You can read Part 1 of the review here.

Check-in/airport

I arrived at Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU)  terminal 3 at 2 pm for my 4:05 pm flight. Terminal three handles most intercontinental flights for nearly all airlines out of GRU, and I quickly located the BA check-in area at Zone H. The terminal feels modern and isn’t too large, and is quite easy to navigate your way around. 

Check-in wasn’t too busy despite the flight being full, and there were maybe fifteen people waiting at the economy counters and no wait at the premium check-in counters.  I know BA have outsourced the majority of their non-LHR ground operations, and I am not sure if that is also the case at GRU, but I always find the BA uniformed check-in staff to be so friendly, professional and knowledgeable.  The convivial ground agent had my boarding passes printed, and I was on my way to security and passport control.

There is no priority security lane at GRU, which is no big deal as I have never experienced a delay passing through.  GRU turns the departure process on its head a little, with the security check coming first, followed by immigration.  The whole process took no longer than ten minutes, and I was on my way to the lounge.

Lounge

BA still contracts the LATAM lounge for use in Sao Paulo, which is fantastic. Although it gets very busy, it is one of my favourite business-class lounges to use mainly due to its excellent food spread and nap rooms.

All the lounges are located on the mezzanine level just after passing immigration.  There is usually a queue to get into the LATAM lounge, mainly due to the wide range of methods available to enter. 

Apart from LATAM flights and affiliated airlines, the lounge also provides access to Dragonpass holders and is also linked up with several Brazilian bank cards.  On the subject of Dragonpass, it is worth mentioning that if you hold the Barclays Avios Plus credit card, one of the perks is membership to DragonPass Premier.  With this, you pay a flat fee of £18.50 to enter any affiliated lounge instead of the varying fee via the regular Dragonpass.  For example, normal entry to the LATAM lounge via regular Dragonpass would be US$63.  I would certainly not pay that, but given the catering and facilities provided, £18.50 is a bargain if you are flying and have no lounge access included.  Once inside, the lounge is quite large, and I have never had an issue finding a seat. 

There is a tended bar, showers, a very varied food spread, a dining area and nap rooms on offer.  I enjoyed a meal I put together from the buffet items, had a coffee, and before I knew it, the monitor was showing ‘flight boarding’, so I left and made my way to the gate. 

Boarding

The gate was only a few minutes walk away, and boarding the British Airways A350 Business Class was already underway.  The terminal is designed intelligently, so it is quite easy to organise the various queues without bottlenecks, and I was straight on board.  The flight was being boarded via dual jetties into both doors one and two, and a good ten minutes before STD, the First Officer announced we were all ready to go.

As on the outbound flight, the return was also operated by an A350, although this time, my seat was in the first row of the mini-cabin behind door two.  I couldn’t notice any difference between a bulkhead suite and a regular one, to be honest, except, of course, I had a perfect wing view (avgeek coming out in me). 

As for the outbound journey, there were already a few items at the seat – bedding, a bottle of water, a menu, and a wash bag.  The crew busied themselves coming around with a choice of prosecco, water or orange juice and took meal orders.  The crew all seemed polite, although perhaps a little younger and less polished overall compared to the outbound flight.  They were still eager to be of assistance which is the most important thing for me.

Inflight

Pushback actually came one minute early at 4:04 pm, and we were airborne soon after into a cloudy Brazilian sky.  During taxi inflight entertainment started early for me as being just behind the galley, I was partial to the crew members’ conversations: the crew members’ satisfaction (or not) of their bidding, how much money various trips were worth and why they bid for specific places (the short answer for these two crew – men).  It was quite bumpy for around ten minutes after take-off, and the seat belt sign was switched on longer than normal, but the crew got started with the service. First up was hot towels.

The service took a different pace on this flight compared to the way out.  Being an afternoon departure, most customers were in the mood for relaxing with a drink and meal, watching a film.  On the outbound flight departing at 10:20 pm, the majority wanted something quick before reclining their seats and getting some shut-eye.  It is also worth mentioning that the business class load on this flight was 100%, whilst the outbound was around three-quarters full.

The service was still well-paced, with my glass of Portuguese red alongside some packaged snacks in front of me within 35 minutes of take-off.  It was still a little bumpy, and the seatbelt signs remained illuminated for around another hour. 

The meal tray consisting of the beef starter, side salad and a delicious warm tri-flavoured bread roll was served with my choice of sparkling water, and my red was also topped up.  Like the outbound flight, the food has definitely seen some improvement, and I enjoyed all elements of the starters. 

The main course followed, of which I chose the cobia fish.  It was pretty good but a little dry for my personal liking, although fish is always a tricky meat to reheat onboard an aircraft. 

I was fairly full at this stage but opted for a cheese plate, too, which was again a delicious offering of three types of cheese alongside some pineapple chutney.

Once everything was cleared away, I reclined my seat flat and attempted some shut-eye.  I appreciated how quiet and calm the British Airways A350 Business Class mini cabin felt. There were no families, no couples chatting.  It was almost as if it was the designated ‘quiet zone’.  The lights were lowered, and I nodded off.  I was a little concerned I would have noise disturbance with the galley and loo being just in front of me, but it wasn’t too bad at all.  There was a bit of noise a couple of hours in. I am assuming this was when the crew were changing over during their breaks.  It wasn’t anything disruptive it’s just the other side of the coin with new aircraft being so incredibly quiet – any ambient noise is picked up and sounds so much louder.  I got up to use the loo and noticed the self-service area at the door two was well stocked with packaged snacks and refrigerated sandwiches, and fruit pots.  I went back to bed, and before I knew it, we were landing in an hour.

The crew quickly took my breakfast order and asked if it was ok if everything was placed on the tray together, given the late stage of the flight, which I appreciated.  The fruit was delicious (I’d expect no less from Brazilian produce). The omelette was fine but not as nice as the excellent one on the way out.  I guzzled down a coffee, and then another and then prepared the cabin for landing. PA was made.  The crew started getting everything ready for arrival, and we landed precisely on time.  We did have to wait a few minutes just off the gate for a staff member to arrive to turn the aircraft guidance system on.  As is a habit, I then walked the fifteen minutes from C gates to A gates to get the blood flowing.

Transit

I was continuing to Manchester but decided to exit the airport and catch up with friends for lunch in London, returning to LHR for the 18:15 flight.  Had to giggle to myself that despite the security strike being over and First Wing open, it took me longer to get through the checkpoint than it had during the strike!

I was impressed by what was on offer onboard for a 34-minute flight.  It was a light meal and full bar service, but I found the whole thing much more premium than I did the KLM offering on my two-and-a-half-hour flight from Madrid to Amsterdam a few months ago.  The salmon gravlax was delicious, and the crew were thoughtful in offering plastic glasses to customers that hadn’t finished their drinks so they could hold on to them when the cabin secure for landing was being conducted.

Verdict

This was another excellent flight from BA that ticked all the boxes for me – punctual, club suite equipped aircraft ensuring a great sleep, efficient crew, delicious food and a well-paced and executed service.  Comparing it to my flight on LATAM a few months ago on the same route, the comparison is like night and day, with BA definitely having the edge. 

Like our British Airways A350 Business Class review? You can also read other British Airways A350 articles here, such as British Airways A350 Club Suites Review To New York – A Very Special Flight Aboard BA001 and British Airways A350: Club Suite Vs World Traveller Las Vegas To London. 

You can also read more flight reviews here. 

The post REVIEW: British Airways A350 Business Class Flight from São Paulo to London Part 2 appeared first on Turning left for less.

Today’s article is from TLFL writer Jason.

Background:

I had some time off over easter and was always eager to escape the British cold, so I decided I would go and visit family in Sao Paulo, Brazil leaving the UK on Wednesday and arriving back the following Monday.  The threat of security strikes had been reported on in the media at the time of booking, but like so many other threatened Industrial Actions at LHR over the summer, I was quietly confident (or maybe just hopeful) that this one would be resolved too.  After all, ten days of disruption seemed quite significant. 

Having a child that doesn’t attend school (i.e. my four-legged doggy son), I was completely oblivious to my travels being over a security strike AND school holidays.  My planning in terms of timing could definitely do with some work.

