I opted to fly with Fly Cruise Stay’s preferred partner airline – Turkish Airlines having received an invitation to attend the Swahili International Tourism Expo in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I never flew with Turkish Airlines before, so I was very much looking forward to the experience. A week or two out from my departure date, I received a call from the marketing team who very kindly offered me an upgrade to business class! I understood it to be a one way upgrade, however the very generous offer was for all five flights with Turkish Airlines on which I was to receive the amazing upgrades to business class! Dublin to Istanbul, Istanbul to Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro to Mombassa, Mombassa to Istanbul and finally Istanbul to Dublin!

Turkish Airlines fly from Terminal one at Dublin airport. Having been upgraded meant I could use the fast track security which was a breeze and also avail of complimentary executive lounge access. I have used this particular shared lounge before with my family while flying to London City, since lounge passes can be purchased either at the desk in the lounge itself or in advance on Dublin Airport’s website. However, while in the lounge I was somewhat entertained to read a sign which advised guests that they are to not drink no more than two alcohol beverages during their stay. The lounge I have to say is pretty plain. Offering a pretty basic selection of drinks and snacks. No hot or cold food was served, apart from soup I think. A pity really, as I think the lounge has real potential to become a showcase for Irish hospitality and make a lasting impression to the traveler departing our land.

The aircraft operating the route from Dublin to Istanbul was a brand new Boeing 737-900ER complete with state of the art dreamliner mood lighting.

Seating was perfect! Comfy, stylish and spacious, along with tons of legroom. Not to mention the I.F.E. on indivual screens with a massive choice of new releases, as well as all time classic movies, documentaries, TV shows, music, games, interactive flight route map and more.

The onboard service was nothing short of exceptional! To start, I was offered a selection of pre departure drinks from which I opted for a very fresh and delicious homemade lemon and mint lemonade!

Served of course by Turkish Airlines very own business class onboard flying chef!

The inflight menu consisted of Champagne, whiskey (both blended and bourbon), gin, vodka along with liguers and cognacs and of course Turkish Raki. Beers were either Carlsberg or local Turkey beer Efes Pilsen the latter of which I remember drinking my fair share of while on holidays in Turkey many moons ago!  Cold and hot drinks were available along with freshly squeezed orange juice, tomato juice. The delicious Turkish Airlines signature homemade lemonade with mint was also on the list – my personal favourite!

The meal served onboard was truly mouth watering. The freshest ingredients, presented in the most courteous and personalised way imaginable all a height of 37,000 feet in the air! The presentation of the dishes were almost artlike and the execution of the service was timeless and cosmopolitian with a flair of  Turkish hospitality which Turkey is famous for!

The menu consisted of a pot pourri of Turkish meze. Spicy wheat salad, marinated arthichoke in olive oil, white cheese fried eggplant and pastrami. Accompanied by smoked anchovies fresh from the black sea marinated in fresh herbs.  A selection of cheeses with ovenfresh bread selection complied the meal with a caramel glaze derest to finish. The French red wine by Calvert was an excellent choice!

The delectable main course was a very traditional Turkish eggplant kebab with green and red pepers on a bed of bulgar. The other two choices were Grilled Citrus Spiced Salmon on a bed of saffron risotto and creamy sweet peas and the vegetarian option:  Ratatouille stew with pilaf rice in a tomato sauce. I always try and make a point to opt for locally produced cusisine while away in order to taste food sourced, prepared and cooked locally. It adds to the overall travel experience and is also eco friendly!

For the 5th year in a row Turkish Airlines have been chosen as the Best Airline in Europe by SkyTrax. As well as being awarded Europe’s Best Airline in 2015, it has also won World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, Best Airline in Southern Europe and World’s best Business Class Lounge Dining.

On my arrival into Turkish Airlines world renowned CIP Lounge at Istanbul Antalya airport, I literally had to stop and take time just to take in the many facilities and amenites available! It was the perfect place to just hang out and relax while waiting for my next business class flight to Dar es-Salaam!

Situated on two levels,  the 3.000m2 lounge which is located in the International Departures is capable of holding 2.000 passengers in a day and offers an extensive menu of hot and cold dishes.

There are many other amenities available for Turkish Airlines passengers such as private relaxation rooms, showers with special toiletry kits, play room for children and private infant room also available for passengers travelling with their children.

Passengers may enjoy television and music system, daily local and foreign newspapers and magazines. Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge also includes a billiard hall, library and a business center complete with all necessary technical equipment including WLAN internet.

It was a terrific experience overall and a delight to experience true authentic Turkish hospitality in such a modern and very comfortable setting!  Overall my visit to Turkish Airlines world renowed and award winning C.I.P. lounge added to my business class experience on a level which truly exceeded my expectations!

In a world where the traveller is so hyper-informed, thanks mainly to the internet where the vast majority of research is conducted prior to travel, expectations are therefore set. In this case, Turkish Airlines business class product not only met my personal expectations, but exceeded them on a level I have not experienced with other airlines for quite sometime. There is real value in what Turkish Airlines offer their passengers, and real value is in the memorable experience which they provide. Great experiences lead to great memories, and the building blocks of repeat customers lie within those memories and as a result, Turkish Airlines can count me in as a repeat customer!