On March 1, Turkish Airlines extended its network to 6 continents and 130 countries, finally adding Australia to its map with the launch of a flight to Melbourne. Initially operated by Boeing 787-9, this flight has been upgraded to Airbus A350-900 since the start of the summer 2024 season (IATA), and features a stopover in Singapore on both the outbound and return legs, with so-called "fifth freedom" rights between the city-state and the capital of the state of Victoria. Flight-Report takes you to Melbourne, the farthest Turkish Airlines destination, almost 15,000 km from its Istanbul hub!
Flight routing
- 1TK168 - Affaires - Istanbul → Singapour → Melbourne - Airbus A350-900
- 2
For once, I'm not on a connecting flight, which means I can discover the Premium route from Istanbul.
Entrance number 5 is dedicated to priority passengers: Business Class, Miles & Smiles Elite and Elite Plus and Corporate Club members.
Check-in
After a baggage check, the Business Class check-in area is located directly opposite on aisle L.
Waiting times are short…
…but if necessary, a few armchairs provide a comfortable place to wait.
The impressive departure board showing some of Turkish Airlines' 349 destinations.
After a quick throughput of emigration and security formalities, thanks to the fast track and new X-ray machines that no longer require you to take out your belongings, you enter the imposing terminal with its many stores.
But the most important thing is to find the Business lounge by following the signs (you can already see it on the mezzanine).
The entrance to the Business Lounge is opposite gate E1.
Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge
To access the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge in Istanbul, you need to travel in business class and scan your boarding pass at one of the automatic kiosks, which you'll also need to scan on exiting.
If you have Star Alliance Gold, Miles & Smiles Elite Plus, Miles & Smiles Elite, SAG, PLM or Corporate Club status, you'll need to go to the Miles & Smiles lounge.
This extensive show has already been reported <url=https://flight-report.com/fr/lounge/1393/turkish-airlines-business-lounge-international/>many times on Flight-Report with an average of 8.4/10.
The emphasis is on services, such as this suitcase storage area.
A computer area.
A wall of televisions (audio headsets are located on the side).
Golf simulator.
Meeting rooms.
The other highlight of the show is undoubtedly the catering offer, featuring the rich Turkish gastronomy.
We start with the salad bar.
The cart with Ayran, pretzel and Trabzon butter.
The famous Manti (Turkish ravioli).
Bulgur, grilled tomatoes and peppers, Turkish meatballs and grilled marinated chicken fillets.
2 types of pasta: rigatoni with tomato sauce, eggplant, black olives, parmesan and pesto, or noodles sautéed with vegetables.
Different types of Pide (Turkish pizzas), which always go fast out of the oven.
Eggplant moussaka.
Gözleme: Turkish pancakes with a potato and kasar cheese filling.
We end with desserts, with cakes from the Demel house for those with a sweet tooth…
…or fresh fruit for the more reasonable: apples and bananas.
As for drinks, softs are available from the refrigerated cabinets, while hot drinks can be ordered from the kiosks.
Alcohols are more discreet, limited to white and red wines and prosecco on these self-service carts.
My selection.
The lounge also offers a partial view of the aircraft. Turkish Airlines obviously reigns supreme here, with a fine sampling of its fleet: a Boeing 737-800, an Airbus A321, an Airbus A330-300, a Boeing 787-9 and a Boeing 777-300ER.
Airbus A321 Turkish Airlines
It's time to catch our plane, and be careful: depending on your gate, distances can be considerable.
Today it's gate B1 for our Airbus A350-900 awaiting passengers. TC-LGT was delivered in May 2024 and is one of 23 Airbus A350s in the Turkish Airlines fleet.
Catering is still being loaded with the "DO & CO" signature.
Boarding
There are two separate lanes: general boarding on the right and priority boarding on the left.
The screens display in succession the two destinations of flight TK168: Singapore and Melbourne.
Two gangways are connected, the first of which is reserved for Business Class passengers.
