It had been a long time (since Jan 2020) I’ve been on a vacation. Ever since Covid crisis started, we were staying home hoping for it to all blow over. After we got vaccinated in Feb 2020, it gave us the chance to go on our already postponed Greece trip in May 2021. Greece finally opened up to international tourists at end of April and the requirements were fairly simple. For vaccinated tourists, a proof of vaccination was sufficient for entry along with a passenger locator form specifically for Greece that had to be filled out no later than day …
Destination Trip Reports EuropeMay’21: Greece Trip – Introduction
Airline Reviews Korean Air ReviewsAirline Review: Korean Air – Business Class (Airbus 380-800 with Lie Flat Seats): Seoul – Los Angeles (KE 11)
Flight: Korean Air KE 11 from Seoul to Los Angeles Duration: 11 hours Aircraft: A388(Airbus 380-800) Class: Business (Prestige Class) Seat: 20D (Middle row bulhead seat with direct aisle access in rear cabin) Seat Specification: Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 74 “. Seat width: 21.6 ” Korean Air operates both Airbus 380 and Boeing 777-300ER on Seoul – Los Angeles long-haul route. My flight was operated on a double-decker A380 with 2 x 2 x 2 configuration in business class throughout the upper deck. There are 3 cabins on the upper deck, all business class and I was in the rear …
Airline Reviews Korean Air ReviewsAirline Review: Korean Air – Business Class (Boeing 777-300ER with Lie Flat Seats): Bangkok – Seoul (KE 660)
Flight: Korean Air KE 660 from Bangkok to Seoul Duration: 5 hours 45 minutes Aircraft: B773(Boeing 777-300ER) Class: Business Seat: 8B (side Aisle seat in forward cabin) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 74″. Seat width: 20.6 ” Korean Air flies both A380 as well as Boeing 777-300 widebody on Bangkok – Seoul route. This was my first time flying Korean Air Business and over 2 segments I got to try business class on both type of aircraft. The flight form Bangkok – Seoul was on a Boeing 777-300ER with 2 x 2 x 2 configuration for a total of 56 …
Airline Reviews Cathay Pacific ReviewsAirline Review: Cathay Pacific – Business Class (Boeing 777-300 with Lie Flat Seats) : Los Angeles – Hong Kong (CX 881)
Flight: Cathay Pacific CX 881 from Los Angeles to Hong Kong Duration: 15 hours 55 minutes Aircraft: B773(Boeing 777-300ER) Class: Business Seat: 11A (single bulkhead seat with direct aisle access) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 81.0 “. Seat width: 21 ” Cathay Pacific flies Boeing 777-300ER on all its LAX – HKG flights (3 x Daily) and I have experienced it twice before, once in 2015 and next in 2018. There are a total of 53 business class seats divided between a small forward cabin of 2 rows of 1 x 2 x 1 reverse herringbone configuration and rest in a …
Asia Destination Trip ReportsDec’19 – Jan’20: India and Sri Lanka Trip – Introduction
Time for my yearly trip to India again!! This time I will be going there myself (without my wife that is) and planning on visiting Sri Lanka with my parents for a week or less. We will be visiting Colombo, Bentota, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. There will be a lot of trip reports, airline reviews and hotel reviews following this trip. Airline Review – Cathay Pacific Business Class from Los Angeles to Hong Kong Trip Report – Bentota, Weligama and Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka Hotel Review – Shangri-lanka Villa, Bentota Hotel Review – Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa Hotel …
EVA Air ReviewsAirline Review: EVA Airways – Business Class (Boeing 777-300 with Lie Flat Seats) : Taipei – Los Angeles (BR 6)
Flight: EVA Air BR 6 from Taipei to Los Angeles Aircraft: B773 (Boeing 777-300) Class: Business Seat: 10K, Window Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 81″. Seat width: 26″ EVA Air operates Boeing 777-300 on all its flights between Taipei and Los Angeles with Royal Laurel Class (Business Class) having 1-2-1 layout and full flat beds. I have flown EVA airways on this route before, on both LAX-TPE and TPE-LAX segments in 2015. I was a bit full by eating in the EVA Air lounge earlier and opted to skip the main entree. I slept for a …
Airline Reviews EVA Air ReviewsAirline Review: EVA Airways – Business Class (Airbus 330 with Angled Flat Seats) : Bangkok – Taipei(BR 206)
Flight: EVA Air BR 206 from Bangkok to Taipei Duration: 3 hours 45 minutes Aircraft: A333 (Airbus 330-300) Class: Business (Premium Laurel) Seat: 8G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Angled Flat, Seat pitch: 62″. Seat width: 22″ EVA Airways flies different configurations on Bangkok – Taipei route. They fly Boeing 777-300 with Royal Laurel Business class with flat beds in 1-2-1 layout (which I flew in 2015) and also fly Airbus 300 with Premium Laurel Business class with angled flat seats in 2-2-2 layout (this flight). For a short flight as this one the difference in comfort was minimal. Flight attendant …
