Stay Report: Le Méridien New York, Fifth Avenue (New York City - October 2024)

    Stay Report: Le Meridien New York, Fifth Avenue
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We were traveling to New York and generally when in the city we stay at the Innside by Melia (review here) due to its central location and walking distance to transportation, restaurants, and other attractions.  The plan was to stay at that hotel again but the rates were very high so we decided to look at other hotels within the area and that is when we found the Le Meridien New York, Fifth Avenue.  We booked the room through the Marriott website, as they were having a deal/promotion, and the hotel was one of the few that provided two double beds and advertised that it could fit up to 4 people.

The hotel is located on Fifth Avenue between 30th and 31st street in KoreaTown.  The hotel is about a 15-20 minute walk from Herald Square, and closer there is a WholeFoods two blocks away and a Dunkin Donuts and CVS literally down the block; all to say there is a lot to do and the hotel is centrally located.  The hotel itself does not look like much from the outside and does not really look like a hotel; the lobby also does not really look like a lobby and is very narrow.  As you enter the door, you are facing the check-in desk, and its a tiny desk.  Next to the check-in desks are the elevators and on the other side is the small seating area, the 'business center' which is a computer and printer, and the entrance to the restaurant.  The square footage of the lobby, especially the check-in area was very tiny and if there was a group checking in it made access to the hotel and lobby somewhat tricky.  We checked in, received our room key and proceeded to the room.  The elevators did come generally quickly and they were average size elevators; other hotels in New York have the tiny elevators in which barely 1-2 people can fit and they are slow.  Even though the website advertised that the room can 'accommodate up to 4 people' and offered pictures of a spacious room, the narrow size of the lobby continued to the room.  

The room had all the basic amenities but was in a narrow space with little extra room and was not spacious at all.  As you entered, there was a small hallway which led into the room.  In the hallway, on the left were coat hooks which was nice since there was limited closet and storage space.  On the right side was the open bathroom in which the sink and tiny shower, with a clear door, was open to the room and hallway while the toilet was behind a sliding door; there was really no privacy and no space in the bathroom (there were tiny shelves up on the wall that barely had enough space for a toiletry bag).  

As you entered into the room, along the left side of the wall was a wooden shelf which was your storage/desk space and also contained the coffee maker.  The shelf was long but was a bit narrow so difficult to add multiple items.  Above the shelf was the TV and between the shelf and the window was the narrow closet which had a place to hang items on one side and pull out shelves on the other.  There was not a lot of space in the room so when you pulled out the shelves in the closet you basically hit the bed.  The beds were along the other side of the wall and they were full/double size beds and provided a decent nights sleep.  There was one desk in between the two beds as one bed was basically next to the window and on the other side of the other bed was a small space with a chair and tiny table.  There was a luggage rack in the closet and we set up that in this space to at least get the suitcases out of the way so you could walk and maneuver around the room.  Again the room had all the basic amenities but 1) it was tight and narrow and 2) could barely accommodate 4 people or generally 2 people with luggage.

The hotel did have amenities including complimentary wifi, a restaurant, and a fitness center.  The wifi was strong and you could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The fitness center was located in the basement and was a decent size; next to the fitness was also a huge bathroom area with 6 stalls which seems like a wasted space.  When we checked in, and we realized many other guests also received this as well, we were given credit at the hotel which could be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or cocktails at the restaurant.  Most people used it for breakfast and it was a regular restaurant menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you ordered what you wanted and you could use the credit to cover the costs.  The server at the restaurant was nice but they seemed understaffed given the amount of guests they had.  Also the food was decent and they were accommodating to various dietary restrictions but the food did not have a lot of flavor and if we did not have the credit seemed wildly expensive for what it was.

Overall, the hotel was centrally located and provided easy access to many restaurants and attractions.  The rooms were narrow and the bathroom was not well designed.  The elevators were quick and spacious and there was not a lot of rush either in the lobby or in the elevators so it did not feel overwhelming.

Stay Report: Hyatt Regency Bishkek (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - September 2024)

   Stay Report: Hyatt Regency Bishkek
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When traveling to Bishkek, there were a couple of options for hotels in the city.  I was looking for a hotel that was centrally located and had access to transportation services since part of my flight left early in the morning.  While doing to research, I noticed Hyatt was having a deal on their properties within Central Asia and so I was getting a good deal on the room and it included Club Access, so I decided to book the Hyatt Regency Bishkek.  It was very easy to book the room via the Hyatt app and very easy to communicate with the hotel regarding airport transportation (airport transportation is not included but can be arranged from the hotel).  The hotel is located near the city center and thus is a 45-minute drive from the airport.  From the hotel, it is a 10-15 minute walk to many of the city's attractions and main restaurants and you can also easily access transportation from the hotel.  One of the key perks of the hotel is that the staff generally have a good command of English so it is easy to connect and communicate requests.  