As my long weekend drew nearer and the threat of a security strike at T5 was now a reality, I started to review my plans. I had been booked to fly Manchester – London – Sao Paulo but checking the ‘flight status’ page of ba.com during the first few days of strikes, it was obvious the main impact was on short-haul flights, with many carrying significant delays or being cancelled altogether.  I detest flying from Manchester T3 at the best of times, and with disruption, they are utterly useless at organisation, so I contacted BA, asked the Manchester – London sector be removed from my booking, and reserved a seat on the train to Euston instead (who have now resolved their industrial relations issues hoorah).

Check-in:

I had checked in via the BA app the day before (note if travelling to Brazil – you need to upload your COVID passport into your BA booking before it allows you to check in).  I selected seat 7K, a window seat in the middle of the main Club Cabin.

I was trying to get as much information as I could about security wait estimates and which priority lanes were open and which were not, but to be honest, the details were scant.  The Heathrow website simply referred customers to the airline’s websites.  Ba.com was not really specific; instead just advised Fast Track and the First Wing ‘may’ be closed.  This was understandable as I guess BA had no idea what Heathrow Airports’ staff resources would be day by day.

BA  advised customers on long-haul flights not to arrive more than three hours before departure and short-haul customers no more than two hours prior.  This made perfect sense.  Many airports were in absolute carnage after the COVID travel reboot because their advice to avoid delays was to ‘arrive as early as possible’.  So, you had people arriving six and seven hours before a flight departure, clogging up the security lanes and delaying people behind them who arrived a sensible three or four hours before departure.

Another sensible mitigation that BA made was they allowed those travelling on cheaper hand baggage-only fares to check a bag in for free with the intention of reducing baggage going through the passenger security channels.  I was a little worried that they would insist on some draconian policy of just one small personal item through security, but normal hand baggage allowances remained in place.  My personal opinion is that it isn’t about how much hand baggage a person has. It is about how organised they are.  I carry a cabin-sized wheelie and a small backpack, and I had all my bits and pieces out on the tray and on their way through the x-ray way before the disorganised person next to me with one small carry bag.

I arrived at Euston just shy of 6 pm, so made my way to Paddington by tube and then onwards to LHR via the Heathrow Express.  I arrived at T5 around 3.5 hours before departure, and as the lift doors opened into departures from the train platforms, I was expecting lots of queues and frustrated people.  There were none.  Departures seemed eerily quiet, and although there was a large winding maze for people to join the general security line, it was empty. 

The First Wing security was closed (although the First Check-in area remained open), and I entered the Fast Track North security lane.  There were maybe ten other customers in front of me, and I was through in no more than fifteen minutes.  I could see the general security lanes also – these were also quiet.  This isn’t to say that it would have been like this the whole day. I am sure there would be much busier periods.  And, of course, BA has a huge number of transiting passengers who have to pass security airside, and I have no idea what the state of play was there.  But as a departing passenger, you would have absolutely no idea that there was any Industrial Action occurring.  In fact, you’d probably remark on how quick and efficient security was.

Once airside, the terminal seemed to be its usual buzzing self, and I made a beeline for the First-Class lounge, which was also pleasantly quiet. 

There was a delay entering the lounge as the gold Cardholder in front of me was loudly arguing he should be allowed to guest his wife and two teenage kids into the lounge because of the ‘huge amount of money I send BA’s way’.  He (rightfully) didn’t win the argument with the staff member calmly explaining that for reasons of fairness, the guesting rules had to be consistent across all cardholders.

I had quite a lot of time to kill with a departure of 10:20 pm, so checked out the food offerings. 

There were three items you could order to your table via your phone, but I generally find these are similar to what is on the buffet anyway, so went and built a DIY dinner. 

Hot options included chicken curry, a vegan stew, and pasta. 

There was also a choice of two soups, a wide variety of salads, a selection of cheeses, sandwiches, fresh fruit, and crisps.

At 9:20 pm, I made my way to the departure gate, which was in the B satellite.  As always, after stuffing myself in the lounge, I took the lifts down to the floor below the automated transit train level and waked the ten minutes from A to B gates which have become a little ritual.  This walkway is literally the quietest part of T5 you will find, and I did not see another soul for the ten-minute walk, which was a great escape from the stress and bustle of a large airport.

The flight boarded from gate B38 bang on time at 9:40 pm, with groups 1 and 2 called forward first.  Door 1 was used for boarding, and as I presented my boarding pass to the two friendly crew at the door, I was greeted with a ‘welcome back Mr D’Suvio’ and directed to my seat on the other side of the aircraft.

All BA’s A350s are fitted with the new Club Suite, which I am a huge fan of.  It ticks every box I look for in a seat – fully flat, direct aisle access, all seats are more or less equal, plenty of stowage, great privacy (with sliding door) and a good-sized foot space. 

I won’t go into too much about the seat features as I know there have already been several reviews on here.  Club World occupies the entire forward cabin between doors one and two (11 rows), and then there is a small mini cabin of three rows aft of doors two and in front of Premium Economy, amounting to 56 suites in total.

Club World was about three-quarters full with quite a lot of families with young children travelling, which immediately gave me flashbacks of my flight to Mexico City on Air France, where young children ran up and down the aisle and literally climbed over seats whilst their parents looked on unfazed.  There was none of that on this evening’s flight, thankfully. 

Already at the seat were the White Company bedding, washbag, headphones, and menu.  The crew then came around offering glasses of champagne, juice, or water, as well as a small bottled of water.  We were welcomed onboard via the PA by the Captain, and in my opinion, BA pilots are always the best at giving friendly and professional welcomes and practical information about the flight.

Meal orders were taken on the ground with a full three-course offering; however, I opted for the ‘express’ option of a starter and dessert with the aim of getting some sleep as soon as possible. 

The crew were typical BA.  A little bit of the British reserve at the beginning, but always professional.  Boarding is a hectic time for the crew, and warm welcomes are not always the BA crew’s forte.  I get it completely; you are trying to navigate your way down a narrow aisle with a tray of drinks whilst three hundred other people with backpacks and wheelie bags are behind you, trying to overtake you, whacking you with their luggage as they go. 

I sometimes find when I fly BA, the crew can appear a little serious or standoffish initially, and this was one of those flights.  Whilst getting settled in, I had popped my water bottle into one of the many cubby holes of the suite and along came a crew member who reminded me of a schoolteacher when I was a kid ‘That bottle can’t stay there for take-off. It isn’t approved’.  And she was completely correct, but the delivery could have been better. ‘Hi, welcome onboard. My name is xxx. I’ll be one of the crew looking after you tonight.  Just to let you know that stowage isn’t approved for the water bottle, so if you wouldn’t mind moving it’.  Game, set, match.  During the flight, she was a phenomenal crew member, one you would never find on Qatar or SQ.  The way she showed genuine care for the elderly lady travelling alone behind me, chatting with her extensively during the flight and the way in which she interacted with the kids, literally tucking them into bed and mucking about a little, demonstrated everything that makes an amazing crew member.  Genuine, caring, professional, and responsive.  Every other crew member in Club was also friendly, efficient, and professional.

The flight:

We pushed back on time and were airborne fifteen minutes later.  One thing I really appreciate about BA is how they have night flights down to fine art.  Lights were kept low, and the service got started immediately. 

Hot towels were distributed, and I had my glass of red wine alongside some packaged snacks within five minutes of the seat belt sign being switched off.  Trolleys are not used in the cabin. Instead, all meals are run from the galley (the aisles are so narrow I would doubt a trolley would safely fit down it) and within fifteen minutes of levelling out, I had my dinner in front of me.  I elected the express option, where everything is served once on the same tray.

My meal consisted of a side salad, a starter of roast beef and a cheese plate.  I have to say BA’s catering has come on leaps and bounds since COVID, and I definitely think it is one of the better business class offerings out there these days, especially ex-LHR.  I know it doesn’t compare with the ‘restaurant experience’ of Qatar etc., but compared to meals I have had on KLM, Air France, Latam, TAP and United, this was easily the best in terms of quality, quantity, and presentation. 

After my meal was cleared, I had a look at the IFE.  I liked how it featured a lot of British content both in the audio and visual categories, including several more eclectic offerings.  I settled on a couple of episodes of Bob’s Burgers before making my bed for some shut-eye.  I really like BA Club bedding; the pillows and duvets are great.  What I wish they would improve on a bit is the mattress pad.  It just resembles a giant nappy and seems a little ineffective in what it is supposed to achieve. 

