B737-800 Turkish Airlines
Karri Weston
The trip from Paris Roissy to Zrich was with Swiss International Air Lines on an Avro RJ100. Although the service was fine and the crew were very friendly, I really do think those Avros have reached a state of repair which is simply no longer acceptable for the passenger. From where I was sitting on row 18, towards the back of the bus, the smell of shit emanating from the toilet was disgusting and nothing else.
However, if you have a light sleep, perhaps this is not the place for you. Istanbul has no night ban and the sound of departing aircraft is rather loud, given that they pass nearly directly over the hotel at very low altitude.
The only downside really, is that the hotel is quite far away from the splendid sights of the city of Istanbul. To get from the hotel to the city there are basically two options. You can take a taxi for about 50 Turkish Lira. Keep in mind however, that the journey is likely to take you up to an hour or even more from the hotel to Taksim square or Sultanahmet, due to the really appalling traffic in Istanbul. You may also not necessarily want to fork out the money to spend an hour surrounded by the stink of stale cigarette smoke which seems omnipresent in Turkish taxis.
Istanbul airport is quite a mess when I arrive. Evidently, the airport was never intended to endure the droves of passengers Turkish Airlines is currently feeding into the facility. To enter the building you need to queue at security. The lines are orderly and move relatively quickly. But even so, it takes me 15 minutes to reach the head of the queue. There are simply too many people.
The last security check ejects me into the middle of a big square within the terminal. There are people everywhere, making it quite impossible to take a pleasant stroll through the terminal. Very quickly I decide to retreat to the quiet and calm of the Turkish Airlines Lounge. Or so I thought.
The first impression of the aircraft is good. There is a dedicated Business Class cabin that is separated from Economy by a fixed cabin divider. The seats are black leather, with the headrests alternating between black and red. Each seat has its own personal video screen, which can be operated by using the remote control or by touch screen.
Fortunately, at this time of day the amount of departing traffic is not so bad and we make our way to the runway for an on time departure towards the north. Our route today will take us from Istanbul to Belgrade, onward to Zagreb and then from there due north of Zrich and eventually to Basel.
For the main course, there is a choice of minced beef in aubergines or a chicken kebab with rice and vegetables. I have the chicken, which is okay, although the spinach is really very bland and boring.
With the meal there is a bun. Also, inside the small box that arrived with the tray there are savoury crackers and cream cheese and butter. For dessert we have a vanilla pana cotta with chocolate shavings.
Once the meal service is over, it takes a while for the crew to come through the cabin with tea and coffee. But this is hardly their fault, as the service has had to be temporarily suspended due to the severe turbulence.
For the rest of the flight, I watch a few episodes of Big Bang Theory, until eventually it is time for us to land. Our arrival takes us on a somewhat circuitous route, mainly due to the fact that a storm is passing over the area. Subsequently, we begin our descent too late and have to execute a whole series of turns with the spoilers deployed before eventually we are able to make the approach.
My previous experience with Turkish Airlines was a short hop in Business Class from Bangkok to Saigon on an ancient A 340-300, and I was not at all amused. This time round, I must say the over all impression was much better, even though I was travelling in Economy. The flight was uneventful and pleasant.
Hey nice article. I have never got a chance to experience the turkish airlines journey. However, i have heard a lot about them. I have some pretty great review and reputation. Your posts are quite informative and loved the pictures. Turkey seems like a great place.
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