The first thing you see when boarding a Turkish 777
Turkish Airlines is, or should be, well known amongst AvGeeks for their hospitality and commitment to passenger experience. The airline has positioned itself as a “European carrier” which might raise eyebrows to those in the West. Most would reasonably assume Turkey to be a resident of an ambiguous neighborhood we Westerners label as the “Middle East.” For what it’s worth, about half of Istanbul, including the airport, the airline’s headquarters, and various operations are indeed on the European continent. Turkey, as it turns out, is a country divided between two continents, giving real meaning to the phrase “East meets West.” The European side is separated from the majority of the country (the Asian side) by a naturally occurring strait referred to as the Bosporus.
My 777-300ER for the ride from Chicago to Istanbul
Why does all of this matter? Because it gives Turkish Airlines a competitive advantage. It’s easier to go after the European carriers than try to compete in terms of obscenely lavish passenger experience offered by the big three Middle East airlines (ME3). And, let’s be honest. When we think of European carriers, is an overwhelming commitment to passenger experience something that comes to mind? Likely not. It is no wonder then that Turkish Airlines maintains the title of Best Airline in Europe, according to Skytrax.
So how does Turkish differentiate itself from the pack? By offering reasonably priced fares bundled with excellent service and gourmet food. Gourmet food on a plane? Some might think those concepts are mutually exclusive. I beg to differ…
My trip aboard the world’s fourth-best airline to Istanbul began with a quick flight on Star Alliance partner United Airlines from Kansas City International (MCI) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD). After arriving, taking a train to a different terminal, and clearing security for the second time that a day, I managed to find my gate. One nice thing about the international departure gates at O’Hare is the over-sized windows. I was afforded an excellent view of TC-JJG, a five-year-young 777-300ER named Yıldız. Even at just five years old, this plane had quite a bit of tenure in the TK fleet. I would later learn the average age of the TK fleet serving North America is just over two years, with the entire fleet across the TK network coming in at just over seven.
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- Business rows three and four on the Turkish Airlines 777
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- The view from behind row four
I was lucky to secure a “battlefield upgrade” to business class and was one of the first to board. Upon walking on the plane, I was greeted by a smiling and cheerful flight attendant with one of the flying chefs in back, dressed in full chef attire. This was a real surprise and delight. It was a great first impression and set the tone for what would be an excellent experience. The crew of TK flight 6 was particularly warm, and very accommodating of my desire to snap multiple photos of the cabin. I most certainly got in their way going up and down the aisles, but they were good sports. Side note: Turkish aviation regulations prohibit photos of the flight deck.
About the flying chefs: While food is prepared by Turkish Airlines partner Turkish DO & CO, the flying chefs are indeed real chefs. In fact, part of the training they receive includes time at DO & CO preparing the very dishes they will be serving on board. The chefs have detailed knowledge about each offering, and are in charge of (among other things) masterful plating and elevating the passenger experience. Additionally, how cool is it to have a bonafide chef on-board your flight?
BONUS: Photo Tour of DO & CO ’“ Catering for Turkish Airlines
My seat for the next roughly ten hours would be 4G, an aisle on the right side of the middle cluster. TK’s business seating is arranged in a 2-3-2 layout. This arrangement lags behind some of the competition, but it was sufficient and comfortable with almost full lie-flat capabilities, maxing out at 177°. Keep in mind that Turkish seeks primarily to distinguish itself from other European airlines while still remaining price competitive.
Pre-departure beverage #1: Fresh-made mint lemonade
Turkish Airlines Business Class: Three hours of gluttony
While waiting for boarding of our 349-seat aircraft to complete, I managed to sample two of the made-on-board pre-departure drinks. Pictured above is the mint lemonade; I also sampled a raspberry mint drink that was so colorful it nearly glowed. It was my favorite, by far. For those who prefer adult beverages, those too were available, but that’s not really my thing.
Warm nuts, traditional Turkish coffee, a Turkish delight, and an appetizer
As soon as we reached 10,000 feet the cabin service began. First came warm mixed nuts, then a three-piece appetizer, followed by Turkish coffee. The three-piece plate consisted of fresh mozzarella with roasted tomato and an olive, a scallop, and a meat thing which went uneaten. For the record, I’m vegetarian but occasionally eat fish/seafood when other options aren’t readily available. Items came out piecemeal which seemed to be a lot of work for the crew, but also added the extra touch of personal service.
