Hi and welcome to this short IST-ATH flight. Below is my schedule:
SFO-MSP on DL Y - click here
MSP-YYZ on DL Y - will not report.
YYZ- FCO on AZ J - click here
FCO-AMS on AZ J - click here
AMS-IST on TK J - click here.
IST-ATH on TK Y - you are here.
ATH-CPH on A3 J - click here.
CPH-ARN on SK J - click here.
ARN-HEL on AY Y - will not report.
HEL-JFK on AY Y+ - click here.
JFK-SFO on AA J - click here.
After arriving in IST, I headed to the TK CIP lounge and upon scanning my boarding pass (which had "clssc" printed at the bottom) the reader gave an error msg and did not allow me in as expected. I already pulled out my TK Gold card and presented it to the gentleman in charge of the automated turnstiles. He sat in front of the computer and after typing a few commands he reissued me a new boarding pass with the correct status shown. I scanned it again and this time the turnstile opened and let me through. I thanked the agent who did not even muttered a word in response. I also noticed while I was standing in line earlier that a lady thanked him and he did not replied either. He was like an efficient robot lacking any human charm - that's not a bad thing sometimes.
Once inside I headed to the shower desk and when I heard the attendant tell the passenger in front of me that wait time was about 1 hr, I immediately went downstairs to try my luck there. The lady at the desk greeted me with a smile and advised me that there was about a half hour wait. She gave me a pager and within 15 min. I was paged back. I was escorted to the shower room and if memory serves me right I think this was the same one that I used the last time I was here.
Upstairs area.
Downstairs shower room.
For a business class lounge, the shower rooms at the TK lounge feel quite luxurious with marble setting and a robe, just like a deluxe hotel.
I remained downstairs throughout my stay by the tea garden under the stairs.
I took the opportunity to walk around and get a few bites.
My snacks.
I then left for one of the lower gates which meant a bus will take us to the plane.
Eventually the staff showed up and asked passengers to present the boarding pass and passport before being allowed to board the bus. The agent was very mechanical and did the job without greeting or saying a word. To be fair I don't think that they worked for TK because they had a different uniform.
We arrived at the plane and I was surprised that there was yet another airplane substitution. This flight was supposed to be operated by a 773 and instead we will be flying on the A330. So in the end I rode on this plane but not the way that I wanted. ;) I was the last one to board through the back since I was taking pics.
I boarded through the back and was greeted by the FA in the galley. When I arrived at my seat there were 2 FA's stationed by the bulkhead and one of them greeted me.
My very spacious seat. Earplugs were eventually distributed by the FA. At the beginning there was someone occupying the seat next to me but after take off he moved to the back.
View from my seat.
A quick visit to the WC which was clean.
The individual screens were out throughout the whole process and never stored during take off or landing. A safety video was shown during taxiing.
Service started quickly after take off with a cold snack. The flight was less than 1 hr and it was pretty amazing that TK managed to serve a meal to everyone on such a short flight. Well done!
We soon touched down in ATH.
Thanks for sharing Adan !
TK has a great product on this short flight.
Hi Jules.
Very good product indeed. Thanks for your comments.
TK has the best catering in the sky, only ME3 comes close to them. The traditional East Asian giants are busy engaging themselves in cost cutting and loosing loyal customers at the same time.SQ And CX better wake up and start reducing cost elsewhere.
Hi JW19.
The cost cutting on CX is particularly noticeable, especially on supper flights.
Thanks for commenting.
Thanks Adan !
The CIP lounge is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) business lounge but I find the staff to be quite soulless. You were not tempted for a shoulder massage ? ;)
I'm surprised to see that IFEs at emergency rows are even deployed for boarding.
A turkey sandwich onboard TK. What else ? ;)
Hi Clement.
"You were not tempted for a shoulder massage ? ;)"
- I'm selective about who touches me. :P
"I'm surprised to see that IFEs at emergency rows are even deployed for boarding."
- It's the first time that I encounter this too.
"A turkey sandwich onboard TK. What else ? ;)"
- Very fitting.
Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for sharing Adan, it's like deja vu ;)
The lounge looks much emptier than when I was there even though we were there at the same time of day. I never tried the showers there, but I'll add that to my list of shower rooms to visit :P
As Clement mentioned, I have never seen the IFEs pre-released in exit row seats before. That and they left them out during take off and landing. Isn't that safety violation for obstructing exit paths?
So this catering was identical to my ATH-IST sector. I found the tuna sandwich to be better (that is if you don't mind the cat breath). How did they do on timing? I can imagine it can get tight to do a full service on a wide-body if the load factor is high enough. I think this plays into how robotic the crews are, I'd rather them finish service than be friendly.
Hi Michael.
" it's like deja vu ;)"
- Are you sure about that? ;)
"I never tried the showers there, but I'll add that to my list of shower rooms to visit :P"
- It's one of the better ones for a lounge out there.
"Isn't that safety violation for obstructing exit paths?"
- When in Rome.....
"How did they do on timing? I can imagine it can get tight to do a full service on a wide-body if the load factor is high enough. I think this plays into how robotic the crews are, I'd rather them finish service than be friendly."
- Oh they were busting it. They did the service with carts and very efficiently I must say.
Thanks for your visit Michael.
Come on, Adan, don't tell me you ate only these dishes in the CIP lounge. There are so many meals tempting ^^
"At the beginning there was someone occupying the seat next to me but after take off he moved to the back."--> you wrote you had a shower in the lounge, didn't you? Ok, it's not what I thought about (LOL)
Another aircraft swaping. Good thing you had an exit row seat.
Short flight but an enjoyable one. Thank you Adan
Hi Bernard.
"Come on, Adan, don't tell me you ate only these dishes in the CIP lounge."
- What you saw is what I ate. ;) You know how hard it is to be in shape.
" Ok, it's not what I thought about (LOL)"
- Do you think I am intimidating? :P
"Good thing you had an exit row seat."
- It was a good consolation. I learned that TK can be very "reliable" when it comes to equipment schedule.
Thanks Bernard for your support.
Nice report Adan. That shower room looks nicer than the Lufthansa B concourse first class lounge shower room in Frankfurt. Your photos of the lounge are great, makes me want to go back. Due to a late flight I missed the lounge earlier this year transiting through IST. Glad to hear your comments on the FA's as well. I've read lots of bad reports on them but mine were great. I think sometimes they get a bad rap.
They need a bigger airport in IST
Hi Rewardflying.
"Due to a late flight I missed the lounge earlier this year transiting through IST."
- That's a shame. Maybe next time.
"Glad to hear your comments on the FA's as well. I've read lots of bad reports on them but mine were great. I think sometimes they get a bad rap. "
- They might not be the most friendly, but they are always polite. At least in my experience.
"They need a bigger airport in IST"
- I guess that's in the works north of Istanbul.
Thank you for your comments.
Thank you for sharing this FR with us!
I got really hungry after those lounge pictures, definitely an outstanding lounge.
TK and its aircraft swaps... haha. Nice you got the 330 with a special livery. Beautiful spotting shots.
IST went to "night-mode" really fast haha.
Catering looks great as expected :).
Have a good one, see you!
Hi RI777.
Catering at TK's IST lounge is outstanding, but they tend to run out of the grilled items pretty quickly. As soon as a new batch is out, people get in line and it's gone in seconds.
I learned to expect the unexpected with TK when it comes to aircraft swaps. ;)
Thanks for your comments.