Turkish Airlines

Has anyone flown Turkish Airlines? Coming out of Rome Italy their prices are about half of what the other airlines are asking. The only downfall is that there is a layover in Istanbul.

Sounds like you are looking at flying them for a long haul flight. I can't help much on thst. We flew them in "business" from Istanbul to Frankfort as part of a Star alliance award routing. We were pleased with them. Since it was a short haul flight, "business" was the first row (or two? ) with the middle seat empty and the seat back folds down and becomes a table/arm rest. The only concern I would have is (presuming you are flying from Rome to the U.S. ) is the time spent flying east only to have to fly back west.

Has anyone flown Turkish Airlines? Coming out of Rome Italy their prices are about half of what the other airlines are asking. The only downfall is that there is a layover in Istanbul.

Have not personally flown TK, though a number of friends have flown them with positive reviews. Because of geography, they have used aggressive marketing to compete with other Euro carriers that are based further "west". Often TK will have lower pricing to "compensate" for the extra travel time. They are a Star Alliance member.

In addition, depending on the length and nature of your connection, you may be able to take either a free tour of Istanbul or a free hotel overnight. Both can be attractive offers, especially if you have not been to IST before and would like a taste.

I personally love Istanbul and can't wait to be back there for more in a few months. If you can swing it, it's a nice addition.

FWIW, I also know of free tours offered during connections in Seoul, Singapore, and Dubai. Anyone can add to my knowledge list if I missed some.

I too am interested in feedback on Turkish Air as for a hiking trip in Morocco this September I was able to get United saver biz class award seats TUS -IAH -IST. We will spend a week in Turkey ( mostly Cappadocia as we have been to Istanbul a few times, and yes, it is a great city) before backtracking to Casablanca . So for us this was a great opportunity --- not a negative. We were also attracted to this by the nonstop leg from Houston to Istanbul and true lay flat seats.

That's a problem?? ;)

That was my reaction :D.

We flew them home in business class from Zurich last summer - ZRH-IST-YYZ-YQB, with an overnight in Istanbul - something we scheduled on purpose to have a taste of that crazy, wonderful city. In terms of the business class experience, it was definitely my favourite of the 3 biz classes we've sampled in the last few months (LOT and Swiss being the other 2). Nice amenity kit, proper duvets rather than those thin blankets you so often get on planes, decent selection of entertainment, and outstanding food. And, by this time, their IST lounge is pretty legendary.

Obviously my impression is heavily influenced by having flown in the front of the plane, but I wouldn't hesitate to try their economy product. And as for flying east to then fly west, well being in YQB I do this all the time when flying to Europe. Honestly, when you're up in a plane, does it really matter?

I use Turkish quite a bit & like them very much even in economy. I have a star alliance gold card & use the lounges which are OK but you will be flying a couple hours longer as you have to fly east to Istanbul before flying back west home.

I flew LHR to IST on Turkish airlines last October and was very impressed. Even on that route they served a very nice dinner and Turkish delight in economy class. The seats are nice leather although there is less leg room than in economy plus.

I have heard that their Premium economy seats are similar to some business class seats on other airlines, and superior to other airlines PE but have not flown that class yet with them. I also love Istanbul and would take any opportunity to visit again, even for an over night, free or not.

So I agree that a stopover there is a big plus, not a minus, as you will see if you get there.

I have flown Turkish Airlines several times and they are fine. In fact, I will be flying them again this summer.

I agree that a layover in Istanbul is a plus, if it's long enough t leave the airport and visit the city.

We have flown Turkish Air (economy) domestic and international routes. No issue..good service.

So, if we were given an option of Turkish, United, Delta, or Americam our first choice would always be Turkish.

We flew Turkish both ways on our Black Sea cruise. It was excellent! The food was very good indeed. It was roomy [for economy] and the service was in all ways outstanding. Would fly it in preference to most any other airline if it was an option to get where I was going.

Turkish airlines has some very cheap RT flights to Europe for spring right now.:D

Turkish has a very solid product. Specially in the air. Their ground staff can be chaos and many of them barely speak English. I work for a company that handles flights for Turkish and if something goes wrong on a Turkish flight, it often gets a little worse because ground staff does not have very clear procedures and communication is a mess.

But luckily, things rarely go wrong on a Turkish flight.

They tend to overbook flights, but if you check-in online, you should have no problem.

I will fly Turkish any time if they have a good price. And as many have said before; they often have (extremely) good prices and offer a very good onboard service.

really debating about them...fantastic reward ticket available right now IAH to prague with 17 hour layover in Istanbul...

really debating about them...fantastic reward ticket available right now IAH to prague with 17 hour layover in Istanbul...

