Booking my ticket

A usual for my business trips, I used my corporate online booking tool (SAP Concur), and while difficult, I eventually was able to book a mixed Copa/American reservation.  Despite being separate tickets, seemingly neither airline system could figure out these were separate, so my options were limited. The booking tool put me in A fare class for the Copa ticket from Panama to Miami. I didn’t think much of it, until seeing that it said business class. That seemed dubious, and of course it was. A class on Copa is basic economy. Sigh!

Realizing this meant no seat assignment without paying, I was annoyed, but content to buy an extra legroom seat for around $50. And I could have expensed that.  Note this flight is around 2.5 hours in the air, departing after 9pm (10pm at destination). Despite multiple attempts, I was unable to get payment to process for a seat assignment.  I could get a seat for free inside the 24 hour check in window, but I didn’t want to risk a middle seat in the back. I’m tall, and appreciate more space, especially on a flight where I would hope to get some sleep.

Bid for Business Class on Copa

Finally the day before departure, after frustration with securing a seat, I changed my strategy and decided to bid for an upgrade. Prior to travel, I received a few emails soliciting bids, but mostly ignored them. Ultimately I decided to bid the lowest possible amount, a “Poor” offer per their sales tool. $145 is a bit rich for such a short flight, but the seat is the Collins Aerospace Diamond seat familiar to many travelers as one of few flat bed options for narrow body planes. American and United use this seat for business class on their A321T and B757 fleets respectively. On Copa 737 Max-9 there are 16 seats configured 2-2.

Just over 24 hours before departure, I got an email that my offer was accepted:

Hopefully I wouldn’t regret it.  I talked to James (who took several of these photos in his own Copa business class experience) about this seat. He didn’t exactly give a strong recommendation, especially about the tight seats, but at this point I couldn’t back out. I just wanted to get some sleep. I was able to select a bulkhead seat hoping for slightly more legroom.

ProblemSSSS checking in

Once inside the 24 hour window, I checked in. Well, kind of. I couldn’t get my boarding pass. I thought maybe it was due to a secondary screening, or maybe just some sort of IT issue. American wouldn’t let me check in for my onward flights either.  Annoyingly, the error message said I couldn’t check in. After I landed in Miami, online check in wasn’t even available, so I had to go to a kiosk, which thankfully was uneventful.

Once at Tocumen airport in Panama, my suspicions about secondary screening were confirmed. The dreaded SSSS on my boarding pass. No one seemed to notice this at all during my initial screening, in fact, I later realized I had a half-full water bottle in my bag which no one noticed when going through security. Then I went to the Copa Club, had a drink, and left to get food, as the options there are pitiful; tiny cold cut sandwiches, and snack mix. At least the bar is fully srocked. There I tried a few Panamanian rums.

The new terminal 2 at PTY airport is quite nice, architecturally, at least.  The Copa Club is a nice space a level above the departure hall. Leaving the club to get a more substantial meal, because I was planning to just sleep on board. Unfortunately, the terminal options were very limited. Only one restaurant open that I could find, which was packed, so I got a sandwich at a small snack stand.

Onboard Copa Business Class on the Boeing 737 Max9

For my flight to Miami, there is additional screening at the gate.  There the SSSS on my boarding pass was noticed, and I was pulled aside before I could board.  The secondary screening consisted of an officer taking my passort as I walked through a metal detector, my bags scanned in the magenetometer, and then writing down my passport number. I was quickly on my way. At least that is all the additional screening I noticed. Thankfully the SSSS experience was basically an non-event.

Once on board, I found my seat, 1A.  Not exactly luxurious, but pretty nice for a narrow body, especially on a short flight.

Not a ton of legroom, but slightly more space than on seats in other rows.  Here is an image from another row:

I am generally a side sleeper anyway, so even at 6’3″, I fit relatively well into the seat.  It certainly isn’t spacious, but enough for me to sleep for most of the short flight.

I intended to sleep the whole flight. But I care about my readers…Blog research…something like that.  I opted for the meal. My Spanish skills aren’t strong, but sufficient to know my preference between pollo o pasta? Chicken and rice was actually quite tasty. Macarons were nice too.  If I wasn’t already tired and at the edge of my language skills I might have tried asking about the onboard rum options. I certainly could have asked in English too, but prioritizing sleep, vino tinto (red wine) seemed a good choice.

I ate a few bites of my food.  Okay, more than a few bites, but I only finished the wine and the dessert, reclined my seat and went to sleep.  I didn’t sleep all the way through, but i was at least dozing until final approach, when I had to put my seat upright.

So was it worth it?

In general, I’m cheap, and rarely would spend $150 for a better seat for a few hours. It is a flat seat, but a very short flight. In hindsight, I’m pretty content with the decision to buy this upgrade. I got a head start on sleep before landing in Miami.  There spent a few more hours in a hotel within the airport terminal, and then flew home on American, where I slept some more. Thankfully the upgrade on Saturday morning was not hard to get. Not the best night of sleep, in 3 separate sections, but once I arrived home, I was rested enough to get through the day.

Read the rest of this article at Was it worth it? Bid for Business Class on Copa 737 Max 9.

Except for the part that I have Lifetime Platinum status.

Also, with 50+ nights in Marriott properties in 2022, I earned Platinum anyway. How can their marketing and IT systems be so bad?  Oh, that’s nothing new.  I’ve had countless issues, and even in 2023, have to request manual processing to get my stays to post over half of the time.

After a year as a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, I won’t miss it.

I’ve already discussed the mediocre experiences in 2022 when I had Titanium status.  A total of zero free upgrades, and I even had some Suite Night Awards expire unused. The idea of loyalty rewarding frequent travelers is a cute, but especially with Marriott, really not a thing anymore. Why do I stay? They are everywhere, and I still prefer it to Hilton or IHG.  Hyatt is my primary, and Marriott is my backup. It works for my needs, but as always, your mileage may vary.

Marriott Bonvoy IT struggles, status downgrade edition

So what is the process for how Marriott processes status changes? One bit of good news, is soft landings are offered. This means, even if you don’t stay enough to meet the requirement, status will only drop down once level each year. Elite ranks are full as it is, so I’m not sure I like this, but at least it is an opportunity for those with less travel to not drop as fast. Plus, multiple status extensions were granted during the worst of the pandemic.

Marriott calls this Elite annual processing, and this is the page that is linked in the email I got which I show above:

There is even a mention stating the obvious about lifetime status holders:

Final thoughts on Bonvoy IT’s latest blunder

This is a minor issue, but an ongoing pattern with Bonvoy.  Plus, with the wealth of data that they have about long time customers, why can’t their marketing emails be better and contain more accurate information?

How has your experience been with Marriott these days? 

Read the rest of this article at Happy New Year: Bonvoy IT is still terrible.

Here is a summary from an American press release about their fleet plans around 787 deliveries:

Deliveries that resumed in 2022 and through 2023 will be the Boeing 787-8, but unlike the -8s in the fleet currently, these have a different business class configuration, using the Collins Super Diamond seat. This is the business class seat on all American 787-9s, and some Boeing 777-200s.  More details below as I summarize business class seats on each long haul American plane, plus discuss what to expect in the future.

American Airlines Business Class on Boeing 787-8 (788)

American started flying the Dreamliner back in 2015, eventually the fleet grew to 20 of the -8 variety. Business Class has a unique seating configuration with flat bed seats that are comfortable, but are my least favorite in their fleet. Starting in 2020, they also started receiving new deliveries of 788s, eventually growing this fleet to 42. These newer planes will have the Collins Super Diamond seat in business class, like the larger 789. I’m not aware of any plans to unify this fleet, so it seems that flyers won’t know which seat will be on board won’t be possible until the plane is assigned to the particular flight that day. Either configuration has the same number of seats, but the orientation is different, with 234 seats on board. It likely won’t be until boarding that passengers will know which seat is available on their flight.

American’s 787-8 business cabin is small, with only 20 seats, reconfigured a few years back to make room for premium economy. These 20 business class seats between doors 1 and 2, in a 1-2-1 configuration. The Concept D seats alternate forward and reverse facing, with the A and L window seats in even numbered rows facing rearward. The D and H aisle seats in the middle of the cabin have rearward facing seats in the odd numbered rows.

Some people dismiss facing to the rear automatically. I actually prefer it, especially on overnight flights or when sleeping. Due to the nose up angle of the plane, it feels more normal when facing backwards. Take off and landing feels somewhat strange, as the sensation of the plane accelerating pushes your back away from seat. The rear facing seats seem a bit narrow, as there are immobile arm rests on both sides. I’m not that wide, so it doesn’t bother me, and arguably a positive is that this can make for a more private feeling as well. Although due to the alternating front/rear setup in the cabin, passengers look face to face with people across the aisle. Can be awkward. Keep in mind there is also no shoulder belt in rear facing seats.

Another issue with these seats is that they rock and/or shake when passengers in connected seats adjust their seating position. American has said this issue is being addressed, but I haven’t seen this confirmed anywhere.

Yes, it’s a flat bed, with decent privacy.  That’s very important, but there are several annoyances with this seat. This is my least favorite business class seat in American’s fleet.

Reminder that new delivery 788’s have the Super Diamond seat (see below for photos), identical to the American 787-9 fleet. That’s good news, but even after the 22-plane new order of 788’s is complete, the 20 original -8s will still have the Concept D seat.  The only way to try to predict which cabin will be on your flight is to track tail number of the plane. N800AN through N819AN have the Concept D seats, and N870AX and higher will have Super Diamond.

Original plans had all 22 new 788s scheduled for delivery by the end of 2021, but now this looks like the end of 2023 for the remainder of the 788 orders to be delivered.

American Airlines Business Class on Boeing 787-9 (789)

There are currently 22 Boeing 787-9 in the fleet, with 25 more on order, with the new deliveries scheduled starting in 2024. Note that those new deliveries will have a new seat and more premium-heavy configuration, with 51 “Flagship Suites” in business class. I’ll discuss these more below, it seems to be the Adient Ascent seat with doors.

At least for now through 2023, unlike the possible uncertainly of seat on the 787-8 and 777-200, the business cabin configuration is the same on all planes, and the 30 seat cabin has the Collins Super Diamond seat. These seats face forward, are 21 inches wide, with a fully flat bed with decent privacy and storage options.

The seat finishes are noticeably more modern than on Cirrus seat on the 77W, but the walls of this aren’t as tall, so I find it less private. The IFE monitor is fixed in front, so no need to move it for taxi and takeoff. That said, it can be difficult to see the monitor clearly when reclined. The table folds and slides under the monitor, which makes for more storage room, but the table can bump into knees/shins when reclined.

This is the ‘current’ AA business class seat, as this is what is being installed in all new delivery wide body planes through 2023. This came about due to issues that American had getting Zodiac to deliver their “Concept D” seat. The Super Diamond seat is in use by multiple carriers, and is an excellent seat.

This seat also has a shoulder strap that must be worn for taxi and takeoff. Not that big of a deal, but something to keep in mind.

