You can find the new episode on Youtube:

Podcasts will be available on the following platforms:

• • Apple Podcasts 
  • Spotify
  • Libsyn
  • Amazon Music/Audible 

• Google Podcasts

You can find episode 20 here:

If you missed our launch episode celebrity special featuring TV presenter Andi Peters, Sky News Reporter Jonathan Samuels and industry expert Paul Charles of the PC agency, you can find it below. They are all very regular travellers who gave me some fascinating insights. I chatted with them about their thoughts on what travel will bring in 2023 and what their personal travel plans are.

You can see the first episode on Youtube here.

You can find the podcast version of Episode 1 here: https://sites.libsyn.com/454770

The post This Week In Travel Episode 20 – The best apps and websites to improve your travel experience appeared first on Turning left for less.

Heathrow T5 security strike

Airport security staff at Heathrow T5 will walk out during Easter over pay. The strike will involve more than 1,400 union members which is highly likely to cause delays if it goes ahead. 

The strike is due to last 10 days from 31 March which covers the extremely busy period over Easter as the final day of action is Easter Sunday 9 April.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Workers at Heathrow Airport are on poverty wages while the chief executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries. It is the airport’s workers who are fundamental to its success and they deserve a fair pay increase.

“Our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow. They are being forced to take strike action due to need not greed.”

“Unite has a laser like focus on prioritising the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and HAL needs to be in no doubt that the workers at the airport will receive the union’s unstinting support.”

Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said: “Strike action will cause huge disruption and delays at Heathrow throughout Easter but this dispute is entirely of HAL’s own making it has had every opportunity to make a fair pay offer but has failed to do so.”

Now obviously, Heathrow are trying to play it all down by saying they have contingency plans, but I am pretty sure they don’t have 1,400 staff up their sleeves to offer anywhere near a normal service over the very busy period. 

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Passengers can be reassured that we have contingency plans which will keep the airport open and operational despite unnecessary threats of strike action by Unite.

“We have proposed an inflation-beating 10% increase in pay, which the public will recognise is fair, and a majority of our colleagues have told Unite is not worth striking over. We urge Unite to come back to the table to discuss implementing it.

“Threatening to ruin people’s hard-earned holidays with strike action will not improve the deal. We want to do the right thing by our people and our passengers, each day only delays this pay rise reaching Unite members’ pockets.”

I do have some sympathy with the security staff as Heathrow seems unable to recruit anywhere near as many staff as they need, and the standard of security staff is definitely worse than pre-Covid with so many new staff. I personally think Heathrow needs to offer a decent pay rise in order to recruit and retain staff as otherwise, this summer will end up being as bad as last year. Already at T5 they are still not providing the same level of service as pre-Covid.

I suspect that Heathrow and Unite will reach an agreement before the strikes, as this is usually what happens. 

French ATC strikes continue

There are more French ATC strikes this week from 20-23 March and highly likely to be more short-notice strikes in the future. If you are flying to France, they usually cut capacity by 20% in advance and as you’d expect try to cancel domestic and short-haul flights over long haul. From my experience flying into and out of Paris on a strike day, you probably shouldn’t be affected on the day but could face having to be rebooked if your flight is cancelled before. There can also be delays in Europe due to aircraft trying to avoid French airspace or capacity restrictions on overflights. So be prepared for things not running on schedule.

Priority Pass offer

Wowcher currently has the same deal for Priority Pass lounges that you usually find on Groupon. You can ignore the fact it says the deal is refreshing as it is not due to end until July. 

Here are the normal prices without the discount:

You can get 20% off Standard Plus or 50% off Standard with 2 lounge visits for £5

• • 20% off Standard Plus membership
  • 50% off Standard membership with 2 lounge visits

Memberships include:

• • Access to over 1300 lounges in over 600 cities
  • Digital membership card
  • Complimentary drinks, refreshments and pre-flight bites
  • Power sockets and free Wi-Fi in most lounges
  • Conference rooms, showers, beds and spa facilities in selected lounges
  • Up to 50% off, with access to lounges for you and your companions at £24pp 

• Vouchers are valid for redemption for three months from the purchase date.
• When redeeming, your voucher can be used until 30th Sep 2023.

Standard Plus includes 10 visits, so you are paying £183.20 for 10 visits or £18.32 which is good value compared to the usual price of £24. Obviously, it is only worth it if you will definitely use 10 visits. It is worth bearing in mind there are still some airports where it is difficult to get in with Priority Pass.

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Located in Toronto’s Saint George district, home to the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum, the Kimpton Saint George Toronto is an on-trend property with great connectivity. Here’s what you can expect.

Kimpton Saint George provided one of the two nights as a complimentary stay to TLFL. And did not receive copy approval of this review. The first time they’re reading this is at the same time as you.

Location

Getting to the hotel from Toronto Pearson International Airport took around one hour by taking the UP Express to Bloor, followed by a short walk to Dundas West for the Number 2 TTC Line to Saint George. It’s a little convoluted thanks to transit connections between separate buildings and with the rainy weather, I wish I had just taken a taxi.

Initial impressions

The Kimpton Saint George has a brutalist exterior that isn’t particularly beautiful, although the addition of the vibrant mural on the side of the building is an interesting feature.

At street level, the entrance is slightly more attractive with a dark wood-effect cladding and plenty of greenery. The entrance is a little hidden from direct street access, so guests will appreciate the blast of warmth from the outdoor heaters before entering.

The reception is a cosy space consisting of warm wood furniture along with heavy use of green paint to create a welcoming environment. Checking in took about five minutes and was swift to complete – besides forgetting my PIN.

This area also plays host to two daily ‘events’ which are commonplace at Kimpton property. First is the free tea and coffee in the mornings that were consistently kept stocked up, unlike my previous experience in San Francisco, although no small pastries were provided here. Second is the wine-tasting sessions they do each evening between 6 and 7pm which is also free to guests.

A lounge area can be found immediately next to the reception with a variety of relaxed seating including chairs, sofas, and a chaise longue. With a roaring fire, it adds to the cosy atmosphere of the hotel, which I’m sure was appreciated by guests during the lows of -18 the weekend prior.

The lifts came courtesy of a mirrored lobby area that has a slight hallucinogenic effect that was eye-catching and that I’m pretty sure was installed to attract the Instagram enthusiast.

Here’s the directory of floor amenities.

The room

Corridors and walls leading to the room are filled with artistic floor tiling alongside intriguing artwork and photography. It makes the walk feel atmospheric, and it didn’t have the endless corridors of some large properties.

For this trip, I was booked into the Saint George’s large King Room which totals 290 sq ft. of space. I could certainly feel the difference of the room size compared to those in other North American cities, namely nearby New York – albeit in completely different tiers of importance.

At the centrepiece of the room was the king-sized bed itself, a comfortable bed with plenty of pillows and a soft duvet – I had an excellent sleep here. This was complimented further by an unattractive blackout blind that was covered by a more aesthetic curtain to create a relaxing environment to rest in.