Wifi was also available with packages starting from £2.99 for messaging and working up from there with both browsing and streaming packages available.  First Class customers get free wifi, although there is no first-class cabin on the A350.

The flight was quite bumpy, and I could overhear the young girl sitting across from me updating her mum on the goings on of the animated movie she was watching, so I slept a few hours and then got up and requested a coffee. 

Around one hour and forty-five minutes, breakfast was offered.  Again, this was hand run from the galley, and the crew just asked each customer what they wanted.

The starters are all the same (fresh fruit, a croissant and yoghurt with compote), and I asked for a coffee to go along with it.  The croissant looked like it had been through the wars, but everything else was fresh and delicious.  The crew then offered a choice of three hot options – mixed grill, omelette or pancakes and I went for the omelette, which certainly tasted better than it looked.  Like dinner, breakfast was tasty, well-presented and delivered efficiently.  Soon enough, the captain made the forty-minute landing PA and twenty minutes out. The cabin was secured for landing. 

We landed in Sao Paulo and were parked at our gate at T3 exactly on time.  History taught me that immigration would be very busy – in the 45 mins before the BA flight arrives, so does TAP, Swiss, ITA and Iberia, so there are easily one thousand plus customers arriving in that hour.  The queues were long but moved quickly.  There were signs up advising everyone to have their COVID Passport ready; however, this was not asked for by the immigration officer.

Verdict:

What I was expecting to be a stressful airport experience ended up being very pleasant, and this is one of those trips on BA where it truly felt like an ‘up there’ airline.  The lounge was tranquil, punctuality was spot on, no boarding craziness, 11 hours cocooned in some of the best business class seats available, the crew were friendly and professional, the food was better than average, and the pace of service was exactly what you could want on a night flight.

You can read Part 2 here. In the meantime, if you love flight reviews, you can see the whole library of them here.

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Today’s reader review, American Express Centurion Club New York, is by my friend, M. You can follow him on @alwaysturnleft on Instagram.

The Centurion Club in Manhattan is located in the heart of New York City at 1 Vanderbilt. This exclusive lounge offers its members a wide range of luxury services and amenities. The Centurion Club in Manhattan has personalized service, private meeting rooms, and a luxurious atmosphere. The lounge also features a curated selection of food and beverages, including premium wines and spirits, as well as access to private showers and restrooms. The Club is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Centurion Card holders have access to priority dining reservations, private dining and lounges, an onsite concierge, and member-only events. Centurion Card holders are welcome to walk in and can bring guests, subject to capacity, but reservations are recommended. You’ll need to bring your government-issued photo ID to enter the building and complete registration.

But if you are not a Centurion Cardholder you can still visit by booking a table via Resy (at this link), or by calling 212-597-9070 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. New York time on weekdays. You can only book a month in advance online. You do not even need to be an Amex cardholder.

Visiting the Centurion Club

There is a welcome sign on 55th floor of 1 Vanderbilt. The entrance is through Madison Avenue, and you’re then given an ID badge (to check you’re actually the cardholder), before being escorted to a lift & greeted once the doors open

The space is split into 2 bars (one more informal and loud), and 2 restaurants – along with 2 private spaces.

Bars

This is the view from the formal bar, which is small and quiet. You look out over the Chrysler building. The spirits are reasonably priced, but not a massive selection of gins.

The more informal bar (below) has nice views too. It’s a bit of a thoroughfare though, because it leads into the restaurant spaces. 

Dining

There is then a large restaurant space which felt very Amex Airport lounge – I didn’t take photos due to the number of people. The views are amazing though, especially at sunset.

The formal dining room, The Gallery, is chefed by Daniel Boulud. It’s a very pretty space with staff galore.

I had the pea salad, the midai, and the lobster. The flavour was good, the portions very European (which I was pleased about!), and the service was pretty smooth.

My green tea served as dessert for me, and came with a spectacular view

The smaller of the private rooms is The Wine Cellar with views of Central Park in the distance.

The larger room, Carbon, is adjacent to the Chrysler bar, and because someone was in there I didn’t take a photo of the room. However, it’s a big rectangle and can host around 20-25 for a table dinner

The views are of the Chrysler building and at night, very nice

I’d use the space regularly if I lived in NYC. The midtown location of American Express Centurion Club New York is excellent, and the staff very engaging.

There’s a team of concierge staff who helped me find a birthday cake at 10pm, and I was grateful!

Interested to read more about lounges? You can read more lounge reviews here. 

The post READER REVIEW: American Express Centurion Club New York appeared first on Turning left for less.

Air France’s relatively new lounge at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is a real gem in the combined Franco-Dutch carrier’s lounge network. With a fresh design template, this lounge is a great example of how an outstation lounge should be – but there are already signs it is going downhill. Here’s why.

Access

Naturally, passengers flying in Business, and First if in operation, on Air France or KLM are admissible to the lounge alongside their respective Flying Blue Gold and Platinum members. 

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold, thanks to their SkyTeam Elite Plus status, are able to use this space too. Delta flights are ineligible because these depart from the separate transborder area of YUL. 

As Air France’s new lounge at Montreal Airport is operated by Plaza Premium, passengers travelling internationally, excluding the US, can enter the lounge by pre-booking on their website for around GBP 40. This was how I entered since I was flying on Air Transat. 

Using an American Express Platinum card or paying upon arrival is theoretically possible, but on my visit, they were turning away these passengers to limit crowding. 

Opening hours are 5 am until 10 pm. Air France and KLM flights depart Montreal between 5 pm and 7 pm, meaning the lounge will be at its quietest before 2 pm and after 7 pm. 

Impressions

At the reception, I was quickly admitted into the lounge despite arriving one hour before my entry slot. The reception area is warm and cosy, with stairs leading up to the main space. This is far better set up than the Banque Nationale Lounge a few steps away, where a small reception desk sits on the main floor, leading to overcrowding for people waiting to get in. 

Immediately upon arrival, you’re greeted by a model of Air France’s most iconic aircraft, the Concorde, with two sofas in front of it. This is quite an awkward design, as I would never quite get comfortable with new people consistently streaming in.

The historic Concorde contrasts with the beautiful modern marvel of the Airbus A350 sitting on the apron. Despite the close proximity to Air France’s regular boarding gate, they haven’t or chose not to implement direct boarding from the lounge. 

Opposite this model aircraft is locker storage which is useful, particularly in peak hours where a carry-on suitcase may be a bit wieldy. 

To the left of the entrance is a selection of seating areas. Close to the window are seats and tables suitable for working on a laptop with plentiful 2-pin US-style power outlets. Towards the far end of this area is a range of comfortable solo seats eclectically scattered around the space. 

A padded booth without a door can be used to take phone calls. While it is clad in soft materials, I highly doubt it would be able to disperse the noise enough not to disturb other guests. 

An area is roped off here, which doesn’t appear spectacular, but I believe is reserved for Flying Blue Elites, but not SkyTeam Elites.

To the right of the entrance is the main part of the lounge, where we see a similar range of seating but deployed more thoughtfully.  Here, solo seats are deployed in an arrangement of four with slatted wood to create an illusion of privacy. 

However, the main reason for coming to this part of the lounge is the dining area, which was packed when I first arrived. The designers of the lounge have been able to deploy a sufficient variation of seating types to suit couples, groups and solo travellers. I particularly liked this long table with the inclusion of lamps for ambient lighting and wireless charging pads for convenient connectivity. 

Another reserved area, this time for dining, can be found in this part of the lounge too. This is exclusively for Air France KLM passengers in Business Class, although nobody was using it despite being here in peak hours for those travellers. 

Food, beverages and amenities 

Dining options in this lounge were okay. On a par with British Airways lounges but worse than Air France and KLM in their hub airports. The food was a combination of self-serve hot and cold dishes at the buffet as well as hot sandwiches and desserts that were requested at the bar. 

Soft drinks and hot drinks are self-serve.

While I liked the toasted sandwich, the white chicken dish and rice failed to impress, instead resembling dated canteen fare. The Basa fish fillet was surprisingly decent, though. Desserts consisted of two small pieces of cakes that were pretty dry and unappetising.