American Airlines Business Class on Boeing 777-300ER (77W)

Flagship of the American Airlines fleet, the 777-300ER, (77W on American schedules) has 52 seats in business class and 8 seats in the first class cabin. The Business class seats are among my personal favorites that I’ve experienced, featuring the Cirrus seat, manufactured by Safran. Starting in late 2024, American will refurbish these cabins, removing first class, and replacing current first and business class seats with 70 Flagship Suites.

This seat design is owned by Cathay Pacific.  Plenty of space, very private, and decent storage spaces. Hard to believe, but a product first launched over a decade ago. Not the best seat for 2 people to easily talk while seated, but very private for solo travelers. This is my favorite business class seat that American flies. They have reupholstered  and changed the finishes slightly, and feels relatively fresh. That said, an older IFE controller, and a smaller screen both show the age of the seat. Comfort both seated and reclined is excellent. The high partitions around the top of the seat mean it is difficult to see others even in a large cabin of 50+ seats

There are 20 77W’s in American’s fleet, with the same seating configuration. If you see 77W on your itinerary (at least through late 2024), you know what your seat will be like. There is a small mini cabin in front of door 2, featuring 8 seats in rows 3 and 4. I like this area for more privacy, and feels less like a giant cabin, particularly compared to seated near the back of the cabin. The rest of the cabin is between door 2 and the wings, rows 5-15. The seats are all the same, physically. For me, window seats are much preferred, even if I had to sit in the rear of the cabin. Hard to beat both a window and an aisle seat. Still, the aisle seats in the middle of the cabin are fine, especially on the long flights these planes typically fly.

American Airlines Business Class on Boeing 777-200ER (772)

The 777-200ER currently makes up the largest portion of American’s wide body fleet, with 47 planes, but that will be surpassed by the 787 as deliveries continue. Similar to the 788, there are 2 business class configurations on the 777.  Both have 37 seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration split across 2 cabins on either side of doors 2. Which planes have which seats?  Well, 19 of the planes have the Concept D seat, and the rest have Super Diamond. Almost 60 percent have Super Diamond, but still there is no way to know which configuration your flight will have until boarding.  Check the (unofficial) American Airlines fleet site, which shows which plane has which seating concept, but know that swaps are always possible.

To my knowledge, there are no current plans for upgrades or changes to business class configuration for the 772 fleet.

What’s next?

As mentioned, starting in 2024, 787-9 deliveries will resume, and these planes will be have the new Flagship Suite, and a much more premium heavy configuration, with 51 business class seats, and 32 premium economy seats. American has already shown a mock up of the cabin. Photos above and below, from American Airlines pressroom.

This definitely looks nice, more privacy, and nice new finishes. This appears to be the Adient Ascent seat. Qatar Airways 789 business cabins have this seat.  Likely configured differently, but same basics seat, with some customizations. Very nice, a good modern setup, but when I flew Qatar, I can’t help but notice the footwell is constricted. This means going from 30 to 51 seats in business class on the 789.   The 77W now has 52 business seats plus 8 First Class, and will become 77 Flagship Suites. A nice increase in premium seating, especially on the 789.

Final thoughts on American Airlines business class seating options

American has streamlined their long haul fleet, which now consists of only 777 and 787s. Unfortunately that doesn’t mean you know exactly which seat you have unless your flight is on a 777-300ER or a 787-9, but that will be changing soon. Some uncertainty isn’t great, but hopefully the better products will make it a net positive. Both the 787-8 and 777-200 have several seating configurations, and your flight could have either one. Exactly which you likely won’t know until boarding. In any case, all business class seats are flat bed seats, with all aisle access, but some seats are better than others. The Concept D seat alternate forward and reverse facing, and some flyers find them narrow. Certain seats sometimes move when an adjacent passenger adjusts their position. I much prefer the Super Diamond seat on all 789s, the majority of 772s and a growing number of 788s. My favorite is probably the Cirrus seat on 77W, which will start being phased out for the Flagship Suite. If not much better, at least more private and more modern, and it is probably time for an update.

Read the rest of this article at American Airlines Business Class Seat Guide, 2023 Edition.

First from OpenFlights:

Here is a cute passport-like map from Flighty.  An app that I’ve written about before, and I continue to like the app, really nice flight tracking and more.

Seeing almost 2 weeks of just flight time makes me feel depressed more than anything. I mean, its cool, but its a lot of time in a meta/composite tube. No new countries visited this year, but tried to make up for some lost time with a long delayed family trip to Europe, and a return to marathon running in Berlin. I also finally flew the postponed and rebooked Qatar Airways ticket I purchased in early 2020, and turned it into a fun birthday trip to myself down under and back with Qatar QSuites and Singapore  Suites. Still didn’t return to (east) Asia mostly due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, but it was great to return to Australia. I also had my first long haul international work trip since 2019.

Below is my summary of the year, broken down with flights, hotels, and the ongoing quest for elite status that I find exhausting, but usually worthwhile.

2022 in Travel: Flights

Work travel is kind of settling into a pattern. Most of it is close by, as can be seen above, with lots of short hops around the midwest from my home in Milwaukee. But not exclusively this. Leisure trips to ski, to run, see family all are there too. I managed to secure my Executive Platinum status on American yet again, with a big boost from the trip to Australia posting as distance. American is by far my primary carrier, but I took the option of nonstops from MKE for work trips to Detroit, Minneapolis, Boston, when I could on Delta and JetBlue. Some flights on United and Air Canada too, but unfortunately didn’t really get to utilize my promotional Air Canada 75K status very much.

129 flight segments in 2022.  That’s a lot, but a lot of short flights. Despite taking nonstops when possible, I still flew between Milwaukee and Chicago more than anywhere else.  Really not looking forward to 2023 when American puts the CRJ-200 back on this route…ugh. That 67 mile flight between MKE and ORD is the shortest trip as it is for me most years. My longest flight in 2022 were between Doha and Sydney (and back), almost 7700 miles and 14 hours in the air each way. QSuites for those long legs were wonderful, and a nice way to celebrate my birthday. I even got a small birthday shoutout from the flight attendants, who quietly sang to me. I guess even flight attendants have free time on flights that long.  A very nice surprise.

It is more difficult to track miles and segments these days since status is earned generally by spending. Plus my American status is continuing through February 2023. But over 100,000 miles flown yet again in the calendar year.  Of course I hope to maintain my American status again in the future, but we’ll see how easy that will be. Likely will need some more longhaul flights, and probably some premium cabins. I don’t have AA credit cards, mostly since I find better cards to put my spending on.

My trip to Australia was great with lovely flights, and trips to Berlin were memorable, along with other fun trips closer to home.

2022 in Travel: Hotels

Kind of a “same-old, same-old” year with hotels. Hyatt is my primary/preferred hotel program, and Marriott my primary backup. Despite a very delayed posting from a stay in Las Vegas, I just hit 60 nights with Hyatt, so another year of Globalist status. I did make it to 50 nights with Marriott too, but I have lifetime Platinum status, so that was just fortunate so I can get some Suite Night Awards.  Hopefully I can use them in 2023. Despite achieving Titanium status last year, I really had a mediocre year with Marriott.  Very much my second or lower choice in most situations.  The Marriott loyalty program is a real disappointment, at least in my experience.

97 total nights in hotels. Over 25% of the year in hotels rather than at home.  That’s a lot. Most memorable stays include the Berlin stay linked above, and using a Hyatt free night certificate for the Park Hyatt Sydney. It cost a lot of points, but booking a room with my wife and daughter, plus a Guest of Honor booking for my parents in Berlin made for a great experience on a memorable trip.

Unfortunately, now that Hyatt has a category 8, The Park Hyatt Sydney and other properties are out of reach with those free night certificates offered to Globalists.  Any suggestions for where to best use my Hyatt category 1-7 certificate?

Elite Qualification

As mentioned, no major changes this year. Sticking with the same preferred programs as in the past, and I renewed my status with American and Hyatt and dropped back from Marriott Titanium to Platinum. No loss at all.  I’m off the hamster wheel for Marriott status, but tend to end up with lots of night due to work travels. Most coworkers prefer Marriott, and that’s frequently where I end up when traveling with colleagues.

Is elite status worth it? Maybe I’m old school, but to me, yes.  Especially for frequent flights, my American status makes a noticeable difference. Hotels too. Despite a subpar year from hotels, I still think there is value to be had. Hyatt Globalist is great, especially overseas.

Happy New Year

Hope I have some more opportunities to use my status in 2023.  Some fun trips already planned. Thanks again for reading this year. I enjoy sharing my experiences, thanks for joining me on the journey.

Read the rest of this article at 2022 In Travel: The New Normal.

Hyatt and MGM have been partners for some time now. And with mid-week rates at Excalibur under $40 per night, I went for it. I already had a hotel room for my conference. I’ve read about some people doing a mobile check in and not even going on site, but I was there, so I did visit the property and my room briefly. More than 2 months later, I’m still waiting for these nights at MGM posting in my Hyatt count.  Apparently, there is a significant backlog of requests for what seems like a mostly manual process.  Hyatt has a great loyalty program, but IT has never been a strong suit.

My room at Excalibur

I booked my stay via MGM rewards to avoid resort fees. Thanks to my Hyatt Globalist Status, I matched to MGM Gold, which means no resort fees along with a few other benefits. Sometime I’d like to leverage this MGM status via Hyatt into a leisure trip in Las Vegas, but not really a high priority.  Unfortunately months after my visit, my stay still hasn’t showed up in my Hyatt account. I’ve been assured that MGM posting will before the end of the year, but this is annoying.

The stay was brief. After online check in, I visited my room.  Apparently I didn’t take any photos…but let me just say it reminded me of a 1980s era motel. I wasn’t there for a comfortable bed, or fancy bathroom.  I didn’t sleep there.  I’m fortunate to be able to sink some cash in a mattress run, and didn’t spend some hard earned money on a Vegas vacation to have a 2nd floor room overlooking a parking lot.  I don’t usually play games like this, but for the cheap price, why not?

Hyatt is still my go to hotel group

I am still a happy Hyatt loyalist, but they are by no means perfect. I’ve complained a lot about issues with Marriott Rewards, even though I have Titanium status.

Have you had issues getting MGM stay to post to your Hyatt account?

Two months and counting for me…

Update: After quite a bit of back and forth with Hyatt (mostly over Twitter DM), I’m happy that these night posted, just over 2 months after I checked out. It seems that my experience is thankfully not typical. Confirming Hyatt number is attached before checkout might help.

Read the rest of this article at MGM Posting to Hyatt is Very Slow.

Departing Berlin on Qatar Airways

Flying from Berlin to the US via Doha is definitely not a typical routing. I found award space, and even though it required 2 separate awards and a long layover in Doha, we went for it. I was excited to try the new Boeing 787-9 business class configuration on the flight to Doha, and then have 3/4 of a QSuite quad for the long flight back to Chicago.  Unfortunately, my plan was foiled as our fight home was in the old configuration.

