Istanbul - Singapore Biz Class
Sep 5, 2008, 5:16 am
#16
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Are you serious? Nobody who travels frequently from Turkey that has any experience of other lounges would agree. It's all over the place, classic Louis Faruk! Gilted chairs, modern sofas, uncontrollable tv's and food service that is out of a hospital cafeteria. It's a real mess, that has been criticized by almost everyone that is anyone in Turkey.
Then I rather pay like in FRA or MUC at the SEN lounges (even though I find they should have it free) but it works.
Sep 5, 2008, 5:47 am
#17
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Part two assessment on my TK experience in Y on IST-SIN
Well I had posted my impression on my outbound TK flight above and wanted to add my experiences from the return.
Check-In
- Check-in was pleasant enough using the Biz counter as *G and having a pleasant agent who even offered to block the window seat next to my aisle one (J&K) which worked out perfectly. He forgot the priority luggage tag though but in Changi it is not an issue as the luggage appears so fast anyway.
Boarding
- Boarding was from gate 305 and I thought I'm in some developing country flying some 'bush' airline from the way TK handled it
- departure was scheduled for 23:20 and by 23:10 no TK staff was to be seen anywhere near the gate, but no delay announcement was made either. Actally no announcement was made at all even when we started to board at 23:25
- no priority boarding at all for families with small kids, elderly pax, biz class & *G. An absolute zoo and everyone just piled up in front of the little counter with utter disregard for where they were seated and so forth with zero effort made by TK to control it
- tons of gate finger positions were free, but they really boarded an A332 on an apron position with one gangway. Absolutely ridiculous. No help for elderly pax. complete and utter chaos.
Inflight
- seat on the A332 is the best thing of TK Y as I mentioned before, but J/K seats as well as A/B have also biggish IFE boxes under the seats which take up 33-50% of your legroom. I don't know what manufacturer's IFE they installed, but I have never seen any system take up that much space under so many seats. Ridiculous.
- we departed 1hr late and also arrived 45min late and there was no mention of the delay at all and not even one single word of an attempted apology at any time. Not from the captain and not from the purser (or whatever they call that person - she never showed once in Eco she was only in Biz taking care of 3 pax)
- FAs were similar than going over from SIN to IST but on this leg I felt they were completely complacent (I had two guys in my aisle as FA) not making any effort to be preceived as 'outgoing' & 'friendly'. They did the absolute minimum that had to be done and not one little thing more. One lady asked for another water bottle towards the end of the night (they hand one out before dimming cabin lights) and the guy told her that they would serve breakfast soon and she could get water then as he had no more bottles now. Astonishing. What a lazy bum. Breakfast came 60min later - I skipped it.
- food quality in Y out of IST was again just about average. Like the food in the lounge I found it not very tasty & appealing and no worries I had adjusted my standards to eco meal level. SQ food is leagues better - full stop.
- one thing I want to mention is the toilets and it refects on the FAs. I have seen dirty bathrooms on planes (UA comes to mind) but a toilet seat full of 'dried' feces is just plain disgusting. No FA checked the toilets during the flight and fixed them up. I mean if the 'dilema' (you have to wonder about some pax too) is too big just lock down the toilet as flight was only 2/3 full, but to leave it like this for the better part of 11hrs is plain disgraceful. A BIG
for this TK crew. On SQ the girls check the bathrooms regularily and I have never seen something so dirty. Also LH keeps them quite tidy.
Overall I took TK because they offered the best timing & a direct service from SIN to/from IST and I guess they were also 300 SGD (Sing $) cheaper, but my company paid so SQ would have been fine too if they had flown the day I needed to travel. I would consider TK again but not expect *A level. I found there were too many things wrong or not done properly. I think they still got a long way to go. I've been quite critical of LH in the past, but feel they improved by leaps in Y (C or F was never a big issue). I would take them over TK anytime even in Y with the crapy LH seat. SQ - well don't mention it, in Y it's a no brainer.
Well I had posted my impression on my outbound TK flight above and wanted to add my experiences from the return.
Check-In
- Check-in was pleasant enough using the Biz counter as *G and having a pleasant agent who even offered to block the window seat next to my aisle one (J&K) which worked out perfectly. He forgot the priority luggage tag though but in Changi it is not an issue as the luggage appears so fast anyway.
Boarding
- Boarding was from gate 305 and I thought I'm in some developing country flying some 'bush' airline from the way TK handled it
- departure was scheduled for 23:20 and by 23:10 no TK staff was to be seen anywhere near the gate, but no delay announcement was made either. Actally no announcement was made at all even when we started to board at 23:25
- no priority boarding at all for families with small kids, elderly pax, biz class & *G. An absolute zoo and everyone just piled up in front of the little counter with utter disregard for where they were seated and so forth with zero effort made by TK to control it
- tons of gate finger positions were free, but they really boarded an A332 on an apron position with one gangway. Absolutely ridiculous. No help for elderly pax. complete and utter chaos.
