Turkish Airlines

Travelled ESB-IST-LHR and return 2/4/14 and 7/4/14. Both sets of flights and aircraft were satisfactory. Flight between Ankara and Istanbul is short so the crew have just enough time to give out the picnic baskets of food before descent commences. Sandwiches are served on the domestic flights which are ok but not a substitute for a proper meal. London flights were ok food was served within the first hour of the flight but then the cabin crew were almost non-existent for the remainder of the flight. Selection of food was not available to me on both international flights probably because I was sat in an exit row half way down the aircraft. It was beef or nothing. Connection between the two flights was stressful as navigating Ataturk airport customs is a long process. The most disappointing thing about the flights is the attitude of the cabin crew towards the safety rules. Many passengers on Turkish Airlines do not observe the seatbelt sign and will get out of their seats while the aircraft is taxiing to open overhead lockers. This occurred on all flights and the cabin crew were indifferent and didn't say a thing on all occasions. This is a very different attitude compared with other airlines. The command of English of the cabin crew and at times the pilots is quite poor also which is surprising for a growing international airline.

DUB-IST-PEK and return. Check-in slow at both DUB and PEK due to group travel. All four flights full. European sectors particularly good with very friendly smiling and welcoming onboard staff and food above average. IST-PEK outbound delayed by almost 3 hours with no explanation given. Service good staff efficient but indifferent on the long-haul flights with food below par on occasion particularly breakfast. Dinner on both long-haul sectors meals edible. Drinks plentiful with frequent top-ups. Entertainment excellent with plenty of choice of movies and programming. Will definitely use again but a little bit more required to maintain 4-star rating.

LAX-IST-BCN and return. Turkish continues to be a favorite with the finest catering I have encountered on any airline. On the intercontinental segments both the appetizer and the dessert are chosen from a cart laden (truly) with an incredible selection of options. The menu is extensive and provides something for every taste. While food in Business Class is generally good on every airline Turkish takes it to a new level and provides and experience worth anticipation. The crews are friendly and the seating is comfortable for long flights. All services were on time and the Istanbul Lounge is a wonderful place for relaxing between flights.

TXL-IST-KRT return. With Lufthansa stopping its flights to KRT in January no major European airline flies there anymore. Thus flying from Europe the shortest route one has to take either Turkish Airlines or Egyptair. Since I had good experience with THY in the past I took them once again and have no complaints except for the 50 mins delay on the IST-KRT leg and the fact that they stopped serving alcohol on flights to sharia-law countries such as Sudan. The food was good and seats in the 738 were comfortable providing sufficient legroom even for a 4.10 hrs IST-KRT flight. Ataturk airport has been renovated since my last visit there and the wait for the connecting flights was quite pleasant.

I fly every 3 weeks on Turkish. Having a good experience is like a game of roulette. Some aircraft's are excellent others very old and shabby. Economy class does what it says on the tin but Business class is generally below the standard of peers. However one thing is constant: the poor level of service. If anything goes wrong or if you have a special request just forget about it and remember this is an emerging airline. Cheap A to B in economy why not? But as a business traveler I cannot honestly recommend Turkish.

Quick flight IST-ATH return on the A321. Was really impressed by the 'picnic basket' served for breakfast both ways by DO&CO. They do the best catering. Service was fine but the stand out is their lounge at Istanbul Airport. It is fantastic showcasing the best of Turkish cuisine.

Lyon-IST-Moscow. 2 delays on our flights. Each of them for more than 30 minutes. Food quality was good. Not enough space for legs.

TK1964 LGW-SAW TK0898 SAW-IKA on Oct 16th and return on Oct 30th on TK0899 IKA-SAW TK1963 SAW-LGW. I flew October 2013 from London to Tehran Via IST. This is by far the worst airline I have travelled with the food was ok but thats about it. The seats are uncomfortable there is no TV or entertainment. I believe they have new planes with TV's and comfortable seats for transatlantic routes but havent and will never try those.

I'm a frequent traveler hopping on planes every couple of weeks for U.S. domestic and European travel and my recent experience flying Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to JFK is the worst flight experience I have had. It started with not being able to contact the airline on the day of the flight to confirm the flight time on March 30th a day that Europe moved to daylight saving time but the Turkish government for some odd reason decided to delay the switch for twenty-four hours at the last minute. Next a surly person at the Turkish Airline check-in counter followed by a lengthy delay for takeoff due to the computer-automated baggage system being down. On the flight my travel companion and I were separated by the flight crew to accommodate a family that wanted to be seated together. We repeatedly told them we were traveling together he was moved to economy plus/business with plenty of seats around him but they refused to move me. So on an eleven-hour flight I ended up with no one to chat with. Finally the plane was full of toddlers and clearly the flight crew was having difficulty keeping the bathrooms clean and the cabin ended up smelling awful for the last 2 to 3 hours of the flight. On pulling out my laptop to do some work I discovered there was not enough room with the seat in front of me to actually open the laptop fully.

I flew from JFK to Madrid and back from Rome to JFK. Outbound flight was not a good one with a delay resulting in missing our connecting flight to Madrid but it was mainly due to heavy snow and delay at JFK itself. However the returning flight was a real nightmare: We (family of 4) were not given the seats we reserved on the phone with the airline. They cancelled our flight out of Rome and replaced it with one leaving 4 hours later and arriving at IST 2 hours after our connecting flight to JFK left. The funny thing is that on the phone and at the Rome airport the reps I spoke to kept reassuring us that we will be able to catch our flight anyway. Of course they were not being truthful and we missed our flight and were put in a hotel. We had to pay Turkish entry visas. But the worst came when they made pre-arrangement with the hotel for our food. They did not give any voucher but pre-ordered a dish (same for everybody) consisting in a bowl of some kind of soup a fistful of rice with a piece of unidentified meat on top and no dring (not even water) allowed. They had no consideration for people's choice or diet preferences. You may get lucky but you may also dearly regret flying with them.