From the outside the hotel does not look like much but it is grand, but dated, on the inside.  You enterinto a wide lobby that had the check-in desks towards the back, a sitting area in the front, as well as access to the restaurant and the elevators.  There was also a money changer and ATM located next to the check-in desks.  The lobby looked nice, had plenty of seating space, and look decently refurbished but you could tell it was an older property.  I quickly checked-in and received the key to my club room floor room. 

The hallway was laid out in a T with the elevators on the long side and rooms jutting out from either side.  The club room was in the middle across from the elevators.  The room itself was nice and spacious, a bit outdated, but comfortable and had all the amenities.  As you entered, there was a sitting area to the left and a desk right in front.  Next to the desk was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.   Next to the TV were windows that covered the entire length of the wall and it led to the bed which was across from the TV on the other side of the room.  It was a double size bed, big enough and comfortable enough but definitely not a newer bed.  There were bedside tables on either side.  The bathroom was located behind the bedroom and you could access it through a hallway which also contained the big closets.  The bathroom itself was a good size and contained a sink, a toilet, and a walk-in shower; very nice amenities and very comfortable but again not the newest appliances or furnishings.  The bathroom also came with complimentary soap, lotion, body wash, and many other toiletries, and the room came with a complimentary fruit basket and complimentary water.  Overall, the room was spacious and comfortable just not the newest furnishings.

My room came with Club Access and I was on the Club Floor which made access very convenient.  As you entered the Club Room, there was the dining area in front which offered complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail reception in the evening.  All the time they offered complimentary tea, coffee, water, and soft drinks.  There was a small seating area and a computer and printer so you can get some work done.  The cocktail reception food was decent and filing enough and the complimentary drinks were very good.  The hotel is a full service hotel so other amenities included a restaurant, a fitness center, a pool, complimentary wifi, as well as concierge services.  The service was very good and really attentive to the guests.

Overall it was a comfortable stay at the Hyatt Regency Bishkek.  The staff was outstanding and the location was central to many of the cities attractions.  The room was comfortable if a bit older but was comfortable and offered a spacious and good nights sleep.  Complimentary wifi was strong enough to stream videos as well as do work; so overall a pleasant stay in Bishkek with Hyatt Regency.

Trip Report: Air Astana, Astana to Bishkek via Almaty (September 2024)

  Trip Report: Air Astana, Astana to Bishkek
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

When traveling in Kazakhstan, there are generally three airlines to choose from when flying Kazakhstan - AirAstana, FlyArstan, and SCAT Airlines.  AirAstana is the more well-off and defined airline of Kazakhstan, with FlyArstan being their LCC arm.  SCAT Airlines has less of a defined reputation and is generally known for poor service, poor planes, poor on-time departures, and generally not as put together.  I wanted to fly from Astana to Bishkek and both Air Astana and SCAT Airlines offered service; however, given SCAT airlines reputation for delayed and cancelled flights I choose to book with Air Astana.  I did end up booking SCAT airlines for a domestic trip and that report can be found here.   

Air Astana is regarded as the national carrier of Kazakhstan and provides services to cities domestically, within the Central Asia region, as well as international destinations such as London, Frankfurt, and Istanbul.  They also have partnerships with many airlines and constantly win awards for their service and onboard product.  They are a full-service airline and as a result their fares are a bit higher than SCAT and FlyArstan, but they also provide more onboard services and have a better ontime and cancellation percentage.  Even though they are named Air Astana, their base is primarily in Almaty so the travel that I booked had me flying domestically from Astana to Almaty and then transferring to the international sector for Almaty to Bishkek.  Everything was booked on one ticket so I could check-in in Astana and receive both boarding passes and have my bags checked through to Bishkek.

The flight that I booked was scheduled to depart Astana at 10:30a, arrive into Almaty at 12:10p, and then depart Almaty at 16:35 and arrive Bishkek at 18:25.  The ticket that I booked came with a 23kg checked baggage allowance, 10kg hand luggage allowance as well as seat selection.  24hrs prior to the flight I was able to check-in online and receive a mobile boarding pass, and I went to the airport well in advance to check in my luggage and confirm my check-in.  Since Astana is still relatively small, and their base is primarily Almaty, checkin was smooth and quick as there was not a lot of rush.  Air Astana seems to have hourly or frequent flights between Astana and Almaty so I could have taken an earlier flight, but since I had to wait in Almaty it did not make much sense.  Once it was time to board, boarding was done in groups and was much more orderly and organized versus SCAT.  

