Turkish Airlines

I flew 10 international and 2 domestic flights with Turkish Airlines this year and they will likely be my last. Sure their planes are nice and new, but their service is getting worse every time I fly. Their customer service (online or via phone) has been pretty bad for a while, but now it's spreading to their in-flight services. The hostesses behave rudely to passengers raising their voices. They don't come right away when you push the call button. I waited an hour to get a cup of water on my last flight. This is unacceptable. The food on board used to be better. In the past I would actually look forward to eating it, but lately their food quality is slipping. On my last trip I wanted chicken but they ran out by the time they came to my row. Istanbul Ataturk Airport is very poorly operated. We are constantly transported by bus to and from the planes rather than boarding at a gate. My last trip it was raining and we got wet getting off the plane. The in-flight entertainment is decent. They have plenty of movies to watch, but not so many TV shows. I've flown so many times in 2015 that I actually ran out of things to watch. They need to update their library more often.

Gatwick to Seoul via Istanbul. My husband had flown with Turkish Airlines recently and had glowing reports, I was pleased to have had a similarly good experience. Seats in economy were very comfortable in all sectors and it was great to have IFE for the IST-LON routes. On our flight out, a passenger appeared to have passed away on the inbound IST-LGW flight so the flight was delayed by an hour. No information was given at LGW, but I was one of the few who might have figured out what had happened and I expect that most passengers would be more comfortable not knowing. Crew were welcoming and friendly but there were no forced smiles. It couldn't have been a great day for them but they showed utmost professionalism throughout the journey. Food was excellent, there was plenty to drink, flight was full. Not many toilets for Economy passengers, but they were well maintained and kept clean. Many of the passengers would not have made their connecting flights. I had a two hour transit window which was reduced to one hour. I walked purposefully (did not need to clear any security for this particular journey) and got to my gate as passengers were boarding. It was a long walk. I do not recommend a transit time of less than 2 hours with Turkish Airlines here. The next flight was also very full in economy but my seat was extremely comfortable and I appreciated the foot rests. Entertainment options were even more extensive than on my earlier flight. Food, again, was fantastic. I doubt any airline gives you better food in economy (better than some Business Class meals I've had). Unfortunately, about a third of the way into the flight I became ill. The crew swooped into action, called amongst the passengers for medical assistance and I had my pulse and blood pressure checked. Business class was a lot less busy than Economy and I was isolated from other passengers in a business class chair that had been turned into a bed for me. The crew kept a check on my throughout the rest of the flight and kept me hydrated. The worst of my illness passed by the time we arrived over South Korea and I took myself back to my Economy chair for landing. Thanks to the crew, I was left in a fit state to continue my journey (just needed an extra sick bag for the road). The flight back was less eventful but standards were just as high. The flight from ICN to IST was delayed by an hour. Again, I had a two hour transit window that was halved and I arrived at my gate for the IST-LHR flight as it was boarding. I really enjoyed my flights and appreciated the care and service I was given. I don't hesitate to recommend this airline but I do stress how important it is to have a long enough transit window to deal with an unforeseen delay. My husband will be travelling with TK again in January and is looking forward to it.

Turkish Airlines A320 from Nuremberg to Istanbul, there was no IFE system inside the plane, the catering service was good as was the comfort. After transfer in Istanbul Airport, I boarded the A330 to Jeddah. It was really good, better than the A320. The crew were nice, and it turned out good!

Istanbul to Zagreb on Turkish Airlines. Flight was smooth, we were little bit late with take-off because of very strong cross winds this day. Flight attendants were polite, but I noticed some of them are very bad in English. Turkish Airlines do not let passengers use headphones during take-off and landing. Flight attandant was angry with me, because she came 3x to tell me that I have to stop using my iPhone (on airlplane mode) during landing and take off - but on some other airlines this is allowed. Food and beverages are above other airlines economy class, so I can say Turkish Airlines have best Economy class. Inflight entertaiment was nice, 4 or 6 music channels, and some documentary was playing on LCD.

Brussels to Istanbul return on Turkish Airlines. Fast check in, no fast lane for passport control but for Security. Lounge is the dreaded SN Brussels Airlines lounge. Surprinsingly good boarding and inflight service was good, although food choices are same as usual. I opt for ordering fruit platter which is a little small for duration of the flight. Fast track in Istanbul and out in a 5 mins. Return was smooth, check in fast, priority lane for security and passport control. Fabulous lounge but Istanbul airport is a mess though. Too many flights and short of gates.

Vienna to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen. Flight on time, remote stand. Old-looking and dirty Boeing 737. Overhead monitors displaying map, commercials etc. Good legroom, but dirty seat. Interesting inflight magazine. Very nice and smiling cabin crew. Menus distributed with some Turkish delight before takeoff - very nice touch. Food was excellent - large tray with salad, dessert, cheese and crackers, and hot main course (two options to choose from), full beverage cart. Arrived on time. Excellent food, best among many European airlines, but cleaness of an airplane is below expectations.

Flight from Tehran to Istanbul, no inflight entertainment with not a single business class seat was working. Apparently standard operating procedure at Turkish Airlines, and no apology was given. Flight from Istanbul on an old A330. Overall dismal showing for a business class fare.

I flew Turkish Airlines business class from IST-YYZ, a 10+ hour flight. The in-flight entertainment system did not work throughout the flight. While overall service was decent, there seems to be an excessive focus on facilities that matter less (eg: on-board "chefs"), than ensuring basic functionality on a long-haul flight. I would imagine that having a working IFE system would be critical regardless of class of service flown. Still surprised that no one from Turkish has either followed-up on my feedback from the in-flight survey they requested, or bothered to offer any sort of apology / refund / discount on the next flight, etc. Poor level of service on all counts.

San Francisco to Milan via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. Check in was a nightmare. The gate employee didn't communicate seat information, and didn't respond to my concern that my bag would get lost (as it did twice in the past with Turkish Airlines). I spoke with two different managers on basic questions of Turkish Airlines policy, and they were just rude. Each of them asked me to repeat all the information I had already provided (an annoyingly obvious tactic to tire the customer), and then proceeded to quote policy unrelated to my question. Besides saying sir as if it were a four-letter word, and twice rolling their eyes (two different managers) with accompanying tone of condescension, one manager asked me "are you on medication?" Terrible service. Terrible quality. A mean, cynical, and dismissive handling of the customer. So much for Turkish Airlines Gold Premier service! I will never fly Turkish Airlines again, if I can help it.

Brussels to Manila via Istanbul. We have flown this month with Turkish Airlines for the first time and were impressed with their service. The food served was delicious and I felt pampered by their amenities etc. Staff were attentive. We had to take a very long haul flight but I felt comfortable. I was worried about delayed flights according to the reviews but luckily all flights were on time! Overall we had a very nice experience and I commend them for their hardwork to provide good service.