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Jul 26, 2023

Review: Turkish Airlines Business Class A350 (ORD

To kick off the trip to Germany with my parents, I flew Turkish Airlines’ Airbus A350 business class from Chicago to Istanbul. This wasn’t just any A350, but rather it was one of Turkish Airlines’

To kick off the trip to Germany with my parents, I flew Turkish Airlines’ Airbus A350 business class from Chicago to Istanbul. This wasn’t just any A350, but rather it was one of Turkish Airlines’ handful of A350s that were intended to be flown by Aeroflot, but that’s no longer happening due to sanctions (for those curious, you can identify the ex-Aeroflot A350s by their seven rows of business class, rather than the eight rows on the standard Turkish A350s).

I’m happy to report that the experience was truly top notch. These A350s have some of the best business class seats you’ll find on any airline. When you combine that with Turkish’s excellent soft product, including amazing catering, lots of great amenities, and free Wi-Fi, this really is one of the best business class experiences in the world.

With that out of the way, let’s get into the review…

In this post:

Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles frequent flyer program has some sweet spot redemptions, so I booked my ticket through that program. Specifically, I managed to book the following in business class for 45,000 Turkish Miles&Smiles miles plus $285.80 in taxes and fees (including some carrier imposed surcharges):

8/09 TK186 Chicago to Istanbul departing 11:35AM arriving 5:50AM (+1 day)8/10 TK1591 Istanbul to Frankfurt departing 11:40AM arriving 1:50PM

This has to be one of the best sweet spot award redemptions out there, as you can fly Turkish Airlines from anywhere in the United States to anywhere in Europe for that amount, assuming you can find saver level award space.

Keep in mind that Turkish Miles&Smiles is transfer partners with both Capital One and Citi ThankYou, so there are lots of ways to accrue these points. Lastly, since it’s something people are often curious about, I booked this ticket four days before departure, directly on Turkish Airlines’ website.

I had arrived in Chicago the same morning from Miami, and had a roughly three hour layover, prior to my 11:35AM flight to Istanbul.

At check-in I was given an invitation to the Swissport Lounge, though I decided to skip that, since I consider it to be one of the worst lounges in the United States. I tried to instead use the Scandinavian Airlines Lounge, which should have been allowed per Star Alliance lounge access policies, though I was denied.

The associate sort of chastised me. “See how your boarding pass says Swissport Lounge? That’s where you need to go.” I reminded her of Star Alliance lounge access policies, though it was clear she didn’t actually understand the rules. Therefore I decided to just head to the departure gate for my flight, which was M20.

As I got to the gate, I saw the one-year-old A350-900 with the registration code TC-LGL pull into the gate. What a beauty!

While boarding was supposed to start at 10:45AM (an hour before departure), unfortunately it was delayed significantly, with limited communication from ground staff. They first explained that the delay was “due to aircraft servicing,” even though the plane arrived from Istanbul ahead of schedule.

Later the captain explained on the PA that there was a “minor technical problem.” We ended up boarding at 12PM, about 75 minutes behind schedule. While the flight wasn’t off to a great start, fortunately things improved once onboard…

I boarded through the second set of doors, where I was greeted by the friendly crew and pointed left into business class. Before doing so, I couldn’t help but snap a picture of the premium economy cabin, as these are the only Turkish Airlines aircraft to feature this. Since Turkish Airlines doesn’t typically offer premium economy, these are sold as extra legroom economy seats.

The business class cabin consists of a total of 28 seats, taking up the entire space between the first and second set of doors. The cabin is in a 1-2-1 configuration, with seats being staggered in each row.

These planes have the Collins Aerospace Horizon product, and as of now Turkish is the only airline to have these seats (Aeroflot was the launch customer, but Aeroflot’s A350s are now flying for Turkish).

First of all, I have to comment on how the cabin is quite aesthetically pleasing, especially with the overhead bins in the middle removed, which gives the cabin a spacious feeling. Do keep in mind that the cabin finishes were designed for Aeroflot, which explains all the orange and blue, since those aren’t typically Turkish Airlines colors.