Just as the snack and what I have decided to refer to as “appetizer one” completed, the flying chef dedicated to the business cabin presented large, diverse menus. I placed my order and shortly after, a second appetizer service began.
BONUS: Flying Economy in a Turkish Airbus A321
But first, basic dining setup occurred, including an LED candle in a small bag, for ambiance. Looking across the business cabin each passenger had one and as simple as these were, it made an impression with my fellow passengers. I understand this is corny, but it is these small touches that drive the passenger experience home. As an added bonus, the candle made for extra classy food photos.
From the appetizer cart – salad, crab cakes, and trout, um… things
The second, more comprehensive appetizer service was served from a cart containing no less than eight options. Following the lead from other passengers, I chose a number of options to form the perfect meal, let alone appetizer. I went for the fresh salad with olive oil vinaigrette, crab cakes with a sweet and sour chili sauce, and smoked trout with horseradish cream. Everything else was great, but I feel compelled to take a moment to recognize the crab cakes. I have a love/hate relationship with crab cakes. When they are good, they are good, but more often than not, they disappoint. I am pleased to say these were the best I have had, and the chili sauce really knocked them out of the park.
Warm bread. Note: I ate the bread pre-photo. Oops!
Periodically throughout the various rounds of food there were warm bread services. Above is the only photo I manged to snap, sans the small loaf of warm wheat bread which had once adorned the plate. Take the absence of the loaf as an indication of how great it smelled, thus my need to eat it before thinking to take a photo. It was great, as were its siblings who would be picked up periodically over the remainder of the flight.
The BEST tomato soup I’ve ever had
Two appetizers down, and would you believe me if I told you there was a third? At this point I was bewildered, amazed, and wondering how I would manage to eat my actual dinner. Like my AirlineReporter cohort John Nguyen, I’m a sucker for good soup. Let me be clear. This creamy tomato soup was amazing. I was half-tempted to cancel the main course and order a second round of soup. It was that good.
Main course: salmon, garlic potatoes, grilled zucchini, and a roasted cherry tomato
No more than twenty minutes after the third appetizer had completed, my new best friend, the flying chef delivered the main course. At this point I was full and about ready for bed, but this was a flight I wanted to review, and I had work to do… Delicious, gourmet work to do. The main course was just as good as prior rounds, and I was really surprised at how well the salmon had held up. Had I not known better I could have easily assumed our flying chef was actually cooking on board, which, of course, was not the case. Not only was the food delicious, but it was plated beautifully.
Dessert cart manned by our flying chef
Not long after dinner service concluded our flying chef and a flight attendant again employed the use of a trolley in allowing for passengers to choose their own desserts. The menu referred to this round of service as a “Potpourri of Traditional Turkish Desserts.” At this point I was full, and completely satisfied. But again, there was work to be done so I took one for the team and sampled just a few treats.
Various desserts. That thing on the lower left was amazing.
Unlike with the appetizer service, absent from the menu were descriptions of what the dessert trolley offered. Here’s my best guess as to what I chose: grapes, ice cream, a pastry eerily similar to baklava, a spiral cut and roasted apple with a cream sauce, and a green pastry either made from, or featuring pistachio. Everything was good, but that apple thing was amazing.
At roughly three hours into our flight the earliest hints of dawn started peeking in from the few open window shades in the cabin. In what could not have been more than fifteen minutes total, all service items were collected, bedding was distributed, all shades lowered, lights dimmed, and the cabin went from busy to eerily dark and silent. Even though twilight had begun over the Atlantic, it was midnight back home and time to sleep. My fellow passengers had gotten the memo, but I was in the middle of a food high; no sleep for this guy. Or so I thought…
Breakfast, round one. Fresh fruit and a pastry… Or two.
Turkish Airlines Business Class: Morning service
I managed to squeeze in one movie on the over-sized in-flight entertainment screen before falling asleep. The next thing I knew, the cabin had slowly begun a transition to light, thanks to the 777’s Boeing Sky Interior. This is a far departure from the days of “off or on” cabin lighting and a welcomed transition as I tried to get my bearings. “Where am I?” Oh, right, on a flying gourmet food flight, somewhere over Europe.