Both sectors were operated by the same type of aircraft which was an Airbus A320 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  Both planes looked relatively new and modern and seat had a PTV screen, a magazine holder, a tray table, as well as a seatback pocket.  Once in the seat, the seats were relatively comfortable and felt newish, and had adjustable headrests, but the seat pitch was tight and thus there was a not a lot of legroom.  Once boarded, a safety video was shown on the TV screens and mood lighting was enabled for takeoff and landing.  The first flight segment from Astana to Almaty was 1hr45min and the second sector, from Almaty to Bishkek, was 50min.  Due to the difference in flight times, there was a difference in service onboard.

For the first segment, since it was a longer flight time, onboard service was conducted.  Complimentary water, juice, or coffee/tea were distributed along with complimentary sandwich and apple chips.  Later on, complimentary Kazakhstan chocolate were also distributed.  While these complimentary items were nice, these were the only items available as there were no additional items for purchase or request and no modifications.  There was no soft drinks available and there was no request for special meals/sandwiches.  Once the inflight service finished, most people went to watch something on the TV screens.  There were a variety of movies and TV shows and it was a decent selection; I am not sure the selection would cover their longer flights to London or Frankfurt.  We started the descent into Almaty, deplaned, and made our way over to the international section.

There are two sections at Almaty airport - one for domestic flights and one for international flights andit seems there are not many connecting passengers as staff and workers were somewhat confused when we would ask for directions or how to transfer; there were no real signs or markers.  Once we got to the international side, we were 3hrs early for our departure and the airport looked deserted and the staff unhappy that we arrived 'early'.  Since we already had our boarding pass, and looked like transits, we were allowed to proceed through immigration and security and wait for the connecting flight.

The connecting flight was also operated by the same type of aircraft with the same layout and features.  The only difference is that given the short flight time a bottle of water was already at each seat, but that was the only service item offered during this flight.  Due to the short flight time, once we reached cruising altitude it was already time for descent and landing into Bishkek.  Overall, it was an interesting experience with Air Astana.  You can tell they are a full service airline and their interior, their attitude, and their overall presence reminded me of Delta.  For Air Astana, their onboard product was nice and they offered more amenities but there was also some hiccups.  The seat pitch was tight and even the domestic sector towards the end felt like a struggle to seat in the seats.  The transfer process was not smooth and definitely needs some work.  Finally, there should be an option to provide dietary and/or religious restrictions to the complimentary items so that everyone is able to enjoy.

Trip Report: AirArabia, Sharjah to Almaty; Bishkek to Sharjah (September 2024)

 Trip Report: Air Arabia, Sharjah to Almaty; Bishkek to Sharjah
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I wanted to travel from Pakistan to Central Asia on a visit to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.  In looking for options, online searches came back with FlyDubai but there was a really long layover in Dubai which did not seem appealing so I continued to look and that is when I looked into FlyJinnah and AirArabia.  I have reviewed the FlyJinnah portion in a separate review (found here) as for this review I will forcus on the AirArabia portion.  AirArabia is a low-cost carrier based out of Sharjah in the UAE (Sharjah is the Emirate located next to Dubai).  They had a big network covering AirArabia Middle East, AirArabia Marob, and now FlyJinnah covering Pakistan.  Because they are all part of the AirArabia family, you can book multiple sectors and connecting flights on one ticket.  Even though I was flying FlyJinnah + AirArabia, I could and did book my travel on AirArabia's website and selected the flight in which the Pakistan to Sharjah and Sharjah to Pakistan flights were to be operated by FlyJinnah and the Sharjah to Central Asia flights operated by AirArabia.  

 

AirArabia is a low-cost carrier meaning the base ticket includes a personal pack plus a carry-on, everything else needs to be charged for.  I choose to pay for my seats as I prefer certain seats on the plane and I paid for luggage.  The seat costs were not bad and I was able to get an aisle seat near the front of the plane for not a high cost; the luggage charge was also not that high and included a checked bag of 30kg which is a generous portion.  Once I booked my ticket, I could use the same confirmation code on either site to manage my booking.  This review will be a compilation of my two flights on AirArabia - from Sharjan to Central Asia and from Central Asia to Sharjah - as both were operated by the same aircraft and both had a similar experience.  For the check-in experience, I only experienced AirArabia check-in on the outbound.  I arrived at the airport 3-hours in advance to ensure check-in went ok; the process was chaotic with little organization but I received both boarding passes and my luggage was tagged to my final destination.  I had talked about some of the security and other issues that I had experienced on my flights with FlyJinnah, and some of the issues continued with my flight on AirArabia.   

