As I stated at the beginning of the year, my single biggest goal for the blog for 2023 is to take as many review trips as possible. These will mostly be “pure” review trips, in the sense that I’m trying to take trips that allow me to review as many products as possible, while minimizing my time away from home.
I’m still working on publishing the reviews from my first major trip of 2023 (it was a long one!), though I just booked my second major review trip, which I think y’all will enjoy.
While I shared the details of this yesterday, I decided to extend the trip further, with an extra two segments (on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic). So I’m updating this post to reflect the extended trip I’ll be taking. Below are the basics of what you can expect from this trip, and of course I’ll share the exact details when I publish the trip report series.
In this post:
ITA Airways A350-900 & A320 business class
In White Lotus Season 2, Tanya wants to live out her Italian dream with the perfect day. Well, I’m hoping to live out my Italian dream, though it’s perhaps objectively a little less glamorous (and hopefully it has a better ending?).
ITA Airways (Alitalia with a new name) is probably the single airline I’m most desperate to try. Having recently transited through Rome Airport, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by all the gorgeous ITA planes parked there.
The issue is that even though ITA Airways is in SkyTeam, it’s not actually really in SkyTeam, for all practical purposes. There are no reciprocal mileage redemption opportunities, and mileage earning opportunities are limited as well (seriously, any tips on where I should credit this flight?). But that doesn’t make me any less interested in flying with the airline.
So, what did I book? Well, I’ll be flying ITA Airways’ A350 business class from Miami to Rome, and then ITA Airways’ A320 business class from Rome to Cairo, and of course I’ll also check out the carrier’s lounge in Rome.
The one-way fare in this market is ordinarily $1,800, though over the past two days, ITA Airways had a 25% off sale for tickets originating in the United States, so I managed to book this for $1,400. While not the best deal on earth, this is the cheapest one-way fare I’ve seen on ITA Airways out of Miami in business class.
My intrigue got the best of me, and I can’t wait to see what the experience is like. Here’s to hoping that the interior of ITA Airways planes is one-tenth as interesting as the exterior.
EgyptAir 787-9 business class
Since I’m in Cairo anyway, I figured it’s time to review EgyptAir’s new flagship Boeing 787 aircraft. Best of all, it flies to the next destination I wanted to travel to anyway. So I’ll be flying EgyptAir business class from Cairo to Paris. This is quite a good deal, as it can be booked with just 20,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points. I’m curious to see how this compares to my EgyptAir Boeing 777 business class flight several years back.
New Air France 777-300ER business class
As you may have guessed, I have a motive for flying to Paris. That’s because I plan to fly Air France’s new 777 business class from Paris to New York. This product just recently entered service, and I’m curious to see how this seat is. I booked this for 55,000 Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles, plus taxes and carrier imposed surcharges.
New British Airways 777-300ER first class
Rather than flying home to Miami nonstop from New York, I figured I’d take the long way home. Specifically, I’ll be flying British Airways’ “new” first class suite from New York to London on the 777-300ER. British Airways has a new first class suite with a door, and I’m curious to check that out.
Though truth be told, my primary motivation for flying British Airways first class across the Atlantic from New York is checking out the new American & British Airways lounges at Terminal 8. You can expect reviews of the Chelsea Lounge, Soho Lounge, and Greenwich Lounge. And yes, I promise I’ll work my way through as much of the champagne menu as possible.
I booked this flight with British Airways Avios, and I’d rather not talk about how much the fuel surcharges were… grrrr.
Virgin Atlantic A330-900neo Upper Class
Last but certainly not least, I’ll be flying Virgin Atlantic’s new A330-900neo Upper Class from London to Miami. Virgin Atlantic has doors at its business class seats for the first time, so I’m looking forward to checking out this product. I’m a huge fan of Virgin Atlantic’s soft product, so I look forward to seeing how it’s holding up since the start of the pandemic.