The configuration varies based on which row you’re in. In odd numbered rows, the center seats are in a “honeymoon” configuration, meaning the seats are close to one another and far from the aisle. This is ideal for couples traveling together. Though don’t worry, even if you’re traveling alone, there’s a partition that can be raised for full privacy.

Meanwhile in even numbered rows, the seats are closer to the aisle and far apart. Those would be my last choice seats, since you don’t have the benefit of sitting right next to a travel companion, and also aren’t by a window.

As far as window seats go, the seats in even numbered rows are the best, as they’re closer to the windows and farther from the aisle.

I had initially assigned myself one of these seats (6K), but there was apparently an issue with the seat, so I got moved to seat 1A at the gate. The seats in odd numbered rows are closer to the aisle and farther from the windows, so they’re not quite as good as the other seats, but they’re still great.

Let’s take a closer look at the features of the seat. The seat isn’t particularly wide, though I didn’t find the width to be an issue. It’s a bit odd how the seat doesn’t have an armrest on one side, though oddly at no point during the flight did that stand out to me as something that was uncomfortable. I just kept the pillow next to me while sitting up, and that acted as an armrest.

There’s a large counter to the side of the seat, as well as an enclosed storage compartment. The storage compartment even has a mirror.

Underneath the storage compartment is the headphone jack, the AC power outlet, and the USB-A outlet.

The seat controls are located right next to the seat, and are poorly positioned, in my opinion. This was naturally where I’d rest my elbow, so I frequently hit these by mistake. Underneath the seat controls is the entertainment controller, though I never used that, since the personal television is also touchscreen.

A really impressive aspect of this seat is the entire console in front of it. Not only is there quite a large television, but there’s also a closet where you can hang clothes or store other things. It’s not often you find something like this in business class.

The way the tray table in this seat extends is different than I’ve seen in any other product. It’s essentially stored above the footwell at a 45 degree angle, and then you can lower it so that you have a small tray, perfect for placing a drink or a snack.

You can then pull the tray table out all the way, and it’s quite large.

Speaking of the footwell, one general challenge with these kinds of seats is that there’s a footwell you have to place your feet into, and sometimes it’s quite restrictive. I found the footwell to be a reasonably good size for a product like this.

Another awesome feature of this seat is that it has a sliding door. I found this to be one of the best business class doors out there — it was quite large, and could be opened and closed easily.

A couple more notes about the cabin on this A350. Each seat has an overhead console that contains individual air nozzles, which is much appreciated.

On top of that, the windows have automatic blinds that you can lower. First the blinds lower almost in an aesthetic way, and then if you keep going, they’ll go completely dark.

Honestly, I was really impressed by this business class hard product. I’d say this seat is most comparable to Qatar Airways Qsuites, with some minor differences between the two. I’d consider those to be among the best business class hard products, after ANA’s “The Room” business class.

I’d also say that I prefer this to Turkish Airlines’ “standard” business class product, found on all Boeing 787s and most Airbus A350s.

Waiting at each business class seat upon boarding was a pillow and blanket. On the surface the blanket doesn’t look like something you’d expect in a long haul premium cabin, but this isn’t the blanket that’s offered when it’s time to sleep, as there’s a whole separate turndown service, which I’ll cover later.

Also waiting at the seat upon boarding were a pair of slippers that were quite sturdy. I also like how they come with a shoe bag, so that you have somewhere to put your shoes during the flight.

There were also a pair of noise canceling headphones waiting at each seat upon boarding, in this case from Denon. I found them to be high quality, and this is an area where many airlines seem to cut corners.

Once settled in, one of the flight attendants came by to offer pre-departure drinks, with the choice of lemon-mint juice, orange juice, raspberry juice, or water. While Turkish doesn’t serve alcohol on the ground in the United States, I love the quality of the carrier’s pre-departure drinks. I selected the lemon-mint juice.

Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kits were also passed out, and they were pretty well stocked. They featured thick socks, eyeshades, a dental kit, earplugs, and some body lotion, facial mist, and lip balm.

Toward the end of the boarding process, the inflight chef came through the cabin to distribute the menu and drink list for the flight.

Turkish has an impressive entertainment system on its Airbus A350s. Not only is the entertainment screen large and high definition, but the selection is extensive as well.

