business-class – Hooked On Points

Qatar Airways Business Class – Doha to Washington DC

July 7, 2025Tagged airline, airlines, business-class, travel, travel-tipsLeave a comment

After disembarking the aircraft, I headed over to the Al Safwa First Class lounge with the hope that I would be able to get a private room to get some proper sleep. Luck was not on my side as all rooms were booked and the earliest I would be able to get one was 7.30am but that was a non-starter since my flight was at 8am. After contemplating how terrible things were going for me, I decided to head over to the Al Mourjan Garden lounge in the hope that I would get a nap room there. Yet another swing and a miss as no rooms were available but one would be available around 4.30am. As the lounge was empty, I decided to crash on one of the couches until the room was ready. When I got a room, I could not sleep and was just doom scrolling until it was time to leave. Got a shower room to freshen up, had a light snack/drink and then headed to the gate.

Up the escalator to the Al Safwa lounge

Oooooooh – water fountain

Everyone crowding the bear from the front – I just went to the back where its nice and quiet.

Hopped on the train to get to the C concourse where the Garden lounge was located

Overlooking the Orchard – at night

Overlooking the Orchard – sunrise

Water pool structure thingy

Heading towards the E concourse

Morning bird watching

I assume the new E concourse is specifically for US flights as there are new sterilized areas for additional security and other checks before entering the gate area. Everything went by smoothly and dare I say the staff were much nicer than TSA staff. After 15 minutes of idling around, boarding was called with business class first but as usual, all gate lice decided to block J passengers from boarding and things got a bit testy. Eventually, I made it onboard.

The female cabin crew member working my side of the plane was nice and way better than the crew from the previous flight. She came by to introduce herself, offered a PDB and brought PJs.

Started with OJ.

The view

Safety video as we were taxi-ing

View while taxi-ing

Lining up on 16R …

Aaaaaand nothing happened. We started to move but no massive engine spool up – just continued to taxi off onto the other taxi way and towards 34L which was the opposite end of the runway. The captain came on the horn announcing a change in wind direction necessitating a take off from the other direction.

Ok, once more unto the breach

See ya later DOH.

After take off, the cabin crew got into action. Started off with a pipping hot cup of Karak Chai.

Breakfast showtime

Told the cabin crew to skip all the fluff stuff and just ordered the omlette. Was really good.

After that, asked the staff to add the stuff to make into a bed.

Thank goodness for Starlife WIFI – was able to doom scroll when I was bored watching stuff on the TV.

Got a burger mid flight and it was meh – was a bit cold.

The real showtime approximately 2 hours before landing.

Hooray for caviar in business class!

Chicken Maskhool – yum

Warm salted caramel and almond cheesecake – too sweet for my liking but good overall

Somewhere over the US close to IAD

IAD

It was at this point that the fun ended.

One last longing look.

Taking the people mover to the main terminal

Immigration was easy enough with Global Entry and bags came out shortly after arriving at the belt. Headed up to the departure hall to check in my bag on the connecting United flight back to YYZ.

Qatar Airways First Class – Bangkok to Doha

July 7, 2025Tagged airline, airlines, business-class, flight-review, travelLeave a comment

As stated in the previous post, the flight was departing from the new remote and you had to take the underground train over.

People were already lined up by the time I got to the gate. From the perspective of the picture below, I was standing in the premium boarding line with no separate F line and the right side was non premium passengers. As you can tell, that line was MUCH shorter. Once boarding started, the premium line moved fairly quickly.

Was welcomed aboard by the male purser and pointed in the direction of my seat.

Amenity kit and cold towelette was waiting at the seat

I will say this up front – I set my expectations too high and I was disappointed by the service. It took 15 minutes before a member of the cabin crew came by to welcome me and this was a sign of lacklustre service to come during the flight. They were not rude in any way but it just lacked polish and attentiveness when compared with my previous SQ flights. As foreshadowing, my upcoming QR J flight was so much better in terms of service from the cabin crew.

While I was waiting for someone to come by, I took pictures of the menu.

One of the other cabin crew members came by to welcome me and asked if I wanted a PDB – just went with OJ.