AirArabia's policy is that boarding is supposed to be in groups, starting with the rear of the aircraft.  As was my experience with FlyJinnah, on AirArabia for both sectors this was only mildly adhered to as once the plane got halfway full everyone was allowed to board to ensure an on-time departure.  Both operating aircraft was an Airbus A320 which had a cabin laid in a 3-3 seat layout.  Both flights were not completely full so the chaotic boarding ended, manual safety demonstrations commenced, and we pushed back for an on-time departure.  The seats itself were basic and decent for a low-cost carrier, not padded seats but there was decent amount of legroom.  For both sectors I luckily had the entire row to myself but if there was another passenger next to me, that could be uncomfortable as the seat width was narrow.  For both sectors, the flight time was a bit over 3hours and after the second/third hour you got to feel the uncomfortableness of the seat.  On both sectors, most of the announcements were done by prerecorded statements which were done in Arabic and English.  On both sectors, the attendants seemed not interested nor caring in neither their job.  For my low-cost carriers, paying for a seat is big business so many are strict as to ensure passengers do not sit in a sit they did not pay for; this was not the case with AirArabia.  On both sectors, many passengers who had not paid for seats and thus were allocated seats in the back moved up in the middle of the flight to the front of the plane where seat selection came at a costs.  

As detailed earlier, AirArabia is a low-cost company which means there is no inflight complimentary service.  You can preorder meals and drinks, and certain upgraded tickets come with meals, but generally everything is buy on-board.  As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the FA's came down the aisle for you to purchase snacks or drinks.  My first flight departed at 9pm so coming by within the first hour of the flight made sense; the return flight left at 3am so most of the passengers were sleeping.  Instead of waiting until the end to conduct the service, thus ensuring more revenue, the FA's came around at the beginning when most passengers were sleeping.  Also, service was only conducted once and within the first hour even though both sectors were 3hr+; other low cost carriers would've come back towards the end of the flight to increase revenue and purchase of items.  Despite it being a low-cost airline, complimentary entertainment was provided through streaming to your device.  Once you connected to the internet, you can stream movies, TV shows, and other programs for free.  Other airlines also showed a flight map, the inflight menu, or other items when you are connected to the entertainment but AirArabia only had the entertainment. 

Overall, how was my experience on AirArabia?  Similar to FlyJinnah, it was not very good.  Positives were that you are able to book multi-country journeys on one ticket and there was no issue with that.  Another positive was the consistent product with similar planes, similar seats, and similar service.  Last positive was that complimentary entertainment was provided which is a nice gesture for a low-cost carrier.  Negatives were the lack of support/padding on the seats, the lack of attention from the FA's, and generally the chaotic boarding and nature of how the airline operated.  Did we depart ontime, yes; did I and my baggage make it to my destination, yes.  Was it comfortable, definitely not.  For this route, I had a choice between AirArabia or FlyDubai; AirArabia was less expensive and had less overflight time but if I had to choose again, I would probably choose FlyDubai as they seem less chaotic and better overall product.

Trip Report: FlyJinnah, Lahore to Sharjah; Sharjah to Islamabad (September 2024)

 Trip Report: FlyJinnah, Lahore to Sharjah; Sharjah to Islamabad
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I wanted to travel from Pakistan to Central Asia on a visit to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.  In looking for options, online searches came back with FlyDubai but there was a really long layover in Dubai which did not seem appealing so I continued to look.  That is when I looked into FlyJinnah and AirArabia - FlyJinnah is a new Pakistani-based airline which was started in partnership with AirArabia.  They use AirArabia planes and their branding is in the AirArabia style, and recently FlyJinnah started flying to Sharjah which is the hub for AirArabia.  Because FlyJinnah is part of AirArabia, you can book connecting flights for both airlines on each other websites.  I booked mine on AirArabia website and selected the flight in which the Pakistan to Sharjah and Sharjah to Pakistan flights were to be operated by FlyJinnah and the Sharjah to Central Asia flights operated by AirArabia.  I will focus on the FlyJinnah portion here as I will have a separate post for the AirArabia portion (found here).

Because they are both part of the same AirArabia organization, you can book the FlyJinnah portioneither on FlyJinnah's site or AirArabia's site.  Both sites look similar and you can book the same itinerary, including connecting portions, on both sites.  I choose to book my travel on the AirArabia site because of trust of sites as well as currency conversions (AirArabia charges in Dirhams while FlyJinnah charges in Pakistan Rupees).  In  booking my journey, the portion from Pakistan to Sharjah and from Sharjah to Pakistan was to be operated by FlyJinnah.  Both are low-cost carriers so the base ticket includes a personal pack plus a carry-on, everything else needs to be charged for.  I choose to pay for my seats as I prefer certain seats on the plane and I paid for luggage.  The seat costs were not bad and I was able to get an aisle seat near the front of the plane for not a high cost; the luggage charge was also not that high and included a checked bag of 30kg which is a generous portion.  Once I booked my ticket, I could use the same confirmation code on either FlyJinnah and/or AirArabia to manage my booking.

