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Trip Report: A Journey Across Asia
Posted on 4/12/25 at 1:09 pm
Posted on 4/12/25 at 1:09 pm
The H2O crew is wrapping up a whirlwind trip to western and central Asia that took us to the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. While the trip has been amazing, we had a few travel snags along the way that changed our itinerary a bit.
Kazakhstan was the primary focus of this trip as Mrs. H2O has family there and she hasn’t been to the country since she was five. Since we were traveling with H2O Jr., we were looking for ways to break up the trip into more manageable pieces. Ultimately, we settled on a stopover in Dubai on the outbound and Istanbul on the return.
Booking Flights
To get from the United States to Dubai, I was able to find award availability on KLM from New York with a connection in Amsterdam. I booked these seats using Flying Blue miles for 86,500 per person plus $355 in taxes and fees. This would allow me to try out two new aircraft type from the carrier, their Boeing 787-10 and 777-300ER.
To get to New York, I managed to burn some American Airlines travel credit and booked a cheap flight from Dallas to JFK in First Class.
Points options from Dubai to Almaty were harder to come by and I resorted to paying cash for those tickets. FlyDubai and Air Astana both operate between Dubai and Almaty with some other, low cost carriers also operating the route. Pricing in Economy was steep and Business Class was insane. Air Astana was operating their Boeing 767-300 on the route which has 2-3-2 seating in Economy so we went that route. I ended up booking those tickets for $523.90 per person.
From Almaty to Istanbul, the only direct options were via Air Astana or Turkish Airlines. Air Astana operates the A321neo on the route while Turkish operates a mix of Airbus A330s, Boeing 737s, and Airbus A321s. Only one of those, the Turkish A330, has lie flat seats in business class which, for an early morning 7+ hour flight, was a must. I booked our tickets in cash direct with Turkish Airlines for $1,022 per person.
To get home from Istanbul, I used Flying Blue miles to book IST-CDG-DFW on Air France. This would let me try out the carrier’s new A350-900 in Business Class. I booked the one-way flights for 66,000 Flying Blue miles plus $312.91 in taxes and fees per person.
Ultimately, our booked routing was as follows.
Booking Hotels
I turned to FlyerTalk to get some recommendations as I didn’t have a clue as to the best places to stay. Thanks to Marriott’s double elite night challenge, I wanted to try and stay at Marriott properties if at all possible.
In Dubai, we chose the St. Regis Dubai Downtown which I managed to score for $199 per night. Almaty was the easiest of the three to nail down as there is only one Marriott Bonvoy property in the city. The Ritz-Carlton Almaty came out to a fantastic points redemption of 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Finally, in Istanbul, I blindly booked the JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus based on recommendations from FlyerTalk. The location was great and I highly recommend it.
Itinerary Changes
Based on the fact that there’s a whole section devoted to itinerary changes is a good indication of just how many we had during this trip. The first was KLM swapping our Amsterdam to Dubai flight from a Boeing 777-300 to a Boeing 777-200. This was a non-issue since the seats on both aircraft are the same.
The second was mildly frustrating as Air Astana swapped our Dubai to Almaty flight from the 767-300 to an A321neo. We initially booked one of the two seat pairs on the 767 but, with the swap to a A321, and its 3-3 configuration, we ended up reassigned to a middle and aisle seat. Also, I suffered a fairly significant knee injury just before the trip which made it difficult to bend my leg, so not having the whole row to ourselves was a bummer.
The final, and most major change of the trip came on the morning of our departure from Istanbul. Air France cancelled our Istanbul to Paris flight as we were on our way to the airport. They rebooked us on a flight 15 hours later, via Dubai.
While this was frustrating as it added eight hours of flying time to our trip, it did allow me the opportunity to check out FlyDubai’s Business Class on the Boeing 737-800 and Emirates’ new Business Class on the Boeing 777-300ER.
Our final routing for this trip is as follows.
