Turkish Airlines is one of Staralliance’s golden children, offering some of the most comprehensive options for travel throughout Europe and Africa without charging fuel surcharges for most award redemptions and maintaining excellence in service while boasting one of the best business class lounges in the world.

Flight: Turkish Flight 018 (YYZ-IST)
Class: Business
Seats: 2J & 2K
Date: June 23, 2014

The cabin is laid out in 2-3-2 configuration which packs a LOT of business seats into a small area.  Unfortunately this means no matter what seat you choose, you are either going to be stuck (window seats), or risk having someone wake you up to get out of their seat (aisle seats).  An interior aisle is my choice (in the 3 seat section) as in a window aisle seat you have a 100% chance of getting up if your seatmate needs to use the toilet, while in the center you have only a 50% chance.

We were in seats 2J & 2K and would recommend these seats.  The front galley is a very busy place on a Turkish flight and being in the second row allowed a little space and quiet without being too near the premium economy section.  The seat goes flat but does not go entirely horizontal, maintaining a slight angle, but is roomy and comfortable.  The in-flight entertainment system has a reasonable selection of movies in both English & Turkish.

Once comfortably seated, it did not take long for the crew to begin to ply us with food and drink.  Despite the late departure time of 22:35, a full dinner service was in store for us.  The menus distributed were absolutely enormous – wine list, menu in 3 languages, breakfast menu in 2 languages, all in a heavy leather portfolio.

The menu for tonight’s meal:

Potpourri of Mediterranean mezze or salmon caesar salad
Fried eggplant & green pepper with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella & tomato, grilled asparagus and/or creamy broccoli soup
Salmon au pistou or grilled lamb chops or vegetable cous cous
Assorted cheese, fresh fruit, and dessert served from the trolley (including turkish delight, baked fruit crepes, lemon mousse, and vanilla ice cream)

Red wines:

Doluca Karma Merlot Boğazkere 2011
Chateau Lamothe Pontac Medoc 2011
Bodegas Beronia Crianza 2009
Bodega Norton Privada 2010
Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage 2008

White wines:

Prestige Narince 2012
Chablis Premier Cru Les Beauroys 2010

Other wines:

Kavaklidere Egeo 2012 (rose)
Gosset Brut Grande Reserve (Champagne)

The service:

The service was typical of my experience in the rest of Turkey – friendly and attentive, without the polish or finesse of some of the finest European nations, but still an enjoyable and relaxing flight experience.  The food was served promptly and with a smile, and your glass will never be empty unless you physically restrain the attendants from topping you up.  If Lufthansa First class is a 10/10 for service and Lufthansa Business class is an 8/10, Turkish gets a 7/10.

However, no description of the Turkish premium flight experience would be possible without spending some time doting on the truly incredible lounge in the Istanbul airport.  The sheer volume of food, drink, and seating is boggling – and the caliber is much higher than one would expect for the size.  Add amenities such as sleeping rooms, excellent showers, a golf simulator, model railroad, two grand pianos, the list goes on and on…