Next part of the trip is Lisbon-Istanbul, basically a trip across the whole continent from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Black Sea in the east.
I had hoped to include Spanair on this trip as well, one of the few Star Alliance carriers I have not yet tried, but despite having a transfer in Madrid I did not manage to include Spanair in the itinerary, well I guess JK is for next time…
Instead the routing ended up being LIS-(TP)-MAD-(LH)-MUC-(LH)-IST.
Check-in at Lisbon airport
I arrived at Lisbon airport 90 minutes before departure.
According to the monitors two check-in desks were open for TAP departures to Spain located to the very left after entering the terminal building.
Funnily none of the desks were assigned Business class/Star Gold, I’m not sure if there was a TAP premium check-in area somewhere I could have used, well I didn’t see any signs.
Nonetheless there were only two people in line for the check-in desks so only a short wait before it was my turn.
The young girl had a hard time checking me in and eventually had to ask a colleague for assistance to get everything sorted out, this in spite of all flights being part of the same ticket.
I’m not sure what the problem was, but at the end she could only issue a boarding pass for the first flight to Madrid and told me it was because I was switching to another airline there, well my luggage was through-checked all the way to Istanbul though which was the most important thing.
Security was swift and I made my way to the TAP Navigator lounge in the transit area.
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The departure hall at Lisbon Portela airport
TAP Air Navigator lounge, Lisbon
The lounge was a bit hard to find, despite the terminal being quite small. Somehow Lisbon airport feels larger and trickier to navigate than is really the case, not sure why.
The TAP Navigator lounge was located at one end of the terminal building and was quite OK, although it was surprisingly small to be the main lounge at the hub of a national airline.
The lounge had a modern interior with comfortable armchairs and new LCD TVs in different parts of the lounge (but with no sound). There were also three internet computers with free internet access.
The lounge also had a self-service area with plenty of drinks including wine, beer, lots of spirits and soft drinks. Not much to eat though, basically just some crisps and miniature desserts.
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The entrance to the TAP Navigator lounge
The reception desk in the lounge
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet area
Lisbon-Madrid, flight TP 706 operated by TAP Air Portugal
Departure: 11:20
Arrival: 13:30
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Class: Top Executive Class (Business Class)
Seat: 01A
Around 35 minutes before scheduled departure time the monitors indicated it was time to go to the gate.
I have to admit I almost regretted booking this flight with TAP after the delayed FRA-LIS flight. I did have two hours between flights in Madrid which should be more than sufficient, but somehow I had a worst case scenario in mind after having heard the TAP flights are consistently late. Thus I was happy to see the flight being called in good time before departure.
The flight departed from gate 14 which meant a gate at the terminal and not a remote stand.
The flight to Madrid seemed quite full and a gate agent was standing at the beginning of the passenger bridge letting 20 people onboard at a time to avoid congestion in the cabin.
The aircraft in operation was an Airbus A319 with three rows assigned for business class. The back of the bus seemed very full but in business class we all got a free middle seat.
Newspapers and magazines were offered by the purser and I had a Financial Times to read.
Boarding was completed in good time for departure, but just as I hoped we were about to depart the captain told us they needed to offload luggage as a few passengers had not showed up at the gate. Not what I wanted to hear!
I was assigned seat 1A on this flight, and it turned out while parked at the gate I could see inside the passenger bridge through my window. To my very surprise, around 11.25 am I see three people from the catering company entering the aircraft carrying several meal trays and a basket with breads.
It’s five minutes after departure time and the catering has not been loaded yet??
Well it sure seemed like it. Loading the meals took a few more minutes to get the paperwork done and count everything that had been loaded.
Fortunately immediately afterwards the doors were closed and we pushed back, around 11.35 am. A short taxi to the runway and we were quickly airborne around 25 minutes after scheduled departure time, I guess that’s acceptable.
On this one hour flight to Madrid they served a cold meal in business class which consisted of a prawn sandwich, fresh fruit and a dessert. They also had a full bar service onboard and served bread from a basket.
Same great service as the previous flight with very friendly and courteous FAs and once again with wine served from large bottles at the seat.
More breads were offered and finally coffee and tea and refreshing towels.
The weather enroute was great without a single cloud so I got a nice view of the Iberian peninsula during the flight.
The captain managed to catch up the delay and we landed pretty much on time at a sunny Barajas airport.
After the seatbelt sign was off, just like on the previous TAP flight an FA blocked the aisle between C and M so the business class passengers could disembark first.
Once again TAP proved to be a very nice airline to fly with offering a decent service in the air even on flights as short as 50-60 minutes.
I somehow felt a bit sorry for the FAs who worked so hard in the cabin and provided such a nice service but who are always let down by the poor on-time performance and have to cope with angry passengers instead.
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Boarding to Madrid has started
Inflight service in business class
Minutes before landing at Madrid Barajas airport with central Madrid in the background
Transferring at Madrid Barajas airport
The flight from Lisbon arrived at terminal 2 while the onward flight to Munich departed from terminal 1.