In This Trip Report
- American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class (DFW-JFK)
- Delta One Check-In New York-JFK
- Delta One Lounge New York-JFK
- KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class (JFK-AMS)
- KLM Boeing 777-200 Business Class (AMS-DXB)
- St. Regis Downtown Dubai
- Exploring Dubai
- Marhaba Lounge Dubai (DXB) Terminal 1
- Air Astana Airbus A321neo Economy (DXB-ALA)
- Exploring Almaty
- The Ritz-Carlton Almaty
- Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-200 Business Class (ALA-IST)
- JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus
- Exploring Istanbul
- Hilton Mall of Istanbul
- IGA Lounge Istanbul
- FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 Business Class (IST-DXB)
- Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Concourse 3A
- Emirates Boeing 777-300ER Business Class (DXB-DFW)
EDIT: TD limits posts to 7,900 characters so I'll only be able to post summaries of each section of this trip. The full versions can be found on my website.
Kazakhstan was the primary focus of this trip as Mrs. H2O has family there and she hasn’t been to the country since she was five. Since we were traveling with H2O Jr., we were looking for ways to break up the trip into more manageable pieces. Ultimately, we settled on a stopover in Dubai on the outbound and Istanbul on the return.
Booking Flights
To get from the United States to Dubai, I was able to find award availability on KLM from New York with a connection in Amsterdam. I booked these seats using Flying Blue miles for 86,500 per person plus $355 in taxes and fees. This would allow me to try out two new aircraft type from the carrier, their Boeing 787-10 and 777-300ER.
To get to New York, I managed to burn some American Airlines travel credit and booked a cheap flight from Dallas to JFK in First Class.
Points options from Dubai to Almaty were harder to come by and I resorted to paying cash for those tickets. FlyDubai and Air Astana both operate between Dubai and Almaty with some other, low cost carriers also operating the route. Pricing in Economy was steep and Business Class was insane. Air Astana was operating their Boeing 767-300 on the route which has 2-3-2 seating in Economy so we went that route. I ended up booking those tickets for $523.90 per person.
From Almaty to Istanbul, the only direct options were via Air Astana or Turkish Airlines. Air Astana operates the A321neo on the route while Turkish operates a mix of Airbus A330s, Boeing 737s, and Airbus A321s. Only one of those, the Turkish A330, has lie flat seats in business class which, for an early morning 7+ hour flight, was a must. I booked our tickets in cash direct with Turkish Airlines for $1,022 per person.
To get home from Istanbul, I used Flying Blue miles to book IST-CDG-DFW on Air France. This would let me try out the carrier’s new A350-900 in Business Class. I booked the one-way flights for 66,000 Flying Blue miles plus $312.91 in taxes and fees per person.
Ultimately, our booked routing was as follows.
Booking Hotels
I turned to FlyerTalk to get some recommendations as I didn’t have a clue as to the best places to stay. Thanks to Marriott’s double elite night challenge, I wanted to try and stay at Marriott properties if at all possible.
In Dubai, we chose the St. Regis Dubai Downtown which I managed to score for $199 per night. Almaty was the easiest of the three to nail down as there is only one Marriott Bonvoy property in the city. The Ritz-Carlton Almaty came out to a fantastic points redemption of 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Finally, in Istanbul, I blindly booked the JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus based on recommendations from FlyerTalk. The location was great and I highly recommend it.
Itinerary Changes
Based on the fact that there’s a whole section devoted to itinerary changes is a good indication of just how many we had during this trip. The first was KLM swapping our Amsterdam to Dubai flight from a Boeing 777-300 to a Boeing 777-200. This was a non-issue since the seats on both aircraft are the same.
The second was mildly frustrating as Air Astana swapped our Dubai to Almaty flight from the 767-300 to an A321neo. We initially booked one of the two seat pairs on the 767 but, with the swap to a A321, and its 3-3 configuration, we ended up reassigned to a middle and aisle seat. Also, I suffered a fairly significant knee injury just before the trip which made it difficult to bend my leg, so not having the whole row to ourselves was a bummer.
The final, and most major change of the trip came on the morning of our departure from Istanbul. Air France cancelled our Istanbul to Paris flight as we were on our way to the airport. They rebooked us on a flight 15 hours later, via Dubai.
While this was frustrating as it added eight hours of flying time to our trip, it did allow me the opportunity to check out FlyDubai’s Business Class on the Boeing 737-800 and Emirates’ new Business Class on the Boeing 777-300ER.
Our final routing for this trip is as follows.
