#14 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings.
778 reviews
After some hours in the hilly Turkish city, it is time to return to İstanbul. After a troubled trip to the airport, I am greeted with a subtle rainbow on arrival. A very kind gesture from ESB, I am pleased with the service!
As when departing from SAW earlier today, there are two security controls; one to enter the airport building and another to enter the departures area. There is no problem in either of them, fortunately. I then buy a quick snack and drink and explore the terminal. There is a nice decorative pool that can be seen from the upper floor.
After some wait, I manage to capture today's B777 as it lands and taxis to the gate.
I then go to wait at the gate, 103. As can be seen in the picture, there are glass walls on both sides which allows for great views and pleasing natural light. The design feels comfortable and so are the seats. There was no lack of seating at any moment that I was there.
There it is! Unfortunately, it's blocked by the jet bridge and this is the last gate, so there is no way to get a better angle…
I take my time before boarding, since I'm not a fan of queuing. Eventually, I get to my seat, 53K. I intentionally picked the rearmost, rightmost seat to "compensate" for my 1A choice in the inbound flight. According to most seatmaps, it is a standard Economy seat, with the advantage of having only 1 neighbor and the disadvantage of reduced recline.
The interior looks alright but a bit clashing, as the sky blue does not really fit the mostly red aesthetic that I knew Turkish for. They might have a good reason for it, though. I am not a TK professional.
The seats are comfortable, and legroom is quite generous, though do note that I am not at all tall. There is a foldable footrest too!
The tray table can be folded and extended. The headrest can be adjusted vertically and horizontally. The armrests can be folded up, and they have the buttons to control recline. Which, by the way, does not feel restricted by being in the last row.
The IFE features the same old system that I've seen in other airlines, with decent, color touchscreens with not the best resolution and response rate, and no controls in the flight map. Between each pair of seats, there are universal power outlets and Mystery Switches (they probably control the IFE).
Finally, overhead there are only the storage bins and reading lights. There are no individual air vents.
Shortly after takeoff, we are presented with the complimentary snack. It is presented in a very neat box featuring multiple tourist attractions and Turkish characteristics, wishing everyone a happy Ramadan. I also get some "orange juice", which turns out to be the same sugary blasphemy as in similar flights.
The box contains:
-A cheese sandwich, which is made with a tasty bread and very chunky green pepper and tomatoes. They compensate for the soft bread by being extra crunchy. All in all, very satisfying for a sandwich.
-A date and olives, the date is sweet and sugary, and I do not touch the olives as they do not fit my tastes.
-Instant soup and a cup of water. I asked for cold water just to drink, as I was not in the mood for soup at the moment. However, I did make it later at home. It was alright, as one can expect from instant soup.
-A piece of Baklava which is presented in its own cute box, and tastes deliciously like sweet nuttiness.
-A little bag with a napkin and a wet towel.
Overall, a very generous offer for such a short flight. The quality is very visible at this moment.
The restroom is clean and very spacious, and even features branded lotion and cologne. Things I don't expect in Economy class!
It is not long before we approach IST, with the privilege of some good views that I attached to the appendix.
The airport is large and looks luxurious, with a pleasant, well lit interior. However, it is very far from İstanbul, and even farther from the Anatolian side, where I stay. The bus ride takes 90 to 120 minutes, depending on traffic. It is inexpensive and the seats are comfortable, but they have a built-in "entertainment system" that only loops ads.
Turkish Airlines offers a very good service even in short, domestic routes. In most aspects, better than intra-European flights of traditional Western European airlines...
ESB is a pleasant airport with big windows and lots of natural light. There aren't many services, but sufficient for the average traveler. However, it is far from the city center.
IST is a large and modern airport with many facilities and good interior design. But again, it is very far from the city.
Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 10 avis concernant 1 compagnies sur la ligne Ankara (ESB) → Istanbul (IST).
La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est Turkish Airlines avec 8.1/10.
La durée moyenne des vols est de 1 heures et 14 minutes.
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1 Comments
Thanks for sharing!
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