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Prologue:

Hello and welcome to this nostalgic TR on TK "Comfort Class" which at the time was considered the best Premium Economy product by many seasoned travelers and eventually phased out by TK in favor of a 2 class cabin.

I knew that I had to take this trip when I found a fare on cheapoair.com for USD 642.90 (EUR 585) from SFO-IST on TK via LAX with AA. Kind of a strange combination since AA is Oneworld and TK is *A. I arrived in LAX and in 2012 the intl terminal was a dreadful place - very limited shopping and after security the gates were just a functional waiting room. Nothing like what it looks today.

I checked in at the TK counter and inquired about an upgrade from Y to PEY. I was told that it was USD 300 (EUR 273.10) and I took the offer. Security was not too bad and once inside the boarding area consisted of a long hallway with a few WC's and a duty free stand.

Back then I did not have any elite status with *A so no lounges for this trip.

TK ad for Comfort Class. Would my experience be anything like it promised?

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At the gate people were filling in and at around 18:10 boarding has started. The first boarding group was D which is reserved for J and Elites. Since I am *A Silver through UA I inquired if I could join this group and the agent obliged gladly. Once I stepped inside the jetbridge I saw a lot of families with children in the line as well. At the plane entrance there was a cart on the side of the jetbridge with newspapers and other publications. Two female FA's were welcoming pax. One in regular uniform and the other dressed as a chef. I was directed to the right side of the plane and settled in my seat quickly. A package with blanket and pillow along with headphones were on each seat. I noticed towards the end of boarding that the last row with seats 20AB was empty. I inquired about switching and one of the FA's advised me to wait until after take off. A few minutes later FA's distributed the amenity kits and slippers from a cart. The Comfort cabin seemed very spacious for a Premium Economy product and the seats were the old business class ones that had 46 in or 116.84 cm pitch with great padding.

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The kit was comparable to a J one.

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Menu.

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Meal service started with drinks and when I asked the FA for sour cherry juice she advised me that they were out of it so I was offered tomato orange apple or peach flavored ice tea instead. TK uses regular plastic glasses here so don't expect any glassware. Minutes later the FA appeared with a plate of canapes which consisted of 3 items (zucchini rolled up with cheese smoked salmon with a filling of cheese with capers and onion and a piece of bread with perhaps more cheese smeared on it) along with with a bowl of cold hazelnuts. The canapes were a nice introduction to the meal service but they did not come with a fork or toothpick to pick them up. On that note I think a couple of napkins would be nice as well.

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After the canapes plates were cleared FA's offered our meals from a cart and refreshed our drinks. The onboard chef offered freshly baked rolls from a basket. There were 2 choices (chicken rigatoni or prime beef burger) and the meal came with a large salad and appetizer which were very well presented. Salad was fresh and crisp and the grilled artichokes were a nice addition. The scallop ceviche appetizer served with tabbouleh and humus was equally brilliant and the grilled chicken rigatoni was the best pasta dish that I have had on a plane.

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Afterwards a dessert tray composed of 2 petite cakes cheese and fresh fruits was distributed along with tea or coffee. Once the dinner service concluded the FA distributed individual small bottles of water (Saka brand) throughout the cabin. For those that love to nibble after the main meal there were Sara Lee banana muffins and small cheese sandwiches in the galley.

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As a Comfort class pax I could access the J lavatory and it was well stocked and spacious. The sink reminded me of the ones that CX has in F. There were toiletries from the Turkish brand Natural Creativity Selection EST. 1923 in Verbena with Citrus scent. However towards the end of the flight I feel that FA's could have paid more attention to the cleanliness of the lavs.

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FA's practically disappeared after the meal service with a very occasional presence walking back and forth between cabins from time to time. At around 1.5 hours before arrival the mood lighting was turned on to gently awaken pax for the breakfast service. Hot towels were offered again and FA's removed the foil from your dishes before handing the tray. FA's were polite for the most part if not overly engaging. However I felt that the chef could have been a bit more customer friendly. She felt very aloof and robotic in her tasks.

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The breakfast was a mushroom omelette served with fruits and cheese with cucumber tomato and an olive. By the time I got the omelette it was lukewarm and not very hot.

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========== Los Angeles Intl Arpt (LAX) - ==========



Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10
Access and parking: 8/10
Services and activities: 4/10
General cleanliness: 9/10

========== THY - Turkish Airlines - Airline ==========



Cabine comfort: 10/10
Crew: 8/10
Entertainment: 8/10
On-time performance: 10/10
Appetizer: 10/10
Starter: 10/10
Main Meal: 10/10
Main Meal-2: 0/10
Cheese: 9/10
Desserts: 9/10
Alcohols: 0/10
Mid-flight snack: 9/10
Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 8/10

========== Ataturk Arpt (IST) - ==========



Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10
Access and parking: 9/10
Services and activities: 9/10
General cleanliness: 9/10

Summary:

TK's Comfort Class was an excellent product and comparable to what airlines used to offer as Business Class in the 1980's. I am glad that I had the opportunity to experience this cabin on TK's longest route. Catering is excellent and my upgrade for USD $300.00 was very well spent. This cabin was the best in its class.

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