The entertainment library included 660 movies and 1,188 TV shows, so it doesn’t get much better than that. On top of that, there was live TV, games, music, and more.

The one thing that disappointed me was the map feature, which was surprisingly low definition, and not very customizable. Fortunately these A350s do have tail cameras, so that’s what ended up entertaining me for much of the flight.

Turkish Airlines also has Wi-Fi on its Airbus A350s.

Turkish’s standard Wi-Fi pricing for long haul flights is as follows:

The airline offers free messaging for all Miles&Smiles members, and also offers free Wi-Fi for business class passengers. Taking advantage of this is easy, as you just have to enter your last name and seat number.

In the past, Turkish offered unlimited free Wi-Fi in business class, though now it’s capped at 1,024MB of data. That’s a lot of data that should be more than enough for a vast majority of people, though obviously no cap would be better.

I found Wi-Fi speeds to be very good, and the free Wi-Fi kept me busy for much of the flight, especially as I struggled to sleep.

Boarding was completed at 12:30PM, around 30 minutes after it started. At exactly this time the captain made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our flight time of 9hr45min, and our eventual cruising altitude of 41,000 feet. He also apologized for the delay, which he attributed to a “minor technical problem.”

At 12:35PM the main cabin door closed, at which point the cabin chief made her welcome aboard announcement. For what it’s worth, there were five empty seats in business class, so the cabin was just over 80% full. We began our pushback at 12:45PM, at which point the sort of adorable safety video was screened.

At 12:50PM we began our taxi, and I quite enjoyed the views, including of the Etihad A350-1000 (I flew the Chicago to Abu Dhabi route on Etihad recently).

We taxied out to runway 28R, though there was quite the queue for takeoff. We ended up being cleared for takeoff at 1:15PM.

Our climb out was smooth, and the seatbelt sign was turned off about five minutes after takeoff.

Shortly after takeoff, the lunch service started. Dining on Turkish is always such a treat, though let me note upfront that Turkish has a more extensive meal service on flights from Istanbul than on flights to Istanbul. On flights from Istanbul, the appetizers and desserts are all plated directly from a trolley in the aisle, while on flights to Istanbul they’re plated in advance, and just presented on a trolley. Still, this meal was a treat.

Below you can find the Turkish business class lunch menu for this flight.

Then below you can find the extensive beverage list. I love how Turkish has such a big drink selection, and highlights so many Turkish wines. As you can see, there were three white wines, five red wines, a rose, and a champagne — there aren’t many airlines with so many choices!

The chef had taken the main course orders on the ground. Around 15 minutes after takeoff, warm towels were distributed on individual plates.

A few minutes after that, drink orders were taken. I ordered some champagne, with Taittinger Brut Reserve being on offer, and that was served with a ramekin of warm mixed nuts. I appreciated how quickly the first drink was served, since some airlines seemingly take forever.

About 30 minutes after takeoff my table was set for lunch. Turkish puts so much effort into its meal presentation, and I appreciate the faux candle, the salt and pepper shaker, and the side plate with butter, olive oil, and a bread basket (which didn’t exactly fit the pretzel stick!).

About an hour after takeoff, a trolley was rolled out with the starters. This included the choice of a potpourri of seafood or grilled goat cheese and beetroot salad. You could also have a sweet pumpkin soup and/or garden salad to accompany that.

I ordered the seafood starter, which had shrimp, smoked salmon, and grilled calamari, with some zucchini. I also had the pumpkin soup, as well as the garden salad. To drink, I had a glass of the sauvignon blanc. Honestly, what an impressive starter — I can’t think of another airline with starters that are to this level!

About 30 minutes later, main courses were served. There were three choices, and I selected the fillet of red snapper with sautéed spinach with leek, chateau potatoes, and lemon herb butter. I appreciated how this was even served with a knife specifically for fish dishes. This was one of the best fish dishes I’ve had on a plane, as the fish was flavorful and moist.

About 20 minutes later, the dessert trolley was rolled down the aisle. I chose the selection of Turkish desserts, and the cheese plate, and had some tea to drink.

My plates were all cleared around two hours after takeoff. What a fantastic meal this was. Turkish really is in a league of its own when it comes to the quality of business class catering.