A few questions I have…
I think I have the flights pretty well figured out, but I do have a few questions that I’d love to get thoughts on from the OMAAT community:
- Does anyone know with certainty if you can clear security at JFK for a terminal other than the one you’re flying out of? I have some time to kill at JFK, so I’d like to check out and review all the interesting Terminal 1 Priority Pass lounges if possible
- If I’m spending the night near Paris CDG, is it worth just staying at the Sheraton since it’s walkable from the terminal, or is there a better option? I’m usually a Hyatt loyalist so I’d gravitate toward the Hyatt Regency, but the shuttle doesn’t run when I plan to go to the airport, so…
- At New York JFK I think I’m finally going to check out the mysterious Hyatt Regency JFK at Resorts World; am I going to regret booking myself at a casino hotel for a JFK overnight?
- I’ve stayed at many London LHR hotels over the years, so if I’m arriving at Terminal 5 and departing from Terminal 3 the next day, where should I stay? I’ve actually never stayed at the Renaissance, which seems to have amazing views, so should I check that out, or is there a better option?
Bottom line
I’m excited for my next review trip, where I’ll be flying business class on ITA Airways’ A350, ITA Airways’ A320, EgyptAir’s 787, Air France’s 777, and Virgin Atlantic’s A330-900neo, as well as first class on British Airways’ 777-300ER. These are all new products to me. Stay tuned, because this trip is happening pretty soon, so you can expect uninterrupted trip reports.
Then I have yet another quick trip I’m planning for the coming weeks, and I’ll share the details of that once it’s finalized.
Any tips or predictions for this upcoming trip?
Hi, I have stayed at the Hyatt jfk as a globalist got upgraded to an elite suite on top floor on 2 separate occasions so if you are a globalist then go for it the Hyatt club/lounge is nice but the staff there are new york'ish... Regarding priority pass on terminal 1 you can book a star alliance ticket on united.com or an af ticket on delta.com and cancel within 24 hours once you finished checking out the priority pass lounges (the af and tk lounges are nicest)
The Renaissance has awesome runway views but the lounge is a bit pokey.
I just had my second visit to The Chelsea Lounge this week.... Super quite, great staff and food(breakfast) was perfect.
At LHR stay at the Courtyard by Marriott... Great bar and restaurant on the rooftop with the best views of the runway at LHR
Don't bother with the JFK Hyatt not worth it. We do recommend the TWA Hotel at JFK. Fun for an overnight stay
Yes, at JFK you can visit another terminal as long as you have your boarding pass for a flight JFK.
As far as I know, security at JFK is by airline and terminal. Terminal 8 and terminal one are fairly far apart and won’t have any common airlines. I try to avoid terminal 1 whenever possible. Even before 9/11, you needed a ticket to get to the gates in NYC due to space constraints.
Sheraton at CDG is good and easy to walk to terminal for check-in
Yes on your first question. A friend of mine cleared customs arriving on Turkish and then transferred to Delta.
I would stay at the Sheraton for convenience. But the Hilton is quite nice and has shuttle service.
Not sure at Hyatt Regency/JFK
NO on LHR Renaissance. Unless it's had a major renorvation, as in torn down and rebuilt, it is a dump. LHR Marriott is much nice and across the street. There is a lso a new(er) Hilton in or near T5.
Review more Palaces in Paris! :) Yes it's far from the airport for one night, but expense it! Plaza Athenee, Crillon, etc...
For your time in London and Paris, I recommend you book your transfers with Wheely; it's exceptional. It's what Blacklane wishes it was, and what Uber doesn't care enough to be. They do meet and greet and offer easy booking for Mercedes E, S, and V class with really nice drivers (they're more...
Review more Palaces in Paris! :) Yes it's far from the airport for one night, but expense it! Plaza Athenee, Crillon, etc...
