Desmond Latham

After some months of thought, which must rank as a new record for me, I have decided to update my blog on a more consistent basis. This area has been largely quiet as I tried to figure out whether to only update based on the podcasts or as I used to do, as a place for more general information.

So to the latest topic at hand. Attending IATAs AGM and World Air Transport Conference. It is commonly known as a junket in journalism, having your transport and accommodation paid to attend an event.

And folks, I was very happy to declare that the junket known as IATA AGM and Transport Conference was back, all tickets and protocols observed. After three years of Zoom, thank heavens we can get back to meeting people face-to-face.

Turkish Airlines sponsored this years event in Istanbul and I was most happy when a friend reached out a few weeks ago and asked if I would like to attend. At that point I had already agreed to be part of an Association of Independent Publishers gathering in Ohio, but Turkish Airlines said they would fly me from Chicago to Istanbul if I made it to the Illinois city from Ohio.

The answer happily was yes.

After arranging to continue working with the team in Ohio through online feeds and Google Docs, it was time to drive to Chicago from Columbus, after being dropped there by Ohio University Scripps Journalism Professor Jatin Srivastava.

Honda CR-V Hybrid. Transport from Columbus to Chicago.

Turkish Airlines has a small booth at Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, but the processing took only a second or two. The staff were friendly, the queue was short because I like being early for flights which tends to reduce the stress.

We boarded on time, I headed for my seat, 07B. The business class section was small and slightly old fashioned, but that made it all the worth while. Unlike the latest Boeings and Airbus models, there’s still a bit of interpersonal contact which was an excellent way to start a journey.

I was aware that the flight of just over ten hours was going to take place mainly at night and so being able to lie flat was a major advantage of business class. As a traveller I can quite easily overlook the meals, take my own on board if I have to, but not being able to sleep or rest on various trips is a killer.

The leg room is vast. Even the 6’6″ giant alongside me stretched out.

Speaking of food, here are some examples.

Turkish desserts, including something that reminded me of Baklava.

Beef medallion and salad. No complaints.

Smoked Salmon starter.

Eight hours later, after a good sleep, breakfast.

A few thoughts about this experience.

1. It’s not really worth the extra money even for the leg room.
2. However, being able to sleep for six hours instead of my normal cat napping made a vast difference to my mental acuity the following day. Still, for the price, I’d prefer to go through a few more hours of jet lag and just manage my sleep cycle at destination.
3. The food is glorious, the service brilliant, but the price is completely off the charts. I met an Amazon general manager outside Istanbul Airport who explained how his team never flies Business Class. Too expensive. Makes sense, and this from someone who runs a global division of Amazon.
4. Boarding is quicker because you’re ushered on first, and you get off first. Having said that, I wouldn’t really pay for just to climb on and off first because the plane still goes at the same speed so getting off a few minutes is literally a luxury – those who don’t care about cash – ie the nouveau riches – love it. More space for the Nikes and fashionable outfits.
5. This area of the plane is quieter than the economy class, and the overhead bins have more space. However, I don’t travel with lots of bags and have found that my little bag fits in under the seat in front of me if the bins are full.

Turkish Airlines service is above average, the crew really are friendly. It’s a Turkish thing, as I discovered wondering the streets of Istanbul. Folks smoke, women and men, old and young, so walking through the cobbled roads is unique compared to American or even South African cities.

The next blog update will be a much more serious analysis of the IATA gathering, this update is just part of my aviation series rather than an attempt at providing any proper insights into the sector. There was no contractual obligation to write anything for Turkish Airlines but thanks anyway folks for the opportunity to travel again.

It has been glorious just to travel again.