I’ve flown multiple times mainly on long haul routes including from Newark to Istanbul, Nevsehir to Istanbul, and many more. Turkish Airlines is also apart of the Star Alliance Network, extending benefits to members or when you are flying on a partner like Lufthansa from Istanbul to Frankfurt.

This was one of the few times I flew a short haul flight from Istanbul to Bodrum.

I booked this flight a few months in advance and I noticed the business class price was not much more than economy. Given it was prime summer season and it was only a 45 minute flight I decided to still spring to see what business class is like on a smaller plane to Bodrum.

Turkish operates a number of flights each day to Bodrum, even a 777 with lie flat beds, but the majority are on a A321 that appears recently retrofitted.

Even though it’s a short domestic flight I still got access to the Turkish Business Lounge at IST airport, which is always a great way to start a trip.

As soon as I boarded I was surprised at how new the cabin felt. I’m not sure how old these planes were or when Turkish last refurbished but it was nice to see the planes were well maintained.

The business cabin is laid out in a 2-2 configuration and each seat offers plenty of space for passengers.

The IFE at each seat is very modern and there is plenty of selection on Turkish Airlines, although for a 45 minute flight I didn’t end up watching anything.

As soon as everyone was boarded they brought through welcome drinks. i went with the signature lemonade that was really refreshing and just what I needed.

The crew also passed out a menu and I wasn’t expecting a meal on this route but it was definitely a welcome surprise.

Given the short flight the menu was definitely short and there was no vegetarian option for my partner except for the starter of tomato, mozzarella, and eggplant.

The food was presented all on single tray about 15 minutes after take off and looked pretty good for a quick meal.

The tomato, mozzarella, and eggplant was a tiny bit watery but still had great flavor. It was also a great pairing with the bread basket they passed around.

The main said minced beef but on Turkish I think they meant kebabs. It was served with a side of cous cous and vegetables and the beef was really flavorful and not the least bit dry.

For dessert there was a lemon tart and what I liked is that it wasn’t overly sweet and was a good way to end the meal.

Summary & Takeaways

Given such a short flight I didn’t have much to evaluate but this was a really comfortable way to get to Bodrum. I took an early afternoon flight so I can have most of the day upon arrival and given Turkish flys this route every few hours it was a great way to get the vacation started.

The post Review: Turkish Airlines A321 Business Class from Istanbul to Bodrum appeared first on Travel Season.

The reason I fly Turkish Airlines often is the vast network, great award rates, and onboard food, even if they have some technical shortfalls when it comes to booking.

We’ve flown multiple times including from Newark to Istanbul, Nevsehir to Istanbul, and many more. Turkish Airlines is also apart of the Star Alliance Network, extending benefits to members or when you are flying on a partner like Lufthansa from Istanbul to Frankfurt.

The Istanbul Airport (IST) is brand new and is truly one of the nicest major international airports you will go through. From the high end shopping, lounges, food options, and mini grand bazaar there is no shortage of things to do before a flight or in transit.

If you find yourself arriving to the airport early, the Turkish Airlines lounges are also an experience of themselves. We have visited both lounges many times and will help you break down what to expect.

Lounges & Access

There are two primary Turkish Airlines lounges at IST and both are very similar, if not almost exactly the same layout and food offering. The two lounges include:

Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Lounge

Access to this lounge is granted to Turkish Airlines Business Class passengers, Star Alliance Gold members, Turkish Airlines Corporate Club members, Miles&Smiles Elite, Elite Plus members and flying on Star Alliance member airlines. Access is also granted to one guest for those that hold these statuses.

Turkish Airlines Business Lounge

Access to this lounge is granted to Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance airlines Business Class passengers flying on an International flight.

The benefits for Business class passengers is you have access to both lounges while Star Alliance and Turkish elite members only get access to the Miles & Smiles lounge. This may sound like a huge difference but from what we experience both lounges are almost exactly the same with a few minor differences in the business class lounge.

Lounge Locations

The location of the lounges are very close to each other and are within the main terminal located on the second level. It’s actually a bit confusing when you enter the terminal to know where to go but as you walk closer to the gates it becomes more clear.

To get to the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Lounge you go left after security and head towards gate C1. There is an escalator and large sign that will allow you to go upstairs and enter the lounge.

To get to the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge you go right after security and head towards gate E1. There is an escalator and large sign that will allow you to go upstairs and enter the lounge.

I’ve visited both lounges and I would say they are so similar that I often didn’t know if I was even in the right one. Here is what you can expect next time you visit IST.

Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Lounge

On my first trip to Istanbul I was flying in Business Class from Istanbul (IST) to New York (JFK) on a 777. I booked this trip for 45,000 Turkish Miles and was my first time flying the airline and in IST Airport.

After arriving into Istanbul from Newark on Turkish Airlines, and after a week of sightseeing, I was excited to experience the lounge at their flagship lounge.

I was a bit confused when I looked at the airport map and immediately saw signage for the Miles & Smiles lounge. Not knowing there was a dedicated business class lounge I went right for it and was impressed at the general space and food offering.

To enter the lounge you pass through the e-gates that make it quick and easy to access and no need to wait in line for someone to check you in.