Inflight
- seat on the A332 is the best thing of TK Y as I mentioned before, but J/K seats as well as A/B have also biggish IFE boxes under the seats which take up 33-50% of your legroom. I don't know what manufacturer's IFE they installed, but I have never seen any system take up that much space under so many seats. Ridiculous.
- we departed 1hr late and also arrived 45min late and there was no mention of the delay at all and not even one single word of an attempted apology at any time. Not from the captain and not from the purser (or whatever they call that person - she never showed once in Eco she was only in Biz taking care of 3 pax)
- FAs were similar than going over from SIN to IST but on this leg I felt they were completely complacent (I had two guys in my aisle as FA) not making any effort to be preceived as 'outgoing' & 'friendly'. They did the absolute minimum that had to be done and not one little thing more. One lady asked for another water bottle towards the end of the night (they hand one out before dimming cabin lights) and the guy told her that they would serve breakfast soon and she could get water then as he had no more bottles now. Astonishing. What a lazy bum. Breakfast came 60min later - I skipped it.
- food quality in Y out of IST was again just about average. Like the food in the lounge I found it not very tasty & appealing and no worries I had adjusted my standards to eco meal level. SQ food is leagues better - full stop.
- one thing I want to mention is the toilets and it refects on the FAs. I have seen dirty bathrooms on planes (UA comes to mind) but a toilet seat full of 'dried' feces is just plain disgusting. No FA checked the toilets during the flight and fixed them up. I mean if the 'dilema' (you have to wonder about some pax too) is too big just lock down the toilet as flight was only 2/3 full, but to leave it like this for the better part of 11hrs is plain disgraceful. A BIG
for this TK crew. On SQ the girls check the bathrooms regularily and I have never seen something so dirty. Also LH keeps them quite tidy. Overall I took TK because they offered the best timing & a direct service from SIN to/from IST and I guess they were also 300 SGD (Sing $) cheaper, but my company paid so SQ would have been fine too if they had flown the day I needed to travel. I would consider TK again but not expect *A level. I found there were too many things wrong or not done properly. I think they still got a long way to go. I've been quite critical of LH in the past, but feel they improved by leaps in Y (C or F was never a big issue). I would take them over TK anytime even in Y with the crapy LH seat. SQ - well don't mention it, in Y it's a no brainer.
Last edited by demue; Sep 6, 2008 at 4:49 am Reason: Added comment
Sep 6, 2008, 7:01 am
#18
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,069
Oct 4, 2008, 4:51 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: ROP Gold
Posts: 1,292
So there is no chance to have a window seat and no IFE boxes that takes up the leg room?
Oct 7, 2008, 12:58 am
#21
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Not from what I have seen but then I didn't walk up and down to get a look at all the rows. just to make sure I'm talking about economy seats here not Biz as indicated by the Thread title.
Oct 7, 2008, 4:44 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: ROP Gold
Posts: 1,292
Thanks Demue for the information.
But I am just curious, does the D / E / F / G seats not have the same problem? I am asking because I think the IFE must also be available in these seats.
Could you please share your experience?
Thanks.
But I am just curious, does the D / E / F / G seats not have the same problem? I am asking because I think the IFE must also be available in these seats.
Could you please share your experience?
Thanks.
Oct 8, 2008, 12:20 am
#23
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
The only seats I saw not having an IFE box under seat are E & F (middle seats in row of 4) which are the ones no one wants to sit in the first place unless you got a whole row of 4 seats to yourself. That's why I said that installation wise (boxes) it is the most pathetic IFE I have seen so far taking up so much space.
Oct 13, 2008, 4:01 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK Elite Plus, Royal Orchid Plus Gold
Posts: 41
The only seats I saw not having an IFE box under seat are E & F (middle seats in row of 4) which are the ones no one wants to sit in the first place unless you got a whole row of 4 seats to yourself. That's why I said that installation wise (boxes) it is the most pathetic IFE I have seen so far taking up so much space.
Mar 26, 2012, 6:21 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: YKZ
Programs: AC MM SE, Marriott Titanium - Lifetime Plat 2nd Class, National Executive, Avis PP
Posts: 681
Mrs CC & I are flying SIN-IST in October and I wanted to know if the 330 I am currently booked on is the 300 series with full lie flat seats.
Anyone that can share recent experiences on this route ?
CC
Mar 26, 2012, 8:32 am
#28
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
I took this flight in Dec last year. Yes it was the new plane, with full flat seats.
Mar 28, 2012, 10:20 pm
#30
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: EWR
Programs: *G, HH Diamond, SPG Platinum, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 31
