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: AZAL Airlines, Lahore to Baku (May 2024)

  Trip Report: AZAL Airlines, Lahore to Baku

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was in Pakistan and looking for a place to travel so was looking at direct flights from Lahore.  Recently, AZAL Airlines started direct flights from Lahore to Baku and Azerbaijan has been on my list so decided to check out the airline, the city and the country.  I booked my ticket online through the AZAL website directly and since AZAL is a full-service airline, each ticket came with a free seat selection, complimentary meals as well as complimentary 23-kg checked baggage.  You could add additional baggage online if needed (I did need it and it was convenient to have this process done online prior to the airport so that airport check-in is easier).  During the booking process, I was able to select my seat - there were regular seat selection as well as priority seat selection; later on I figured out these were exit row as well as in the front of the plane seats that required costs to select them. 

The flight was scheduled to depart at 2am and arrive into Baku at 5:40am and was to be operated by an Airbus A319 for a flight time of 4 hours.  The flight only 2-3 times a week so its essential to make the flight.  I got to the airport 3-hours in advance, quickly checked in and received my boarding pass, and went to the gate.  Boarding was to commence at 1:15am but it started late and was a bit chaotic but we ended being boarded for an on-time pushback.  The plane is an Airbus A319 with a small business class upfront in a 2-2 configuration and economy in the back in a 3-3 configuration.  The first 3 rows of economy as well as the exit row were designated as premium - so even though some of them sat empty they would not allow people to move there unless they paid an upgrade.  There was a family separated and instead of rearranging seats to get the family to sit together as well as accommodate other passengers, the airline insisted everyone take their assigned seats and kept the family separate throughout the entire flight!

The seat itself was basic as it had an adjustable headrest, a tray table, as well as a storage pocket but that was it.  There was no USB nor charging ports and no additional amenities.  The legroom was decent, not great but not terrible, and the seat comfort was ok for the first 2 hours but then it got uncomfortable afterwards for the remaining two hours.  Service onboard was average as they were not mean but were not nice, and communication in English was definitely an issue.  AZAL provides a complimentary meal on all their flights - and that is a nice gesture especially in today's time.  You can preorder special meals based on religious and/or dietary restrictions.  On this leg, one meal service was going to be conducted; we took off on-time and it was a late night flight so instead of serving the food quickly and letting people sleep, or letting people sleep and then serve food before we landed into Baku, the airline decided to keep the cabin dark for an hour, let everyone sleep, and then an hour after takeoff start the meal and drink service.  It was a really odd choice and after the meal service coffee and tea were offered, and again that took a while so hour 2-3 of your flight was taken up by the meal service.

The meal provided was basic but decent and for my special meal included a salad, fresh fruit, the main dish, as well as a piece of bread.  The main meal was a smaller portion but decent for the 4-hour flight but was a bit bland and needed some flavor; the bread was not warmed but was decent.  Complimentary drinks, including alcoholic drinks, were served and coffee and tea were offered afterwards.  After the meal service, the lights were turned off again for the remaining flight time to do what you wanted.  They did have screens above that showed the flight map, and you could connect to the entertainment system on your own device.  The entertainment system was present but extremely limited as it only offered a handful of movies and other programs; it was basically bring your own entertainment. We landed in Baku on time and quickly exited the plane and cleared through customs and immigration.

I took AZAL again when flying between Baku and Tbilisi and the overall experience was the same but there were a couple of differences.  The plane operating this route was an Embraer E190 and it was newer so the seat pitch and comfort were better; all regional flights operate out of Terminal 2 which is the older terminal and you can definitely feel that; and the Embraer did not have the 'stream to your device' entertainment option.                                                                                                                                                                    In the end, it was an average and basic flight was AZAL.  There are some things that were good including the price which was not expensive, each flight took off and landed on-time, the complimentary seat selection and luggage allowance, and the complimentary meals and service on both flights.  Service could have been better but airlines within this region are not known for their service; generally if they get to your destination on time in a clean and comfortable space then they did their job and AZAL does the job.   

