Review of Turkish Airlines flight from Manchester to Istanbul in Economy

THY

TK - Turkish Airlines

Flight taken on 14 June 2026
TK1994
11:00 03h 08m 16:08
Class Economy
Seat 34F
thejetflyer
12 · 139 · 0 · 0

Foreword


The last time I flew Turkish Airlines was an A330 from Istanbul to Lahore in 2020.

My how my life has changed since that flight. Covid began just days after I landed in Pakistan.

I had many personal struggles but God has a plan as they say.

My Wife has since moved to the UK. We never got to gave a proper honeymoon. So with a belated honeymoon in mind and the ease of my Wife getting a Turkish Visa,I set about booking this surprise ( for my Wife ) trip to Istanbul in December 2025.

This report proudly marks my 70th flight report and 10 years of being part of the FlightReport family. A huge thank you to Kevin for being my mentor and guide and always encouraging me to write better with every report.

10 years ago,it was a Turkish Airlines to Istanbul flight which got me into FlightReporting. In error back in 2016,when I was an FR newbie,I posted my return flight first and THEN my inbound to Istanbul !
This report today is again a Turkish Airlines flight report from Manchester to Istanbul.

I am happy to produce this special FlightReport which has the above milestones attached.


Reservation


There seemed to be a discrepancy with the bookings for me and Wife for MAN-IST-MAN. On 31st December I booked my Wife on TK. She had a 10% discount code that was only applicable if a booking was made in just her name. Her total fare after the discount was GBP311.86. I then made an ExtraFly booking for myself on 2nd January . We had not yet bought seat assignments for MAN-IST.

Whilst my Wife would fly out on ExtraFly,on the return ISTMAN my Wife was on the PrimeFly fare,meaning her preferred seat was included in her fare. It is only on 5th January,that I paid GBP19.00 to be sat beside my Wife for ISTMAN.

I was wondering why my Wife's fare showed as GBP 330.86 which has a GBP19.00 seat assignment fee ? If she has not paid for her MANIST seat yet and her ISTMAN flight has the seat included in her fare,why was she showing as having purchased a seat and GBP19.00 added to her fare ? I guess this must be a fault in the system ? I filled out the feedback form on the TK app.

Hours later,my Wifes higher fare had gone back to the normal fare paid.
It reappeared higher on 6th January and I took screenshots but was unable to attach these to my feedback. On the evening of 7th January,the higher fare reappeared yet again.

My Wif's booking alleged she would get nearly 3k miles which is very untrue. The fare continued to be displayed incorrectly for many months. When it eventually did correct itself,a whole new issue arose for the return seats. I will address that issue for the return flight report.


On 16th April ( also 10 years and 1 day since I flew and created my first ever FlightReport ) my Turkish Airlines app made an alert sound. It is the end part of the Widen Your World jingle in case you were wondering.
I looked at the alert and my original flight,TK1992 had been cancelled and we were offered a full refund or a free rebooking.
A refund was not an option as many things had been booked in Istanbul. I rebooked me and my Wife to TK1994 urgently.
TK1992 is not cancelled altogether,it just operates irregularly. I was kind of glad as on alternate days it is a 737-8Max and I would prefer not to fly on that aircraft.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

I love how the TK app counts down the days and minutes until checkin opens 24 hours before departure. This is a very handy feature and believe me I looked at the timer multiple times a day for 6 months despite having assigned seats :)

Please note,that when you book a ticket,you don't get a printer friendly pdf to print out. Yet when the flights got rebooked,we got a beautiful pdf which looks very stylish. I had to print my Wife's pdf as she needed it for Immigration in Istanbul.

So the pdf version looked smart and clear as opposed to printing the email. Within a few days you can print an invoice at https://ebiletfatura.turkishairlines.com/tk/en however it doesn't look like a proper ticket.


I am not sure if this is for all tickets. If it is,a great support for those who may need to change or cancel.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Turkish Airlines bitz and facts


Turkish Airlines bitz and facts

My favourite Airline is never out of the news and luckily it is mainly very good.