In This Trip Report
- American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class (DFW-JFK)
- Delta One Check-In New York-JFK
- Delta One Lounge New York-JFK
- KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class (JFK-AMS)
- KLM Boeing 777-200 Business Class (AMS-DXB)
- St. Regis Downtown Dubai
- Exploring Dubai
- Marhaba Lounge Dubai (DXB) Terminal 1
- Air Astana Airbus A321neo Economy (DXB-ALA)
- Exploring Almaty
- The Ritz-Carlton Almaty
- Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-200 Business Class (ALA-IST)
- JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus
- Exploring Istanbul
- Hilton Mall of Istanbul
- IGA Lounge Istanbul
- FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 Business Class (IST-DXB)
- Emirates Business Class Lounge Dubai Concourse 3A
- Emirates Boeing 777-300ER Business Class (DXB-DFW)
EDIT: TD limits posts to 7,900 characters so I'll only be able to post summaries of each section of this trip. The full versions can be found on my website.
This post was edited on 10/9/25 at 11:07 pm
22
Posted on 4/12/25 at 7:48 pm to H2O Tiger
What a worthless report and thanks again for the less than worthless link 
This post was edited on 4/12/25 at 7:54 pm
Posted on 4/12/25 at 8:18 pm to r3lay3r
His website has the actual trip reports with all of the pictures. I think this is an in session trip report flying from the US to Asia, first stop was JFK
Posted on 4/12/25 at 11:28 pm to CuseTiger
quote:
His website has the actual trip reports with all of the pictures. I think this is an in session trip report flying from the US to Asia, first stop was JFK
Bingo, getting the sections up one at a time! They take forever!
EDIT: Never mind, they're going to go much faster due to the character limit!
This post was edited on 4/12/25 at 11:59 pm
Posted on 4/12/25 at 11:48 pm to H2O Tiger
Review: American Airlines Boeing 737-800 First Class (DFW-JFK)
I’ve flown countless flights in American Airlines First Class on the Boeing 737-800 and this flight fell into the bottom half of them. The seat was the standard American seat that has been around for years but the service was a miss. While it wasn’t bad, they didn’t do anything above the bare minimum. Fortunately, this was just the beginning of a fantastic trip with some exciting flights still to come!
I’ve flown countless flights in American Airlines First Class on the Boeing 737-800 and this flight fell into the bottom half of them. The seat was the standard American seat that has been around for years but the service was a miss. While it wasn’t bad, they didn’t do anything above the bare minimum. Fortunately, this was just the beginning of a fantastic trip with some exciting flights still to come!
Posted on 4/13/25 at 12:02 am to H2O Tiger
Delta One Check-In New York-JFK
Delta operates a private check-in space for its Delta One passengers and 360 Medallion Members. Delta One Check-In can also be used by KLM World Business Class, Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, and Flying Club Gold passengers. I had a few issues at ticketing due to my complex reservation but, this is a great amenity for premium passengers in New York.
My only complaint is that the space can get warm in the late afternoon due to the sun though hopefully you aren't spending much time here. Plus, the private TSA security checkpoint makes up for any shortcomings here.
Delta operates a private check-in space for its Delta One passengers and 360 Medallion Members. Delta One Check-In can also be used by KLM World Business Class, Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, and Flying Club Gold passengers. I had a few issues at ticketing due to my complex reservation but, this is a great amenity for premium passengers in New York.
My only complaint is that the space can get warm in the late afternoon due to the sun though hopefully you aren't spending much time here. Plus, the private TSA security checkpoint makes up for any shortcomings here.
Posted on 4/13/25 at 7:35 am to H2O Tiger
Definitely the most well-heeled traveler on here
Keep it up
Keep it up
Posted on 4/13/25 at 10:30 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
Thanks HGG!
Plenty of travel knowledge to go around on this board, I'm just one of the few crazy enough to take pictures of everything!
Plenty of travel knowledge to go around on this board, I'm just one of the few crazy enough to take pictures of everything!
Posted on 4/14/25 at 12:12 pm to H2O Tiger
Delta One Lounge New York-JFK
Let me just start by saying that this may be one of the best Business Class lounges in the world. Delta really knocked this one out of the park and it rivals the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge in Doha for my top spot.