Followed by a date and arabic coffee

Safety video by Kevin Hart was playing and it was hilarious! 😀

Missing the flower 🙁

Was poking around the seat and oops, somethings wrong here. LOL

The line up for take off was ridiculously long and I counted 15 planes passing us by towards the runway before it was our turn.

Finally, we were off

Service began quickly after the seat belt sign came off.

Caviar and Balik Salmon to start – delicious

Amuse bouche – meh

Lobster with jumbo crab

Grilled lamb chops and chicken kofta – dry

I dont think I had dessert because I dont have a picture and I looked back at the menu and went “Hey, I dont think I tried any of those” 🥲

Went to change into PJs and one of the crew made up the seat into a bed …. Which was actually just putting a seat cover and walking away …

Went down for a nap and I was so groggy when I woke up around 30 minutes prior to landing due it being a short-ish flight.

Cold towel to get me out of my foggy state

My next stop 😀

Next up – Qatar Airways Business Class – Doha to Washington DC

Singapore Airlines Business Class – Male to Singapore

June 14, 2025Tagged airline, business-class, singapore, singapore-airlines, travelLeave a comment

Singapore Airlines Business Class – Male to Singapore

The boat docked back at Male around 9am and I had an hour to kill before the check-in desks opened. Camped out in the AC section of the food court area.

At T-3, I made my way up to security before heading into the check-in hall. The Y line up was massive, so I just walked up to the J class line, told the security “Singapore Business class” and he let me through without even a document check. After passing through security, I proceeded to check in and was the first person to do so. I inquired if any business class seats were available for cash upgrade and indeed there was one available. After a quick swipe of the credit card and a few signatures, I received my BP and made my way to immigration.

There were separate lines for J passengers in the immigration area and for secondary security. I was through after 20 minutes and made my way to the lounge.

I remember reading an influencers post on IG that this was the worst lounge he had ever seen but I told him that he’s never been to the Air India lounge at Delhi airport.

At T-70, an announcement was made in the lounge that boarding for the SQ flight would begin soon. Took that as a cue to leave and made my way downstairs to the bus gates.

Lovely views during the bus ride

The vibe felt off with the cabin crew this time around. I chalked it up to the fact that I was a last minute upgrade and set my expectations low for the flight.

11A

Bubbles

Hot towel

Safety video

Taxi to the runway

See you in a few months, MLE!

This view never gets old

Not long after, the lunch service began.

Appetizer – meh

Garlic bread

Mee Siam Goreng – perfect!

Dessert was meh

Settled down for a snooze after the meal service and not long after, the lights of SG came into view.

Next up – Serangoon House and a couple days in Singapore

Singapore Airlines Economy Class – Singapore to Male

June 11, 2025Tagged airline, business-class, photography, singapore-airlines, travelLeave a comment

No business class award seats available – so had to rough it out at the back of the bus. Truth be told – everything was good, set my expectations low and I got the opportunity to witness how the crew works in Y.

Checked out at 7am and the Jewel was quiet and peaceful. Followed the connecting bridge to T2.

The Wonderfall

Step 1 – check to see if my flight exists, check!

Got here just in time to see the show – love this thing.

No SKL access, so camped out at the PP Sats lounge which was good enough.

Didnt get a chance to take pics of the buffet but it was a good selection – even had a DIY laksa station.

Got early to the gate and the security line was long but move as quickly as it could. Unfortunately due to bad luck and bad timing, I could not snag a last minute cash upgrade to J as the couple in front of me grabbed the last two. After a short 10 minute wait in the holding pen, eventually made it onto the plane.

Going from 1A to 70A is a humbling experience. 😭

At least I had 3 windows 😀

Cabin crew were coming around with hot towels

STEAMY towel

No seat buddy for me, so more space.

Bit of a queue for the runway but we eventually made it to the front

Peace out, SIN.

After the seat belt signs went off, the crew were in action. Love these snax.

Drink service

Asked if I wanted a chicken or fish dish. Went with Chicken – forgot to take a pic, so imagine saucy noodles with chicken pieces. Was decent.

Crew came around after to hand out ice cream and WOW, it was good! Pro tip – if you dont like the dessert in F or J, you can request ice cream from Y.