Both sides of the bed had dimmable lamps, a total of four US-style sockets and USB ports respectively as well as a large set of drawers with inbuilt safe.

Opposite the bed is a unit that holds more storage, a desk, a refrigerator and a large screen television which featured local cable channels as well as Chromecast.

Next to this is the wardrobe that held two dressing gowns, an iron and ironing board as well as an additional stand for the suitcase.

Meanwhile, in the opposite room is a randomly placed sofa that was neither comfortable nor practically placed within the room.

This leads me to my main thought about this room. While I appreciate the size of the room and the extra comfort this gives you, I feel like the property owner could’ve done more with the walls to make it feel a little less barren. A colourful piece of artwork could make this space a bit more alive or interesting. This is nitpicking, but if they can have creative corridors, they could elevate the rooms in a similar manner.

The bathroom was a decent size providing enough room to move around in without taking away from the space in the rest of the room. As for the shower, it was powerful but lacked a handheld attachment, while the extractor fan and water pipework were quite noisy – although these were only noticeable for the duration of the shower.

Amenities were courtesy of Atelier Bloem as per other Kimpton properties. Other amenities, including a Nespresso machine, were on request.

Facilities, food and beverage

Kimpton Saint George Toronto offered an excellent gym with plenty of cardio equipment, free weights and a cable machine. I appreciate this as an amenity to stay healthy while travelling, and seems to be a uniform feature of many Kimpton properties. The fitness centre was quiet throughout my visit.

If you need to stay connected and work here, in-room WiFi was reliable and fast enough to run high-definition video and make video calls.  The speed wasn’t mind-blowing, but I’ll take reliable connectivity over excessive speed any day.

While not operated by the hotel, The Fortunate Fox acts as the defacto hotel restaurant owing to the door that leads directly from the lift lobby to the restaurant – or directly from the street.

It’s a funky space that plays host to a bar with a wide range of spirits and beers for patrons to take advantage of. It seemed busy with locals, who on this night were having a quiz night, as well as hotel guests.

The cuisine offered could be described as classic American favourites alongside a smattering of Canadian specialities, if you can call cheese, chips and gravy, a.k.a. poutine, a speciality. Prices were akin to any western city and good value when compared to many overpriced hotel restaurants.

While I made the mistake of having chips as part of both my starter and main, I enjoyed the food. It is not going to win awards for creativity but the flavours were good, the food was of high quality and was exactly what I needed after a long day of travel – even if the photos and lighting don’t give it justice. I opted for the Buffalo Chicken Bites for starter followed by a Fortunate Fox Burger.

I did debate having the dessert after being overloaded by chips, however, the dessert consisting of apple crumble and ice cream was easily the best course. If you visit, you need to try this.

While I didn’t have breakfast during my stay at the hotel, The Fortunate Fox offers breakfast in the restaurant, or guests can opt for it in-room. Here’s the order card that needs to be hung on the room door to be processed. In-room prices were middling but not excessive compared to prices I’ve seen elsewhere.

Conclusion

While I do feel that the property could improve the design of their rooms, I still enjoyed this comfortable and stylish stay at the Kimpton Saint George. With the large in-room floor space and a plethora of communal seating options on the ground floor, I feel that the hotel gets most of its balance right when it comes to design. Food courtesy of The Fortunate Fox was good, and guests at the hotel would do well to give it a go, whether for breakfast or dinner. Kimpton Saint George gets the core experience just right, even with the minor areas for improvement – and is easily why Kimpton globally has become one of my go-to options if looking for a reliable chain but boutique-esque property.

You can check prices and availability for the Kimpton Saint George Toronto here. 

Like our Kimpton Saint George Toronto review? You can read more hotel reviews here. 

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Oman Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has unveiled its summer schedule for 2023. Oman Air is due to join Oneworld next year and is an excellent airline, almost on par with Qatar in the air in my experience. With four new destinations added to the schedule and major frequency increases on already-existing routes, there will be 60% more flights from Muscat, the hub, than there was the year before. As a result, the airline will receive 60,000 additional seats per week across its network. The four new routes are being added for the summer schedule:

• four-weekly flights from Muscat to Chittagong will begin in March;
• four-weekly flights from Muscat to the Maldives will begin in June;
• twelve-weekly flights from Muscat to Lucknow will begin in July; and
• five-weekly flights from Muscat to Thiruvananthapuram will begin in August (from August). Due to high demand, the following region’s frequency will rise under the new summer schedule:

Oman Air often do some good value fares so with the Maldives joining the network, it could potentially drive down fares with the ME3 carriers. At the very least, once it joined oneworld it will give another option to use Avios to the Maldives and a range of destinations. 

Oman Air Signs with Paul Maxence Lounge at Paris (CDG)

Oman Air,  has also signed a service agreement with Paul Maxence Lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, offering complimentary access for its business class passengers. The agreement coincides with Oman Airs route resumption between Muscat (MCT) and Paris (CDG), which took effect on 31 October 2021. Business class passengers and Sindbad Gold tier members can access the lounge for free, while economy class passengers can purchase access to the lounge for USD 70. Complimentary Wi-Fi, à la carte menuoffering hot and cold food and beverages, shower facilities, and an outdoor smoking terrace, are  available between 06:00 am and 10:00 pm daily in Terminal 2

IAG results and the future of IAG Loyalty 

IAG has reported a strong recovery in profits for 2022, so hopefully this will mean they start to improve things now they can no longer cry poverty. I would like to see a significant improvement in the ground handling at Heathrow including stand guidance and timely baggage handling. 

IAG reported an operating profit before exceptional items of €1,225 million, an increase of €4,195 million compared to full year 2021. They restored 87 per cent of 2019 capacity. Also interesting that passenger unit revenue was 11.0% higher than in 2019. So although they are 13% lower in capacity than pre-Covid they are almost in the same situation with revenue. I’m not in the least bit surprised given the ridiculously high price of flights currently. 

A further recovery in profits is expected in 2023, with full year operating profit before exceptional items expected to be in the range of €1.8 to €2.3 billion, based on current foreign exchange rates and jet fuel forward prices.
The statement by IAG said that they were confident in returning to pre-COVID-19 levels of operating profit within the next few years.

It was interesting that two of the largest other revenue streams for the IAG Group were BA Holidays and IAG Loyalty.

Luis Gallego, IAG Chief Executive Officer, said:
“2022 was a year of strong recovery, driven by sustained leisure demand and markets reopening. At this point of the year we continue to see robust forward-bookings, while also remaining conscious of global macro-economic uncertainties. We are transforming our businesses, with the intention of returning IAG to pre-COVID levels of profit within the next few years, through major initiatives to improve customer experience and operational performance.
Our unique group structure allows us to maximise revenue and cost synergies, and invest capital to achieve strong returns, whilst continuing progress towards net zero by 2050.