Anyway, once at the Berlin airport, there was a long line for check in, but thankfully the business/elite line was much shorter.  But as ever, for as good as Qatar is in the air, ground service is lacking. The agents were perfectly pleasant, but given we had separate tickets, they were initially hesitant to check us in for both flights.  It took some effort, and a lot of time, but finally we had all our boarding passes and we headed to security.

There are no lounges post passport control for those departing to non-Schengen destinations. Seeing a long line at passport control for non-EU citizens, we didn’t even bother with the lounge that is available there. I could have passed through more quickly using the citizen kiosks via EasyPASS but opted to stay in line with my family.

Qatar Airways 789 Business Class Seat

The airline refers to this configuration as the “new Business Class Suite”. Some snippets from their press release announcing this new configuration:

Crafted with the unique Qatar Airways design DNA and appealing to the most discerning of travellers, the new Adient Ascent Business Class Suite embodies a contemporary design that is truly personal, spacious and functional, allowing you to relax in your own private sanctuary.

Arranged in a herringbone pattern, in a 1-2-1 configuration, each suite has direct aisle access with a sliding door to ensure the ultimate in privacy and comfort. Passengers seated in adjoining centre suites can slide the privacy panels away at the touch of a button to create their very own enclosed private space.

The Business Class Suite, transforms into a 79” fully-flat bed, offering elevated levels of comfort on board. Passengers can relax during their flight, knowing their personal mobile device is stored safely in a dedicated phone holder, equipped with a wireless charging technology that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Somewhat unique in their setup is that window seats are in a reverse herringbone configuration, so feet angled towards the windows. The middle seat pairs are in a herringbone configuration, with heads together, and feet towards the aisle. Each suite has a privacy door, and even the middle seats have dividers between seats.

When I got to my seat (7A), I noticed someone sitting in it. In hindsight, maybe I should have just swapped with him, as 8A has a better view…

Seat labels aren’t totally clear, and he was happy to move back a row.  I regretted not doing better research when choosing my seat.  An evening departure, there wasn’t a lot of daylight for in flight viewing, but I always enjoy window seats.  Whoops. Camera views on the IFE help.

I didn’t take any good cabin photos. Another whoops. I was just happy to settle in and enjoy a new seat. It is well designed, and definitely feels modern. Not a lot of storage space, a small cubby near the seat which holds a water bottle, headphones, and not much else.  Here also is a wireless (Qi) charger for mobile phones.  Smart design, with a spring loaded holder to secure the phone in place. A stylish lamp is there too. Below that, a headphones jack, power port with AC and USB-A, and the IFE remote, which also acts as a second screen if desired. See below for a stock image. Qatar isn’t using this seat off the shelf, but not massively changing it either.

There is a door facing the aisle, it doesn’t close all the way, but close enough to allow for the feeling of privacy, and no odd glances from others in the cabin.

The gap is only maybe an inch, but something to keep in mind.

The walls aren’t that tall either, mostly private when seated, but not hard to look over either. Flight attendants peek over the top before opening the door during service.

Qatar Business Class Service

This post is more about the seat than the service, and nothing really new here other than the new seat. There is definitely a formula for in flight service in Qatar premium cabins, and it doesn’t vary other than with flight duration and departure time.  I’ll do a quick summary of this flight here, but also point to more complete reviews I’ve done before: Qatar Business Class review and Qatar Qsuites review

Qatar’s mint lemon drink is always a (sweet) treat.  This was my pre departure beverage.  Rather than the usual champagne. A warm pre-packaged towel is provided as well.  This is part of their collaboration with Diptyque, also in their amenity kits which I reviewed previously.

Started with an old fashioned and warmed nuts

The arabic mezze is always a favorite started to inflight meals

For the main course I had lamb…but only got this terrible blurry photo.  Sorry.

I paired that with a nice red wine.

Cheese plate rather than a sweet dessert, which also rarely disappoints, a nice selection, especially for business class.

After dinner, I settled in, had another cocktail, and enjoyed the IFE.

Before arrival, another towel was offered.

While I’d rather look out the window, I do like the tail camera and other views offered on the IFE. At least I could look forward despite my poor seat selection.

Final thoughts on  Qatar Airways 789 Business Class

This is a very nice seat, but it is a big step down from Qsuites. The narrower 787 cabin makes a noticeable difference. The footwell is constrained, but finishes are very nice. A version of this seat is the presumed seat in business class for American Airlines 787 deliveries starting in 2024. It is flexible/customizable, and presumably lighter than other options, but comfort wise i’m not sure this is much better than the Super Diamond seat on current AA 789s, other than a door, higher walls, and newer finishes.

Have you experienced the Adient Ascent seat on the Qatar Airways 787-9 in business class?  What did you think? Is my review too harsh?

Read the rest of this article at Qatar Airways Boeing 789 Business Class: Definitely no Qsuite.

As this year winds down, it is presumably my first and only year with Titanium status. Somehow I reached 75 nights last year. I haven’t noticed any difference with this higher status than the Platinum status I’ve had for more than a decade, and if anything it is worse. I remember the days when free suite upgrades were common.  I had zero real upgrades this year across 50 nights. A recent stay showed an upgrade in the app, but it was only to a club room, not a suite. Club access is a guaranteed benefit, but at that hotel, the club lounge is “under renovations”, so a club room is meaningless. A $20 credit is offered not breakfast as guaranteed by Marriott Bonvoy.

Yes, I’m annoyed with Bonvoy. Other than footprint, I really am struggling to find any reason to stay with Marriott. The experience is poor, even with titanium status.

First Attempt to get points to post

Using the Missing Stay Request form was not a pleasant experience. Guests must wait 10 business days after check out for the hotel to post the stays before submitting this form.

Here is an example of the responses I received:

I’m not really sure how to interpret this message. While they used my (last) name, and showed my status, I don’t get the warm fuzzy feeling of personalized service. Marriott Bonvoy has clearly outsourced their customer care.

Figuring this wouldn’t go anywhere. I tweeted my frustration at the above response, and had several others comment that they also have the same issues.

Sometimes complaining on Twitter actually yields results

After some back and forth with @MarriottBonvoyAssist, they finally posted my stay manually. This was after reciting the fact that hotels have 10 days to post stays. I reminded them that time had come and gone, and then magically the stay posted to my account.

Of course, something as simple as this should be automatic, and not require any intervention. If you have Marriott stays that did not post automatically after 10 business days, you can request this.  I’ve had mixed results, but based on my last experience, I think the twitter support might be a better choice than using the website form.

Have you had problems like this?  Any suggestions for things I haven’t tried?

Read the rest of this article at Marriott Titanium Status Is Close To Worthless.

Grand Hyatt Berlin location

The hotel is located near Potsdamer Platz, easy access to the transit hub of the same name, maybe 5 minutes walk. Public transit in Berlin is excellent, and I like the location. When working in Berlin, I can catch the S-bahn I need at the station. While in town for the marathon, we had easy access to the Tiergarten where the race starts and finishes. Plus its within 15 minutes walking of various tourist sites like the Reichstag, Brandenburg gate, Checkpoint Charlie and more. There are various restaurants, shops, a movie theater and even some food trucks near the hotel.

The hotel covers most of a block, with rooms all around the outside, and space in the middle. Presumably some rooms face inward, but I’ve never had that view. The Grand Suite View rooms are on one corner to a point facing the Tiergarten.

Grand Suite View King tour

My company has a facility in metro Berlin, and while it is not close to the hotel, getting there is easy thanks to public transit. When I visited in the spring of 2022, travel was nowhere close to normal, so the daily rates were more reasonable than usual. During the marathon, the hotel was sold out, but I was able to book well in advance using points (15,000 per night), which were a great value considering nightly rates were around €750 during this time. My parents joined us using a guest of honor booking, getting them lounge access. The hotel was apologetic not able to upgrade them above a base room, but they did provide a nice fruit plate. This review is of the Grand Suite View King room.

The room opens up with a small guest bathroom, a closet, and a wall mounted clock.

There is a dining table, where I received a nice welcome gift during both stays. Snacks, and a bottle of wine and a welcome letter were waiting when we arrived.

There is a large cabinet with a fridge, an espresso machine, a tea kettle and various glasses.

A large TV is on one side, and there is a desk at the far end near a corner window with western views to the Tiergarten, Philharmonic and beyond.

Grand Suite View King bedroom and bath

The king bed is comfortable, with another TV in the room, and a small dressing table and vanity mirror. the headboard has lamps and small reading lights, along with shelves for water, books, and power ports to charge devices.

Then the bathroom, features double sinks, a large bath tub, with a separate show within the same glass enclosure. Toilet is in the back corner. There is also a large walk in closet.

This suite is not over the top fancy, but I think it is very functional. Plenty of space, even for 3 of us in the room with the addition of a rollaway bed. Maybe a bit excessive for solo travel. I really like this setup, and have no complaints about the room

Grand Hyatt Berlin public spaces

While the hotel is large, there are some small touches that make it seem more exclusive and higher end than many other Grand Hyatts. I was waiting in the lobby when my parents arrived, I noticed a florist putting together fresh flower arrangements in the lobby. Small things matter, and it made a pretty lobby even more beautiful.

There is a lot of art around the hotel, including near the elevator landing on each floor. Public areas are more modern than the rooms.  These things are subjective, but it works for me.

On the top floor, there is an excellent gym, Club Olympus, plus a pool and steam rooms.  Given that I was there for the marathon, I didn’t need to use the gym for a workout, but this is among the better hotel gyms. Near the end of our trip, my daughter and I went to the pool. It is a shallow stain less steel pool and hot tub. She enjoyed playing around the shallow main pool and we both liked the jacuzzi.  The water jets were a nice relief for my tired post-marathon leg muscles.

Grand Hyatt Berlin Club

During both of my visits this year, the club room on the 7th floor was closed, and the Grand Club was offered in the lobby in the Tizian restaurant. This is a bit of a trade off.  There is no lounge to drop in on during the day for snacks/drinks, but seemingly more extensive selection for the evening hours when it is open. Snacks and drinks for a while, more significant food for a while, and then dessert at the end. Beer/wine is available as well as cocktails on request.

Presumably this change was made to allow for distancing in the larger space of the lobby, rather than the smaller Grand Club. With the hotel at full capacity during the marathon, this was a good choice. The last night of our stay, the club was back in the main lounge, seemingly because of an event booked in Tizian restaurant.  Either way, the club is a nice offering, with decent food, and drinks, and presumably enough to make a meal of if desired.

Breakfast is offered in VOX restaurant, not the club, at least while it is hosted in the main lobby. Scott’s review covers this, and although this visit was years ago, it hasn’t changed significantly. There is a wide array of items on the buffet, and made to order eggs are available. VOX is a sushi restaurant at lunch/dinner, but is the main breakfast restaurant on property.

Final Thoughts

I spent more nights at the Grand Hyatt Berlin than any other hotel this year. I consider myself lucky as this is a very nice hotel, and especially since each night was in a lovely suite. I’ve stayed in several hotels in my various visits to Berlin but the combination of location, nice physical space, and excellent service mean this is my go to hotel for future visits. Have you been to the Grand Hyatt Berlin?

