Turkish Airlines – Review
Which airlines are you flying?
Turkish airlines
I could see my friend not very happy with that name. After all he had travelled with this airline in the past and wasn’t too pleased by its service and performance.
However, I didn’t pay any heed to him. Being an international traveller I have experienced all kinds of airlines. But this was my first time with Turkish airlines and so I still wondered what it would be like.
Remember I was invited by Tourism board of Spain to their country ? We flew Turkish Airlines, which has become a major airlines operating out of India. The flight was from Mumbai to Madrid via Istanbul and back.
To start with, we were booked for economy class and I knew how bad it could be to travel in cramped seats of some airlines. When we reached airport, to our surprise we were upgraded to business class. And for all the sectors! Pampering had started then and there. 😀
Priority check-in, escorted security check, breakfast buffet at the airport lounge, Wifi, and most importantly, big relaxing sofas to catch a quick nap. They were so comfortable that I heard some people snoring their heart out! 😛
Inside the airplane, first thing that I noticed was the space allocation in business class. Fully reclining seats with a pillow and blanket, noise-canceling headphones, and an amenity kit awaited us.
I realized how civilized it is to fly business class on Turkish Airlines! After takeoff along with complimentary cocktail, a personalized menu with multiple choices was distributed for passengers to select breakfast items. By the time some hors d’oeuvres and the breakfast were savored and a movie was seen, the sleep deprived me wanted to cuddle up like a baby in the lap of luxury.
As for entertainment, even if you are flying economy class, don’t worry. Passengers in all classes are provided with the same entertainment choices, although the screens are different. Business class passengers get a swing-out touch screen to select movies, games, music, and Voyager, which tracks flight stats. Economy class passengers make the same selections from smaller screens embedded in seatbacks.
Have you heard their jingle “we are Turkish airlines, we are globally yours” ? One of the fastest-growing airlines in Europe, Turkey’s national carrier was the winner of “Best Airline Europe” Award in 2011.
Now comes the food. One feature on Turkish Airlines that elevates this class is the cuisine. They provided exceptional food during the flight and the in-flight staff was polite and helpful. Some excellent cheese, wine with breads, hummus, stuffed eggplants, zucchini, and what not!
We were in transit for a few hours at Istanbul International airport Atatürk, and we were guided to Lounge Istanbul, a VIP lounge. On the way to the lounge, I could see many shops selling everything from souvenirs to ice creams. The airport itself was a bit chaotic probably because of people going for pilgrimage.
A widespread buffet of Turkish delights such as mezze platters, breads, soups and veggies awaited us in the business class lounge, not to mention the desserts, chocolates and many varieties of tea including flavored Turkish Çay. A grilled-snacks stall and a piano at the far end made me wish for a longer transit period. 😀
There was much more to explore but we remained content with delicacies and talks.
I must say, my relationship with Turkish airlines is going to last for a very long time.
However, I can see one area of improvement. The ground crew is solicitous but in most cases their English is rudimentary. I would like to see more English speaking staff when it comes to dealing with the public.
Oh ! Before I forget, the takeoff and landing were exceptionally smooth and quiet. 😀
If you want to know how is economy class of Turkish Airlines, check this.
If you want to check another airlines flying to middle east and beyond, which also has awesome business class then check this review of Qatar Airways.
If you want to travel places with me, I suggest you to join me on my Facebook travel page.
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We have been planning a holiday with some friends and we were considering Turkish Airlines as we wanted to club Turkey in our itinerary. Yet not sure how the itin will shape up, but after reading your take on the airline, I seriously am thinking of pushing it forward. Looks like a carrier worth flying 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
That’s very nice of them to upgrade you to Business Class.
I have heard they are one of the best airline companies these days.
I remember one very nice ad of Turkish Airline featuring Footballer Messi.
Very nice Post 🙂
Deeps,
Please do go.
Even if you fly economy class, the seats are at least 4 inch wider than the regular ones, more legroom and yes there is a screen for you to watch movies etc. 🙂
All the best for your travels.
Abhishek,
Thank you.
Yes, we were their guests so they wanted to pamper us ! 😀
They are better than many other airlines and for last few years their performance is going higher & higher.
I also like that ad. 🙂 Ummm thinking of linking to that video in my post. What say?
How do you know that the economy class seats in TA are at least 4″ wider than in the other airlines?
EV,
Good question. 🙂
For sometime I sat with one of my friends in economy class who was on the same flight. I felt it had more space than regular ones. Then after landing I searched on the net and voila ! I was right. 🙂
I often fly THY on domestic and international flights, economic class.
I agree with the contents of the article on food and spaces and services. There is one point of concern about THY for me; the bad implementation of safety- & security-procedures. Passengers are allowed to take so much cabin-lugguage, that the lockers are overbooked. I was appalled, when asked to put my small backpack and coat under my seat, because there was no space in the lockers. It is sometimes obvious that there is not enough (experienced) cabin-crew on board and the first victims are the safety- & security- procedures. The long working hours (a common habit in Turkey)of the cabin-crew, has its effects on it´s services.
Oh, I didn’t face this problem, probably because I was in business class. So can’t comment on this.
But yes, I also do not like if people come with 3-4 pieces of cabin luggage. It mostly happens in flights in South East Asia.