Upon entering you leads you directly into the main food and dining space. This really gives you an idea of how longe the lounge actually is and what I didn’t realize at the time was just how many different spaces it had.

The food stations are located within sections with each specializing in something unique. Throughout my time there were staples like manti dumplings, soup, simit bagels, and much more.

Nearby the food there is plenty of seating and it actually wasn’t too crowded when I visited. But I decided to keep exploring and see if there was a more comfortable place to sit.

Outside the main area there is an entire side that is a bit quieter with a dessert station and a tea offering. I found this to be one of the most comfortable places to park up for my visit and check out the food offering.

Now that I can explore I really liked the clear view of all the cooks making the food. You can see inside each station where they seem to be making everything fresh.

There was a simit counter where every few minutes they were putting it out fresh along with some pide. I noticed these would go fast and they couldn’t keep up with people wanting them even though the lounge wasn’t that crowded.

Across from the bread bar there was a number of cold dishes that were pre portioned. I visited for the first time in 2021 so there were covers on everything which used to be open during normal times.

I made myself a full spread with pide, simit, eggplant, and manti. I would say the manti was my favorite part and a great snack before a flight.

The dessert station was also always stocked with baklava and other Turkish specialties. I didn’t dive into them this time but they looked pretty fresh and well stocked.

The lounge really had a lot of different spaces so after I ate I decided to explore.

Speaking of multiple spaces Turkish has done a great job of creating unique sections of their lounge that serve a variety of purposes for travelers.

I decided to check out the front part of the lounge that had a few business resources and plenty of additional space.

What I really like about the lounge is the luggage storage that is off to the side and a great place to leave your bags so you don’t need to deal with them. I suspect this is because of how crowded the lounge gets they want to save space for all the people.

There was also business resources and an entire conference room incase you wanted to have a meeting or take a call.

There is also a piano that I’ve seen on a few occasions but no one every playing it.

One of the best parts of the lounge is definitely the view of the terminal. From up top you can see all the hustle and bustle of the shops, very similar vibes to the city of Istanbul.

All in I had a great time in the lounge and could’ve spent much longer in there. The wifi was a bit tricky to get onboarded but once connected it worked at great speeds.

At this point when I departed the lounge I figured out that I actually visited the wrong one. It was too late to checkout the business lounge but I knew on my next trip through Istanbul that would be the place I would check out.

Turkish Airlines Business Lounge

On my next trip via IST airport I did not make the same mistake and go to the wrong lounge. This time I found the dedicated Turkish Airlines Business Lounge and was excited to see the difference as well as similarities.

The entrance to the lounge is located on the right side after you clear security and I made my way up the escalator to the entrace.

I would say the vibe of the lounge is very similar to the Miles & Smiles lounge except with a bit of elevation in just about every detail.

As you enter the lounge you can notice another piano and a very familiar layout to the Miles & Smiles Lounge. This was my first visit here and I already felt like I knew the place.

The food offering was definitely a little more elevated with a bit more options and definitely more staff to attend to the passengers.

As always the Simit station was in full swing and I noticed they were much more generous with making it fresh than in the Miles & Smiles lounge.

They also had fresh pide coming out regularly and I really liked that they had a vegetation one in addition to meat.

There is also a modern simit cart playing to the iconic ones you’ll see on the streets of Istanbul.

The lounge definitely had some upgrades with a golf simulator equipped with a few rubber balls. I couldn’t think of a better way to pass some time then to swing a few shots while I hung out.

One attraction I did not checkout was this wild looking ride located right by the golf simulator. If I’m being honest I have no idea what it does and I didn’t notice anyone using it throughout my visit.

All in the lounge definitely had some upgrades to the Miles & Smiles lounge but unless you are looking very closely you will hardly notice the difference. What surprised me is just how crowded the Business Class lounge was and if I had seen it fully packed I would be more than happy to go to the other one.

Summary & Takeaways

Turkish Airlines operates some of the best lounges at their home base airport in Istanbul. With both lounges being very similar you can expect a very similar experience regardless of which one you decide to visit.

The lounges do tend to get overcrowded though but in those cases the new IST airport has plenty of other shops, dining, and areas to pass the time.

We’ve always enjoyed our times both departing and transiting through this airport so if you get a chance to visit one of the lounges don’t miss it.

The post A Guide To Turkish Airlines Lounges at Istanbul Airport appeared first on Travel Season.

In addition to the vast network what makes Turkish Airlines attractive is its great award rates and onboard food, even if they have some technical shortfalls when it comes to booking.

We’ve flown multiple times including from Newark to Istanbul, Nevsehir to Istanbul, and many more.

What stood out to me is figuring out the baggage allowance is not always the easiest thing so we will break down what you are allowed to bring onboard a Turkish Airlines flight.

Cabin Baggage Allowance on Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines official policy is to weigh all bags during the check in process, including cabin bags. Cabin bags must also be tagged by the gate agent although we’ve never seen them check during boarding.

In order to be compliant with Turkish cabin bag allowance and avoid additional charges you should adhere to the following policy:

Note that Turkish does impose a size restriction for their standard carry on with a maximum of 21.6 x 15.7 x 9 inches (55 x 40 x 23 cm).

