turkish a350 trip report

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Trip Report: Turkish Airlines New A350 Experience

I flew on Turkish Airlines new A350 from Montreal to Istanbul after arriving on Air Canada B787 from Calgary .

Turkish Airlines premium passengers can use either Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge or Air France Lounge in Montreal. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge has a great view across the ramp, and some decent snacks. However, it closes at 9:15 pm and Turkish Airlines flight board around 9:45 pm and departs at 10:45 pm.

a room with chairs and tables in front of a large window

Turkish Airlines A350 Seating

The Turkish Airlines A350 Business Class cabin has an understated luxury silver/grey decor with all-aisle access.

There are 8 rows of Business Class on the new Turkish Airlines A350. They're the same seat as those on the B787 (the same seat is also used by Singapore Airlines regional/medium haul B787-10/A350)

Row 2/4/6/8 are window seat, Row 1/3/5/7 are aisle seat. For the middle couple seat, try row 1/3/5/7.

Turkish Airlines A350 Economy Class has a standard 3-3-3 configuration with the first few rows with extra legroom like Economy Plus. Row 28A and 28K has extra leg room due to no seat in front.

Seatmap of Turkish Airlines A350-900

The mask is no longer mandatory on Turkish Airlines unless the destination requires it.

a man in a chef uniform holding a tray of drinks

Turkish Airlines also provide slipper and a shoe bag, in addition to the amenity kit. The A350 seat has a locker for private storage and mirror.

We departed on time out of Montreal and were one of the last in the evening to fly out. You can see the takeoff action on video here .

an airplane wing with a city in the background

Food and Beverage

Economy Class has the option of fish or ricotta pasta.

For Business Class, it is on-demand dining. I have the Turkish Mezze for the starter.

But I opted to get some sleep. The seat felt excellent in privacy from your own cocoon but it is narrow. My feet are restricted in the smallish footwell which makes it hard to turn.

After a few hours of trying, I could not sleep on this flight. I think the seat was a bit too closed in and the leg space was restricted. I hope this was just a one-off experience as I slept well in the past in similar configuration including on a 1 7 hour delivery flight from Charleston to Singapore on Singapore B787-10 with the exact same seat.

Turkish Airlines Business Class passengers, elite frequent flyers receive free Wi-Fi. The 1GB bandwidth is generous.

We landed on-time after 8 hours 20 mins flight. Istanbul Airport was huge, so we took some time to taxi to the gate. As usual, the camera tail view on the A350 is fantastic.

Pros and Cons

The food and beverage is the highlight on Turkish Airlines flight. There are some good elements of Turkish culture incorporated into the offering. There are no more cut back in service due to the pandemic.
Wi-Fi up to 1GB size in Business Class.
Mask is not mandatory on flights to Turkey. (Subject to destination rules)
The Business Class seat while looks elegant and offer good privacy, it is narrow and feel closed in from the console in front. The legspace can be restricted in full recline.

Hi Sam, Nice review on A350. Last trip (June 2022), I was upgraded to Business class on A350 going home to the Philippines. It was a pleasant trip. Before, Turkish airline is using 777ER from Istanbul to Manila and I also experienced their Business class which is also a good one. Thank you for sharing your review.

Recently flew YVR to JNB via IST, so got to try both the Turkish 777 business class cabin (front facing seats) and the a350 business class cabin (herringbone seats). The hospitality on board the 777 plane is outstanding while the a350 offers more privacy – ideal for solo travelers although there is also a partition that can be moved up and down if you’re traveling with someone else but there are only four sets of seats for couples on the a350 and they are all in center.

Wow the economy meals look better than what the US big 3 serve in business.

Fantastic, we fly from Los Angeles to Istanbul every other year , they use Boeing 777 ER they are very nice , we never tried A350 . Thank you

I enjoy all your reviews and your Turkish Air report was so well produced. A pleasure to watch. I was smiling the whole time you were riding in a hot air balloon. One of my favorite ways to see “wild” territories. Put Kenya on your list for a basket ride. Now that you have a private ticket, you only need 10 hours in type for a balloon endorsement. Always a safe journey… Ric

Hi Sam, thank you for this review – especially as I’ll be flying on this plane next year in business class and only booked my trip last week! The narrow seat shouldn’t be a problem for me as I’m quite short haha. Can’t wait to try it out!

Trip Report: Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class

Flight: TK193 Aircraft Type: A350-900 Class: Business Class Route: IST-GRU Date: October 2021

www.turkishairlines.com

Turkish Airlines has continued to operate throughout the pandemic. In fact, it’s been one of the largest international carriers in Europe for the past 18 months. However, the pandemic also saw the full launch of its A350 operations, which headed to destinations such as Manila, Jakarta and Sao Paulo, meaning that the aircraft was pretty much off limits, meaning a delay to checking out what the A350 now brings to the airline’s already expansive fleet.

Like the 787 , the new product firmly cements the airline’s new strategic direction for business class, which does away with the wide-open cabin. Replacing it is a modern, private product that maximises on the commercial benefits of a staggered forward-facing product – while giving passengers one thing that according to the airline’s research proved was missing – privacy.

On the ground

Turkish Airlines offers a fantastic ground product. We don’t just mean the expansive new airport that it calls home, or its iconic lounges, but also the fact it treats its passengers with a long layover to a range of options, from complimentary hotel stays, tours of the city or even bookable private yacht cruises of the Bosporus.

However, opting not to get an expensive PCR test, and wanting to try out the Yotel at the airport, we stayed airside, meaning our journey started in the Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles lounge.

The main business class lounge was closed and will reopen when demand is enough to operate both. Based on how busy the lounge was when we visited, it’s probably going to happen very soon.

This was our first time in the Miles and Smiles lounge and its identical to the Business Class lounge, just in mirror image. It was still operating normally, with a wide range of food and drink available, but there wasn’t much seating left when we arrived, which was during a peak wave of operations.

The one thing we’d love to see in the lounge, which we think was missing, was champagne. Virtually every other lounge in the world offers this, and it’s our usual go-to tipple pre-flight. That said, there’s still bountiful other options, and before we knew it, it was time to head to the gate any way.

At the gate, boarding was a little chaotic – with many passengers eager to head home to Brazil. Two departures were leaving at gates next to each other at the same time and the queues for both Business Class and economy had somehow amalgamated. But as soon as the ground staff arrived, things eased up and boarding was processed quickly, efficiently and we were headed on the jet bridge to this swanky new bird.

Istanbul uses two airbridges, so we were able to board from the front door of the aircraft. Stepping onboard we were greeted by friendly cabin crew, noticeably with less security passes and paraphernalia, making the crew appear a lot smarter. Being during pandemic, being greeted with masks is a shame, but we were made to feel welcome and on entering the cabin, it was immaculate.

It’s clear to see that Turkish are living up to their brand promise of constant cleaning of aircraft. On every single flight we took on this journey, there was no sign of even a crumb on the seat.

The cabin itself is very similar to the 787. A sea of charcoal seats, offset by the brushed bronze that is the signature colour of the Business Class product. Priestmangoode have done an excellent job in creating a seamless branded experience for Business Class passengers from check-in to cabin. Being the A350 , the cabin is noticeably wider, and even with the overhead bins open, the cabin seems more spacious.

At the rear of the cabin is the Turkish Airlines logo adorned on the monument, which is cleverly illuminated throughout the flight.

If we had boarded through the main entry door, we would have been greeted by the same 3D logo treatment, which is sadly missing on the forward entry area.

The toilets are also more spacious. One of our concerns with the 787 was that with the smaller toilets, there wasn’t much space for your own belongings on the counter tops, partly because the airline offers its passengers an amazing array of Molton Brown toiletries, a signature Eau de Toilette and even a living Ivy plant.

With the A350s though, the space is larger, and there’s plenty of space to stow your amenity kits while freshening up.

The A350 has three toilets for its passengers, however, the rear two sadly were also used quite frequently by economy passengers, meaning for long lines just before landing. One of the rear toilets also is much larger, catering for disabled passengers, and even has a Toto toilet function (not that we used it!).

This is probably the biggest difference between the 787 and the A350. Thanks to a few extra inches, the more snug (yet still perfectly fine) seat on the Boeing aircraft becomes a lot more comfortable. We estimated a couple of inches extra width, both in the footwell and the seat pan.

The seats are configured in a staggered 1 x 2 x 1 layout, with honeymoon seats on odd rows in the centre, perfect for travelling together, but, we believe the even numbered pairs are just as good.

Why? Well, the privacy screens that feature on the seats still appear on the centre seats, meaning you’d have to lean forward to have a conversation even though you were travelling together, and thanks to the cabin being so quiet, it’s just as easy to talk, even if you’re a couple of feet away.

The seat itself has had a couple of upgrades as well. Firstly, they’ve placed a combination lock on the personal storage unit for additional security, although we don’t see why this is needed. Also, the slide-out mirror now tilts, making it usable, something we struggled with on the previous seat.

There’s a range of touch buttons on the console which control the seat and the ambient lighting. There’s even a ‘do not disturb’ function.

There’s plenty of storage available, however, the one element we wish was tweaked, was the inability to charge a device without keeping the storage unit open, as the door was too close to the plug, meaning that even during an overnight period, the light from the storage unit was noticeable.

Pretty much everything about the seat was the same as the 787 except wider, making it a far superior product. It’s certainly not the most expansive business class seat in the skies, but we don’t have any complaints regarding passenger comfort.

The front row seats do benefit from larger footwells thanks to their bulkhead position, and unlike the 787s, don’t have toilets facing on to them, so they could be a good option for those looking for a little more space.

Food & Drink

What was noticeable on our flights is that Turkish Airlines signature element to its Business Class product is most certainly its dining. Having travelled multiple times pre-pandemic, the theatre of the experience is what makes Turkish Airlines’ product so exceptional.

We just missed out on the full dining experience (which has now returned to its long-haul network) which included candlelight dining, welcome drinks, hot towels, plated main courses and of course the ostentatious dessert trolley.

Instead, we got an adapted pandemic-friendly experience, which still included many of Turkish Airlines’ signature elements, such as pre-order, mezze starters, hot breads, but sadly, main courses were pre-plated and served with their heat foil still on them.

However, on request, we still received a glass of champagne during boarding as well as their signature lemonade and mint drink.

The menu design has also changed, more in line with the new branding, with a simplified approach, yet a still expansive wine list, with both Turkish and international wines to try. Being a day flight, there were two main meals, instead of the usual lighter breakfast option that many are used to.

