Review of Turkish Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul in Economy

Hi everyone! This is my fourth FR, so I hope you enjoy it!
TK 785
Date: 09/02/14
Origin: Tel Aviv Yafo – Ben Gurion TLV
Destination: Istanbul – Ataturk IST
Departure: 09.50 (10.05 real)
Arrival: 12.10 (12.15 real)
That day I arrived TLV airport at 7.10 am. I arrived by train, and I think that’s the best way of getting to TLV airport. The train station in on the Ground level, near arrivals. Departures are on the third floor. So I went upstairs and searched for the TK counters. I had already checked in online the day before so I could chose my seat. The check in area is divided in three sectors B, C and D. D is almost exclusive for El Al flights. TK was on the B part. Before getting to the counter you must pass through a security clearance. They ask you some questions about your stay in Israel and especially about your luggage. Then they scan your luggage and you get to the counter.
Check in area

The check in was really fast, though there was a lot of people
Entrance to security and immigration

Then I went again through security, which is like in any other airport, they scan your hand luggage and you pass under a metal detector. Finally I got to migrations. In Israel they don’t stamp passports anymore. When you arrive they give you a small card that you must conserve and present it when you depart. At departure they give you another small card that they scan before you get to the airside building.
Connection between landside and airside buildings

From there you can see some planes parked nearby. Over the gate’s windows there is like a plotting with small dots that forbids you to take good pictures of the planes?, and also the building is designed to prevent a good view of the planes. Then I got to the Duty Free Area, that in my opinion in one of the most beautiful of the airports I’ve visited.
Duty Free Area

My boarding pass

El Al Boeing 767

As I had some shekels I hadn’t spent, and I hadn’t had breakfast I went to Aroma (Israeli Starbucks) to grab a cappuccino and a pastry. It was so tasty!
My breakfast

Departures from B area

Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800 that flew me to IST, TC-JHP

A little prayer to arrive safely

At 9.10 boarding started. My seat was 24F so I went inside the plane in the first group. Most of passengers were connecting to other cities such as New York, Paris, Moscow, etc.
Inside TK’s Boeing 738

When I boarded the plane I was surprised (and pleased) it had PTVs! Though I didn’t use it a lot, I could see the flight path we were taking.
Magazines

At 9.30 the captain introduced himself and the rest of the crew first in Turkish and then in an incompressible English. At the cabin, the FAs tried to locate many hand luggage pieces that didn’t fit anywhere because the flight was really full.
El Al Boeing 747-400

Finally at 9.50 we made our way to the runway, and a few minutes later we took off. I could see some amazing views of Tel Aviv, then we headed north and I could see Haifa, Nazereth and even the Mount Hermon.
Take off

Haifa and Mount Hermon

Some minutes later they served the meal, if was kind of a brunch or something. There was on the plate: a slice of chicken breast, cheese, tomato, cucumber, olives, bread, marmalade and a piece of cake. It was all really tasty.
Meal

Then the FAs came to take out the trays and the captain announced we were about to land. The only announcements I could understand were those that are pre-recorded in English. Before landing we wandered around the Bosporus and the Black Sea. We descended over the European side of Istanbul and landed at 12.15.
Sabiha Gokcen Airport

Black Sea coast

Levent

Golden Horn

All TK aircraft

As soon as I got off the airplane I cleared migrations and my luggage came to me very fast. I went down to the Metro and ran to the city!
Metro