I was one of 160 young executives from around the world flown by Turkish Airlines in their business class to attend 10th anniversary of their Corporate Club in Istanbul
TORONTO: In October I went on two unique travel trips. Both turned to be once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
In this column, I will restrict myself to only one trip.
This four-day trip was to Turkey, courtesy of Turkish Airlines. I was one of 160 young corporate executives chosen by the airline to attend their annual Corporate Club meeting in Istanbul and give us an experience of their business class travel.
Since it was the 10th anniversary of their Corporate Club, the airline wanted to use that opportunity to promote its spacious and luxurious business class among young executives in particular and Turkey as a travel destination in general.
Why did Turkish Airlines choose 160 people?
Because it flies to 160 countries – the most by any international airline. They chose individuals from each of these countries.
Since our Crown Group of Hotels has a deal with the airline which any of our 300-odd employees can utilize, it invited me from Canada for the four-day trip.
I was very impressed with their in-air service. It was amazing to see how they prepared custom-ordered food for us with a dedicated chef and candlelight dinner at 35,000 feet in the air. Their cuisine was very impressive indeed.
I have travelled business class in many international airlines, and I have no hesitation in saying that Turkish Airlines is among the very best. It was a wow experience!
When we landed in the Turkish capital, formerly known as Constantinople, we were very impressed by the newly opened Istanbul airport which can handle 200 million passengers – three times more than Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.
On our first day, we were taken to see many tourist places. Downtown Istanbul was a very lively place. Taksim Square had fabulous clubs and lounges and it was jam-packed like Times Square in New York.
Visiting Istanbul’s two famous historic spots – centuries-old Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia – was another amazing experience for me.
Next day, we were taken by yacht to Bosporus Strait which marks the boundary between Europe and Asia. Sitting on the yacht, we could see the two continents on each side. Our guide explained to us the history and tourist significance of that place. The pleasant weather added to our experience.
During that day-long guided trip, we enjoyed choicest cocktails and live (freshly prepared) food. Those memories will remain etched in my mind for a long time to come.
On our third day, we all attended a day-long conference at Hilton Hotel on the topic of global trends in travel – what today’s travellers choose, what their preferences are, understanding the role of technology in the tourism sector, etc., etc. The conference was attended by over 400 people. I was interviewed by their TV channels about my impressions of their airline and Istanbul. Frankly, it was great to be a part of this worldwide gathering. I was pleasantly surprised to learn my interview will feature in all airplanes across 160 countries for all their passengers to see worldwide.
Turkish Airlines did a great job of giving us a real taste of Turkey and I would put my experience of their business class near the very top of my experience with other airlines.
It showed me why Turkey is such a unique travel destination in the world.
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