After the meal, I checked out the business class lavatory situation. Turkish has two lavatories in business class in front of the cabin. The lavatories were modern, but weren’t particularly large.

As is standard, they featured Molton Brown amenities, which is something I love about Turkish.

After the meal, I decided to try to get some rest, so I asked the crew to make my bed. Turndown service is a feature in Turkish business class, as there’s additional bedding that isn’t at your seat during boarding. The bedding included a (thin) mattress pad, and a proper blanket. On top of that, my pillow was put in a pillowcase.

I found the pillow to not have much padding, so I took a pillow from an empty seat next to me, which helped me to settle in.

The good news is that I found the bed to be quite comfortable, and I liked the privacy afforded by the door. The bad news is that given the early departure of my flight, I really wasn’t that tired. I managed to sleep for about 90 minutes, but then woke up again, and was wide awake.

That was all the sleep I ended up getting on this flight. I ultimately didn’t mind that one bit, since it allowed me to get lots of work done. The crew did a good job keeping me hydrated, and I was offered lots of water, and also had a cappuccino and a Turkish coffee.

About two hours before landing, the crew slowly started turning on the cabin lights, just as the sun was starting to come up outside.

Below you can find the Turkish business class breakfast menu for this flight.

Service started with the choice orange juice or water. Unfortunately this didn’t seem to be the freshly squeezed orange juice that Turkish ordinarily offers, so I kind of regretted selecting that.

About 90 minutes before landing, I was brought a tray with the breakfast starter. This included some fresh fruit, cheese with tomato and cucumber, yogurt, smoked turkey, and chicken breast. I had a regular coffee to go along with this.

For the main course, I selected the mushroom and tomato omelet with roasted potatoes and grilled tomato. It was honestly one of the best airplane omelets I’ve ever had. It was fluffy and wasn’t swimming in grease. Why can’t other airlines serve omelets this good?!

I find service on Turkish Airlines to typically range from good to exceptional. At a minimum, crews are courteous, professional, and responsive. I’d say the crew on this flight was in the good category, but not exceptional (unlike on my connecting flight).

The crew was friendly enough and responsive to all requests, though wasn’t necessarily over-the-top friendly or overly hospitable, as I sometimes find to be the case on Turkish. That’s not at all to say that the crew wasn’t good, but rather it’s just to recognize that some Turkish crews really go above and beyond, in my experience.

At 6:20AM local time the captain was back on the PA to inform us that we’d be descending shortly, and would be landing in around 35 minutes. I feel like the flights I take through Istanbul usually land at night, so I absolutely loved having an early morning arrival, as the views were breathtaking.

Istanbul is such a massive city, and I think the below really captures that.

We ended up landing in Istanbul at 6:50AM, with a very smooth touchdown.

As is standard in Istanbul, we had a lengthy taxi.

It took us around 15 minutes to make it to our arrival gate, where we arrived at 7:05AM, 75 minutes behind schedule.

From there I cleared transit security, headed to the Turkish Airlines Lounge, and then took my connecting Turkish Airlines A330 flight to Frankfurt.

Turkish Airlines business class is always a treat, in my opinion, though especially on the carrier’s subfleet of Airbus A350s. These ex-Aeroflot jets have incredibly comfortable interiors, which are the best you’ll find at Turkish Airlines.

When you combine that with the carrier’s excellent business class catering, free Wi-Fi, endless entertainment, etc., this is really one of the best business class experiences in the world, in my opinion.

What do you make of Turkish Airlines’ A350 business class?

Δ

"Baker's Field Cream" - interesting offering on the drink menu. Is that a knockoff product (I'm assuming to copy Bailey's) or just a bad translation? Did you give it a try?

you could try taking 4 seconds to google it...

I’m all over that seafood appetizer!

I am platinum with TK. Everyone praises them. But I wish you would publish a review of a 7-8 hours business class ticket from Istambul to plenty of countries in Africa operated in a 737 max in business class for which they charge very high fares. Ridiculous seats for business class. Please review that because by now we all know how great their in flight experience can be in the A350 or their new aircraft.

Why am I getting 105,000 miles required for ORD - IST any dates in 2024?