For your time in London and Paris, I recommend you book your transfers with Wheely; it's exceptional. It's what Blacklane wishes it was, and what Uber doesn't care enough to be. They do meet and greet and offer easy booking for Mercedes E, S, and V class with really nice drivers (they're more of true chaueffers and will go out of their way to open the door for you, always have water, etc.)
I've heard pretty good things about the new residence inn JFK
Hi Ben,
In CDG, you can obviously book the sheraton that’s really convenient in the sense that it is IN the terminal. Outside of security but still in terminal 2.
Now there are quite a few other options in Terminal 3 (some Accor branded ones, Hilton, etc). There are fairly easy to get to with the free train to T3. Especially if you only have a carry on.
Now be careful, Security...
Hi Ben,
In CDG, you can obviously book the sheraton that’s really convenient in the sense that it is IN the terminal. Outside of security but still in terminal 2.
Now there are quite a few other options in Terminal 3 (some Accor branded ones, Hilton, etc). There are fairly easy to get to with the free train to T3. Especially if you only have a carry on.
Now be careful, Security and passport control at CDG 2E is a shitshow. Even flying business, in the past 3 months i have nearly missed 11am flight while i was at the airport at 7:30….
Looking forward to the Trip Reports!!!
I agree. We were at the CDG Sheraton in November. Lucked out on upgrades, room was spacious, great view, extremely quiet, and literally 5 minutes walk to AF checkin. Also, no complaints on the AF lounge.
Stayed at the Renaissance a couple times. The most recent visit (November 2022) wasn't the best. They upgraded (Titanium) me to a room facing the runway and the window rattled with each passing plane, so I changed to a room facing the road. The hotel felt a bit dated on my most recent visit and the gym could use some improvement. However, the staff at the executive lounge are lovely and the view of the runway is nice.
I debated between the Renaissance LHR and the Hyatt Place LHR over the summer. I ended up booking Hyatt Place LHR on a GOH reservation because the points rate was good during high season. I asked at check-in for a room with a view, to which the staff did not understand GOH. After light pressing, I got a runway view (partially obstructed to the right side) around the point that most departures lifted off at...
I debated between the Renaissance LHR and the Hyatt Place LHR over the summer. I ended up booking Hyatt Place LHR on a GOH reservation because the points rate was good during high season. I asked at check-in for a room with a view, to which the staff did not understand GOH. After light pressing, I got a runway view (partially obstructed to the right side) around the point that most departures lifted off at the following morning. Great to hop out of the shower and see an EK A380 lifting off!
JFK hotels are not the best . Looking forward to BA First and hope you get your $711 taxes worth. Happy travels
T2/T3 London Heathrow Hilton Garden has amazing views of both runways ftom roof top bar and easy access to all terminals
We’ve stayed at the Hyatt JFK several times, most recently coming back from LHR on NYE. Usually in the presidential on top floor thanks to Courtesy Card so casino noise has never been a problem! If you are a Le Labo fan, the Hinoki is amazing!! Of course, you cannot go wrong with the TWA hotel, either! Look forward to all the new reviews! Thanks!!
I actually had a very bad experience at the TWA recently, arriving early evening from Milan. Room was prepaid long time before, but at check in they told me that they did not have any room. They put me on a waiting list and I had to wait in the lobby. The waiting list was a ridiculous hand written note on a piece of paper, each front desk person had one so they were not...
I actually had a very bad experience at the TWA recently, arriving early evening from Milan. Room was prepaid long time before, but at check in they told me that they did not have any room. They put me on a waiting list and I had to wait in the lobby. The waiting list was a ridiculous hand written note on a piece of paper, each front desk person had one so they were not even coordinated. Only after complaining multiple times they finally gave me a room. So next time I will try the Hyatt Regency
When this trip is completed, it would be interesting to know the number of time zones, days and miles covered.
@ Donna -- Hah, this trip is actually pretty tame by my standards, as it's just a hair over 20K miles.
