Hflors Posted February 7, 2015 #1 Share Posted February 7, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted February 7, 2015 #2 Share Posted February 7, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted February 7, 2015 #3 Share Posted February 7, 2015 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. That's a problem?? ;) 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chairsin Posted February 7, 2015 #4 Share Posted February 7, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham Posted February 7, 2015 #5 Share Posted February 7, 2015 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbsie65 Posted February 7, 2015 #6 Share Posted February 7, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptrpanpens Posted February 8, 2015 #7 Share Posted February 8, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandma*knows*best Posted February 9, 2015 #8 Share Posted February 9, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancal Posted February 10, 2015 #9 Share Posted February 10, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generichandle Posted February 14, 2015 #10 Share Posted February 14, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptrpanpens Posted February 14, 2015 #11 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Turkish airlines has some very cheap RT flights to Europe for spring right now.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunterke Posted February 15, 2015 #12 Share Posted February 15, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekyrn1 Posted February 15, 2015 #13 Share Posted February 15, 2015 really debating about them...fantastic reward ticket available right now IAH to prague with 17 hour layover in Istanbul... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted February 15, 2015 #14 Share Posted February 15, 2015 really debating about them...fantastic reward ticket available right now IAH to prague with 17 hour layover in Istanbul...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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekyrn1 Posted February 15, 2015 #15 Share Posted February 15, 2015 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generichandle Posted February 16, 2015 #16 Share Posted February 16, 2015 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted February 16, 2015 #17 Share Posted February 16, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekyrn1 Posted February 16, 2015 #18 Share Posted February 16, 2015 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandma*knows*best Posted February 16, 2015 #19 Share Posted February 16, 2015 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)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyQuinn Posted February 16, 2015 #20 Share Posted February 16, 2015 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...Definitely check out the Istanbul Free Tours mentioned by FlyerTalker. We traveled on Turkish Airlines via Istanbul on business class award tickets to/from Africa earlier this year. We got a 5-hour city tour with lunch on the outbound and then an overnight stay at Radisson Blu with breakfast and transfers on the return. Depending on your flights, you may qualify but you can't have both the tour and a hotel room during the same connection. It's OK to just show up at the Tour Desk in the airport for the city tour but best if you apply for the hotel room before you arrive and they'll let you know if you qualify. 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferndale Girl Posted June 15, 2015 #21 Share Posted June 15, 2015 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare brazilgirl Posted June 18, 2015 #22 Share Posted June 18, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FlyerTalker Posted June 18, 2015 #23 Share Posted June 18, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferndale Girl Posted June 18, 2015 #24 Share Posted June 18, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheekyrn1 Posted September 9, 2015 #25 Share Posted September 9, 2015 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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