The flight was as uneventful as it could get – I watched a movie to pass the time and before I knew, we were over the Maldives and began our descent.

Male

Taxi

Love remote stands

Last off the plane and on the last bus to the terminal. Once we got into the immigration area, a new lane magically opened up and I was able to bypass the snaking lines. Processed quickly, through bag scans and I was pulled aside to show a maple syrup bottle in my suitcase and show it was not alcohol. After that, I went outside into the heat of the arrivals area to find the boat to take me to Dhigurah island.

Next up – a sun filled week in the Maldives

Singapore Airlines First Class – Jakarta to Singapore

June 10, 2025Tagged airline, business-class, first-class, food, travel, travel-tipsLeave a comment

After being dropped off at the airport, I made my way to the SQ check in counters.

Requested the agent to tag my bag all the way to MLE and I would rough it out at the airport hotel overnight.

BPs were handed to me and I was informed that another agent would be escorting me to security. At security, she waved me through and I was on my own – seemed fairly counterintuitive for an F passenger but I wasn’t sweating it.

Departures screen

Into the PP lounge

SQ has its own lounge within the PP lounge and is located in the back of the PP lounge.

An agent scanned my BP and escorted me.

All the way to the back of the SQ lounge into the F lounge.

J section

F section

After enjoying the calm and serenity of the F lounge, I slowly made my way to the boarding gate.

Leaving the PP lounge.

Hello birdie

People were already neatly lined up when I got there and staff were making sure all passengers were waiting in the right line.

There was no F line, so I just decided to hover around in the area until boarding was called. An agent came by, looked at my BP and immediately escorted me to the plane before boarding even began. Snuck a quick peek at the PPS line up and all I got back was dagger stares LOL.

Was handed off to the cabin crew and was escorted to my seat.

The LSS asked if I wanted a dust bag and I gave her an emphatic yes. 😀

Let the libations commence!

Safety video

Rocketing out of CGK

BTC Laksa for dinner

The dessert was meh – not a big fan of passionfruit and the chocolate was too bitter for my taste.

Hot towel after dinner. This was the third one btw – one on boarding, one each before and after dinner.

Not long after – a familiar sight

Landing and disembarkation was quick and easy. I made my way to TPR for one last hurrah.

Went with the prawn tandoori set but it was lobster instead and I did not complain whatsoever LOL.

After that, went through immigration and towards the Yotel to get my room for the night.

Next – SQ Y – Singapore to Male

Singapore Airlines Suites Class – Frankfurt to Singapore

June 4, 2025Tagged business-class, first-class, singapore-airlines, star-alliance, travel, trip-reportLeave a comment

At 6pm, checked out and took the train back to the airport.

Wandered over to the C check in desks to spy on the SQ activity.

Security was as convoluted as it gets at FRA but eventually got through as well as immigration. Had a lot of time to kill before boarding, so wandered around. I did want to visit the AC MLL but it was closed.

Nice plane spotting.

The Condor livery is growing on me.

Only lounge choice left was the Senator lounge.

No complaints about the lounge as it was my first time experiencing it – felt big enough and separated into different sections. Not a lot of people were in the lounge during the time I was there and therefore felt roomier and peaceful.

Dining area

Was super hungry since I skipped lunch and was happy with the selections

The spa seems enticing …

T-60 and I made my way to the gate and found the gate lice.

There was an agent manning the Suites area and in typical Canadian fashion, I apologetically yet politely inquired if the line up was here. She responded with “you are welcome to board now!”. She undid the rope and let me know, scanned my BP and I was off towards the boarding tube.

I was welcomed onboard by the purser and handed off to the LSS who escorted me to my seat.

1A – the holiest … you know what I mean 😀

Staircase to heaven if you are boarding from the bottom level

Libis came by to introduce himself and asked if I wanted a PDB. Went with the Tattinger to start.

After downing the first glass, I snuck into the washroom to change into PJs.

When I got back to my seat, Libis poured round 2.

Perusing the menu while boarding was wrapping up.

The SIN to FRA menu which I honestly thought was way better than the FRA to SIN menu.