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=mia-fco-cai-cdg-jfk-lhr-mia
Will have more info on timeline, etc., with actual trip report series.
Ben, for sure you can use any boarding pass to clear security at any terminal, I have done it plenty of times including using an AA boarding pass to enter terminal 1 after landing from a JL flight. Just FYI, terminal is messy security wise as it seems like flights are banked at similar times and there are only 4 TSA desks so lines are often long. Even TSA pre is long and there is...
Ben, for sure you can use any boarding pass to clear security at any terminal, I have done it plenty of times including using an AA boarding pass to enter terminal 1 after landing from a JL flight. Just FYI, terminal is messy security wise as it seems like flights are banked at similar times and there are only 4 TSA desks so lines are often long. Even TSA pre is long and there is no clear. The priority pass lounges are very mediocre, perhaps the latest additional of the TK lounge would be better.
@ BConn -- Thanks! Yeah, I HATE security at T1, but I'll try to take one for the team and check out some of the lounges.
As a tag on here for Ben, the new TK lounge did not have its liquor license as of 1/26 and the staff didn't seem sure how soon it would come through. P2 and I wound up eating at the TK lounge and then popping over to Air France for some wine (and then Plaza Premium when the flight was delayed a bit).
where can I pay $1400 for MIA-FCO ? The public fares I see are over twice the the 1,800 you mention
@ Andy -- Unfortunately the $1,800 fare has been pulled at this point too. Airfare changes all the time, so unfortunately it's much higher now.
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Resorts World JFK back in June before a morning flight out of JFK. You won't regret it. The hotel itself is separated from the casino by a long and quiet corridor. The two are separate enough that if I hadn't known ahead of time that the casino was there, I might not have noticed it while I was staying at the hotel on a Wednesday night. I only walked to the casino to check out the "food court" dining options.
Really hoping you finally get to stay at the Cairo St Regis after hyping it up for years of anticipation
More than likely you will be playing “hard product roulette” with BA and you’ll have a plane swap and end up in a 777-300 with the ancient first class from 2010. As there are very few planes with the new first class with doors.
@ Firsttotheleft -- Wait a second, now I'm worried. Don't all 777-300ERs with Club Suites have the new first class as well? And doesn't British Airways guarantee Club Suites on the JFK-LHR route?
@ Firsttotheleft -- Interesting, I'm now looking at Flightradar24 for the past few weeks. Even though the flight is scheduled to be operated by a 777-300ER daily, it seems that roughly half the time it's swapped to a 777-200ER. That's annoying...
Hi Ben,
on 21DEC I flew LHR-JFK BA115 in F (G-VIIG) - I was originally booked on BA113 (G-STBP) but decided to meet a mate in JFK, so I was able to get the earlier flight BA115. I knew I was going to ride a 25yo plane with the Old F (I do love the old-school vibes) instead a brand new 777, to my surprise it featured the new Club Suites.
Can't complain the crew was amazing.
if you email the concierge and tell them you’re a globalist, they’ll take you to/from the airport for free in their car/shuttle before/after the published shuttle hours.
at cdg!
Here was Gary's review of the Hyatt Regency casino hotel.
https://viewfromthewing.com/hyatt-regency-jfk-at-resorts-world-review/
Yes you can access any terminal at JFK with a boarding pass from that day, but like another poster said, be aware of the AirTrain/bus replacement issues with T1. Looks like that goes through mid-February. If flying during that time, you will need to take a shuttle bus between T1 and T8 to get to the Airtrain.
https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/press-room/press-release-archives/2022-press-releases1/bridges--tunnels-and-rail-advisory-for-jan--13-to-19.html
As far as CDG access, maybe stay in the city near Gare du Nord and take an...