Airline Reviews Lufthansa ReviewsAirline Review: Lufthansa – Business Class (Boeing 747 with Lie Flat Seats) : Frankfurt – Bangalore (LH 754)
Flight: Lufthansa LH 754 from Frankfurt to Bangalore Aircraft: B748 (Airbus 747-800) Class: Business Seat: 5G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 64″. Seat width: 20″ Lufthansa operates a Boeing 747-800 on this route with 2 x 2 x 2 layout in Business Class downstairs and 2 x 2 upstairs. Since I was traveling by myself and opted for a middle row downstairs (for direct aisle access and having seatmate not climbing over mid-flight). For a 9 hour flight, Lufthansa was pretty generous in feeding us 2 full meals :). Lunch service started soon after …
Airline Reviews Lufthansa ReviewsAirline Review: Lufthansa – Business Class (Boeing 747 with Lie Flat Seats) : Los Angeles – Frankfurt(LH 457)
Flight: Lufthansa LH 457 from Los Angeles to Frankfurt Aircraft: B748 (Airbus 747-800) Class: Business Seat: 11D, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 64″. Seat width: 20″ Lufthansa operates a Boeing 747-800 on this route. To be frank, this is one of my favorite aircraft to travel on (because of upstairs). There are 8 rows of 2 x 2 x 2 configuration downstairs and 8 rows of 2 x 2 configuration upstairs in Business Class. I usually prefer the upstairs because its more cozy. However, I was traveling by myself and preferred the middle seats …
Airline Reviews Iberia ReviewsAirline Review: Iberia – Business Class (Airbus 359 with Lie Flat Seats) : Madrid – Chicago (IB 6275)
Flight: Iberia IB 6275 from Madrid to Chicago Equipment: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 3E – 3G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 78″. Seat width: 26″ Iberia used to operate this route using Airbus A346 in the past and recently upgraded it to an Airbus A359. The business class seats and configuration stayed the same with a 1-2-1 direct aisle access to all seats. The middle rows are better for families traveling together and we got the “honeymoon seats” where the middle seats are really close together and the arm rests face the …
Airline Reviews Iberia ReviewsAirline Review: Iberia – Business Class (Airbus 340 with Lie Flat Seats) : Chicago – Madrid (IB 6274)
Flight: Iberia IB 6274 from Chicago to Madrid Equipment: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 1E – 1G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 78″. Seat width: 26″ Iberia flies a couple of different aircraft types in this route (for example A340 and A350) and we got the fly the older A340-600 aircraft. The business class still features 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access to all seats. The middle rows are good for couples traveling together while the window seats are better for solo travelers. The odd number middle rows are next to each other …
Destination Trip Reports EuropeJune 2019: Europe Trip – Introduction
During June we visited Europe for 2 weeks at the end of my parents’ visit in US. This time we went over to Spain and Russian Federation with a short 1 day stay in Brussels. We stayed 2 nights each in Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels and St. Petersburg followed by 4 nights in Moscow. In the following months, I will be posting reviews on the following: Airline Review: Iberia Business Class – Chicago to Madrid Trip Report: Madrid Hotel Review: Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Hotel Review: Artiem Madrid Trip Report: Barcelona Hotel Review: Hilton Barcelona Hotel Review: AC …
Airline Reviews American ReviewsAirline Review: American Airlines – Business Class (Boeing 787 with Lie Flat Seats) : Frankfurt – Dallas (AA 71)
Flight: American Airlines AA 71 from Frankfurt to Dallas Equipment: B787 (Boeing 787-8) Class: Business Seat: 2 D & H (Middle row seats with direct aisle access) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 60 “. Seat width: 21 ” American Airlines operates a Boeing 787-8 aircraft between Frankfurt and Dallas. There are 28 lie-flat seats with 1 – 2 – 1 configuration in Business class. Some seats are rear-facing while others are standard forward facing. Bottomline: Seat: ***** Service: *** Food: **** The seat was long, quite comfortable and even though it was a daytime flight, had no trouble sleeping …
Airline Reviews Etihad ReviewsAirline Review: Etihad Airways – Business Class (Boeing 787 with Lie Flat Seats) : Abu Dhabi – Frankfurt (EY 01)
