One thing we never get tired of when it comes to travel is experiencing different airlines. With the countless number of airline companies to choose from, there are a handful that are staples of the industry and we got to experience one of them recently during our adventures to the United Arab Emirates, Turkish Airlines.
We arrived to Hartsfield-Jackson International Terminal around 6pm for our flight scheduled for 10:30pm. We checked-in to our flight at the terminal with minimal hassle. Checked in 2 bags, got our boarding passes and made our way to the security checkpoint.
COVID-19 Guidelines as of April 2022:
- 24 hour negative PCR test results prior to departure
- Mask required at all times during flight
- Vaccination cards
We had a few hours prior to boarding so we headed over to The Club At ATL which we have access to through our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card membership (Priority Pass). This is our go-to lounge when traveling, especially because this lounge is located in the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Certain airlines also have access to a private section at this lounge; Qatar, British Airways and Turkish Airlines.
We spent a few hours here enjoying some light refreshments and drinks until we needed to proceed to the gates for boarding.
ATLANTA TO ISTANBUL
Boarding started one hour prior to departure, starting with first class and business, then reverse order with the back of the plane to the front. Our seats were at the front of economy class so we were one of the last to board the flight.
We boarded the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft and settled in for our ten and a half hour flight to Istanbul.
Once airborne, the air hostesses provided blankets for the night and headphones for the in-flight entertainment systems. They also handed out "comfort bags" which included a night mask, toothbrush/paste, earplugs, lip balm, socks and night slippers.
A food menu was also provided letting us know what the options were for dinner as well as a before landing meal.
The in-flight entertainment center is equipped with a large 10 inch touch screen display with a wide verity of movies from the latest blockbusters such as the Marvel superhero movies to classics from the 70s, 80s, 90s. Along with Turkish, Hindi and other international movies. A kids sections with cartoons and animated movies, tv shows, live-tv, music, games and flight information was also available. A USB outlet is also available to connect and charge your devices.
Turkish Airlines also provides in-flight wi-fi. Included if you are in business class or higher or if you are a "Miles and Smiles" member at a certain level. Otherwise different price tiers offering different data caps.
About an hour after departure, the flight staff started the dinner service.
After our meals and a few movies we settled in for the night. The cabin lights are dimmed and the window shades have a tinting feature that is controlled and dimmed for the night.
As the hours flew, we were getting close to our arrival in Istanbul. The cabin lights turn on about 2 hours prior to arrival and the air hostesses come around to serve the before landing meal which is a light breakfast/lunch in comparison to the dinning meal.
We soon landed at Atatürk International Airport In Istanbul, Turkey. We deplaned on the tarmac and took a short shuttle ride to the terminal where we were greeted by one of the most beautiful airports we have seen.
ATATÜRK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
This international airport in Istanbul is massive and beautiful all at the same time! Inside the newly renovated airport, you will find endless international shops and restaurants. You can easily entertain a long layover with all the emanates and facilities located inside. Here, you can shop from a local "bazaar" with, gifts, trinkets, street food and pastries to high end fashion stores such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior and more.
We only had a two hour layover which did not give us much time to explore the airport but we did get a sense of scope and there is so much to see and do at this airport!
Istanbul International Airport also offers free Wi-Fi and to access the internet you have to scan your passport at these terminals. This will print you our an "access code" to login.
We soon made our way to our gate where you will go through a minimum of 2 checkpoint at the gate itself before boarding your flight. These seemed a bit over the top, having our passports and tickets checked every 10 feet. On our return flight to the USA, we went through bag check for our carry-ons as well.
We soon boarded our connecting flight and were off to Dubai!
ISTANBUL TO DUBAI
Overall, our experience with this leg of our journey was equally nice as the first. This journey was roughly 4 hours and 20 minutes in length aboard a Boeing 777-300. We were provided dinner service similar to our last flight with the same level of comfort and amenities previously noted. Our flight landed at 12:30am local time.
After a full 2 days of travel we were ready to reach our hotel for a good nights rest.
OVERALL
Turkish Airlines Dreamliner is probably one of the best transatlantic flights we have taken. The level of comfort to services provided by the aircraft and hostesses is one of the best, especially for economy class travel. Turkish Airlines Business class is noted to be one of the best in the industry as well. If you have an opportunity to fly Turkish Airlines, whether it be economy or business, take the opportunity to experience one of the greatest flying experience you can have!