(On May 30), Turkish Airlines introduced the fragrance “TK 1933” that will be yet another tool used to take the airline’s brand to another level while helping the company achieve its targets for 2023. The fragrance is intended to provide a sensory recognition of the global branding of Turkish Airlines and to bring a sense of relaxation and happiness.

Turkish Airlines' New 'TK 1933' Fragrance

“TK 1933”, a fragrance created by the international perfume company, MG Gülçiçek, has been introduced as the designated branded fragrance that will be used in Turkish Airlines’ VIP/CIP Lounges, ticket sales offices, inside the aircraft, and for other corporate purposes. The name “TK 1933” was chosen as a tribute to the year that Turkish Airlines was founded.

I couldn’t find it for sale anywhere online, likely since it’s used for “corporate” purposes as noted above and not intended for a retail environment – it might get some balks alongside the Chanels and Diors of the world. But I’d certainly love to add this to my airline collectibles.

And I think Turkish should consider adding an appropriately sized sampler to its award winning business class amenity kit to further promote the brand.

British Airways had planned to launch a signature scent aboard its planes a couple of years ago (I’m not sure if they followed through), and Singapore Airlines created a standard company scent for both hot towels and the perfume worn by its flight attendants.

Interesting? Unique? Crazy? What do you think? I like the idea so long as it’s light and not overpowering.

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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The Cost and Allure of Airline Amenity Kits

First, here are two things you won’t hear me say:

• “Screw you United, I’m status matching to American!” Tick tock. It’s all but certain that American, especially with the new US Airways-heavy management team, will implement a similar revenue policy. And my bet is that it’ll come sooner rather than later (as in… similarly announced beginning in 2014 for 2015 status).
• “How can you do this to me? I fly exclusively with you 100,000 miles+ every year!” While I’ve enjoyed the perks of easy to attain top-tier status on cheap fares (especially in 2008 and 2009), I fully appreciate that airlines should focus on rewarding fliers who contribute the most to their bottom lines. It’s been a fun ride, but I get it.

A hard-target dollar requirement tied to each elite tier is only the beginning of United’s revenue-based approach, in my opinion.

What I see happening next is that United (and other U.S. airlines for that matter) will reduce the Premier Qualifying Miles/Segments (PQM/PQS) earned on low fare-class tickets, such as L, K, G and N (I outlined the revenue fare classes in this post). It would be a double-whammy of sorts making it harder to hit the PQM target on top of PQD for status, but I bet it’ll happen eventually.

Another potential change is that mileage redemptions could turn revenue-based. While I’ve accepted my fate for the elite status changes, this would be painful to swallow. Mostly because I’m sitting on a large stash of MileagePlus miles right now and the amount required for an international first class award would likely be exorbitant compared to today’s levels (or similar to a standard Delta award today ).

My personal shining light in all of this is that I should lock-in lifetime Premier Gold (and Star Alliance Gold) status with United this year being only 16,402 miles away.

How will you fare under the new system and am I crazy for postulating it’s only the beginning?

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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Here is UA Insider’s post from this morning:

Today we’re announcing some upcoming changes to our Premier qualification requirements for 2014. We’ve posted complete details and a FAQ at www.mileageplusupdates.com, but I wanted to share an excerpt of the key points with you directly:

Starting in January 2014, Premier qualification for members living in the United States will include a minimum annual spending level. We will track this new requirement with Premier qualifying dollars (PQD) – dollars spent on most United tickets, including partner flights, and Economy Plus purchases. The changes will not affect Premier qualifying miles (PQM) or Premier qualifying segments (PQS). The new criteria will look like this:

• Premier Silver: [25,000 PQM or 30 PQS] and $2,500 PQD
• Premier Gold: [50,000 PQM or 60 PQS] and $5,000 PQD
• Premier Platinum: [75,000 PQM or 90 PQS] and $7,500 PQD
• Premier 1K: [100,000 PQM or 120 PQS] and $10,000 PQD

A minimum of at least four paid flights operated by United, United Express, or Copa Airlines will be needed to qualify for any Premier status.

