If you’re planning to travel internationally this year and want to avoid getting trapped in a cramped seat at the back of the plane for eight hours or more, there’s a global carrier with an enticing front-of-the-plane offering that won’t necessarily break the bank. Turkish Airlines is known not only for its extensive network of flights from the U.S. but also for its well-priced business class, the highest class it offers after phasing out first.
If Türkiye is not your final destination, the airline can take you from its humongous hub in Istanbul to just about anywhere in the world. In fact, the carrier was recently named by Guinness World Records as the airline that flies to the most countries—130 nations in all. Popular end points for U.S. travelers include Athens, Cairo, Berlin, much of Eastern Europe, and Mumbai.
I’ve been hearing for years about the good deals consumers have nabbed in Turkish Air’s business class. (One friend flew New York to Cairo last year for $2,200 round trip, more than a $1,000 off the going rate on major European airlines.) So this past fall, I flew round trip from New York’s John F. Kennedy International (JFK) to Istanbul to experience this great-value international business-class product firsthand. Here are some notes from my journey.
At Turkish Airlines’s business-class lounge in Istanbul Airport, one of the largest lounges in the world, you can watch as stuffed pide bread is made fresh in the kitchen.
Photo by fivetonine/Shutterstock
At the airport
Flying from the USA, business-class travelers have access to a variety of lounges, depending on their departure airport. They will either be able to wait in a dedicated lounge (available in New York, Miami, and Washington, D.C.) or will have access to a partner airport club. At JFK, flights depart out of Terminal 1, which is currently in the midst of a massive makeover. The lounge’s temporary space, in a former Alitalia club, is perfectly adequate for passing the time before boarding, with comfortable seats and a buffet of light dishes and soups, but it is not able to serve alcohol. The airline says it will have a larger and more lavish space when the new terminal opens in 2026.
The real attraction for lounge lovers is the Turkish Airlines flagship facility at the sprawling new Istanbul Airport (IST), which fully opened in 2019. There, you’ll find what’s billed as one of the world’s largest airport lounges, covering more than 103,000 square feet when combined with the adjacent club for the airline’s loyalty program members. The main business-class lounge can handle up to 765 people at a time, but because the space is divided into smaller zones, it doesn’t feel too crowded or claustrophobic. There are dining areas and buffets, bars serving a variety of Turkish libations and international wines and spirits, nap and work spaces, a multimedia area with televisions, and a business center. For food, you’ll find a variety of snacks and more substantial fare, depending on the time of day, as well as Turkish specialties, such as stuffed pide bread that you can watch being made fresh in the kitchen. Private shower suites are a welcome amenity for those resting between long flights.
Another perk of flying business is that your luggage gets tagged as priority, and on both transatlantic flights my bag was already on the carousel by the time I’d made it through immigration and customs. At IST, the distance from the business-class lounge to your gate can be substantial. For my return flight to New York, I was warned it could take more than 20 minutes by foot. But you can arrange for a cart to fetch you at the lounge and speed you to the boarding area as part of a “fast track” meet-and-greet service that also includes expedited security and passport control. It’s offered by the airport, and more information is available through the airline.
Turkish Airlines has a “Flying Chefs” program in which chefs join select flights to prepare and serve food to business-class passengers.
Courtesy of Turkish Airlines
In the air
Turkish flies more than 100 wide-body jets, including both Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Flights between JFK and IST are operated on Boeing 777-300ER planes, which have 49 seats in business class in a 2-3-2 layout. While that means not all business seats have aisle access, there’s ample legroom and it was easy to get in and out from my window seat. The seats are a comfortable 22 inches wide, with a 78-inch pitch, and you can keep clutter at a minimum with bins and storage areas for shoes, bags, and other paraphernalia. An 18-inch TV screen, with noise canceling headphones, provided ample distractions and the moving map had a live view feature via cameras mounted on the aircraft. There’s also an AB outlet for charging devices so your phone isn’t dead on arrival.
