a mechanic take a look at it. The four hour ride felt like an eternity and with the delay we arrived in New York at 2am.
The subway was closed down due to maintenance, so I had to take a cab back to the apartment, and in typical New York fashion I unintentionally upstreamed a lady who clearly didn’t get happy about it. Half an hour and $20 later, I finally hug the pillow after a long and exhausting day.
Next up: The scenic route to London on EVA Air's Royal Laurel Class
As mentioned earlier, my accommodation in New York was a livingroom couch rented on AirBnb and my host Joe couldn’t have been better. He was perhaps one of the coolest guys I’ve met. Mid 20-something, works as an accountant at a major television company. In addition to his day job he directs his own independent film on evenings and weekends, and by the looks of it it was a pretty ambitious project. Joe was really fun to hang out with, and since he was out for most of the day I practically had the apartment to myself. The couch itself was bigger than my bed at home and it gave many nights of good sleep. The location of the apartment was fantastic, with Wall Street and Battery Park just a few minutes away by foot. After getting registered at the doorman I’m given a key to the apartment, before I set off to explore the city.
I originally feared that nine days would be too long in the city but in reality it was anything but. There’s just so much left to explore in this city which well justifies a re-visit in the near future. Overall I had a fabulous time in New York, and here are some highlights from my stay:
Early morning in Battery Park City. Starting off the day with a coffee, bagel and a nice morning walk.
Ground Zero and One World Trade Center were just a stone throw away from the apartment.
Noon at the Flatiron District. It was hot outside, so I made sure to cool down with a Gelato from Eataly.
The Empire State Building. I got the impression that it was too much of a tourist trap, so I stayed away…
The Grand Central Terminal.
Lazy afternoon in Central Park.
Made a visit to Wall Street the following morning. Sadly jetlag had me up so early that I didn’t feel like waiting two hours for the stock market to open..
The Statue of Liberty seen from Battery Park.
Downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge.
Nice morning walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.
Manhattan Bridge seen from Washington Street, Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Bridge Park.
I spent the afternoon at a dive bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn enjoying a few cold beers while watching the world cup soccer games on TV. I really fell in love with Williamsburg…
I stopped by the Bose store in Columbus Circle mall to pick up a new pair of Bose In-Ear 2 headphones. My old ones broke down, so I got a nice $50 discount when trading them in.
Little Italy…
Dinner was had at a vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. Some say they had the best Pho in New York. Hmm…
Cooling off with a Salty Pimp from Big Gay ice cream in The West Village.
…Followed by a walk down The High Line, which was located nearby.
Times Square… Yet another tourist trap where you shouldn’t spend more than five minutes.
I made a visit to Coney Island the following morning. A Chili&Cheese hotdog from Nathan’s was on my bucket list. Tasty, but incredibly tiny for $6 and 500 calories!
Spent the remainder of the afternoon at a dive bar in The Bowery. Many glasses of artisanal hipster microbrew were consumed, while watching the world cup.
I think you all recognize this place!
Beautiful houses on the Upper West Side.
Escaping the rain at a cozy café on The Bowery. Locally grown, small batch roasted artisanal drip brew. Hipster much?
Swedish midsummer festival i Battery Park. Not my thing…
Day trip to Washington DC
For my last day before leaving America, I decided to book a day trip to Washington DC using my sister’s orphan British Airways Avios. For 3600 Avios and $15 in cash I was able to get a one-way award on US Airways from New York LaGuardia to Reagan Airport in Washington DC. The return trip was booked on MegaBus for $5 due to lack of suitable flights in the evening.
My alarm went off at 6am on Saturday morning June the 21st. With less than three hours to go before my flight departs, I quickly take a shower before grabbing my camera bag and leaving the apartment at 6.20am. The easiest way to LaGuardia is by subway to the 125th street and from there I transfered to the M60 ”Select Bus Service” to LaGuardia. The whole trip took roughly one hour, and at 8am I arrive at Terminal C where US Airways departs from. Being a saturday morning there were no queues at security, and the TSA agents were unusually friendly.
It’s the first time in years that I’ve flown Economy without status and frankly it didn’t really matter much this time since I only had 30 minutes to kill in the terminal. I stop by the food court to pick up a muffin for the flight, before sitting down at the gate for the remaining fifteen minutes.
The airside part of Terminal C at LaGuardia.
US Airways flight US2173 New York LaGuardia – Washington DC Reagan
Departure: 09.00
Arrival: 10.20
Duration: 1h 20m
Date: 21 June 2014
Aircraft type: Embraer E190
Seat & Class: 20F Economy Class
At 8.30am sharp boarding was announced. Being my second time flying a US Airline, and the first time flying domestic I was somewhat amused by the rather ridiculous boarding process. A pre-boarding announcement was made for First Class passengers, Dividend Miles Gold/Platinum/Chairman’s Preferred members, OneWorld Sapphire/Emerald card holders, customers who have purchased Preferred Access and Boarding Group 1. This was followed by Group 2 consisting of Dividend Miles Silver Preferred and OneWorld Ruby, as well as US Airways World MasterCard holders. The spectacle continued with group three and four, and by the time I was the only one sitting at the gate, Group 5 was finally announced. Upon scanning my Passbook boarding pass, the screen lit upp red with the text ”DO NOT BOARD PASSENGER”. F@#&!!! Naturally I thought the SSSS curse had struck me again, but it turns that I just got a seat change from 22F to 10F, with the aisle seat blocked… Thanks for that!