Trip Report: Qatar Airways, Houston to Lahore via Doha (September 2019)

Trip Report: Qatar Airways, Houston to Lahore via Doha
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling to Lahore, Pakistan from Houston and for this route there are a couple of options: Emirates, Qatar, and Turkish.  I usually take Turkish (see review here) or Emirates (see review here) but this time I took Qatar Airways.  I have flown Qatar regionally (see review here) but it has been over 10 years since I have flown them long-haul and everyone keeps talking about how Qatar's onboard product is nice and one of the best.  I was not that impressed when I flew them 10 years ago (which is why I haven't been back) and I wasn't overly impressed with them on the regional flights, but the price and flight timings were good so I decided to try them again.  Also, Emirates' service has dropped somewhat in the last couple of years so while the entertainment system is great, their onboard service is not as great as it once was.  

The flight from Houston was scheduled to depart at 6pm and arrive into Doha at 4:40pm the next

day, and then our next flight was scheduled to depart Doha at 8:10p and arrive into Lahore at 1:40am.  Both flights were scheduled to be operated by an Airbus A350-1000.  Booking the flight and managing the reservation were simple and easy both through the website where you could select your seat, request special meals, and request special assistance.  You could also check-in 24 hours prior to the flight, either through the app or the website; I choose to check-in at the airport.  The flight was scheduled to depart Houston at 6pm and I got to the airport about 2:45pm and this early there was not much of a line so checking in, checking the luggage (two bags at 23kg each), and receiving the boarding pass was quick.  For those in economy, there was a chance to purchase an upgrade to business class; the business class would only include the Houston to Doha sector (no additional sectors or transfers) and would not include access to the lounge in either Houston or Doha.  The price for the upgrade was double that of a single economy ticket, and while the chance to upgrade is welcomed the price was extremely high especially given that you would not be able to access all the amenities (and considering other airlines like Turkish allow similar upgrades, from Houston to Istanbul, for half the price and you still get access to the lounge in Houston).  

Boarding was to commence at 5pm so many passengers were congregated near the gate at this time waiting for the boarding announcement, but none came; only after passengers asked was an announcement made that boarding would be delayed due to late arrival of the aircraft.  Boarding finally commenced at 5:30pm and was done by Groups, with the first group being those with families and those needed special assistance.  Boarding took a long time, was a bit chaotic and hectic, but finally all passengers were on board (I do have to point out that Qatar was not as strict on its carryons as other carriers such as Emirates has been).  After a safety video was shown, we finally took off about 30 minutes behind schedule.  The operating aircraft was an Airbus A350-1000 with a 3-3-3 seat layout.  Each seat came equipped with a PTV with a screen that was a decent size, a USB port, headphone jack, space below the screen to store your own device, a plug, a decent size tray table, and three seatback pockets one of which contained a folder with the airline magazine, the safety card, and bunch of other literature.  The seat was well-equipped for the long-haul flight.  The seat width was generally good and so was the seat pitch, as they were both generous enough for the long-haul flight.  The seat comfort on the other hand was a bit tough. especially after the 12th hour, but kudos to Qatar for making the seat last that long.  On the seat itself was a pillow and blanket as well as headphones and amenity kit - the amenity was standard and included toothbrush, tooth paste, socks and eyeshades and they were a welcome addition.   The PTV had a selection of movies, TV shows, news, music, and games and while the selection was decent, it was not wide enough to keep one entertained for 15+hours. 

Once boarding had been completed, a menu card was handed out regarding the inflight meals (I am

not sure why menu cards are still printed as the menu can be digitally added to the PTV screens and save tons of paper!).  Once we reached cruising altitude, the inflight service started with dinner and drinks.  A complimentary meal was served along with complimentary drinks - I ordered a special meal so those were served first followed by the regular meals.  The meals itself were limited in portion quantity and quality and not appetizing, pleasing, nor filling for the long-haul flight (this was not just my opinion but other passengers who congregated in the back had the same issue with the food).  I found that on all my flights, the catering on Qatar was definitely well-below expectations.  Coffee and tea were served after dinner, the meals trays were cleared, and then the lights were turned off so passengers could get some rest.  Throughout the flight drinks were available in the back along with a select few snacks (and I do mean few) and passengers could help themselves.  Mid-flight the crew did come around with snacks and light drinks, but generally the cabin crew were not present throughout the flight.  Before landing, breakfast was served (even though we landed at night) and again the catering at Qatar was not good as the food was low in quality and quantity.  We landed at Qatar, deplaned, went through security, and then roamed Doha International until the next flight.  