I realize you don't have to, but please do not let lounges - particularly that SAS lounge at ORD - get away with turn away Star Alliance Biz passengers. They all act completely oblivious and have for years. They very much know what they're doing. If they at the SAS lounge do not like the rules, they should take it up with Swissport/Turkish/Star.

The SAS lounge is not even open for the morning Turkish departure - it doesn't open until 1230, and it's a joke of a lounge anyways. Turkish really needs to contract with Delta to allow business class to use their lounge at T5 ORD.

Just want to point out from memory that Philippine Airlines also had one of the best omelets you've had: https://onemileatatime.com/philippine-airlines-a350-business-class-review/

And for the fish, comparable to the Cathay Pacific First reviews you did years ago: https://onemileatatime.com/review-cathay-pacific-first-class-777-300er-new-york-jfk-to-hong-kong/ https://onemileatatime.com/review-cathay-pacific-first-class-777-300er-chicago-to-hong-kong/

Based on the omelets I've had, it was boring, bland. And the breakfast meats would just be greasy and soggy along with the potatoes that usually come with it. I wish airlines would be more...

Just want to point out from memory that Philippine Airlines also had one of the best omelets you've had:https://onemileatatime.com/philippine-airlines-a350-business-class-review/

And for the fish, comparable to the Cathay Pacific First reviews you did years ago:https://onemileatatime.com/review-cathay-pacific-first-class-777-300er-new-york-jfk-to-hong-kong/https://onemileatatime.com/review-cathay-pacific-first-class-777-300er-chicago-to-hong-kong/

Based on the omelets I've had, it was boring, bland. And the breakfast meats would just be greasy and soggy along with the potatoes that usually come with it. I wish airlines would be more creative with their omelets and meals in general especially plating and presentation. If I'm not feeling eggs, fortunately there are alternatives such as noodles, dim sum, congee, etc.

I also enjoy a good baklava, knafeh (from the photo). I wish more airlines would have some local flair especially with their desserts. Cakes get boring after a while.

You slept for only 90 minutes. Had you been on a night time flight you would have found the seats too narrow for sleeping comfort. Sort of like sleeping in a casket. I belong to the apparent minority who like the comfort of wider sleeping space afforded on the older 777s.

Furthermore, for those paying in currency, rather than points, while the Turkish lira has substantially depreciated the dollar cost has doubled, making the...

You slept for only 90 minutes. Had you been on a night time flight you would have found the seats too narrow for sleeping comfort. Sort of like sleeping in a casket. I belong to the apparent minority who like the comfort of wider sleeping space afforded on the older 777s.

Furthermore, for those paying in currency, rather than points, while the Turkish lira has substantially depreciated the dollar cost has doubled, making the product uncompetitive.

While I enjoy the Scotch on the flight, why is it no longer available in the lounge in Istanbul?

Otherwise I love the Turkish product as much as you do.

Only question is here is how you book two award tickets. Every time I try to increase the number of tickets I’m booking (greater than 1) I get a message telling me they can only do the first ticket in my name (this is fine) but then do not allow me to buy a second ticket (less than fine).

If you haven't booked an award through Turkish before, they only allow you to book one ticket for yourself for your first award. From my understanding it's a security thing to prevent fraud. Once you book a ticket for yourself, you'll be allowed to book multiple tix in the future.

In addition to all this, from now on you can feel closer to your maker when you fly Turkish as they will from now on allow the pilots to pray in the cockpit... Have a safe flight guys :D

I flew their J for the first time this year on both the 777 and the 787. The turndown service on both flights was very chaotic, with many passengers needing to stand up at the same time, shuffling all our things into storage, pads and sheets all over, and finding a way to make room for multiple cabin crew moving around at once. And at least in one case it happened before the meal service,...

I flew their J for the first time this year on both the 777 and the 787. The turndown service on both flights was very chaotic, with many passengers needing to stand up at the same time, shuffling all our things into storage, pads and sheets all over, and finding a way to make room for multiple cabin crew moving around at once. And at least in one case it happened before the meal service, which made everything feel even more messy. Has anyone else experienced this? It was the one uncomfortable moment in an otherwise very nice flight.