For 2014, the PQD requirement is waived for Premier Silver, Premier Gold, and Premier Platinum qualification for members whose address with MileagePlus is within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and who spend at least $25,000 in Net Purchases in 2014 on a MileagePlus co-branded credit card issued by Chase Bank USA, N.A. There is no PQD waiver for Premier 1K qualification.

As mentioned above, there are more details and a FAQ posted at www.mileageplusupdates.com, and over the next few days we’ll be communicating this information to our members. In the meantime, if you still have any more questions after going through the FAQ, please post them here and I’ll do my best to clarify.

I’ll have more thoughts on this in another post, but wanted to spread the word ASAP in the event you haven’t seen it yet. My initial reaction is, “yep… figured this was coming.”

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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STAT Plus Class Amenity Kit

SATA operates Airbus A310s and A320s on its long-haul routes, which include Boston and Toronto here in North America. SATA Plus class is a hybrid premium economy product (also known as Executive Class) and has a seating configuration of 2-2-2 on the A310 and 2-3 on the A320. For more information on the airline, click here.

SATA Plus Class Amenity Bag

Bag/Container: The deep navy blue, felt-lined nylon zipper bag sporting the SATA logo on the lower right also contains metallic, off-white vinyl accents along the top and sides. It opens to reveal one main compartment with a “SATA –The Atlantic and You” logo tag on one side, and an elastic-lined pouch on the other side. It’s pretty darn impressive for an airline with limited long-haul routes, and this case could easily compete with many business class offerings. For that reason, I’ve scored it a half-point higher from where I’d rank it if it were a business class kit. Score: 5 out of 7

Interior of SATA's Plus Class Amenity Bag

Skin Care: The brand-less skin care items included in this kit are hand cream, lip balm and facial mist. All are quality items, even if they are generic, and I’m impressed with the fresh smelling facial mist. I couldn’t detect a scent on the slightly greasy hand cream, even though the ingredients list “fragrance(parfum).” And the lip balm is smooth and effective without any fragrance. Score: 5 out of 7

Oral Care: A hard-bristled plastic toothbrush that includes a case doubling as a snap-in handle, along with generic and flavorless toothpaste, are the sole oral care items in the kit. Both are perfectly adequate and get the job done. Score: 4 out of 7

Comfort Items: The same style of single use airline socks as found in many of my reviews are included with this kit. But the one-size-fits-all elastic eyeshades are a slight step up from the norm with a soft cotton inner lining (and a logo tag). Also included are very soft 3M foam earplugs. Nicely done, SATA, for a premium economy kit. Score: 5 out of 7

Intangibles: This amenity kit beats a lot of business class kits that I’ve reviewed, and it’s definitely a unique and elite offering to provide premium economy passengers, particularly for a small airline with limited long-haul flying. Score: 7 out of 7

Total score & comments:

The SATA Plus amenity kit impresses and I was surprised at how substantial it is. Final score: 4.95 out of 7.00.

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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Application link: Chase Ink Plus® Business Card

Application link: Chase Ink Bold® Business Card

Application link: Chase Ink Cash® Business Card

As a reminder, Ultimate Rewards points from the Ink Plus® Business Card and Ink Bold® Business Card can be transferred 1:1 to British Airways, Korean Air, Southwest, United and Virgin Atlantic, as well as to Hyatt, Marriott, IHG Priority Club and Ritz-Carlton. Here’s a summary of each limited-time offer:

Chase Ink Plus® Business Card

Application link: Chase Ink Plus® Business Card

• Limited–time bonus offer! Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
• With Ink Plus, you have the cash flow flexibility with the choice to pay over time or pay in full.
• Earn 5X points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services.
• Earn 2X points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at gas stations and for hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• 1:1 point transfer to participating travel programs with no transfer fees.
• Get 20% off travel redemptions when booked through Ultimate Rewards.

Chase Ink Bold® Business Card

Application link: Chase Ink Bold® Business Card

• Limited -time bonus offer! Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
• No interest charges because it’s a pay in full charge card.
• Earn 5X points per dollar in select business categories.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Direct access to a live service advisor anytime.
• $0 Intro Annual Fee for the first year, then $95.

Chase Ink Cash® Business Card

Application link: Chase Ink Cash® Business Card

• Limited-time bonus offer! Earn $250 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 in 3 months from account opening.
• 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services.
• 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent annually at gas stations and restaurants.
• 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
• 0% introductory APR for 6 months on purchases and balance transfers.
• No Annual Fee.