Read the rest of this article at Review: Grand Suite View King at the Grand Hyatt Berlin.

Turkish has a few configurations of the A330, both -200 and -300 series, but the lie flat seat we enjoyed is far more common on the bulk of Turkish A333. James reviewed a A330 herringbone seat, but that configuration is no longer in Turkish service. This is an old seat, with minimal privacy, but definitely comfortable. I was originally sitting in the window seat in front of my wife and daughter, but ended up in the aisle behind them. Agents in Chicago reprinted our boarding passes on Turkish card stock, but were unable to print mine for the last leg. Not a big deal, but a bit odd. For a more detailed view of this A33o configuration, see this Turkish Airlines youtube link here

This will be a quick review, as it was a short flight, but distinct from my longer flight so decided to separate it out into this post.

I didn’t get good cabin photos, due to being among the last to board, so here are some photos from James which show a similar seat, although these look to be on a 777, and a slightly older version, but you get the idea.  On the A330, the ottoman opens at the top for extra storage, and the is slightly more of a privacy divider between seats. Still, a wide enough seat that goes fully flat and a slight shell, with more privacy when recline.

Service on Turkish Airlines A330 Business Class to Berlin

As ever Turkish excels at meal service.  The seat may be out of date, but food is always tasty.  I like this style of cuisine, and it is usually executed well. Not as elaborate as the long flight from North America, but pretty solid nonetheless. I skipped breakfast before arrival on the long flight from Chicago. With our delayed arrival we didn’t have much time to visit the lounges in Istanbul. That meant I was looking forward to this meal on board. Here are menus for the morning flight to Berlin:

The meal is served on a tray, with the first course coming out with drinks and selection from a bread basket.

For my main course, I went with the scrambled eggs, maybe a slightly more western choice, but cheese pastry definitely felt Turkish.

The older IFE interface still has extensive selection. As I recall I watched a few episodes of Season 8 of Game of Thrones. “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” was one of few feel good moments for that show, especially in the final season. Of course there is the whole vibe that the world is likely ending soon for many of the characters featured. But I digress…After the meal, I reclined my seat and napped for a little while hoping to be more rested as well as beat jet lag as much as I could now that the sun was up and it is morning here in Europe

Final thoughts Turkish Airlines A330 business class to Berlin

Just like that, we were descending on approach to Berlin. A solid product for a sub-3 hour flight. Service was friendly, but nothing that remarkable. It has been a long while since my last flight on Turkish. And especially within Europe, it continues to lead the way compared to other options. Much better premium class seating, and the wide body configuration is a plus. Food service on Turkish continues to stand out.  But more importantly, we were in Berlin and vacation for my family and the marathon for me.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Turkish Airlines A330 Business Class Istanbul to Berlin.

Welcome to another installment of our amenity kit review series. As in past reviews, I will be reviewing this amenity kit on a scale from 1 to 5 (being the best) and will rate it based on five categories:

• Bag/container: design, quality and reusability/collectibility of the bag.
• Product: quality, size and variety of the facial and body products.
• Comfort items: eye masks, ear plugs, etc.
• Miscellaneous: pens, tissues and everything else.
• Extras: additional items that make your flight just a tad more comfortable including pajamas, slippers, etc.

Turkish Airlines Hackett Amenity Kit

In May 2022, Turkish launched new amenity kits for their long haul (>8 hours) business class flights. Here is some of the information in their press release

Always carrying its travel concept to a higher level, Turkish Airlines continues to host its guests with brands at the forefront of fashion world. Flag carrier signed an agreement with Coccinelle and Hackett for its travel kits offered to its guests flying Business Class on 8 hours or more long-distance flights starting from 29 April.

Global brand breathed a new life to travel kits for women with alluring and elegant designs of Coccinelle, trendy brand of fashion world with its romantic and feminine hand bags. As for men, flag carrier added British brand Hackett, which became the symbol of sportive and stylish men, to its product portfolio. Offered with a special concept, comfort sets contain 3d sleep mask designed to accommodate face contours, breathable socks, ear plug that balances the pressure, toothbrush, toothpaste with increased fluoride and recyclable packaging, hairgrip and of course skin care products.

Bag/Container

Turkish Airlines offers versatile products with rich content especially to its frequent flyer guests. Superior quality and alluring designs of its comfort sets in Business Class are carrying signatures of fashion giants and offer a new dimension to travel experience. Every product in the collection carry the signs of luxury, quality and modern lines.

Perfectly fine, and nicer than some for business class. Score: 3

Product

Items include lip balm and body lotion, which are are the bare minimum, but there is also a facial mist, which I really appreciate, especially for dry air in flight. Rather small containers, so not much to reuse, but not too bad.  Dental kit is fine, with a 2 piece toothbrush, and better quality than normal toothpaste, Colgate Total, which I often use at home. Score: 3

Comfort Items

Note that the image above is of the female kit, branded Coccinelle, which my wife received.  Contents are the same other than color differences, and Cinq Mondes products, and the addition of a hair band.  My wife liked it, and used much of it,

The eyemask is better quality that most I’ve seen, with structure to keep the light out, but not hitting eyes/eyelashes while wearing. I remember something similar in the Qantas First Class kit  Score: 3.5

Miscellaneous Items

Earplugs are 3M branded.  Decent quality, and come in a reusable case.  Score: 3

Extras

Conveniently, Turkish offers business Class passengers slippers, in a shoe bag for use in flight.  The slippers are good quality, and I used them on the rest of the trip, and beyond. A nice extra for a business class product.  Slippers are a nice to have. These are good quality, and I have continued to reuse them after the flight. I also enjoyed the stickers in the kit, to be placed on the seat, notifying flight attendants whether or not you wanted to be woken for meals.  Reminds me of old amenity kits from a decade or more ago. Score: 3.5

Final thoughts on the Turkish Airlines Hackett Amenity kit

The container itself  is decent quality, and reusable, but not sure I would use it as a toiletries case. The skincare products are somewhat minimal, but what is included is good quality.  Nice eyemask, and slippers help boost the score a bit.

Using the same scoring system for other reports, subjective yes, but I do my best to be consistent across products, I rate this kit 3.2 

Have you tried out this Turkish Airlines Hackett Amenity kit? (or the Coccinelle female version?0 Please let us know what you think.

I’m pretty geeky about these amenity kits, and always take them after flights. This means I have more than I need. For this reason, I make donations to a local shelter, where these items are really appreciated. If you have extras, I hope you do the same.

Other Amenity Kit Reviews

• Japan Airlines First Class
• ANA First Class
• British Airways First Class
• Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
• Qantas First Class
• Thai Airways First Class (Rimowa 2014)
• Japan Airlines Business Class
• Lufthansa First Class (Escada)
• Cathay Pacific Business Class (new Seventy-Eight Percent)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst (Cowshed Kit)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst
• American Airlines Transcon First Class (Reno Air Heritage Series)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst (new TEAM USA kit)
• Lufthansa Business Class (Bree)
• Etihad Business Class (LUXE)
• Qatar Airways Economy Class
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2016)
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2017)
• Austrian Airlines Business Class
• Delta One Domestic Tumi
• Air France La Premiére
• Qantas First Class Martin Grant
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2018)
• Lufthansa Business Class (Reisenthel 2018)
• Swiss Business Class (Victorinox 2018)
• American Airlines Business Class (This is Ground 2019)
• American Airlines Premium Economy (STATE 2019)
• Cathay Pacific First Class (Male 2019)
• American Airlines First Class (2019)
• United Polaris Business Class (2021)
• Qatar Airways Business Class (2021)
• Qatar Airways Business Class Diptyque (2022
• Singapore Airlines First/Suites Class (Lalique 2022)

Read the rest of this article at Turkish Airlines Business Hackett Amenity Kit Review.

Before departure in Chicago

Our flight to Istanbul was delayed, so we had time to spend at the Polaris Lounge.  The United agent at the door was very grumpy to let us in saying we didn’t have time, but with over an hour delay (it ended up being more), we had plenty of time to enjoy the lounge. We had a meal, then walked back to the ATS train, and then to Terminal 5 for the departure. Terminal 5 is under construction, looking much better, but still lounges there are poor, so I don’t recommend spending much extra time there if you don’t have to.

I’ve reviewed the O’Hare Polaris Lounge before, but it was good to be back.

Mid morning the lounge wasn’t very busy, especially near the back, adjacent to the dining area where we sat to relax a bit.

Decided to eat and the menu seems thinner than I remember, but this was better than most other options in the terminals. Sit down dining is still a treat in an airline lounge.  There is also a buffet with various items, again focusing on breakfast during our visit.

I had an egg white omelet, my wife had eggs Benedict.  My daughter kept getting cantelope and breakfast sausage from the buffet, which was enough for her.

Once the delayed Turkish plane landed, we knew it was time to leave and head towards Terminal 5.  The TTB (Terminal Transfer Bus) is still not running, so we had to leave the lounge, head through the tunnel back to concourse B, then exit the secure area to the ATS train to Terminal 5.

O’Hare wasn’t too busy during our time here, so my daughter did one of her favorite ways to spend an O’Hare layover, running on the moving walkways.

Apologize for the blurry photo, it is hard to keep up with her sometimes…

O’Hare Terminal 5 before departure

Arriving at Terminal 5, the check in hall was relatively empty, and already holding home printed boarding passes, we went straight to security.  In hindsight, maybe we should have gone to the Turkish ticket counter to get boarding passes on their card stock, since that was required to bored.  This may have also granted us PreCheck access. I put in our KTN in the record, but that didn’t show up on our United generated boarding passes.  I was unsure how long security lines would be, so we just went straight there.  We would have had plenty of time, as we waited only a few minutes to clear, and PreCheck might have only saved a small amount of time.

Once airside, things were busier. The Turkish airlines morning departure means the SAS lounge isn’t yet open, and the Swissport lounge is out of the way (and to me, not worth any effort), so we just went to the gate. Waited there a while, but finally boarded soon after it was called to relax and get on our way.

Turkish Airlines 787 Business Class cabin

The Turkish Airlines Business Class cabin on the 787-9 has 30 seats between doors 1 and 2.  The cabin is pretty, but the shells around the seats are dark gray, so it looks pretty dark in contrast to the white walls and bins of the cabin.  The seats themselves look nice, and seem to be holding up relatively well.  The window seats are private, especially the even rows, which have the seat closer to the window and away from the aisle. The seats are staggered, so middle section seats alternate between seats close to the aisle, (even rows), and closer together in odd rows.  Privacy partitions are in place for solo travelers, and compared to seats on most other Turkish business class cabins, these are quite private. There is a decent tour of the cabin that Turkish posted to youtube here. One other thing to note, there are air vents!

I quite like the seat, but as is common in any staggered configuration, the footwell is pretty constrained. I slept without too much difficulty, but this is something to keep it in mind, as it is a pretty dense configuration. It is tight all around i bumped my shoulders, elbows, knees, etc when moving around.  I’m really not sure what the best premium seat is on a 787, the narrow cabin makes things tight.