While lap infants do get a carry on for free there are no strollers permitted in the cabin and they must be checked.

Depending on the check in agent you have some weigh cabin bags while others will just hand you tags.

Checked Baggage Allowance on Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines makes a baggage calculator available for all passengers making it easy to find the specific requirements of your flight. We found the following standard rules across most journeys, depending on the fare class you purchase.

Domestic Travel

Turkish Airlines introduced new fare classes during the booking process for domestic journeys that include multiple tiers of baggage.

Make sure you pay attention when booking and select the right option for you.

International Travel

Turkish Airlines has two types of international travel requirements for checked baggage either by fixed number of bags with a weight limit per bag or total weight.

The following rules apply for flights that serve Angola, Argentina, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Colombia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Japan, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South America, Sudan, U.S., and Venezuela.

Adult and child passengers are allowed to bring a maximum of 2 bags as free checked luggage with a maximum linear size of 62 inches (158 cm).

For all other international destinations there is no restriction on the number of pieces but the total you are allowed to check in include:

Additional Baggage Requirements

If the included baggage allowance is not enough and you need additional baggage it will cost you. Turkish Airlines charges more than most other airlines for excess baggage and it will depend on the region of your destination.

The following prices apply per piece to the given regions:

The regions Turkish Airlines defines are as follows:

• Region 1: Aleppo, Athens, Batumi, Bucharest, Chisinau, Constanta, Donetsk, Ganja, Nakhichevan, Odessa, Pristina, Sarajevo, Simferopol, Skopje, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Tirana, Varna
• Region 2: Alexandria, Almaty, Amman, Aqaba, Ashgabat, Astana, Astrakhan, Bari, Beirut, Belgrade, Bishkek, Bologna, Budapest, Cairo, Catania, Damascus, Dnipropetrovsk, Dushanbe, Graz, Hurghada, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kabul, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khujand, Kiev, Kosice, Ljubljana, Luxor, Lviv, Malta, Mazar-i-Sharif, Minsk, Naples, Osh, Pisa, Podgorica, Rome, Rostov-on-Don, Salzburg, Samarkand, Sharm El Sheikh, Sochi, Stavropol, Tabriz, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw, Zagreb, Zaporizhia, Krasnodar
• Region 3: Algeria, Amsterdam, Baghdad, Baku, Basel, Basara, Batna, Benghazi, Berlin, Bremen, Brussels, Cologne, Constantine, Düsseldorf, Erbil, Frankfurt, Friedrichshafen, Geneva, Genoa, Hamburg, Hannover, Karlsruhe, Leipzig, Luxembourg, Lyon, Marseille, Milan, Misurata, Moscow, Mosul, Munich, Munster, Najaf, Nice, Nuremburg, Oran, Prague, Riga, Rotterdam, Sebha, Stuttgart, Suleymaniyah, Tallinn, Tlemcen, Tripoli, Tripoli, Turin, Ulan Bator, Vilnius, Zurich
• Region 4: Aalborg, Abu Dhabi, Aden, Ahvaz, Al Qassim, Bahrain, Barcelona, Bilbao, Billund, Birmingham, Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Dublin, Edinburgh, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Isfahan, Jeddah, Kazan, Kermanshah, Kuwait, London, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Mashhad, Medina, Novosibirsk, Oslo, Paris, Riyadh, Rovaniemi, Sana’a, Santiago de Compostela, Shiraz, Sharjah, St Petersburg, Stockholm, Taif, Tehran, Toulouse, Ufa, Valencia, Voronezh, Yanbu, Yekaterinburg
• Region 5: Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Denpasar-Bali, Beijing, Cape Town, Casablanca, Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Djibouti, Durban, Entebbe, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Islamabad, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Kathmandu, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Lisbon, Male, Manila, Maputo, Marrakesh, Mogadishu, Mombasa, Mumbai, Muscat, Nairobi, New Delhi, Phuket, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, Zanzibar, Lusaka

Summary & Takeaways

Turkish Airlines has one of the largest airline networks and has a reasonable baggage policy. However, pay attention to the specific requirements and check their baggage calculator before any trip for specific requirements.

The post A Guide To Baggage Allowance On Turkish Airlines appeared first on Travel Season.

I have flown both long haul flights from Newark to Istanbul as well as short haul from Nevsehir to Istanbul.

What I did not expect on this 55 minute flight was to be flying on a 777 that features 49 business class seats in a 2-3-2 layout.

I was departing from Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV) on a short hop to Istanbul. The airport was pretty small but actually featured a number of different food options and a dedicated entrance as well as lounge for business class passengers.

The flight was on time and we were ready to depart after a little time in the lounge.

It was no surprise we were boarding on a remote gate but the special thing was seeing a 777 up close. In the past I’ve boarded remote gates for small airplanes but this was by far the largest one I got to see up close.

When you compare the 777 on a long haul flight the 2-3-2 configuration is not that competitive but for such a short flight it’s actually a treat to sit in this cabin.

We boarded and given business class is separated into two cabins there was plenty of space for belongings and bags.

I picked the two seats by the window and it was set to be a comfortable short haul flight where I didn’t expect much to be served.