“With the acquisition of Air Europa now agreed but subject to regulatory and other approvals which could take around 18 months, we are intending to welcome another leading airline to the Group. This acquisition will enable us to grow Madrid as a hub, offering a gateway to Latin America and beyond, with benefits for customers, employees and shareholders.
“I would like to thank the teams across IAG for their exceptionally hard work in addressing the challenges of ramping up the operation throughout the year.”

IAG Loyalty

There was an interesting statement released from Status Match, which is a website which tells you what status match offers are available for hotels and airlines. I think the interesting part is the last sentence. 30% is a pretty big chunk which could dramatically affect the lounges, hopefully reducing overcrowding. However, BA are still extending some people. I know various people at Gold and Gold Guest List that have been extended. It is unclear what the criteria are but it seems to be applied to those that have held status for a number of years at that level. 

Mark Ross-Smith, CEO of StatusMatch, said: “The loyalty business is often worth more than the airline itself, as we’ve seen with many US carriers. So, with IAG Loyalty contributing more than 20% of the group’s profits in 2022, it’s no surprise IAG decided to break with tradition and present these results separately.

“With the group acquiring the remaining stake in Air Europa this week, the Air Europa SUMA loyalty programme will presumably join IAG Loyalty, enabling members to earn Avios in the future. The acquisition will further drive revenue and profitability for IAG Loyalty in the coming years, which begs the question: is it perhaps more valuable than British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Vueling combined?

“Despite the triumphs, however, there are still difficult times ahead for IAG Loyalty. Over the coming months, British Airways and Iberia will begin downgrading elite status holders who were provided with free status extensions during the pandemic but did not requalify in 2022. We estimate the downgrades could affect up to 30% of the group’s total elite members, which will no doubt have a direct financial impact on IAG Loyalty’s revenues in 2023.”

Boeing stops new B787 Deliveries

After the recent discovery of another fuselage-related issue, Boeing has stopped shipping its B787 Dreamliner aircraft. The manufacturer of the aircraft calls it an “analytical error,” but says that the aircraft currently flying are safe. Boeing had already stopped B787 deliveries for more than a year until August 2022.

Before deliveries can restart, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must be entirely satisfied that the problem has been resolved. A spokesperson said,

“In reviewing certification records, Boeing discovered an analysis error by our supplier related to the 787 forward pressure bulkhead. We notified the FAA and have paused 787 deliveries while we complete the required analysis and documentation.”

 The plane maker said that near-term deliveries will be impacted but does not “anticipate a change to our production and delivery outlook for the year.” Let’s hope not as a lack of deliveries could contribute to the lack of capacity in air travel which is part of the issues driving such high air fares.

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This is part 2 of a review of Air Transat A321LR Club Class (Premium Economy) from London-Gatwick to Toronto with some thoughts on my return flight from Montréal. The flights were paid for by Air Transat. The airline has not received copy approval for this article and the first time they see it, is the same time you are. 

Part 1 of the review can be found here.

Amenities and entertainment

Air Transat provide Club passengers with a rather substantial amenity kit which seems more premium than that offered by other Premium Economy products. Placed on the seat prior to boarding, the airline provides two key amenities. 

The first is a smart leather-style amenity kit which features the regular eye mask, earplug, toothbrush combo but surprisingly also L’Occitaine lipbalm and facial moisturiser. Surprising because L’Occitaine is decidedly more premium than one would expect for a more leisure-oriented carrier such as Air Transat. 

Second is a common amenity but delivered in a quirky method. Air Transat actively encourages passengers to take the durable shopping bag and blanket home to be reused – the latter which is currently being enjoyed by my dog. While I suspect most people will be leaving theirs on the aircraft, I like that the airline is trying to encourage passengers to be more thoughtful in reusing these items – particularly with a bag which is quite practical. The blanket itself is quite thin but does keep you warm. 

Entertainment was a bit more of a mixed bag. On the positive, the screen was 10.1 inches and could be moved to a different viewing angle when the person in front was reclined. 

The Air Transat Club Class seat had sufficient power ports including easy access international socket, which provided enough power to meet the 60w charging requirement of my MacBook, as well as two USB ports. A small holder is also found next to the international socket where your mobile can be placed.

The airline provides in-ear headphones in a nice case to passengers in Club for free or a charge in Economy – they’re about as good as you would expect. Bring your own. 

After reaching cruising altitude, passengers were asked to close their window blinds to prevent glare on the screens. On a day flight, I quite like to keep it open which is a little annoying when it feels like the airline has made a poor choice in display technology for them to be less usable during daylight hours. 

While I generally do not watch much while on planes beyond the moving map, which was not interactive on this aircraft, the selection was quite limited on both of my flights. While most people could probably find something, the selection was not extensive for films and TV shows were worse. Who really wants to watch Elf in the middle of February? This seems quite the oversight for a family and leisure-oriented airline such as Air Transat. 

I instead spent most of the flight working from my laptop penning blogs for TLFL and my own site, although don’t expect to stay connected. The equipment required for WiFi is not installed on Air Transat’s A321LRs so it seems unlikely the airline is looking to provide this as a service any time soon. I did however find the disconnected time to be extremely productive and with the recline at the correct angle, the tray table position was comfortable and sturdy to work from. 

The front bathrooms were dedicated exclusively to the Club cabin and, combined with the low load factor, were spotless throughout the flight. No additional amenities can be found in the bathrooms. 

Food, drink and service

Here’s where Air Transat shined brightest. I can say the service offered by Kimberley and Marcus was excellent – warm, genuine and consistent from start to finish. They were attentive to all passengers offering quick responses to requests and proactively offering top-ups throughout the flight. Together they pushed the whole Air Transat experience up a few notches.

“Bubbles” were offered in glasses, not plastic (!), after boarding. While not a premium champagne, the prosecco was decent although I didn’t manage to get a glance of which brand it was. This was followed up with a drink and snack after departure. 

The first meal service began around ninety minutes after departing from Gatwick. Options were offered off a card but you could also pre-select online a minimum of 72 hours before the flight. This didn’t work for me although the options were very similar, but here was the on-board and ‘Book the Cook’ options:

Meals are served on a single tray. I opted for the Osso Buco for the ‘gourmet meal option’ on this journey, served alongside a flavourful salad and tasty tiramisu-esque dessert. Hot rolls were also provided. Real glassware, cutlery and plates are provided. 

The Osso Buco was tasty and flavourful with a tasty sauce as well as tender pork meat while the risotto had dried out quite a bit but did make the whole meal a bit more filling. I would say the choice of pork shank meant that the initial impression of a large piece of meat quickly changed to a realisation there was bone there. In short, I could’ve done with more to eat even though the quality was decent. 

Only instant coffee and black tea, along with milk, were provided as hot drinks on this flight. Air Transat could do with improving their hot drink offering – whether that’s offering alternative tea bag options or some kind of filter coffee. I can say I didn’t enjoy this cup of coffee! A snack service was offered during the flight consisting of chocolates, crisps and other sweet or savoury options. 