The starter of seafood tasted fresh and light, and a welcome change from the omelette breakfast we had in the lounge.

This was followed quickly by a grilled Turkish style meatball, it was tasty and tender, but certainly it didn’t feel the same without the chef’s magic touch. Turkish Airlines’ onboard chefs are exactly that, chefs. They aren’t cabin crew just in chef’s whites, and it shows, as they truly know how to get the most out of the onboard ovens.

What was a nice treat, was that the airline has now introduced a movie menu, a selection of snacks and nibbles which the crew will bring to you on request during the flight. This is on top of the cheese sandwiches, muffins or other more substantial nibbles you can enjoy on request too.

The crew were incredibly attentive during the flight, constantly going through the cabin and checking on drinks, offering refills and making sure that all the passengers were wearing masks.

The airline also offers a bedding service, and while not always necessary on a day flight, being 13 hours long, this was one that virtually everyone in the cabin enjoyed a power nap. So after the main meal, the crew quickly offered to make up each seat with a mattress protector, and cover the day pillow with a pillow case, and set up the seat with a warm, fluffy blanket.

Before landing, a second meal service was given out, consisting of a cold mezze styte starter including some very tasty beans.

This was followed by a hot, tasty Manti, a traditional Turkish ravioli style dish which is topped with fresh yoghurt. Perhaps my new favourite thing in the world.

Entertainment

Turkish has an excellent entertainment system, which is designed to have a wide range of programming, and, they have many films and tv shows in a variety of languages.

The screen is huge, and perfect for the seat, and naturally touch-screen, however, there’s also a hand controller by your side as well. On the 787s the screens of the controllers, were not intuitively designed, meaning an awkward head tilt to read what was on the screen.

Thankfully on the A350, the screen has been twisted so it’s easier to read, and thankfully the screen is also locked while it’s in its holder, meaning that the accidental knock of it doesn’t pause, skip or turn on the TV during sleep.

Sadly (because of the film studios during the pandemic) there weren’t that many new films, meaning the options for new content was limited, but there were still hundreds of slightly older movies that kept us entertained during both flights.

The airline still also offers the Denon headsets which are comfortable and of an exceptional quality.

What was missing however, was any reading material. No newspapers, magazines or even airline magazines. I was actually trying to find out information about the airline’s route network, products etc on the IFE but sadly there was nothing to find.

The great additional benefit to travelling with Turkish Airlines Business Class however, is the fact that there’s almost unlimited complimentary WiFi, which was relatively fast, pretty reliable and meant I could keep in touch with people on the ground.

Even though we were travelling during the pandemic, Turkish has tried to make the experience as close to normal as possible. This meant we were treated to the headphones, menus and Versace amenity kits on boarding.

We were also given the traditional slippers and shoe bags – and as an added precaution – Business Class hygiene kits, which included more masks, hand sanitiser and sanitising wipes.

We were also treated to the bedding kit which was to the same standard as in the past, as well as an additional day blanket.

These amenities are on top of the toiletries available in the restrooms as well.

In conclusion

It was an impeccable flight, as was the return trip. The crews operating both the outbound and return flights had oodles of personality, charisma, and actually were noticeably more relaxed than flights I have had in the past with the airline. The service was top notch, and more importantly the cabin felt more spacious and the seats were more comfortable. Turkish is certainly still headed in the right direction, and sadly while I just missed out on the return to the normal catering service, it seems that even during the pandemic, they are continuing to evolve and improve their product offering. Do I miss the big comfortable beds that the 777 fleet have, for sure, but do I miss having to jump over my neighbour to get to the aisle, definitely not. Would I recommend Turkish’s A350? Absolutely. It’s certainly one of the best airlines in Europe. You can tell that when you are comparing and contrasting to the likes of Qatar and Singapore to work out how it stacks up, and that in itself is proof enough for me.

The Big Picture

TheDesignAir paid for their tickets for this flight. The views expressed here are our own.

Posted by: Jonny Clark

Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class A350-900 (ATL-IST)

February 9, 2024
8 minute read

In this post: Hide

How i booked my turkish airlines business class ticket, boarding & takeoff, cabin & seats, entertainment & wi-fi, dinner service, breakfast service, arrival in istanbul.

As expected from an airline like Turkish, this was a pleasant flight. The seats were comfortable, the cabin crew was attentive, and the food was top-notch.

And yet, I left disappointed. That’s because I’d booked this flight specifically to fly the A350 that Turkish acquired from Aeroflot back in 2020. Its business class comprises 28 Collins Aerospace Horizon suites, which, in my opinion, is far superior to Turkish Airlines’ current business class offering on its other A350s and, according to those who’ve flown it, among the best business class seats on earth. Sadly, my beloved new A350 was switched out at the eleventh hour for a regular old A350.

Fortunately, the flight was good, albeit not the one I was so looking forward to. Nevertheless, I soldiered on and suffered through Turkish’s phenomenal food and a relatively comfy seat.

Booking Turkish business class through the airline’s frequent flyer program, Miles&Smiles, offers probably the best value of any program on earth. Case in point: I booked this flight from Atlanta to Istanbul (and then on to Athens) for 45,000 miles and $272. That’s roughly the same number of Delta SkyMiles you might pay for an economy flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis.

My flight details were as follows:

Atlanta (ATL) – Istanbul (IST)
Departure: 9:40 PM, January 21
Arrival: 4:25 PM, January 22
Scheduled Flight Time: 10h 45m
Business Class, Seat 4A

I arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson around 6 PM on a flight from Chicago. I’d landed at Concourse A and took the Plane Train over to Concourse F, from which most of the airport’s international flights depart. Once I’d arrived and tried to get into Turkish Airways’ contract lounge, “The Club at ATL,” when I was told that I’d need to exit security and go to the check-in desk in order to get a voucher to enter the lounge. A pretty silly system, but the flight was still several hours away and I wanted to get in a bit of walking beforehand.

80% of check-in desks in the Concourse F check-in hall are devoted to Delta and its partners, while the remaining desks at the far end of the hall serve British Airways, Ethiopian, Qatar, Lufthansa, and Air Canada. Aside from the Turkish Airlines area, the hall was virtually abandoned.

I quickly got my club voucher and went through security. For some reason, the priority lane was closed, but I was still able to breeze through in the PreCheck line. I got back to the Club at ATL and, upon entering, found it crowded, loud, and, despite being the middle of winter, weirdly muggy. The food offerings were pretty grim, and if I had to do it over, I’d opt to sit in the terminal with a coffee instead of walking out and back through security for a voucher.

I was somewhat confused when I looked at the monitors and saw that my flight was listed to depart at 10 PM, despite my ticket showing 9:40. I later found out that the flight was delayed and, rather than indicating the delay on the flight board, they’d simply changed the departure time. It’s always fun to see the various loopholes that airlines use to increase their on-time rates!

I arrived at the gate when boarding was due to start at 9 PM but was told that boarding was delayed because the plane was still being cleaned after the inbound flight’s late arrival, and preboarding began at 9:45.

One interesting thing about this flight was the sheer number of folks requiring wheelchair assistance who pre-boarded. I counted a total of 16—about 10% of total passengers!

a group of people in a room with luggage

After preboarding, which lasted a good 30 minutes, I boarded at 10:15 and had a delicious lemon and mint drink in hand a few minutes later. Around 10:45, flight attendants cleared glasses before we took off at 11.

a row of glasses with different colored drinks

As I lamented at the beginning of this article, this A350 was not the one I’d been hoping for when I booked my ticket. But despite the initial disappointment, it’s not at all a bad product, and I (mostly) enjoyed the seat.

The business class cabin on this Airbus A350-900 is laid out over eight rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. As is relatively common, seats are staggered such that odd-numbered window seats face the aisle while even-numbered window seats face the window. If you’re traveling alone and want greater privacy, those even-numbered seats are miles better. If you’re traveling with a companion, on the other hand, you’ll want to select odd-numbered middle seats (E and F) since those are right up next to each other, while even-numbered middle seats are set farther apart.

The cabin itself is, by and large, a well-designed space that strikes a good balance between sleek and cozy. I like Turkish’s bronze and black color palette a lot, and I think it makes the airline’s business class cabin among the best looking in Europe.

The seats are varying shades of gray and are around 20 inches wide and 76 inches long when fully flat. In what I think was an extremely misguided attempt to create a greater sense of privacy, these seats have a sort of wing (pictured below) that wraps around the top of the seat. The issue here is that the wing a) is on the window side of the seat, thereby obstructing my view and providing no added privacy, and b) seriously restricts arm movement. In effect, this design choice limits the width of the seat without saving Turkish Airlines additional space or giving passengers any additional privacy. Not great.

Let’s take a quick look around the seat. On the right side of the seat is a small storage with a universal power outlet and USB charging port inside. One quirky feature of this seat–something I’ve never seen before–is that this storage area is actually lockable, allowing passengers to set a three-number code on a combination lock. I don’t imagine property crime runs rampant on airplanes, but I suppose a lock might provide some people peace of mind.

On the right side of the seat, just above the armrest, is a row of touch-sensitive seat-control buttons and a touchscreen IFE remote control.

On the left side of the seat, near the top of that wretched wing, is a reading lamp and four control buttons.

In front of each seat is a crisp, 16-inch touchscreen IFE screen.

Nested below the screen is the seat’s tray table. It was quite large and easily accommodated my 16-inch MacBook Air.

The footwell, while not being the most spacious, was big enough to comfortably fit and move around both feet while sleeping.

Turkish Airways’s blue leather Salvatore Ferragamo feels premium and looks good. I also like this. It’s got a flat bottom, which makes it easier to load.

Generally, the socks provided in business class amenity kits are scratchy and single-ply, but those in this kit were thick, comfortable, and the first pair of flight socks I’ll actually hold onto. You’ll also find a pair of earplugs, a sleep mask, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and Ferragamo lip balm, facial mist, and body lotion.

a group of toiletries and toothbrushes on a table

I was also provided a pair of slippers. This is a great touch that more airlines should do–it means passengers don’t have to put their shoes back on everytime they go to the toilet.

Turkish’s entertainment selection may well be the most expansive I’ve ever come across, potentially outmatching even Emirates’ excellent “ICE” IFE system. There were 667 movies on offer, as well as countless TV shows, lots of music, several games, and a great interactive flight map.