The flight started with a welcome drink where I opted for orange juice. Turkish Airlines welcome tend to have some of the better juices we’ve ever tried on an airline and something I always look forward to.

Here is where the service surprise really came. They passed out menus meaning there was going to be a full meal served on this flight.

It was an early morning flight so there was only one breakfast option of scrambled eggs with cheese, potatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and fruit. Given the short flight this was a pretty extensive offering for a business class breakfast.

As soon as we took off the crew immediately began meal service. The FA presented me with a single tray and shortly followed by bread service.

At first I couldn’t tell if the eggs were going to be good but they surprised me. What I like about Turkeys take on scrambled eggs is they are most definitely never overcooked. These eggs were soft, moist, and had great flavor with the little bit of cheese.

I used my bread as the vehicle for these cheese scrambled eggs and I couldn’t have asked for a better meal to start the day.

Summary & Takeaways

I didn’t expect much for a short haul flight and didn’t get a chance to use much of the IFE but Turkish went above my expectations. In an industry where some airlines only serve snack boxes on flights of 5 hours, Turkish does not cut corners and provides a full hot meal even on the shortest of flights.

Given the rate for this flight is only a minor bit above economy I saw it was well worth it to pay a little extra to get a comfortable seat and a hot meal.

This certainly won’t be the last time I fly Turkish but if they solve their customer service issues it may be rated amongst the best out there.

The post Flight Review: Turkish Airlines 777 Business Class from Bodrum to Istanbul appeared first on Travel Season.

In fact their award rates are so affordable amongst Star Alliance carriers we deemed them the one program every award traveler should be using.

One of the key things I’ve noticed after countless calls to Turkish customer service is there are multiple tiers to getting help from the airline. We will break down the best way to get service incase you need to call the airlines.

Turkish Customer Service Center

If you want to get in touch with Turkish Airlines the place you will start is the Turkish Custom Service Center. This is available 24/7 and can be reached at 1 (800) 874-8875.

In our experience the agent you receive will have a huge difference in the type of service you get. Some agents are extremely helpful while others won’t be able to understand a word you are saying. We’ve even had multiple instances of Turkish customer service employees hanging up on us mid way through helping, leading us to call back and start all over again.

Often times when we call customer service we are greeted with a message that the line is busy and to try again later. A tip we’ve found to work is to keep calling back to back and eventually you will get through. We’ve done this up to 8 times but always got through after repeatedly calling.

However, there are ways to get even better help from Turkish and we will describe the process.

Turkish Airlines Feedback Form

Turkish Airlines has an online feedback system located on there website at https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/any-questions/customer-relations/feedback/

The form allows you to describe an issue you are having with Turkish Airlines for a team to review and provide a solution. There are multiple options to choose from so find the most relevant to you.

After you complete a form entry you will be provided with a 7 digit feedback number for reference.

Now Turkish Airlines commits to getting back to you within a few days, sometimes a matter is urgent and you don’t want to wait. Here is how you can expedite the process and get in touch with a more helpful agent.

Turkish Airlines Customer Relations

Turkish Airlines Customer Relations are much more powerful than the Customer Service agents and they are the ones that respond to the feedback forms you can submit online. They have access to do virtually anything when the Customer Service agents will often mention they are limited in things they can provide you.

Now the way to get your issues resolved is by talking to a Customer Relations Representative instead of Customer Service.

In order to do this you must fill out the feedback form above and call the usual Customer Service Center at 1 (800) 874-8875.

Once you get an agent, tell them you have a feedback form you would like to discuss and they will request the reference number. After providing it to them they will transfer you to the Customer Relations department and to an agent that will be far more helpful.

In our experience there is no other way to get the Customer Relations department on the phone without filling out a feedback form. A Customer Service agent will not transfer you unless you have already filled out the form and have a number. We’ve even filled one out while speaking with an agent and then they were happy to transfer us.

Summary & Takeaways

It’s never a fun process to need to call an airline since most often it is to deal with an issue you are having. Hopefully the process outlined above will help you find a useful agent at Turkish Airlines to get your issue resolved quickly and to your desired outcome.

Let us know in the comments if you have success in using this process.

The post How To Get Better Customer Service From Turkish Airlines appeared first on Travel Season.

Not only is the Turkish Airlines experience starting to come back from the pandemic but it has the largest network of flights and consistently ranks among the best airline food in the skies.

I’ve got to fly Turkish a few times on a long haul from Newark to Istanbul in Business as well as short haul from Istanbul to Kayseri in Economy. Both experiences left me really liking the airline offering, even though some Turkish Lounge food can definitely use some improvement.

One of the biggest reasons I continue to use Turkish Airlines for award bookings is price. With rates as low as 45,000 miles each way from the US to Turkish, I often find that routes via Turkish are a fraction of the price compared to other airlines. Even with paying fuel surcharges it still is a huge plus in my opinion.

Now Turkish Airlines does come with some tech frustrations. Even something as simple as creating a password on Miles & Smiles.

Non the less Turkish is still one of the most competitive airlines for award tickets and we will tell you how to maximize your award value.

