Review flight from Bangkok to Istanbul in economy with Turkish Airlines

Turkey's state carrier is one of the world's best companies. Of course, not at the level of Qatar or Singapore Airlines, however, in the last 10 to 15 years it has reduced the distance and with the new airport in Istanbul it is aiming higher and higher.

I had never experienced this airline, the only one to fly to the old continent even with wide-body aircraft and especially to offer a true business class cabin even on flights between Istanbul and European destinations such as Milan and Rome.

But of course that is not the subject of this review; today I am recounting my experience at row 36, the third last on this A330/300.

The purchase

This flight is part of an all-TK itinerary from Milan to Bangkok, and back. With the outbound in business class and the return in economy. Specially to have both experiences and thus be able to review them.

The ticket cost just under 1,300 euros and I took the opportunity to credit flights to my Singapore Airlines profile (Star Alliance carrier), useful points to renew my Gold level until August 2024 taking advantage of the recent 12-month renewal announced by the Asian carrier.

At the airport

This was my fourth trip to Thailand. since the borders were reopened. After 3 Sandbox was the first In the Test&Go protocol and especially the first one that allowed me to return to Italy without having to undergo any pre-departure tests. Now, however, moving to Thailand is the same as before, since all covid-related measures have been deleted.

Bangkok airport, like all Asian airports open at the moment, looks like a deserted cathedral. Few flights out and few passengers around.

The only assemblages, if you want to call them that, are the check-in lines.

By taking advantage of my elite status in the Star Alliance, I was able to move from the business class counters by skipping the economy line. Having status makes for much better travel even when flying coach.

I embarked right at 11:30 p.m. on February 28. and it took nearly 30 minutes of checking and phone calls for the check-in desk clerks to verify the news, which was that for Vaccinated passengers bound for Italy no longer have to undergo any tests.

Having obtained my boarding pass, and an invitation to enter Turkish's business lounge, I headed for security. There was no priority gate, but there was no one in line either.

Passing through security, I headed for the lounge, but not Turkish's. I headed straight for Thai Airways' new Royal Orchid Prestige. Again as an economy passenger I would not have been entitled to access any lounges, but having the Gold level with Singapore I was able to take advantage of Turkish's lounge and the other StarAlliance lounges at this airport.

This is Thai's most important lounge and is ten times better than the one Turkish operates a short distance away.

The lounge, which opened in late 2019, is beautiful and elegant. The walls are a kind of vertical garden.

The food offerings are quality, and the bar is also stocked with everything you need to wait for your flight relaxed.

With 10 minutes before boarding began, I headed to the gate that was less than 3 minutes from the lounge.

Rite checks and on time, passengers were invited to board.

Let's say that with TK this is definitely the most chaotic phase, as business class passengers were invited and only then was the go-ahead given to other passengers, regardless of status or otherwise.

On board

Economy class passengers boarded from the middle door, while business class passengers were able to use the front door.

The A330 is the backbone of Turkish Airlines' long-haul fleet; they are all configured with two business and economy classes.

The tourist class cabin is equipped with the classic 2-4-2.  Like everything else on the plane, it is an elderly configuration, especially compared to what Turkish offers aboard its Dreamliners.

The chair is comfortable, but very narrow and the fabric has seen better days. The main advantage is that it reclines quite a bit, not the most comfortable sleeping position, but that's something.

The seat also has a footrest to hold a more relaxed leg position.

The real discomfort is the short distance with the seat in front; when the passenger lowers his or her seat back, it becomes difficult to eat or use a tablet, let alone a notebook.

Comfortable headrest that can be raised and has shoulder straps that can act as support when sleeping.

Fortunately, my flight was not full, which allowed me to spread out even on the seat next to mine and make the trip a little more comfortable.

During boarding procedures, the cabin crew also distributed a small beauty kit; not many airlines give away such a kit to their economy-class passengers.

The flight from Bangkok is an overnight flight, taking off just before midnight local time and landing at 6 a.m. local time. It is perfect for those who want to sleep the entire trip or those who prefer to already plan on the Italian time zone.