I wasn’t quite sure how the terminal transfer would work, but once inside the terminal I checked the monitors and noticed the flight to Munich would depart from a C-gate, so I just followed the signs marked “C” and after a few minutes walk I ended up at my next departure gate without having to take a transfer bus or pass through security, it just couldn’t have got any easier.
I still didn’t have a boarding pass though, the only transfer desk in the terminal was closed, but I noticed there was a Spanair lounge nearby so I thought it could be worth a try.
The reception girl in the lounge was very friendly but unfortunately couldn’t help me as Spanair has a different check-in system, she told me I would have to go landside to the regular check-in desk to get my boarding pass, unfortunately.
Although just as I was about to leave she remembered there was another Lufthansa flight to Munich due to depart in just a few minutes, and there should be Lufthansa staff at the gate.
She checked which boarding gate it was and advised me to give it a try, nothing to lose.
The gate was only a short walk from the lounge, and just like she had told me there were two Lufthansa agents working at the gate, and even better one of them turned out to be the Lufthansa station manager in Madrid.
I told him about my problem and when he also noticed in the system I was travelling in business class there was no doubt he was going to help me.
The problem was that they did not have a boarding pass printer at the gate, they could check me in, but they could not print my boarding pass.
The station manager was a creative person though and made a few phone calls and arranged so the check-in staff would print boarding passes for me and bring them to the gate in time for my flight.
He also asked me if I wanted to visit the lounge, I told him yes and after another phone call he had arranged so I would get access to the lounge without a boarding pass which is usually required to get in.
Wow, what a great service!! A big hands up for that!!
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The transit hall in Madrid with the closed transfer desk to the right
Spanair lounge, Terminal 1, Madrid Barajas
I went back to the Spanair lounge which Lufthansa also uses in Madrid. The reception girl had received the phone call from the LH station manager, although she asked me if I had a printout of the booking as she still needed to register me.
No problem to get access, great staff in the Spanair lounge as well!!
The lounge was very nice with a modern interior in wood and yellow colours.
Most Star Alliance carriers seemed to use the lounge including Spanair, Lufthansa, LOT and SAS, but still it was not particularly crowded despite many consequent departures.
Plenty to drink in the lounge and there were two self-service buffet areas inside, but not much to eat except for cookies and some kind of Spanish pastries.
There was one internet computer in the lounge, but it was occupied most of the time.
Plenty of Spanish newspapers and magazines were also available but the selection of international newspapers was disappointing and many of them 1-2 days old.
On the whole the lounge itself was very nice and the staff very friendly, but the facilities (food, newspapers etc) were lacking.
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The entrance to the Spanair lounge
Inside the lounge, nice modern interior!
A sitting area in the lounge
One of the self-service buffet areas
Madrid-Munich, flight LH 4425 operated by Lufthansa
Departure: 15:25
Arrival: 18:00
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Class: Business Class
Seat: 03F
I left the lounge 30 minutes before departure and went to the gate only a short walk from the lounge.
Everything had worked out extremely well with my boarding passes, they had been printed and were waiting for me at the gate.
I thanked the gate agent very much for all the help, it saved me the hassle of having to go landside and pass customs and security and queue up at check-in and so on, very appreciated!
She seemed happy to hear I appreciated their efforts and whisked me onboard past all other passengers who were waiting patiently in line.
The passenger load onboard was very light in both classes. Three rows were used for business class with only four passengers sitting there, so I had my own row.
As on the previous Lufthansa flight the middle seats in business class are kept free and have been replaced by a console which you can use for drinks, definitely a very nice feature in business class.
Newspapers and magazines were offered in business class before the doors were closed. Because of the light passenger load on the boarding process was completed very quickly and we actually pushed back 10 minutes early (!).
A very long taxi to the departure runway though which was located next to the new terminal (it’s terminal 4 right?), a long long way from the old terminal complex.
After the seatbelt sign was off the service started immediately with a drink service and cocktail snacks in business class.
I noticed they had a bottle on the cart which looked like champagne, so I asked if it was. The flight attendant thought so but wasn’t quite sure, I had a glass nevertheless and it tasted pretty good, it was a French brand, can’t remember the name.
Minutes later she was back to take meal orders, as this was a longer flight they had a full meal service onboard with a choice of two main courses in business class.
The choices on this flight were filet with potato gratin or some kind of fish with rice (there were no menus so I can’t remember exactly what it was), I went for the filet.
After a few minutes the meal was ready, and it tasted pretty good.
As appetizer they had a Greek salad with feta cheese and olives, the main course was the filet with potato gratin and vegetables, and finally a fruit dessert and yummy chocolates.
The FA also passed with breads, offered more drinks (more champers for me of course), and finally they offered coffee and tea.
Overall the meal was very good and the service attentive and friendly. However after the FAs had served the business class passengers they helped their colleagues in the economy cabin, although they still passed regularly through the business class cabin to check that everything was OK and that we didn’t need anything.
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The business class cabin to Munich
Champagne and cocktail snacks
Inflight meal in business class, not bad at all!
Nice view of the Pyrenees during the flight
The flight passed quickly and due to the early departure from Madrid we also arrived early in Munich around 5.40 pm, 20 minutes early, and taxied to the dedicated Star Alliance terminal.