Yes you can access any terminal at JFK with a boarding pass from that day, but like another poster said, be aware of the AirTrain/bus replacement issues with T1. Looks like that goes through mid-February. If flying during that time, you will need to take a shuttle bus between T1 and T8 to get to the Airtrain.
https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/press-room/press-release-archives/2022-press-releases1/bridges--tunnels-and-rail-advisory-for-jan--13-to-19.html
As far as CDG access, maybe stay in the city near Gare du Nord and take an early RER B train out to CDG? Looks like the first train leaves Gare du Nord at 4:53 AM and arrives at CDG at 5:32 AM.
For JFK I don't know if you can clear security at a different terminal, but regardless, I would proceed with caution because the AirTrain is currently not fully running because of the T1 renovations. You have to go to T8, then take a shuttle (and the ride is a lot longer than you would think given the fact that the terminals are so close).
For the hotel at CDG, you really, really can't beat the...
For JFK I don't know if you can clear security at a different terminal, but regardless, I would proceed with caution because the AirTrain is currently not fully running because of the T1 renovations. You have to go to T8, then take a shuttle (and the ride is a lot longer than you would think given the fact that the terminals are so close).
For the hotel at CDG, you really, really can't beat the convenience of the Sheraton even if it is really expensive and the rooms are so dated - although perfectly fine for an overnight. It's literally inside the terminal, you don't even need to go outside. The Hyatt Regency is a trek and without a shuttle I'm not quite sure how you're going to get to the airport if a Uber is not readily available (which it may not be, given the area).
Lucky, you should check to see if you can book the BA flight with Alaska. After their recent price increase I think they changed some of their logic for fuel surcharges if you connect past London.
Specifically for JFK-LHR-CDG club suite:
BA Avios: fuel surcharges of $900
Alaska: $300 (+65k miles)
Booking with Alaska just JFK-LHR surcharges match at $900.
Never mind. I think this was a temporary glitch last week (I was able to book this way) that they now fixed :(
Ben, you surprised me again, love it really looking forward.
It’s a right of passage to at least stay once at the Renaissance high floor runway view rooms. A bit of a rip off getting Uber and taxis to the Virgin Upper Class Wing at around £25 for such a short hop but worth it.
HR CDG offers complimentary car service to/from the airport. We used it last summer. I don't recall if it was because we were Globalists, but could've been.
Last summer at JFK I was able to go through security in Terminal 4 (I wanted to use the Virgin Atlantic lounge) even though I had a boarding pass for JetBlue (Terminal 5). I don't know with certainty whether this is still the case, but hopefully it will be possible for you to do the Terminal 1 lounge reviews.
Good to have you back, Ben! Between COVID and your kid being born, things were a little slow. Looking forward to this trip report!
If you don't want to stay in the Sheraton at CDG there are other options, a Hilton or a Novotel are not far. There is a free tram service called the CDGVAL and it will take you long term parking and the other terminals. The Hilton and Novotel are over by the RER station. The tram runs every day from 4 am to 1 am and comes every few minutes.
My wife and I recently stayed at the Hilton at Heathrow T4 for a flight out of T5. I'm not usually a fan of Hilton at all but this was without a doubt the best airport hotel I've stayed in, the staff were knowledgeable and friendly (very unusual) and the food offer was also great. Only downside was getting from T4 to T5 as it requires a change on the (free) Underground service! For your...
My wife and I recently stayed at the Hilton at Heathrow T4 for a flight out of T5. I'm not usually a fan of Hilton at all but this was without a doubt the best airport hotel I've stayed in, the staff were knowledgeable and friendly (very unusual) and the food offer was also great. Only downside was getting from T4 to T5 as it requires a change on the (free) Underground service! For your trip from T3 back home it's easier with no change. But all worth it, the hotel was brilliant!
I would look at the Hilton garden inn T2&3 at LHR. It is in the centre of the airport and has amazing airfield views from the higher floors
I’m 2 for 2 getting a complimentary Globalist suite upgrade at Resorts World JFK. Used 12k points both times. Popeyes chicken sandwich both times for dinner. Verdy good experiences for an airport hotel.