For other airline, hotel and flexible credit cards that earn miles or points, click here.

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

I receive a referral credit if you successfully apply for a card using the links on this post. I remain grateful to any who apply using those links and thank you for your support of my blog. The decision to apply for credit is yours and includes the responsibility to read and understand all terms and conditions.

This content is not provided or commissioned by the company whose products are featured on this site (“Advertiser”). Any opinions, analyses, reviews or evaluations provided here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the Advertiser. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser’s affiliate programs.

My Dad is equally fantastic and did everything he could to encourage and foster my passion for airlines, airports and travel, and this Father’s Day post is devoted to him.

As a kid growing up, he took me to the parking lots around Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on countless weekends so I could watch the arrivals and departures. We brought a scanner to listen to air traffic communications to know what was coming and going, and I often filmed our plane-spotting sessions on an old-school VHS recorder.

Our typical spot was alongside runway 4R/22L and aircraft would either be departing 22L or arriving on 4R. Even though it’s one of the shorter runways at O’Hare, I still had the opportunity to see a number of wide-bodied jets take off and arrive, particularly DC-8s, DC-10s, L-1011s and A300s.

Once I had my driver’s license at 16, I would venture out to O’Hare even more frequently and at all times of the week, sometimes bringing my homework to do in between lulls of traffic. With my Dad’s foundation, I found even more spots around the runways to continue my passion for plane-spotting.

Sitting alongside airport runways and watching as much as I did, I hoped one day I’d frequently fly. I guess it was all but destined.

In 2011, I flew through Chicago on a couple of occasions and was fortunate to be seated in a window seat on the correct side of the plane to capture the following takeoff from runway 22L. Happy Father’s Day, Dad… this takeoff is for you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dad and Darren

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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But airline food remains a popular topic and I’ve been assigned the task to come up with a “top 10” list of the world’s best airline meals for my CNBC blog, and I’m looking for your help.

I certainly have my own favorites, as shown below, but my palate isn’t quite as refined as many foodies out there (I avoid seafood and anything with mushrooms).

Have you been amazed by an airline meal? If so, I’d love to hear from you. Either leave a comment below or email me at darren@frequentlyflying.com. And if you have pictures, I’d love to see them, too. Which airlines excel at in-flight cuisine?

Here are the top 5 airline meals I’ve enjoyed to date:

• Pan-fried chicken in green peppercorn sauce with mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley from Singapore Airlines’ “Book the Cook” menu on my JFK-Frankfurt flight:

Singapore Airlines Pan-Fried Chicken

• Pan-fried fillet of beef in three peppercorn sauce with russet potatoes and veggies from Singapore Airlines’ “Book the Cook” menu on my Frankfurt-JFK flight:

Singapore Airlines Pan-Fried Fillet of Beef

• Korean bibimbab (steamed rice, veggies and minced beef mixed with hot pepper paste and sesame oil) and soup on my Asiana Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Seoul:

Korean Bibimbab on Asiana Airlines

• Braised beef with pumpkin puree, snow peas, baby turnips and soy beans on my Virgin Australia flight from Perth to Sydney (and it wasn’t as purple as it appears below… the cabin lighting didn’t afford a decent pic):

Luke Mangan Inspired Braised Beef on Virgin Australia

• Tomato and saffron chicken with green olives, peas and cous cous on my Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Perth:

Tomato and Saffron Chicken on Virgin Australia

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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United Offers Flat-Bed Seats on “All” Long-Haul International Flights

United Airlines now features 180-degree flat-bed seats and personal on-demand entertainment in the premium cabins on all scheduled, long-haul international flights from the airline’s eight North American hubs and between Seattle and Tokyo Narita. United is the only U.S. carrier to exclusively provide flat-bed comfort to premium cabin travelers on such scheduled, long-haul flights from the continental United States.

The release goes on to state 183 of United’s international aircraft now feature lie-flat seats. Where can you still find the old “Barcalounger” seats in business class? They’re on United’s 777s operating between Honolulu and Tokyo, as Chris McGinnis reported yesterday after receiving an update from a United rep.