Earning Turkish Airline Miles

Earning Turkish Airlines miles can be done via flying on their carrier or partner carriers. Here is what you can expect to earn.

Aside from flying Turkish Airlines or another Star Alliance carrier, the easiest way to earn miles is through credit card points. The primary transfer partners of Turkish Airlines is Citi Bank, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy, with all companies offering cards with generous welcome bonuses.

Here are the best cards in our opinion to easily rack up a lot of Turkish Airlines miles.

Turkish Airlines Route Network

Turkish Airlines has one of the largest route networks in the world serving 50 domestic and 254 international destinations in 124 countries. Combined with it’s partner Star Alliance Airlines, there is almost no major destination you can’t reach via Turkish Airlines.

Istanbul serves as the airlines primary hub and is centrally located to get you anywhere in the globe. If you are originating in the United States, Turkish Airlines is the best airline to fly to Istanbul and beyond to destinations in both Europe and Asia.

You can find a full list of Turkish Airlines Destinations here.

Turkish Airlines Award Pricing

The key reason that Turkish Airlines awards are so attractive are the prices. Time and time again when searching awards, Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles is consistently the cheapest option I’ve been able to find out of any partner.

I’ve consistently found availability from New York to Istanbul in Business Class for 45,000 miles.

Now this comes with taxes of ~$160 but even at that level it is well under the next closest on United at around 77,000 miles for the same flight. We think the added fuel charge is enough to justify saving your miles and will allow you to ultimately take more flights.

We even found great rates to Asia and even as far as New York to Tokyo via Istanbul for 67,500 miles. Fuel surcharges are greater on this route based on the distance you fly so expect to pay about ~$322 additional.

The above are all considered saver award rates (Business Class I) and won’t always be available. If you do not find award space at this level the typical rate would be 105,000 miles from New York to Istanbul and 180,000 miles from New York to Tokyo. At this level Turkish Airlines is far less attractive but the good news is we found plenty of award space open at the saver level throughout the year.

Turkish Airlines Partner Awards

A big advantage to Turkish Airlines Award tickets are the route network with Star Alliance Partners. Turkish Airlines offers the same saver rates of 45,000 from the US to Europe and 67,000 miles from the US to Asia.

This is a pretty good deal given the same flight via Swiss Airlines or United Airlines would be in the range of 77,000 miles.

Here is a list of all Turkish Airlines Star Alliance Partners.

The Star Alliance network is vast making it possible to go to almost any destination in the world. Note that when booking via Turkish Airlines there is less award availability than if you booked with a partner directly. However, the rate Turkish Airlines offers is hard to beat making it worth while to check all their partners.

Booking An Award Ticket On Turkish Airlines

There are a few ways to book award tickets on Turkish Airlines and we will cover all the ways since there are some nuances to doing so.

You’ll first want to head over to Turkish Airlines website and sign up for an account. If you have issues with creating a password, as many do, see our solution here.

Another tip is to use their mobile app if you have trouble with their website. Turkish Airlines has a different technology company that built there mobile app and many travelers have found success in using that when the website does not work.

Once you are logged in you’ll want to click the Award Ticket right above the Search flights button.

This will bring you to Turkish Airlines Award Search. In here you can find all the destinations of Turkish Airlines but not this does not include partner rewards (located in another section).

Enter your departure, destination, dates, and cabin.

You might notice another issue with Turkish Airlines and that is searching for more than one passenger. If you are a new account holder you will see the message in the box below. This is a frustrating issue that we have not found a solution for, even after booking our first ticket and flying the airline. If you would like to see more about our experience that will be updated when we find a solution.

Once you enter a valid search it will bring you to the flights page. Note that Turkish Airlines award availability changes frequently so keep checking over a period of a few weeks if your flight is not open. They also give you the option to change award tickets at either no cost or for $25, making it safer to book in advance and change later.

Once you have found your flight you will be brought to the checkout page. Note Turkish Airlines has fuel charges that are about $170 from the US to Istanbul. This depends on the route you are taking and even with this fee the program provides a lot of value.

After you select your seats and pay you are all set.

Now booking a Star Alliance Partner reward via Turkish Airlines is a bit different. From the homepage you’ll want to navigate to your Account > Miles Transactions. You’ll see a box for Star Alliance Rewards on the right side.

When you click book it will bring you to a dedicated search page for only Star Alliance Awards.

You follow the same steps and can find partner awards across all of Turkish Airlines Star Alliance partners. The cost is the same in miles for saver awards at 30,000 for economy and 45,000 for business.

The major thing to lookout for is the fuel surcharge coming in at a whopping $945 for a flight to Istanbul. Compared to a flight on Turkish Airlines at $170 this is a huge difference making it less attractive to book partner awards.

Another thing to note is Turkish Airlines only provides saver availability on Star Alliance partners. This means there are much less options when booking so you will need to be flexible with your dates.

Lastly, if you need to book for more than one passenger you will need to call Turkish Airlines and book over the phone. We’ve found this process to be reasonably easy depending on the agent you receive.

The number for Turkish Airlines phone booking is: 1 (800) 874-8875

If you have trouble getting through just hang up and dial again. We’ve tried a number of times before getting through in the past.