This review will be a compilation of my two flights on FlyJinnah - from Pakistan to Sharjah and from Sharjah to Pakistan.  Both were operated by the same aircraft and both had a similar experience.   For the check-in experience, I only experienced FlyJinnah check-in on the outbound as for the return I connected to FlyJinnah.  For the outbound, I could check-in either on the FlyJinnah or the AirArabia site, but after check-in I was only able to get the AirArabia boarding pass and I would need to check-in at the counter for the FlyJinnah portion.  I proceeded to the airport and was able to check-in, receive my boarding pass, and get my bags tagged all the way to my final destination.  At the check-in counter, I saw a lot of passengers being 'upgraded' for free even though they did not pay for the seats; this does not seem like a good practice for a low-cost airline and it was the first of many issues that I noticed throughout my flights with FlyJinnah.

Boarding for both FlyJinnah sectors were chaotic.  Boarding was supposed to be in groups starting with the rear of the aircraft but for both sectors this was only mildly adhered to as once the plane got halfway full everyone was allowed to board to ensure an on-time departure.  Both operating aircraft was an Airbus A320 which had a cabin laid in a 3-3 seat layout.  Both the outside and inside of the plane resembled AirArabia; the only markings of FlyJinnah were the seat covers and the boarding pass.  Both flights were not completely full so the chaotic boarding ended, manual safety demonstrations commenced, and we pushed back for an on-time departure.                                                                                                              The seats itself were basic and decent for a low-cost carrier.  The seat was not very wide nor very padded but there was decent amount of legroom.  For both sectors I luckily had the entire row to myself but if there was another passenger next to me, that could be uncomfortable as the seat width was narrow.  For both sectors, the flight time was a bit over 3hours and after the second/third hour you got to feel the uncomfortableness of the seat.  On both sectors, most of the announcements were done by prerecorded statements which were done in Arabic, English and Urdu.  On both sectors, the attendants seemed not interested nor caring in neither their job nor the safety nor security of the plane nor passengers.  On both sectors, basic safety and security standards such as ensuring everyone had their seatbelt on for takeoff and landing or ensuring the seat was upright were not adhered to; on both sectors the lavatory was not maintained in terms of cleanliness nor restocking even though the FA's were conversing in the galley right next to the lavatory.  Also, seat selection in the front came at a higher cost and most other airlines would prevent passengers from changing seats for both safety as well as monetary reasons; FlyJinnah did not seem to care as midflight many passengers moved up as they saw empty rows and seats near the front.

FlyJinnah, similar to their parent company AirArabia, is a low-cost company which means there is no inflight complimentary service.  You can preorder meals and drinks, and certain upgraded tickets come with meals, but generally everything is buy on-board.  As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the FA's came down the aisle for you to purchase snacks or drinks. Even though they were supposed to accept card, they preferred cash and even though it was over a 3hr flight, they only came by within the first hour to sell items; other low cost carriers would've come back towards the end of the flight to increase revenue and purchase of items.  Despite it being a low-cost airline, complimentary entertainment was provided through streaming to your device.  Once you connected to the internet, you can stream movies, TV shows, and other programs for free.  This was a great option and the selection was actually very good so this was a plus point for FlyJinnah.  Other airlines also showed a flight map, the inflight menu, or other items when you are connected to the entertainment but FlyJinnah only had the entertainment. 

Overall, how was my experience on FlyJinnah?  Not very good, especially since they are a new airline and new airlines are generally better.  Positives are that you are able to book a journey on FlyJinnah and AirArabia on one ticket and there are seamless and hassle free transitions between the two.  Also, the complimentary entertainment was also a nice gesture.  Negatives were the lack of support on the seats, the lack of attention or detail to safety and security, the lack of caring by the FAs for their job or towards the passengers, and the chaos of boarding the flights.  As I stated before, my options for this sector were either FlyJinnah + AirArabia or FlyDubai and if I had to choose again, I would probably choose FlyDubai.

Trip Report: SCAT Airlines, Almaty to Astana (September 2024)

 Trip Report: SCAT Airlines, Almaty to Astana
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling domestically in Kazakhstan and needed to fly from Almaty to Astana.  There are generally three airlines to choose from when flying Kazakhstan - AirAstana, FlyArstan, and SCAT Airlines.  AirAstana is the more well-off and defined airline of Kazakhstan, with FlyArstan being their LCC arm.  SCAT Airlines has less of a defined reputation and is generally known for poor service, poor planes, poor on-time departures, and generally not as put together.  I was going to fly AirAstana from Astana to Bishkek via Almaty (check out the review here), and FlyArstan did not operate a flight on the day I wanted to travel so I decided to book a flight with SCAT Airlines.                                                                                                            SCAT Airlines is an airline which operates domestic as well as regional flights from Kazakhstan, but their operations and flight timings are limited meaning they may only operate one or two times a day or week for that sector.  For the sector and date I was flying, there was either a morning flight or an evening flight between Almaty and Astana so I decided to book the evening flight.  I booked my flight directly through the SCAT website for a couple of reasons: 1) I wanted to ensure the flight option I selected came with a checked bag, and 2) sometimes when I have booked on third-party sites the ticket does not always translate and that can be an issue especially if there are cancellations and/or delays.

