You Trip Report

	DATE	FLIGHT NUMBER	SEAT	AIRCRAFT
17 Nov 18	BR 17	22G	777-300ER
CLASS	VIEWS	LANGUAGE	AUTHOR
Premium Economy	91232	English ,Spanish	jetsetpanda

Prologue:

Last November i planned a trip to HKG and booked a trip on BR Premium Economy. I decided to credit the mileage to my Turkish Airlines account but I never expected this simple procedure to be such an ordeal.

Before buying this ticket I made sure that Premium Econ. fares would get 100% credit on TK and this was verified on TK site. One month after my flight the miles were still not credited and it was impossible to request credit on TK site because it kept giving me an error. After countless emails back and forth I still have not gotten resolution and it's been 6 months so far. I really like TK as an airline - it has great catering and the onboard service has ranged from good to excellent. Its old lounge at IST used to be the best in its class but when it comes to TK Miles & Smiles customer service it is not up to par.

As an aviation geek, this journey represented a milestone. I will be flying BR for the first time and for most of us the addition of a new airline to our inflight experience repertoire is always an exciting discovery.

Check in counters.

Check in at the BR counter was surprisingly swift and efficient. More so considering that there were two flights departing to TPE with less than 30 min. apart. Then again I was at the airport more than 4 hrs before the flight. The agent who helped me was pleasant but very strict with the carry on. My luggage was around 2 lbs over the limit and he insisted in checking my bag. I was told that I could rearrange the contents to meet the criteria but I didn't want to go through the trouble so I relented.

The agent checked the bags under my name and they were tagged with "PRIORITY" That did not help much because later on the locks were broken and my bags were not the first ones to arrive at HKG baggage claim. :(

I mentioned to the BR agent that we have requested a wheelchair and he directed me to a desk by row 2. Apparently the wheelchair requests are handled by an outside party and we were advised to take a seat while the agent with the wheelchair was on his way. I mentioned to the coordinator that we wanted to arrive at the UA Club to "relax" a bit and he assured me that there was no problem. Our wait turned out to be 30-40 min. which was really unacceptable. During this time the coordinator was calling on the radio trying to locate his "missing" agent. I politely asked him for a number or name to file a complain and he provided me with a number to the manager.

Upon arriving at the UA Club the agent advised us that the lounge was very full. This used to be the UA First Class lounge until the new POLARIS opened and became a UA Club and the default one for *A Gold members traveling in the back on intl flights.

We took the elevator downstairs to Dante's Inferno and it was indeed a madhouse. People everywhere with some standing in the hopes of finding a vacant seat and garbage here and there that seemed like part of the decor.

Buffet - a rabbit would be happy. The "soup du jour" was tomato bisque. I did not take any since I lost my appetite upon entering the lounge and decided to wait for my onboard meal instead. Eventually I was able to find seats and claimed them like someone who found a treasure. It's too bad that humans cannot mark their territories like some animals do.

Reading materials - Has anyone heard of a book titled "Scarcity"?

I left the lounge momentarily and saw the crew for my flight going through security.

The wheelchair that we requested with the agent at the reception arrived on time and we were whisked to gate 101 for our flight. Five minutes before boarding one of the agents escorted us inside the jetbridge where we waited for a few minutes until we were able to board.

There were several FA's around the door and one of them escorted my mother directly to her seat which was a nice touch. My first impression of the crew was that they were polite and efficient but not overly friendly or engaging like SQ or CX. As a matter of fact I get the feeling that BR FA's tend to be more "direct with a no nonsense" disposition.

BR is one of the first carriers to pioneer the PEY concept and through the years they have been "fine tuning" it. This particular cabin holds 56 recliner seats with a 38" (96.52 cm) pitch and 19.5" (49.53 cm) width which is fairly standard. It's too bad that they do not feature leg rests except for the bulkhead seats but there are foot rests from the second row on. What sets BR apart is that there are 2 dedicated WC's in the back of the cabin separated with a curtain which saves the aggravation of going all the way back to Y to use their WC's. Given the large size of PEY it is not unreasonable to expect this benefit. The cabin is pleasant and the colors are subdued which contribute to relaxation

One complaint that I have is that there is not enough storage space in your seat only the seat pocket which can get overwhelmingly full at the end of the flight.

Welcoming drinks consisting of water orange and apple juice were distributed right after take off.

Followed by pre-packaged towels - a bit cheap for a Premium Economy cabin. I much prefer a hot towel especially when I'm flying during winter time. If SQ can give out hot thick towels why can't BR which is also a 5* carrier?