Summary & Takeaways

Turkish Airlines has come a long way in award booking having just a few short years ago requiring you to book only in person. That process would be unheard of today and the company has invested in finally allowing bookings via their website and app.

While there are definitely kinks in the system that can make you feel frustrated, the incredible value you get out of Turkish Airlines miles is worth it. Just remember to find the right credit cards that allow transfer to Turkish and you will be racking up miles for redemptions in no time.

The post Why Every Award Traveler Should Use Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles appeared first on Travel Season.

Turkish Airlines is also the best way to fly to Istanbul as well as many other destinations and serves some of the best airline food.

However, Turkish Airlines does not come without it’s technical challenges.

Even something as simple as creating a password on a Miles & Smiles account was a struggle. Luckily I solved that case. Now I moved on to my next challenge.

Buying more than 1 award ticket via their website or mobile app. Of course I was able to buy more than 1 ticket eventually but I would still declare this as only partially solved and annoyingly so.

Booking Via Turkish Airlines Website

This was an odd thing to discover and I noticed it right away when beginning my award search. As soon as you navigate to the Turkish Airlines Award Search you need to select how many passengers to search for.

Here is the error you receive that prevents you from searching.

“You can issue the first ticket only to your name in order to verify your membership. Subsequently, you can issue award tickets for other persons as well.”

This was odd but I read the message as maybe after I book my first trip I can start to book for others. However, this was not the case. I have now booked over 6 flights via Turkish Awards and still get this message. I’ve tried booking individually and over the phone, nothing seem to work.

Booking Via Turkish Airlines Mobile App

I decided to try to the mobile app as I’ve been told a completely different tech provider operates the app compared to the website.

On the mobile app I appeared to have a little more success but was then quickly met with disappointment. I was able to successfully search for more than 1 ticket but when it came time to purchase I got an even odder message.

“If you want to have it issued for a loved one, please contact the nearest sales office.”

This was getting frustrating. No matter what I did on either the website or app I wasn’t having any luck. I finally succumbed and decided to call Turkish Airlines to book my tickets.

Booking via Turkish Call Center

This was the only way I was successfully able to book a Turkish Award ticket for more than 1 person. The number to reach Turkish Call Center is 1 (800) 874-8875 and they offer 24 hour service.

I have been able to successfully book tickets for up to 4 people via the call center although it comes with the pain of potentially holding for long periods of time or getting a confused agent.

I actually found the level of English speaking customer service agents to vary but overall have had a relatively easy experience with the call center.

Troubleshooting With Turkish Airlines

Even though I solved my issue and was able to book via the call center I still was not satisfied. I decided to try to troubleshoot by filing tickets with the airline and unfortunately am still in the process of getting it resolved.

After filing multiple tickets I tend to still get weird responses from Turkish Airlines representatives. Here are some of the responses I got when I told them I would need to be verified to book more than 1 ticket and have already flown multiple times.

“As per your feedback, we have checked your account details and we have seen that your account has not been verified yet. This process will be completed by Turkish Airlines.”

“As our website has informed, in the tickets you are going to purchase, you are needed to be included in the reservation in order to purchase tickets.”

“In order to purchased an award ticket you may contact our 7/24 call center any time.”

None of these were helpful and don’t address the route of the problem. What is the verification process and how does someone become verified? It’s been almost a year since my first Turkish flight and my account appears still in the same position.

Summary & Takeaways

Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles is a great program and one we recommend for every award traveler. However, there still is some work to do in order to improve their technical capabilities as they are still way behind many other carriers.

Upon research I became aware that up until 2017 Turkish would only allow you to book an award ticket by physically visiting a ticketing office. This made the process way too difficult for most travelers, which is why the program is only recently coming on peoples radars.

Turkish Airlines with its vast route network, onboard service, and great pricing can really become a powerhouse in the award redemption space. They will still need some improvements but for now you can make it work and I suggest everyone to give them a shot.

The post Buying More Than One Turkish Airlines Award Ticket appeared first on Travel Season.

Although the food on Turkish is typically very good the pandemic has effected us all, including Turkish Airlines.

We’re not sure when we can expect a return to service but so far the days of getting a trolly serving you food in business class has not returned.

We are still hopeful though, as travel picks back up a good food offering can really set an airline apartment.

Although still during the pandemic we were interested to see how a Turkish Lounge would fare in Miami International Airport.

The Turkish Airlines Lounge is located after security in Terminal E on Level 2. The lounge is open from 5am – 10pm and the best news is they accept Priority Pass members.

We were flying on a short haul flight to New York and decided to make a quick stop to see what it was like.

We found our way to Turkish Airlines lounge that is located on the second floor. You need to walk down a bit of a hallway and use an elevator to get there but we eventually made it.

I immediately like the style of the lounge and upon entering was hoping for the best.

On this trip the lounge was not overly crowded but was also not empty. There was plenty of people inside with the lounge consisting of one main room as well as a smaller seating room.

As soon as you enter you come across a large food service area as well as a separate. We expect this was self serve but for now they had attendants handing out the food. We noticed this would sometimes cause a line up but the wait usually was pretty quicky.