Cannot recommend the Renaissance Heathrow enough. Convenient location and watching British 747s land one week before the world fell apart is a memory we'll never forget
stay at the Yotel CDG, always fun to read your reviews of Yotels
It looks like AF operates this new Biz Suite product to ICN and NRT starting from this Spring (around April). Very exciting !
As for CDG I was there in November and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express that is in a cluster of other hotels. There is free rail transit that runs from that area of hotels to all of the terminals so no need to stay right at the Sheraton.
That is what I do. Very quick. Incidentally, that train, the CDGVAL, is automated- no drivers- so runs even during rail strikes.
I'd stay at the TWA Hotel. I loved it when I stayed there before. Do you really want to deal with getting a taxi/Uber to the Hyatt vs the views from the rooms + the architecture of the TWA Hotel?
Never stayed at the Sheraton but I'd take that. Again, why wait for a taxi to go to one of the three Hyatts? They are in the middle of office parks. No restaurants nearby. Nothing...
I'd stay at the TWA Hotel. I loved it when I stayed there before. Do you really want to deal with getting a taxi/Uber to the Hyatt vs the views from the rooms + the architecture of the TWA Hotel?
Never stayed at the Sheraton but I'd take that. Again, why wait for a taxi to go to one of the three Hyatts? They are in the middle of office parks. No restaurants nearby. Nothing is walkable. HP and HH are quite new and attached to each other. But the HR is old. Plus traffic entering CDG can be brutal depending on your departure time. Traffic entering the terminal loop. Not like Cancun but can add 5-15 min.
My friend was able to clear T4 security at JFK with a T8 boarding pass (AA) to access the Centurion Lounge during a long layover on Sunday. Be aware the AirTrain is only partially running and bus connection is required to get to/from T1.
There's a Radisson Red near Heathrow you could give a shot?
Whoops sorry - that wasn't meant to be a reply to this thread
Ben when will you be back in Brazil? Excited to see you try Azul's business class and also the plethora of new VIP lounges that keep opening up at GRU every other day ! :)
@ Schar -- That's one of the next trips on my list. I'd like to do Azul's new A350 to VCP. The question is, can I connect anywhere interesting from VCP, or do I just go to Sao Paulo for a bit and then fly out of GRU? And if so, what should I fly out of GRU?
@ Ben Schlappig You could try Azul's domestic route from VCP to Fortaleza. Heard from reviews that IHG have a pretty nice inn there. Then you could fly LATAM back to MIA. If you're very curious you could try GOL on that same flight. Don't think they have a business class though
I'd say you have a couple options regarding connecting somewhere interesting from VCP:
1) you could fly to Natal and fly the shortest route from Brazil to Europe on TAP to Lisbon
2) you could fly to Fortaleza and fly Air France's route to CDG
3) you could fly LATAM from GRU to Falkland Islands
Regardless you should definitely fly out of GRU to check out the amazing new lounges. Out...
I'd say you have a couple options regarding connecting somewhere interesting from VCP:
1) you could fly to Natal and fly the shortest route from Brazil to Europe on TAP to Lisbon
2) you could fly to Fortaleza and fly Air France's route to CDG
3) you could fly LATAM from GRU to Falkland Islands
Regardless you should definitely fly out of GRU to check out the amazing new lounges. Out of GRU you could fly Iberia's or Air Europa's business class to Ibiza connecting in Madrid, and then in Ibiza you could review the semi-newly opened Six Senses Ibiza booking with IHG points.
I'm not sure if my reply was posted (it doesn't appear to me) so Ill just post it again:
Regarding connecting anywhere interesting from VCP, you could do a couple things:
1) fly to Natal and fly the shortest route from Brazil to Europe on TAP to Lisbon
2) fly to Fortaleza and fly Air France to CDG
3) fly LATAM from GRU to the Falkland Islands
Regardless, you should definitely...