The flight that I booked was scheduled to depart Almaty at 5:25pm and arrive Astana at 7:05pm with a scheduled flight time of 1hr40min.  The ticket that I booked came with a 23kg checked baggage allowance, 10kg hand luggage allowance as well as seat selection.  The operating aircraft was scheduled to be a Boeing 737 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  24hrs prior to the flight I was able to check-in online and receive a mobile boarding pass, and I went to the airport well in advance to check in my luggage and to confirm the flight was going to be operating that day (I had heard of SCAT canceling a lot of flights).  There were a lot of people at the check-in desk and it was very chaotic but everything was checked in and I went to security and the gate.  Even though the gate was assigned, we were not allowed to go near the gate until the flight was ready for boarding; so it was a lot of waiting in cramped and uncomfortable seating until the boarding time.  Once the boarding announcement was made, it was a 'come one, come all' boarding with no clear instructions nor order.

The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  The plane looked like an outdated Southwest plane and there had been little to no updates to the plane.  The seats were changed but they were not updated and the seats were old, uncomfortable, offered little to no legroom, and some were broken so the back had some recline while others it was hard to recline.  Scheduled departure time was 5:25pm and to my surprise the aircraft was boarded and we pushed back on time; I say to my surprise because literally every other SCAT flight that day from Almaty was delayed by a minimum of 3-4 hours.  Manual safety demonstrations were done and then we taxied and took off for Astana.

Once airborne, the inflight service commenced.  SCAT is a low-cost airline which includes buy-onboard so first the flight attendants came through offering items for purchases.  Once that was concluded, they came back and offered complimentary bottles of water; it was a nice touch and that was the only thing complimentary offered.  After that, it was up to the passenger to bide the time as there was no wifi nor no inflight entertainment.  Many passengers reclined their seat to nap, but since the legroom was already tight having them reclined basically put the front passenger in the rear passengers lap.  Flight time was 1hr and 25min and after a bit we started our descent into Astana and concluded the journey.                                                                                                                        Overall, it was an interesting experience with SCAT.  I am glad the flight took off and landed on time and they got me and my luggage safely to Astana.  Was it the best airport or onboard experience I have had, definitely not and I can see where the criticisms come from.  Also, have experienced Air Astana on the return and seeing what a difference both on the ground and in the air they can be; I can see more of the criticism and difference.  However, there sometimes can be a significant price difference so if you know what you are getting into then you can deal with it for a short domestic flight.  I would definitely not recommend it for anything international nor longer flights though.  

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Almaty, an IHG Hotel (Almaty, Kazakhstan - September 2024

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Almaty
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I was traveling to Almaty and was looking for a decent but inexpensive place to stay.  I also was arriving early in the morning so needed to book an extra day to ensure the room was available, so keeping all this in mind I found the Holiday Inn Express Almaty.  I generally do not stay in Holiday Inn Express in the States because their quality is generally an issue, but overseas their quality seems to be better and I recently stayed at one in Warsaw which was very nice (review here).  I was able to book the reservation through the IHG website and was able to manage the reservation through the app.  I was able to communicate with the hotel via email, but the communication was a challenge and I will expand on that a bit later.

I arrived early in the morning so I wanted to prebook a car pickup but unfortunately due tocommunication issues this was not possible.  Communication continued to be a challenge at check-in and throughout my stay with the front desk as English was not their language of communication.  The hotel itself is located on the outskirts of the city, approximately 45mins away from the airport, but within walking distance to many sights and shops including about a 5-7mins walk to the Forum and a 20min walk to Kok Tobe.  From the outside, the hotel is a very tall building and looks like a converted Soviet-esque building that was remodeled into the Holiday Inn Express.  Inside, the hotel looks recently updated and newish.  As you enter the building, straight ahead are the check-in desks and a small waiting area.  The elevators are the to left and as walk through you pass more seating area, the bar area, the 'business center' and next to the elevators is the dining area where the breakfast is served.  Due to the communication issue, check-in took some time but I finally got my key and went to the room.