The lounge was crowded when we first arrived due to the evening transatlantic departure bank but the staff couldn't have been more accommodating and the offerings in the lounge are fantastic!
img]https://atxjetsetter.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1970-01-1_16694_img_67f6db27a794d.jpg[/img]
Let me just start by saying that this may be one of the best Business Class lounges in the world. Delta really knocked this one out of the park and it rivals the Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge in Doha for my top spot.
The lounge was crowded when we first arrived due to the evening transatlantic departure bank but the staff couldn't have been more accommodating and the offerings in the lounge are fantastic!
img]https://atxjetsetter.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1970-01-1_16694_img_67f6db27a794d.jpg[/img]
This post was edited on 4/14/25 at 12:14 pm
Posted on 4/15/25 at 5:29 pm to H2O Tiger
KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class (JFK-AMS)
The service on this flight was fine, albeit somewhat abbreviated due to the late departure. It may not be the most cutting edge product but the friendly crews coupled with the availability of award space via Flying Blue will keep us coming back to the Dutch flag carrier in the future.
The service on this flight was fine, albeit somewhat abbreviated due to the late departure. It may not be the most cutting edge product but the friendly crews coupled with the availability of award space via Flying Blue will keep us coming back to the Dutch flag carrier in the future.
Posted on 4/18/25 at 8:48 pm to H2O Tiger
Being someone who lives paycheck to paycheck with only an emergency savings account, I really do enjoy when my fellow TDers post their pictures from trips here. I know I won't get the chance in the immediate future to do some of these things, so I enjoy looking and hearing about them. Thanks!
Posted on 4/18/25 at 9:30 pm to sportsaddit68
Thanks sportsaddit68, We all have to start somewhere! I used to get excited about flying from Dallas to San Antonio in Economy for work.
Posted on 4/25/25 at 1:38 pm to H2O Tiger
Review: KLM Boeing 777-200 Business Class (AMS-DXB)
This flight left me with mixed opinions. The seat was the best of the variants KLM offers on its long-haul aircraft, combining the best of the 787-9 and 787-10 seats along with a door for extra privacy. The food on this flight was a major miss and, while the service flow was somewhat choppy, the crew was extremely friendly and did a fantastic job with ATX Jr.
This flight left me with mixed opinions. The seat was the best of the variants KLM offers on its long-haul aircraft, combining the best of the 787-9 and 787-10 seats along with a door for extra privacy. The food on this flight was a major miss and, while the service flow was somewhat choppy, the crew was extremely friendly and did a fantastic job with ATX Jr.
Posted on 5/1/25 at 1:09 am to H2O Tiger
St. Regis Downtown Dubai
Our stay at the St. Regis Downtown Dubai was absolutely spectacular. The attention to detail from the staff really helped push this from good to great. The room was nice and spacious and there were plenty of on-site amenities to keep us occupied while on-site.
My only complaints are with the light controls in our room as well as the walkability of the property. My hope is that the latter will be resolved once construction along the boardwalk is complete.
Due to the sheer number of luxury properties available in Dubai, I would likely stay elsewhere on my next visit but, I certainly won’t have any complaints if I have to stay at the St. Regis Downtown Dubai again.
Our stay at the St. Regis Downtown Dubai was absolutely spectacular. The attention to detail from the staff really helped push this from good to great. The room was nice and spacious and there were plenty of on-site amenities to keep us occupied while on-site.
My only complaints are with the light controls in our room as well as the walkability of the property. My hope is that the latter will be resolved once construction along the boardwalk is complete.
Due to the sheer number of luxury properties available in Dubai, I would likely stay elsewhere on my next visit but, I certainly won’t have any complaints if I have to stay at the St. Regis Downtown Dubai again.
Posted on 6/3/25 at 12:04 am to H2O Tiger
Exploring Dubai
We enjoyed our visit to Dubai but, even in late March it was hot. I can’t imagine doing many of the things we did during the peak summer months. Also, our visit occurred during Ramadan, so that may have had an affect on the crowds.
Overall, we will definitely return to Dubai in the future, though not necessarily just to visit the city. Mrs. ATX wants to go on a desert excursion and, given its global route network, we will likely pass through in the future on an Emirates flight.
We enjoyed our visit to Dubai but, even in late March it was hot. I can’t imagine doing many of the things we did during the peak summer months. Also, our visit occurred during Ramadan, so that may have had an affect on the crowds.