We observed small plates like salads, hummus, pita, fruit, and quinoa. They also had some sandwiches and small plates of dessert as well as drinks available.

Turkish also provides an option to order hot meals and the only choice of the day was falafel. We excitedly ordered two plates one with vegetables and the other with rice.

Our excitement quickly went away when we saw the plates being served. These were some sad looking plates.

The falafel was chewy, the veggies soggy, and the rice didn’t taste like much. Worst of all they weren’t actually that hot and more room temperature.

This was a pretty big disappointment since we thought such a simple dish would be something that can be done right.

Maybe this was not the best time to visit or maybe this is what it usually is like. We can’t be too disappointed given the times we are living in but we just hoped for better from Turkish Airlines.

Perhaps we’ll give this lounge another go at some point but for now if you are planning to visit stick to drinks and enjoy the space.

The post Food Review: Turkish Airlines Lounge At Miami Airport appeared first on Travel Season.

I flew to Turkey in October on Turkish Airlines from Newark to Istanbul in business class and had a pretty good first time experience with the airline. This was now my third flight with Turkish after I flew from Istanbul to Kayseri to get to Cappadocia.

I arrived at the Nevsehir airport only about an hour before my flight but given how small it was that was plenty of time. The airport only had one main area and two gates from what I could tell, with the flagship Turkish Airlines being the only airline flying that day.

I didn’t expect much on this short haul flight but thought it would be comfortable non the less.

I made my way out the gate to the plane and loved the view of walking on the tarmac. This is common at small airports and provides you with an amazing view of the plane that you are about to board.

The flight was configured with just a few European style business class and a 3-3 economy cabin.

The seats were well padded and offered decent legroom on such a small plane.

It was also nice to see seat back entertainment as many flights no longer will have this on such short flights.

I found the selection to actually be pretty good with plenty of English movies and TV shows.

Now came the surprising part, just like my flight here, they served a meal on board. This took me by surprise especially during COVID times where airlines have cut back significantly.

Now this was no gourmet meal or even hot but getting something to eat on such a short flight was a treat. The airport at Nevsehir had only 1 option that I decided to pass on so I welcomed a quick bite while on board.

The sandwich was the same as my previous flight, a Kasar Cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato. The side dish was olives and veggies as well as an overall sweet juice.

Now the sandwich was nothing to brag about but I actually kind of liked it. Maybe its the salty cheese, or the sesame bread, or that I was just hungry but it seemed to hit the spot. The veggie side and juice I could pass on but the sandwich I finished completely.

There is not much to say about such a short flight but its starting to make me like Turkish Airlines more and more. Food on an airline is a defining feature and Turkish knows that so next time you are on a short or long haul expect to get some sort of meal that will quickly satisfy you.

The post Flight Review: Turkish Airlines A321 Economy from Nevsehir to Istanbul appeared first on Travel Season.

Turkey has been on my bucket list for a number of years but a trip there just never seemed to work out for me. I’ve heard lots of stories about Istanbul, Cappadocia, Bodrum, and countless other cities that seem to have so much to offer.

That all changed in October 2021 when I finally pulled the trigger and booked a trip to Istanbul. Like any trip, now came the fun part. How do I fly there and where should I stay?

Naturally, I looked at the best airlines to fly to Istanbul and there only seemed to be one choice. Turkish Airlines.

The only carrier that flies non stop from the US to Turkey, Turkish Airlines tends to have a pretty good reputation in the aviation world. The airline offers great service, world class food, and actually flies to more foreign countries than any other airline. I had a great food experience on a Turkish Airlines economy flight so naturally couldn’t wait to see what business class was like.

My mind was made up, Turkish Airlines seemed to make the most sense and now I needed to figure out how to book. I did have a few hiccups throughout the booking process I must mention but this didn’t have any effect on my on board experience.

Flying from the New York area, Turkish Airlines flies to both JFK and EWR. I was in New Jersey at the time so EWR made the most sense and with Turkish only offering 1 flight a day at 11:55pm this was an easy choice.

I was sitting on a number of Capital One miles and was looking for a way to burn them. Here is where I saw my window to book roundtrip business class for 90,000 miles per person. Since Capital One transfers to Turkish at 2:1.5 I ended up using 240,000 miles to book for 2.

Note: Capital One updated to transfer at 1:1 to Turkish Airlines after my booking. This means you will only need 90,000 miles each for a roundtrip ticket.

The cash price of this ticket would be about $4,200 round trip meaning I got a whopping 4.6 cents per point in value. Given how points and miles work this is an incredible deal.

If you are looking to top up your points and miles balance see our latest and best credit card offers for travelers.

We would be flying to Istanbul from EWR in an Airbus A330 and return home to JFK on a Boeing 777.

This trip had been a long time coming so to say I was excited was an understatement.

Note: I reviewed this flight from EWR to IST on our review platform and you can review it there as well.

I arrived at Newark Airport in the evening and it was pretty quiet, which is always nice.

The check in counters were also fairly empty making he process pretty easy.

I shared my passport as well as a Turkish health form that is not only needed to fly but entering almost every hotel or store when you are in Istanbul.