I would not travel with Turkish Airlines ever again after nightmare experience last December- total lack of respect for passengers. They overbooked and offloaded a father of 3 young travelling with his wife and mother-in-law. No empathy whatsoever.

What about a normal Turkish seats? Because as you wrote this is far much better than standard Turkish seat

I love TK's soft product and their 787/350 hard product. I love when I find 45k flights to Istanbul (and keep a stash of Citi points for this reason).

Everything is very good with them, except when you have a flight cancellation or the like. Dealing with Turkish Airlines is probably a notch above your local DMV, if you are lucky.

That seems to be the gamble.

Besides ORD, does Turkish use the subfleet of A350's to any other US city?

Atlanta is getting them. At least currently.

How r u able to identify it’s the Aeroflot A350? TK changes their plane all the time, it’s lucky enough not to fly their 777, but so fortunate to fly this A350.

What’s ur tips to identify and locate this A350 to fly it?

@ Chris -- The ex-Aeroflot A350s have seven rows of business class, while the standard ones have eight rows. Turkish seems to be pretty consistent with the markets in which it flies these planes, and we don't see too many last minute swaps.

oh woah thanks for ur reply. And what other cities these ex-flot a350 fly to? I wanna fly this seat too because of ur review

So I know you love the Turkish Airlines food, but isn't it kind of a huge miss to not offer at least one Turkish main dish? The only local thing I could see on the menu are desserts. Whether or not they depart from the US or Turkey shouldn't be a factor, I'm sure they could cater Turkish food in the US. I remember this being such a huge disappointment when I flew them, the menu couldn't have been more boring even if the food was good.

@ Clem -- Agree with you 100% on that. Though in the past I've usually found the airline does have at least some Turkish main course options. I'm surprised that wasn't offered this time around. Very strange.

@ Ben - I last flew them about a year and a half ago, and it was that way already, FWIW (it was out of JFK).

@ Clem -- Then Turkish really needs to improve that. For what it's worth, my two previous (non-long haul) Turkish flights both had a lot more Turkish food options available.

The seat looks quite good and the food is very impressive based on the photos. But:

- the lounge they send you to is dreadful, and then you were improperly denied access to a decent lounge - poor communication concerning the boarding delay - they messed up your seat allocation - the seat has a remote control where you can adjust it by accident very easily (this would annoy the hell out...

The seat looks quite good and the food is very impressive based on the photos. But:

- the lounge they send you to is dreadful, and then you were improperly denied access to a decent lounge- poor communication concerning the boarding delay- they messed up your seat allocation- the seat has a remote control where you can adjust it by accident very easily (this would annoy the hell out of me)- the pillow and the mattress are both noted as being thin, suggesting the bed was not particularly comfortable

How on earth does this get 5 stars?

@ RichM -- No product is 100% perfect, and I try to be detail oriented in my reviews, noting both the positives and negatives. There's not a product in the world that doesn't have some downsides, and I'd say this easily ranks in my top five business class products out there. So I do think it's worthy of five stars for that reason, even with a few areas for improvement.

What's the best airline food you think is better than Turkish?It's not definitely any North America airlines,I can bet on this.

Forget about the wine, they have a whisky above Chivas Regal! How awesome is that? As a whisky drinker I'm always disappointed that airlines seem to offer great Champagne but have whisky that costs less per bottle even if it would cost next to nothing per glas to have a decent one.

Try ANA though... best airline for Whiskey drinkers

What’s with lounges denying access to business class passengers on alliance airlines?Was denied at Lufthansa Lounge in Boston when flying United Polaris to London, the ignominious front desk person condescendingly told me to go to the British Airways lounge… I also know that Qatar also does not use the BA lounge, sending people to the Air France lounge, which needs some renovation!

@ Aaron -- I don't know why, but it does seem to be a pretty common issue, eh?

You can use LH lounge in Boston if you are a star alliance gold member. If you are not, then you use whatever lounge the airline you are using chose and paid for. I recently flew TAP out of Boston and being a star alliance gold member I could use LH lounge without a problem instead of the dreadful Jet Blue lounge TAP uses there.

The seats, especially from behind, look very boxy.

It's what I would imagine on a Japanese airline.

Nice TR and impressive flight. Not a fan of the interior, though. And the ORD T5 lounge experience continues to befuddle.