Doha International is a brand new purposely built terminal and I have been there before and the same issues I had then continued; there is only one food court for all the passengers, the food and drink selections are severely limited, the food and drink are nowhere near where the gates are, the service is extremely poor, and the prices are ridiculously high. 

The second flight was also supposed to be operated by an Airbus A350-1000 but instead got switched to a Boeing 777-300ER and immediately upon boarding you could tell the difference.  The plane's quality and interior were a bit older and not as comfortable, so I could not imagine traveling on those for 15+hours.  The plane was in a 3-4-3 seat layout and were designed in the same way as the Airbus except these had the older PTVs, no space underneath them, and the USB, headphone jack, and cable jack were on the side of the seat.  As the plane was only 40% full, all passengers could stretch and many moved to the rear section where many passengers got an entire 4-seater to themselves.  Again, upon boarding each seat had a pillow, blanket, and headphones and once boarding was completed menu cards were handed out.  After reaching cruising altitude, complimentary meal and drinks were provided followed by coffee and tea.  Again, the catering was subpar as both the quantity and quality of the food were abysmal.  We landed in Lahore, taxied to the gate and deplaned. 

My return flights were both on Airbus A350-1000 and I had the same experience.  Qatar has a nice hard product - they have new planes with nice amenities but its the extras that Qatar lacking.  Qatar has all the ingredients to make a good airline, but none of it comes together to make it cohesive or work.  The planes are nice and have all the amenities, but the onboard service is poor and the food quality is terrible.  In Doha (and in my experience in many other stations as well) the ground staff barely want to do their job and have horrible customer service (and it has been that way for a couple of years now).  My fellow traveling partner opted for the upgrade from Houston to Doha and said that the only good thing about Qatar Business Class was the lie-flat bed, the pajamas, the slippers and the amenity kit.  The food in business class was not good at all and the size of the individual pods was very tight and narrow and made the entire experience cramped and uncomfortable.  We flew Turkish business class earlier in the year (check out the review here) and when comparing the two, both have issues with their ground staff but Turkish has been quality food, their hard product may not be as up to date but its better in terms of quality, their staff has better customer service, and their pricing is more competitive.  As I said, it had been a while since I had flown with Qatar long-haul and my previous experience was not good so that is why we had avoided them but I wanted to try them again to see if anything had changed; in my opinion, nothing has changed and Qatar's product does not seem worth the time nor money I would spend on their product.

Trip Report: Malindo Air, Lahore to Kuala Lumpur (September 2019)

Trip Report: Malindo Air, Lahore to Kuala Lumpur
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I need to go to Colombo from Pakistan and most of the flight options were Middle East carriers, which I had already flown, and they were quite expensive.  Malindo Air then came up in the search and it is an airline I have not experienced and the price was drastically lower so I decided to book this option.  My flight to Lahore would leave at 9:25p and arrive into Kuala Lumpur the next day at 6:25a.  I was originally going to connect in Kuala Lumpur to my flight to Colombo, but the flight schedule was giving me a 9-10 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur.  When I looked at the tickets, I noticed that Malindo was just combining two one-ways - from Lahore to Kuala Lumpur and from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo - so instead of one ticket I decided to break it up into two sectors: the first being Lahore to Kuala Lumpur and the second being Kuala Lumpur to Colombo on another day (that review here). 

Booking the flight through the Malindo website was easy and it allowed me to select which option best suited me.  From the reviews and previous passengers, Malindo used to provide full service experience at budget prices; however, now they have changed their product into bundles; the bundles range from basic to business with variations in between.  As I had checked baggage, I choose the option that included checked luggage - this fare only included checked baggage and not preselecting your seat, as there was another option that included both of these combinations; the bundle that I selected also included a meal (all bundles apparently included a meal).  Note: standard luggage allowance is 23kg but as Malindo is shifting to a low-cost carrier model, they have reduced their complimentary luggage allowance to 20kg; you can add more weight for a fee.