However, I did enjoy the home comfort of afternoon tea about six hours into the flight besides the cheese and pickle (personal preference). A warm scone with the excellent Rodda’s clotted cream and Tiptree preserve was exactly the kind of sweet treat I was looking for this far into the flight. I loved it and the presentation was a little better than I have seen on reviews for Virgin and BA. 

Red-eye return!

There’s not too much to add on the return journey from Montréal to Gatwick, but I’ll note a few points. First, the check-in experience at Montréal was sluggish despite not being particularly busy. There was nobody on the Club Class desk, which seems an oversight, and it was definitely faster to go to one of the Economy queues

Premium security access came in extremely handy on this Sunday afternoon at Montréal-Pearson allowing me to zip through the queues and head straight to the scanners. Just make sure you head towards the far end of the terminal near Air Canada to avoid the space. 

I have very little to report on the flight itself having gone straight to sleep following our ascent into the sky. It was a timely flight and I slept for almost six of the six-and-a-half-hour journey in this seat. No East Coast flight is ideal for getting plenty of sleep but I did quite comfortably, which meant that I missed the meal service and almost all interaction with the crew – but that had been my plan all along. 

While a flatbed in Business is going to offer a better sleeping experience, this was suitable enough for my journey back home – particularly when considering the price difference. 

Conclusion

Air Transat offers a decent Premium Economy product that I would class as slightly above average against peers operating between the two continents. With a comfortable seat, good food and great service, I enjoyed my flight. Pricing is extremely coming in less than half of Air Canada on many dates, who I doubt will be double the standard. I would say this is almost the best in class against its peers.

The product is not perfect though and there are improvements that can be made namely around the entertainment and WiFi. Additionally, the departures from Toronto and Montréal would be better if they departed an hour earlier for people to be able to make it to work for the day ahead – but I appreciate they are not targeting business travellers. 

Although it is a minor thing to note, the single-aisle of the A321LR does make some service flows a bit more difficult than a widebody, particularly with passengers using bathrooms during meal service. A smaller jet does mean some compromises on aspects of the experience but I suspect that this is something we will get more used to on long-haul ‘skinny routes’.

Air Transat offer a great quality premium product in Club Class that with a few tweaks could lead the transatlantic markets. It is great to see an airline provide genuine competition. While TLFL readers may be disappointed there is no option for points redemption or collection on Air Transat, the cash prices are attractive enough for travellers that they represent an excellent option over legacy carriers or using points.

Like our Air Transat Club Class Experience Part 2: Is it Worth the Upgrade- review? You can read more flight reviews here. 

The post Air Transat Club Class Experience Part 2: Is it Worth the Upgrade? appeared first on Turning left for less.

This is part one of a review of Air Transat’s A321LR Club Class (Premium Economy) from London-Gatwick to Toronto with some thoughts on my return flight from Montréal. The following flights were paid for by Air Transat. The airline has not received copy approval for this article and the first time they see it, is the same time you are. 

Most travellers will have one airline in mind for travelling to Canada – the flag carrier, Air Canada or perhaps British Airways. The transatlantic market to Canada has traditionally been more stagnant with this duopoly compared to the flurry of activity the US-UK/EU market has. However, over the past five years, two carriers have entered into the UK-Canada market – namely WestJet and, the subject of today’s review, Air Transat. 

While WestJet previously offered services to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Canada from the UK, they have settled to focus more on their 787 hub in Calgary – effectively leaving Air Transat to challenge the flag carrier’s dominance on the East coast. 

Air Transat exclusively utilise Gatwick’s North Terminal as their gateway to the capital flying to Toronto daily and Montréal thrice-weekly year-round, as well as Quebec City once-weekly from June to September. 

Outside London, Air Transat fly to the following airports in the UK and Ireland:

• Glasgow to Toronto 
• Manchester to Toronto
• Dublin to Toronto

These come with varying schedules as low as once-weekly in the winter season and as much as daily in the summer season.

I flew to Toronto on the outbound and from Montréal on the return. 

Airport experience

Having arrived four hours prior to the flight, I swiftly headed to the Club Class check-in where I was greeted by a friendly member of the ground team. After confirming I had not entered any part of China within the past fourteen days, I proceeded to check my baggage in quickly and with ease without needing to use a self-service machine. 

As a Club Class passenger, you are entitled to use the Premium Gatwick security queue, located just a few steps from Air Transat’s check-in counters, which helped speed up the process a little. There were more than a few people faffing around in the queue to find their confirmation emails to use the premium security which probably evened out the benefit. 

As Club Class is effectively a Premium Economy product, there is no lounge access available at Gatwick. I reserved space at the Clubrooms lounge using my LoungeKey which I’ll publish a review for at a later date.

The boarding process started on-time and went smoothly with very little to report on the process. Akin to other airlines, Air Transat boarded by groups based on zonal priority. 

On the ground, the Club Class experience is as expected and aligned with other Premium Economy products on the market. It’s certainly not exceptional but they do a decent job considering this is not a hub airport for the carrier. Although, I will say the aircraft looked excellent on this sunny departure from Gatwick. 

Cabin and seat 

Club Class on the Airbus A321LR features a 2-2 seat layout with comfy US Domestic First-style recliner seats. This aircraft primarily replaces the ancient Airbus A310 that the airline was flying until a couple of years back, providing a superior in-flight experience for passengers. 

The premium cabin offers a total of 12 seats but on both flights, I took Club Class was lightly loaded suggesting that most passengers were not sold on the benefits of upgrading. As far as I could tell, the airline wasn’t proactively selling upgrades at check-in or the gate. Since I was travelling solo, I was quite happy to find the seat next to me was free so I could spread out a little bit more than usual.

Club seats offer a pitch of 38 inches, which is akin to the legroom from BA, Virgin and Air Canada on Transatlantic routes. At 188cm tall (6ft2), I found the seat legroom comfortable and sufficient, especially on a daytime flight. I will note that window seats on row 2, and I suspect row 3, were slightly obstructed by the in-flight entertainment box beneath the seat. This could limit the space to place your feet slightly if you are a larger shoe size or wearing boots, for example. This did not seem to be a problem on the aisle seats. 

Air Transat’s Premium Economy seats are rather wide and recline a fair distance, which will come in handier on my return flight. As with pretty much any Economy or Premium Economy product, there are the drawbacks of reclined seats making it more difficult to exit from the seat when the seat is not in a fixed shell design. The same is the case here, but that wasn’t too much of an issue with the load of passengers on this flight.

The seats are manually controlled through a button on the armrest. These enable passengers to recline back as well as get improved leg support, which I found made the seat a lot more comfortable. A foot rest can also be pushed down from the footwell for further comfort. 

Underneath the display is two pouches for holding items. The small one at the front is perfect for smaller items such as a phone and wallet while the rear area is sufficient to hold a laptop and several other items easily. It’s quite a neat design they’ve got with this. 

Overall, a comfy seat and enough legroom for the hop across the Atlantic – but the seat is only one part of the experience. 

Part 2 of the review can be found here. 

Like our Air Transat’s Premium Economy review? You can read more flight reviews here. 