Today's Honolulu-Tokyo Seat Map on a United 777

According to the United Airlines Fleet Website, there are three 777s still sporting the configuration shown above: N768UA, N772UA and N779UA.

American Launches JFK-Dublin Route With Bonus Mile Offer

American Airlines today launches daily nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Dublin Airport (DUB), adding a new destination to American’s extensive network and giving customers traveling from Dublin nonstop connections out of JFK to cities throughout North, Central and South America . The new flight is in addition to American’s existing nonstop service from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Dublin and complements its 12 other daily nonstop flights from JFK to Europe.

The new JFK-DUB flight is operated with a Boeing 757-200 sporting 16 angled-flat business class seats and 166 in economy.

Here are the bonus mile offer details for the new route:

To celebrate the new service, American is offering AAdvantage^® members up to 20,000 bonus miles every time they fly a round trip on the route, including travel on American-operated flights marketed by British Airways or Iberia. Customers flying on Business Class and select Economy Class fares (booked in Y, B or H) will receive 20,000 AAdvantage bonus miles for every round trip, and those flying on all other Economy Class fares will receive 10,000 AAdvantage bonus miles for every round trip, from June 12 through Sept. 15, 2013. To participate, members simply need to register prior to travel at aa.com/offers using the promotion code AADUB.

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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My favorites are Air France (1970-2004), American Airlines (1960-2013), Monarch (2002-2009), Qantas (1984-2007), Swissair (1981-2002), and the Saul Bass United Airlines design (1974-1993).

Which are your favorites?

Thanks to @AirlineSector for tweeting this out yesterday, as I missed it when it was published last month. For the full-size version, click here.

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

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Turkish Airlines' Comfort Class Amenity Kit

Bag/Container: Formia manufactured this brown/beige zipper bag that features a single interior compartment, along with a separate zippered side pouch exteriorly lined with a suede-like treatment. A dual-sided Turkish Airlines logo tag compliments the case. Reusability in my mind is just average given its overall smallish size, but for a premium economy amenity it certainly impresses. For that reason alone, I’ve scored it a half-point higher from where I’d rank it if it were a business class kit. Score: 5.5 out of 7

Turkish Airlines' Comfort Class Amenity Bag Designed by Formia

Skin Care: Turkish partnered with Bogner to provide the lip balm and body lotion for this kit. The lip balm is effective and nearly “tasteless,” though I do detect a hint of almond. And the slightly masculine-smelling body lotion is gel-like, but absorbs fairly rapidly and is less greasy than the Crabtree & Evelyn Jojoba Oil hand cream found in Turkish’s business class kit. Score: 4 out of 7

Oral Care: The same medium-bristled plastic toothbrush with case as in the business class kit appears again here, though the Colgate toothpaste (regular flavor) got a downgrade in size for premium economy passengers – it’s a teeny tiny tube. In any event, they’re basic airline-issue oral care items for an amenity kit and get the job done. Score: 4 out of 7

Comfort Items: Identical to the business class kit are standard one-size-fits-all elastic eyeshades and socks with rubber grippers on the base (which I like as they reduce slippage on cabin carpeting). I found “Do not disturb” and “wake me for meal” stickers inside the side pouch after taking the pictures above. Other items include a folding comb/brush, shoehorn and deformed earplugs (they never regained a normal shape after “breathing” for a while) with an accompanying plastic case. As this is a premium economy kit, Turkish absolutely excels here even though these are the same items found in their business class offering. Score: 6 out of 7

Intangibles: This amenity kit beats a lot of business class kits that I’ve reviewed, and it’s definitely a unique and elite offering to provide premium economy passengers. It truly sets Turkish apart from other airlines. Score: 7 out of 7

Total score & comments:

From the impressive case to the significant amount of comfort items, Turkish Airlines sets the bar for premium economy amenities with its Comfort Class kit. Final score: 5.03 out of 7.00.

– Follow Darren Booth on Twitter, @FrequentlyFlyin, for more airline, hotel and travel industry news, reviews and opinions.

Read more:

Amenity Kit Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class – Tablet Case

TravelPlus Amenity Bag Award Winners

Amenity Kit Reviews

Amenity Kit Review Introduction