You could manage your booking either through the website or through the app - you got more services from the website than through the app; with the app, I was able to check-in online and select my seat 48hours prior to departure.  Even though I already had my boarding pass, I got to the airport about 2 hours early as sometimes there is heavy security.  Check-in was a breeze, and even though my luggage was at 20kg the enforcement on both of my flight was not stringent.  When I got to the gate, the plane had still not arrived from Kuala Lumpur - and I was a bit hesitant as previously Malindo had a 'flexible' definition of on-time; but luckily the plane landed early and got to the gate at 8:30pm.  After deplaning and a crew change, it was time for us to board the flight to Kuala Lumpur.

Malindo Air is part of the Lion Air Group which also Batik Air, Lion Air, and Thai Lion Air so even

though the flight was operated by Malindo Air, the outside of the plane said Batik Air.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800 with a 2-2 in business class and a 3-3 in economy class.  The plane generally looked in good condition and looked fairly new, with mood lighting and updated overhead panels.  The seat pitch was very good and very generous - I am 6'1 and my knees weren't even touching the seat in front of me.  The seat looked new and stylish in black and red leather type, but it was not that comfortable and was really uncomfortable towards the end of the flight.  Malindo had prided itself of providing seatback entertainment on its flights but this plane did not have it; it had the outline and the place set up for it so either they were in the process of installing it or removing it (I am not sure).  The seat had a space for the PTV and below that was a tray table followed by a seatback pocket which contained the airline magazine, the duty free magazine, and safety card.  Given there were no PTVs, manual safety demonstrations were done once all the passengers had boarded and the boarding door was closed.

The flight time to Kuala Lumpur was 5hr35min but as soon as we reached cruising altitude the FA's came around to start their service.  They were very fast and very quick (even though we had a lot of time) but it was late and I think they wanted to complete their service so passengers could rest.  The service consisted of a complimentary meal and complimentary water, tea, or coffee - other drinks were available but they had to be purchased and only with small American bills or small Malaysian bills (you could not use credit cards).  The meal itself was extremely small, basic, and to be honest not that good either in taste, flavor, or size; it was definitely not substantial enough especially since it was the only meal served during the 5+hour flight.  The meal service really reflected the struggle Malindo is going through - as they are not sure if they are a low-cost carrier or an economy carrier with perks.  The complimentary meal part of international economy, but the quality and size of it, as well as asking patrons to pay for other drinks besides water, felt more like a low-cost carrier.  Once the meal trays were cleared, the cabin lights were dimmed and most passengers slept since it was an overnight flight.  About 45 minutes prior to landing, the cabin lights came back on and the cabin was prepared for landing.  During the flight, FAs did provide water but mostly they were available in the back if passengers needed anything. 

Overall, it was a confusing flight with Malindo Air but I think my experience reflects what the airline itself is going through.  The airline used to be a traditional airline with some extra perks in economy class but it is slowly shifting to add more a low-cost model and right now its a mixture between standard and low-cost.  That mixture and shift is apparent onboard their flights - the ticket prices are still low but now they have been bundled like a low cost; the legroom is very good and the planes look and feel modern, like a standard airline; the complimentary meal is standard but the quality and only option of water is very low-cost.  The question at the end is always - would I fly them again?  After this experience, I am not sure - I would definitely not fly them long-haul and my max would be 3.5 hours long and while they would not be my first option, if the ticket price was right and the timing low, then I would not avoid them.

Trip Report: Serene Air, Karachi to Lahore (September 2019)

Trip Report: Serene Air, Karachi to Lahore
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I needed to travel from Karachi to Lahore on this domestic sector in Pakistan there are three airlines operating - PIA, airblue, and SereneAir.  I have traveled with PIA and airblue before (see the review of PIA here and airblue here) so I wanted to try the new carrier on this sector.  Serene Air is new to the market and, as per Pakistani law, it must operate domestic sectors for 3 years before operating international markets.  Everyone had kept raving about SereneAir and their all-Boeing airplanes so I had high expectations for the flight.  It was easy to book the flight through the website, but the problem is I was not able to pay for the flight.  If using a credit card, the credit card has be verified at either the airport or a Serene Air office within 24-hours, and I don't live in Pakistan so I could not do that (it seems that this is an issue with all Pakistan-based airlines as I had the same trouble with PIA and airblue before).  In the end, I had to put the ticket on a 24-hold, transfer the cash payment to someone I knew in Pakistan who could go to the SereneAir office with my reservation number and confirm my booking; it was a tremendous pain.  Once the ticket was confirmed, I received an email confirmation with my reservation details.  Most airlines within Pakistan do not offer mobile check-in so all check-in procedures have to be done at the counter.  Most airlines do offer complimentary checked luggage as well as a meal on their domestic flights, and Serene offered complimentary 30kg luggage as part of the domestic ticket.