I'm not sure if my reply was posted (it doesn't appear to me) so Ill just post it again:
Regarding connecting anywhere interesting from VCP, you could do a couple things:
1) fly to Natal and fly the shortest route from Brazil to Europe on TAP to Lisbon
2) fly to Fortaleza and fly Air France to CDG
3) fly LATAM from GRU to the Falkland Islands
Regardless, you should definitely fly out of GRU to checkout all the amazing new VIP lounges there! You could also fly Iberia or Air Europa to Ibiza via Madrid, and checkout the semi-newly opened Six Senses Ibiza booking with IHG points ;)
Very interested in ITA. Was looking at some flights there recently on the Delta site and some of the options were on ITA to Milan. The premium economy fares seemed pretty good but I couldn't find any pics of what it looked like. Everything that came up when Googling was Alitalia reviews from years back.
Wow! You did it! Very anxious to read your ITA review. I flew them last year and found the flights very pleasant, business class seats above average and the food very good. If they still have Pappa al Pomodoro on the menu, I highly recommend it. I found the (morning) food in the nicely remodeled lounge decent and the place wasn’t crowded.
I have heard good things about the ITA 787. Having said that, this one seems like a yawner compared to other recent trips.
ask for your money back, Omar!
I was on ITA in short-haul (A220-300) the other day, it was miserable: the crampedest I can ever recall being, no IFE, no WiFi. The only positive is, the flight was precisely on time - but I would not consider a longer flight.
One thing for you to look for: The cabin staff were all wearing Alitalia uniforms. Not sure if that's a subtle protest or a supply chain thing, but I assume the former: it's been over a year, they should have proper ITA uniforms by now...
Jim - the new ITA uniforms were introduced in June 2022, likely not a protest by this crew. If you’re looking for roomy seats and decent legroom it might be hard to find in European short haul flights.
As much as I wasn't so keen on Punta Mita FS, I really am looking forward to reading the exhaustive review of FS Sicily. No great points hotels there so worth saving for!
You really surprised me. I was sure it was going to be Virgin Atlantic this time, but anyways I am very excited.
@ Eli -- Hah, stay tuned. As mentioned, there's another trip coming very shortly, and you might be onto something. ;-)
Flew EgyptAir 787 CDG-CAI J during covid... Hard product is standard herringbone and that's where anything nice ends. Boarding was a mess, meals pretty bad, crew carelessly occupying the galley eating meals like you will never see in a ME3.
Cairo Airport is a standard 3rd world dump and the food lounge is horrible.
Absolutely to be avoided, just like visiting Egypt IMHO.
Very much looking forward to flying the new AF 777J CDG-NRT though. 70K FB Miles!
As you know and are expecting, Egypt's 787 is significantly nicer than the 777. Should be a nice flight.
I'm pretty sure you can credit ITA to Delta, you just have to submit the request manually.
Just remember that while EgyptAir doesn't cater alcohol, you can bring wine with you and the flight attendants will serve it.
I found a cheap round trip fare a couple of days ago for flights from Islamabad, Pakistan (ISB) to MIA for $2100 in Business Class. The routing was ISB-DXB on PIA's A320, Emirates A380 on DXB-FCO, and then FCO to MIA on ITA's A350, with a small layover at DXB and 22 hours in Rome. The return is the same way but with better connections, and the ITA flight from MIA-FCO is on their A330....
I found a cheap round trip fare a couple of days ago for flights from Islamabad, Pakistan (ISB) to MIA for $2100 in Business Class. The routing was ISB-DXB on PIA's A320, Emirates A380 on DXB-FCO, and then FCO to MIA on ITA's A350, with a small layover at DXB and 22 hours in Rome. The return is the same way but with better connections, and the ITA flight from MIA-FCO is on their A330. I booked this in a heartbeat as it would allow me to try 3 new products I wanted to fly. I live in MIA but I go to Pakistan often to see family. Economy tickets were $1200 so I didn't mind paying an extra $400 one way for 20+ hours flown in Business Class!