After boarding, we were offered menus (from the chef!), and amenity kits, which I reviewed here: Turkish Airlines Hackett Amenity Kit.  One special feature to note, I requested child meals for my daughter, and this also included a child amenity kit, including a coloring book, toys, and, what seemed to be her favorite, child sized slippers. It took a little bit of effort, but a few clicks on the itinerary on the Turkish website, and this was set. A nice feature for kids, especially in business class.

Service

Turkish offers drinks to business class passengers before departure. Options include mint lemonade, orange juice, raspberry juice, or water. Seemingly other drinks are available too, but that mint lemon drink is tasty.

Morning departure time (delayed to early afternoon for us), the main meal is lunch.  Menus are available online here, and photos are below. Extensive selections, and while portions are not large, I found it tasty.

I opted for the “Best of Mezze” the creamy Pea Soup, and Steak and salad for my main.

Small portions, but I’d rather have multiple tasty courses, than huge portions. Quality is high for airplane food.

For those interested, here is the extensive wine menu, 4 whites, 5 reds, a rose, a port, plus champagne and some spirits. First the whites:

Then reds and champagne:

Rose and port:

Finally spirits:

Given I had a marathon to run in a few days, I didn’t have much to drink, but the selections are extensive.

In flight Turkish Airlines 787 business class

During and after the meal service, I settled into the selection of the in flight entertainment system. A lot of options, as is the norm for me, I watched various documentaries. After the main meal service, the flight attendants offered to make up beds. This consists of  a mattress pad, and a heavier blanket than the thin one already on the seat. The early departure time from the US isn’t ideal for sleep. I did my best to relax for a few hours, and I actually slept better than I thought I might.  Flight attendants were kind of scarce after the main service, but I didn’t really need anything. The call button is there for this reason, and they were happy to answer requests.

With apologies to my readers, I didn’t bother eating the pre arrival meal.  I rarely do on trans-Atlantic flights, even this relatively longer one. Mostly because I was trying to maximize sleep, and I knew there would be another meal on the flight to Berlin.  Here is the menu:

In my sleep deprived/jet lagged state, I vaguely remember having a smoothie, but that was all I partook in before arrival.  I slept long enough not to have time for more.  Oh well. I did enjoy a view of the sun rising over the Black Sea before we landed.

Final thoughts on Turkish Airlines 787 Business class to Istanbul

The flight itself was good, with above average food. The seat is a much more modern seat which has a lot of privacy, but is tight in many dimensions, and the footwell in particular is narrow. It is a definite improvement on the older product on much of the fleet, with the caveats I mentioned. I’d gladly fly this product again.

Our late departure meant our connection time was short, so I didn’t get to visit the famous Turkish Airlines lounges in Istanbul.  We did actually drop in for a bathroom break, and a bottle of water, but with a pretty long trek between gates, we really didn’t have time to explore or enjoy it. Stay tuned for a more concise review of the flight to Berlin. Turkish still excels at a solid business class product intra-Europe, but better than many other carriers.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Turkish Airlines 787 Business Class Chicago to Istanbul.

As I always prefer, and especially before and after a marathon, I wanted to travel as comfortably as possible, so we were lucky to find award space (for 3 of us) in both directions.  We flew outbound on Turkish Airlines, with the long trans-Atlantic flight on their relatively new business class on the Boeing 787-9. For the return, we flew Qatar Airways Business Class. Flew out of our way in both directions, but the comfortable ride made up for the extra time, at least for me.

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Berlin, one of my favorite hotels, and with a work trip earlier this year, I’ve spent a lot of time in suites at this hotel this year. My parents joined us here as well, on a Guest of Honor booking. Great location in Berlin near Potsdamer Platz, and very convenient to the marathon course for me as a runner and my family as spectators.

Admittedly this this trip cost a lot of points, but very little cash, and I really have no regrets. I was happy to use my points for this.

How did I book this trip to Berlin?

I feel like I’ve been planning travel for this trip forever. Since I was originally planning on the September 2020 race, I’ve had various flights booked on and off for several years. For 2022 travels, originally I booked economy class on American as soon as it opened up just to have something.  Countless flight changes, especially the BA flights from Heathrow. At some point in late 2021, I was looking for better options when I found the outbound flights on Turkish Airlines. Booked with United Miles, 77,000 miles plus $11.80 per person for Business class between Chicago and Berlin connecting in Istanbul. A little bit out of way, but I was glad to fly Turkish Airlines again.

The Grand Hyatt Berlin costs 15,000 points per night, and although it was full during our stay, mostly with marathoners, I was able to add a room for my parents a few months before the race using my points. Nightly rates approaching €1000, so I’m happy with that deal.

Flying home, I had more trouble finding good flights, but eventually I decided to splurge on a routing with Qatar Airways. Using American miles, booked as separate awards, since Europe to USA via Doha is not a valid award routing. This made it more expensive, and flight times aren’t ideal, but it was comfortable, and I was glad to have my wife and daughter experience the lovely Qatar onboard service. This trip cost 42,500 AA miles + $55 for Berlin to Doha, and 70,000 + $67 per person for Doha to Chicago. It was fun to experience the new Qatar business class seat on the Boeing 787-9. Great service, and the seat is good, but not great.  That 787 cabin is just too narrow for many modern flat bed products. Many more details to come.

Final thoughts

I’ve run a lot of marathons through the years, but it has been nearly a decade since my last one.  I’m pleased that a made it through training and the race without injury.  I’ve spent a lot of time in Berlin, but running is a great way to explore a city, and doing so on marathon day was a great experience. People definitely show up to watch the race, and it was nice to get lots of words of congratulations after the race from locals. I may have missed out on some more, as lots of people were wearing their finisher medals in the days after the race. Oh well.

I’ll have more detailed reviews of the parts of this trip, including the long flights on Turkish and Qatar. Also, the lovely stay at the Grand Hyatt Berlin which I upgraded to a great suite. It was a special trip, made even more so since I was able to share with my family.

Read the rest of this article at Preview: The Long Way to Berlin For Three of Us.

Why the double upgrade to Flagship First?

Of course, free upgrades are usually at most one cabin, from economy to business, and my flight wasn’t full. So seemingly it wasn’t an operational upgrade.  Maybe more seats in business were needed?  Not clear to me. I have Executive Platinum status, but First Class wasn’t full, and there only was one passenger in the cabin who seemed to be a crew member. While this is a great seat for a domestic flight, I don’t think it is worth the typical cash price, and this is likely among the reasons why it seems likely to go away. But a 2 cabin upgrade from my economy ticket?  Great!

Enjoying the view at LAX before my flight to JFK.  This is the Flagship Lounge at LAX where I was sitting when I noticed a new seat for my flight. Business class on the transcontinental flight is sufficient to gain access to this lounge. Since I got the upgrade to Flagship First, I would have access to Flagship First Dining, but this is not open at LAX currently. With a late night arrival into JFK, I was not able to utilize it on arrival either. Too bad.

How is Flagship First Class on American Airlines Transcontinental?

The seat is great. On my flight the service was very friendly, but not at all proactive. After boarding I noticed a pair of used rubber gloves sitting on top of the seat at the front of the cabin. Just seemed to me as laziness to leave it there. It eventually got picked up by another flight attendant who came from the back prior to departure.  Maybe a sign of things to come service-wise…

I don’t need or expect to be pampered on any American Airlines flight. I had a lot of work to do, so I connected to the wifi, and spent much of the flight on my laptop, which with a daytime flight, is exactly what I needed, and it was great to have so much space to work comfortably. The seat is very private, with a 1-1 reverse herringbone configuration on the A321. Much better than the space I would have had in business class or certainly economy.

American Airlines Flagship First meal service

I had pre-booked a meal online when I received the upgrade to business class. First Class has the same main course options as business, but adds a few more things, like a soup course, and more desserts. Here is the menu:

I went with the grain and greens bowl, figuring on a healthier option. I remember something similar on an Alaska flight which was good. This meal was quite tasty, and with how poor as some meals have been lately onboard, I was pleasantly surprised.

The meal starts with a drink and mixed nuts.  First class gets some olives as well.  Nice touch.

Next is a choice of starters and a salad.  I don’t think everyone took each course, and I waited a little bit to eat since I had already had food in the Flagship lounge.  Maybe that threw off the flight attendants…

Salad has fresh lettuce, strawberries, goat cheese (seemed like feta to me), and sunflower seeds which I really enjoyed.  The goat cheese croquettes were quite good too.

Spicy tortilla soup is next. Nothing special, but soup is something I enjoy on flights.  Flavors hold up well, and this one was fine.

For the main course, as I mentioned, I pre booked the Grain and Greens bowl.  This order held through my upgrade, and the flight attendant confirmed my request. I added shrimp to it as well, which I believe is only an option in first class.

Finally for dessert I went with the ginger toffee cake. Mostly because it came with ice cream, so that way I could have the best of both worlds. I sometimes like a cheese plate for dessert (I am from Wisconsin after all…), but I didn’t have high expectations for what AA would come up with, so I went for sweets instead. Definitely sweet, and a bit melted but the time I got it, but fine overall. Nice way to end the meal.

How to pass the time on a long flight…

As mentioned, I spent a lot of the flight working on my laptop.  Fast Viasat wifi worked very well. and cost $29 for the flight.  Not exactly a great deal, but it worked without issue.  There is also a lot of content available on the in seat IFE. I watched an interesting documentary on Motown records and a few other things during the flight.

I should also mention that an amenity kit was provided on the flight. This is the Shinola kit, same as offered to longhaul business class since 2021. Really a poor offering for a long haul flight. Probably sufficient for transcon flights, but nothing special.  Not going to bother with a full review.

Socks, lotion, toothpaste, earplugs, eyemask and a pen. Only the pen is unique, but more useful for international flight when there might be customs forms to complete. I didn’t open it on my flight, nor since then, but it will likely be donated to a local shelter at some point.

About an hour before arrival, flight attendants offered warmed cookies.  There were also snacks available in the front of the cabin after the main meal service. Sparkling water with lemon is offered before arrival as well.  I think this has long been a feature of American Airlines flights, but not something I’ve experienced at all lately.

This flight was far from flawless, but getting the double upgrade made for a much more comfortable flight than I was planning on.  I had a decent onboard meal, was able to get a lot of work done, and travel thousands of miles in comfort. Domestic flying isn’t usually enjoyable these days, but this flight was a pleasant surprise. Elite status still makes quite a difference for me.

Read the rest of this article at Review: American Airlines A321T Flagship First.