A nice feature in Munich is that when you enter the terminal building at each gate there is a monitor displaying the departure gates for all the relevant connecting flights.
Somehow the computer looks up the passenger list of the arriving flight and checks what flights the passengers are connecting to and what gates those flights will depart from. I have never seen that at any other airport in the world.
My flight to Istanbul was of course displayed on the monitor but it was the same gate as printed on my boarding pass, so far there no gate changes.
I headed upstairs to the non-Schengen level and chatted a bit with two Spaniards on the way who were also in business class from Madrid and who were continuing to China.
The lines for the passport control were fairly long but there was a dedicated passport control for first class and business class passengers which was empty and which we naturally also used.
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The modern transit hall in Munich
Lufthansa Senator lounge, non-Schengen area/H-level, Munich
I headed to the Lufthansa Senator lounge which I have visited many times before but which is also well worth a visit.
Always friendly staff at the reception, great food and drinks in the lounge (usually including hot food), plenty of newspapers, and they even have German beer on tap if you want to get the real Bavarian experience while on transit.
I prefer the Schengen lounge in Munich though with the little waterfall, but both the Senator lounges are fairly nice.
I wasn’t very hungry after two business class meals that day and with another one to come, but I did have some red wine and a cup of coffee and I couldn’t resist having one of those yummy rhubarb desserts from the buffet as well.
With a glass of tasty red wine and an exciting book to read my time in the lounge passed very quickly and I almost forgot checking the departure monitor for updates about my onward flight.
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The entrance to the non-Schengen Senator lounge in Munich
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet area with a good amount of food and drinks
Sitting areas and free newspapers
Munich-Istanbul, flight LH 3352 operated by Lufthansa
Departure: 19:15
Arrival: 22:45
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Class: Business Class
Seat: 03F
I arrived quite late at the gate which was at the very end of the long terminal 2, well I guess the long walk didn’t do me any bad after having spent most of the day in the air or in lounges.
The gate area was shared with a flight to Mumbai with quite a few people waiting but boarding had already started for my flight to Istanbul and most passengers were already onboard.
Economy class seemed almost full on this evening flight but we were only four passengers in business class and had three rows to spread out our belongings, there was certainly no lack of space.
Newspapers and magazines were once again offered in business class before the door was closed and it was time to push back. We took off pretty much on time from runway 08R.
The inflight service in business class was very similar to the flight between Madrid and Munich.
After the seatbelt sign was off the curtain between economy and business class was closed and there was a drink service with cocktail snacks in business class, I skipped the bubbly this time though and went for red wine instead not to mix too many alcoholic beverages that day.
Afterwards the FA came to take meal orders, they offered a full meal service on this flight as well with two main courses to choose between. The choices on this flight were Thai chicken or fish, I chose the fish which was served with noodles, mushrooms and cashew nuts.
On the tray there was also a skewer with vegetables as appetizer and fresh fruits and orange chocolates as dessert.
The FA also offered bread and more drinks with the meal and afterwards coffee and tea.
Just like on the previous flight after the business class passengers had been served the FAs moved back to help their colleagues serve economy class passengers. As this flight was almost fully booked in the back of the bus I’m sure it was appreciated, still they kept an eye on the business class passengers in case we needed anything.
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Boarding has started for flight LH 3352
Dinner in business class to Istanbul
We landed in Istanbul ten minutes early and taxied to the new international terminal. Well last time I was in Istanbul the old terminal was still in use (which is now used as domestic terminal) and I have to say the new terminal is a great improvement.
As I was sitting in business class I was one of the first passengers off the plane and was also the first passenger to reach an almost empty immigration hall.
Actually I was not the first person to get there, I think one of the passengers in business class was a HON Circle member. He was met at the gate by an agent and escorted to immigration on an electric car, the agent waited for him while he passed immigration and then helped him with his luggage at the baggage reclaim.
Any FTer who was in Istanbul recently?
After baggage delivery and customs I took a taxi from the airport to downtown Istanbul, the taxis are very affordable in this city.
This evening there had been a football game between Turkey and Greece and Turkey won with 4-1, so the taxi driver was very happy.
Best Western President Hotel, Istanbul
I had a reservation at the Best Western President Hotel in central Istanbul, not the most luxurious of hotels but perfectly adequate with an excellent location close all sights and the rates were pretty decent as well.
Since last year Best Western is also a partner of SAS Eurobonus, so I do earn points staying there.
Furthermore the rules indicate that SAS gold card holders should be given a better room if availability permits, the problem is that most Best Western hotels don’t know about this and probably have never heard of SAS gold cards either, at least not outside northern Europe.
However in Istanbul I was up for a surprise, I had written in the reservation I had an SAS gold card and upon checking in I was upgraded to a nice junior suite, score!! The suite was quite large and divided into two rooms with a separate living room and with two LCD TVs.
Very nice, but honestly the junior suite itself wasn’t that spectacular, however what really was spectacular was that the suite had a large private outdoor terrace with sea view, absolutely amazing view as you can see on the photo!!! I was really impressed!! Wow!!
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The fantastic view from my private outdoor terrace at the President hotel, very nice!!!
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