FRA to SIN section

Fast forward past take off and cabin crew got into action once the sign came from the captain. Served with some more Tattinger.

Show time

Round 3 but this time back to Cristal

Bit of a funny moment here when the LSS attempted to pour during a bumpy part of the flight and some of the delicious liquid spilled over to the floor.

Caviar to start

Caviar from China – I guess SQ doesnt purchase Russian anymore? Or never did?

Saw the trend, didnt understand it but YOLO

Should it be caviar on the top or bottom

Double boiled pork shank soup – Love a good broth

BTC Lobster Ballotine – meh but you know, lobster. Also, they didnt have Lobster Thermidor in the BTC selection which itself was quite poor ex FRA.

Finale – Buchette Cerise

After dinner, I requested the cabin crew to make the bed while I went to the washroom.

I set my alarm to wake me up in 3 hours but I was still groggy and went back down for another 3 hours LOL. After freshening up, I ordered a mid flight snack.

Egg noodles with Prawn

Massaman Moo

Raw dogging it until the next meal service.

With 2 hours to go, breakfast service started.

Fruits to start.

Cornflakes

Blueberry pancakes

Landing was butter and sadly did not get the iconic landing view over the strait.

Once last look before disembarking from the plane.

Next up – The Private Room

Singapore Airlines First Class – New York to Frankfurt

May 30, 2025Tagged adventure, airline, blog, business-class, travelLeave a comment

Even with rush hour traffic on the Van Wyck, the ride to JFK took 30 minutes. I was 4 hours early but still able to check in.

An agent was able to help me at a different counter and checked my bag all the way to CGK.

The TSA pre check line took 15 minutes to get through but it was still much better compared to the regular TSA line. Once past, I had to kill time before entering any lounge as I could only enter 3 hours before departure.

First lounge – AMEX Centurion

Found the speak easy at the back and got a drink. After killing an hour or so, headed down to the VA lounge.

Yup, definitely not heading to the Air India lounge. 😀

Access to the VA lounge granted for SQ F passengers only and it was definitely better than the AMEX lounge.

Didnt take pics of the lounge itself but feel free to check the IG story link for a video walkthrough.

https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODUxNDIzNzA3NDQwODg2?story_media_id=3612187795156072115&igsh=MW1wdDZlOGUya2sxcw==

It was empty in the lounge and one of the staff members came by and said I could have my pick of where I wanted to sit. She was very friendly and was nice having conversations with her about food and other things.

Nice view from where I was sitting.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54548052682_f7801894ed_c.jpg
Food menu

Lychee martini and jerk chicken wings. I did also try Roast Atlantic Salmon but it was overcooked and picked at it.

Bread and butter pudding as a sweet finale

An hour before departure, an announcement was made that boarding would begin soon and I headed down to the gate. As I arrived, boarding for F passengers just started.

Down the hatch

As I stepped on board, I was welcome by the ISM: “Mr JP, welcome back, you know the way” and pointed me towards my seat.

As I walked to my seat, I heard him call out to the LSS and indicate I was onboard: “Mr. JP from 1A is here”. The LSS and another male cabin crew came by to welcome me and introduce themselves.

The holiest of all seats – 1A

Since alcohol could not be served on the ground, I just went with water for PDB.

The flight continues from FRA to SIN after a 1.5 hour layover. The menu also includes selections for the FRA-SIN leg.

Shortly after, the LSS came by with PJs, an amenity kit and slippers.

Boarding was completed on time and pushback shortly thereafter. SQ’s boarding has always been consistent with starting on time and completing quickly.

The safety demo as we taxi-ed out.

Peace out NYC.

Shortly afterwards, the seatbelt sign went off and the crew sprang into action.

Cristal to start.

Show time – SQ style

Round 2 – went with the Tattinger

Verdict – I prefer the Cristal over the Tat as its more lighter.

Garlic bread – yum

Balik salmon with caviar

For the main course, I chose the BTC option of Maine Lobster with potatoes. The dish was wonderful and the potatoes were deliciously spicy.

Dessert was meh.