The only damper on my trip was that I was told there is no lounge at EWR currently open. Turkish Airlines business customers would usually have access to the United Polaris Lounge and the Lufthansa Business Lounge, both of which are still not operating.

Bummed about this I went towards my gate and waited for boarding. It didn’t help that I passed the Lufthansa Lounge just to remind me I wouldn’t be able to go in.

The boarding process was pretty uneventful, with business class passengers going first throughout the same lane as economy.

The A330 cabin we arrived into is a 2-2-2 layout, and luckily this was the updated version with new entertainment screens and privacy dividers added between each seat.

This configuration is not the best Turkish Airlines flies, which would be the 1-2-1 to Atlanta, Chicago, and others but I found it to be comfortable enough.

Before I settled in too much into my seat I took a quick peak at economy. Turkish Airlines tends to have some interesting colors as well as a very animated safety video that tries to add a light tough to their experience.

Economy didn’t look too bad, especially providing a 2-4-2 configuration that makes it not a bad way to fly overseas.

Back in business class, I settled into my seat and noticed a pretty packed cabin on our way to Istanbul. This was unexpected since the seat map was pretty open the day before the flight but I didn’t think much of it.

No pre-departure beverages are served but I was ready for take off when the flight attendants came around with an amenity kit. A nice tough with Turkish Airlines is they provide a different one for men and women, provided by Versace.

I found both amenity kits to be stylish and well stocked with essentials. This is actually one of the few kits I’ll end up keeping to future use.

Next up was one of my favorite things about flying, pass through of the food and drink menus. Turkish Airlines is well known for their food and we also ranked them as an airline with some of the best food in the skies.

Turkish Airlines provides each passenger with two menus, one for food and the other for wine. The menus also were very on brand and stylish.

I started by going through the food menu. I was happy to see them serving their traditional mezzo on today’s flight as well as seeing a vegetarian option – not what I expected from seeing past menus with no option.

I moved over to the wine list and it was nice to see some local Turkish wines. I would definitely be ordering a glass as well as some Tattinger Brut Reserver champagne that I could not resist.

A pro tip I received from a friend was to also get the homemade lemonade with mint. There is something about it that tastes like you are in a spa so I was absolutely going to try a glass.

Meal service started not long after take off and I got the chance to finally try the Turkish Airline food so many have raved about.

First up was a tomato and mozzarella salad served with bread and two mezzes of babaganoush and muhammara, both of which are some of my favorite dips.

Babaganoush is a smokey eggplant based dip while muhammara is made of red peppers and walnuts. I found both of these to be excellent, they were well spiced and had great flavor.

The tomato and mozzarella salad was good but to be honest nothing to be overly excited about.

As they came through the cabin with mains I had the options of chicken, fish, or pasta. While I initially was considering the fish I decided to go with the chicken since the saffron risotto it was served with tempted me.

The chicken actually tasted better than it looked and was paired with a nice sauce that I couldn’t quite tell what it was made of. However, the risotto was a bit disappointing, not bad or good just so so.

My partner had the asian vegetarian meal, which if I’m to be honest had better flavor than my chicken. If I had known in advance I would’ve been happy eating this dish on any flight.

I didn’t really eat much of my dessert that seemed to be a chocolate pudding and had already moved my mindset to coffee. Yes it was already 1am and I should get to be but I always love an espresso post meal.

The espresso was actually surprisingly very good and came in a very stylish cup. I sat there drinking this until my mind finally convinced me it was time to get some sleep.

The seats on Turkish Airlines do go into a lie flat however there is a slight slant to them. It didn’t tend to bother me but for those wondering there is a very minor tilt to the seat in bed mode.

One thing I had to call out was how hot the cabin was. It was a first for me on an airplane that the temperature was a bit unbearable that I had to tell the flight attendant if we can cool the cabin a bit. Luckily this was no problem and after 10 minutes the cabin was comfortable enough to fall asleep in.

After getting a decent amount of sleep I woke up as we were about 2 hours away from arriving. This flight was set to land around 4:45pm Istanbul time but oddly they were planning to serve breakfast before landing.

I didn’t complain and I eagerly awaited another meal.

Breakfast started with a serving of fruit, a pasty, slices of turkey and chicken, cheese, and a yogurt. I found all the dishes to be pretty refreshing although the fruit was served very cold so I let it sit for a few minutes.

Next up was a choice between an omelette or what they described as a crepe. Even though I’m usually a fan of savory breakfast I decided to go with a crepe since omelettes are pretty standard on airplanes.

The crepe was actually delicious and served piping hot being paired with a bit of raspberry jam. I liked that while this dish looks very sweet it actually wasn’t over the top. It made for a great way to start my morning (but really afternoon) into Istanbul.

We landed in Istanbul not too long after and I would say the overall flight experience on Turkish Airlines was positive. While it wasn’t the best business class I’ve been on and I don’t think the food rivals what I had on Singapore Airlines on either an A380 to Singapore or A350 to Newark, but it turned out to be the best choice from the US to Turkey.

So would I fly it again? Absolutely.

It feels like more and more people are traveling to Turkey and with that will continue to come improvements to their airline offering.

The post Flight Review: Turkish Airlines A330 Business Class From Newark To Istanbul appeared first on Travel Season.