The post Flying to Canada? Is Air Transat’s Premium Economy the Way to Fly? – Part 1 appeared first on Turning left for less.

BA Club World vs Etihad Business Class

This reader review is by Keith. If you want to submit a reader review please email it to admin (at) turningleftforless.com

This is a review of BA Club World vs Etihad Business Class and which is significantly better.

A little about my background.

I am a BA Gold For Life passenger with just over 50,000 tier points and despite stopping work 10 years ago always try and turn left on board an aircraft, naturally for less!

My wife and I went on a 2-week cruise out of Singapore that had business flights included. BA was the carrier on the outbound flight direct to Singapore, with Etihad on the return via Abu Dhabi.

Here are my observations.

London/Singapore BA 11 Boeing 777

We checked in at the First Counter at T5; it was quick and efficient. There was no queue at security and from the curbside to the lounge was less than 10 minutes.

A great start to the holiday. We sat at the far end of the First lounge where you can pour your own drinks and get a good view of the airfield and saw a couple of aborted landings due to a plane that seemed slow in getting off the main runway.

The flight was departing from B Gates, so we took the train and, as there was still a little time to kill, had a further drink in the lounge, which was very quiet.

We boarded the plane, it was efficient and were soon offered a drink.

Our luggage contained Apple AirPods so we knew that 2 of the 3 cases were on the plane, however, the third case seemed not to have moved very far from check-in!

It was still the old Ying Yang configuration in Club World, I had selected seats in the smaller cabin behind First Class and this would definitely be a seat of choice looking at the size of the second Club cabin that was very condensed.

Menus were distributed and orders are taken. At this point, the captain said there would be a delay in the departure due to waiting for the luggage from transit passengers.

At this point checked our AirPods, one was still half a mile away…….but getting closer.

We eventually took off just under 90 minutes late, knowing all three cases were onboard.

The IFE in Club wasn’t working. I could see it was fine in First Class.

It took 5 reboots to get going and then failed again about 3 hours into the flight. The cabin manager was apologetic, she contacted customer relations on our behalf, and we both got 20,000 Avios.

Appropriate compensation?

On a 14-hour flight, perhaps a little mean?

The first meal was quickly served, and given we were going to Asia, I had the Beef Tataki for starter and Char kway teow that was huge.

Given the entertainment wasn’t working, I read myself to sleep and probably slept for five hours.

Approx 2 hours before landing there was a second food service, the last time I flew this route it was a breakfast menu that always seemed a little strange since the local time was early afternoon.

The selection this time was much more appropriate, I chose Ploughman’s Selection which was fine.

We landed in Singapore at 4 pm, and 30 minutes later all 3 bags arrived on the baggage belt. Changi feels so clean compared to Heathrow.

So, in conclusion, the crew, food and drink were perfectly acceptable, but the Ying Yang configuration we all know is past its ‘sell by’ date.

The IFE system on such a long flight being down was particularly disappointing, and this seems to be a very regular occurrence in the older Club World as it has now happened to us three times in five BA flights

How would the experience compare to Etihad, though?

Singapore/Abu Dhabi ETD 473 Dreamliner 787

Check-in was swift and efficient at Changi Terminal 3, and we headed to the Morhaba lounge which is a shared lounge with a number of other carriers

It was not a particularly pleasant lounge, although there were some great views of plane movements.

It became exceptionally crowded, and there was insufficient space for the number of business passengers.

The seats with low backs weren’t particularly comfortable, and generally, it felt like a lounge that had seen better days. There was a limited selection of cold and hot food not particularly well presented and a very limited selection of alcohol.

Terminal 3 in Singapore is vast, and it was a good 15-minute walk from the lounge to the gate.

Boarding was quick and efficient, and like many places in Asia, hand baggage security scanning happens at the gate. The security staff were incredibly efficient and demonstrated just how to process passengers in an efficient manner. They could teach a lot of other airports how to handle security.

The business cabin was very small, and there were only 9 passengers in business. Every passenger was greeted by the cabin manager although passengers were not referred to by their names.

Champagne or juices were offered along with a menu and the reminder that this was dining on demand and when did I want to eat? There was a hot towel service that I’d completely forgotten had disappeared from BA. The seat was rather hard, but I was surprised there was a switch to make it softer, although it did seem to have a life of its own.

Drinks were delivered soon after take-off and included a huge bowl of nuts. The champagne was Devaux Grande Reserve which retails for around £30 in the UK.

I had selected the Meze Starter and Prawn Biryani from the menu

Both dishes were well presented and really flavourful

The dishes went well with the Wither Hills NZ Sauvignon Blanc.

The entertainment was in a completely different class (called E Box) to that if it had been working on BA. The choice of movies, box sets, music etc. was vast. Plus, they have a number of live TV channels

I found the seat was very comfortable for sleeping although I just wanted a couple of hours of sleep as I intended to sleep for the next leg from Abu Dhabi to London. Watching Arsenal play Man Utd live kept me awake!

The bathroom was kept spotless with it being cleaned it seemed after every passenger.

The flight landed on time, and we had 4 hours to wait for the next flight to London. I had expected great things from Abu Dhabi Airport but was underwhelmed. It was incredibly crowded with poor signage; Changi or Doha, this was not.

I had high hopes for the business class lounge, but again it was a bit underwhelming.

There was a large bar area, but it was staffed by so few people that as the lounge got busy it became difficult to get served in a reasonable time

It’s a large lounge, but there seemed to be a lack of seats as the lounge filled up. There were 3-4 food stations carrying a limited offering of hot and cold food.

Again it was a feeling of being underwhelmed, it was ‘OK’, but nothing like, say, the Qatar business lounge in Doha. When it was time to board, the concourse was very crowded with people going in all different directions. The airport seemed to be ‘tired’ when I had expected it to be new and vibrant.

Abu Dhabi/LHR ETD 11  A 350

Boarding was chaotic and more of a scrum. The A 350 was a newer aircraft, and there was some great mood lighting.

The business cabin is very large, and like the Dreamliner, there was no First Class.

The seat is the same as BA Club Suites with a privacy door. I just wanted to sleep on this flight and was concerned as there were some small infants and there were no earplugs. The washbag contained the usual suspects, but there were no earplugs.

Speaking to the crew, these were prompt.

Whilst I never ate, this was the menu that seemed appropriate for an overnight flight.

I’m just over 6 feet and didn’t find the seat as comfortable as on the Dreamliner.

Having said that, I did get in about 5 hours of sleep. Due to tailwinds and despite stacking due to freezing fog, we landed on time, and as is fairly usual, there was no one to operate the gate! We stayed on the plane for a further 15 minutes however there was no explanation given by the captain.

Heathrow was quiet it was around 6-15 am, and the bags came off pretty quickly; plus, we knew they had flown with us thanks to the AirPods!

BA Club World vs Etihad Business Class?

There is no comparison, really. Everything about Etihad is significantly better than BA, with the exception of the lounge.

