Turkish Airlines Review 💺 A Turbulence-Fueled Descent from Grace

Turkish Airlines Review 💺 A Turbulence-Fueled Descent from Grace

How the mighty have fallen… and then somehow convinced a panel of judges that they’ve risen again. One moment you’re the darling of the skies, and the next, you’re sliding down the SkyTrax rankings faster than a lead balloon. Turkish Airlines plummeted from a respectable No. 7 in the world to No. 12, then No. 18, and finally bottomed out at No. 27 in 2019.

Then, the world hit “pause” for a couple of years (read Covid). Since then the travel industry re-emerged with a vengeance, and Turkish Airlines somehow clawed its way back to 6th position.

But do they actually deserve the crown, or are we all just suffering from collective Stockholm Syndrome at 35,000 feet?

Highlights

• High Hopes & Higher Prices
• Expectations vs. Reality
• Transits: A Masterclass in Chaos
• Why We’re Done with TA
• The Scammers & the Logistics
• Is 6th Place a Myth?
• Hotel Options in Istanbul
• Istanbul Airport Transfers
• Airlines, Airports & Transfers
• Things We Carry on the Plane

Our Itinerary 💸 High Hopes & Higher Prices

We were genuinely excited to fly with them again. When an airline is touted as the 6th best on the planet, we expect the inflight experience to be, well, impressive. In fact, finding a route to India with such a decorated carrier was the linchpin of our entire holiday.

We thought we’d ticked all the boxes:

• A Roman Prelude: Departing from Italy gave us a valid excuse for a two-night starter break in Rome. 🍕
• The Bosphorus Bridge: A two-night stopover in Istanbul to find the world’s best kebab.
• The Indian Odyssey: Three weeks in India, navigating the chaos of Mumbai.
• The Scottish Finale: A return flight to Edinburgh for one last city break before reality set in.

The damage? €757 per person. For context, we did the exact same journey three years previously for €457. So the “new normal” involved paying 65% more for the privilege of being squeezed into a pressurized tube.

We prepared ourselves for greatness. Instead, we got something that felt distinctly… budget.

Their inflight experience is somewhat underwhelming

Expectations vs. Reality ✈️ The Boeing Blues

Our journey kicked off with a 2.5-hour hop from Rome to Istanbul. We boarded a Boeing 737 that felt like it had been designed by someone who harbored a deep-seated resentment toward human knees.

As we took off, the crew made a cheerful announcement: the inflight entertainment system was out of order for the entire flight. Splendid. We spent the next two hours staring at the back of a headrest, wishing we’d brought along a book.

Then it was mealtime.

It arrived on a tray so small it could have been sourced from a dollhouse, accompanied by plastic utensils. And if you’re looking for those charming miniature spirit bottles to take the edge off? Forget it. We watched them pour spirits from full-sized bottles like we were at a local dive bar.

We’ve had better service on KLM (ranked 21st) and on Lufthansa (No. 15). Why exactly is Turkish Airlines ranked 6th? We’re still looking for the clues.

Our Turkish Airlines inflight experience

All Hotel Options in Istanbul

The Istanbul Transit 🛄 A Masterclass in Chaos

If you enjoy feeling like a confused sheep being herded by a border collie, you’ll love transiting in Istanbul.

On our return flight to Scotland, we had a two-hour transit window. However, our inbound flight was delayed by 90 minutes.

On arrival, the cabin turned into a scene from a disaster movie. Passengers were literally shoving their way toward the exit. Did the crew offer any information? Did they help those of us with tight connections? Of course not. We were left to our own devices, fueled by pure adrenaline and the fear of being stranded in a terminal the size of a small country.

It looked like they were about to refuse boarding us. Everyone else had boarded and the gate was now closed.

The Transit From Hell:

• Zero Communication: No announcements, no assistance, just cold indifference.
• The Infinite Loop: We followed confusing signage only to be sent through the same crowded security check twice.
• Gate-Keepers: We reached our gate as it was closing, only for the staff to decide that our UK entry visas were “suspicious.”
• The Stand-Off: We stood there, the last people at the gate, while they made a phone call to the UK to verify we weren’t international fugitives.

Eventually, they brusquely let us board. Nothing says “Welcome Back” quite like being treated like a criminal at the boarding gate.

Why We’re Breaking Up with Turkish Airlines

We’ve flown economy with them many times over the years, but we’ve reached our limit. Here is why we’ll be taking our business—and our knees—elsewhere.

1. Dumbed-Down Service 🧼

Remember hot face towels and courtesy drinks? We do. Those have been replaced by a wet wipe wrapped in paper, shoved into a corner of a plastic tray. If you’re a nervous flyer who needs a “nip” of something to calm the nerves, you’d better pack a flask.

2. The Invisible Crew 🏃‍♂️

In the past, we called them “trolley dollies.” Now, they’re more like Olympic sprinters. They do the absolute bare minimum, toss a tray of slop at you, and then vanish into the galley for a well-earned rest, never to be seen again until landing.

3. The “Shrinking” Seats 💺

Did I mention the legroom? Try spending 11 hours sat in the middle of the center isle, sandwiched between two individuals who clearly didn’t believe in personal space. Add an inconsiderate passenger in front who reclines their seat to the maximum.

When the food tray is delivered to you here, you’ll understand what it feels like to be an elephant trying to ride a tricycle. 🐘🚲

4. “Catering” (and we use that term loosely) 🍲

We were served two or three plastic tubs filled with odd-colored sweet or savoury slop. It’s perfect if you’ve lost all your teeth or prefer to consume your nutrients through a straw. You won’t find many solids here.

Probably just as well, as the last thing you want to do is squeeze past the sleeping whale next to you to go running to the loo (which after a few hours will be a disgusting mess – make sure you keep your shoes on!).

5. Infuriating Online Booking System 💻

Turkish Airlines loves to keep changing the time of one or more of your flights by just a few minutes. It sounds minor, but it breaks their entire online check-in system.

• Step 1: You try to check in.
• Step 2: An “Error” message tells you to contact the call center (good luck with that).
• Step 3: You try to confirm the change online.
• Step 4: The website tells you it’s “unable to process for technical reasons.”
• Step 5: You give up and kick the cat.

By the time you head to the airport, you’re almost guaranteed a middle seat in the “Scream Zone” at the back of the plane.

Get to Istanbul from the Airport

The Scammers and the Logistics

If you’re lucky enough to qualify for a complimentary stopover, you have to run the gauntlet of scammers at Arrivals. These people pretend to be airline personnel, prey on jet-lagged travelers, and lead them into expensive traps. We know plenty of people who have fallen for it.

And don’t even get us started on the baggage. Despite booking a through-flight, the last leg was sub-contracted to Malaysia Airlines. Did our bags follow us? No. We had to haul them off the belt and check them in again ourselves.

We nearly missed the connection because of this.

The old Ataturk Airport – Istanbul

Final Thoughts 🤔 Is 6th Place a Myth?

We honestly don’t understand how they maintain that stellar rating. Is the Turkish wine that good? (to be fair, it’s quite palatable). Or is the piece of Turkish Delight they give you enough to make people forget the cramped seats and the disappearing crew?

For us, the novelty has worn off. We’ll be looking toward Emirates or an airline that actually remembers that “service” should be part of their industry.

Have you suffered through a similar experience, or are we just being “picky”? We’d love to hear your horror stories—it’s always better to share the misery 😧

If you enjoyed our Turkish Airlines Inflight Experiences, check out our other Inflight Experiences. You may also like:

Spice up your inbox…

… with discounted hotel deals, cost-saving travel itineraries and SandSpice escapades! 😉