I had arrived into Karachi earlier that evening from Sri Lanka (check out that review here) and it was very easy to connect from the international to domestic terminal in Karachi.  I had more time than expected and I was able to go to the SereneAir website to manage my reservation and there I could preselect my seat.  I had initally chosen a middle seat near the front of the plane but switched to a window seat near the back at the counter (and will explain later why I was thankful I did so).  The flight was scheduled to take off from Karachi at 7pm and arrive into Lahore at 8:45pm.  I waited until 5pm and then went to the counters where it was very easy to check into my flight, drop my luggage, and receive my boarding pass.  I then proceeded to the gate to wait for my departure.  The incoming plane arrived about an hour prior to our departure, but the airline did not seem to be in a rush to start boarding.  Boarding commenced about 30 minutes prior to departure and it was a bit chaotic as neither groups nor seat sections were enforced, after a bit of time it was a general free for all (other domestic carriers have tried to somewhat enforce the group numbers but Serene did not try at all).  

The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737 and from the outside it looked nice and freshly painted, but apparently that is where the updates stopped.  Inside the plane looked and felt worn and old, and it looks like the seats had only received a blue cover and that is it; despite the airline being new, the aircraft looked extremely worn out and tired.  The seats were laid out in an all economy 3-3 seats and the seats were basic with a tray table and a seat-back pocket; the seat-pocket only contained the safety card and nothing else.  The seats themselves were generally uncomfortable, the seat pitch was tight, and my seat the seat-back pocket was broken so it was sticking out thus making the seat pitch even tighter.  It took a while for boarding to be completed, as it was a completely full flight, but once everyone had boarded, the boarding doors were closed, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we took off for Lahore.  While the passengers were boarding, both English and Urdu newspapers were handed out to passengers throughout the cabin. 

The flight time from Karachi to Lahore is 1hr 30min and as it was night time, Serene Air provides a full dinner during the flight.  There were a total of 4 cabin crew on board and despite the short flight time, it took them a while to get the inflight service started (two of them seemed apathetic while one seemed somewhat customer friendly).  Two cabin crew started from the front and two started from the back providing meals as well as drinks.  The meals consisted of rice and meat, yogurt, and dessert; it was not substantial but enough for the short flight time.  Complimentary drinks included soft drinks, juices, and water but they were provided in very tiny cups (basically a shot of a drink).  Tea and coffee service followed the meal service, but given the delay in starting everything, by the time the FA's came around with coffee and tea the captain had already announced our initial decent into the Lahore area.  The FA's quickly completed their tea and coffee service and then came around to quickly collect the trays and trash, and prepare the cabin for landing.  As we departed late, we also arrived late and the airline did not seem to want to make up the time in the air.  We landed, taxied to the gate, deplaned, and went to receive my luggage (which came rather quickly).

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in my flight with Serene Air.  It is a new player in the Pakistani aviation sector and a lot of people had high praise for their service and their all-Boeing planes.  Having flown with them now and with their competitors previously (PIA and airblue - both reviews on the blog) I did not experience anything great; in fact, there was nothing on this flight that would make me want to choose Serene Air.  Given their competitors are more established, have a wider regional and domestic network, and can offer the same fares as well as same onboard service - I do not see any incentive to choose Serene Air which provided the same low fares, the same meals, and average service in older planes.

Trip Report: Turkish Airlines, Business Class - Houston to Lahore via Istanbul (February/April 2019)

Trip Report: Turkish Airlines - Business Class
Houston to Lahore via Istanbul
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was flying from America to South Asia and for this trip there are many options – Emirates, Qatar, or Turkish.  My last couple of trips have been in business class and, since it is a long flight, I wanted to travel again in business class.  I have flown on Emirates business and really enjoyed both the lounge and in the air-experience, especially on the Airbus A380 (see review here), but in my last couple of flights with Emirates the service seemed to have dwindled a bit so this time I was looking to try other services.  I have flown Turkish many times, mostly in economy and once in business class – the business class was decent with lots of food and lie-flat beds, however it wasn’t the best product out there but good value for what you pay for.  When I was searching for this flight, Turkish kept coming up in terms of best product, best flight times, and overall better price for the service so I went ahead and booked Turkish Airlines Business Class. 