This is a review of the Singapore Airlines Lalique First Class amenity kit provided on my flight between Frankfurt and New York. The kit is Lalique branded, and I received the Male version, there is also a female, and also a unisex version. The main difference I can determine is only one item, fragrance intended for male or female passengers. The unisex kit contains a candle.  Obviously not for use in flight! Singapore Airlines started selling a bunch of premium cabin amenities during the pandemic, and seemingly is still doing so even though these are again being offered in flight. Their stock imagery look better than what I could do myself, so I used this for this review. So all photos credit: Singapore Airlines

Welcome to another installment of our amenity kit review series. As in past reviews, I will be reviewing this amenity kit on a scale from 1 to 5 (being the best) and will rate it based on five categories:

• Bag/container: design, quality and reusability/collectibility of the bag.
• Product: quality, size and variety of the facial and body products.
• Comfort items: eye masks, ear plugs, etc.
• Miscellaneous: pens, tissues and everything else.
• Extras: additional items that make your flight just a tad more comfortable including pajamas, slippers, etc.

Singapore Airlines Lalique Amenity Kit

Back in 2017, when Singapore Airlines launched their refreshed Suites cabins on the A380, they also announced a partnership with French crystal maker, Lalique.

SIA and Lalique have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to join forces on enhancing the travelling experience in SIA’s Suites and First Class cabins. The partnership between SIA and Lalique – which forms part of Switzerland-based Lalique Group (LLQ) and specialises in decorative crystal ware, interior decor, perfumes, jewellery, art and hospitality – combines both companies’ dedication to excellence. The two partners intend to offer co-branded items such as amenity kits, toiletries, glassware, loungewear and beddings.

I’m no expert on European fashion brands. This seems nice enough, and there certainly seems to be demand for these items. I saw several items available online on ebay and similar sites to resell these kits and pajamas.

Bag/Container

Compact yet spacious, this versatile reusable pouch may be used to organise your toiletries, or other personal items including electronic devices.The pouch is in a shade of dark grey with black accents and a silver zip design. Slip your hand through the thoughtfully designed front strap for holding comfort.

The suggested retail price is SGD 180, or about US$129. Wow, first time I recall seeing a retail price assigned to an amenity kit  Quality wise it is better than most, although just a single pouch, with no pockets. Score: 3

Product

As I’ve said before, I’m far from an expert on perfume. I don’t know anything of this fragrance before this flight.  A 30ml bottle of eau de toilette is a nice addition to an amenity kit, although not something I normally use.  The scent is described as woody, and I think I agree with it.

Other items include lip balm and body lotion, very basic, and absolute minimum for an amenity kit, and these are nice, and thankfully not such a small container, so this will last a while.  The facial mist is nice, although I do with for a face cream as well.

Singapore doesn’t provide other items in the kits, but dental and shaving kits are available upon request. Good quality products, and the cologne is a nice plus, but otherwise offerings are pretty basic Score: 3.5

Comfort Items

While not part of the amenity kit, an eyemask was offered to me with the pajamas Score: x

Miscellaneous Items

As mentioned, dental and shaving kits are not part of the amenity kit, but are both available upon request. Same story for earplugs.  Score: x

Extras

The pajamas offered in flight are very nice.  Gray poly/cotton blend, quite comfortable for lounging.  Drawstring waist, and a button at the neck. As mentioned, no air vents in the suites, but at least these aren’t that warm. The eyemask included here is fine, very soft fabric, but nothing special. I’ll be wearing these pj’s again at home. There are also slippers, which are among the best airline slippers I’ve tried. Comfortable, and better yet, large enough for the feet of a tall person. Score: 4

Final thoughts on the Singapore Airlines Lalique Amenity kit

The Lalique bag is good quality, and reusable, but not sure I would use it as a toiletries case. The skincare products are somewhat minimal, but what is included is good quality.  Lalique pajamas are nice

I adjusted the scoring here compared to past reports only since Singapore doesn’t include the items the same way as others often do. I find the items that are here good quality, but other than the eau de toilette, its a pretty basic set of items included. For this reason, I used less categories, but by averaging the scores, I rate this kit 3.5 

Have you tried out this Singapore Airlines Lalique Amenity kit? Please let us know what you think.

I’m pretty geeky about these amenity kits, and always take them after flights. This means I have more than I need. For this reason, I make donations to a local shelter, where these items are really appreciated. If you have extras, I hope you do the same.

Other Amenity Kit Reviews

• Japan Airlines First Class
• ANA First Class
• British Airways First Class
• Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
• Qantas First Class
• Thai Airways First Class (Rimowa 2014)
• Japan Airlines Business Class
• Lufthansa First Class (Escada)
• Cathay Pacific Business Class (new Seventy-Eight Percent)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst (Cowshed Kit)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst
• American Airlines Transcon First Class (Reno Air Heritage Series)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst (new TEAM USA kit)
• Lufthansa Business Class (Bree)
• Etihad Business Class (LUXE)
• Qatar Airways Economy Class
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2016)
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2017)
• Austrian Airlines Business Class
• Delta One Domestic Tumi
• Air France La Premiére
• Qantas First Class Martin Grant
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2018)
• Lufthansa Business Class (Reisenthel 2018)
• Swiss Business Class (Victorinox 2018)
• American Airlines Business Class (This is Ground 2019)
• American Airlines Premium Economy (STATE 2019)
• Cathay Pacific First Class (Male 2019)
• American Airlines First Class (2019)
• United Polaris Business Class (2021)
• Qatar Airways Business Class (2021)
• Qatar Airways Business Class Diptyque (2022)

Read the rest of this article at Singapore Airlines Lalique Amenity Kit First Class.

Redeeming 86,000 KrisFlyer miles plus cash may not the best value for a relatively short flight, and very much not maximizing the amazing Singapore Airlines on board experience, but still a great way to fly across the Atlantic. Singapore premium cabins are a special experience, and First/Suites class is totally indulgent. My birthday was during this trip, and I didn’t know when else I would have the opportunity to use some soon to expire KrisFlyer miles. I transferred the rest required for the ticket, and booked the flight from Frankfurt to JFK. From there I flew JetBlue nonstop home to Milwaukee.

Departing Frankfurt on Singapore Airlines

After arriving from Doha the prior afternoon, I opted to spend the night at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport. My first stay here since it has been split into a Marriott and the Sheraton, but hard to beat the convenience, just steps from Terminal 1. Knowing I would have an early departure the next morning, this seemed like the best choice.  Lots of time in transit, as I started in Sydney, I went for convenience here.

Due to document and test requirements to fly to the USA, I could not check in online, so I made my way to the check in counter. This took a bit of extra time since rather than showing proof of a negative test to enter the US, I showed documentation of COVID recovery from the past 90 days. This was eventually accepted, and I made my way to security. This trip was in April, and while the airport was busy, it was not like peak summer travel.

With lots of time until boarding, I decided to head to the Air Canada lounge due to proximity to the departure gate, and for variety, as I have visited Lufthansa Senator lounges many times. I didn’t sleep a lot the night before departure as I was trying to get adapted to US time, and I got up early to get a workout in knowing I would be feasting on the flight to JFK.  So I had a very light breakfast in the Maple Leaf lounge and some tea, and then found a comfortable area to rest/snooze until heading to my gate.  Soon it was time to board, and I used the upper jet bridge and turned left into the beautiful Singapore Suites cabin upstairs on the A380.

Onboard Singapore Suites on the A380

Once on board, I was quickly embarrassed at how over the top service is. Countless flight attendants, leading stewards, in flight managers came by to introduce themselves. I quite possibly missed a few titles. It has been almost 9 years since my last flight in Singapore First Class. This really is special, and for me a rare experience. The same can be said for the Suites cabin on the A380.  Impressive use of space.

I was offered an amenity kit, pajamas, an offer to take my jacket, a drink of my choice (2008 Dom Perignon, of course), a photo and more.  Unfortunately, the flight attendant photo didn’t turn out very well, so I took my own. Also not great…It was hard to keep up with all the action before departure, even in a cabin that was only half full. But still, this was great fun.

I sat in Seat 1A. I was hoping the row behind me would remain open, but alas it did not, so no double bed for myself, not that I needed much sleep on the short daytime flight across the Atlantic.

I’ve been pretty fortunate to fly more first class flights on the A380 than anything else. I believe I have had 7 A380 flights prior to this.  The 2 in Qantas First Class are special, and uniquely on the lower deck. Lufthansa First Class on the A380 is good, with the service better than the seat itself. One flight on Etihad in their Apartments, was awesome, and I think the most similar comparison to the new Singapore suite. Uniquely with a 1-1 configuration in the upper deck.  Finally, I did fly on both the Qatar A380 once, and British Airways A380 (twice) on the upper deck, but in economy!

The Singapore A380 has to large lavatories at the front of the Suites cabin, no shower, but lots of space to change, lounge, and of course, the original intent of the lavatory. The 2 lavs are set up differently, but both have various seating areas besides the toilet…

Well hydrated before departure with a few glasses of Dom, we were finally ready to depart. I did laugh at the flight attendant who took my glass away before departure with the comment, “we don’t want you to get too drunk yet”.  Fair point.  This experience is a marathon, not a sprint.

Singapore Suite…the actual suite

The amount of personal space in this configuration is pretty amazing. as I mentoned, similar to the  Etihad First Apartment, but I think the flexibility of seating options here puts this a notch above that product. Of course as of today, the A380 is not active in Etihad’s fleet.

The seat is like a very nice lounger with countless flexible positions.  It can be adjusted using a touchscreen  found in the left armrest.  The seat can be rotated nearly 360 degrees, from facing forward for takeoff and landing, to towards the aisle and the large TV monitor, to face rearward towards the bed, or out the windows. That same armrest also holds an IFE controller.

Also on the window side of the suite are  several storage areas, and other lighting controls.  There is also a tablet that control some of the same seat functions, and a more intuitive touchscreen for the IFE. There are brackets for that tablet both here and at the front of the suite. Tablet is nice, but not the best interface, and notably it is not a second screen for additional content.

A small lighted vanity mirror is located here too.

There is a small wall mounted monitor on the front/bulkhead for viewing during takeoff/landing

Also a much larger monitor on the door side of the suite.This screen rotates to accommodate viewing in the chair or in the bed.

There is no foot rest for the seat, and early on in the flight, one of the attendants offered me a small ottoman so I could rest my feet. Tall people problems.

Another instance of the little things is when I returned to the seat after visiting the lavatory, I noticed the blanket was folded and placed over the armrest of my seat.  Wow.

I wasn’t particularly tired, but with a separate bed on board, I had to take advantage.  Several drinks, and a lot of food helped a bit too.  Plus the desire to help adapt to my home timezone a little bit was good motivation.  Asked to make up my bed, and it was quickly converted to this:

The bed is comfortable, a nice soft pad, and very soft sheets.  I didn’t find the cabin that warm, but unfortunately no air vents in the suite.  The day blanket was fine while lounging, but the heavy down duvet was too warm for sleeping while fully covered.

In all, a pretty novel seating concept.  Separate bed and a luxe chair are quite nice. That bed is great, and if the cabin was cooler (and had air vents, it would be among the best beds in the sky.  Some instances of style over substance. I would have like to have seen a moving map on the tablet while watching something else on the monitor, but that wasn’t possible.

Singapore Suites:  The Food

Singapore Airlines has an extensive in flight menu, and their Book the Cook menu for pre-selecting items is excellent. Unfortunately, this is somewhat limited when not departing from Singapore (link).  Still I did select most items in advance.  No menus offered on board is definitely a miss, but I did grab screenshots from the online menu using the free wifi for suites passengers.

