Earlier this week I had the chance to fly a Turkish Airlines A350 in business class. Although the journey was short, I had an excellent flight and was happy to see that Turkish Airlines has restored much of its pre-pandemic onboard soft product.
My Initial Impressions Of Turkish Airlines A350 Business Class
I’m in Istanbul this week and flew via Amsterdam just to experience the A350-900, which Turkish is running to a handful of cities including Amsterdam, Manilla, Montreal, Paris. While a longer flight from Manilla or Montreal would have been preferred, the logistics were simply too difficult and in the case of Montreal, the award space was not there.
First, the hard product. Business class seats on the A350 appear identical to the 787-9, but some run up to three inches wider and I felt that in my chosen seat, 4A. The cabin feels more spacious and the seat larger than the 787 (you can read my 787 review here).
The seat is extremely comfortable and also provides privacy, particularly if you choose an even-numbered window seat.
However, I was most interested in the soft product. After nearly a year of reducing meal service to a boxed lunch with water bottle, Turkish Airlines has recently restored meal service onboard. In fact, it felt like old times.
The chef was missing (Turkish has restored its onboard “chefs” on flights over eight hours) and the meals came sealed (with a deplorable amount of plastic waste), but the food was delicious as ever.
My lunch included Turkish mezze followed by a Turkish casserole with meatballs and vegetables. Delicious!
I concluded my meal with a strong Turkish coffee.
One other note – business class passengers received 1GB of free wi-fi and it was fast (28 down, about 4 up). I enjoyed that while listening to Andrea Bocelli and watching the tailcam!
Service was lovely and the flight itself was simply magnificent.
CONCLUSION
It was great to return to the Skies on Turkish Airlines. I last flew Turkish is March 2020 literally a week before the world shutdown. 14 months later, it felt like little had changed, though so much has happened in between.
But compared to the Turkish Airlines A330, 777-300ER or even the 787-9, this is the aircraft to choose, if you have that choice.
@ Matthew — You must be seriously bored. I can barely bring myself to book anything. COVID has definitely cured my travel addiction.
@Matthew Thanks for this. It’s refreshing to see this content again as it’s a return to normalcy. With my flights booked back to Germany on UA for next month and fully vaccinated, I look forward to a summer of beer gardens and seeing family.
@Gene — Bored? This is a travel blog…you know this, right?
@ Tom — Really, I had no idea.
Love it. Envious.
The amount of plastic waste we have all accepted under covid is silly and it is time to end. We have long now known that surface transmission is simply not a factor, and everyone who sees that tray until it is in front of you is wearing a mask also. Nice to see the service come back, let’s bring back the presentation too, the plastic is pure covid theater.
@Gene such a coward. If covid has killed your desire to travel/ pls get off travel blogs. Stay in your bunker.
I bet your depressed CDC killed mask mandates…you can still wear the mask 24/7 if it makes you feel ‘peotected’.
@Gene What a LOSER! Nobody cares if you too scared to travel..? This is a ‘Travel blog’ …hellllooooooo
I defend Gene, a longtime LALF reader. He’s a great guy.
Your 787 link is not present in the (access link here) area. I am on this plane in a month and would love to read it.
Link fixed. Thank you.
I assume they allow carryons in the overhead bins now? When I last flew them they made me check my small roller bag in CDG and proceeded to damage the bag.
The seats look awesome but why do the window seats have that wing at head height blocking the window view? I understand how useful it can be for the aisle seats and privacy. Perhaps it is there so that the twilight zone gremlin can’t see you when it looks through the window?
@ Matthew — Thanks! Sorry to be a downer earlier. It’s me, not you. 🙂
@ Joeboo — I have traveled every week for the past five weeks since becoming fully vaccinated. I have zero fear of traveling. I just can’t (yet!) bring myself to do things like fly through AMS to IST just to try out a new plane. I don’t doubt that I will eventually return to doing such things, but so far my travels have been to see friends and family that I had been unable to see for the previous 13 months. Matthew just had a head start since he has been flying for the past several months!
@Matthew Where are you planning to stay while in Turkey? I spent one month in January and it was great. Everything open for visitors without hordes of tourists. I
Enjoyed Conrad, Le Meridien and multiple other great Marriott properties.
This is a work trip, so Four Seasons Bosphorus.
@Gene – understood/ I apologize for my sarcastic comment, my bad…
Hoping to try the A350 on GRU-EZE next month. Hoping by then TK gets rights to pickup passengers from Brasil by then.
(you can read my 787 review here).
Umm
Link fixed. Thank you.
How dare you.
I was told the bedding was eliminated. Is that true ?