Unless you're flying on a Skyteam airline, and then you get access to Delta's new Sky Club. Haven't been to it myself but it does look nice.

I just took this flight yesterday. Definitely the best THY hard product. Looking forward to the return flight.

I personally found the food bland. I don't know why they can't serve at least one Turkish main course when leaving the States. Your fish was much better cooked than mine was. And no fish knife. The appetizer was unimaginative. Again, Turkey has great appetizers. Why can't they offer a mezze plate?

I hated the omelet....

I just took this flight yesterday. Definitely the best THY hard product. Looking forward to the return flight.

I personally found the food bland. I don't know why they can't serve at least one Turkish main course when leaving the States. Your fish was much better cooked than mine was. And no fish knife. The appetizer was unimaginative. Again, Turkey has great appetizers. Why can't they offer a mezze plate?

I hated the omelet. It was bland and too dry. It needed cheese.

I'm wider than you and did not found the seat narrow. Area for your feet was also fine.

@ Ryan -- Happy to hear you enjoyed the hard product! I thought the food quality was good, though yes, I totally agree the airline should have more Turkish food options, and those would be a bit more exciting. Regarding the omelet, it just shows you how we all have different preferences, and it's why there's no perfect product/meal. Hope you have a great trip!

In case of being denied access (with no valid reason) to a partner lounge, how should you route a complaint? to the airline giving you a status or to the airline operating the lounge at fault?

@ hbilbao -- It's a great question. I'd imagine you'd either want to direct the complaint to the lounge operator or to the alliance as such, though I suspect you probably won't get very far. Sometimes it doesn't seem like airlines are very interested in actually following alliance policies.

Gosh that looks so much better than the 787 which I flew IST-IAD this past March. I found that shell around the seats to be very uncomfortable and made the seat feel very narrow. Plus I couldnt see out the window, which I hated. Plus, my service was just not good. I'd be willing to try it again, but am scarred from my bad experience.

The fact that you found 45k saver awards 4 days out is mine boggling.

Also, could this have been found and booked with Aeroplan?

@ RetiredATLATC -- Yep, it also showed as bookable through Aeroplan, though obviously for more points.

Odd you had to clear transit security in IST. Usually, flights originating in the US do not need to re-clear. Its a bit hidden though, you need to present your onward boarding pass on the jetbridge and they will let you skip security and straight into the terminal.

On the moving map, you need to hit the view map button to see the full modern map.

@ Noah -- Interesting about not having to clear security, as there was no one there to direct anyone in that way, and I just followed the standard signage. I did hit the button to try to view the full map, but it was still only a fairly low quality option that wasn't very customizable. Could it maybe be specific to these A350s?

When we arrived this morning, there were people checking onward BPs and letting those with connections directly into the terminal. No additional security required. A nice benefit of coming from the U.S. The other option was to go up the escalator to arrivals.

US/UK should not have to clear. They should switch the sign for incoming US flights. Make sure you do not go up the escalator, and if you're first off the plane sometimes you have to wait a moment for a person to let you out. Easily saves you 15-30 mins.

Do you know if Canada is included in the no additional screening? I have a connection later this year from YUL through IST, and skipping the new screening would be nice.

Great review!

I have a question: There are two daily THY flights from MIA. Curious why you chose to fly via ORD instead.

@ KK13 -- Thanks, and great question. I chose this flight for two reasons -- not only did it have award availability (while the Miami flights didn't), but I was also curious to fly the ex-Aeroflot A350. So it worked out.

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@ RichM -- No product is 100% perfect, and I try to be detail oriented in my reviews, noting both the positives and negatives. There's not a product in the world that doesn't have some downsides, and I'd say this easily ranks in my top five business class products out there. So I do think it's worthy of five stars for that reason, even with a few areas for improvement.

@ Clem -- Agree with you 100% on that. Though in the past I've usually found the airline does have at least some Turkish main course options. I'm surprised that wasn't offered this time around. Very strange.

@ KK13 -- Thanks, and great question. I chose this flight for two reasons -- not only did it have award availability (while the Miami flights didn't), but I was also curious to fly the ex-Aeroflot A350. So it worked out.