Economy Class cabin on US Airways Embraer E190.
The rather disinterested and [by the looks of it] overworked flight attendant didn’t bother welcoming me onboard, and by the time I buckled up boarding had already finished. Due to runway congestion we end up sitting on the tarmac for a few minutes, before getting clearance for takeoff. Our takeoff and climb offers some spectacular views over the Manhattan skyline and we quickly reach our cruising altitude.
Takeoff. Climb. Cruise.
With regards to the short flight time I didn’t expect there to be any service in Coach, but to my surprise I notice the drinks trolley being rolled out shortly after the seatbelt sign was turned off. In addition to the 40-something stewardess serving the First Class cabin, a male steward in his mid 50s is serving Coach.
While US Domestic airlines are constantly bashed for the abysmal service, I must honestly say that I was very pleased with the offerings. Compared to SAS who will serve you nothing but a cup of coffee (without refill), I was able to get a full can of orange juice and a cup of coffee served free of charge. Both went perfect with my ”BYO-Muffin”, serving as a light breakfast.
Breakfast consisting of blueberry muffin, orange juice and coffee.
Following breakfast, I pass out for the remainder of the flight, only to be woken up by the wheels hitting the tarmac. Upon exiting the aircraft the stewardess reluctantly responds to my ”Bye” and I’m quickly make my way to the arrivals hall and the Metro station. What follows is a productive day of sightseeing and long walks in the nation’s capital. I’ll let the pictures to the talking…
The Washington Metro feels so clean and civilized compared to the New York Subway.
First on the agenda was a visit to The White House… I managed to catch a glimpse of the President as he drove off in his motorcade. Pretty cool to watch.
The Washington Monument.
The Smithsonian Castle.
If you’re an aviation geek like myself, you have to make a visit at the National Air and Space Museum. Admission is free and you can easily spend half a day touring the exhibitions.
Capitol Hill.
The Lincoln Memorial.
The Reflecting Pool.
After a long and tiresome day, I take the metro back to Union Station at 8pm for my 9pm departure. I pick up a sandwich from a nearby panini place before locating the MegaBus departure gates which turn out to be at the upper floor. With nearly 40 minutes to go before departure a long queue had already formed, so I decided to join the line while eating my sandwich.
In retrospect I kind of regret my decision to take MegaBus. While the fare was ridiculously cheap, I somehow got the impression of it being a very ghetto-like experience. The clientele felt quite shady, and I ended up sitting beside a woman who clearly had overdosed on hairspray as I had trouble breathing for most of the ride. To add insult to injury the bus decided to break down half ways to New York, and we were forced to return to the bus garage to have a mechanic take a look at it. The four hour ride felt like an eternity and with the delay we arrived in New York at 2am.
The subway was closed down due to maintenance, so I had to take a cab back to the apartment, and in typical New York fashion I unintentionally upstreamed a lady who clearly didn’t get happy about it. Half an hour and $20 later, I finally hug the pillow after a long and exhausting day.
Next up: The scenic route to London on EVA Air's Royal Laurel Class
Aug 22, 2014, 4:00 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,314
Outstanding photos!
I call DC home and also lived in NYC for awhile, and I appreciate your caught some of the "essences" of the two cities.
My good buddy recommended me to fly TK J awhile back and I have not had a chance to try it yet. Your photos have made me eagerly wanting to experience TK.
I recently flew EVA Royal Laurel class for the first time and was really impressed. I look forward to your report on EVA.
I call DC home and also lived in NYC for awhile, and I appreciate your caught some of the "essences" of the two cities.
My good buddy recommended me to fly TK J awhile back and I have not had a chance to try it yet. Your photos have made me eagerly wanting to experience TK.
I recently flew EVA Royal Laurel class for the first time and was really impressed. I look forward to your report on EVA.
Last edited by UA_Flyer; Aug 22, 2014 at 9:35 pm
Aug 22, 2014, 4:20 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 151
I'll second UA_Flyer's comment your photos, they're very well done.
I flew BR from LAX-TPE-DPS in Royal Laurel/Premium Laurel. Very nice J product, the service was attentive and the food good. With the mileage devaluation of UAMP, BR is a nice alternative at Saver rates to UA's J product.
I flew BR from LAX-TPE-DPS in Royal Laurel/Premium Laurel. Very nice J product, the service was attentive and the food good. With the mileage devaluation of UAMP, BR is a nice alternative at Saver rates to UA's J product.