Speaking of the bar area, a decent selection of alcohol can be found if you wish to consume it from staff who were quite chirpy. I didn’t have any, but the Air France website suggests a selection of French wines, and champagne is available.

Onto the shower rooms, which on the surface look good despite the narrow proportions. On the positive side, the shower was hot and had plenty of pressure, meaning I took off to London feeling refreshed and clean.

Maintenance, on the other hand, seems subpar. To start with were the lidless containers for shower gel, shampoo and conditioner – not to mention the generic brand scratchy feel when applied to your skin. I don’t have a problem with large containers over the awkward mini versions, but the lack of lids seemed a bit unhygienic. 

Equally, it would be nice to see Air France’s partnership with Clarins carry over to this part of the lounge. While I get the lounge is managed by Plaza Premium, the contract is stipulated by Air France KLM, who should really have a better standard here. 

Finally, there seemed to be a random cut-out in the ceiling, which had been temporarily filled with a piece of plasterboard. Did it cause me problems? Of course not. It’s worth noting this lounge is quite new and already appears to be having maintenance problems which shouldn’t really be there. 

Back in the main lounge area after my shower, I spent a fair amount of time typing away at my laptop to work on some articles. Lounge WiFi was speedy, and I was able to stay charged up throughout my three-hour stay.

Conclusion 

I’m in two minds about Air France’s new lounge. On the surface, Air France’s design language is beautiful, and I love what they have done with the space; however, the implementation feels like they are working with a constrained budget. From the average food to the shoddy amenities in the bathroom, it just feels like they need to spend a bit more to elevate the experience further.

Would I pay to enter again? No. It’s overpriced. I would use it if I could enter as part of my ticket, airline status or with an eligible credit card, particularly in off-peak hours. 

Like our review of Air France’s new lounge at Montreal Airport? You can read more Airline Lounge reviews here. 

The post Review: Air France’s new lounge at Montreal Airport appeared first on Turning left for less.

In the heart of Montreal’s Old Port Town sits Hotel William Gray, a property that successfully manages to meld old and new while providing an exceptional experience. Here’s why.

Location

I spent a little under 36 hours in Montréal, but it was easy enough to get to the hotel. Driving takes around 20 mins in light traffic from YUL airport and roughly double that on the aptly named 747 Trudeau/Centre-ville shuttle. 

It’s located in a great part of the city within close walking distance to key landmarks in the old town as well as just ten minutes to Chinatown or major shopping streets. It is an excellent location to base yourself to explore Montréal. 

Public spaces and amenities

The hotel has created some beautiful spaces on the ground floor for hotel guests or visitors to relax, shop, eat and drink. The reception can be found immediately on the right after the entrance.

Attached and accessible through the hotel is a small coffee shop called Café Olimpico Vieux-Montréal which leads through to a small boutique for the local fashion brand Le Cartel. The addition of these two outlets feels better than just having a soulless hotel-operated café or shop.

Further around on the ground floor is a co-working and lounge space which can be a great place to work from after you’ve grabbed a coffee from Café Olimpico – which in itself severely lacks seating.

Behind this is the property’s spa and fitness centre. Treatments seemed on the more expensive end, so I didn’t opt for one. I did use the gym, though, and the small but well-equipped selection impressed me.

The room 

For my stay, I spent the night in the Alcove King Room, which seems to retail for around GBP 240 in the winter months to over GBP 300 in the peak months. This room is a fair size with plenty of room to move around and place luggage – this is certainly not as constricted as a room in New York would be. A comfortable but firm King Bed is located in the centre of the room, where I slept for almost ten hours. 

Light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows on this beautiful February day with a view over the quaint cobbled streets in this part of the old town.

While the colour scheme could be described as quite neutral, with the usual of greys, whites and black, the splash of mustard on the chair and stool provides a satisfying variation in the design. I’m not a particular fan of the unfinished (?) style ceiling though.

A large television with working Chromecast functionality completes this part of the room. You can also use the high-quality Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speaker if you wish to listen to music while relaxing in the room. I would probably say that the desk and chair are only good for short bursts of working from this room. Instead, nip down to the ground floor, where the space will be much more comfortable to work at.

In the wardrobe area, a Nespresso machine and kettle are available to use, which is appreciated. Space inside the wardrobe itself is quite limited but is probably sufficient for ninety percent of guests who are on short-term city breaks. Soft bathrobes are provided.

My only major gripe with this property was the WiFi. Standard speed-free WiFi is available and is functional. However, in 2023 and at this cost, to have a CAD 9.99 per day high-speed option seems anachronistic. I get this kind of penny-pinching at a GBP 40 per night Premier Inn, but at this price – just include it.

Conclusion

WiFi gripes aside, Hotel William Gray, is a lovely property. The combination of old and new building style alongside comfortable spaces throughout the hotel and its central location make this a good place to stay. Its location makes it an excellent hotel to base yourself at and explore this cosy city with a distinct character from the rest of Canada.

Like our Hotel William Gray review? You can read more hotel reviews here. 

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Turkish Airlines is rapidly expanding, with a current fleet of 414 aircraft flying to more destinations than any other airline and more routes and aircraft orders confirmed.

Turkish is part of Star Alliance status and offers a status match to several airlines including BA. With Turkish Gold status, you can get lounge access, Heathrow Express upgrades, extra baggage, priority check-in and more. You can also earn and redeem points with 26 Star Alliance member airlines. You can find all the details in this article.

On the way to attend the new Turkish Airlines menu press trip, I flew in business class from Heathrow to Istanbul on a late afternoon flight (16:40-22:30). With the rapid expansion and handy status match in their loyalty scheme, I think it’s time to see what travelling in business class with Turkish Airlines is really like!

Booking and Fares

It’s easy to book a flight with Turkish Airlines on the website or app. Remember to add the number of your preferred loyalty scheme in the Star Alliance when booking! I chose to collect KrisFlyer miles on this route.

A return flight from London Heathrow to Istanbul starts from £338 in Economy Class and £1,182 in Business Class.

When flying in business class, you can take two cabin bags as long as they are 23x40x55cm or smaller and the weight of each bag does not exceed 8kg (16kg total). You can also bring a personal bag with you as long as it’s not larger than 40x30x55cm and no heavier than 4kg.

The maximum weight of one piece of baggage (not more than 158 cm in size) is 32 kg for Business Class.

Check-In and Fast-Track Security

Before checking in, you can choose your seats using the app or website. Ensure you do this early – I have the last window seat available.

You can check in using the Turkish Airlines app 24 hours before your flight departure. After adding your passport details, you can choose your seat and select special meals. I found the app relatively slow, and there were lots of errors when I tried to input my details. I ended up switching to a laptop to check in.

After a short journey to Heathrow Terminal 2 from The Radisson Heathrow, I had a short walk to the Turkish Airlines business class check-in area. Although I was travelling with just hand luggage due to trying out WizzAir later in the week, I was able to print my boarding pass.

I headed over to fast-track security. There were only two security belts open rather than the usual four, so the queue was longer and slower moving than usual. However, it was much quicker than the non-fast-track queue.

What Lounges Can You Use at Heathrow Airport When Flying with Turkish Airlines?

You can use all Star Alliance lounges when flying with Turkish Airlines. This means that at Heathrow Terminal 2, you can use:

• United Club Lounge
• Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge
• Lufthansa Business Lounge
• Air Canada lounge.

 I spent around 30 minutes in the Lufthansa lounge before heading to the Air Canada Lounge. I will be posting a full review of the Air Canada Lounge soon.

The Air Canada Lounge was very near the boarding gate. We boarded on time, and everything went smoothly.

Boarding

When we arrived at the gate, we queued straight away to be the first on the plane.

You can also board in the priority lane if you’re not travelling in business class but hold Star Alliance Gold or above.

We were directed left into the business class cabin when boarding the plane. I prefer this plane layout because you don’t get the whole flight walking through the business class cabin to board.

I had chosen seat 8K, a window seat right at the back of the business class cabin.

On-Board

The plane was organised in a 1-2-1 formation with single window seat seats and two seats together in the middle. The console position alternates on each row so some seats are closer to the window and have the console table on the aisle which gives slightly more privacy and less chance of being knocked as people pass. 

The safety video was played on the inflight entertainment systems.

After takeoff, we were offered a welcome drink. I chose a raspberry lemonade. The other options included other types of lemonade and water.