My first sector was on Turkish’s Boeing 777-300ER from Houston to Istanbul.  Turkish does provide complimentary pickup and dropoff to Business and First Class passengers within 30 miles of the airport – it’s a nice service that some of the competitors only offer at their home base.  Through Turkish’s updated website and app, I was easily able to manage my flight, my seat selection, meal preferences, as well as select my complimentary pickup.  Turkish leaves Houston at 8:55pm and that is a nice time as it is later than its competitors so there is not a lot of rush at the airport.  We got to the airport well ahead of schedule and went to the business class line were our bags were checked to the final destination.  After security we went to the lounge – Turkish does not have its own lounge but its passengers have access to their Star Alliance partner United’s Polaris lounge in Concourse D.  The lounge has recently been updated to the Polaris look and it is a THOUSAND times better than what is before – before the lounge was very sad and just looked like an upgraded waiting area, but now the lounge actually looks like a lounge with improvements to the seating, the overall look, the service, and the food.  It was really nice to spend time in the lounge, but the only problem is that United does not have flight times for any of their Star Alliance partner flights so it is up to the passenger to monitor their time and ensure they leave the lounge in time for their flight.  We left the lounge and made our way to the gate to board the plane.  Even though we were supposed to board around 8:15pm, Turkish always seems to have a flexible on-time schedule.  No flight I have ever taken with Turkish has ever left on time and this was the case with these flights. 

Boarding finally started and Business Class boarded in a separate line and through a separate entrance into the plane.  The plane was configured in a 2-3-2 layout which isn’t ideal especially if you are stuck in the middle seat for over 12+hours.  I was able to preselect my seat and I had chosen a window and an aisle seat.  The seat itself was very long but it was a bit narrow, especially if you were a bigger person.  On one side was the seat and on the other side was a console with a huge TV screen on top and a footrest on the bottom.  The footrest could be opened to allow storage during the flight (I appreciated this because some other airlines do not have this feature and it makes it inconvenient to constantly get up to get things from the upper storage).  The airline magazines as well as a shoe storage were also located in this console.  The seat itself was nice and comfortable, although as I said a bit narrow.  The seat was upright and could be maneuvered to be completely lie-flat.  The seat had a reading light, and adjustable footrests as well as other adjustable parts (however – this all depended on all the controls working on every seat, which not all did).  There was a massage function as well on the seats, but again not all the functions worked for every seat.  Below the armrest in a dark cubby hole was the plug-in for the headphones as well as a USB port.  While these amenities were very nice, it was very difficult to access given the narrowness of the seat, and it all got tangled when you lay the seat flat.  This cubby hole is also were the remote was for the PTV – the PTV was touchscreen but because it was so far away the remote was needed; however, again the functions of the remote sometimes worked and sometimes it was just easier and quicker to move to the touchscreen on the TV.  I have said this in other reviews and while traveling in economy, and it remained the same in business class – Turkish’s onboard entertainment has a decent selection of movies and TV shows but they are only enough to pass about 5 hours of flight time; if your flight is longer than that I would suggest downloading movies on your personal device.  The same was for this flight as the entertainment selection was decent for about 5 hours of viewing time, and then you had to improvise (in this category, no one can beat Emirates’ selection).

Before take-off, pre-drinks were served, newspapers were offered, noise-cancelling headphones were distributed (again, some headphones worked better than others), and amenity kits were also distributed.  While the amenity kits were nice, they looked more like a premium economy kit rather than a business class kit as the kits contained socks, eyeshades, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, a small lip balm and small lotion.  I have received the same kit – in a less fancier package and without the lip balm and lotion – in economy class on other airlines.  I have also flown business class on other airlines – namely Emirates – where the business class amenity kit includes much more such as razors, shaving cream, and cologne.  Menus were also distributed prior to takeoff and this is one area where Turkish excels over its competitors.  Both the quality and quantity of food was very good and it was an extensive menu of offerings that the passenger gets to choose from. 