This flight is a through flight from Singapore to Frankfurt to New York, so the menu shows all segments, but on the flight from Frankfurt, we were served lunch and a refreshment.  These are served at any time.

Once on the way, the signature Singapore Airlines satay is served.  Funny how this is usually street food in Singapore, but onboard, it is treated as an almost luxury item often served with vintage champagne. I’ve had it both places, and both are tasty, but quite different settings. No fine china when purchased at hawker centres.

Next, caviar.  I rarely drink champagne when not traveling, but caviar is something I don’t think I’ve ever eaten except on first class flights. Singapore does it right, with an individual tin served with a mother of pearl spoon

To compare, here is the caviar service way back in 2012 (Photo credit to Scott):

I like the current presentation better, and I even got more blinis to finish up…

Main course is a chicken massaman curry I ordered via Book the Cook. Always of the opinion that spicier foods have a better chance of standing up to the conditions in flight.  Similar logic for choosing garlic bread.  And the fact that it is good! I ate pretty far into the flight, so seemingly there wasn’t much garlic bread left.  At least I enjoyed one piece.

Not a large portion, but with everything else, this has been plenty of food. Curry was good, not that notable, but seemed like my best option on the menu. I wasn’t sure what to pair with my lunch, so the flight attendants suggested I try out both white wines.  Of course they did. A riesling or Aussie chardonnay. Neither are my preferred white wine styles, and honestly I don’t remember which I liked more.

Finally dessert. Another flight attendant recommendation. I’m not that much of a chocolate person, but I was sold on this being the best option, and I can’t complain.  A nice mix of textures and flavors.

Finally I asked for some tea which is served with some more sweets.

After the meal, I decided to nap. And I wasn’t that hungry afterwards, but the flight attendants seem so happy to see people eating like I’m with my grandmothers (may they rest in peace). I took one for “blog research”, and ordered a refreshment before landing, the Khao Tom Moo, rice porridge with ground pork. Delicious actually. The entire meal service is prescribed, down to how each item is placed on the tray.

After all of this didn’t need any food for a while.  It was fine, because I was delayed getting home

Arrival and layover in New York and Final Thoughts

Sadly the lovely Singapore Suites experience was over all too quickly.  I’d love to fly the product on a longer flight.  Some day maybe, but I’m grateful I tried it when I did, and this was a great way to return home after a special trip. We arrived into JFK, and a Singapore Airlines agent escorted suites passengers off the plane.  Maybe one person in particular, as she was far ahead of me by the time I got off the plane.

There was no wait for a Global Entry kiosk, and as always, I did a #GlobalEntrySelfie

From here I flew a JetBlue nonstop home to Milwaukee. After much eating and drinking on board, I happily walked from T4 to T5 at JFK. It was a nice warm spring day in NYC. My flight already showing a delay, I had more time than planned, so I decided to visit the TWA hotel. With several hours to kill, I hung out in the lobby and caught up on emails and other things after being gone.

The TWA hotel (excellent review by Steve) is located at Terminal 5 of JFK, upstairs from JetBlue’s flights and across the street. The lobby has lots of space to spread out, and I found a table and spent a few hours there. A layover due to separate tickets had more time added due to JetBlue delays. They are a new entry flying to Milwaukee with daily nonstops to Boston and New York. I’ve used this new option a few times, but each of my JetBlue flights, there was a delay of at least an hour. Some bad luck of course, but kind of annoying. Still, nonstops and credit to my AA account, I’ll probably do it again…

Finally boarded the flight home after a long but fun trip.

It was great to fly Singapore Suites.  Extravagant, very much so.  Service is exquisite as always.  The hard product is good, but not perfect.  I hope to fly it again on a longer flight, but most likely will settle for business class which is quite good itself.

Have you flown Singapore Suites?  What did you think?

Read the rest of this article at Review: Singapore Suites Frankfurt to New York.

Renewing NEXUS Membership is a process, but persistence pays off

With NEXUS enrollment centers being closed for around 2 years, there is a significant backlog for interviews. Adding to this complication is that some enrollment centers never reopened, including  those in Canada. Those needing an interview must be persistent in order to obtain an appointment. I was lucky to schedule an interview appointment around a business trip to Detroit, so I was fortunate. Other than a long wait for approval, and some effort scheduling an appointment, this process was relatively easy. Note that NEXUS interviews require meeting with both American and Canadian border agents, so the locations are only near Canada/US border checkpoints.

What about the NEXUS interview?

I’ve now done 3 NEXUS interviews. None are particularly difficult. And the first one was more educational than anything else, although information about how to use kiosks is no longer relevant, since the equipment has changed in the last decade. My most recent interview was pretty straight forward. I first met with a (US) CBP officer who took my passport and drivers license, seemingly confirming my details.  She also took the photo for my new NEXUS card. Unfortunately, my photo is about on par with my drivers license, not my best look. Oh well…

I then waited 10-15 minutes.  Not sure what the delay was, as I was the only applicant in the office for much of the time.  Finally a (Canadian) CBSA agent called my name. Basic questions about travel patterns, and then a reminder to have documentation for business travel to Canada, and that any violation while crossing the border would lead to revocation of NEXUS privileges. This officer seemed uninterested in the questions he asked me, more cared about getting his message across.  That’s fine, and a good reminder, don’t get lazy about abiding the rules. The convenience of NEXUS/Global Entry/PreCheck are well worth following the simple guidelines.

Renew before expiration

There is still a 2 year grace period to NEXUS expiration date once renewal application is submitted. My advice is to apply as soon as you are able to do so, generally on your birthday, a year before expiration. It took nearly a year for my application to be processed, and I was disappointed to realize I had to interview again. This 24 month grace period seems to be extended again when conditional approval is granted. Hopefully 2 years is more than enough time to obtain an interview appointment.

What has your experience been renewing NEXUS?  What about getting an interview appointment?

Read the rest of this article at Renewing NEXUS Membership in 2022.

Flights between Frankfurt and Doha tend to have a mix of QSuites and older products. I’ve flown this route 3 times in recent months (and in economy long ago), and this last flight westbound was my first time without QSuites. The first flight of my latest trip was showing 2-2-2 seating until just before the trip, so that I only had this product one way is a win to me.

Qatar Airways Old 777 Business Class cabin configuration

Looking back at a post from Rohan 5+years ago, he had this same cabin. 5 years isn’t that long for an airline cabin, but Qatar is converting many of these planes to QSuites. There is a lot of space in these seats, as this configuration is not nearly as efficient as more modern business class layouts. No closed space for feet, decent storage, but also very little privacy, especially compared to the QSuites.

I sat in seat 3K, which is among my preferred QSuites, but still a decent seat in this layout. Definitely a window seat person. There are several storage areas in the seat in front, presumably shoes, and reading materials.

The seat itself is comfortable, and there are many possible seating positions. The pillows/blankets are the same as in QSuites, and we also received a Bric’s amenity kit, and a protective kit containing gloves, a mask, and hand sanitizer.

There is storage for a water bottle below the “wood” paneled tray on the center armrest. The tray table comes from the armrest too. There is a power port below the shorter armrest closer to the back of the seat.  Also a reading light on a flexible post.

Qatar Airways Old 777 Business Class in flight

Soon after departure, a choice of drinks is offered, along with a ramekin of mixed nuts.  On this flight I opted for an Aperol spritz, directly from the cocktail menu.

The meal service and catering is identical to any other Qatar flight I’ve had. This includes the bread trio.  The Mezze platter is a nice starter that I often get on these flights. Otherwise meals and service flow are the same no matter what the seating configuration is.

Final thoughts

While a definite step down to have this older seat, the service onboard is still good. Lack of privacy is significant, especially when traveling alone. The magic of QSuites is that there is excellent privacy for single flyers, but there are good options for couples or families to sit together. But what if a couple prefers window seats?  Not really a good option there, as the honeymoon and quad seats are in the middle of the cabin.

I wouldn’t actively book away from a flight with these seats, but from what I can tell, most long haul flights have QSuites, other than rare exceptions. All flights to USA and Australia seem to be scheduled with QSuites configurations.  Shorter flights such as to Europe can vary, as I found out for this flight.

Read the rest of this article at Flying Qatar Airways Old 777 Business Class.

Qatar Airways provides amenity kits in premium cabins on most of their flights. Currently, these Diptque kits are offered on long haul flights to Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, and A380 flights to London.  From the Qatar press release:

Qatar Airways once again elevates the standard of luxury onboard with the launch of exclusive amenity kits and gift boxes from iconic French Perfumer Diptyque. These bespoke products will be initially available for First and Business Class passengers on routes across the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to A380 flights to London and Paris.

The new amenity range consists of Diptyque branded bags as well as gift boxes featuring Diptyque’s signature oval branding; customised for male and female passengers.

Welcome to another installment of our amenity kit review series. As in past reviews, I will be reviewing this amenity kit on a scale from 1 to 5 (being the best) and will rate it based on five categories:

• Bag/container: design, quality and reusability/collectibility of the bag.
• Product: quality, size and variety of the facial and body products.
• Comfort items: eye masks, ear plugs, etc.
• Miscellaneous: pens, tissues and everything else.
• Extras: additional items that make your flight just a tad more comfortable including pajamas, slippers, etc.

Qatar Airways Diptyque Amenity Kit

In March 2022, Qatar Airways announced an expanded partnership with French perfumer Diptyque. Starting in 2021, Qatar introduced Diptyque toiletries on board and in lounges, and now this is part of their amenity kit offerings.

Each Qatar Airways amenity kit and gift box provides specially selected Diptyque products including:

• Nourishing Lip Balm – enriched with roses and violets to soothe and soften the lips

• Fresh Lotion for the Body – infused with the scent of orange blossoms, to refresh sleepy skin for all skin types

• Essential Face Cream – nourishing and replenishing, with prickly pear extract to boost radiance

• Diptyque fragrance – ‘Eau Rose’ Eau de Toilette – an infusion of the finest damascena and centifolia roses, or the brand’s signature ‘34 Boulevard Saint Germain’ Eau de Toilette with notes of amber, patchouli, cinnamon and rose.

Bag/Container

Currently, qualifying flights inbound to Doha receive a small gift box, and departing Doha, kits are offered in a reusable dopp kit.

Vegan leather bag is small, but  seems to be good quality, and might be good to reuse. I didn’t realize that the box was a permanent solution until I read the press release later. It works, but definitely not something to reuse. The bag is fine, but nothing too special  Score: 2.5

Product

I’m far from an expert on perfume. Other than seeing the Diptyque toiletries in lounges and on board, I may not have heard of it before. Having a perfume/cologne included in an amenity kit is a nice bonus especially for business class. Qatar doesn’t offer much First Class service, so this isn’t too surprising, although it is unclear to me how the first class kits differ if at all.