The Seat and Controls

Overall, I was impressed with the Turkish Airlines business class seating. My single window seat was very private, with all the controls needed. The head pillow came out at the sides, and the seat was comfortable. 

There was enough legroom to stretch out fully when sitting or lying down. I would have happily flown long haul in this seating arrangement.

The tray table had different size options and pulled in and out to reflect the seating position chosen.

The storage compartment was spacious, but I prefer their design in Finnair’s business class when it’s next to your seat.

The seat controls were extensive and done on a touch screen.

In-Flight Entertainment

Overall, the flight entertainment was very good. The screens were large and responded well to touch. There are lots of films and TV programs on offer, as well as options to watch live news channels.

You could watch a live camera in front and below the plane. The map feature was also included.

There was a good range of documentaries. I watched the two available episodes of  Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.

The kid’s entertainment was very good too. I found Turkish Airlines to be very child friendly.

Compared to other airlines, it was on par with the Finnair inflight entertainment, much better than Thai Airways (where the screen hardly worked), but not as good as the entertainment on my Singapore Airlines economy flight.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Food 

Although it wasn’t announced on the flight, this was the first day of the new business class menus being rolled out. I ordered a vegetarian meal, so the food I had wasn’t on the menu. I was told it was “potatoes and cheese” when I asked. I would have liked to be given something to let me know what I was eating.

I was given the beluga lentil and lebneh salad. The Turkish Meze was roasted aubergine. Everything on the plate was delicious! The fruit and veg all tasted very fresh. The vegetation option included fruit instead of chocolate cake. Maybe it was the same as the vegan meal?

After the cold dish, I was given paneer curry with Indian potatoes. Although this dish wasn’t presented as well as the cold dish, it was just as lovely!

Drinks

Before being served our meal, the cabin crew came to ask each person what drink they would like with the meal. The cabin crew called everyone by name, which I thought was a nice touch.

I went for the Kavakledere wine, which was very nice, although it wasn’t on the list of the top wines I’ve tasted. I had a chance to try the homemade lemonade with fresh mint at the menu launch, and I highly recommend this option as a non-alcoholic alternative.

Having tried the Torres wine on the way back, I would probably go for Torres on my next Turkish Airlines flight.

Arrival into Istanbul

The flight arrived on time! There was a very long way to go from landing to our allocated space. We disembarked the plane very fast. Istanbul airport is huge and feels bigger than airports like Bangkok and Singapore because it’s not split into terminals. However, if

you’re flying in business class, there is a separate passport control area, and your luggage will be unloaded as a priority.

For people transiting in Istanbul Airport, someone was there as soon as we got off the plane directing people where to go.

The Verdict

I really enjoyed my flight overall. The seating was comfortable, the food was delicious, and we had a fuss-free airport experience at Heathrow and Istanbul.

Would I fly with Turkish Airlines again? YES! I was considering Turkish Airlines on a recent trip to Thailand and would have gone for it if it had not been for the stopover during the night rather than the one during the day in Bangkok with ThaiSmile. My only comments would be the lack of a vegetarian menu card and the limited wine choices, but these would definitely not put me off rebooking. 

If you’re planning on flying with Turkish, they fly from  Heathrow to Istanbul up to seven times a day and from Gatwick up to three times a day. You can also fly from Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Manchester. 

If you plan a trip elsewhere in Turkey, you can also travel directly from the UK to Antalya and Bodrum. You can find more information and book here.

The post REVIEW: Turkish Airlines Business Class London Heathrow to Istanbul [Boeing 787-9] appeared first on Turning left for less.

Porto airport is around 25 minutes from the city centre but only costs around £12 in an Uber or Bolt, which is great value. It is a modern but relatively small airport, so we arrived around 90 minutes from departure. 

Check-in

When we arrived, it was pretty much deserted, so we walked up to the counter to check in straight away. The check-in staff told us which gate it was and where the lounge was.

We were able to use Fast Track for security which we were glad of as it looked like there was a reasonable size queue for regular security. 

Porto ANA lounge

The lounge is just after security. If you turn left and then head up the escalator or in the lift, you will find the ANA lounge, which is nothing to do with ANA airline. It is a fairly typical, slightly depressing European lounge with old-fashioned furniture and a limited selection of food and drinks. It was at least better than the dire Faro lounge with its “marmalade” sandwiches. 

It is subtitled “the lounge you never want to leave” which it definitely wasn’t!

If you have a lounge pass they also accept:

– Dragon Pass
– Priority Pass
– Dinner Club International

The lounge was around two-thirds full when we were there, and as you enter, the toilets are just before you go into the lounge. It feels pretty old-fashioned and not particularly luxurious. However, it was clean, with helpful staff who cleared the tables very regularly.

I didn’t spot anywhere to work, and there were not that many seats with sockets. There was a small selection of magazines as you entered. The terrace area felt a bit more airy and overlooked the terminal where you could catch glimpses of the airfield. 

There was a large fridge mainly filled with soft drinks plus some local wine. The drinks selection seemed very basic. There was Superbock beer and white wine in the fridge, along with water, juices and soda, plus milk and yoghurt.

If you want a coffee, there is a fancy Nespresso machine.

Then there were two blended whiskies, a Baileys-type drink, Martini, red wine, Gordon’s gin and Eristoff vodka.

The food selection was small, but there was enough for snacks with nuts, sandwiches, soup, cakes, cereal, bread and various types of croquettes.

It was adequate but definitely, not a lounge I would bother to get to the airport early for. 

Boarding British Airways A320 Club Europe

If you are heading to Porto you will get the full low-cost airline experience with British Airways both ways as they do not use the jet bridges, presumably as they refuse to pay for them. (On the way out we had a bus to Heathrow T3 as well for the aircraft, just to complete the full Easyjet-style experience.) I always find it very frustrating watching half the jet bridges standing empty while they drive everyone in buses across the airfield. 

Fortunately, this was only a short drive across the airfield, and I had deliberately not brought heavy hand luggage as I was prepared for steps. 

British Airways A320 Club Europe Flight

This flight was unusual as it had two In Flight Leads serving in the Club cabin. I’m not sure if one of them got called off standby or if it was because it was a large Club Cabin with around eight rows. 

Unlike the way out, which was an A320neo, on this leg we had an older A320 which still has the middle trays which I prefer in Club Europe. We were sitting in the front row in 1D and F. The good thing about the row is the extra leg room, the negative is the lack of overhead storage space since you are not allowed anything on the floor. However, we both only had a small rucksack so it wasn’t an issue on this flight. The normal legroom in Club Europe is 30″, so only an inch bigger than the standard economy seats. 

British Airways A320 Club Europe Food and Drink

The flight was under two hours, and we were offered a drink before dinner. The crew were extremely good with the IFL serving us, being particularly chatty and friendly, asking about our trip. There were no menus which now are only available on UK domestic flights as they are required by law. I did much prefer having the menu, and it would be good if they could start putting it on the free wifi front page. 

I went for my usual Club Europe tipple, the Primitivo red wine, which is very inoffensive. Not sure why but perhaps it was down to my status, or I looked like I enjoyed a drink! Or perhaps it was a cunning plan in that they did not have to do top-ups. Either way, I was happy. 

For dinner, there was a choice of the ubiquitous beef cheeks, gnocchi with a creamy sauce and peas or a caesar salad. Although I find the BA salads tasty, they are usually rather small and missing much in the way of actual salad. So we both went for the gnocchi. I had asked the crew what sauce the pasta was in and was pleased that she was able to give a description of it. 

The starter was some sort of coleslaw which was tasty if a slightly odd starter. The bread came on the tray already rather than being offered from a basket. More drinks were offered with the food.

The gnocchi was a little heavy, but overall, the dish was decent, if a little bland. It could have been done with a few more tomatoes or artichokes to give it a bit more contrast to the cream sauce, which was plentiful if lacking a bit of flavour. The dessert was a bit like a trifle but with a layer of fruit puree on the bottom which was quite tart. It needed the white chocolate curls to balance it out, but overall it was enjoyable. 

The crew were proactive at offering me more wine or drinks, but two bottles were enough after three days of wine tasting in Porto and the Duoro Valley!