The 16-inch IFE screen was crisp and responsive and could be controlled directly via touch or touchscreen remote. These remotes are awesome—they let me browse content and view flight information directly on them without having to exit whatever content I’m viewing on the primary screen.

Turkish business class passengers are provided Denon brand noise canceling headphones. While I don’t like them quite as much as the Bose or Bang and Olufsen headphones you’ll receive in premium classes on other carriers, they’re pretty darn good (and miles better than anything you’ll get on American, Delta, or United).

For me, the highlight of any Turkish Airlines flight is the food, and this flight was no exception. The meal service began with a crewmember in a floppy chef’s hat coming around to take orders, which, though slightly gimmicky, I’ve always found fun and unique.

a woman in a white coat and white hat standing in an airplane

The menu itself looked fairly basic, but the food, as I’ve come to expect on Turkish Airlines, did not disappoint.

For starters, I ordered a selection of mezze, which included hummus, baba ganoush, and roasted vegetables. All were excellent.

Next up was a ginger carrot soup, which was pleasantly sweet and creamy, perfect for dipping bread.

For my main course, I had grilled salmon with grilled zucchini and mashed celeriac. Considering this was airplane salmon, it was good, though I think it would have benefited from some type of sauce.

Finally, for dessert, I had a fig and orange bread pudding in a vanilla custard. I’ve eaten a lot of bread puddings in my day, and this one was as good as or better than any I’ve had on the ground.

I think that Turkish outmatches any other business class on earth when it comes to dining—and that includes the likes of Qatar, Cathay, and ANA. I’ve even found—and this is among my most controversial views—that Turkish business class catering is consistently better than Emirates first class.

Turkish Airlines’ bedding comprises a pillow, mattress pad, and duvet. The mattress pad was, as I’ve found in a lot of business class cabins that offer them, more of a seat cover and provided little additional comfort. Overall, though, the bed was pretty comfortable, and I was able to sleep uninterrupted for around seven hours.

Just before landing in Istanbul, I was offered breakfast. I ordered a fruit salad, which came with yogurt, various cheeses, and sliced turkey. The cabin crew circulated with a bread basket, but I was still pretty full from dinner and decided to forgo more food.

My biggest complaint on this flight is the number of bathrooms. There are just two, which is far too few for the 32 business class passengers on this flight. It seemed that there were also too few lavatories in economy as well since those passengers were consistently coming into business class to use the toilet. All this meant that there was always a line for the facilities, often of four or more passengers.

The lavatories themselves were good. They were kept clean throughout the flight and offered a Molton Brown soap and hand cream. Interestingly, a toilet in the premium economy cabin, which I used when the lines were too long in business, had a bidet function—the first I’ve seen outside of a Japanese carrier. Strangely, this seemed to be the only lavatory in both business and premium economy that had this feature.

a white rectangular object with buttons and icons

Service on this flight was warm and attentive, something I’ve come to expect from Turkish Airlines. The cabin crew seems genuinely pleased to be doing their jobs, a contrast from what I’ve seen on some European and US carriers.

Food was delivered and cleared quickly, and people came through the cabin consistently to top off drinks. All around, the service was excellent.

Shortly after breakfast, we began our descent into Istanbul. It’s an absolutely gorgeous city, and I was treated to some stunning skyline views.

a view of a city from an airplane window

While this particular flight on Turkish Airlines’ A350 business class fell short of expectations due to the last-minute aircraft swap, the overall experience remained enjoyable thanks to the airline’s phenomenal catering, expansive entertainment options, friendly service, and solid hard product.

I wouldn’t hesitate to fly Turkish Airlines business class again, whether (in an ideal world) on the new A350 with the new suites or on other aircraft. The catering is truly world-class and even outshines first class products like Emirates. Minor gripes aside, Turkish remains a top-tier European carrier and, considering the fantastic value you’ll get on award tickets, is one of my favorite airlines to fly.

I fly with Turkish very often and absolutely love their product. However, I wish their crew were a bit more assertive with passengers that don’t follow the rules. Apart from that, everything is really good: they even serve a proper hot meal in economy on a 1-hour international flight, when the likes of British Airways and other major European airlines have followed the paid food route.

I totally agree–their meal service is fantastic. Also, love your blog!

I have flown, in business class with Turkish airlines, 3 times in the last 14 months. All trips were LHR-MNL-LHR. The flights and catering were superb. However, I need a wheelchair from check-in to the plane, as I have trouble walking more than a few yards. I had no problems at Heathrow or Manila, but every time at Istanbul there were no wheelchairs available. When contacting Customer services, no response.

So I will no longer fly with Turkish airlines

I’ve flown a few times in Economy on Turkish Airlines’s A350 and loved it! I’m hoping to use their Business Class this year, finally!

I think that Turkish has some of the best economy food out there. Let me know what you think of its business class fare!

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Review: Turkish Airlines A350 Business Class (IST-LHR)

For the last leg of my itinerary on Turkish Airlines, I flew Turkish Airlines’ A350 business class from Istanbul to London. The A350 features the newest longhaul business class seat that Turkish Airlines introduced in 2019, so upon seeing that they were operating the A350 between Istanbul and London Heathrow, I jumped upon the opportunity to check it out. Turkish Airlines typically flies their A350s to a variety of longhaul destinations across the world, though it’s not uncommon to see A350s scheduled on flights to Europe (Athens, Amsterdam, London, etc.), the Middle East (such as Beirut), or even domestic flights within Turkey.

This review will cover my experience flying Turkish Airlines’ A350 in business class, where I’ll cover my thoughts on the seats, amenities, food, service, WiFi, and other details relevant to my flight.

How I Booked Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class

I booked a cash roundtrip business class ticket from London to Hong Kong, departing from Gatwick and arriving at Heathrow. My itinerary cost a total of £2,480 (~HK$21,810 as of time of writing). This was cheaper than both a direct flight in economy with Cathay Pacific, and the cheapest premium economy option on Lufthansa (which priced at around £2,500).

My itinerary was as follows:

05/09 TK1998 London Gatwick – Istanbul dep. 17:10 arr. 23:10 06/09 TK70 Istanbul – Hong Kong dep. 02:10 arr. 17:25 26/09 TK71 Hong Kong – Istanbul dep. 22:50 arr. 05:15 (+1) 27/09 TK1971 Istanbul – London Heathrow dep. 14:45 arr. 16:45

While there was an earlier flight from Istanbul to London Heathrow also operated by an A350, I decided that I’d maximise my time spent in Istanbul (this came at the expense of a free nap room in Turkish Airlines’ business class lounge at Istanbul Airport , since those are only allocated to passengers with connection times of between four and nine hours – I figured this wasn’t much of an issue since I’d be out in Istanbul anyway, though I definitely was dead tired by the time I boarded this flight).

As Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance carrier, I credited all earned miles to my Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer account.

My Experience Flying Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class

After visiting the Turkish Airlines business class lounge at Istanbul Airport , it was time to catch my flight from gate D10. To my surprise, all passengers on this flight received a full-body pat down, and bags were searched. I believe non-handheld electronics were briefly prohibited on UK-bound Turkish Airlines flights in 2017, and this may have been a remnant of the procedures implemented during those times.

Once I was in the “sterile” gate area (i.e. my boarding pass was scanned, and I was invited to take a seat before boarding the flight), I managed to sneak in a nice view of the A350 that would be taking me to London.

My boarding pass indicated that boarding would start at 1:45 PM, a full hour before departure. While I was already in the sterile gate area before this time, boarding really only started at 2 PM, starting with passengers who needed help, followed by business class passengers.

Turkish Airlines Flight TK1971 Tuesday, September 27, 2022 Origin: Istanbul (IST) Gate: D10 Dep: 14:45 (14:45) Destination: London Heathrow (LHR) Gate: B42 Arr: 16:45 (16:35) Duration: 4 hr (3 hr 55 min) Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 Reg: TC-LGD Seat: 8A (Business Class)

Both the walkway to the jetbridge and the jetbridge itself afforded views of Turkish Airlines’ sleek A350.

Once onboard the Turkish Airlines A350, I asked a cabin crew member if I could photograph the cabin, and she warmly said yes. Another cabin crew member promptly came out from the galley and said “please do not take video, that is forbidden on this flight”. The first cabin crew member had a word with her in Turkish, and she just said “oh okay”, and smiled at me. I wasn’t way too comfortable with taking photos after this, so was a little bit more conservative than usual – my apologies if the quality of my photos reflects this.

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class Cabin and Seat

Turkish Airlines’ A350 business class cabin features 32 staggered business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, spread across 8 rows in a single cabin. The cabin felt stylish, and I liked the wavy patterns throughout the cabin.

The center seats alternated between “honeymoon” seats that were closer together, and seats that were further apart and closer to the aisle. All seats had quite substantial privacy dividers (which cannot be raised or lowered), so in reality you’d still have to learn forward a little bit to chat, even if you were seated in a center “honeymoon” seat.

Meanwhile, seats by the window also alternated between seats closer to the window and seats closer to the aisle. Pictured below is seat 7A, which is closer to the aisle. It’s still plenty private, though there’s a console between you and the window, and you could feel a little exposed in bed mode.

a row of seats with a television on the side

Meanwhile, here’s the seat I picked for this flight, 8A – the window seat in the last row of the cabin. It’s positioned flush against the window with a console closer to the aisle, and the seat is a distance from the aisle, making it more private in bed mode. The concept of a staggered configuration is that the footwell of each seat lies under the console next to the seat in front, in order to maximise space – obviously this wasn’t the case for my seat, since I was in the last row.

After settling into my seat, I had a little look around and explored its features. To my right were some extensive seat controls, featuring a seat recline and fully flat button, a “Do Not Disturb” button, a flight attendant call button, a TV screen on/off button, and reading light adjustment controls. Unlike the older generation 777 seat you couldn’t adjust each individual seat feature, though I never found this to be an issue (as is standard with this configuration, these seats didn’t feature fold-out legrests). The seat controls were touchscreen-style, and I liked the haptic feedback – I also didn’t feel like they were in a position where my elbow would accidentally bump into the controls, despite being worried that this would be the case.

The “Do Not Disturb” button just turned on an indicator by each seat number, and prevent crewmembers from waking you up for meal services, etc..

Storage at this seat was plentiful. To my right was a side table, with a surface large enough for a book, laptop, or to store loose items when sleeping.

