Turkish Airlines Business Class

Published: 07/02/2012   RSS

First impressions  My trip began in Beirut, and although my Turkish Airlines flight on to New York was under a different reservation, the agent easily took care of checking my luggage all the way through to JFK. 

After landing at Atatürk Airport, I made my way to immigration, which took nearly 40 minutes. If leaving directly from Istanbul, you’re still required to pass a security screening before entering the airport, another before you enter the departure area and a third just before boarding. Shoes can stay on, but laptops and tablets are taken out, so keep them handy.

There is a welcome desk at the entrance to the CIP International lounge, but guests can also scan their boarding passes at the turnstiles to get in. As this was a 10:50 AM flight, breakfast was available, including eggs-to-order, pastries and mezze. A barista was on hand to prepare my choice of coffee drinks; next to this was a selection of juices. A limited selection of beer, wine and spirits is also available, but that glass of bubbly has to wait until you’ve boarded the plane.

WiFi is free throughout the lounge. Keep an eye on one of the lounge’s departures boards, as the staff doesn’t disrupt the area with boarding calls. Bear in mind that “Wait in Lounge” means you need to head to gate and wait there, not in the CIP Lounge. If you wait for it to announce “Boarding,” you might be too late.

BOARDING  There is a final security check at the gate, which passengers must clear at four different points. I’d made a Duty Free purchase before boarding the plane, but never saw a place to pick it up along the way. After I boarded the plane, the flight attendants took my receipt and picked up my bag for me. They later offered orange juice, water or Champagne once most passengers were settled in. 

SEAT COMFORT  The business-class cabin on this B777-300 ER was arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration with four rows, although not a single middle seat was occupied on that day’s flight. When I got to my seat, a pillow, blanket and slippers wrapped in plastic awaited me. The seat is adjusted electronically, fully reclining within a fixed-back shell, and has bonus features like massage and lumbar support. 

The shared surface area between two seats had enough room for each passenger to enjoy a glass of water and a glass of something stronger at the same time. The ottoman beneath my personal television monitor doubled as foot rest and extra storage space.

A universal power outlet is located toward the back of the seat underneath the armrest. It was a little difficult to access, especially when the seat back wasn’t in the take-off or landing position, but it kept my laptop charged during the entire flight.

FLIGHT As the plane was getting ready to shut its doors the in-flight chef presented passengers with a silver tray of Godiva chocolates. Next came a selection of newspapers and amenity kits stocked with Bulgari products. We departed on time and were given menus within 30 minutes of being airborne. 

After refreshing myself with a hot towel, I enjoyed a plate from the tray of mezze, a flavor-packed start to the meal, even if the rigatoni that followed was a little dry. 

The in-flight entertainment system has so many options it took a while to settle on a movie, but I eventually found something that suited my mood. When I was done, I reclined my chair and fell into a deep sleep for a few hours. They must have distributed bottles of water some time after the meal service, and it was nice to have it on hand when I woke up a little parched.

ARRIVAL The flight landed at JFK on time at 2:00 PM.  Since the majority of Turkish Airlines’ passengers are Turkish, the immigration line for US citizens was the shorter of the two and I was cleared in less than 10 minutes. I retrieved my bags and was in a cab headed home by 3:00 PM.  

VERDICT You can’t buy a first class ticket on Turkish Air, but with business class like this, who needs it? The service was exceptional throughout, and the courteous ground staff and crew more than took care of those potentially irksome hiccups which might otherwise have spoiled my trip.

CONTACT turkishairlines.com

—  Ally Miola