Turkish Airlines Reviews: Should You Book That Flight?

Turkish Airlines’ customer service and food are so widely complimented among travelers that the odds are definitely in your favor with this airline. I’ve truly never seen so many rave reviews about airline food — apparently the best spiced food in the skies is on board Turkish Airlines. So while you’re standing famished in the Turkish Airlines check-in line, take comfort in the fact that your in-flight meal may be significantly better than you were expecting.

Similar to Icelandair’s stopover in Reykjavik, Turkish Airlines offers a stopover in Istanbul. And with their stopover program, your hotel room is free. Here’s how it works: If you have a business class ticket, you can qualify for two nights free at a five-star hotel. And if you have an economy class Turkish Airlines ticket, you can get one night at a four-star hotel. You just have to email the corresponding address on this chart at least 72 hours before your flight.

Related: Should You Buy That Cheap Icelandair Ticket?

Turkish Airlines flies primarily within Europe, Asia, and Africa, with about 110 direct flight routes out of Istanbul. But are the reasonable prices too good to be true? From Turkish Airlines business class reviews to the Turkish Airlines baggage allowance, we’ve gathered everything you need to know before booking that Turkish Airlines flight.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Reviews

The lounges available to Turkish Airlines business patrons is definitely a perk. On Travel Codex, James Dozer said, “At San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Turkish Airlines contracts with the United Polaris Lounge for their business class passengers. The new lounge is beautiful and offers premium cabin passengers a tranquil oasis with great spaces to rest, relax and recharge.”

At the time of Dozer’s Turkish Airlines business class review, he encountered 49 forward-facing business class seats (in a 2-3-2 layout) that allowed travelers to lie flat while sleeping. However, since his flight, Dozer updated his post to say, “Turkish has just announced they will move to a 1-2-1 seating configuration on their Boeing 787/Airbus A350 fleet.”

Turkish Airlines Economy Class Reviews

The amenities seem to really stack up in economy, which makes an affordable multi-continent trip even more worthwhile on Turkish Airlines. “Economy passengers received an amenity kit by Chopard, consisting of socks, slippers, earplugs, an eye mask, a small pot of lip balm, a toothbrush and toothpaste,” said Lori Zaino at The Points Guy. “Complimentary headphones and a double-plug converter were given out, so I could plug in my own headphones as well.”

In terms of comfort, Zaino said the economy seats were “pretty standard” at 17 to 18 inches wide. “The business-class seats were 21? wide, by the way — though I did appreciate the fact that there was a footrest and the bottom slid forward a little when the seat was reclined,” she added.

Turkish Airlines Check-in Process

Zaino, from The Points Guy, who flew from Madrid to Kuala Lumpur by way of Istanbul, said the Turkish Airlines check-in process was super simple. Even with the Istanbul stopover, you can check your bags to your final destination, so you’re not checking your Turkish Airlines flight status to track your bags down during your layover. And you won’t have to worry about seat selection or any other pesky logistics. “I was able to check in for both flights online 24 hours in advance while I was still in Madrid, and selected our seats free of charge. At the airport, there was virtually no one in line for the bag drop, and I checked my bags all the way through to Kuala Lumpur,” said Zaino.

Turkish Airlines Customer Service Reviews

Have I mentioned that travelers love Turkish Airlines food and customer service? Seriously, “flavorful food, individual menus” are two pros that The Points Guy cited as selling points on Turkish Airlines.

Not only are fliers over the moon about finding reasonable prices around Europe, but the ease of Turkish Airlines brings travelers a sense of peace. And that peace is equally essential for business travelers and just-for-fun backpackers.

“I paid for February-April season, $970 for a flight from LAX to Istanbul to Tel Aviv, to Bucharest, and back to LAX. Food is excellent, and so is the service. People in the plane, stewardesses, were nice. The flights were on time every time,” said Kodo Drummer on TripAdvisor.

And Dozer chimed in on Travel Codex to mention that “their catering is unmatched by any other airline and the amenities provided onboard (amenity kit, headphones, bedding, etc.) are top-notch.”

Turkish Airlines Baggage Allowances

Fortunately, the food isn’t the only good part of the Turkish Airlines customer service. The Turkish Airlines baggage policy makes it easy on travelers. You’re allowed two bags, and “storage-wise, your carry-on luggage can be stored in the overhead bins and your personal items can be stored in the compartment underneath the ottoman,” said Dozer.