The Business cabin on Turkish Airlines' Airbus A350-900s has 32 seats between doors 1 and 2, staggered to ensure direct aisle access for all passengers.
While the trunks are spacious, they are already crammed with the seat's many comfort features, such as mattress toppers, pillows and comforters.
The Business seat
I would occupy seat 8K, which is in the last row on the right-hand side. Seats with even numbers are preferable, so as to be as close as possible to the window.
Seat furnishings include a shoe bag with mules, a pillow and a light blanket.
Earmuffs are already arranged in the console storage area. There's also a multi-sector and USB-A socket…
…and a mirror.
Seat controls, headphone socket and remote control for the entertainment system (IFE).
The HD screen is fixed in front, but has a tilt function to tilt it forward (useful when lying down).
The ottoman (or footbox).
Literature pocket.
Adjustable headrest.
3 individual reading lights integrated into the seat shell.
Height-adjustable armrests.
Boarding is complete and our cabin is full.
Distribution of the comfort kit from Italian brand Ferragamo, various models available.
The contents are of a high quality, with thick socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, eye mask…
…refreshing spray, moisturizing body cream and Ferragamo lip balm.
The pair of mules in the shoe bag are good quality and large.
The menu and wine list are distributed, but I'll come back to that later.
I declined the offer of lemonades in favor of champagne, which is always available on request.
The exterior cameras make it easy to follow the flight preparation stages, and the removed catwalks are a good sign of imminent departure.
Push back with a towbarless push.
Start-up of our Rolls-Royce Trent XWB.
Taxiing to runway 35L, a Boeing 777-300ER and an Airbus A319 are ahead of us.
Off we go with a Boeing 787-9, landing on parallel runway 35R.
In flight: IST-SIN
The theoretical straight-line route.
It takes about 10 hours to fly from Istanbul to Singapore.
Passage over Istanbul with the old airport (ISL) visible.
Internet via WiFi
Turkish Airlines always offers free WiFi for business class passengers. The procedure is simple: simply enter your name and seat number, and the connection is valid for 24 hours, with a data volume of 1gb more than sufficient.
In-flight service begins with the distribution of a hot oshibori on a stick.
Meals
Let's discover the wine and beverage menu.
We start with an aperitif, served with a ramekin of walnuts and a plate of three appetizers.
The rolling landscapes of Turkey flash before our eyes.
The table is set with a large tablecloth and includes the famous electric candle.
Here's the menu for the day, with a wide choice of starters, soup, a choice of 3 hot dishes, cheeses and numerous desserts.
The starter cart is presented, and I opt for :
Smoked salmon with horseradish
Octopus and prawn salad with zucchini, olive oil and lemon
Olive salad with pomegranate, "suzme" yoghurt
Very good.
Followed by the soup.
Wild fennel and celeriac soup
crispy rosemary "pide
Excellent
While the sun is setting fast.
For the main course, I choose pasta from the options on offer.
Homemade tagliolini pasta with burrata
slow roasted tomato sauce, fresh basil
Good, but the tomato sauce is a little too salty.
The cart appears again, this time for cheeses and desserts.
I've selected :
Double nougat bar
Bread and butter pudding marinated berries, vanilla sauce
Apricot ice cream from Kahramanmaras
Very good.
Rest
After a good meal, it's time to switch the seat to bed mode, with the added comfort of a mattress topper, comforter and large pillow.
I'll be awakened by relatively strong turbulence in the Andaman Islands, which will require a bit of zigzagging!
Breakfast
Once things have calmed down, breakfast service begins.
A two-stage service, with the cold first.
Selection of cheese and marinated olives
tomatoes and cucumber
Standard.
Fresh fruit salad
"Acuka" Anatolian style spicy tomato pepper spread
Honeycomb from Erzincan "kaymak" clotted cream from Afyon
Chia, coconut and blueberry bowl
Very good.
Then the hot one, I opt for the sweet option.
Baked sweet curd strudel
berry ragout and vanilla sauce
Right.