In true Turkish Airlines form, breakfast would be served in not one, but two rounds. While the cabin smelled of incredible Turkish unfiltered coffee, I passed. That stuff was genuinely good, but too intense for this early in the morning, particularly on less than a full night of sleep. I opted instead for the fresh orange juice, a fruit platter, and a warm pastry, or two.
Breakfast, round two! An omelette with spinach, potatoes, and vegetables.
Round two of breakfast consisted of what I had ordered the night before, prior to being treated to multiple rounds of incredible food. Had I known I would have eaten so well the night before, I would have chosen something more balanced. But what the heck, these flights don’t happen often. This was the first food item that wasn’t immediately appealing. The omelette had lost its color and looked more like a chicken tender. The flavor was still there, though. The bed of potatoes the omelette was served on was a bit disappointing. Fried potatoes are hard to keep in good condition for more than even a few minutes, but these had been prepared many hours ago. The result was what I can only describe as old french fries. I avoided them and instead focused on the omelette, tomatoes, and spinach, all of which had maintained their flavor and texture.
Traditional unfiltered Turkish coffee will put pep in your step
After breakfast was collected there was a “last call” for service wherein the flying chef told me it would be good to have a coffee to get me through the day, and that I would thank him later. Who am I to argue with an expert? For what it’s worth, he was right. The coffee helped to carry me through what was left of the day. Thanks, flying chef!
The timing of breakfast was perfect. Just as I had downed my Turkish coffee we had begun our final descent into Istanbul. I tuned my in-flight entertainment screen to one of the two external cameras to watch the scenery as we made our way in. Istanbul, as I would later learn, is a beautiful city.
No window seat? No problem. Here’s the view from one of two outside cameras.
Turkish Airlines Business Class Conclusion
I find myself in various premium cabins at least a few times each year. I have to say that my experience with Turkish Airlines business class was impressive. Are there better seats? Absolutely. Can Turkish compete with the big Middle Eastern three? Probably not, but truly, that’s not the point.
Turkish offers service to more destinations than any other airline in the world. They do so aboard a world-wide fleet with an average age of just seven years. Perhaps more importantly, they offer an incredible business product at a very competitive price point when compared to others in their various markets. But really, if you plan to fly Turkish airlines business class, come hungry.
For those who are interested in economy reviews, my upgrade on the way home did not clear. Stay tuned for that story. Better yet, why not subscribe to our free email alerts for when new content is posted?
Note: Travel and accommodations provided by Turkish Airlines. All opinions are my own.
AWESOME review, AWESOME pictures! Thx!
Thanks for reading, Ray.
JL | AirlineReporter
Great story, JL! A thought about the 177 degree angle of the seat – add the normal 2-3 degree nose up cruise attitude of a 777, and you’ve got 180 degrees. Full lie-flat, for part of the seat! 🙂
Ah ha! Howard, excellent insight. To be honest, I’m embarrassed I didn’t figure that out on my own. Thanks for keeping me honest.
JL | AirlineReporter
It”s easier to go after the European carriers than try to compete in terms of obscenely lavish passenger experience offered by the big three Middle East airlines (ME3).
I would hardly call the business class products on the ME3 obscenely lavish but I can understand where you’re coming from for someone who is so much in love with Southwest……
MEANWHILE HEAR I AM BEING SERVED FOOD WITH BROKEN PIECES OF CHINA IN IT!
Eeek! Hopefully not on TK? The economy service is very much economy. No china there…
JL | AirlineReporter
Great pics and story. You always pay attention to the same details that I would. None of the useless crap with which some of those other snobby writers at AR waste time trying to impress us steerage class folks. Who gives a hoot about the caviar in Emirates’ first class lounge in city X or whatever?
Good to see you stopping by, Tony. Your readership is most appreciated. Stay tuned for the real steerage class post… 😉
JL | AirlineReporter
All I can say is WOW. What an experience. Gobsmacked while reading the whole thing.
Thoughts:
– I’m with you on the soup JL. Keep that coming the entire flight. And the dessert. And the Turkish coffee.
– Fried potatoes just do not keep, full-stop. Unless there is a way to fry them in the air prior to serving, roasting is probably the better way to go.