"Stopover" is more than 24 hours on international itinerary, "Connection" is under 24 hours. "Layover" is a colloquialism that gets conflated with either of the above and is not a term of art.

On a long connect like yours, you get either the free hotel or the free tour. Not the Four Seasons, but it's a nice little perk.

What's to debate....you get two great cities (PRG and IST) in one trip. In fact, you might also check as to the possibility of "stopover" at the same rate.

 

"Stopover" is more than 24 hours on international itinerary, "Connection" is under 24 hours. "Layover" is a colloquialism that gets conflated with either of the above and is not a term of art.

 

On a long connect like yours, you get either the free hotel or the free tour. Not the Four Seasons, but it's a nice little perk.

So they pay for the overnight in instanbu? I did not know that

Neither did I.

If you have 24hrs + definitely go to the Old City. See the Blue Mosque,

Haggia Sophia, The Bazaar etc. I cannot think of a city I found more friendly

or more stunning!

From the Turkish website:

1. Do You Provide Accommodation Services at Transit Locations to Passengers Who Have Connecting Flights? A complimentary hotel accommodation (maximum 2 nights) will be provided to our valuable passengers when there are more than 10 hours (for economy cabin passengers) and 7 or more hours (for business cabin passengers) waiting during their international connecting flights due to Turkish Airlines’ schedule structure. This service is not applicable when there is a shorter connection available within the time frame mentioned above. The first and the connecting flights must be with Turkish Airlines. All passengers must hold a confirmed reservation for the first and the connecting flights. Complimentary accommodation will be arranged with Turkish Airlines’ corporate partners and will be provided through the “Hotel Desk” located after the customs’ check point at the arrival. Passengers must check for any visa requirements when entering Turkey. In the event where a visa is not granted, Turkish Airlines assumes no responsibility for providing complimentary hotel accommodation. For further information, please call +90 212 4440849

A writeup on the details along with photos of the "hotel desk" are HERE.

If instead, you'd like a free tour of Istanbul, details can be found HERE.

I did it...booked our reward business class seats for only 115,000. Too good to pass up...and with the 17 hour layover we will have a relaxing evening in the hotel and get over jet lag before the cruise has even begun...

Neither did I.

 

If you have 24hrs + definitely go to the Old City. See the Blue Mosque,

Haggia Sophia, The Bazaar etc. I cannot think of a city I found more friendly

or more stunning!

Sometimes a little too friendly (I traveled there with my sister)!

I did it...booked our reward business class seats for only 115,000. Too good to pass up...and with the 17 hour layover we will have a relaxing evening in the hotel and get over jet lag before the cruise has even begun...

http://istanbulinhours.com/what-is-touristanbul

And since you're traveling in business class, don't miss the awesome lounge at IST. We'll be flying Turkish Airlines via Istanbul to the Middle East next month and we can't wait to get back to that lounge. Simply the best!

What if there is an earlier flight from Rome on the day we want to travel that would have a short layover but we wouldn't be able to take it because we wouldn't be able to get there in time from the ship. If we take a later flight that we could make but that would have a long layover do you think it would qualify?

Just flew TK on Monday ( the 15th). Loved their product. We had a four and half hour flight from Istanbul to Lisbon . We were in business class. During this relatively short flight , there was a chef on board who only attended to the catering. The FA took care of the other non food related issues .

The meals were beautifully served and quite fresh. We had a breakfast , but it was very elaborate. Much more so than most long haul flights.

They had an excellent personal entertainment system and comfortable leather seats and pillows. The FA draped the blanket around several passengers shoulders and took care of all jackets and coats in a very elegant fashion.

The lounge is wonderful. It is an experience Itself. TK is far superior to any American Airline I have flown on ....I am eager to try them again. And Istanbul is an incredible city.

What if there is an earlier flight from Rome on the day we want to travel that would have a short layover but we wouldn't be able to take it because we wouldn't be able to get there in time from the ship. If we take a later flight that we could make but that would have a long layover do you think it would qualify?

It's not your origination flight that matters but your connecting one.

The free hotel deal is not good if you could have taken an earlier connection. I'm not sure if that is also the case with just the tours.

Hotel deal info HERE.

Tour deal info HERE.

It's not your origination flight that matters but your connecting one.

 

The free hotel deal is not good if you could have taken an earlier connection. I'm not sure if that is also the case with just the tours.

 

Hotel deal info HERE.

 

Tour deal info HERE.

Thank you. Good to know.

So we just experienced our first long haul flight on Turkish...it was wonderful...service was excellent, food very good and plentiful...good entertainment system...flat beds and we actually slept for 4 hours...my only bit of advice is to either dress in layers or wear shorts...the plane does get warm...there is no individual climate control only central. We knew this so wore shorts and sleeveless tops....would definitely fly them again