After boarding, fruit juice and water were offered before takeoff, and I was presented with a menu for the meal ahead by an attendant clad in a chef’s white coat and toque. I’d heard about the airline’s “Flying Chef” program (in which chefs come aboard to prepare and serve meals) and the quality of the in-flight cuisine, and I was not disappointed.
On the overnight flight to Istanbul, dinner began with a meze selection from a trolley, which included smoked trout, prawn salad, grilled asparagus, and an eggplant dip, followed by a bowl of tasty pea and asparagus soup. For the main course, I chose grilled seafood with a caper butter sauce; the entrée was moist and delicious, in contrast to the dried-out specimens I’ve been served on other airlines. It was served with sautéed spinach and roast potatoes and paired well with a Sarafin sauvignon blanc from Türkiye’s Saroz wine region. After that, dessert choices included chocolate cake, apple crumble with vanilla sauce, and a selection of traditional Turkish sweets.
One advantage of a 10-hour overnight flight is that you actually have a shot at getting a decent night’s sleep. So, it was a pleasant surprise when the flight attendant came by and gave me the option of sleeping through a cooked breakfast, served more than an hour before landing. I chose to get the extra shut-eye and to wake up with coffee and a pastry served closer to our arrival time. Business fliers departing from Istanbul can book their menu choices in advance and also pick the times it is served.
Fully reclined, the seats, covered with light bedding and a blanket, felt closer to an actual bed than a hard cot. A Lanvin branded amenities kit included not just the requisite sleep mask and ear plugs but facial moisturizer and hand cream as well. I managed to sleep comfortably for at least six hours, interrupted only once when we hit a bit of turbulence and a pilot came on the intercom to remind us to buckle our belts.
The return flight was also pleasantly uneventful. The main difference is that it was a daytime flight, arriving in New York around 6 p.m., local time. Again, the cuisine was a standout: Two full meals were served, a long leisurely lunch with excellent lamb chops and an eggplant puree along with copious appetizers and dessert, and a supper of chicken salad followed by curried prawns and a berry and vanilla trifle. I spent the rest of the time working (most of the airline’s long-distance international flights are equipped with Wi-Fi), reading a book, and indulging in another guilty pleasure: watching movies that I’d missed seeing in theaters, like Dune: Part 2, from a wide selection of entertainment.
Turkish Airlines gets very high marks for the cuisine served in business.
Courtesy of Turkish Airlines
The bottom line
Fliers have consistently given Turkish high marks for its business-class product. In fact, in June, the carrier was named “best business class in Europe” by Skytrax and landed in the top 10 for best business class in the world, ahead of such stalwarts as Emirates and Virgin Atlantic. Not surprisingly, given the feasts I indulged in during my recent trip, it has also won the Skytrax prize for best on-board catering in business-class worldwide for several years in a row.
And it’s hardly standing still. Turkish will soon roll out new business-class seats and it’s adding perks for its front-of-the plane passengers. For example, the carrier recently enhanced its popular Istanbul layover program, which now offers business-class customers from the U.S. three nights’ complimentary stay at a five-star hotel, up from two previously.
Here are some ways to find and book the best business-class deals with Turkish Airlines.
Directly from the airline: You can find deals by signing up for fare alerts from the airline or by checking the “deals” page on the airline’s website. Recent offerings included a $2,193 round-trip fare from Seattle to Istanbul in late July and New York to Athens in September for $2,668 round trip.
Airfare search sites: Fare monitoring services like those offered by Google Flights or Going.com can present some last-minute deals and upgrades on transatlantic flights for as low as $1,000 to $2,000 each way.
Use points: Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance network, so it offers some reciprocal benefits to members of airline partner programs, including with United Airlines. And last fall Turkish unveiled a branded Visa card for its own Miles and Smiles loyalty program—signing up for the card can score you up to a 40,000-mile bonus.
Turkish Airlines Holidays: The packaged vacation arm of Turkish Airlines launched this spring in the U.S. market and includes itineraries in 60 countries. Booking through this portal can get you an attractive price for a combined business-class air and hotel package. For all bookings, it is currently offering the following discounts: $150 off for bookings over $1,500; $250 off for bookings over $2,500, and $400 off for bookings over $4,000.