Also to my right was a large storage compartment, complete with a universal 110V power port and USB charging port. It’s worth noting that you can lock these compartments, though I never managed to get the keypad to work (and the crew wasn’t very helpful in this regard, despite explaining that I could input any code I wanted). A label advised not to lock up the compartment when something battery-powered was inside.

Next to the storage compartment was a slide-out mirror, which doubled as a privacy partition (not that I particularly needed one, though I can see a few cases where I’d appreciate having a mirror by my seat).

To my left were three separate adjustable reading lights, all of which angled towards different parts of the seat, presumably to help with reading when sitting upright, reclined, and in bed mode.

In front of the seat was a TV screen and footwell. The footwell was spacious (I’ll talk more about the seat in bed mode later) and well-placed as a footrest when lounging, and I appreciated that there was space below the footwell for a bag or backpack during takeoff and landing.

A bi-fold tray table came out of the seat in front, and was large and sturdy, though I couldn’t pivot it in a way where I could leave my seat during meal services.

In addition, I was please to see that this Turkish Airlines A350 featured air nozzles, which were helpful, since the cabin was fairly warm while we were on the ground at Istanbul (and at this point I was trying not to fall asleep).

a overhead light with a sign and a window

Overall this is a great seat for longhaul flying, and a spectacular seat for a four-hour, intra-Europe flight. It’s worth noting that Singapore Airlines uses this exact seat as their regional/mid-haul product, which is absolutely insane – I’d be totally happy with flying a longhaul flight in a seat this private and comfortable, with this much storage. Obviously I had one of the more private seats in the cabin, though all in all this is a quite competitive product ( I say this as someone who’s been stuck in a honeymoon seat next to a stranger in a similar configuration ). Note that there’s an extra car-style shoulder strap that you need to put on during taxi, takeoff and landing.

At the same time, I wouldn’t call this seat industry leading – Qatar Airways still features a better product with their QSuites (which were introduced before these seats were) , and generally I still believe that reverse herringbone seats ( with / without door ) feature a greater degree of space and privacy. Keep in mind that Turkish Airlines inherited a few A350s from Aeroflot, which do feature doors in business class – equipment swaps between the two A350s do happen, though they tend to be scheduled on specific routes .

I’d note that despite being less than two years old, these seats were already starting to show signs of wear and tear – what a shame!

Also, while I loved the privacy of being cocooned in the back corner of the cabin, it’s worth noting that the overhead bin above my seat was used as a storage area for crew. This meant that I had reduced overhead bin storage, and there was a fair bit of foot traffic as the crew retrieved things inflight. I didn’t mind either of these things, since I only had a backpack (which fit under the footwell) and the crew were friendly, though even under those conditions I might possibly pick seat 8K next time, or a seat a bit further forward in the cabin.

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class Amenities

At my seat was a plush pillow (the same pillow used on longhaul flights, sans pillowcase), and I also requested a day blanket. The pillow was great, and I was quite happy with the blanket on this short flight.

Here’s a picture of the headphones provided on my A321neo flight (which were identical to those provided on this flight, though I forgot to take a picture):

No amenity kits were offered on this short four-hour flight.

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class Entertainment System

While I didn’t check out the entertainment system until the end of the flight, I’ll mention it here for continuity, as the entertainment system was working gate-to-gate. Turkish Airlines features a revamped entertainment system on their A350s, with a large touchscreen TV featuring a wide selection of movies and TV shows.

The selection was excellent, and in particular I enjoy that seasons of TV shows were uploaded (though I spotted a few where not the entire season was uploaded, which would’ve been quite annoying).

There’s also the ability to watch live TV (BBC World News, etc.) on the A350.

My favourite part of the entertainment system by far was the stunning, high-resolution tail camera on the A350, and I tuned in upon taxi, takeoff and landing. The moving map was also more interactive than its 777 counterpart.

Furthermore, there’s a touchscreen handheld controller tucked underneath the seat controls, which was easy to navigate, and allowed me to select the movies/TV shows I wanted to watch. As aforementioned, I was also able to turn off the TV screen via the seat control panel, which I appreciated.

As I’d mentioned in reviews of previous flights, Turkish Airlines’ entertainment system selection was unexpectedly excellent, and you’re unlikely to get bored on Turkish Airlines even if you’re not planning to buy onboard WiFi (more on that later).

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class Pre-Departure Service

As was consistent with my other flights on Turkish Airlines, service was performed front-to-back on this flight. This meant that as somebody in the back row, I was last to be offered a pre-departure beverage, about 20 minutes after I boarded. Despite this, I was happy to receive my first choice of drink, which was a refreshing mint lemonade (the other options on offer were water, orange juice, and raspberry lemonade).

The crew also handed out menus at this point.

Taking Off from Istanbul Airport

Boarding was fairly rushed, and especially being seated just ahead of door L2, I heard the crewmembers as they directed economy class passengers towards right and left aisles. I’d estimate that boarding was completed around 25-30 minutes after it started, at around 2:30 PM.

By this point I’d already turned on the tail camera for entertainment (if I squinted hard enough I’d probably be able to see the passengers in the terminal about to board our plane, though I didn’t).

The safety video played at about 2:40 PM, and I found it cute that it was played on both the main TV screen and the handheld monitors.

The captain also came onto the PA to announce our flying time of 3 hours and 5 minutes, and warned that the initial climb out would be bumpy before a smooth remainder of the flight. He also advised that the weather at Heathrow would be quite cloudy.

We pushed back at 2:45 PM. The windows by my seat were obstructed by the jetbridge during the boarding process, but once we pushed back I was able to see the Turkish Airlines A330 headed to Boston parked next to us.

On our way to the runway I also spotted an Aeroflot 777, which you won’t find in many other places around the world nowadays.

Due to the slight “fisheye” effect of the tail camera, I was also able to see the Aeroflot plane in the periphery on my personal TV screen.

Our taxi to the gate took 10 minutes maximum, though for whatever reason we held short of runway 18 for a good 20 minutes as a series of planes landed ahead of us. Specifically, four Turkish Airlines planes landed on the runway before we were cleared for takeoff – these were an A321neo from Nice, an A321 from Stuttgart, a 787 from Atlanta, and an A330 from Copenhagen. From my left window seat, I had nice views of all of these aircraft as they conducted their final approach.

Eventually it was our turn, and we lifted off at 3:10 PM, 25 minutes after our scheduled departure time.

a screen showing an airplane landing on a runway

I had nine stunning hours in Istanbul (including time at the airport, travel to/from the airport, etc. – I probably spent a total of 2.5 hours properly in the city), and I can’t wait to spend more time here. A lot of my friends regard Istanbul as their favourite city in the world, and I can see why – even in my really short time there I felt like there was so much to do, and the people were so friendly. These musings crossed my mind as our climb out and left turn over the airport afforded views of the country’s northern coastline, despite not actually having any views over Istanbul itself, as the city was on the other side from our flight path.

an airplane wing with a large engine and a landscape

We reached a calibrated altitude of 40,000 feet, and stayed there until our descent into Heathrow.

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class WiFi

WiFi took a good 15 minutes to start working on this flight (Turkish Airlines isn’t one of the airlines that turns on WiFi the second you hit cruising altitude), though I was able to connect shortly afterwards.

One of the USPs of flying Turkish Airlines business class is that they offer 1 GB of free WiFi to business class passengers. Turkish used to offer unlimited WiFi for all passengers, so this seems stingier, at least on the surface; however, Turkish’s WiFi was renownedly unusable before they started charging for it, due to how much bandwidth was stretched out. On all four of my flights, no flight took up more than 75% of the data provided, despite my flights to Hong Kong being over ten hours ( and I was on my phone a fair bit, since I couldn’t sleep well ).

The allocation of data varies both by class of service and elite status:

Business class passengers with Miles & Smiles elite status get unlimited free WiFi
Business class passengers get 1 GB of free WiFi
Economy class passengers with Miles & Smiles elite status get 400 MB of free WiFi
Economy class passengers with a Miles & Smiles account get 10 MB of free WiFi (at that point, why bother?)

If you’re flying economy class without a Turkish Airlines frequent flyer account and/or you’ve used up your allowance, the pricing is as follows:

20 MB of WiFi costs US$2.99
50 MB of WiFi costs US$4.99
100 MB of WiFi costs US$7.99
250 MB of WiFi costs US$14.99
500 MB of WiFi costs US$24.99

This pricing is just about standard for airline WiFi – while it’s annoying that Turkish Airlines prices WiFi based on data usage, at least 500 MB (or 1 GB, for that matter) is a decent amount of WiFi.

The portal to purchase WiFi/enter my seat details would always take a while to load, and occasionally required reloading the page several times; however, once the WiFi started working, speeds measured 6.07 Mbps down and 4.08 Mbps up, with a ping of 787 ms (this is quite good for airline speeds). WiFi worked for the entire time that the plane was at cruising altitude, and only cut off just ahead of our final descent.

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class Recline and Bed Mode

While we were warned of a bumpy ride as we climbed out of Istanbul, this wasn’t our actual experience, and the entire flight was quite smooth. I took the opportunity to check out the seat in its preset reclined position, as well as bed mode.

The reclined position was comfortable, and unless you’re overly tall or overly short, you should be able to comfortably use the footwell as a footrest.

I found the seat to be very spacious in bed mode, and the seat was also well-padded.

I was wondering whether I’d actually prefer the airline’s older generation seat for sleeping, since that seat didn’t require putting my feet into a footwell. However, I had no issues moving around in this seat when lying down, and there was plenty of room for my feet. Obviously you won’t be able to make snow angels or literally “kick back” while relaxing, though I didn’t find the footwell to be an issue at all.

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class Meal Service

The meal service started (and ended) with a hot towel, which was presented to me about 20 minutes after takeoff.

At this point the meal service started. The menu read as follows:

Turkish Airlines uses trays on shorthaul flights (and caters main courses with trolleys), unlike their longhaul flights, where they serve food directly onto your tray table. This probably made the meal service more efficient at the expense of personalisation, though our trays with appetisers were brought to us without the use of a trolley.

The appetiser was a smoked salmon and celeriac salad, which wasn’t phenomenal, but was perfectly fine. I was served this course 20 minutes into the meal service.

15 minutes later my appetiser was cleared and I was served my main course by trolley. “Manti” (Turkish ravioli) is one of Turkish Airlines’ signature dishes, and I did indeed think it was delicious, though it was presented more simplistically than it would’ve been on a longhaul flight (I noted the absence of yoghurt, etc.). I also wondered whether the reheating process was less refined on shorthaul flights (since the top of the manti seemed to dry out in the heat of the oven, which I don’t think should’ve happened), though it was super delicious nonetheless.