Approach and arrival
The cabin is prepared for our arrival.
Exit the train.
Short final to runway 20R.
Welcome to Changi, with its easily recognizable control tower.
A relatively long taxi as we park on the other side of the facility at gate D46.
Transit in Singapore
Some confusion among the crew as to whether passengers continuing to Australia should disembark. Doubt is quickly dispelled when the company's ground manager makes an announcement asking us all to disembark with our belongings.
A sign at the exit of the gangway clearly announces the gate of the day and that we have 30 minutes free before having to reach it.
No lounge for Business passengers, but a chance to stretch our legs in the terminal.
Then it's on to gate D46 for another security check.
Another view of our beautiful Airbus A350 in transit here.
My boarding pass is re-scanned, and boarding begins with respect for priorities and the passengers who joined us in Singapore.
We find our cabin equipped with seats from French equipment manufacturer STELIA Aerospace. This seat is fitted on all Boeing 787-9s and almost all Turkish Airlines Airbus A350-900s.
My 8K seat has been refreshed with new cabin fittings.
A new welcome drink, I settle for an orange juice, which is always excellent with Turkish Airlines because it's made from squeezed oranges.
Then a new bag, completing the collection with the green model this time; the contents remain identical.
We push off again, then taxi, this time quickly, as we'll be departing from runway 20C.
In the air: SIN-MEL
With a view of downtown Singapore, including the easily identifiable Marina Bay Sands.
The flight from Singapore to Melbourne takes just under 7 hours.
After a video on Australia's strict biosafety constraints, the customs form is distributed.
Lunch
More fun: the meal that awaits us on this flight. The offer is significantly less extensive than on the previous flight, with a service that seems more akin to European flights.
Potpourri of seafood
Good.
Hummus
Fair.
Among the hot dishes, I opt for the shrimp.
Prawn with sweet & sour sauce
steamed rice, vegetables
Moyen.
Selection of cheese
Fair.
Accompanied by a glass of Shiraz.
Chocolate coffee ganache cake
Fair.
I was able to keep my porthole open for the whole of lunch, but fatigue catches up with me and the cabin is plunged into darkness.
I wake up briefly just long enough to immortalize the sunset on the left side.
The cabins are relit about 90 minutes before arrival.
Snack
I accept the crew's offer of a snack.
Chicken quiche
Red velvet cake
The quantities are right and it tastes good.
Approach and arrival
Mood lighting makes a brief appearance as the cabin lights are dimmed in preparation for our night landing.
Downtown Melbourne.
North-facing landing for runway 34.
Welcome to Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, the second largest in Oceania with over 22 million passengers by 2023.
Quick taxi to the international jetty.
Quickly pass through the formalities, thanks in particular to the kiosks (although interrogations can also be carried out immediately afterwards), then customs, which will check the pre-filled form.
PRACTICAL
Turkish Airlines offers 3 flights a week (Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays) fromIstanbul (IST) to Melbourne (MEL) via Singapore (SIN), departing late afternoon from Turkey and arriving early evening the following day in Australia. On the return leg, the 3 weekly frequencies (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays) offer a late evening departure from Australia for a mid-morning arrival in Turkey the following day. The airline has "fifth freedom" rights between Singapore and Melbourne, enabling it to book this section only. The airline will also inaugurate Sydney (SYD) on December 4, 2024, with 4 weekly rotations via Kuala Lumpur (KUL).
These flights to Australia are operated by Airbus A350-900s configured with 32 seats in business class and 297 in economy class.
Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 456 aircraft (passenger and cargo) serving 349 destinations worldwide, including 296 international destinations in 130 countries and 53 domestic destinations.
Turkish Airlines flies to France from Bordeaux (BOD), Lyon (LYS), Marseille (MRS), Nice (NCE), Paris (CDG), Toulouse (TLS) and Strasbourg (SXB).
Trip realized by Flavien for Flight-Report with the participation of Turkish Airlines.