After dinner, I requested the bed to be made. Wanted to get as much sleep as I could due to the short TATL flight.

I skipped breakfast, although after looking back at the menu I wish I had tried something from it but c’est la vie.

Coming in hot into FRA.

One last look at the bird.

After passing quickly through customs, I hopped on the train to head to the hotel.

Qatar Airways Business Class – Doha to Chicago

September 17, 2024Tagged airline, airlines, asia, business-class, travelLeave a comment

With no traffic at 5:30am, the cabbie made it to the airport in 15 minutes-ish.

Someday I will walk towards the right for the F check in.

US check in had a separate area and it was done fairly quickly. I just had to provide hotel info as I would be staying over in ORD for one night. After that formality, bags were quickly tagged and sent off into the void and BP provided. The agent was kind enough to provide directions to the Al Mourjan Garden lounge as it was closer to the boarding gate.

The other side of the check in hall.

Poor bear still has not been freed from its prison.

On the train heading to the C concourse.

Quick walk through in the Garden before heading to the lounge. Absolutely stunning.

After walking through the garden thinking about life, my existence and my place in this lonely universe, I headed to the lounge for breakfast. Followed the signs and then took the elevator up one level. As I got out of the elevator, a friendly agent gave me a small tour and indicated different areas of the lounge. I headed to the sit down area for breakfast first.

The LV lounge that charges an extra fee for entrance.

Eggs Benny

Self Service stations

After breakfast, I headed back to the front and walked over to the other side of the lounge where the quiet area was located.

Lovely view overlooking the garden.

The quiet area – so nice sitting here. Very open and airy.

Decided to leave early and check out the gate area and good thing I did leave as there was a line up for secondary security which was a bit of a mess. I made it through with no issues and waited in the holding pen. After 10 minutes, boarding was called with J passengers invited to board first.

Still havent hit the A350 on my QR bingo card.

Flew on the 777 with the all white Oneworld livery and could not get a good picture – so sad.

Welcome to 1K. The cabin crew member working my side of the plane came by to introduce herself and asked for my choice of PDB. Shortly after, the purser came by and introduced herself and gave flight details. Service overall on this flight was SUPERB and the crew were amazing.

OJ PDB

Menus

Pushback was on time and we made our way to the runway. It was a bit of the wait for our turn due to the heavy volume of birds but we were eventually on our way.

Geez, another new concourse.

Two Finnair birds.

Some more waiting …

Oh look, another Finnair – is QR leasing these birds from Finnair?

Oh yay, our turn finally.

Peace out DOH.

As the plane was climbing, one of the trolleys came loose from its station and a tray full of nuts and ramekins came crashing down onto the floor (made a very loud bang). Felt bad for the person who didn’t lock it up properly and took some time to clean it up after.

The aftermath …

An hour after take off, the first meal service began.

Setting the table. As a famous person once said, “Show time!” Keep forgetting his name though …

Bubbly to start.

Amuse bouche on deck

Cheers!

Soup of the day – I think it was cream of mushroom (can’t remember now) and it was yummy.

Qatari spiced barramundi machboos – insert perfection emoji here.

Warm poached pear in syrup – meh.

After the meal service, I went to change into PJs while the crew working my side turned the seat into a bed.

For the second meal service, I first went with the greek yoghurt and then the Bircher Muesli

Arrival into ORD was fairly smooth and uneventful – unless you count the heavy slam when the tires hit the tarmac.

Long taxi to T5

Stayed one night at the Sheraton Suites ORD as my flight back home was next day at 9am. Nothing much to write about other than the flight was on time and there was no meal service since the caterer at YYZ was on strike and we only got chips and water.

Business class on an A220.

Home after 2 weeks.

Thank you for reading and see you in the next TR!

Turkish Airlines Business Class – Istanbul to Manila

July 31, 2024Tagged business-class, photography, travel, trip-report, trip-reportsLeave a comment

At T-60, I made the long trek to the gate as it was a good 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. IST is ridiculously large and the only negative thing about it is that there are no movators.

Really getting my steps in 😀

Got to the gate and boarding was underway. Despite a J line, everything got bottleneck in the long tunnel leading to the tubes.

The chariot.

