Bigotry was on full display in Turkey after a medical emergency on an EL AL flight led to an unintended diversion to Antalya. Incredibly, the Turkish airport then refused to refuel the EL AL aircraft… Turkish Airport Refuses To...
Review: Turkish Airlines Business Lounge Istanbul (IST)
I stopped by the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge while in Istanbul and it remains one of my favorite business class lounges in the world. Turkish Airlines Business Lounge Istanbul Review (IST) My original review below is still valid in...
How Turkey Is Telling The Story Of The War In Gaza
The ideological war of the Erdogan regime in Turkey is on full display in the center of Istanbul’s Taksim Square, with a walk-in propaganda exhibit meant to stoke pity for the cause of Palestinian children but rather odiously painting...
Great Mexican Food In Istanbul
I make it a point to seek out Mexican food wherever I am in the world. Admittedly, it’s usually pretty bad…but that was not the case in Istanbul, where I enjoyed a delicious and surprisingly authentic dinner. Best Mexican...
Great Coffee In Istanbul
The point of my series of coffee posts is always to go back and add to them as I find more great cafés in any given city. During my recent trip to Istanbul, I found another great coffee shop...
Introduction: Forbearance On Turkish Airlines + Three Nights In Istanbul
Welcome to my next trip report, a recount of my late winter trip to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines 2024 Trip Report I’m not going to rehash the saga of actually booking this ticket, but it was quite...
I Don’t Understand How Taxis Work In Istanbul…
Maybe someone can explain to me how taxis work in Istanbul, because I am sure confused. Taxis In Istanbul: Uber Scam Or Just A Complex Fare System? During my recent trip to Istanbul, I used taxis to get around...
Warning: Israel Urges Its Citizens In Istanbul To Lock Themselves In Hotel Rooms Immediately
Israel has sent out an urgent warning to its citizens in Istanbul: take shelter and lock yourselves up, for a terrorist attack is imminent. Israel Issues Terror Warning For Israelis In Istanbul All week we’ve been hearing rumblings about...
The Nefarious Plan By Russian Airlines To Skirt Sanctions By Relocating To Turkey
Some Russian airlines are weighing relocation to Turkey as a way to lease new aircraft and access repair facilities while avoiding the crippling western sanctions that followed Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. This nefarious plan should merit international scorn....
Turkish Airlines Will Add 1.5 Million Seats To Russian Routes
Turkey will create a new charter airline with a $300 million backing from the Turkish government specifically aimed offering flights between Russia and Turkey. Furthermore, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus plan to offer millions of more seats between Russia and...
Visa On Arrival In Turkey Beats Pricier E-Visa
The price for an e-visa to Turkey for American citizens recently more than doubled in price. If you’re on a tight budget, it now pays to avoid the Turkish e-visa and obtain a visa on arrival at Istanbul Airport...
How To Obtain A Visa On Arrival In Istanbul
Despite its new e-visa regime, it is still possible to obtain a visa on arrival in Istanbul. Where To Obtain A Visa On Arrival In Istanbul (IST) When Turkey transitioned to an e-visa system in 2013, numerous reports suggested...
Istanbul’s Most Popular Tourist Attraction Converts To A Mosque – Will Hagia Sophia Still Be Open To Tourists?
Turkey has confirmed that the Hagia Sophia, originally a church, then a mosque, now a museum for nearly the last century, will revert to a mosque later this month. Will Istanbul’s most famous landmark now be off-limits to non-Muslims...
Museum Or Mosque? The Battle Over Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia has stood for over 1,500 years, first as a cathedral, then as a mosque, and now as a museum. But a recent battle to return the Hagia Sophia to mosque status threatens to upend decades compromise...
737 Skids Off Runway, Dangles on Cliff
A scary moment for passengers onboard a Pegasus Airlines 737-800 that skidded off the runway, down a muddy embankment, and nearly into the sea. Check out this startling video–it honestly makes my palms sweat just watching it: The Boeing...
How I Tried (and Failed) to Enter Turkey
Despite a good rest on the flight over, I had no desire to spend last night sitting up in the Turkish CIP Lounge. Here’s how I tried (but ultimately failed) to obtain a visa on arrival and enter Turkey....
Trapped in Istanbul Airport!
I had a very pleasant flight to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, but I’m not pleased with them now… My flight from Los Angeles to Istanbul was delayed by over two hours (mechanical), causing me to miss my connection to...
Aeroplan Change Fee: Unethical or Fair?
Aeroplan charged me a change fee that I believe was unconscionable. I am heading to Germany for Christmas this year with my family. We booked tickets via Aeroplan on Turkish Airlines months before the diplomatic spat that has effectively...
Retaliation: Turkey Eliminates U.S. Tourist Visas, Barring Entry for Most U.S. Citizens
Apparently the old adage, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face” is not taught in Turkey. Today, Turkey suspended the issuance of visas to U.S. citizens, effectively killing all U.S. tourism. I love Turkey, but the nation...
Amazing: Pilot Lands Plane “Blind” After Hail Destroys Windshield and Nose
A pilot is being heralded as a hero after landing a badly-damaged Airbus A320 in Istanbul. Imagine this. A plane takes off in Istanbul just as a hailstorm begins. The aircraft climbs to about 4,000 feet and then is...
