It was so enjoyable to fly on Turkish Airlines again, reminding me of what intra-Europe service could be like on other carriers.
I must admit, the A321neo was not planned. Rather, it was a fortunate last-minute aircraft swap from an older A321. I say fortunate not because it would have been a difference in terms of the soft product, but because the A321neo is equipped with wi-fi onboard and the flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul took place in the middle of my work day.
Sadly, the internet did not work onboard. Everything else about the flight, however, was lovely.
The business class cabin includes four rows of “real” business class in a 2-2 configuration. I say “real” because the Continental European airlines like Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa (which competes directly with Turkish on this route) do not offer such seats, only economy class seats with a blocked middle.
The seats look unique, principally because of the privacy divider between seats. It is actually quite handy, as you can lean against it if you want to sleep. The seat also includes generous recline and a footrest, plus a power outlet with separate USB charger.
A lovely lunch was served after takeoff, that included Turkish mezze to start followed by a choice between “Karniyarik” (traditional stuffed eggplant with minced beef) or sea bass, or pasta. I’m trying to avoid red meat this year in favor of fish options, but I chose the traditional Turkish dish and was not disappointed.
Service was not only well-intentioned, but well-executed. Lunch began immediately after takeoff and flight attendants were very proactive in ensuring drinks were refilled. Passengers were addressed by name when initial drink orders were taken.
I had a very interesting seatmate, which I will dedicate a separate post to. When not chatting with him, I enjoyed the expansive IFE library, that included hundreds of movies.
CONCLUSION
It’s not a revolutionary seat, but the new A321neo business class seat is very comfortable and the entire business class product is just a step above the competition.
Arriving in Istanbul I faced a hotel dilemma ahead of my flight to Atlanta on the 787-9.
“I had a very interesting seatmate, which I will dedicate a separate post to.”
Wonder what this tale will bring 🙂 Can’t wait!
Turkish is nice and all, but it isn’t convenient for connecting to Europe if you’re flying in from North America. It works much better as a Middle Eastern hub along the lines of Dubai, Doha, etc.
Same as the new UA Premium Plus seats
Except UA is too cheap to put in full leg rests in every row
And Lufthansa is 5 but Turkish Airlines is 3 star airline defending on Skytrax. Even economy class catering of Turkish Airlines is much better than any intra European and short haul products of any airline. WTF Sillytrax.
The seat looks a bit firm, but it otherwise checks all the boxes for me – IFE, power, head support, privacy, storage, and… LEG RESTS!!! Far too many airlines don’t have leg rests on their long-haul PY seats (they might have those useless drop-down footrests), and almost nobody has them on short-haul C/F.
Where are the tables stored? The inner armrest seems to have storage space, while the outer armrest looks like it’s retractable. Neither seems to be able to house a tray table…
Internet was horrible on IST to JFK flight. Besides the fact that they block many services, ability to message via WhatsApp was often non existent for hours. Guessing it’s related to cost cutting.
The in airport / airside Yotel @ the new IST is nice and not too expensive. If you leave the airport the hotels are cheaper but you need to buy an entry visa + it’s a hassle.
Hey Matthew, is this known as the N21? EF just sent me an aircraft change notification and I can’t tell if it’s the Neo
Yes! Enjoy. But TK is very well-known for last-minute swaps, so don’t be surprised if you wind up with something else.
Hi Matthew,
Thank you for sharing this! I will be flying some shorter hops in-and-out of IST on an upcoming middle east and Europe vacation so I’m trying to check out as many Turkish Airlines reviews as possible.