Spied the J class tube and ducked in.

My seat for the next 10-ish hours. Same one used by SQ for intra Asia flights on their 787’s and 350’s.

Cabin crew came by offering PDB’s and went with OJ this time – very tasty.

Menu’s were provided shortly after.

Aircraft pushed back on time and we eventually whooshed our way into the night sky

Meal service started an hour after take off. Started with the smoked turkey, cheeses and veggies.

Followed by the poached eggs with shakshuka which was ok

We flew into a nice sunrise and it was good just watching the flight via the tail cam.

3 hours before landing, the next meal service started. Started with a small amuse bouche.

Followed by a cart of appetizers to choose from.

Creamy Avocado soup

Grilled lamb chops – delicious!

Finishing off with the eclair and bread/butter pudding – very good.

Landing in MNL

Parked at our assigned gate

Immigration was quick – was 10th in line and after the formalities, made my way to baggage claim. The bag was already on the belt by there. Was picked up by friends for the 5 minute drive round the bend to the Sheraton. Always loved the decor, vibe and hospitality here versus the Marriott next door. The check in agent asked if I wanted to go to the lounge for the formalities but I declined as I just wanted to get to my room – was “upgraded” to the club floor but I didnt care as I just wanted to get in for a shower and sleep.

Comfy for one night.

After a semi decent sleep, I woke up to a wonderful view – the wow factor for me is the airport views.

To wrap up on my TK experience – I have heard good things about it and I will agree to a certain extent. I set my expectations low for anything business class these days and I was not disappointed but I was also not wow-ed compared to SQ and QR. The cabin crew were good, professional and smiling. The food and drinks were delicious and the lounge experience was better than most (I’m looking at your Air Canada). The seat on this leg is just terrible for a long haul flight and felt a little tight when compared to other airlines with better business class seat products.

Turkish Airlines Business Class – Toronto to Istanbul

July 31, 2024Tagged business-class, flight-review, japan, travel, trip-reportLeave a comment

Kicked off birthday celebrations with dinner one day before flying out. Mountain of delicious lobster for me!

A gorgeous day to fly out of Canada’s worst airport – Pearson International (IYKYK). Found the TK check in desks at pier E aisle.

Even though the J line took 15 minutes, it was still faster than waiting in the Y line which was snaking through the roped lanes and spilling out and in front of the pier. One of the TK agents was trying his best to muster everyone into lines but was failing miserably through no fault of his own – people were just not listening and/or not caring. To add on to the chaos, the belt stopped working and bags had to be stored in a separate staging area to the side until the belt was fixed. Luckily, the bags made it onto the flight since I was tracking with iPhone airtags.

With the security formalities done fairly quickly and after the long walk to the international pier, I made my way to the AC ML lounge only to wait for 15 minutes to enter. Had a quick meal with choices being decent and killed an hour before heading to the gate.

Thank goodness I was not flying Air Satan today – many delays and/or cancellations. The flight to Dubai was cancelled due to the flooding but didnt know at the time. Hooray for cloud seeding.

Gate area was pure chaos with everyone lining up in every direction and from different angles – I just stood off to the side until the announcement for business class to board was called and then made my way (politely and gently as all Canadians do) through the horde.

Once on board, made my way into the mini cabin and the last row. The 777 plane has a 2-3-2 configuration and while it lacked privacy, it was really roomy and was more preferred over the A350 leg to MNL (more to come on this).

LOTS of leg space.

Menus were already at the seat.

A member of the cabin crew came around offering PDB’s and I went with the raspberry. Other choices were orange and lime.

Pushback was on time and after the long taxi to the furthest end of the airport, we rocketed off into the night sky.

Mood lighting

Cabin crew came by later with a hot towel and beverage choice which was provided along with the meal choice before take off. There were two onboard chefs (one for each side) and it was an interesting interaction. The chef on my side came by to take our meal orders.

Chef: “Would you like the soup along with the other appetizer – yes or no?”

It was an interesting way to phrase the question and while it came across as abrupt, I understood that it was well intentioned. No harm done.
The crew also came by to put the bedding cover over everyone’s seat before the meal service started.