Dessert was a decadent mousse served with the appetiser – DO&CO never fails to impress even with the simplest of desserts. In addition there was a salad and cheese plate, and I had an “energy tea” to go with my meal. The meal service wrapped up at around 4:15 PM Turkey time, an hour and 30 minutes after departure.

Even on shorthaul flights, Turkish Airlines doesn’t fail to impress with catering – not only was the meal service elaborate, but I thoroughly appreciated the Turkish elements of the meal. This wasn’t just limited to the main course, but the drinks menu also featured Turkish teas and wines, Turkish coffee, as well as ayran.

Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class Lavatory

After the meal service I had the chance to check out the lavatory, which was clean and featured Molton Brown toiletries.

Having slept 10 cumulative hours in the past 3 days…

…I just returned to my seat and reclined it into bed mode, and slept like a baby for two hours. We continued cruising for a couple of hours, and there weren’t any on-demand snacks on offer on this shorthaul flight. Given that it was already late in Hong Kong, I hadn’t slept much on my overnight flight to Istanbul , and I had evening plans, I figured knocking myself out for the rest of the flight was a very good use of my time.

I ended up waking up about an hour before landing, which meant that I’d napped (well) for an hour or so. I spent the rest of the flight browsing on my phone using the inflight WiFi while lying down – I was definitely tired.

Landing into Heathrow Airport

Around 45 minutes before landing, the captain came back onto the PA to announce an approximate 4:30 PM arrival time, and noted that it was cloudy at Heathrow, with a temperature of 13°C. As per usual, around 25 minutes later the cabin was prepared for landing, and cabin crew were instructed to take their seats.

It was a beautiful day above parts of England, though sadly this wasn’t true of rainy London (the weather did clear up later that evening).

While those seated on the right side had great views of the city, views on the left side were restricted to Streatham, Clapham and Richmond (not the most exciting places in Greater London – I say this as someone who frequents these places, and lives in equally unexciting Fulham).

When the rain started obstructing the photos I could take out of the window, I switched to the tail camera, which had cool views of Heathrow and the runway.

We touched down into Heathrow Airport’s runway 27L at 4:30 PM local time, and made our way towards Terminal 2, where we’d be arriving. On the way I saw an Air France A319, as well as a stunning Virgin Atlantic A350 parked at Terminal 3.

I also saw the A350 that had left Istanbul an hour earlier (this is the flight I would’ve taken if I wasn’t planning to spend time exploring Istanbul).

We made it to gate D42 at 4:35 PM, and deplaning began shortly after. We deplaned through a single jetbridge, which meant that I was able to catch a final view of of the A350 from the jetbridge window.

D42 was one of the gates furthest from the immigration hall, and it seemed like an Air India 787 and Ethiopian Airlines 777 arrived at approximately the same time, so I tried to pace it to immigration before the line lengthened. This actually worked well – the line for non-e-gate eligible passports lengthened significantly about five minutes after I joined the queue, and I only lined up for about 25-30 minutes before having my passport stamped, whereas I imagine I’d have had to wait significantly longer if I walked slowly. 25-30 minutes would be considered long for any other airport, but my standards are very low for Heathrow – this is one of the reasons I’m planning on joining the Registered Traveller Service .

My suitcase was already on the carousel by the time I arrived, but hilariously I had to wait an extra 30 minutes for the 5.5 kg of Turkish delight I’d checked in, which fed out in the “oversize baggage collection” conveyor belt.

Conclusion: Turkish Airlines’ A350 Business Class

Turkish Airlines’ A350 features a competitive business class seat, and even amongst similar staggered configurations, I found the seat to be comfortable and very well designed. The food and beverage offerings on this flight were also great, and the entertainment system and free WiFi were also very solid offerings.

I’ve mentioned before that comparing Turkish Airlines against its competitors is slightly complicated, as the airline competes with the ME3 (Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad) for hub-and-spoke travel, as well as European airlines for intra-European travel. Obviously this was a spectacular product for a four-hour intra-Europe flight, considering intra-European business class often just consists of economy class seats with a blocked middle seat ; however, even amongst the ME3, Turkish Airlines’ A350 competes well against the best of Emirates and Qatar’s seats (I haven’t flown Etihad before). Keep in mind that most intra-Europe flights on Turkish Airlines are operated by (still very good) narrowbody aircraft with recliner seats in business class , though Middle Eastern airlines can often operate similarly inferior products to secondary European destinations as well.

This particular flight featured Turkish Airlines’ shorthaul service structure, which was very, very good, especially among European airlines. The ME3 do feature more elaborate service structures on their European flights – that’s fair enough since those flights are longer, though you might want to take that into consideration when booking hub-and-spoke travel on either of these four airlines.

Turkish Airlines’ longhaul business class service is industry-leading, so I’d imagine when paired with this hard product, the A350/787 would be a joy to fly longhaul in business class.

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Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class Review [ORD to IST]

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Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class Review [ORD to IST]

Booking turkish airlines business class, chicago o’hare international airport (ord), on board the turkish airlines airbus a350-900, arrival at istanbul airport, final thoughts.

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Airline : Turkish Airlines (TK) Aircraft : Airbus A350 (THY84U) Flight # : TK186 Route : Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Istanbul Airport (IST) Date : January 12, 2024 Duration : 10 hours, 20 minutes Cabin and Layout : Business class, 28 seats, 1-2-1 configuration Seat : 7K Cost : 31,500 Turkish Miles&Smiles miles or from $4,292 cash

Turkish Airlines is well-known for its fantastic service and top-notch inflight catering. This is especially true for those flying on long-haul Turkish Airlines flights in business class.

Having already flown some of the best business class products available, I wanted to give Turkish Airlines a shot. I had an idea of how this experience would go. However, there were a few pleasant surprises on this flight.

Let’s look at how I booked this award ticket and the entire flight experience, including check-in, the inflight service, the numerous amenities, the business class cabin, and the seat itself.

With Turkish Airlines being part of Star Alliance , there are several options for booking Turkish Airlines business class. Some popular programs for booking Star Alliance partner awards include Air Canada Aeroplan , Avianca LifeMiles , and United Mileage Plus .

Of course, you could also book through Turkish Airlines’ loyalty program, Miles&Smiles . This is the method I chose as the Turkish Airlines award chart has some sweet spots, with business class awards between North America and Europe being one of them.

On top of that, in late December 2023, Turkish Airlines had an incredible promo for Miles&Smiles members where award tickets could be booked for 30% fewer miles .

According to Turkish Airlines’ zone-based award chart , one-way awards between North America and Europe can be booked for 45,000 miles. With the promo, I was able to snag this award for just 31,500 miles one-way.

Turkish J award ORD IST 31500 miles redemption

As you can imagine, this promo made a sweet spot even sweeter. Many airlines price one-way economy awards between North America and Europe for more than what I paid for this business class seat.

Interested in booking a Turkish Airlines business class award? Check out our step-by-step guide on the best ways to book Turkish Airlines business class with points !

Although the Turkish Airlines website is not the best for looking up Star Alliance award space, it is a good option for strictly Turkish Airlines awards. I was able to find award space on the very first date I searched.

My schedule was quite flexible so I decided to go ahead and book the award immediately. Since I didn’t have the necessary miles in my Miles&Smiles account, I would need to transfer some points over.

Turkish Miles&Smiles is a transfer partner of several transferable points programs , including Bilt Rewards , Capital One Miles , Citi ThankYou Rewards , and Marriott Bonvoy . All of the programs, except Marriott Bonvoy, transfer at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a rate of 3:1, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.

The one-way business class fare from Chicago to Istanbul would have set me back $4,292 if I’d paid cash. Since I used just 31,500 Turkish miles for this one-way award, I got an astounding 13.6 cents per point !

This is significantly higher than our valuation of 1.3 cents for Turkish miles.

I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve ® to pay the taxes and fees for this award ticket, which came out to just under $286. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is my go-to card for travel as it provides an extensive range of travel insurance and protections .

The morning of my flight turned out to be a hectic one, as most of the Chicago area was placed under a winter weather advisory earlier in the morning.

A few minutes after getting in my Lyft, I got a text message stating that the flight was delayed an hour and 20 minutes. Since the roads were in bad shape, I decided to continue to the airport. The normally 25-minute ride from the northwest suburbs took about an hour.

If you’re heading to O’Hare from the city, the CTA Blue Line provides a direct connection to the airport, making it a great option to beat the usually heavy traffic.

Although I was able to check in online the day prior, I was unable to get my boarding passes. This meant I would have to stop by the check-in counters.

Turkish Airlines flies out of Terminal 5 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport , as do most international flights. Its counters are near the end of the check-in hall for departures.

Turkish had 4 check-in counters for economy passengers and 2 for business class and Star Alliance Gold passengers.

Although the flight was delayed by almost an hour and a half, the check-in counters were quite busy with several families lined up. For business class, there was a queue for about 5 minutes.

As I made my way to the check-in counter, I was greeted by a smiling Turkish Airlines agent who informed me that the flight was delayed as many passengers were not notified through text or e-mail.

The agent then asked if I had any checked bags and promptly handed me my boarding pass.

I was also given a separate pass that granted me access to the Swissport Lounge near gate M7, as Turkish does not have its own lounge at O’Hare. Having been to the Swissport Lounge a few times in the past, I decided just to head in to get a coffee.

Swissport Lounge

The Swissport Lounge is quite poor overall and not worth going out of your way to get into. The lounge is a member of the Priority Pass network, though it’s known to refuse Priority Pass members with frequency . In fact, I have been denied to the Swissport Lounge on 4 separate occasions when flying out of Terminal 5 in a non-premium cabin.

The lounge has outdated furniture and seating for 25 to 30 people. The lounge doesn’t have a single window, making it feel even more chaotic. Power outlets are incredibly hard to come by inside and worst of all, the Swissport Lounge does not even have a bathroom . You need to exit the lounge and use the public restrooms in Terminal 5.

This is a lounge used by several airlines for business class passengers, including those flying on Qatar Airways and EVA Air. It’s a shame that business class passengers on certain airlines do not have another lounge option.

With how hectic the morning was, I just wanted to have a seat. Unfortunately, the lounge did not provide that so I decided to head to a nearby gate with no departure flight.

