Review of Pegasus Airlines flight Istanbul → Ankara in Economy

Today I take a day trip to the Turkish capital, Ankara. Averaging at 40 minutes and 324 km, it will be close to shortest routes I've ever flown. I'll be in the hands of Pegasus, Türkiye's second biggest airline only behind giant Turkish Airlines. PC is known as the true low cost, no-frills airline for the country. I have no issues with this, though. I've flown Ryanair maybe dozens of times and this will be a short flight either way.

Getting to Sabiha Gökçen aiport from the Anatolian (aka Asian) side is as simple as it can be; a single metro line away. Access from the European side would require either the Marmaray train underneath the Bosphorus or a ferry through the strait, which is way cheaper and available from multiple ports, such as Eminönü in the old city, Karaköy in the new city and Beşiktaş a bit further north. 

There is a quick security check before entering the check in area, and a typical security control to enter the passenger terminal. Neither takes a remarkable amount of time, so I go grab some breakfast at a restaurant. The interior is also unremarkable; it's clean and not too cramped. There is a terrace, though the strong stench of tobacco smoke can be felt when approaching it, so I turn around. The views of the apron from the gate area are good enough for me.

I do not take pictures of those places, but the restrooms were not too clean. Some unpleasant smells could be felt, with further encouraged me to buy bottled water instead of refilling at the taps. Prices are lower here anyway. The terminal is not as small as usual regional "low cost" airports, though it's nowhere close to major international airports. All walking distances are perfectly manageable.

By the time I arrive to my gate, the aircraft is already there. No window blinds today to impede a decent photo, though the clouds make everything look slightly depressing. Boarding starts exactly at the time announced in the departure board, which is a very rare occurrence in my experience.

Out of 3 offered options (Essentials, Advantage, Comfort Flex) I had purchased the latter, which paid off as I cancelled the originally booked return ESB-SAW. This means I also get free seat selection, a snack and in flight entertainment (a redeemable code to use with my own devices). It also includes checked baggage, but I'm flying light today.

Since I can choose any seat, I choose to try the experience of 1A. The seats are comfortable enough for a low cost carrier, though they don't recline or have headrests.

There is a (fraction of a) window close enought to see seating back, and another one a bit ahead. As a bulkhead seat, the legroom is generous, though the footroom is rather limited. Another consequence is the tray table being in the armrest, but it's quite sturdy and spacious, so no complaints here. Overhead, there are individual reading lights and AC. There are no charging ports, as expected.

Boarding is completed ahead of time, but then we get some bad news from the captain; there are significant delays at the airport and we won't push back for at least 20 minutes. This together with a long departure queue led to a ~50 minutes delay, which is going to eat into my already limited time in Ankara. SAW really needs its second runway as soon as possible. One thing to note is that all announcements were made in both Turkish and English, despite it being a short, domestic flight.

Shortly after departure, I get the sandwich I preordered, included with Comfort Flex class.

The front restroom is a standard B737 restroom; clean and small.

Shortly after, we descend and reveal a hilly landscape, approaching Ankara.

Arrivals in ESB lead you directly to connections or baggage claim, not allowing for time at the terminal. However, I do not have much free time today anyway. To access the city center, I take an inexpensive but comfortable bus ride. Note that the trip usually exceeds 60 minutes, though!