– Turkish is considered the “4th Gulf Carrier”, primarily due to geography and similar business model & passenger flows (ie. fly passengers to major international hub, then fly passengers out of major international hub.) All 4 have grabbed major Europe-Asia passenger share. The European carriers most feeling the squeeze? The smaller FSCs like Alitalia and Aer Lingus, even possibly Aeroflot….
– Whatever you think of Tayyip Recep Erdogan’s policies, there’s no question the national airline has done a masterful job.
High praise from one of our most valued frequent commenters. Thank you for reading, Phoenix!
JL | AirlineReporter
Aww shucks JL, you’re too kind. Looking forward to the econ review.
Learning a ton from these neat arieclts.
Thoroughly enjoyed the review! Planning a trip to Istanbul myself in the coming weeks. Also, nice to see a fellow Kansas Citian on here. I’m in Overland Park.
Hey, Trenton. Congrats on selecting IST as a destination. I’m sure you’ll have a good time, despite recent events. Good deal to find folks from my own metro who are reading.
Cheers!
JL | AirlineReporter
They have the best food upfront of any carrier bar none.
MR JL Johnson
Well I read your review on Turkish air lines !!!
Not sure if we flew on the same plane !!!! Our flight from Ist. to ord was painful !! the plane reg. was TC-jjg, and it was a mess , parts falling off seats , ripped cushions worn thread bare , pieces for cabin wall held on by packing tape. It was a joke and we were in business class. Next the seats electronics did not work, in either my wives or my seat . This plane is 6 years old and has never seen an upgrade , they have just let it go.
After looking forward to flying Turkish home from Europe it was a huge disappointment . The food was plentiful but average at best. I say this because we flew over on SAS and traveled within Europe ,Austrian all business class and there is NO comparing these companies or their service. Turkish is Years behind in their quality of plane and food unless you like all inclusive resort food where the food never end but it is low quality but looks good !!
I would recommend if someone really wants a business class experience flying “stay away” from Turkish, and try an aline that CARES what their planes look like and the quality of their food is, rather that about quantity.
Before you give such rave reviews you really should try the competition and see what REAL business class is!! I read the other comments and again can only say they must like resort buffets !!
I’ve flown 20 airlines in Business Class over the past 6 years (including SQ, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar), and Turkish really does have some of the best food – and presentation – in the air. Not sure what you’re talking about, or if you don’t really know much about Turkish or Eastern Mediterranean food.
YOUR RIGHT JAY I DO NOT KNOW ALOT ABOUT TURKISH FOOD ! HOWEVER THIS WAS AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TO THE UNITED STATE AND THER SHOULD BE SOME CONSIDERATION FOR ALL PASSENGERS , WOULDN”T YOU THINK.? ESPECIALLY IN BUSINESS CLASS. AGAIN I FIND IT STRANGE YOU DID NOT RESPOND TO THE REST OF MY REVIEW, THERE IS NO WAY ANY OTHER MAJOR AIRLINE WOULD ALLOW A PLANE IN THIS CONDITION TO BE FLOWEN IN THEIR FLEET !!! I HAVE NOT FLOWEN ON 20 DIFFERENT AIRLINES BUSINESS CLASS BUT THE 10 OR SO I HAVE IN EURPOE AND AISA ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO THE TURKISH FLIGHT I WAS ON !
TIM CULLEN
My experiences on Turkish Airlines have been very good. The food is actually too fancy for this country boy, but I’m usually traveling with someone and I like have two “open” seats together. Much prefer that to the coffin like pods on most biz class flights these days. The fares on TK are super low, award tickets are an absolute steal. All in all, I recommend highly. Delighted they are flying from ATL to IST now. Hope the route is a huge success.
The LED candle is such a nice idea – it is all about the little extra touches. They should do that on more Business Class flights. And that dessert cart looks incredible! I know the struggle of trying to get through all the courses, but the food is always such a big part of flying Business Class. Their in-flight chef is a nice selling point.
I am flying with Turkish airlines on the 24th November 2017 to Manila business class & can only hope that my flights are as good as you say they are, but I have also noted that there are also a lot of negative comments about Turkish airlines, so I’ll have to with hold my opinion until later.
I also have to wonder if the crew know that you are writing a review & give you special treatment!!
They’re are also a lot of bad reviews about Istanbul airport, which you omit to comment on, why is that I wonder?