Wifi was available, but for this length of flight, it did not seem worth paying. Prices on short-haul vary by the duration of the flight:

We landed pretty much on time at Heathrow, and for once, there was no wait for a stand or stand guidance. We had parked almost right by the entrance to immigration which I think is a first for me in all my years of flying through T5. It was all going well until I managed to get an e-gate that wasn’t working and had to queue for an officer.

However, the luggage hadn’t come out by the time I reached the belt, so it didn’t delay me. There was a short 5-minute wait for the baggage. I have to say this was one of the best arrival experiences I have had recently at Heathrow. Let’s hope it means they are turning a corner and things are improving, not that it was a one-off fluke!

Conclusion for British Airways A320 Club Europe

Overall I thought this was an enjoyable flight. The lounge was a bit basic, but it was fine for a short-haul flight from a small airport. The service on board was one of the better short-haul flights I’ve had with BA recently, and the food was tasty, if a bit repetitive over the last year. It was great to have such an easy arrival experience at Heathrow for once, long may it continue!

Like our British Airways A320 Club Europe review? You can read more British Airways flight reviews here. 

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If you need to get around Scotland or fancy doing the unique Barra beach landing, you will want to use Loganair. The good news is that you can earn Avios and Tier Points on many of Loganair’s routes. So what is it like to fly on Loganair’s ATR42?

Introduction

Given Scotland’s unique geography, there are a significant number of routes to small airports in the Highlands and Islands. Most of these routes are predominantly operated by Loganair, and some of these are public service order routes which are subsidised by the government to ensure connectivity. One of these island airports is Kirkwall in Orkney. Loganair operates service to a variety of destinations from Kirkwall, including a one-stop, via Dundee, to London City that started recently and the famous among avgeeks, inter-island service that includes the shortest flight in the world blocked in at 2 minutes.

Loganair’s fleet has predominantly consisted of Saab 340s as well as some small propeller types operating to Barra and the Orkney inter-island service (Twin Otters and Islanders, respectively), but after the failure of sister airline BMI Regional inducted Embraer 145s and the since-retired 135s. The jets are too large to use for these island routes, however, and with the imminent retirement of the Saab 340s, replacement ATRs are joining the fleet. Most of the Scottish flights operating out of Edinburgh now use the ATR, with the Saab 340 only making occasional visits.

Booking Loganair ATR-42

Loganair routinely offers discount codes to be used for booking flights with them. Predominantly they have been 10% though the two most recent codes have been 15% off. The codes are applied after you pick your flight, and the flights don’t appear to have been artificially inflated, as I checked the prices again the day after the code ended. My friend and I decided to take advantage of one of these 15% codes and book return flights to Kirkwall, having talked about visiting for a long time.

Loganair only offers economy class seating but does offer three different fare types, Fly, Fly Flex and Fly Flex +. Fly is the most restrictive but does include 15kg hold luggage as standard, as well as two cabin bags and carbon offset. Fly Flex, ups the hold luggage to 23kg, allows changes (with fare difference), standby travel on earlier flights and picks a seat for free. Fly Flex +, increases the luggage further to 30kg, includes fast-track security, appears to allow a third cabin bag and includes rescue fares if you miss your flight, and the ticket is fully flexible. There are no refunds under any of these ticket types.

Most of the fares to the Highlands and Islands tend to be quite expensive, so these discount codes are appreciated. This is the problem with operating small aeroplanes, as the per-passenger costs are high given the fixed costs remain roughly comparable. You still require two pilots, for example, whether carrying 40 passengers or 200.

I will say that Loganair’s website does feel a bit dated and is a little clumsy to use but considering the size of the airline, this can be forgiven. Loganair also doesn’t specify which type of aircraft will be operating the route though you can make an educated guess if you click through to the seat map as the ATRs are all 2-2 and the Embraers are 1-2. The Saabs are also 1-2 but are smaller and due for retirement soon.

Loganair does also have a loyalty programme called Clan Loganair. It’s a very simple programme. The points are not awarded by price or distance. Instead, the points awarded are fixed per fare class per flight. Fly receives 250 points, Fly Flex, 400 and Fly Flex +, 800 points. Flights can be redeemed for flights at a rate of 4000 per flight. Points expire if there is no activity in 12 months and further all points expire after 36 months from earning. Loganair helpfully “recommends using your points rather than letting them expire” though you can only find these expiry dates in the Terms and Conditions and not the FAQs. Unless you regularly fly Loganair, the points are not that useful. My previous set expired due to 12 months with no activity, the expiry date being annoyingly close to these flights taking place, but never mind.

Outbound Ground Experience/Departure

With the Fly fare bracket, you cannot pick your seats for free, even during online check-in. I have found that going to the check-in desk can allow you to change your seat, though, so we left check-in until we arrived at the airport. The agent was very quick and confirmed we were both in Row 12 at the back. Onwards to security, we were swiftly through even though Loganair does not offer fast track, except with the Fly Flex +. You can buy Loganair tickets through British Airways, and if you have status, the flight will have a BA number, so you can use fast-track security. This tends to be more expensive than Fly fares, so compare fares before doing so, but can be cheaper than the Fly Flex + offering. It should be noted that the security personnel may tell you that you can only use your status when flying BA, but if you have a BA flight number, you can use fast-track, politely pointing this out works. Interestingly, you can only use the lounge this way if you are a Gold Card holder, not Silver. The agent initially declined Guest List as not Gold, too, which was an interesting conversation to have. For this trip, though, as we had booked directly with Loganair to use the discount code, no fast track or lounge for us.

Interestingly, Edinburgh Airport had several military aircraft there that day, including two Pilatus PC-12s, a USAF Hercules and a French Air Force H225.

Loganair predominantly uses the gates at the corner of the terminal near the BA lounge. Initially, we went to the wrong gate due to an error reading the departure boards. Oops. Interestingly, Gate 5, where we went, had people waiting and staff in attendance, but none of the tv screens showed the destination (it turned out to be Exeter), and half of the departure boards in the airport seemed to be broken, which made it tricky to realise we were at the wrong gate. In the end, we worked it out and headed back to Gate 7.

Boarding was called shortly before departure. Interestingly, there was no one at all hanging around the gate in advance of boarding, and despite heading to the wrong gate, and then heading to the windows to take photos, we were still first on the plane! This makes a nice change from the crowds waiting for BA Shuttle flights that you have to fight through to get to the agents and boarding pass scanners.

Gate 7 at Edinburgh, which our flight used, is peculiar in that there is a staircase that splits in half once the boarding card has been scanned. Passengers tend to fill up both sides, and there are doors at the bottom of both staircases. From my repeated experience at this gate, the ground crew only opened the door at the bottom of the nearest staircase, which does make me question why on earth it was designed this way, as the queues then need to merge again. There is then a short walk out to the plane. With the ATR, you have to walk around the wing and board from the rear.

Loganair ATR-42 Cabin/Seat

The Loganair ATR-42 cabin consists of 48 seats which are all economy class in a 2-2 configuration. Both rows 1 & 14, there is no 13, only have two seats. The seat pitch is a generous 30 inches, and it feels relatively spacious, particularly for a small turboprop.

Each Loganair ATR-42 seat now has a tartan headrest leaning into Loganair’s Scottish roots, with almost every seat having a different tartan. Interestingly, the two seats in row 1 face backwards, meaning those in row 1 C&D and row 2 C&D end up facing each other. For a family or group of four, this could be quite a nice experience, but for strangers could be a bit off-putting. 1 C&D are also slightly elevated as well so you can look over the cabin.

The plane only has a single cabin crew member as it carries less than fifty passengers, and they sit at the rear of the cabin during departure and arrival by the aircraft doors. This does mean that the best seats for quick egress at the other end are at the rear of the plane, not the front as one traditionally expects. This is due to the ATR having the cargo hold between the flight deck and the cabin at the front. There is also a lavatory at the rear of the cabin.

Loganair ATR-42 Snack

Loganair ATR-42 still offers complimentary drinks and snacks onboard with choices between tea, coffee and water. As well as this, Loganair offers two snacks, shortbread or caramel wafers. On both flights, I chose to have tea with caramel wafers. It’s really nice to see Loganair’s service come back and that they still offer complimentary food and drinks, and particularly that the caramel wafers still remain. The last time I flew Loganair in 2021, there was no service at all, so the resumption is very positive.