Are you one of the 3 Pakistanis in MIA?
You'll find ITA (AZ)'s business class product and service on the A350 a nice ride. AZ had great catering and that carried over to ITA. The seats are comfortable and the overall product quite competitive. The lounge situation sadly is not good.
A quick question: I see Air France opersates B777 for the route of BEY-CDG. Does it have this new biz class too?
@ jessie -- Not yet. As of now only the CDG-JFK route has the new 777 on one daily frequency. More routes will get it over time. Specifically, you want to look for the 777-300ER without first class that has a 1-2-1 configuration.
Looking forward to these reports – you're truly the internet's legendary TR gigachad!
The A350(-1000) I'm looking forward to the most is operated by a Middle Eastern airline that is not QR. It's about time you went ahead and reviewed it! #ChooseWell
@ VT-CIE -- Funny you mention that. I'm literally ready to book it any minute, I'm just waiting for the new Armani / Casa amenities to be introduced. It was supposed to happen in December of last year, but still hasn't been rolled out. I've been pestering Etihad's PR people for weeks trying to get an answer as to when it'll happen, but I've heard nothing...
So rest assured that the second we have an official date, I'll be booking Etihad!
I flew on the 351 from LHR to AUH on 1Jan. The purser informed me I had missed the Armani Casa “test flight” by one day! DOH! I guess the new amenities were a huge hit with passengers and crew. I asked when they would be rolled out, she said not for a long while. Makes sense as the still need to tweak a few things and produce the items.
As an expat based in the ME, I usually take EY A350-1000 to DEL. This beautiful aircraft is way much better than EY B789 or B789-1000(B781) which mainly serve Asian cities. It's a shame EY doesn't operate A350-1000 to any Asian cities.
@Jessie: so when did DEL stop being an Asian city?
Sorry if it sounds discriminating though it's not intended. Since I am a Fast East Asian based in the ME, in my colleagues' community, to travel to Asia usually mean either South Asia or East Asia(Far East). Maybe in my mental geographical map, India/Sri Lanka is usually considered as part of a broader region of Arabian Gulf/Indian subcontinent. Even in AA redemption chart, those Indian Cities are not considered as part of Asian Region, I remember.
Italian government is in advanced talks to sell Ita to Lufthansa group. So I believe soon it will be a Star Alliance member pretty soon… and probably will also be rebranded back as Alitalia in the future…
What I'm most looking forward to are the reviews of the ITA and Air France lounges. Seemed like Alitalia had redone several of their lounges at FCO since the last time you flew them, and was hoping to get your opinion of the Air France business class lounges.
@ Euro -- Looking forward to checking them out! I know the new Air France Schengen lounge is great, but does anyone know which non-Schengen lounge is best to visit? I assume there's not a way for me to check out the Schengen lounge when departing to JFK...
IINM, most of the non-Schengen piers in 2E at CDG are only connected landside to each other, and security tends to not allow you through to piers that aren't your departure's. So the lounge to use is "the one in your pier". 2E L and M are both better than K and luckily, JFK can be expected to depart from one of them.
The Air France lounge at CDG's Terminal 2E M Gates is very nice!
Last year I checked out two of them on the way to Seychelles and Maldives respectively, both of them were quite impressive (2F - two floors with a round bar on second floor and 2E-M ). Really tough choice between them though …
Can’t wait for the reviews! Ben, if possible I would like to kindly ask to put back in you reviews the list with links to all the reviews about that particular trip in chronological order! It’s such a pratical way to follow…Hope to see you in Brazil soon, as GRU has some awesome new lounges…
@ Leonardo C -- Thanks for the kind words and feedback! If you go into each trip report installment and click on the "More From This Trip" dropdown at the top, you should see all posts from the series in chronological order. Please let me know if you're having issues with that.