The Swissport Lounge is located after security near M13 and is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Priority Pass notes that access may be limited particularly from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Boarding at ORD

After finishing my coffee, I headed to gate M20 where my flight was scheduled to depart.

From one of the windows near the gate, I was able to see the Airbus A350 that would be taking me nearly 5,500 miles to Istanbul.

My flight was supposed to depart at 11:35 a.m. but was delayed until 12:55 p.m. However, when I made it to the gate, it was announced that the cabin crew was still not onboard. They arrived at the gate at 12:40 p.m.

Although it’s customary for international flights to board 1 hour before departure, the boarding process was a bit delayed. Turkish was a bit disorganized when it came time to board, however, agents were strict on only letting business class passengers and those who needed assistance to board first.

Boarding was completed in under 25 minutes which was quite surprising given the number of passengers. We started taxing right at 1:20 p.m.

As I boarded the A350 through Door 2, I was met with a pleasant surprise. The business class cabin was not what I had been accustomed to seeing for Turkish’s A350-900s.

This aircraft was one of Turkish Airlines’ handful of A350s that were originally intended to be flown by Russian airline Aeroflot. Aeroflot placed an order for 22 Airbus A350-900s — though only 7 were delivered. However, due to economic sanctions, Aeroflot was no longer able to take delivery of these planes. Turkish Airlines stepped in and took over these planes.

As I made my way on board, I was genuinely excited as the cabin was nothing like I expected.

This particular A350 configuration consisted of 28 seats in total, spread across 7 rows in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. This ensures that each passenger has direct aisle access . This is a very welcome feature since many of Turkish Airlines’ wide-body aircraft (particularly its Boeing 777s) feature a 2-3-2 or 2-2-2 layout in business class.

For even more privacy, each seat features a sliding door that makes the seat a proper suite when the door is closed.

The seat configuration varies a bit depending on which row you are seated in. For the middle section, seats in odd-numbered rows are closer to each other. These are ideal for those traveling together.

However, these seats are a good option even if you’re traveling alone thanks to a privacy divider. Seats in the even-numbered rows are closer to the aisle.

For the window seats, those in even-numbered rows are closer to the windows and farther from the aisle, making these the best options for solo travelers .

These A350s feature the Collins Aerospace Horizon product, which is unique as Turkish is currently the only airline featuring this cabin . The cabin was visually appealing and the decision to remove the overhead bins in the center made it feel even more spacious.

Although I had selected seat 7K, the flight attendants let me know that I was okay to take any empty seat as the business cabin was only half full. I decided to stay in my seat, and although it was relatively close to the galley, the noise didn’t bother me at all.

Business Class Seat

As soon as I sat down, I began exploring everything the seat had to offer. One of the first things I noticed was that there was a good amount of space in the footwell .

And when seated, there was also plenty of privacy. Even with the door open, I could not see the passenger sitting across the aisle from me thanks to the divider.

When it came to storage, this seat excelled. There was an enclosed storage compartment that even featured a mirror. This provided enough space for me to store most of my electronics as well as my passport and wallet. However, I was unable to fit my MacBook in the storage compartment.

Below the storage compartment, there was the AC power outlet, a single USB-A outlet, and the headphone jack.

The seat controls were located right at the edge of the counter next to the seat, in what I think was a not-so-great position. There were a total of 5 controls including a “do not disturb” button.

Since there was no armrest on the left side of the seat, I would find myself resting my arm on the counter. This was frustrating as I accidentally hit the recline button several times throughout the flight.

The controller for the inflight entertainment screen was located right below the seat controls. However, since the seat featured a touchscreen, I did not use the controller once.

The controller was also poorly placed as I repeatedly hit the power button with my elbow.

Across from the storage compartment, there was a closet that was wide enough for me to hang some clothes. However, it was too shallow to hold anything besides my sweater.

The tray table was also placed interestingly. It was located just above the footwell and folded outwards at an angle. Overall, though, the tray table was relatively spacious.

Shortly after takeoff, I was able to close my suite’s door. The door provided a ton of privacy, on par with some of the best business class seats in the world , including Qatar’s Qsuite.

The seat also reclined into a fully flat bed. The mattress pad fit perfectly over the seat.

Turkish J A350 2024 bed lie flat with just mattress pad

Turkish also provided a pillow along with bedding. The materials used for both were excellent.

Turkish J A350 2024 bed with pillow and covers

Overall, the seat was comfy and spacious. There was a ton of privacy thanks to the dividers and sliding door. There was ample storage next to the seat. However, there wasn’t a great place to keep my camera and laptop bag.

Overall, this was a thoroughly modern, comfortable, and practical business class seat, and I’m very pleased I got to try it out on my flight!

Food and Beverage

Without a doubt, the inflight catering was the thing I was looking forward to most during this flight, as Turkish Airlines has a reputation for serving some of the best food in the sky — the airline even boasts an onboard chef!

The chef came by and introduced himself and provided me with the menus for the flight. The flight would feature an entire lunch course and a breakfast shortly before landing, as well as snacks whenever I wanted.

A separate wine and Champagne menu was also provided. Selections were available from numerous regions across Türkiye, France, and Spain.

Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendants started the lunch service. They first came to each business class passenger and offered beverages.

I started with a homemade lemonade with fresh mint and a Coke Zero. The beverages were accompanied by an assortment of nuts that featured almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.

I then ordered my appetizers. The flight attendants allowed for multiple selections from the trolley. These included an octopus salad, marinated prawns, and smoked salmon.

I was also offered some creamy tomato soup with croutons , which was among the best soups I’ve ever had.

Shortly after, the flight attendants brought out the main course. I went with the steak and arugula salad with roasted potatoes . I was even provided with ketchup and mayonnaise packets for the potatoes. The steak tasted fantastic and was plenty filling.

After the immaculate appetizers and main course, it was time for dessert. I went with the potpourri of traditional Turkish delights and a berry almond cake with vanilla sauce . I was even provided with a fresh fruit salad.

The traditional Turkish pastries were among the best I ever had and made me want to get some more as soon as I landed in Istanbul.

Turkish J A350 2024 turkish delights snacks

A few hours after lunch, I requested some snacks from the snack bar menu.

From the snack menu, I ordered some dried strawberries (although they were not listed on the menu), homemade savory cookies, chocolate, and potato chips.

The chocolate came in the form of a Snickers and Twix bar, which disappointed me slightly. The potato chips were also just a small container of Pringles. Regardless, it was nice to have something to snack on while I watched a movie.

About an hour and a half before landing, the flight attendants began serving breakfast. Breakfast started a wide selection, including a fresh fruit salad, a mix of chicken breast and smoked turkey slices, an assortment of cheese, and some yogurt.

Turkish J A350 2024 breakfast food platter

I could also choose between a mozzarella and tomato omelet or French toast with vanilla sauce and mixed berry compote . I went with the French toast, which was great — although it was a bit too sweet.

Turkish J a350 2024 french toast breakfast

Overall, the food was superb, the selection was expansive, and because the cabin was only half full, they had enough of everything and allowed me to sample many different items.

The entire experience lived up to the hype. In my opinion, the catering was on par with first class meals I have had with ANA and Japan Airlines.

I was thoroughly impressed with the amenities Turkish Airlines provided for its business class passengers.

Inflight Entertainment

Although I didn’t use the IFE much during the flight, it’s still nice to have. The screen measured 18 inches and had a high resolution. There was a good selection of movies and U.S. TV shows as well as numerous Turkish dramas.

Turkish also provided Denon noise-canceling headphones . Although I didn’t use them — I was set with my AirPods — they did feel quite sturdy and comfortable.

Amenity Kit

Turkish also provided a Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit. The pouch was a high-quality leather-like material and felt luxurious. Amenity kits can be hit or miss, but this one felt like something of value.

The amenity kit was well-stocked and included thick socks, an eye mask, a dental kit featuring a toothbrush and toothpaste, ear plugs, and some Salvatore Ferragamo-branded body products (body lotion, lip balm, and facial mist).

Turkish Airlines also provided business class passengers with slippers, which proved to be useful when heading to the lavatory.

Turkish Airlines also provided onboard Wi-fi for passengers, with 1 GB of data complimentary for business class passengers . The Wi-Fi was surprisingly fast and was good enough for some light browsing and messaging. I did multiple speed tests and was able to get download speeds of up to 16 Mbps.

Connecting was easy — all I needed to do was enter my last name and seat number.

The business class experience on Turkish Airlines was simply incredible. A big part of that came down to the service of the courteous and professional cabin crew.

The flight attendants put a lot of effort into the meal presentation and worked hard to make sure I enjoyed my experience. They were also personable and tried their best to make the experience feel personalized. It was evident that Turkish Airlines takes pride in its service.

Although we left Chicago almost 2 hours after our originally scheduled departure time, we arrived in Istanbul just 45 minutes after our scheduled arrival time.

With how large Istanbul’s new airport is, we had a relatively long taxi time of approximately 20 minutes.

As we were pulling into our arrival gate, I was able to take a picture of this Boeing 777-300ER parked at the next gate. I was happy to have flown on the A350 as most of Turkish’s 777s feature an outdated business class cabin.

I wanted to experience Turkish’s business class lounge in Istanbul, which is currently the biggest lounge in the world. However, I had a relatively quick connection as my onward flight to Madrid was scheduled to depart in an hour.

This experience in Turkish Airlines business class was phenomenal — it was everything I expected it to be. The food, the service, and the business class cabin and seat were all fantastic. It goes to show how much Turkish prides itself on being one of the best airlines in the world.

The fact that I was able to book this ticket for 30% fewer miles (all thanks to a Turkish Miles&Smiles promotion) made this experience that much better. For just 45,000 miles, flying between the U.S. and Europe is a fantastic deal. For just under 32,000 miles, it’s absolutely a no-brainer.

I was fortunate enough to try out a cabin I wasn’t expecting to fly. I cannot wait to fly business class with Turkish Airlines again. While I would be happy to fly in this cabin again, I do want to try the configuration found onboard Turkish’s other A350s so I can see how they stack up to one another.

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turkish airlines airbus a350 business class cabin flight review

Review: Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class

This review covers my Turkish Airlines business class flight on the Airbus A350 from Bucharest (OTP) to Istanbul (IST).

Flight to Istanbul

When I started to plan and book my trip to England , little did I know that I would find myself standing in front of the check-in counter of a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.

I was actually booked on a direct British Airways flight from Bucharest to London, but when that flight got cancelled and BA didn’t provide any rebooking options within a week, I had to arrange an alternative flight myself and claim back the costs.

