Turkish Airlines

Flew from LGW-IST-DAR-JRO-MBA-IST-LHR all with Turkish. Was disappointed by the size of the seats. The service onboard was quite rude and the quality of the food was poor. I also found the check-in agents quite rude. My IFE was not working with no apology. I would not recommend Turkish Airlines from this experience.

GVA-IST-KTM return. Inconsistency is the hallmark of Turkish Airlines. It was very nice to have free drinks a nice dinner and an in-flight movie (screens above the seats) on a 3 hour European flight. However on the next leg to Kathmandu there was no seat-back IFE and when they played the movie you got English in one ear and Turkish in the other. (I would have liked a movie to block out the sound of the 3 infants near my seat.) On the way back there were seat back screens all the way even on the short-haul flight back to Geneva. The food was superb although I never know why airlines flying to majority Hindu countries don't have a vegetarian option and Turkish coffee would have been nice. Cabin attendants don't seem too concerned with safety (I don't think they check to see if seatbelts are done up) and while they may appear unfriendly I think many passengers don't pick up on the Turkish "long-blink-with-pursed-lips" facial expression equivalent of a smile. The policy of having one cabin attendant per trolley didn't seem to be too efficient. The two-class configuration on short haul (where one of the cabin attendants is designated as a "chef") may actually result in a lower staff-passenger ratio for economy passengers compared to a low-cost carrier where they need to sell. At times the staff seemed a bit overwhelmed Short delay on the Kathmandu flights - not a big deal but no explanation. On some sectors the pilots didn't address the passengers at all and other times they did. Finally the complementary tour of Istanbul for transit passengers (including food) is a nice touch. Clearly Turkish have the right idea they just need to standardise their product.

Flew HKG-CDG-HKG Premium Economy Aug/Oct 2013 with a stop in Istanbul. Unfortunately Istanbul - CDG leg was in economy as no Premium available. Both Premium and Economy were miles above most airlines for service comfort and food. The entertainment system was great with plenty of movies and music. Free wifi was a bonus I didn't expect. Definitely want to fly Turkish again.

London LGW to BKK via IST. Business Class Passenger. LGW-IST sector on older Airbus. Only 2 out of 20 BC passengers. Only BC Toilet out of action. Seat Mechanism did not operate. Could not eject remote control from socket. Food very bland and wine selection poor. LCD screen at alternative seat very faint and could not be adjusted. IST-BKK sector had much new Aircraft but again food quality very ordinary despite one attendant being dressed as "Chef" Food was microwaved and very bland. Indifferent staff on both sectors. Got distinct impression that if they liked you you got better service.

HEL-IST-HEL. I was impressed the short check in both ways the planes boarded left and arrived in time the luggage was quickly delivered (in Istanbul already when reaching the belt). The plane was a new AB321 and clean. A real lunch with beverage was served (with a menu and choice of two dishes). The crew was at the highest adequate (this a clear development point) but not friendly. Name tags for the bag were finished both in Helsinki and Istanbul.

My wife and I flew from Istanbul to Abu Dhabi on flight TK 0868 on Thur 17 Oct 2013. It had been a great holiday but the flight out was a real let down. For inexplicable reasons our seats were in a hot zone in the plane and we felt like we were being subjected to some sort of in-flight sauna! We did ask the flight attendant (twice in fact) if she could let the flight engineer know of our discomfort. Nothing changed and our four hour flight was awful (not helped by the fact that my wife already felt under the weather). The staff member to whom we reported the fault appeared genuinely sympathetic but although the rear seats in the plane did get cooler we sweltered the whole trip. I think Turkey's a great place and would like to visit it again - but I will not travel on Turkish airlines again.

LHR-IST-DAC. LHR-IST in cramped A320 rushed and poor service with cabin crew having very poor English skills. Crew forgot to serve our row and when this was pointed out was shown palm as she was 'busy' and would deal with it when she had time. Finally got meal served 45 minutes later than other passengers. On arrival at Istanbul TK ground staff showed indifference to questions asked about the complimentary 'TourIstanbul' offer for long transits indicating I would have to find out at my own initiative if I could avail it and that they would not be able to provide any advise! Ataturk Airport is busy but has a good selection of duty free and some nice lounges. IST-DAC on leased Meridiana Aircraft. Terrible flight poor service. However flight departed on time and arrived early. I had no in-seat entertainment console/remote as it had been ripped off its place I assume hence was unable to view inflight entertainment - did not miss much it was only 5 channels of not-so-new movies. Cabin crew were lax with security and the service was very poor. TK takes pride in their 'Turkish Hospitality' but I found the hospitality of theirs quite poor to be truthful. I certainly will not be flying with them again. TK is no competition for the likes of EK QR or even BA for that matter.

My decision to fly this time with Turkish was based on getting a flight at the most economic price with the shortest stopovers: Stuttgart via Istanbul to Cape Town and back. I was pleasantly surprised! The service at the counter was very professional and friendly. No long queues. No hassle with a bag being slightly too thick (having to be re-packed as done at other airlines) and an allowance of 30kg checked in baggage great. Unlike the often older aircraft used by other airlines the planes Airbus were modern and the entertainment systems worked. The food and refreshments excellent! Service good. What a pleasant surprise to be able to purchase goods at the airport in Istanbul in Euros. My only advisory comment is that Turkish need to train their staff how to handle difficult (or rude) customers as they sometimes seemed to be impatient with these. I will definitely fly Turkish again and highly recommend it.

JFK-IST Sep 25. IST-TLV Sep 30. TLV-IST Oct 14. IST-JFK Oct 14. There was not enough leg room. Service was OK. Entertainment system failed twice. Flight crew ignored passengers without seat belts during bumpy ride and during landing. Announcements in English were incomprehensible. Food was excellent! Price was much lower than competition.

My partner and I flew on TK 1035 from IST-BUD on 20th September 2013. We board and I have the window my partner the middle seat and a very large passenger sits in the aisle. Had to have an extension seat belt and spilled over into my partner's seat. We paid AUD 553 each for the one way trip. I'm only 162cm and I felt squashed.