secret spaces Archives - TravelSkills

On Turkish Airlines, flight attendants offer lemon, orange or raspberry juice as a pre-flight beverage. If you want Champagne, you have to ask for it (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last week TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis took a quick trip to Greece via Turkish Airlines. Wow! You are not going to believe the inflight service on these flights. Stay tuned for his Trip Report!

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Heads up: Crazy business class sale to Europe (fading, but still a few deals!)

2 Secret spaces on planes you’ve never seen before

3 First class phase-out picks up steam

A typical window seat in United’s new Polaris business class. (Image: United)

4 United unveils new business class, dumps first

5 Routes: San Francisco, Portland, Atlanta, Houston, Washington D.C. + more

6 Transborder changes at SFO, Chicago, LAX, Houston, Minneapolis and SLC

Our famous photo of the updated men's room with a view at Singapore Changi Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Our famous photo of this unusual men’s room at Singapore Changi Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Bay Area gains one new Asia route (SFO-SIN), loses another (SJC-PVG)

8 Is TSA PreCheck too expensive?

9 TSA explains confusion over PreCheck policies

10 Routes: American, Delta, United, Southwest

The New York Times did a nice job covering Delta’s new “innovation lanes” at Atlanta’s south security checkpoint. Based on what we’ve heard from TravelSkills readers, the new lanes are working and lines have been reduced significantly since the lanes opened last week. Have you tried ’em? (They are very similar to lanes we’ve seen at London Heathrow Terminal 5). No word yet on where these newer, fast lanes may turn up next.

Video of the week: Delta’s new innovation lanes open at ATL security checkpoints- see how they work!

The New York Times reports: In the United States, passengers going through airport security usually unload their belongings into bins one at a time, but with the innovation lanes, five fliers can unload their belongings in five different bins at the same time.

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Airports put brakes on Delta’s plans to add CLEAR fast lanes at hubs

Marriott Rewards offers airline bonus miles

American dumping Gogo for ViaSat inflight wi-fi

American politics make you want to move to Canada? Air Canada wants YOU! VIDEO

Delta forces Qatar Airways to use de-ice pad instead of gate for inaugural ATL flight

Take a virtual flight with Nicole Kidman on Etihad

Turboprops set to make a comeback in US

Former Virgin Atlantic 747 goes up for sale — on eBay

AA chief: Airlines should price more like hotels

Flying over the Bosporous, where Europe and Asia meet, on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis) CLICK to follow me on Instagram!)

Flying over the Bosporous in Istanbul, where Europe and Asia meet, on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis) CLICK to follow me on Instagram!)

State Department issues warning about travel to Europe this summer

Saudis invest $3.5 billion in Uber

New law requires rental firms to fix recalled vehicles before renting them

Southwest Airlines bulks up in the Bay Area

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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The secret staircase at the back of a Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After a long holiday travel weekend, and yet another hot, crowded summer ahead, it seems time for another look at some of the secret spacious spaces we’ve recently discovered onboard planes.

Back in 2012 I had the chance to ride on one of Cathay Pacific’s brand new Boeing 777-300ERs from the factory in Seattle to Hong Kong. We created a video of the crew rest area during that flight, which caused an internet sensation.

To this day, it is by far the most popular video we have produced, snagging about 700,000 views so far.

A brand new Boeing 777-300 ER at the factory in Seattle (Chris McGinnis)

I took the video on a “delivery flight” from the Boeing factory to Cathay Pacific’s HQ in Hong Kong, so there were only about 80 passengers on a jumbo jet that can carry about 350. While the seats and service were fine, I was curious to see the large crew rest area on this plane.

Since long-range aircraft like the Boeing 777 can fly nonstop for 16-18 hours, airlines are required to offer rest areas for inflight crews who work on shifts.

On the Cathay Pacific 777, the rest area is located above the economy class section at the rear of the plane. It’s accessed via a non-descript door in the galley area. There’s another rest area (which I did not see) for pilots at the front of the plane.

One of eight sleeping pods for flight attendants on a Cathay 777 (Chris McGinnis)

So go have a look— it might be the only time you’ll ever see a crew rest area since visits by passengers on regularly scheduled flights are forbidden.

Your TravelSkills editor enjoying a quick lounge in the crew rest area on a Cathay Pacific 777 (Chris McGinnis)

Luckily, that was not the only time I was allowed inside one of these secret spaces. Read on for more recent visits….

A brand new Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 at the factory in Seattle (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

We were also invited up to Seattle to see Singapore Airline’s newest B777 in 2013 to prepare this report and slideshow, and to grab this image of the peach pink confines of its crew rest area:

We also stepped inside the peachy pink confines of Singapore Airlines B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

You may recall that I recently flew on a Qantas 747 from San Francisco to Sydney in March. Well, minutes before that flight departed, I was allowed onboard to photograph the interior of the plane.

View from the QANTAS jaw-dropping first class lounge in Sydney. Wow! Stay tuned for a trip report! (Chris McGinnis)

View from the QANTAS jaw-dropping first class lounge in Sydney. Crew rest area is located behind the windows on the bubble. (Chris McGinnis)

While doing so, I noticed flight attendants entering the secret staircase to the crew rest area and asked if I could slip in for a quick video, and they obliged! See below look at that!

A look inside the crew rest area on a Qantas 747-400 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s how we described the experience in that TravelSkills.com post: Due to my status as a travel writer, I received a special favor– I asked if I could board five minutes early so I could get some good photos of the plane before it filled up with passengers. At the last minute my wish was granted, so I scrambled on board, up the “stairway to heaven,” threw my bags down and took off with flight attendant Jerry for a quick tour of the plane INCLUDING a look at the secret crew rest area in the aft section of the “bubble” with access via a special stairway from the main deck. See that video here (or below). This big bird has a crew of 14 flight attendants and four pilots and on a 14+ hour flight, they need a place to hide!

So as we all prepare to depart on packed flights this summer, it’s nice to know that there are some spacious seats somewhere onboard! Have you ever seen one of these spacious spaces? Please leave your comments below.

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