As I opened the door, the room looked updated and resembled the modern layout of the HI Express room.  As you entered the room, on the left was the entrance to the bathroom and straight ahead was the main room.  The bathroom was a bit tiny and was more along the European size of the bathroom and contained a toilet, a sink, and a shower.  The sink had Dove hand wash and Dove products were also in the shower.  The bathroom was decent but tiny and compact.  The room itself though was not compact and had enough room to maneuver around and for the luggage.  Just next to the door to the bathroom was an open closet and next to the that was a luggage stand with a safe underneath.  There was a small nook across from the closet on the other side of the room that contained the iron and ironing board.  Further into the room, along the left side of the wall was a table/desk plus chair and the along the wall was the bed with a nightstand on either side.  The bed was a decent size and comfortable enough for a good nights sleep.  The table/desk was small but big enough to get some work done and there were charging ports and plugs near the desk which were convenient.  Across from the bed, along the other side of the wall, was a TV mounted on the wall and underneath was a stand for additional storage, the coffee maker, and complimentary bottles of water.  The complimentary bottles of water was a nice touch and each day the bottles were replenished.  Overall it was a decent if not compact room; the bed was comfortable and provided a good nights sleep and there were enough charging ports that were easily accessible.

Holiday Inn Express hotels are not full service hotels but they do provide some amenities.  This hotelincluded complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, a business center which contained two computers in the lobby, plenty of seating area in the lobby, and a bar area.  The wifi was decent and you could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The breakfast was complimentary and included complimentary tea and coffee, but the selection was a bit limited and not as plentiful or varied as the one in Warsaw.

Overall, it was an average and comfortable stay at the Holiday Inn Express.  The room was a decent size and provided a good nights sleep; the wifi was decent and could connect many devices; and the hotel was within walking distance to sights and shops.  Negatives included limited variation for the breakfast and communication issues with the front desk.

Stay Report: Grand Hyatt Atlanta In Buckhead (Atlanta, Ga - January 2024)

  Stay Report: Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was going to be in Atlanta for one day and I have a free night at a Hyatt property so decided to try out the Grant Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead.  My only experience with a Grand Hyatt before was with the Grand Hyatt in Bogota (review here) so this was my first experience with the hotel in the U.S.  It was easy to book the room through the app and the day before check-in we received a welcome note from the Manager.  

We arrived at the hotel late at night and the first thing you notice is the size, the hotel is very big in terms of height and size.  The hotel is made up of two towers with the first couple of floors being the base and then the two towers rising above.  There is a lower level entrance which is mainly the entrance for the meeting rooms.  At the main entrance is the valet stand and as you enter the hotel, you climb up some stairs and immediately enter the bar/lounge area in front of you.  The check-in desk and elevators to one tower are to the right, while the restaurant and elevators to the other tower are to the left.  It is a very grand hotel and it is very easy to get lost as there is minimal signage to direct.  As we arrived late at night, check-in was easy and we quickly received our key.  We then had to go back downstairs as the incorrect room was given; when given the correct room I believe we may have been upgraded as the room was very spacious.

The room was on the 22nd floor and had lots of space.  As you entered into the room, there was a long hallway on the right which contained the closet as well as a space to put your luggage/makeup/storage on the other side.  The closet was huge and contained lots of space to store things as well as the safe, iron, ironing board, as well as slippers and a robe (the slippers were of low quality though).  This hallway was on the right side, on the left side of the room was the entrance to the bathroom.  The bathroom was also massive and contained a long countertop with a sink, a jacuzzi tub as well as a stand shower.  There was a separate entrance to the toilet and overall there was lots of space and lots of amenities next to each item including bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and little bars of soap.

Separating this part from the room was a little nook that contained a bar top with the coffee maker on top and a decent size fridge underneath.  The spaciousness continued in the main room which contained the two beds along the right side of the wall.  These were two spacious queen-size beds which were very comfortable and provided a greats night sleep.  There was a nightstand in between the two beds which contained an alarm clock with USB port and plugs on top of it.  There was lots of space between the two beds as well as between the bed and the nightstand.   Along the left side of the wall was the TV mounted on the wall and underneath was a chest with drawers for additional storage.  There was a chair and extender next to that, and alongside the other wall was a standard-size desk with a chair as well as plugs and USB ports on the desk.  In between the chair and the desk was the entrance to the balcony, which was nice and a good size and had two lounge chairs on it, but the only negative is that there waw a window in the bathroom which shown onto the balcony and that limited privacy somewhat.  Also, the furnishings and the building looked like an older building which meant there was a lack of plugs and USB ports around room; however, the comfortability and spaciousness of the room made up for any shortcomings.

They are a full-service hotel so amenities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar, valet, fitness center, pool (currently closed), self parking, wifi, business center as well as a hotel lounge.  I was only there for one night so was not able to but I did try the wifi, the hotel lounge, and the self-parking.  The self-parking is located in a garage down and across the street from the hotel; it looks like a regular garage that the hotel partnered with and while there are signs that this is for the hotel, the signs are minimal as are the lights at night.  The wifi was strong and we were able to connect multiple devices with no issues and were able to stream videos and social media with no interruptions.  We also had access to the hotel lounge so we took advantage of that for breakfast.  

