UA_Flyer

Fantastic photos that really capture the feelings of Beijing and the onboard services on TK.

May I ask what camera(s)/equipment you use on the plane and on the ground?

Flyingfox

Thanks for the excellent report and photos.

Turkish Airlines has the best looking lounge I've ever seen. It is gorgeous.
I think the Qantas F lounge at Sydney comes in second.

The food in that lounge looks brilliant - especially those sweets - WOW.

iluvdoco

Thanks UA_Flyer! On this trip I used a Canon 6D, 35mm f1.4, 16-35mm f2.8, and Sigma 50mm f1.4. As mkjr has noted, I like to shoot wide open.

Thanks Flyingfox! I think the biggest disadvantage of US Airways leaving the Star Alliance has been missing out on those TK flights.

angatol

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angatol

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iluvdoco

Thanks angatol! Not photoshopped, but the DOF is ridiculously shallow. I shoot primarily at f1.4-5.6.

I'll keep your advice in mind next time I visit Rome.

Only profanities I can understand, haha.

angatol

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iluvdoco

Flight home

Audi A8L ride to the airport.


The Air China lounge in PEK usually gets a bad rap. I agree that it's not great; certainly not up to par with the TK lounge, but for a midnight departure flight, the food options were pretty decent.






Ate a few buns

iluvdoco

TK 21
PEK-IST; 777-300



I would say the catering ex-PEK wasn't as good as ex-IST, but still filling nonetheless.

Canapes


Salmon fillets


Creamy potato soup with croutons


Entree: Grilled red snapper with lemon butter, Mediterranean vegetables, parsley potatoes


This time I *was* awake for the dessert trolley


But sadly, the dessert wasn't as good on this flight as the inbound one. Panna cotta was way too firm.

iluvdoco

Back to the TK Lounge AGAIN, on the return trip, haha. Sadly, I had to depart for my gate before refilling on Turkish desserts.

Some differences between morning and afternoon food selections.

- "Turkish special of the month" chef's station serving breakfast foods instead (e.g. gozleme)
- Kofte station replaced by made-to-order omelette bar/breakfast items
- Mini-simits, croissants, and other breakfast pastries
- Demel cakes not taken out until ~ 8am
- Turkish desserts not taken out until after 8am
- Mezze station replaced by muesli, yogurt station

Mini simits, croissants, and other pastries.


DoCo chef making gozleme at chef's station


Gozleme


Breakfast sandwiches


Friendly chef making fresh omelettes to order


Other hot foods on buffet line


A few of my breakfast choices

iluvdoco

IST-FRA

Fortunately, I had a wide-body for the short IST-FRA flight.








Standard breakfast appetizers


I ordered the potpourri of borek. Was a little sick of Turkish breakfasts at this point, since I had breakfast on the PEK-IST segment, the IST lounge, and now this flight. Ordered the breakfast so I could at least take a picture of it.

deovrat

Do I see the front windshield cracked on the Audi?

Excellent pictures, as always.

iluvdoco

Haha, good eye!

iluvdoco

LH 418
FRA-IAD; 747-8i

How would business class in Lufthansa compare after two long haul segments in TK?




Walking through the lower deck


My first time on the upper deck!




My window seat, 82K


The amenity kit was decent


Smart use of storage space by the window. Seems a lot of airlines don't know how to use this area.

iluvdoco

Starter: Medium rare roast beef with potato salad and Baden style chicken pie accompanied by sauce Cumberland and Waldorf salad with walnuts.


Entree: (way overcooked) halibut in crustacean sauce with leaf spinach and dill potatoes.


Dessert: Charlotte Royale, sponge cake and vanilla cream with raspberry compote. Delightfully plated! Some Baileys on the rocks in the corner for me.


Pre-landing snack: nothing memorable. I just remember the soup being far too salty and the meat was really dry. I just poked at it.