“0 points for helpful and friendliness”
T Pearce (United States)
✅ Trip Verified | Airport is nice and clean. Turkish Airlines needs to provide more information regarding the long layover. I tried to go on a tour of Istanbul provided by Turkish Airlunes. At point of origin ground crew has no information about it, so when arrived at Istanbul and tried to get more information airport staff was not much help, only says 2 things passport control or transfer, mask about the tour so they say go to passport control. Ask the next one for the same answer. Finally found a counter that says touristanbul, was not much help. So, I go to passport control then immigration officer says why are you here go to transfer, I explained that I had a long layover and wanted to on Turkish Airlines Istanbul tour, she says over there transfer not here, here Istanbul. So, I say fine forget about it. Airport staff was not helpful, feels like they don’t want you there. Flight was great, cabin crew was great. Istanbul airport is nice and clean, staff not so much. 0 points for helpful and friendliness.
Experience At Airport | Transit |
Date Visit | November 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"Would not use again"
W Milton (New Zealand)
✅ Trip Verified | Great new building. Too much walking. Access to wifi is like living in Russia or Iran. Lack of seating Lack of toilets-each only has 3 (male) dunnies. Extortionate exchange fees. Lack of staff and progress through the check points - Would not use again if I had choice.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | October 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"no seating to be found"
Peter Standen (Vietnam)
Not Verified | The Airport is Vast and getting to any point involves a long walk. There is literally no seating to be found, the only seats being in Cafes and Restaurants which charge eye watering Prices for basic items. Beware of being ripped off with Exchange Rates and be prepared to scan your Passport to get one hour of poor Internet Access. Flights are only announced 30 minutes before Gate closure making it challenging to get to the Gate in time. I could go on, but instead suggest you avoid the experience like the Plague.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | September 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Business |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"this is the worst terminal I've been to"
Richard Harrison (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | I had a three hour stop-over in the new Istanbul International Airport. My first impression on arrival was that it is a vast cavernous space, with endless walkways and little seating. The walkways were as long as the eye could see, getting anywhere involved long, long walks. There was little signage and I couldn't find any manned information desks. After walking ages I eventually got to some boutique style shops, fast food places and a few bars, all of them extremely expensive, a 500 ml beer in a plastic cup cost me an eye watering £9. What airport staff that were around seemed demoralized, curt and reluctant to give any meaningful information. Free WiFi is available but you have to swipe your passport to get one hour’s free WiFi, I declined; What was the WiFi provider going to do with such comprehensive and sensitive information? I eventually found the gate number for my flight, it took me 20 minutes fast walking to get there. As a seasoned traveler this is the worst terminal I've been to, gargantuan and dehumanizing, avoid it if you can. The photos I've uploaded show the busiest areas, much else was cavernous empty space devoid of people.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | September 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"The worst airport"
Saafan Al-Safi (Canada)
✅ Trip Verified | The worst airport I have ever seen in my life. It is totally disorganized. All signs are in Turkish and when you speak English with any employee, they reply in Turkish! Wifi is very complicated and I couldn't log in. No microphone announcements. Several unnecessary and unacceptable security checks. Delays are the norm. The currency exchange spots are managed by thieves. They gave me 2100 TL for 100 US$ instead of 2700 TL. I don't recommend this airport to anyone.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | October 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"never walked so much in my life"
Francesca Poston (United States)
Not Verified | No one speaks English. No advice on which gate flight might be going out of, so we can use the closest lounge. Showed up for the Turkish Airlines lounge to check in, the lady acted like she didn’t know why I was there. Was with a cane, and an older couple joined me, all exhausted and we asked like ten people where are the coaches that drive around and pick up weary travellers? They had us all walk more, to go to an office, where we could pay 7 Euros apiece for the coach ride! We couldn’t even find the office! Then we were told the coaches weren’t allowed in the airport? I’ve never walked so much in my life.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | September 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"don't know any language other than Turkish"
Aria Hamasharif (Iraq)
✅ Trip Verified | I got my passport stolen in Istanbul, after getting a temporary passport and going through all the procedures, and getting to the airport 3 hours early, going through everything getting my ticket, that took sometime because of the size of the airport. After getting to the check-in the rude staff don't know any language other than Turkish were rude in helping us, they just pointed to a direction, and us not having much time remaining and in search of the visa violation centre in the airport missed our flight. This was very tiring and not-fun experience, the only time I was treated with a little respect was at the lost and found to get my bag back as I had missed the flight, it was by one of the staff members named Hakan. Who was very helpful and kind, unlike my previous encounters with other rude staff members
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | September 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"pay 6 euros for 2 hours wifi"
Fabrizio Sentinelli (Italy)
✅ Trip Verified | You have to pay 6 euros for 2 hours wifi connection . Just 1 hour is free. They take advantage of tourists needs. Toilets are super dirty. Food choice is not enough
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | September 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"air conditioners aren't functioning"
M Gul (Turkey)
✅ Trip Verified | In spite of being a relatively new airport, Istanbul Airport faces several issues. Firstly, after a long flight, it's quite disconcerting to discover that the air conditioners within the airport terminal aren't functioning efficiently. The indoor climate is neither adequately cool or properly dehumidified. Moreover, smoke tends to permeate from the smoking lounges, exacerbating the situation. This requires prompt resolution. The absence of adequate lighting in the area in front of passport control contributes to a gloomy ambiance inside the terminal. However, the airport's most significant challenge lies in cleanliness and maintenance. The accumulation of dust and grime on the glass surfaces, which appear to have been neglected since the construction phase, coupled with unpleasant odors in the restrooms, damaged mats, and damp floors, is unbecoming of an international terminal of this magnitude. Additionally, the presence of dirt and debris on the glass elevators in the parking area is highly off-putting. Furthermore, the haphazardly placed signboards for tourism companies in the arrivals reception hall, along with the excessive noise generated by the staff in proximity, evokes comparisons to provincial bus terminals. In conclusion, Istanbul Airport must prioritize significant efforts towards enhancing its cleanliness and maintenance practices to effectively compete with its counterparts in the Gulf.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | August 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |
"Worst airport I have been to"
Y Satarova (United States)
✅ Trip Verified | Worst airport I have been to, people are so rude. The facilities appeared to be outdated and not maintained well. The staff I interacted with were not particularly helpful or courteous, making the travel experience more stressful than it needed to be. I'd advise travelers to manage their expectations when passing through this airport.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | August 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |