Turkish Airlines has been my go to for the past year given their vast network, great award rates, and onboard food. Even if they have some technical shortfalls when it comes to booking, I still find myself going back to it.
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.
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.