Instead of my original flight to London, I booked a last-minute Turkish Airlines business class flight to Birmingham via Istanbul.

It was quite a lot of last-minute stress, but now that I stood at the airport in front of the check-in desk I could at least look forward to the experience.

After all, Turkish Airlines arguably offers a much better business class product than British Airways on intra-European flights.

That was certainly the case for the first of my two flights, as the short Bucharest to Istanbul leg was operated by a proper widebody plane – an Airbus A350.

Although I have flown Turkish Airlines numerous times before in both business and economy class (Turkish Miles&Smiles is also my Star Alliance frequent flyer programme of choice, in which I hold gold status) it marked my first time on their Airbus A350.

turkish airlines business class check-in desk

Bucharest Otopeni Airport

The queues at Bucharest Otopeni Airport are always light in the evening and I was through security and passport control in no time.

There are two business lounges at Bucharest Airport, namely the TAROM Business Lounge and the MasterCard Lounge .

Both airport lounges have identical facilities and food and beverage offerings, but as the MasterCard Lounge has much better views over the apron this is where I usually head to.

I enjoyed an Ursus beer and did some planespotting while I waited for the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 to arrive.

Boarding for my flight to Istanbul started on time, with business class passengers and Star Alliance gold members being asked to come forward first for priority boarding.

It’s always a cool sight when you see a widebody plane at the gate for your short-haul European flight.

In addition to the Airbus A350, Turkish Airlines frequently operates the Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 on the route to Bucharest, alongside narrow-body planes like the Airbus A321.

Turkish Airlines has plenty of other European routes that are frequently operated by a widebody plane, such as London Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt and Athens.

boarding gate turkish airlines bucharest airport

Bucharest (OTP) to Istanbul (IST) Turkish Airlines – Flight TK1046 – Airbus A350-900 Plane registration number: TC-LGD Business Class – Seat 6A Departure: 10pm – Arrival: 11.20pm Flight time: 1h20m – D istance: 265 miles

Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 cabin

As I stepped into the business class cabin of the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350, I was impressed by its elegant and contemporary looks due to the grey-and-black colours used on the seats and bulkhead.

The business class cabin on the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 features 32 seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring direct aisle access for every seat.

The business class seats are all staggered, with the window seats in the even rows being located closer to the window and separated from the aisle by a side console, while the seats in the odd-numbered rows are located closer to the aisle.

If you are travelling alone, my pick of the seats would therefore be one of the true window seats in the even-numbered rows, as you will have more privacy and less disturbance from crew or passengers walking along the aisle.

The seats in the middle section are also staggered, with those in even-numbered rows being spaced further apart, while the seats in the odd-numbered rows are right next to each other, and therefore would be the pick of the bunch if you are travelling with your partner or a close friend.

Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 business class seat

The Turkish Airlines business class seats on the Airbus A350 are all cocooned in a hard shell, which on the inside is covered with some fine-patterned fabric that give it an elegant look.

Although these business class seats aren’t fully enclosed and don’t have sliding doors, they still offer a lot of privacy as due to the shell you won’t easily make eye-contact with other passengers.

The business class seat on the Airbus A350 felt quite spacious too and there was enough room to wiggle your feet around in the footwell, which didn’t feel restricted at all.

Of course, the seat turns into a fully flat bed, with plenty of space to sleep in whatever position you prefer.

In the compartment above your side console you can find headphones, as well as conveniently located power outlets (both a power socket and USB charging port).

This compartment also offers plenty of space to store some small personal belongings, such as your passport or glasses.

It also features a fold-out mirror, which is a nice touch.

The seat control were responsive and easy to use as well.

Overall, I was perfectly satisfied with the comfort of my seat, and it was a pity I could only enjoy it on this one-hour flight instead of a proper long-haul.

turkish airlines business class seat airbus a350

Pre-departure service

Shortly after the first business class passengers had settled into their seats, one of the crew members came by with refreshment towels.

There was also a pre-departure beverage service, with the choice of drinks being between freshly squeezed orange juice, lemonade with mint, and water.

The mint lemonade served by Turkish Airlines is a personal favourite of mine, and I almost always opt for it as my pre-departure drink of choice because it is so refreshing.

The load in business class was relatively light today, as there were only six other passengers or so in the forward cabin.

We departed from the gate on schedule and swiftly taxied to the runway, which at Bucharest Otopeni Airport is just a short distance away.

As it was already dark, there wasn’t much of a view from the window.

Fortunately, the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is equipped with cameras on the tail, as well as at the front and underneath the fuselage.

You can therefore watch how the plane takes off on your in-flight entertainment screen.

Meal service

Although the flight time between Bucharest and Istanbul was one hour and 20 minutes on paper, in reality the actual time spent in the air is much shorter.

The actual flying time can be as low as 45 minutes, depending on the exact flight path.

It’s therefore highly impressive that Turkish Airlines manages to do a full meal service in business class on this extremely short international flight.

Unless you have requested a special meal in advance, there is no choice of meal, as everyone in business class is served the exact same dish.

When it comes to drinks, you can choose out of a selection of juices, teas, coffee, soft drinks, as well as alcoholic beverages.

Beer, white, red and sparkling wine, rakı, as well as liqueurs and other strong alcoholic drinks are all available in Turkish Airlines business class on intra-European flights.

You can see the full menu for my business class flight from Bucharest to Istanbul below.

The meal, which was served on a single tray, was served almost immediately after we reached cruising altitude.

Dinner consisted out of a selection of Turkish meze, cucumber yoghurt, sea bass and julienne vegetables en papillote, a selection of different cheeses, as well as a mascarpone passion fruit tart.

To drink, I enjoyed a glass of white wine.

Everything tasted delicious – which wasn’t much of a surprise as I think Turkish Airlines and its catering partner Do&Co consistently excel in their business class food offerings.

Sure, the food might not be as fancy as you can find with some other airlines in business class, nor is the Turkish Airlines wine selection particularly impressive.

However, this is more than offset by the consistency and quality of the food that is served, and I also really appreciate Turkish Airlines’ dedication to highlight local delicacies from different regions across Turkey.

After the delicious meal, there was still plenty of time left for me to enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee.

business class meal turkish airlines airbus a350

In-flight entertainment

Although I didn’t have time to watch a film due to the short flight time, I did browse through the in-flight entertainment system on board the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350.

The entertainment selection was impressively extensive, offering hundreds of films, series, games, and a vast music library.

Operating the in-flight entertainment system was straightforward, and the headphones provided were of high quality, effectively cancelling out the noise from the cabin and plane.

Moreover, the actual in-flight entertainment screen at my business class seat was large and had a high resolution.

turkish airlines airbus a350 business class IFE entertainment

Wi-Fi internet

The Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is equipped with Wi-Fi internet, and passengers in business class get complimentary access with unlimited data.

It’s enormously straightforward to connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi network, as the only thing you need to provide is your seat number and surname.

Business class lavatories

When the fasten seatbelt sign went on as we approached Istanbul, I had a quick look at the business class lavatory.

The business class lavatory on the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is spacious and stocked with Molton Brown toiletries.

business class lavatory turkish airlines airbus a350

The Turkish Airlines flight attendants on my flight from Bucharest to Istanbul provided a friendly and attentive service.

While Turkish Airlines might not provide the most polished business class service, I consistently find their crews among the friendliest, reflecting the hospitable nature of Turkish people.

Landing in Istanbul

With a population of well over 15 million people, landing in Istanbul is always impressive as the urban spread seems to go on and on.

I certainly enjoyed our holding pattern over the city suburbs, watching all the lights of the thousands of cars and buildings below.

After a short while, we started our final approach towards Istanbul Airport, where we landed on time.

Istanbul Airport has an extremely large surface area, and taxiing to your gate can easily take 20 minutes or more if you have the bad luck of landing on the far opposite side of the airport from your arrival gate.

This time, it also took a good 20 minutes before we reached our parking spot.

After bidding the crew farewell and thanking them for an enjoyable flight, I disembarked the plane.

Depending on your flight’s origin, you’ll either be directed straight to the airport concourse for a connecting flight, or need to pass through transit security first.

Weirdly enough, there doesn’t seem to be much consistency when it comes to flights from Romania, as about half of the times it’s deemed as a “clean” point of origin and you can walk straight into the terminal, while other times you are required to re-clear security.

Fortunately, that was not required this time, as Turkish Airlines gate agents guided passengers with Istanbul as their final destination to the arrivals hall at the end of the jetbridge, while those with connecting flights were directed straight into the terminal.

The Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is a delight to fly in business class, as it has comfortable seats offering lots of privacy, complimentary Wi-Fi internet, and good in-flight entertainment.

One of the best aspects of the Turkish Airlines business class product is the exceptional food, as Turkish consistently delivers delicious meals that showcase local cuisine.

Even on my Turkish Airlines flight – which had less than an hour of actual airtime – business class passengers were served a full three-course meal, with time to spare for coffee after.

Enjoying Turkish Airlines’ business class aboard the Airbus A350 doesn’t require a long-haul flight, as Turkish frequently operates widebody planes to several European destinations.

I really can’t think of a more enjoyable way to fly within Europe than on a Turkish Airlines widebody plane like the Airbus A350.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘ From Cornwall to Yorkshire: Train Travel Through England ‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. My British Airways Cancellation and Compensation Saga 2. Review: Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class Bucharest to Istanbul (current chapter) 3. Review: Turkish Airlines Business Lounge Istanbul Airport 4. Review: Turkish Airlines Airbus A321 Business Class Istanbul to Birmingham 5. Review: CrossCountry Train Birmingham International to Reading 6. Thirsty in Tyburnia: Spending a Sunny Afternoon in London 7. London Paddington and the GWR First Class Lounge 8. Review: GWR Night Riviera Sleeper Train London to Penzance, Cornwall

** rest of the chapters to follow soon **

← My British Airways Cancellation and Compensation Saga
Shymkent: The Gateway to Southern Kazakhstan →

Koen works as a freelance journalist covering south-eastern Europe and is the founding father and editor-in-chief of Paliparan. As a contributor to some major Fleet Street newspapers and some lesser known publications in the Balkans, he travels thousands of miles each year for work as well as on his personal holidays. Whether it is horse riding in Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains, exploring the backstreets of Bogotá, or sipping a glass of moschofilero in a Greek beachside taverna, Koen loves to immerse himself into the local culture, explore new places and eat and drink himself around the world. If you enjoyed this travel article and found the information provided useful, please consider supporting us. Although we gladly share all information for free at Paliparan.com, a one-time donation is a great way to help out an independent publisher! You can support Paliparan by buying us a coffee for €5 , or by making a donation through PayPal . Thank you for your support!