The older product didn’t help the cause of BA, but even so, all parts of the flights with Etihad were superior.

We are flying to Australia next month to Qatar thanks to the acceptance of Avios. This will probably be a better comparison.

Like our BA Club World vs Etihad Business Class Review? You can here more TLFL flight reviews here. 

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First in Business. In a unique turn on the usual Cathay Pacific Business Class, last month, I flew from Hong Kong to Paris on the Boeing 777-300ER. At the time, First was not on sale on the route, which made for an intriguing loophole. With Cathay’s First cabin back on-sale, this makes for a good time to visit the excellent experience offered. 

How much was the trip?

I paid 75,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for this trip from Taipei to Paris via Hong Kong. I also hold a pot of Alaska Airlines miles, which represent better value at 45,000 miles from Hong Kong to Paris.  However, connecting itineraries are not available on Cathay Pacific awards to Europe with Alaska Airlines, which would’ve complicated my transit due to the entry requirements of Hong Kong at the time. Using Avios is a lot more expensive…both for taxes and points. 

My originating flight from Hong Kong to Taipei in Economy can be found here, and it was a pleasant experience for the short hop. 

Transiting at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)

Hong Kong’s airport operated a segregated system for passengers during my departure in November 2022. Passengers originating from Hong Kong or who are transiting to China are segregated in the ‘green’ zone of the airport. Passengers transiting through Hong Kong and who are travelling onwards to other destinations are in the ‘orange’ zone. This system ended in January 2023. [Map source: South China Morning Post].

The impact? It means that transit passengers with oneworld Emerald status, or those in First, cannot access the excellent ‘The Wing’ First Class Lounge featuring the cabanas. Instead, all eligible transit passengers will have to ‘slum it’ in ‘The Pier’ Business lounge – of course, that is in jest since it is still excellent. 

A review of ‘The Pier’ can be read here.

While this is disappointing, with the rapid lifting of restrictions in both the Mainland and Hong Kong S.A.R., I suspect this zonal system will disappear soon due to the increased prevalence of Covid-19 in China. 

During my lengthy layover, I visited both the new Chase Sapphire Lounge, reviewed here, and Cathay Pacific’s ‘The Pier’, which will be reviewed soon. 

Surprisingly HKIA have made some investment in the facilities during the pandemic including these large screens at the boarding gates. While not entirely necessary, they are quite a bit clearer than the regular boarding screens you get at Heathrow, for example. They display information such as the much cooler temperatures in Paris. 

This was not ‘Business’ as usual on this Cathay Pacific flight. Effectively, the First cabin was declassified and made an extension of the Business cabin. Passengers could not reserve a seat in the First cabin online but if they wished to be on a lengthy hold, they could reserve a seat over the phone or on Cathay’s WhatsApp chat service. Initially I selected 1D before opting for Seat 1A in the First cabin.

How did this hybrid cabin meld up? Here’s how the various service elements looked like at a high level:

• Hard product: First
• Turndown and bedding: First
• Food and beverages: Business
• Amenity kit: Business 
• Cabin crew: First
• Pyjamas: none (usually offered to First passengers)

This makes for an interesting experience but this felt more like a First light rather than a Business plus experience – which I’ll go onto explain.

The Cathay Pacific 777-300ER Business Class seat design is starting to look a little dated but it is holding up well in part because this aircraft is maintained well. On embarkation, the seat already featured three plush Bamford cushions – on of which is stuck with Velcro to the headrest. These are comfortable and of high quality. I couldn’t quite get over how wide this seat is and the sense of space it offers. 

While Business cabins have improved remarkably over the past decade, the one thing that is rarely beaten in First is the unrestricted space for your legs. The ability to turn over or not hit your feet in a footwell is a privilege and part of what makes this seat great. 

Besides the size of the seat, it has an array of features which make this an excellent space to relax in. A small display for the control of the seat can be found on the side console. This allows passengers to recline the seat into bed mode, turn on the personal lights as well as enabling the massage function (which, like most seats, was quite weak). To the right are three dedicated function buttons for the lights and seat.

As we departed Hong Kong late in the evening, an express Business Class supper service was served on this flight. While some may be a little frustrated by the less extensive service, I liked it. A few years back, I had a late departure from Singapore on Qatar Airways and found that the three course service made it uncomfortable to get some rest on the flight. Cathay Pacific’s approach made sense to me. Additionally, the supper service took around 30 minutes allowing me to maximise sleeping opportunity on this 14 hour flight to Paris. 

I had the opportunity to pre-select my meal 24 hours prior to the flight. This is not like Singapore Airlines’ Book the Cook service, where you can select from a range of off-menu items that should be loaded for your flight, but instead it just reserves what is already on the menu. I assume this ensures that Cathay Pacific can more accurately load the flight, but it is less impressive than the service Singapore Airlines offers. 

Here’s the Supper menu from this flight:

Cathay Pacific’s First cabin features an 18.5 inch high definition display which featured the newest iteration of the CX Studio system. The display sits off-centre and is mounted on the cupboard area but can be viewed from gate to gate. It does slide out to be directly opposite after take-off and during landing.

While this was strictly not a Cathay Pacific First review, it was great to be able to encounter this unique First-Business hybrid service. While the design is aging, the product is still versatile and provides a leading experience for travellers who opt for this on journeys to Asia. The quality of service provided by the crew was second to none, despite the true hardship Cathay’s crew have gone through over the past three years with quarantine measures. Small touches like the thank you card before departure as well as their personal service was greatly appreciated – it was clear this crew were trained to First standards. Food was not the highlight of this journey, but I’ll take the compromise on that considering the extensive food range offered pre-flight in their lounges and the need to balance out digestion for sleep. 

Like our Cathay Pacific 777-300ER Business Class review? You can find more flight reviews here. 

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This is an article about the KLM B737-800 Business Class review from Madrid to Amsterdam. This was a positioning flight for a long haul flight review that will be published tomorrow.

I will preface this review by saying, ‘Jason…. you are a fool’. 

I will be the first to admit – booking a trip with a 55-minute scheduled connection time is not clever.  Especially when one is aware of the challenges facing the world’s airports at the moment.  It is quite incredible how you can actually convince yourself that a bad idea really isn’t that bad.  After all, I had been monitoring the punctuality of both my MAD – AMS flight and my AMS – MEX flight on Flightradar24 and was reassured to see a history of my short flight to AMS usually arriving a little early than scheduled and my departing flight from AMS to MEX departing 15-20 minutes behind schedule.  I had also researched the transit procedure at AMS and was relieved that I wouldn’t have to clear any dreaded transit security. However, I would have to pass immigration as I was arriving from within the Schengen area and departing from outside it.  And what was the worse that could happen anyway?  KLM is late, I missed my connection and am rebooked and entitled to EU261. 

Check-in/Lounge/Boarding.

KLM, along with its SkyTeam partners, use the very quiet and fairly basic Terminal 2 at Madrid Airport. 