There was no beverage service with packaged nuts/crunchy snack before the meal service perhaps due to the late departure of the flight. The FA;s distributed special meals first and then followed up with a cart with both menu choices. Additionally you could request beverages at this time but if the FA did not have it on the cart she will return with your drink later. Meals were given with the covers on and you had to take them off yourself. The bread was warm but there was no choice. Drinks were also offered along with the meal. I requested a cold tea and the FA did not have it on the cart so she asked for my patience and returned with my drink as promised a few minutes later.

My meal was delicious.

After the meal service ice cream and hot drinks were offered

The ice cream was hard as a rock so I used my hands to warm it a bit and then placed it on an empty dish.

I elevated the experience by asking for Bailey's to pour on it in order to give it a richer taste. ;)

Mood lighting at the end of the meal

After the meal service I visited the WC. BR does a great job of stocking all WC's (not only PEY ones) with amenities and they are cleaned frequently.

BR's IFE system had an OK selection of movies and shows. Not as extensive as SQ or CX but fair enough. I browsed through a couple of films and then decided to walk to the back to stretch my legs.

Time for the second meal service. The cabin lit up in soft colors to wake up the pax gently about 2 hrs before arrival. I opted for the Chinese meal with fish floss.

Before arrival a FA distributed candies from a tray

Arrival at TPE.

========== San Francisco Intl Arpt (SFO) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 8/10

General cleanliness: 9/10

========== United Club ==========

Staff Service: 8/10

Entertainment: 2/10

Business Center: /10

Food: 4/10

Lounge Design: 3/10

Spa and Bathroom: 5/10

Wifi: 9/10

========== EVA Air - Airline ==========

Cabine comfort: 9/10

Crew: 9/10

Entertainment: 8/10

On-time performance: 10/10

Appetizer: 9/10

Starter: 0/10

Main Meal: 10/10

Main Meal-2: 9/10

Cheese: 0/10

Desserts: 9/10

Alcohols: 9/10

Mid-flight snack: 9/10

Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 8/10

========== Taiwan Taoyuan Intl Arpt (TPE) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 8/10

Services and activities: 8/10

General cleanliness: 9/10

Summary:

I was always intrigued by EVA's Premium Economy product since this carrier is one of the first ones to pioneer this concept a long time ago. Back then it was known as "Evergreen Deluxe". The experience out of SFO was not a smooth one and to be fair the bulk of the negative impressions - wheelchair wait and UA Club are not BR's fault.

BR's PEY hard product is great for the most part. It has a large cabin that ranges from 56 - 64 seats with good recline and pitch. There are footrests but no leg rests except for the bulkhead seats and these are usually held for their highest elite members in its program. The blanket is very comfortable and the pillow is firm. I wonder why BR decided to take the leg rest feature away from its new PEY cabin since they used to have these on the previous ones. I think they greatly enhance one's comfort and I enjoyed using it when I flew SQ PEY cabin. Another problem is the lack of storage space around the seat. There is only the tight seat pocket and that's it. AT the end of the flight these can overflow with garbage and belongings.

Due to its large PEY cabin BR has set two WC's in the back on each side for the use of pax. They are separated by a curtain from the other WC's in Y which makes a big difference.

The amenity kit is one of the highlights and can be compared to the ones they give in J cabin on other airlines. It has everything including cosmetics (hand cream and lip balm) which a lot of competitors do not include in their PEY kits.

Catering is well balanced and offers different courses presented all at once on the tray. I appreciate the little dish of fresh fruit and sizeable salad. There is always a choice of an Asian or Western meal. There is metal cutlery but everything else is plastic including serving dishes and glasses. A small glass for drinks or ceramic cups can add a touch of luxury to differentiate the cabin.

I am still waiting for the miles of this trip to be credited to my TK account after 6 months. I am seriously considering the switch to another *A program due to the horrible handling of this issue which is ridiculous. if i am an Elite Gold and receive this kind of indifferent treatment, I don't want to imagine what a regular member goes through. I have followed TK's rules and now it is up to them to make this right.

13 Comments

Emile — May 17,2019

Hello Adan, thanks for your YTR. What Turkish is doing is just a non sense. So far I don't complain on my A3 program. The lounge is packed.
Reply

jetsetpanda — May 18,2019

Hi Emile,

I think SFO has the worst lounge for *A Gold members departing from the intl. terminal. Every single time that I've been there it's been full to capacity. Last time I was there in March they even had to pull out seats and place them in the reception area. I saw a child sit on an adult's lap. It's an absolute zoo. I'm sure UA has been receiving lots of complaints about this problem.

Thanks.
Thomas — May 17,2019

Thanks Adan, Make the change to another FFP if they don't appreciate your business. What was the fare difference btw the Y and Y+ ? The meal is fair or at least enough to feed you.
Strange to to see 2 flights taking off the same time (15 min). BR is an airline to try but I could not grab any deals so far.
Reply

jetsetpanda — May 18,2019

Hi Thomas,

It's really frustrating dealing with TK Customer Service - whether online or by phone.