Flight: Etihad Airways EY 01 from Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt Equipment: B789(Boeing 787-9) Class: Business Seat: 11H & 5A (Rear facing and forward facing seat in aisle) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 73 “. Seat width: 22 ” Etihad operates twice daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt, both on Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Business class consists of 28 seats with 1 x 2 x 1 configuration. The seats are in staggered layout with the odd number rows facing the aisle (less privacy) while even numbers facing the window (more privacy). Service started with pre-departure beverage. We chose a refreshing lemon-mint drink. …
Airline Reviews Reviews Singapore AirlinesAirline Review: Singapore Airlines – Business Class (Airbus 330 with Angled Flat Seats) : Seoul – Singapore (SQ 607)
Flight: Singapore Airlines SQ 607 from Seoul to Singapore Equipment: A333 (Airbus 330-300) Class: Business Seat: 16 D, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Angled Flat, 172 degree recline, Seat pitch: 60″. Seat width: 24.5″ MilesPointsTravel Disclaimer: This review is solely the work of Karen. I personally did not fly this segment. The last time I flew on Singapore Airlines business class was during our Maldives trip with my hubby. Since then the business class cabin seems to have undergone some cosmetic refresh but essentially still have angled-flat seats with 2 x 2 x 2 configuration. Although they are not full lie flat, I was not …
Airline Reviews Asiana ReviewsAirline Review: Asiana Airlines – Business Class (Airbus 380 with Lie Flat Seats) : Los Angeles – Seoul (OZ 203)
Flight: Asiana Airlines OZ 203 from Los Angeles to Seoul Equipment: A380 (Airbus 380) Class: Business Seat: 21K, Window Seat Specification: Full Lie Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 80.4″. Seat width: 21.3 ” MilesPointsTravel Disclaimer: This review is solely the work of Karen. I personally did not fly this segment. It was exciting as always to ride an A380 business class, this time with Asiana. When I flew Asiana business class last time, it was on a Boeing 777-200 LR. The seat configuration is the same in both the aircrafts with 1-2-1 with direct aisle access for all seats. I had pre-selected row 21 …
Asia Destination Trip ReportsDec’18 – Jan’19: India, Jordan and UAE Trip – Introduction
December is here and so is the time for my family trip again. I will be visiting India and my wife will be following me in a couple of weeks. After our trip in India, we along with my parents will go on a 10 day trip to Jordan and UAE. We will be visiting Amman, Petra and Dead Sea in Jordan and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in UAE. I have been wanting to check off Dead Sea, Petra, Burj Khalifa from my bucket list and covering the 2 countries will cross all these off 🙂 There will be a …
Airline Reviews American ReviewsAirline Review: American Airlines – Business Class (Airbus A321 32B Transcon with Lie Flat Seats) : New York – Los Angeles (AA 300)
Flight: American Airlines AA 300 from New York to Los Angeles Equipment: A321(Airbus 321 (32 B) Transcon) Class: Business Seat: 7 D-F (Window – Aisle Pair) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 75.0 “. Seat width: 19 ” American Airlines has flat bed seats for Business and Open Suites for First Class for its coast to coast premium transcontinental flights. There are 20 flat bed seats in 2 x 2 configuration in business class. For these long haul transcontinental flights, I was happy just to get flat beds even though in a different setting I would have preferred direct aisle access for all …
Airline Reviews Qatar Airways ReviewsAirline Review: Qatar Airways – Business Class (B773(Boeing 777-300ER) with Qsuites) : Doha – New York (QR 701)
Flight: Qatar Airways QR 701 from Doha to New York Duration: 13 hours 45 minutes Aircraft: B773(Boeing 777-300ER) Class: Business Seat: 3E-F (Rear facing Middle Qsuite seats part of Quad setup) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 79.0 “. Seat width: 21.5 ” Ever since Qatar Airways announced the Qsuite product launch I have been dreaming of trying this one out. We finally were able to travel on a Qsuites equipped Boeing 777-300 ER plane from Doha to JFK. The business class cabin comprises of 48 closed suites with some middle seats being part of a Quad setup (ideal for a family of …
Airline Reviews Qatar Airways ReviewsAirline Review: Qatar Airways – Business Class (Boeing 777-300 with Lie Flat Seats) : Johannesburg – Doha (QR 1364)
Flight: Qatar Airways QR 1364 from Johannesburg to Doha Duration: 8 hours 50 minutes Aircraft: B773(Boeing 777-300ER) Class: Business Seat: 2J – 2K (Window & Aisle) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 78.0 “. Seat width: 21.8 ” Qatar Airways flies a Boeing 777-300 ER between Johannesburg and Doha. The business class has 42 seats (7 rows with 2 x 2 x 2 configuration) that convert into flat beds. In current day and age, not having business class with direct-aisle access for all seats is not competitive any more. However, the seat had a lot of space in front and I was traveling …