Inflight Entertainment/WiFi of Loganair ATR-42

There is no WiFi or IFE on the Loganair ATR-42 fleet, but the short flight times mean it isn’t really necessary. The views out the windows flying into the Highlands and Islands make up for this, in my view.

Outbound Arrival

Descent into Orkney involves flying over many of the islands in the area before turning inbound towards Kirkwall. Kirkwall actually has three runways, though one is much shorter than the others. After landing, the plane backtracked along the runway before parking in front of the terminal, next to a Loganair Saab.

The apron is completely open with no jet bridges or the like, meaning it can be very windy on the short walk into the terminal. Bags are loaded onto the back of a large pick-up-like truck and driven to the terminal to be loaded onto the baggage belt. This belt is in the main room of the terminal.

Outside is a bus stop where a shuttle bus runs into town. The schedule of this bus means the last bus will depart 10 minutes after the arrival of the last plane, with up to a 20-minute delay if the flight is delayed. There is a taxi rank, but given the limited number of taxis on the island, it’s more likely you will need to phone for one if you want to use one.

There is nominally a rental car facility at the airport which includes Avis, but due to it being an island reserving on the website merely sends a request to the office, and they will let you know later if they have a car. This is the second time I have encountered this, the other time being the Isle of Man and both reservation requests were denied for lack of vehicles.

Return Ground Experience/Departure

Rather annoyingly, almost everything there is to do in Orkney is shut on a Sunday, and with a 10 am check out time and a 4 pm flight, there was a bit of time to waste. We ended up having a leisurely brunch and a walk before heading to the airport via the Italian Chapel. Neither of the taxis at the taxi rank would take us there as we would then be stuck there (neglecting that we could have phoned for another taxi later) and both insisted on it being a tour so we paid for an hour’s worth of taxi time and ended up at the airport about three hours early for our flight…

Most of Kirkwall’s terminal is landside with a shop and café as well as a decent amount of seating. Typically, being a Sunday, both the shop and the café were shut, but there were a couple of vending machines. When we arrived, there were no planes on the apron, but I noted that the departure board showed a total of four flights in the afternoon, all within 30 minutes of each other. One was an interisland service to North Ronaldsay, which departed from Gate 3, which does not require you to go through security. The other three flights departed from the Gate beyond security. Given there was only one door past security, I am not 100% sure what happened to Gate 2.

Check-in desks are only open 90 minutes before your flight unless you are on the first flight of the day, in which case it is 60 minutes to avoid the staff having to wake up quite as early. The interisland flights check in at a different desk, and they close 20 minutes before departure, though they did let a man on who turned up fifteen minutes before his flight with a warning.

Nearly every person who checked a bag seemed to be called over to the Baggage Reconciliation door at various points. Someone mentioned this was a security check on the bags.

Incredibly, having been completely empty earlier, the apron filled up with four different aircraft, two Saabs, an Islander and our ATR-42, the same one that had brought us up from Edinburgh.

Having explained to my friend the ATR was relatively old when we got on in Edinburgh, it turned out to be the youngest out of the four at 27 compared to two 31-year-old Saabs and an almost 40-year-old Islander! It really was like stepping back in time which was nice for an avgeek like me.

Shortly before departure, each flight is called through security at the Gate. Given the tight timings of all the flights and the fact that the Edinburgh and Aberdeen flights both left at the same time, this led to some organised chaos.

Having joined a surprisingly long queue, any struggling Aberdeen passengers were called forward to skip the line. Security was pragmatic in some senses but seemed to imply you had to keep liquids in their plastic bag for the whole journey. The children behind me tried to bring through too many liquids, but the airport had a unique method for dealing with this and would store them for you until you returned rather than throwing them out.

Once we had exited security, we were greeted by a completely empty departure gate. I scanned my boarding card and was told we would need to wait as the Saab to Aberdeen was about to start its engines. Fine by me, as that’s the safest thing to do. I’m used to being told to wait when boarding for a variety of reasons, whether a plane is arriving next to your stand at London City, the crew need to walk up or down the aisle, or there are passengers who need extra boarding time. The gentleman, after me and my friend, scanned his boarding card and went to the board but was told to wait. He replied, “Oh, I thought I was late”, to which a ground staff member said, “Well, you are because we wanted you out there before the Saab started its engines”. It was an interesting thought because a) we had all joined the queue when it was announced that we should, b) it was still more than 15 minutes to departure time for both aircraft, and c) they had rushed the boarding of the Aberdeen aircraft that was nearer the terminal that Edinburgh passengers had to walk past, thereby creating this whole problem.

In the end, the 10 remaining passengers had exited the security checkpoint before the engine started, and we were allowed to walk out before they were started and told to go “as fast as you can” No one on the apron seemed at all concerned as they were still ahead of schedule. Both ground staff seemed slightly annoyed that things hadn’t gone completely smoothly, but I would suggest, in the future, boarding the further away plane first and maybe not scheduling an entire day’s worth of flights within half an hour of each other if it causes problems. I didn’t point out that other airports can handle far more aircraft more efficiently, but there we are. I did also wonder if the plane departing a few minutes late was, in fact, the end of the world that the ground staff seemed to think it might be, given how quiet Orkney is. Just a little bit of unnecessary passive aggression from the ground crew that I refuse to let tar my good experience with Loganair.

In the end, both planes actually departed before their scheduled times.

Return Arrival

Onboard everything was just like the outbound flight, and after a quick flight, we were landing back into Edinburgh. And just like that, back to the hustle and bustle of a big city after a weekend in a very quiet Orkney. The Loganair ATR-42 plane arrived on the same stand that we had departed from, and after climbing the stairs, we were back in the departure hall. After exiting landside, it was onward to the Airlink bus back into the centre of Edinburgh.

Bottom Line

As always, flying with Loganair ATR-42 was a pleasure. It’s amazing that a small thing such as offering a caramel wafer (and drinks) can endear you to an airline. It’s a good thing that the airline has chosen to provide a high level of service, given that they are really the only option for flying northwards. The airline really has leaned into its Scottish roots with its livery, uniforms, and headrests. I look forward to flying with Loganair again, maybe before this set of Clan Loganair points expires and am already planning how to fly on the two-minute flight from Westray to Papa Westray.

Earning Avios and tier points on Loganair

Loganair and BA codeshare on quite a few routes, so providing you book Loganair as as a BA codeshare on these selected routes through ba.com you can also earn Avios and Tier points as part of British Airways’ Executive Club programme.

Routes now available to book include:

• Aberdeen to Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, and Southampton
• City of Derry to London and Liverpool
• Cornwall Airport Newquay to Manchester
• Exeter to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle
• Isle of Man to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester
• Inverness to Birmingham
• Norwich to Aberdeen and Edinburgh
• Teesside to Southampton

Like our Loganair ATR-42 review? You can read more flight reviews here. 

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This is a reader review by Bernie. 

Kuala Lumpur has some of the best rates for 5* luxury hotels in Asia, such as Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur and Park Royal collection and the city is buzzing with new 5* hotel openings, fabulous restaurants and some of the finest luxury shopping malls.

Having recently stayed at one of the oldest 5* hotels in Kuala Lumpur The Shangri La, and one of the newest 5*, The Park Royal collection, here are my reviews.

The Shangri La is ideally placed equidistant to the Pavillion central shopping areas and the Twin Tower attractions. It is walkable, a good 15 minutes in either direction or a short taxi ride by Grab, which is fast, cheap and highly recommended. You can easily download the app and pre-pay or pay cash to your driver.

The Shangri La is the Grand Dame of Kuala Lumpur, very traditional, built-in 1984.  However, do not let that detract you, the entrance is opulent and luxurious, and the old-school service overcompensates for the lack of high tech in the rooms. 

Check-in was smooth and relaxing, and we stayed in one of Horizon Club Rooms. Highly recommended to pay the extra for inclusive sumptuous breakfasts, afternoon teas and evening canapes and cocktails. 

The staff are wonderful, the hotel has a small gym and spa and a wonderful outdoor pool, and overall although it may lack modern-day technology, it has a traditional and luxurious feel and provides exemplary guest service, almost like staying at an older Orient Express style property, remembering the bygone days of the 90s and 00s.  With fabulous restaurants on-site and a piano player in the lobby, you almost don’t have to leave the hotel.