The lounge is located on the 24th floor and is open from 6:30am-10pm serving breakfast, snacks, and hors d'oeuvres.  As you enter into the lounge, there is a couch and sitting area in front with tables towards the back next to the window.   To the left, in a little nook, is the business center with two computers and a printer.  There is a huge TV mounted on the wall, and towards the right is the coffee maker and food items.  We went during breakfast time so they had oatmeal, cereal, light snacks, some fruit and salmon as well as bread and bagels available; coffee and tea were also available with a variety of milk in the fridge along with juice and water.  While a decent selection, it was more of a medium-size snack versus breakfast; my previous experience at hotel lounges have all been outside of the U.S. where generally the selection is more so I am not sure if this is standard for U.S. hotel lounges.

Overall, it was a great stay at the Grand Hyatt.  The room was spacious and there were lots of amenities for the guest to enjoy.  The beds were really comfortable and provided a great nights sleep; and even though our interaction with staff was minimal, what interaction we did have was good and they provided good customer service.     

Trip Report: Sun Country Airlines, New Orleans to Minneapolis (July 2024)

Trip Report: Sun Country Airlines, New Orleans to Minneapolis

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling to Minneapolis from New Orleans and generally there are two options available - either Delta or Sun Country Airlines.  I have flown Delta but have never flown Sun Country and was curious to decided to try them out.   From New Orleans, Sun Country flies one flight a day and the timings change; luckily for me the day I wanted to fly out they flew in the evening at the exact same time the Delta flight was heading out.  When I did research, Sun Country is a leisure-based airline that operates mainly to vacation and leisure destinations so I was not sure what to expect when booking the ticket or when onboard.  

You can book the ticket either through the website, the app, or directly at the airport.  When I booked online, the website and the options reminded me of ULCC, Spirit and Frontier, as there was a basic charge for the ticket and then there were fees for everything else from the carry-on to selecting your seat.  If you book online, they charge a 'passenger convenience fee' which can range in price, and online research said you can avoid this fee by booking at the airport yet no one could tell me if you could book the bundle of seat + carryon at the airport.  I paid for the bundle and the total for everything for my one-way flight was $110 which was a very good price.                                                                                                                                                          24-hours prior to my flight I checked in online and received my boarding pass so when I got to the airport I went directly to my gate.  The plane had just come from Minneapolis and was turning around to go back; and boarding was done by groups but the process was slow and more akin to leisure carriers rather than ULCC carriers.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 in a 3-3 seat configuration.  The first couple of rows were premium seats which contained more legroom and complimentary snacks during the service.  The remaining aircraft was in a standard 3-3 configuration with slimline-esque seats but they did have a recline and an adjustable headrest.  The seats were basic as there was a literature compartment up top, a tray table underneath, a pocket below that, and USB ports were available below the seats.  There was no seatback entertainment but you could connect to the wifi to stream movies, TV shows, and audio (there was no moving map no flight path so you could not figure out where you were).

Even though we were boarded ahead of the pushback time, there was no rush from the staff to close the door and depart early; again their attitude and pace of movement was more akin to leisure carriers versus ULCC even though their booking and other items were similar to ULCC.  We pushed back, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we took off for Minneapolis.  Once we reached our cruising altitude, the in-flight service commenced.  Sun Country offers complimentary drinks including soda, water, tea and coffee but everything else needs to be purchased onboard; premium seat members did receive a complimentary pack of snack but also had to purchase everything else.  The complimentary drinks were a nice touch and akin to leisure carriers, but not giving a snack and having a buy-on-board was more like ULCCs.  After the service finished, the FA's were rarely seen in the cabin for the remainder of the flight; no additional water nor trash collection was conducted and they only came back once they were preparing the cabin for landing. 

The remainder of the flight was uneventful and you could pass your time watching entertainment onyour screen, sleeping, or staring out the window.  The seats were decently comfortable but started to get uncomfortable towards to the end of the flight.  The legroom was also decent and similar to what you would find on a leisure carrier and not that of ULCC.  Once we landed there was no rush to get to the gate or deplane as fast as you can, instead there was a leisure pace to deboarding.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                After my experience, I am perplexed with Sun Country Airlines.  Part of their model resembles ULCC - from paying for seat selection, carry-ons and snacks - while other aspects resemble a leisure carrier - complimentary onboard drinks, decent legroom and being able to recline your seat.  It was an interesting but uneventful flight and got me to Minneapolis on time (the Delta flight that was scheduled to leave about the same time left early and got to Minneapolis early as well).