The fare that I paid in PEY was under USD 1300 (EUR 1165). Fares in Y are around USD 600-900 (EUR 538-805).

Food is OK in quantity and quality although there is room for improvement.

BR does not seem to offer a lot of rock bottom prices unlike the mainland Chinese carriers. I think they know they can get away with the reputation.

Thanks.
Capoune — May 17,2019

Hello Adan ans thank you for this report.
First time I see a report on BR and yhe hard product in this premium Economy cabiin looks very nice and the meal looks good too.
What's happening at SFO with the wheelchair is just incredible.
TK have à realy bad customer service, now I can understand why skytrax downgrad them for 5 to 3 stars!

Bye!
Reply

jetsetpanda — May 18,2019

Hi Seb,

BR offers a decent PEY product overall.

One would expect better from SFO but I guess every airport has its ups and downs.

TK is great in the air but sucks on the ground.

Thanks.
Flyera — May 17,2019

Great TR Adan, I'm not entirely sold on the Y+ product. To me unless the price is close to Y, it's a rip off. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Reply

jetsetpanda — May 18,2019

Hi AAFlyer,

If I can get Y+ for less than USD 1300 RT I will take it. I think the major advantage is the better seat and less crowded cabin. It's hard for me to sleep on airplanes but on PEY I've been able to get some quick shuteye so that is worth it for me. I agree that airlines should do more to differentiate PEY from Y though.

Thanks.
GG_007 — May 17,2019

Thanks for sharing this TR

"but when it comes to TK Miles & Smiles customer service it is not up to par."
It's one of the worst customer service and not only for M&S, pray to not have an irrops.
No need of Skyhoax to give them at least five razzie awards

"That did not help much because later on the locks were broken and my bags were not the first ones to arrive at HKG baggage claim. :("
Very poor service

"Our wait turned out to be 30-40 min. which was really unacceptable."
Very bad service. Is this service part of SFO airport ?

" I did not take any since I lost my appetite upon entering the lounge"
Oh really ? I like tomato bisque so much

"Has anyone heard of a book titled "Scarcity"?"
Is it in the same league than Playboy ? ;)

"but not overly friendly or engaging"
Were you talking in Chinese with them ?

"which is fairly standard"
Yes nothing special

"which is also a 5* carrier?"
Please not you ! That's only bullsh*t

"My meal was delicious."
It looks very yummy but I can't see any items related to the menu

"After the meal service ice cream "
Meh the usual Haagen Dasz stuff

"so I used my hands to warm it"
I couldn't imagine that you had such warm hands lol

"I elevated the experience by asking for Bailey's to pour on it"
That way it becomes edible

"I opted for the Chinese meal with fish floss."
Was it good ?
I'm not fond of congee

"UA Club are not BR's fault. "
Didn't they have their own lounge in SFO ?

See you soon for another leg

Reply

jetsetpanda — May 18,2019

Hi Gilbert,

"pray to not have an irrops."
- I cross my fingers and say my prayers. ;)

"Very bad service. Is this service part of SFO airport ?"
- I believe it is contracted service by a third party.

" I like tomato bisque so much"
- and I like ketchup. We can agree that we like tomatoes then. ;)

"Is it in the same league than Playboy ? ;)"
- Maybe Playgirl. :P

"Were you talking in Chinese with them ?"
- I don't speak Mandarin. ;)

" It looks very yummy but I can't see any items related to the menu "
- Have you adjusted your lenses lately? :P
"
Meh the usual Haagen Dasz stuff"
- Would you prefer Movenpick?

" I couldn't imagine that you had such warm hands lol"
- I've been told that I am a warm person. ;)

"That way it becomes edible"
- The need to improvise is one of the greatest gifts. ;)

" Was it good ?I'm not fond of congee"
- I ate it all. ;) Rice cooked in good chicken stock and customized with different toppings. What's not to like?

"Didn't they have their own lounge in SFO ?"
- Yes they did but that space was merged into the UA Polaris lounge. Same with SQ lounge.

Thanks.

GG_007 — May 18,2019

"- Have you adjusted your lenses lately? :P"
My IAP showed me only the breakfast menu

"- The need to improvise is one of the greatest gifts. ;)"
I'm improving so much every day that perfection is really close now

"What's not to like? "
Certainly I've tasted one with a bad chicken stock
Casper — May 18,2019

Thanks Adan for sharing your TR. Nice review on a great airline. What the hell is wrong with TK !
Reply

jetsetpanda — May 18,2019

Hi Casper,

Very good indeed. As a matter of fact doesn't BR fly to PTY or used to at one point? I know CA flies there out of IAH.

TK should shape up in that area.

Thanks.