A continental breakfast tray of bircher muesli, fruit and choice of warm pastries was offered, followed by menus describing the 3 main course options. I went for the traditional English breakfast, which was typical for a CE offering – tasty, of reasonable quality, but probably containing a full weeks’ worth of salt at a minimum.
I asked for a hot chocolate later into the flight, as this was detailed on the menu, but unfortunately none had been loaded.
Drinks were proactively offered, and cabin presence by the crew was fairly good throughout the 3h30 flight length. This was the longest flight I have flown in Club Europe seats, and really was slightly too long for my liking. The seats, whilst comfortable, are just not suitable in my opinion for a business class offering with a flight length of 3+ hours. I noticed around the cabin that, as the seats offer fairly generous recline, other passengers were having to ask those in front to put their seats up during the meal service. This shouldn’t be necessary in a business class cabin.
Nuts and a further formal drinks run were offered around 1 hour prior to landing.
We landed on time into IST to pleasant crisp winter weather. Fast Track passes were handed out by the crew on disembarkation. After a brisk walk to the visa desk and parting with EUR15, I whisked through the Fast Track lane, and was soon fearing for my life in an Istanbul taxi to the Ceylan InterContinental.
After a security sweep of our taxi, I was welcomed by the friendly doorman to the hotel, and directed to the reception desk via a metal detector. Presumably these have a lower detection setting than those in airports, as I didn’t set it off despite going through with my cabin bag, coat and everything else about my person.
The lobby was generously proportioned, and check-in at the Ambassador desk was efficient and friendly. I was thanked for being an Ambassador member, offered my choice of morning newspaper, given a complimentary drinks voucher, and escorted to my 10th floor Bosphorus-view room (I had been upgraded at check-in from a standard city-view room). I also opted to upgrade for around GBP60 to Club access. The receptionist advised I stay in my Bosphorus-view room, as the only available Club rooms had city views.
My room was spacious and classically decorated, with a fabulous view out to the Asian side of Istanbul across the water, marred only by the monstrous Ritz-Carlton tower a few hundred metres away. The bathroom was a little on the small side, and featured an over-bath shower that I was slightly disappointed with, but was spotlessly clean as expected, with a good selection of premium amenities.