Once airborne, the inflight service started a hot towel service and then with drinks and nuts.  The tray table is in the middle console which is shared between the two seats but the positioning of the tray table makes the narrow seat feel even more narrow, especially for those who are larger.  Also, the tray table is supposed to move diagonally to let the passenger out of the seat but again some of these worked better than others.  The tray table was set with linens, a fake candle, and really interesting salt and pepper shakers.  After the nuts, the first course of appetizers were served, followed by another starter, then your selection of the main dish, then dessert, then cheese and fruit, and then coffee or tea.  Again, it was a lot of food and it took about 2.5 hours for the entire course of meals to be presented and consumed.  As I said, both the quality and quantity of food were good.  Once the meal service finished, the attendants came by to make up the bed.  The pillow was already on the seat, and it was an average size pillow.  The mattress padding was fitted onto the seat, and that was a bit thin in quality but the blanket provided was nice and of good thick quality.  You really felt the narrowness of the seat when you slept, as there was not a lot of room to move in the seat, although the seat did lie completely flat so that was nice. 

Turkish only provides two meal services – one after takeoff and then one right before landing.  In between, if you are hungry there are small snacks, fruit, crackers, and nuts available in the galley.  While these snacks are nice, they are definitely not filling if you decided to skip the meal and get hungry in the middle of the flight (I also do not believe Turkish has a ‘dine on demand’ product available); again comparing it to some of its competitors, Emirates does at least provide some more substantial snacks that are available in between the meal service upon request.  About an hour prior to landing, the lights came on and the tray tables were set for the second meal.  Again, there was a selection of breakfast items to choose from as well as some appetizers.  This meal selection was substantial but smaller than the first meal selection (both were definitely filling though).  The cabin was then readied for landing and we landed in Istanbul. 

On my outbound flight I transferred at the old Istanbul airport while on my return I transferred through the new airport.  I did have family members who were affected by the transfer from one airport to the other, and the communication and coordination between Turkish Airlines and its customers during that time was very poor.  Luckily I had booked through a travel agent and they were coordinating and rebooking everything, and he said that the information kept changing minute by minute as he had many customers who were being affected by the transfer and cancellation of flights.  I transferred to the new airport about 2 weeks after it opened, and it was still a mess.  Long walks, not helpful ground staff (although Turkish has never been known for helpful ground staff), still under construction security areas, many confused ground staff, and a lot of teething issues.  While waiting in the lounge for my flight, the gate for the flight changed, and I am not kidding, 5 times in a span of 1 hour.

While there was one HUGE business class lounge in the old airport, the new airport has multiple business class lounges and both are identical in terms of the offerings and look – this makes it very confusing if you are meeting someone at the business class lounge because the only difference between the two is the location.  The lounges are nice with good offering of food, drink, and spaces.  There are free massages available but those are only on a first-come, first-serve basis and the wait time for the massage was over 2 hours.    

My onward flight was on an Airbus A330-200.  On the outbound the plane was very old and so was on the onboard product while on the return both the plane and the product had been updated.  The service and onboard system was the same for both flights – the seat was similar to that of the Boeing 777 as it did lie flat, the space was narrow, and the same features were available on both seats.  Same amenity kits as well as same headphones were distributed along with menus.  The main difference for this flight is that only one meal service was offered, right after take-off, and the meal quality and quantity was smaller – it was more of a heavy snack/light meal rather than a full meal – and this was the only service offered during the entire flight.  This was another difference between Turkish and its competitors as other airlines, I believe, would have either offered a more substantial meal if they were doing one meal or would have offered two light meals.

Overall, the experience with Turkish Airlines in Business Class felt more like Premium Economy rather than a true Business Class.  The lie-flat seats, the access to the lounge, and the substantial food offered on the long-haul flights are characteristics of Business Class, but the quality of the seats, the narrowness of the seats, and the overall feel and experience of the on-board product made it feel more like Premium Economy.  The negative about this is that Turkish does not offer First Class, so the choice is between Economy or Business so if you are only offering one premium class, wouldn’t you make it more outstanding instead of having minor differences between the two?  In Turkish’s defense though, the price for Turkish was lower than its competitors so if you are paying less then I guess you would expect less as well.  If you are looking for an overall business experience, then Turkish is not the choice for you, but if all you are looking for is a lie-flat seat, good food, and a nice lounge then Turkish is your airline.

