ON THE GROUND: One of my favorite parts of this job is traveling to meet clients around the world and personally deliver the awards they earned in our reader-voted surveys. This trip took me to İstanbul and Dubai to visit Istanbul Grand Airport, Turkish Airlines and Dubai International Airport. Although I needed to travel from Philadelphia to New York (JFK) to catch the nonstop flight to İstanbul, avoiding additional layovers made the extra connection worthwhile.
Check-in was smooth. I had one priority-tagged bag to check, and it was among the first to come off the carousel in İstanbul.
The flight experienced two delays, totaling about five hours beyond the departure time printed on my boarding pass. Fortunately, the Turkish Airlines lounge at JFK provided a comfortable space to work and eat. I had a chicken-and-rice entrée, hummus and a flavorful lentil soup. The lounge at iGA in İstanbul was exceptional, offering ironing services, multiple food stations staffed by chefs and attendants, and large restroom facilities for freshening up before the onward flight.
PRE-FLIGHT: The business-class experience impressed me from the start. A fellow passenger told me Turkish Airlines is among his favorites. My seat came with a pillow, blanket and slippers. Shortly after boarding I was offered fresh lemonade, premium headphones and an amenity kit. This year Turkish Airlines introduced a sustainable amenity bag in partnership with Salvatore Ferragamo; the designer pouch included Ferragamo items alongside airline-branded socks and an eye mask. The business-class chef handed out the dinner menu while wearing a traditional chef’s toque, adding a personal touch to the dining presentation.
© Turkish Airlines
IN-FLIGHT: Flying from New York to İstanbul and then İstanbul to Dubai allowed me to sample both long-haul business class and shorter four-hour segments. Both journeys featured consistently attentive, hands-on service from the cabin crew. Dinner service began about an hour after takeoff and was leisurely, with multiple courses. On one flight I skipped the dessert trolley so I could rest; a flight attendant helped convert my seat into a comfortable sleeping position. Breakfast arrived about two hours before landing and, like dinner, was a multicourse meal.
TOP TAKEAWAYS:
- Service remained consistently attentive and professional on both long-haul and shorter flights.
- Meals were health-forward, well-prepared and enjoyable.
- The Turkish Airlines lounge at iGA rivaled a five-star hotel with its food stations, clothing services and amenities.
TURKISH AIRLINES
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