Although the terminal itself was calm, the KLM/Air France check-in area was so not. 

I, as always, was only travelling with hand baggage and checked in via the excellent KLM app but I was still hoping to snap a quick picture of the check-in area for this report.  I could not even get near it.  The whole area was a sea of people.

Fast Track security was available and from entry to me being repacked of my liquids and laptop and on my way was exactly seven minutes.  It’s worth mentioning that there were no queues at the regular security checkpoint either.  I have travelled quite a few times in and out of both Madrid and Barcelona over the past six months, and I have not witnessed any of the chaos I have seen at many other airports around Europe.

KLM contracts the use of the Puerta de Alcala lounge, which seemed to be the only lounge within Terminal 2. 

It was also available as pay-on-entry or in conjunction with several of the lounge pass programs.  It certainly wouldn’t win any awards, but as far as contract lounges go, it was pretty good.  Essentially it was one large rectangular room with plenty of various seating areas and impressive views over the tarmac and runway.  There was no difficulty in finding EU-style power points, and Wi-Fi was fast and stable.  In line with the rest of the terminal, the lounge was pleasantly quiet.  Food and beverage options were fairly limited, with some light breakfast items (pastries, yoghurts etc.) on offer from a self-serve buffet. 

From the lounge, I could see my KLM B737-800 Business Class aircraft arrive from AMS early and reassure myself, ‘see – nothing to worry about’ and I headed off to the gate.

I first knew something was up when I checked my app at the gate.  I was looking at my plane in front of me, which had arrived early, yet the app was informing me there was a 45-minute delay on departure.  This could only mean one thing – a slot delay.  A little bit of panic had set in at this stage, but the zonal boarding procedure commenced on time at 10:20, and I held hope that the app was just displaying the wrong information.  I was warmly welcomed onboard by the Purser and took my seat in row 1 of the aircraft.

KLM B737-800 Business Class,  like nearly every other European carrier, adopts the ‘euro business’ model where business class is basically a row of three economy seats with the middle seat blocked.  On my flight, there were only two rows of business class, and there was no cocktail table or such on the blocked seat.  The flight seemed full, and all of the eight business class seats were occupied.  Being in row 1, all items had to go in the overhead locker.  This is no easy task as the locker above row one on the A-C side is fully occupied with emergency equipment.  All seats had USB charging ports, and Wi-Fi was available (which would come in handy during the flight for me researching options should I miss my connection!). A choice of orange juice or water was also offered before departure.  I’m not sure if this is the norm for KLM short-haul flights or whether it was on account of the delay, but it was welcomed anyway.  The door was closed five minutes ahead of our scheduled departure time.

I am a firm believer that any business in the customer service industry can turn a detractor into a promotor, even in times of disruption, by how they deal with the issue and how they communicate with the customer.  At this, KLM exceeded.  Once the door was closed, the captain of the aircraft left the flight deck, took the public address speaker in the forward galley, stood in the middle of the aisle at row one where everyone could see him and addressed all the passengers.  He relayed that fog earlier in the day had reduced the flow of aircraft able to land into AMS, which was having a knock-on effect, and our flight had been given a slot delay of 11:40.  He explained the crew had taken the decision to get everyone on board for departure as early as possible to take advantage of any last minute bringing forward of the slot.  He apologised to customers with connections at AMS (the vast majority of the flight) and assured them that the KLM operations centre would be re-arranging missed connections while we were airborne and he would try and get back to us with any information once we were closer to AMS.  He then walked the entire length of the cabin, chatting with customers and answering any questions.  I found this incredibly impressive and showed KLM in a very positive light.  The empathy and openness displayed were incredible, especially as it is often the case that the crew will literally hide when having to give out bad news such as this.  Following the captain’s address, the Purser did exactly the same.  She stood in the middle of the aisle at row 1, introduced herself and apologised for the delay.  She then came around with her handheld device, welcoming all those in Business by name and acknowledging our onward connecting flight information and assuring us she would get back to us with any information she had before landing. 

These kinds of interactions with KLM staff were the first of what seemed to be the norm of KLM people – all along the way to MEX, every KLM staff member I encountered was hard-working, friendly, helpful, genuine and empathetic.  I’m not sure if this is just how the Dutch are or whether KLM is very clever at recruiting the right people, or whether KLM values their people and makes it a place their staff are happy and proud to work for, but it was very evident.

Thankfully, our slot did come forward a little bit, and we pushed back at 11:24.  A quick glance at my app before take-off, and it was displaying a transit time of nineteen minutes in AMS.  At this point, I was thinking, ‘game over, no chance’.

As soon as we took off, I logged onto the Wi-Fi, obsessively checking two things – the departure time of my onward flight (praying it would show a delay) and alternatives to get me to MEX (which would hopefully involve a KL 787).  Wi-Fi was reasonably priced, with the ability also to pay using miles.  Half an hour of messaging was free, internet access ‘surf’ was E8 for the whole flight and ‘stream’ for E12.

The inflight service kicked off with hot towels, and then a meal was served.  The meal was definitely the lowlight of the trip.  I have come to manage my expectations of short-haul catering even in Business Class (hello Lufthansa), but this was, without a doubt, the worst meal I have ever been served in a premium cabin.  KLM has moved away from the standard tray format to the ‘sustainable’ (and cheaper) cardboard box.  The box is actually quite cute in presentation, and I could even overlook the wooden cutlery, but the contents were just dire.  There was a menu card within the box listing the cheap and unhealthy contents. 

Yoghurt, muesli,  fresh fruit, chocolate pancakes with strawberry jam and an ‘extra serving surprise’.  On the face of it, it doesn’t sound unappealing.  The reality was my box had no muesli (I had two portions of plain yoghurt), the ‘fresh fruit’ was a chopped green apple, and the chocolate pancakes were cold.  I don’t mean they were heated onboard and lost some of the temperature waiting to be served, nope, these were chilled and meant to be served chilled. 

The ‘extra serving’ I still don’t know what option I got was some weird pastry filled with. I have no idea what.  I ate a bit of the yoghurt, picked at the apple and I was done.  Maybe my expectations are too high as my American seatmate commented ‘wow I can’t believe they give a whole meal on such a short flight’.  OK, one happy customer food-wise!  I was so happy the delightful Purser didn’t ask me if I enjoyed the meal. 

Drinks and tea, and coffee were also offered.  I loved the crockery they served the coffee in, and I’m not sure whether it was instant or brewed, but it was actually very good.

Throughout the whole KLM B737-800 Business Class flight, I was addressed by name, and the crew could not have been friendlier.  I was manically checking the status of my onward flight, and it was still annoyingly showing ‘on time’.  I could only pray there were no queues at immigration and hope that there were a good number of customers from other delayed passengers connecting onto the MEX service so they may wait a little while. 

As promised, the Purser did come back over to the public address with some information for connecting customers as we approached Amsterdam.  She announced two Scandinavian destinations where customers had been rebooked and provided details.  And advised all other customers to proceed as quickly as possible to their gates.  On the app, I could also see our arrival gate and my departure gate, and after a google of an AMS terminal map, it seemed I was in luck – they appeared to be not too far apart.  We were arriving at C gates, and I would depart at D gates. 