Available to passengers are 3 bathrooms at the bottom of the cabin and as many in the middle areas and near the business class cabin. They are not large in size, but that is to be expected. Again, I must say that TK distinguishes itself by putting quality products and not just plain soap.

The big NO of this cabin is the absence, even in economy, of air vents. Fortunately, the flight was semi-deserted, but I wonder why not put them in a cabin where more than 100 people are seated.

Service

We are not in business so no welcome drink or wipe to freshen up. As mentioned though a small beauty, with a simple but cute design, is distributed. The contents are all you need: eye mask, lip cream, earplugs, socks and some non-slip slippers/socks that are waterproof and perfect for going to the bathroom even without shoes.

Two envelopes containing an entertainment system cover and headphones were also at the location.

On an overnight flight, the staff tends to disappear as soon as the lights go out and the dinner service is over. And this flight was no exception; in fact, no one was seen walking around the aisle until the next service began.

Food & Beverage

Obviously the flying chef in economy can't be seen not even by accident

However, the menu is distributed; as the main course, there was a choice of beef or chicken. There was no vegetarian option, but that can be booked online like other special diets within 48 hours of the flight.

The service started about 40 minutes after takeoff. The service was mixed. For a stretch, the classic trolley was used; instead, the tray and drink were brought directly to me by the attendant.

The quality of the product reminded me of those in the cafeteria in elementary school, when you would taste and not understand what you were eating. The only thing worth mentioning was the shrimp as an appetizer.

Same with the breakfast served about 60 minutes after landing in Istanbul. The scrambled eggs were a tasteless tile, the fresh fruit was a slice of melon inside a cup with yogurt. Let's say that the food proposal was not the strong point of this flight.

IFE

All seats have built-in screens, the system is touch but can also be operated with the classic remote control. Even here you can see the years, the resolution is not the best as well as the size.

Passengers are provided with a power outlet under the seat, one for both of them.

A USB jack in the seatback in front of the monitor and a network jack that I have always wondered why it was put in the planes, if not to stimulate some geek to hack the plane.

The jack where to plug in headphones is built into the armrest, I now only use my Airpods Max when I travel and connect to the system via the Airfly transmitter. In this case, however, I could have connected directly to the screen since the system is Bluetooth.

The proposal is many, the novelties few, and the quality is poor both as a catalog and as a screen resolution/size. Sure, over 400 movies available is certainly a lot, but in 99% of cases we are talking about movies that are years old, if not even from the last millennium.

There was also a wide selection of Italian-language content. Fortunately, shortly after takeoff, wi-fi was activated and live TV channels turned on.

However, praise must be given to Turkish on its in-flight wi-fi offer. It gives 1gb to business travelers, a handful of MB to loyalty program members, and for everyone else it sells traffic packages: half a gig costs 24.99$. Much less than in many other companies. Also the credit is valid for 24h, this means that if you have a connecting flight you will be able to use all the remaining traffic even on the second flight.

One thing that is almost never missing on A330s are webcams that show what happens outside the plane. I absolutely love them. Of course, at night you don't get the same feeling, but seeing what the pilots see in the cabin excites me every time.

In conclusion

The stopover in Turkey to go to Asia is, along with the route via Helsinki, the most convenient for us Italians. Compared to a flight via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the like, you save nearly 4 hours in flight time and, if your connection times are quick, you can arrive less than 12 hours after departure.

Istanbul Airport is second to none, in fact perhaps it may soon win the title of the best airport in the world, having a stopover here is truly a pleasure. I just disembarked and headed at lightning speed to Turkish Airlines' beautiful Miles&Smiles lounge, thanks to my gold status with Singapore Airlines.

 

But there is also an equally nice independent lounge accessible to all holders of pririoty pass, dragon pass and other similar cards.

If the fare is competitive, it is definitely preferable to a flight via Paris or Amsterdam. As for companies like Emirates or Qatar, you also have to compare the quality of service and cabin. Traveling on an A380 or A350 is not the same as an A330.

This is just one of many reviews you can read on our site. Every Wednesday we publish a review of a lounge airport, while every Friday you can read the review of one of our flights or a hotel where we stayed.