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Candlelight dinner in the sky
The tight competition among airlines to convince passengers to dig deeper into their wallets for business class has gone beyond the comfort of flat-bed seats or a complimentary glass of champagne.
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Grand design: The two-level lounge showcases impressive Turkish design, with a spiraling staircase encased by a spherical structure. (Turkish Airlines/File)
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em>A group of Indonesian journalists, including The Jakarta Post, was invited to several Croatian cities by Turkish Airlines and the Croatian Tourism Board. Here is the story.
At least two things left a strong impression when I took Turkish Airlines’ Business class on a trip to Croatia: its impressive dinner and, of course, the lounge at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.
It was not my first trip in Business class, but I must say the Turkish carrier stood out for going the extra mile in making the 13-hour Jakarta-Istanbul trip not just tolerable but comfortable.
The minute I boarded the plane, I was greeted by the warm smiles of the stewardesses as one of them escorted me to my seat and helped me settled in.
The flat bed was spacious and the legroom, with an ottoman at my feet, definitely provided much more space to stretch out. The ottoman was a pleasant surprise, since I could store my bag, laptop and other things I needed during the flight beneath it, so I didn’t have to constantly get up to retrieve them from my luggage in the overhead compartment.
The seat controls also provided a variety of comfortable positions, whether you wanted to transform your seat into a full flat bed with a complimentary pillow (yes, a real pillow) and a warm blanket, just like at home.
Or, you could simply stretch out to enjoy your meal or watch newly released films just a touchscreen away, equipped with the provided noise-canceling Denon headphones. Under the armrest, a USB port allows you to charge your cell phone during the trip.
The plane also comes with a designated prayer space for Muslim passengers, a service that probably makes the airline a favorite among Indonesians for their umrah (minor haj) trip.
Turkish Airlines regional commercial manager Nevin Ekiz Bolat explained that Indonesia was an important market, with the airline showing increasing market performance for the past 1.5 years among both umrah and regular passengers.
“The number of passengers flying from İndonesia with Turkish Airlines has increased by 23 percent in 2017 compared to 2016,” she said, adding that the airline had opened its direct Jakarta-Istanbul route in May 2015.
The airline, she said, also worked with partner agencies on trips, including for umrah. “[We want] to offer the best flight experience for our customers on their way to pilgrimage destinations,” Bolat said.
The dining experience stood out the most. It’s not just that the food was delicious and probably the best I’ve ever had on a plane, but its overall presentation made it a memorable experience.
Instead of handing each passenger a menu, the flight’s Sky Chef introduced himself, explaining the dining options that evening and offering his recommendations for dishes to suit individual tastes. “If you’re not sure, I can serve you everything,” the chef told me.
Passengers can also place their breakfast order, the menu for which is customized like the ones found in a hotel room, before turning in for the night.
That evening, I decided to start off with a Turkish tea that came with mixed nuts, a staple of traditional Turkish hospitality. If you’re not into a cup of tea, a wide selection of other beverages are also available, from fresh juices to alcoholic cocktails.
After that, the dining service started flowing, from a selection of warm breads served with butter, a bottle of olive oil and mixed spices.
Then came the appetizers, from chicken Caesar salad, Mediterranean seafood to creamy soups, which the chef presented on a cart that made it easier to choose from. Your selected appetizer would then be served on smooth porcelain plates.
A selection of meats, seafood with pasta and a vegetarian dish were offered for the main course. Since it was already past my regular dinnertime, I went for pasta with shrimp that tasted like something from a fine dining restaurant.
A nice touch came with my main course: a candle bearing the motto, “candlelight dinner high above the clouds.” The electric candle is just a tiny LED lamp but, personally, it’s one of the little details that brought a smile to my face and helped me sleep comfortably all the way to Istanbul.
Exploring the lounge
One of the privileges of traveling on business class is definitely enjoying free access to airport lounges. And while these lounges can be found in every airport, the Turkish Airlines flagship CIP Lounge in its home country is simply impressive.
With only several hours to spare before my connecting flight to Zagreb in Croatia — and on my way back to Jakarta — I managed to explore some of the lounge’s facilities at Istanbul Ataturk Airport and, of course, tasted the food on offer.
The two-story lounge showcases remarkable Turkish design, with its incredibly high ceiling and a spiraling staircase encased by a spherical structure that lends a feeling of grandeur.
“The Ottoman and Seljuk architecture and design roots complete the lounge experience, unique to Turkish Airlines,” explained Turkish Airlines regional commercial manager Nevin Ekiz Bolat.
The lounge, she said, has been expanded and refurbished to provide guests with a much more relaxing and comfortable travel experience. “The expanded lounge can host over 1,000 guests at one time,” she says.
The 5,900-square-meter lounge definitely goes beyond other airport lounges outfitted with regular amenities like complimentary Wi-Fi, computers, snacks, drinks and basic entertainment.
In fact, the airline tries to meet its passengers’ different needs by paying attention to the details, like providing lockers for those who want to store their carry-on bags or electronic devices while charging.
For long layovers, the lounge has luxurious showers for passengers to freshen up, a massage area where the house massage therapists take the weight off your shoulders, and comfortable suites to rest up before the next flight.
The exclusive amenities go on and on: from musicians playing a grand piano on each level for your listening pleasure; a library with great titles in its collection; a cinema (with a popcorn machine); and a spacious prayer room.
The airline also understands the need of those traveling with children, and provides a kid’s corner with plenty of toys to play with.
There are also plenty of leisure options to kill the time, from a billiard table to PlayStation with the latest games.
Two entertainment options that are possibly found only here are the slot car racecourse, where players race around Istanbul (rather than the airport), and the Foresight Sports virtual golf simulator for golf lovers, which provides two full sets of clubs that allow you to play an 18-hole, anywhere in the world.
Food was again a true winner. The lounge has plenty to offer, from Turkish specialties (the coffee and tea are the best), a Chinese kitchen (try the sweet-and-sour chicken rice) and to Western food (one of the stalls serves burgers).
The food is not served cold in a buffet, but in an open kitchen concept that allows you to talk to the chefs and watch your order being prepared.
One delightful moment was sampling the baklava, a rich, sweet dessert made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. The sweetness lingers on, even after coming home, just like the trip’s memorable experiences.