We landed at AMS, and after a frustrating long taxi to our arrival gate, the jetty pulled up to the door, it was open, and I thanked the Purser, and I RAN.  And I didn’t stop running until I reached immigration.  Immigration was not overly busy, but there was still a queue of twenty to thirty people which I knew if I joined, I would almost definitely miss my flight. 

So, I did something that I’ve witnessed time and time again whilst standing in security/passport queues and usually roll my eyes at – I apologetically pushed my way to the front of the queue ‘so sorry so sorry I’m about to miss my flight’ and despite a few tuts and murmurs I was soon in front of the immigration officer.  ‘How long have you been in the Netherlands?’ the immigration agent asked, and literally almost out of breath, I replied ’17 minutes’.  He stamped my passport, and I started running again.  As I reached my gate, I could see signs of life.  There was no ‘closed’ showing on the monitor, and there were still gate staff there.  The gate staff were so lovely.  No ‘hurry up the flight is departing’ but instead a ‘I’m so happy you made it, welcome on board’.  The relief I felt at that moment was immense.  And I can happily say – lesson learnt.

If you’re interested in more flight reviews, you can find them here. 

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Today’s review is from reader Gordon.

This BLOC hotel Gatwick mini hotel review was part of my Gold renewal – a BA trip to Tenerife, with an Avis Hire car to complete a BA holiday for double TP.

It’s a few years since I’ve flow out of Gatwick, and with a relatively early outbound flight, I didn’t want to risk any eco-terrorists blocking the M25/M23/Access to the airport, so I booked the BLOC hotel inside the South Terminal. This was a novel concept for me, and I was sort of expecting something along the lines of a Yotel ‘box’, but about 2 weeks before departure, there was an offer to upgrade to the Runway Suite, still including the 6 days of parking – for only £40 more. I say “only”.. it was still £362, but this was still far less expensive than any room+park at the Heathrow Sofitel. For £40, I thought it would be worth a punt.

Arrival

The directions indicated to go to the Short-term car park 1 and park on any level other than L2. As it turns out, this was not good advice. Firstly, these hotel packages are meant to be part of the Meet & greet function, which IS in Car Park1 level 2. However, for some unfathomable reason, they still haven’t sorted out M&G since covid, so this function is closed, and you are directed to park in ANY short-term car park – in which case, car parks 3 or 4 would be much nearer the terminal. Anyway, upon arrival, the barrier produced a ticket and opened it. We parked on L4 and took the elevator down, and walked through all the other car parks to get into the terminal.

The BLOC reception is on an upper level, so you take a lift up one floor to the departure level. This is where the tech kicks in. You can check in via the app, and your phone becomes your key and full control of the room. I still wanted to check in at the desk so after a few mins waiting for a couple arguing with the receptionist as to why their booking wasn’t in the system, we were seen, promptly checked in and issues keys. You need these keys (or your phone web app) to unlock the lift floors, which I liked; otherwise, anyone in the terminal could roam the corridors. Speaking of corridors, it was a long way to the end of the building!

The Runway Suite

The room itself was larger than I was expecting. There was a LOT right about this room, but there were many things that just screamed ‘style over substance’. This review may seem negative, but I want to state now, that I would absolutely stay here again…

On the positive side, the room did what it said on the tin. Two sides of the living room are glass and look over the runway and terminal buildings. The breakfast bar is a perfect vast space to spread out all your tat, electronics etc.

There was a basket of complimentary snacks that would put a Club World ‘club kitchen’ to shame, a bottle of Prosecco, water and soft drinks in the fridge, all comp.

There was a kitchen with the aforementioned fridge, which even had ice in the icebox. A kettle, a Nespresso machine which a selection of capsules, milk sachets etc., on the counter with some cookies. Clearly, at one point, the designer had doors which closed over this but had long since broken.

The bedroom was really minimal, which at first I really liked. Good size bed, very comfortable, crisp sheets, bedside tables with lighting controls, USB plugs and UK sockets. The walls and ceiling were made of padded fabric which gave excellent sound dampening. Then the style over substance crept in.. the window had a fancy electronic blind that looked and closed like a blast door on the Death Star – but they then put a nice purple LED around it so even when closed, the blackout effect was lost. The bedroom also had no actual door, so any light from the living room, bathroom or lounge could stream in. I was like, “REALLY!?” 

Despite all of this… HOW COOL does it look? 

Then there was the bathroom… words failed me. So walking into the bathroom, you are first aware that it’s dark.. and I mean really dark.  Yes, it was evening, but the walls were black, the floor was black, and the sink, shower, and toilet – were all black. Even the mirror is black. The only light comes from what felt like a single 40w bulb – it didn’t stand a chance. It should come with a public safety warning, as shaving in this room would be something akin to visiting Sweeny Todd. But don’t worry, you can’t shave anyway, as the plug has two holes in it to prevent you from filling the sink. The shower was clearly “designed”, too… you had an overhead rain shower, waterfall, body jets, or a handheld – possibly the most ways to shower in 1 cubicle. As ever with design, there were no indicators, so it was Russian roulette on whether you got a cold body jet or a scalding waterfall until you worked it out.  

Then I saw the sign, above the mirror… “Designed by Armani”. It was all very lovely, but wholly impractical. Anyone putting makeup on in there would come out like Aunt Sally! 

Trust me; this one is me using every magic trick my iPhone could muster to brighten it

Lastly, this may be a personal choice, but I am not a fan of GLASS bathroom doors, where even with a mid-panel frosting, you can see the outline of someone ‘on the throne’. Plus, this door didn’t lock and had gaps top and bottom 

Conclusions

If they made the sink plug work, fixed the flickering lights in the lounge, made the purple LED go off when the bedroom blind is closed, and put strong lighting in the bathroom, it would be near perfect.

One additional benefit you get (not sure if it’s just with VIP rooms) is your room key gives you a discount at Nero, a specially priced menu at Giraffe and other food outlets in the terminal, and a Fast Track pass for 2 for “Gatwick Premium” if you need it.

I may have been a bit nit-picky here. Overall the room was really nice and comfortable. The comp snacks and Prosecco were a nice surprise, and given the proximity to the runway, the room was all but silent. The curtains in the lounge, blind in the bedroom, lighting and air con were all controlled by touch panels on the wall OR the BLOC web app. The lift to the floors and access to the room could also be done through this web interface. The wifi was ok, but tbh my 5G was faster, so I didn’t use it much other than to test the web app.

For one night before a flight, The BLOC hotel Gatwick is perfectly fine. But for more than one night, some of those things would annoy me.

Interested in more hotel reviews? You can visit our Hotel reviews here. There is also another review about The BLOC hotel Gatwick here which might interest you which is for one of the standard rooms which are much cheaper.

You can book a hotel for The Bloc Hotel here. 

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