Overall, we will definitely return to Dubai in the future, though not necessarily just to visit the city. Mrs. ATX wants to go on a desert excursion and, given its global route network, we will likely pass through in the future on an Emirates flight.
Posted on 6/23/25 at 3:48 pm to H2O Tiger
Marhaba Lounge Dubai (DXB) Terminal 1
The Marhaba Lounge located in Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport (DXB) is spacious and has a good food and beverage selection for a contract lounge. Given the number of long-haul flights that depart from the terminal, the option to take a shower is nice, though it comes with an extra fee.
The relaxed atmosphere coupled with the myriad of ways to access the lounge should make this a popular choice for passengers traveling through Dubai.
The Marhaba Lounge located in Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport (DXB) is spacious and has a good food and beverage selection for a contract lounge. Given the number of long-haul flights that depart from the terminal, the option to take a shower is nice, though it comes with an extra fee.
The relaxed atmosphere coupled with the myriad of ways to access the lounge should make this a popular choice for passengers traveling through Dubai.
Posted on 6/27/25 at 10:40 am to H2O Tiger
Air Astana Airbus A321neo Economy (DXB-ALA)
While there were a couple of small quirks with the service flow and the ground experience in Dubai, I found Air Astana to have one of the best Economy products I’ve ever flown n a narrowbody aircraft. Hot towels, full meal, amenity kit, and baby items are unheard of on most Economy flights in the United States.
I can see why the carrier has won SKYTRAX awards as one of the best airlines in Central Asia for more than 10 years and I would gladly fly with them again when visiting the region.
While there were a couple of small quirks with the service flow and the ground experience in Dubai, I found Air Astana to have one of the best Economy products I’ve ever flown n a narrowbody aircraft. Hot towels, full meal, amenity kit, and baby items are unheard of on most Economy flights in the United States.
I can see why the carrier has won SKYTRAX awards as one of the best airlines in Central Asia for more than 10 years and I would gladly fly with them again when visiting the region.
Posted on 6/27/25 at 8:58 pm to H2O Tiger
Exploring Almaty
Overall, we had an amazing time in Almaty. We went in not knowing what to expect and were blown away by the city and the people. Everyone we met were extremely friendly and welcoming. While we went into the trip thinking we may not return, we can’t wait to go back and explore more of Kazakhstan’s largest city.
Somehow, we even found Bayou Rum in one of the bars.
Overall, we had an amazing time in Almaty. We went in not knowing what to expect and were blown away by the city and the people. Everyone we met were extremely friendly and welcoming. While we went into the trip thinking we may not return, we can’t wait to go back and explore more of Kazakhstan’s largest city.
Somehow, we even found Bayou Rum in one of the bars.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 12:10 am to H2O Tiger
The Ritz-Carlton Almaty
We had an amazing stay at The Ritz-Carlton Almaty. While the property is beginning to show its age, it is extremely well maintained. Also, the staff were fantastic during our visit and, with the one snafu regarding the beer aside, this is an amazing property for those looking to make a visit to the area.
After such an amazing experience in Almaty and my (sometimes blind) loyalty to Marriott, I’m sure that we will return to this property in the future.
We had an amazing stay at The Ritz-Carlton Almaty. While the property is beginning to show its age, it is extremely well maintained. Also, the staff were fantastic during our visit and, with the one snafu regarding the beer aside, this is an amazing property for those looking to make a visit to the area.
After such an amazing experience in Almaty and my (sometimes blind) loyalty to Marriott, I’m sure that we will return to this property in the future.
Posted on 7/18/25 at 8:23 am to H2O Tiger
Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-200 Business Class (ALA-IST)
By international Business Class standards Turkish Airlines does not have a competitive hard product on its Airbus A330-200 aircraft. However, for the majority of the routes the airline deploys this fleet type on, it is still a comfortable ride, especially for shorter trips during the day. On a route like this, I would happily fly with Turkish Airlines again.
By international Business Class standards Turkish Airlines does not have a competitive hard product on its Airbus A330-200 aircraft. However, for the majority of the routes the airline deploys this fleet type on, it is still a comfortable ride, especially for shorter trips during the day. On a route like this, I would happily fly with Turkish Airlines again.
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