Stay Report: The Nishat Hotel, Gulberg (Lahore, Pakistan - April 2019)

Stay Report: The Nishat Hotel - Gulberg, Lahore

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I was scheduled to leave Lahore the next day, so I needed a hotel for one night.  Since I was only going to be there for a short-time, I was looking for something that was close to the airport, was reliable, was clean, and was affordable.  I have never stayed at a hotel in Lahore so I went around to some of the established places to check out their facilities, but when I stepped into The Nishat I knew my search was over.  The Nishat Hotel was started by The Nishat Group, which is a big textile and fabric company in Pakistan, and overall the hotel is modeled like a boutique hotel.  The rooms were nice and spacious (and clean), the hotel had good amenities for the guests, and the service was good and accommodating.

The hotel is located in Gulberg, Lahore and while it is not the best location - as its on the edge of the shopping area bordering a more residential area - it is surrounded by restaurants and shops so you can easily walk to get food or shopping.  As you pull up, there is a small circular driveway in which there are stairs that lead up to the lobby.  The outside of the hotel is in black and grey colors and the color pattern continues inside the hotel.  One you go past the security, you enter into the lobby.  On the left side is the restaurant while straight ahead is a mini seating area.  To the right is the concierge stand, the check-in desks, and the elevators.  The hotel staff recognized me from when I came to check the rooms, and they individually came up to say hello and that was a nice touch - overall the customer service was very nice.  

I did have two issues while checking in - 1) check-in time is at 2pm and the hotel calls you that day to confirm your checkin time, and if you do not pick up the phone or call back then they cancel the booking; they tried to call me but had my number incorrectly so even when I went to the hotel at 3pm they had apparently canceled my booking; 2) I had booked two rooms, one with one bed and the other room with two beds and I had asked for these rooms the day I inquired about the rooms and they day I came to book the rooms yet the day of check-in the request still needed to be processed.  While these are minor things, the minor things can build up and sometimes be indicative of major issues.

I checked-in, received my key, and went up to the 8th floor as one of my two rooms was ready - I was the other room would be ready within the hour.  The first room had the double bed and the layout was such that as you entered the room, there was a mini-hallway in which the bathroom was on the right and all along the left hand side was nice and large closets.  The closets contained a safe, shelves to store items, a hanging bar to hand your items, laundry bag, slippers as well as shoe polish (it was a really big closet with TONS of space).  The bathroom was also quite spacious and contained a sink with LOTS of counter space, a toilet and a stand-in shower.  The shower area was also spacious and contained both a hand-held as well as a 'rain shower' head.  The sink contained a plethora of amenities including shampoo, body wash, lotion, nail file, dental kit, sewing kit, etc --- really a lot of amenities and this touch was very nice.

Further into the room, the bed was the right side while on the left were two chairs with a table in the middle.  Both chairs were very comfortable and one faced the bed while the other faced the large window - the window was open enough to let in light but had some decorative sculpture outside thus blocking the outside from looking in.  In front of the bed, along the length of the wall, was a long desk which had a chair as well as outlet plugs as well.  The desk also contained the welcome fruit platter, two complimentary bottles of water, as well as the tea kettle.  The bed itself was very comfortable, the sheets were nice and the pillows new, and it provided a great nights sleep.  On either side of the bed was a nightstand and the entire place was electronic so you could control the lights and sounds from panels on either side of the bed).  The room with the two beds was laid out in a similar fashion as the one bed is just one mattress over two box springs so they can easily pull apart the box springs and make it two beds - I have seen this done in other hotels but the lack of space usually means not enough room between the two beds, however given the spaciousness of the room there was space in between the beds.    

The hotel has many facilities for the guests to enjoy including complimentary breakfast, complimentary wifi, a gym, an indoor pool, airport shuttle, parking, and others.  Given I was there for a short period, I could only try a few of the facilities: the airport shuttle was a large van that could accommodate many passengers and luggage, and would run on the hour.  It was very easy and convenient to book and access the shuttle.  The wifi was complimentary and strong enough for basic email and WhatsApp (streaming videos would be difficult). 

Overall, it was a great stay at The Nishat Hotel with comfortable, spacious, nice-smelling, and clean rooms along with good service, good facilities for the guests, and a nice location.  I would definitely recommend this hotel and this is a hotel that we intend to use in the future as well.