The 20ml tube of essential face cream is quite nice, but the aroma is pretty strong. Looking online for Dipytque products shows high prices for these products, so I expect there to be a decent secondary market for these amenity kits. The scent is strong, and not really my thing, but I’ll give it a try, and see if my wife/daughter notice…

The face cream will definitely be used, and the body lotion is a 30ml/1oz bottle which will last some time, same with the lip balm.  Good quality products and more than just a tiny sample tube of each item.  Similar to previous Qatar kits, there is no toothbrush/toothpaste in this kit, nor are there shaving items. These are available in onboard (or in lounge) lavatories. Score: 4.5

Comfort Items

As nice as the product is, the basic items included here seem rather cheap. These are likely intended to be single use, and that is all I would expect they can be used for. Similar to past kits, the eyemask has a Qatar logo, and is comfortable enough, with an elastic strap adjustable with velcro. The socks are very basic polyester, similar to what is in most any kit. Score: 3

Miscellaneous Items

As mentioned, dental and shaving kits are not part of the amenity kit, but are both available in the lavatories. Earplugs are included, in this version of the kit are just in a bag.  No more case as in the past.  The earplugs themselves are 3M and decent quality. Score: 2.5

Extras

Qatar offers pajamas on flights that are long enough (unclear the actual cutoff) and at least partially overnight for those in premium cabins. These White Company branded pajamas are pretty nice for airline PJs, and I often wear them at home. Sizing is a bit odd. I received size Large. I’m over 6 feet tall, but not that big.  The shirt is baggy,with the sleeves uncuffed and long. I tried a medium, and pant legs are just too short for me. The pants are comfortable, but no pockets are a bit a of a miss. Slippers are fine…better than average for airline amenities, but nothing amazing. Score: 4.5

Final thoughts on the Qatar Airways Diptyque Amenity kit

The kit bag is decent, and the skincare products are very nice. The “luxurious bespoke gift box” might be overselling it a bit, but fine, I have far too many amenity kit bags The White Company pajamas are good. The other stuff is nothing special.  By averaging the scores, I rate this kit 3.4 Maybe a little harsh, as the Diptyque items are excellent, and pajamas are good.  Otherwise, the kit is not that special.

Have you tried out this Qatar Airways Amenity kit? Please let us know what you think.

I’m pretty geeky about these amenity kits, and always take them after flights. This means I have more than I need. For this reason, I make donations to a local shelter, where these items are really appreciated. If you have extras, I hope you do the same.

Other Amenity Kit Reviews

• Japan Airlines First Class
• ANA First Class
• British Airways First Class
• Virgin Atlantic Upper Class
• Qantas First Class
• Thai Airways First Class (Rimowa 2014)
• Japan Airlines Business Class
• Lufthansa First Class (Escada)
• Cathay Pacific Business Class (new Seventy-Eight Percent)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst (Cowshed Kit)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst
• American Airlines Transcon First Class (Reno Air Heritage Series)
• United Airlines BusinessFirst (new TEAM USA kit)
• Lufthansa Business Class (Bree)
• Etihad Business Class (LUXE)
• Qatar Airways Economy Class
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2016)
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2017)
• Austrian Airlines Business Class
• Delta One Domestic Tumi
• Air France La Premiére
• Qantas First Class Martin Grant
• American Airlines Business Class (Cole Haan 2018)
• Lufthansa Business Class (Reisenthel 2018)
• Swiss Business Class (Victorinox 2018)
• American Airlines Business Class (This is Ground 2019)
• American Airlines Premium Economy (STATE 2019)
• Cathay Pacific First Class (Male 2019)
• American Airlines First Class (2019)
• United Polaris Business Class (2021)
• Qatar Airways Business Class (2021)

Read the rest of this article at Qatar Airways Diptyque Amenity Kit (Male).

Hyatt Regency Sydney

To book this hotel, I was fortunate that the property went from Category 5 when booking to Category 4. From my original booking using points, I got a refund, and then was able to use a soon to expire category 1-4 award for a night. Pretty good value for rates over AU$330. As mentioned, no suite upgrade, but my assigned room is a few categories higher than what I booked into. Doubt the hotel was near capacity, but there is a very small percentage of suites for such a large hotel.

I arrived at night after my long journey starting in Liverpool. Four flights in total, Wizz Air, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways. Room was well appointed, and even though this is not a work trip, I do prefer having a desk.  The small dining table was fine, and the small couch was a decent spot to relax.

The bathroom is small, but with a shower and no bath, I find the space efficient.  Large dispensers of  Hyatt brand standard Pharmacopia shampoo/conditioner/body wash in dispensers in the shower.  It’s no longer KenetMD, but the typical offering these days, and the large dispensers are becoming more common.

After a long journey, where I was mostly lounging around, I decided to get some fresh air. I spent some time just enjoying the view from the room’s balcony, but also walked around the area near the hotel a bit too.

Korean-style fried chicken and beer made for a satisfying dinner my first night in town.

Around the area

During my stay, I did a lot of walking around Sydney, the CBD to the north of the hotel, but also some other areas.  One day I intended to walk, and then rent a bike to get back, but for some reason I couldn’t unlock any of them, so I got a lot of walking in that day.  33,000+ steps per my watch.

Not far from the hotel is a small Chinatown, with (obviously) many Chinese shops, but also Korean and Japanese restaurants as well. I enjoyed some boba after spending much of the afternoon walking around.

For whatever reason on travels of late, I’ve been seeking out street art, Sydney may not have as much as many places in Europe, but there is a decent amount, especially in the area of Newtown, which I encountered on my long walk.

Some of my time in Sydney had rainy days, so I did my best to find indoor activities, including an unplanned visit to St. Marys Cathedral during a particularly strong deluge.

Public spaces at the Hyatt Regency Sydney

Back at the Hyatt Regency, where I didn’t spend that much time other than to sleep and eat breakfast, but I did want to discuss some of the areas that guests will encounter there. There is a large and well appointed Regency Club. Unfortunately this was not open during my stay.

The lobby is not large, and with low ceilings, doesn’t seem very open. Despite this, during my stay with relatively low occupancy, it was never crowded. The breakfast restaurant is located at the back of the lobby, to the left of the stairs in the photo below. Large room with buffet or a la carte options. Rather good meal, but not particularly memorable. Glad it was included thanks to my status.

Final Thoughts

The Hyatt Regency Sydney is a nice reasonable option, especially for those Hyatt loyalists. I have stayed a few times, now, and it is a good base for visitors to Sydney. Worked well for my needs. Although, the real treat was to come. The Park Hyatt is a truly special place.

Read the rest of this article at Review: Hyatt Regency Sydney.

This trip came about after making various changes to a purchased Qatar Airways trip. When schedule changes occur greater than a set amount of time (which has changed a few times since the original booking back in early 2020), there are some options to change the ticket. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the details of this ticket but I purchased a relatively cheap fare in Qatar Business Class from Copenhagen to Hong Kong. For a time Qatar was allowing an insanely generous change policy, changing destinations to anywhere within 5000 miles of the original city.  Crazy. It was possible to buy a cheap US-eastern Europe ticket on Qatar and reroute it somewhere much further.

For me, I didn’t get as good a deal as some, figuring on maximizing the distance traveled (and now Loyalty Points while crediting to American Airlines), I changed my destination to Sydney.  Of course Australia was closed to foreigners at the time, but I gambled that it would open up. Now 2+ years later, it finally did, and my final ticket was between Frankfurt and Sydney.

How did this all happen?

Realizing I could leave home a few days earlier, go to Liverpool for an LFC match, this was an awesome bonus I managed to fit in an already fun trip.

This was totally worth it, but it required me to work with very limited flight options to get back to Frankfurt in time for my flight the next morning. The only direct flights to Frankfurt are from Manchester, and nothing was late enough on Saturday for me to get there from the game. So I looked at early flights Sunday morning.  Not much buffer in case of delays, with a late morning departure from Frankfurt. So I found another option.

I could fly from Liverpool airport Saturday night, stay somewhere, and then fly to Frankfurt early Sunday morning. Still a lot that could go wrong, but not such tight connections. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is home to mostly low cost carriers.  Although Lufthansa now has 4x/week service that began in early May. For me, the best option I found was a Wizz Air flight to Warsaw, overnight in a hotel attached to the airport, and then an early morning Lufthansa hop to Frankfurt.

Wizz Air from Liverpool

Complicated, and still a bit nerve wracking, but in the end, it worked well. My Wizz Air flight was ~$91 including a seat assignment and my carryon baggage. The Renaissance at the Warsaw airport was less than the ticket, and very convenient, directly across the road from departures. For the flight to Frankfurt I used 8800 United miles + $20 for Lufthansa nonstop. Given the war in Ukraine, a layover in Warsaw wasn’t my first choice, but the convenience of the hotel at the airport, and the early arrival into Frankfurt, this proved to be the best option.

Once in Frankfurt, I exited the Schengen area, even using my long dormant EasyPASS, to use the automated passport control gates (with a manual stamp), and then was in Terminal B for my departure to Doha. I spent the layover in the Lufthansa Business lounge, and then headed to my gate. Compared to my last time departing Frankfurt on Qatar, at least I had the ability to visit a lounge. The Lufthansa Business lounge located in the B gates is open before the Qatar morning flight. Nothing special, but better than the busy pier where Qatar departs from.

Documentation required for entry into Australia

In early April, Australia was relatively newly open to international travel, and somewhat more strict requirements than entering the UK and the EU earlier on this trip.  This includes a pre-departure COVID test.  I used a BinaxNOW antigen test with video proctoring from eMed, which I took at my hotel in Liverpool. The requirement is within 24 hours of first departure. So for me I took the test late Saturday morning, inside 24 hours from my departure from Frankfurt.

In addition, a visa is required. As a US citizen, I am eligible for a ETA. New to me this time around is the fact that “there’s an app for that”. This cost AU$20, and was quickly approved, and is valid for multiple 90 day entries for a year. Finally, digital passenger declaration must be completed. This also is a phone app, which can be completed in advance. More information on current Australia entry requirements can be found here. At the departure gate, I had to show the required documentation for entry into Australia.  The A negative COVID test results and the DPD output (just showed it on my phone). The agent in Frankfurt confirmed my ETA was valid.

Each Australian state and territory has differing requirements. As I understood it, an antigen self test was required upon arrival in New South Wales. This wasn’t mentioned at check in at my hotel, and I asked. I was told this is no longer required.  I carried the test this far, so I took it anyway, and was glad it was negative. Then I we out and enjoyed my time in Sydney

Final thoughts

Fortunate to have another Trip with QSuites. Really a solid business class product in the air. 2 trips in 5 months.  Getting pretty spoiled.  I need to find another way to fly it again.

What about Wizz air? Honestly, it was perfectly fine. Cheap ticket, and with some advanced planning, it is perfectly fine.  I brought food and drink on board, and my seat assignment was part of a small premium on my ticket. I’m still no fan of the LCC model, but they offered a routing that worked for my limited schedule. No other option worked for my needs on legacy carriers. I’d certainly fly with them again if needed.

Read the rest of this article at From Economy on Wizz Air and Lufthansa to Qsuites to Australia.