The rooms are large and traditionally furnished, luxurious with L’Occitane toiletries, sumptuous towels, lots of amenities and fabulous, comfortable beds, some have large window views over the KL skyline, and soundproofing is excellent.

My next stay was at the newly opened Park Royal Collection. It feels new, has a youthful vibe and is in the heart of the shopping area, Bukit Bintang. You can just walk out of the hotel, and you are surrounded by restaurants and shops. No need for taxis. 

The rooms are modern but a bit modular, large and functional, and they have the most amazing beds, so comfortable.  I would not say the rooms are super luxurious after staying in the Shangri La, but they are very contemporary, comfortable and functional. There is a fresh drinking water tap in the bathrooms, and they are large and have all the amenities.  We stayed in a Collection Club Room, which gave us access to the club lounge on the 6th floor, dedicated check-in, welcoming drinks, amazing breakfasts, and beautiful food in the evenings, highly recommend upgrading for this extra as the food was excellent.  

There is also a spa and gym on the executive lounge level, a fantastic pool area, with a lovely bar, somewhere you could linger all day on the lovely day beds and sun loungers and forget you are in the heart of a city. 

Overall it depends on your taste. If you want old-school luxury, opt for the Shangri La. If, however, you are into contemporary and want to be at the very beating heart of KL, The Park Royal Collection ticks all the boxes.

Like our Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur and Park Royal collection review? You can read more hotel reviews here. 

You may want to read Take A Chance On Sri Lanka Inc Reviews Of Shangri-la, Marriott And Anantara, which is also written by the same author.

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I first visited the Table Bay Hotel at least 12 years ago, probably even longer ago. I was a little unsure about going back as obviously, your tastes and standards in hotels change over the years. However, the one thing that doesn’t ever change is the location which is fantastic for this hotel. So I decided to base our Cape Town stay at the Table Bay. After this stay, we headed to the Franschhoek wine region and the wonderful Maison Cabriere which I have stayed at multiple times. You can read the review here.

If you want to find out more about my visit to Cape Town and Franschhoek, you can watch my Youtube video here:

Location

Location, Location, Location, as they say, is important on a city break. We wanted somewhere fairly central and safe with car parking and easy access to get out to explore the Cape and Camps Bay. 

The hotel is situated in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, which is an extensive area full of shops and restaurants, as well as offering various boat tours. It is also close to the stop for the hop on hop off buses that serve various routes in and around Cape Town. 

It was very handy just being able to pop out if you needed something, and useful for the boat tour we did as well. I also liked that we did not have to drive through the centre of town if we just wanted to go to Camps Bay or the Twelve Apostles. We definitely felt very safe walking around this area. It was also very easy to get Uber’s from the hotel, which were usually available in about 5-7 minutes or less. 

Check-in at The Table Bay Hotel

We arrived very early as we had been on an overnight flight. We were not expecting to be able to check in that early but we did hope they would make some effort to get the room ready for us a bit earlier than usual since check-out was 12pm and check in 3pm. They did not make any effort at all, and when we got back at 2.50pm they still had not told us that the rooms were ready. We had to push them to get our rooms then, which I thought was pretty poor since both were pretty standard room categories. We were there in peak season, which meant the hotel was pretty busy.

Once we eventually got our rooms, we were offered a welcome drink and given information about the hotel. For me, the reception was the weakest link at the hotel as their attitude could be unfriendly at times. It was surprising since, on the rest of our trip, we found everyone very friendly in hotels and restaurants.

A particular example was that the key cards seemed particularly susceptible to losing their effectiveness compared to other hotels. When we needed to get them recoded, the first thing they would do would be accuse you of breaking it by keeping it close to your phone. Well, there’s only so far away you can keep them if you have both of them on you!

The main area of the hotel from the entrance was lovely though. It had very high ceilings and lots of glass with lovely views of the waterfront behind. 

The Table Bay Hotel room

We had booked the luxury king mountain-facing rooms which were well worth the extra money for the magnificent views of table mountain (see featured photo).

I had some misgivings about booking as the rooms looked a little old-fashioned (pretty sure they haven’t changed much since I last stayed), but actually, we both really liked our rooms. With a very comfy bed, huge closets and a lovely welcome gift with wine and nibbles, there was little to complain about.

The room had a desk for working or doing your hair with a large mirror by it and plenty of sockets, including a UK one. However, there were no easily accessible sockets by the bed which I think at this price point is not acceptable. It does not even require putting in a special socket, you can simply have one of the alarm clocks that has a USB socket, for example. 

The bathroom was large and looked luxurious with its marble and gold framed mirror. The bath was a large eniygh size for a decent soak and there was also a separate walk-in shower. The showers could do with being upgraded as there was a knack to actually getting the shower to a bearable temperature. Although once you’d worked it out it wasn’t too bad.

The toiletries were not a brand I had heard of before, but I liked their neutral scent, and they felt good quality. I also like that they were in aluminium tubes and that they even provided hand sanitiser which was useful to pop in your bag.

The rooms were serviced twice a day as well with large bottles of water provided, although they did seem to vary in number from day to day. There were also tea and coffee facilities. 

Food and drink at The Table Bay Hotel

Breakfast here was quite magnificent, with a fantastic spread of everything from sushi and oysters to sparkling wine and omelettes. It was quite windy when we were there, but there was a lovely terrace outside where you could enjoy your breakfast with views of Tabke Mountain and the waterfront.

The service could be a little variable in terms of speed, but to be honest, that’s South Africa. Even in fine dining restaurants, they could be very slow. 

The fruit selection was great and changed slightly every day. It was always of great quality and often had more exotic fruit such as lychees. The yoghurts were also good, particularly the cape fruit version with local produce. 

There was a great selection of local cheese, as you may expect, and also mashed avocado for making my usual avocado on toast. As well as the usual cooked breakfast options, there was an egg station for omelettes and eggs to order, a good choice of juices, pancakes and waffles in different flavours and some nice flaky croissants as well as other pastries. The coffee was also great, so no complaints about the breakfast at all. 

There is a restaurant in the hotel which we didn’t choose this time, but I did eat there previously, and it was pretty good. They also offer afternoon tea in the lounge. However, with so many restaurants in Cape Town, I probably wouldn’t choose that unless I wanted a night where I didn’t have to leave the hotel. 

We did pop into the bar, the Union bar, which was a lovely place for an after-dinner drink.  With its wood-panelled walls, framed maps and copper finishings, the Union Bar has a bit of a nautical feel like an old cruise ship. It is billed as a cocktail bar but has a good selection of other drinks at reasonable prices.  It was named after the Union-Castle shipping line, a British company that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships from 1900 to 1977, which explains the nautical feel. 

The Table Bay Hotel Pool and facilities

The pool was a good size for a city centre hotel and had plenty of comfortable loungers around it. It could have been heated a bit better for my liking, as the wind made it feel colder than it was. However, it was an acceptable temperature rather than freezing cold. 

If you wanted to escape the wind, there was a covered hot tub which was nice to warm up in, or if you had a few rain showers you could still use it.

As well as the pool, there was a slightly old-fashioned gym, but it had most of the equipment that you would need, and a spa.

There is also a spa that has six treatment rooms as well as a mani/pedi room. If you arrive early or have a late checkout, the changing rooms have a shower and hairdryer as well as lockers if you wanted to freshen up or change, which we found useful. 

Booking The Table Bay Hotel

Unlike food and drink, hotels are generally very expensive in Cape Town. I’d say they are on a par with London which seems ridiculous given the cost of most other things. I’d guess it’s because they are not many new hotels from the last few years and demand is high after Covid.

The Table Bay is not part of any particular loyalty programs and does not offer any extra perks for booking with an agent. If you are booking flights with British Airways, I would suggest looking at booking with them as a holiday as this will often give the best price. You can find the British Airways Table Bay page here. 

Prices per night start from £250 in low season up to around £550 in high season. Having had a look at the prices, it appears that Booking.com is currently offering one of the best prices for the Table Bay hotel. 

Conclusion

Overall I liked the Table Bay, particularly the views and location. The room may have been a little old-fashioned, but it was generally in good condition and well-proportioned and comfortable. My friend who was with me has also rebooked for next year, so it must have been good!

Like The Table Bay Hotel review? You can read more hotel reviews here. 

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