13 Hours In Turkish Airlines A350 “Turkoflot” Business Class

As a cherry on top of my Turkish Airlines saga, the flight I wound up on was on operated by an ex-Aeroflot Airbus A350, which gave me many hours to review Turkish Airlines’ latest “Turkoflot” business class product.

“Turkoflot” A350 Business Class: A Fun Way To Fly

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot sold a trio of A350-900 aircraft to Turkish Airlines, which the carrier has integrated into its longhaul fleet.

Turkish removed the premium economy seats Aeroflot installed, but left intact its unique business class suites, which are spacious and include closing doors.

a person standing in a room with rows of seats

I ended up with seat 2K.

On the positive side, I slept for nine hours on this flight…you cannot ask for much of a better rest. It was refreshing just to sleep after days of drama surrounding this ticket.

Oddly, flight attendants made the beds directly after takeoff…before the meal service even began. Bedding included a seat topper, pillow, and duvet. It is not clear to me why Turkish conducts its turn-down service before passengers are ready for bed, but I suppose it promotes efficiency?

My seat was broken. It would not recline using the console buttons. From what I can gather, Turkish Airlines is having a lot of seat maintenance issues with its ex-Aeroflot fleet, with spare parts for the business class seats difficult to procure.

Unfortunately, the seat is not well-padded and not all that comfortable in the full upright position. When it came time to sleep, a flight attendant reached his hand under the cushion and was able to manually move the seat into the lie-flat position. In that position, I slept well (I prefer a firm mattress), but I like to partially-recline the seat while sitting up and that was not possible here.

I love the fresh squeezed juices on Turkish Airlines.

two glasses with different colored drinks

Expect a feast in terms of catering. Dinner began with mixed nuts, followed by an elaborate appetizer cart, featuring soup, salad, and a number of warm and cold appetizers. Delicious.

For the main course, I chose salmon over steak…I just don’t put a lot of faith on red meat on an airplane from a US catering facility. It was served with mashed potatoes, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes…and quite delicious.

The cart returned for dessert, with decadent baklava and apple streusel with ice cream, plus cheese and fruit.

A superb dinner.

Breakfast was served before landing, starting with a fruit plate and sides dishes including cheese, yogurt, and cold cuts. I had not one main courses, but two: an omelet followed by crepes. The crepes were SO sweet…but were quite enjoyable.

The seat includes a large monitor with hundred of movies and TV programs to choose from, plus a deep library of music. Wi-Fi internet (1GB data limit) is complimentary for business class passengers.

Service onboard was good…the guys working my side of the cabin were quite pleasant and attentive.

I don’t think I have ever had a bad flight on Turkish Airlines…this was another great one overall, despite the broken seat. I was happy to try the “Turkoflot” seats which, at least in my case, I do not prefer versus the “regular” A350 seats, though both are excellent (when they work).

I’ll post a full review of this flight, with a lot more details including info on onboard amenities, menus, IFE, and more. Stay tuned!

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About author.

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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16 comments.

Was there a sauce for the salmon and the mash potatoes? Dry at altitude is not a pleasant experience.

No sauce, but it was quite good.

I’ll take poorly/under-cooked beef over fish any day. I don’t get the logic if it all comes from the same caterer.

I’m less picky when it comes to fish. If a beef is beyond medium, I really struggle to enjoy it.

As far as i know Turkish didn’t remove Premium Economy seats. They are still present in the section between business and economy cabin but they are just marketed as extra legroom seat with additional price during seat selection.

I didn’t see them, but I didn’t look closely.

Turkish, you might recall, was the first big carrier to introduce premium economy (comfort class) over a decade ago. Too bad that didn’t work out – I did four longhauhls in comfort on the 777-300ER and it was great.

While Turkish has good food, I do think other airlines like Qatar, ANA, and JAl do a much better job on the presentation (with food that is just as good).

Did you find the lack of armrests an issue at all?

In my opinion, the lack of armrests and the positioning of the controls where my arm normally rests are the two issues with those seats. Otherwise they are really good.

I’m giving Turkish one more chance this coming March. I flew them last March from Doha to Washington Dulles via Istanbul in business. The first flight was an A321 and I thought it was quite comfortable and the breakfast they served was pretty good. The second flight from Istanbul to Dulles was very underwhelming. It was a 787-9. I found the seats in business to be narrow and uncomfortable and the hard shell surrounding the seat stifling. It was the morning flight so it started out with a breakfast that was very similar to the one I had just had on DOH-IST. Service was inattentive and spotty at best. Terrible selection of inflight entertainment. The main meal, the lunch, which was analogous to what you had for dinner, was towards the end of the flight. Extremely slow service, long gaps between courses, no refills offered on my beverages, and food that was only so so. It took so long that that I thought they’d have to skip out on serving dessert because we were getting pretty close to landing. I had high expectations and they were simply not met. I’m hoping they’ll be better this year when I fly them again on DOH-IST-IAD, but at the different time channel where they serve lunch on IST=IAD first. I’ll give it one more chance. But hey – cant beat the price – 47K one way using capital one points. Thanks for your review.

You did get a good price. Hope your next trip goes much better than your last.

absolutely good price. TBD

I was in exact same seat 2k in mid-December ATL-IST Exact same issue, having to get FA to man-handle seat position was lame…

Surprised seat not fixed in that time period.

Matthew: As a doctor, when I view some of your food photos my first (and second and third) thought is “not with a 10 foot pole”. Suggest a blog post (or 2 or 3) about airline and travel food and water safety. Street vendor food, restaurant food, tap water, airline food (among others) are each an excellent subject for discussion. With your vast experience and voracious travel appetite you’re well situated to comment. Thank you.

Unbelievable, same happened to me when I flow this A350 from Cape Town to Istanbul. Your seat is broken The flight attendant help me on board with a new seat, but I don’t like this seat. Turkish airlines normal business class are one of my favorite

Reminds me of the cubicles I had to work in for so many years. Yukkkk!

Your cubicle had a bed?! 😉

Not bad for a flight, though.

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In-flight amenities

Each seat has a personal TV with Audio and Video onDemand that features both albums and radio.

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Each seat has a personal TV with Audio and Video onDemand that features 30 movies, 40 short films, and games.

All Business Class seats have access to a 110V power port.

All seats have access to an USB power port.

Turkish Airlines provides WiFi on this aircraft

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Turkish Airlines serves complimentary meals, alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks.

In 2020, Turkish Airlines will add the Airbus A350-900 to their fleet. Turkish Airlines' A350-900 features a two class configuration with 32 lie flat Business Class seats and 297 standard Economy Class seats.

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Turkish Airlines flies 1 versions of Airbus A350-900.

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Where turkish airlines will fly its ex-aeroflot airbus a350s.

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Turkish Airlines has taken delivery of the first two A350-900s originally destined for Aeroflot , with more to arrive. The extent and nature of sanctions and the unlikelihood of them being removed soon meant the Russian airline didn't need them. As such, they were taken up by Turkish Airlines.

While causing further product and branding inconsistency, they are in Aeroflot's configuration, interior colors, and partial livery, although for how long it'll remain is unclear. It comes as AnadoluJet welcomed its first A321neo , initially destined for Russian carrier S7, and as Turkish Airlines cut more August flights in the past week than any other carrier .

Ex-Aeroflot aircraft have 316 seats

Turkish Airlines' own A350 -900s have 329 seats, spread among 32 in business and 297 in economy. In contrast, the examples previously destined for Aeroflot have 316, 4% fewer, with 28 in business and 288 in economy. There are currently two with more to come. Details of those known thus far are as follows:

TC-LGI : was to be VP-BXS with Aeroflot; positioned from Toulouse on July 8th and entered service on July 11th between Istanbul and Baku
TC-LGJ : ex-VP-BYE; positioned from Toulouse on July 7th and entered service on the 9th from Istanbul Airport to Dalaman
TC-LGK : ex-VP-BYJ
TC-LGL : ex-VP-BYB

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Where will they fly?

As the ex-Aeroflot aircraft have a different configuration, it is easy to pinpoint where they'll be flown. According to OAG, some 16 routes will see the 316-seaters until October 29th , the end of the Northern Hemisphere summer season. It could, of course, change.

These include five routes that have only one to four flights. They are Istanbul Airport to Antalya (July 25th, August 6th), Dalaman (July 31st), Izmir (July 23rd), Prague (July 29th, August 12th), Rome (July 16th, 20th, 30th, August 2nd), and Zurich (August 12th).

The more commonly served routes are as follows. The first five are responsible for 85% of the services. The average route length is just 2,117 miles (3,407km) – not much for such aircraft. Of course, Turkish Airlines often utilizes widebodies on short-haul sectors in-between long-haul, but this is somewhat different. In contrast, Turkish Airlines' 329-seat A350s have an average route length of 3,287 miles (5,290km).

Istanbul to Tashkent : 111 departures by 316-seat A350-900s
Istanbul to Dhaka : 85
Istanbul to Casablanca : 72
Istanbul to Baku : 57
Istanbul to Algiers : 42
Istanbul to Beirut : 13
Istanbul to Adana : 11
Istanbul to Amman : 11
Istanbul to Berlin : 11
Istanbul to Denpasar Bali : 9

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Cape Town, Dubai, JFK

Things change dramatically if the end of October to the end of March is analyzed. While Tashkent and Dhaka will have very time-limited flights, the routes listed above are replaced by four, as shown below. No doubt more will materialize soon.

It means the sector length of routes operated by the 316-seat config will rise to 4,631 miles (7,453km), marginally exceeding that of the 329-seaters in those winter months (4,562 miles, 7,341km). They'll be used on:

Istanbul to JFK : 151 departures by 316-seat A350-900s (1x daily, 8x weekly at times, from October 30th)
Istanbul to Cape Town : 140 (1x daily from October 31st)
Istanbul to Dubai : 24 (2x weekly from December 12th)
Istanbul to Stuttgart : 20 (1x weekly from November 5th)

What do you make of the 316-seaters and the plans for them? Let us know in the comments.

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Ex-Aeroflot aircraft have 316 seats

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Cape Town, Dubai, JFK

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