A few notable items ;

The Airline has opened it's own lounge in Edinburgh. The first in the UK and one of a small number worldwide.

At Manchester,the airline has moved to the swanky Terminal 2

An A350 - the 500th aircraft TC-LHH, has over 100,000 employee photos and the aircraft is named " Ayla " meaning family.

New Australia flights via Kuala Lumpur with a view to going nonstop

My list of new destination suggestions ;

Glasgow - Scotland
Faisalabad - Pakistan
Multan - Pakistan
Dar Es Salaam - Brunei
Paramaribo - Suriname
Cincinnati - United States
Reykjavik - Iceland
Rotterdam - Netherlands
Liverpool - England
Cardiff - Wales

Please note Glasgow and Newcastle are already in the pipeline. Rotterdam was previously served but strangely stopped due to a route cull and rising jet fuel costs.

Facts ;

* I have only always flown TK1994 out of Manchester
* On 18Jul26,almost a month after this flight today,TK1994's lucky passengers flew on an A350 TC-LHA !
* Until this trip, I have always flown alone on Turkish Airlines
* The first time I have not worn a Business suit when flying this flight
* This is my 5th time on TK1994
* TK1994 flights only one has had one choice for a meal and that was breakfast
* TK1994 has always been operated by an A321 when I have flown
* Turkish Airlines used to sponsor Manchester United Football Club
* A large 777-300 model used to dangle from the ceiling of Manchester's Trafford Centre Shopping Mall and was used in competitions for
   shoppers to win tickets and prized


Checkin,Security and Lounge


Online checkin the day before,was a breeze. For me. Albeit somehow I lived in the South Pacific according to the TK app !
For my Wife,she had to checkin at Manchester Airport for an unknown reason. In the vehicle to the Airport,the song "Dracula" by Tame Impala was playing on the radio. The song was in my head for hours !
We exited the Radisson hotel just after 0700am and had a short walk to Terminal 2. 
Checkin was not officially open, but opened at 0740am prompt. There was a small queue when we arrived but this began to snake into a much longer queue closer to 0730am.
A lovely older couple from St.Helens got chatting to us. Their son had flown from Colombia to meet them…..in Muscat as you do !
A quick chat later and it was almost our turn to checkin.
Air Canada's check in had shut ahead of AC909's 0900am departure to Toronto. A surprise would await me later,regarding this flight.


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Weight being under is always a joy ! Both personally and at an airport !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

I remember when Turkish Airlines used to give out these permanent tags at checkin - the paper ones they give now are stylish too but so glad I own a plastic one :)


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Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Turkish Airlines is handled at Manchester by PrimeFlight.

When it was our turn to check in,a lovely lady called us forward.
What a joy to be checked in by someone so well groomed,professional,friendly,enthusiastic and very caring.
She asked to see our hand luggage and also my Wife's UK Share Code ( eVisa ).

We were checked in within no time at all and headed to security.but I had to remove my belt and a powerbank.

Security was not more than 5 minutes. As we left the security area,I got my first ever view of the repurposed Terminal 1 chandeliers. I still feel they are umbrellas with raindrops ( which matches the saying that it always rains in Manchester ! ).

However,they are in fact parachutes. I am not sure of the relevance to Manchester Airport but hey,beautiful artwork all the same ! Each one contains a tag with info but how someone will get up there to read the tag is baffling !


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Just as a side note,this would be my 4th flight from MAN T2 since 2019.

The rest being ;

Saudia Airlines to Jeddah
Kuwait Airways to Kuwait
Ethiopian to Geneva


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Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

The Coach store was yet to open at the time of our travel. It has since opened.
Avgeeks and Fashionistas might want to visit Coach's unique Malaysia store…inside a real 747 Jumbo Jet !


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We had been gifted 2 lounge vouchers for the 1903 lounge. On our way to the lounge,I popped into Tax Free to spray some Hugo Boss.

I will not write too much about the lounge as it was very poor and was due to close 2 or so weeks after our visit,to make way for The Executive. If only our flight had been a few weeks later.

From unprofessional staff to 99% of seats being occupied,to not finding our booking to minutely loud flight announcements,the ambience one expects from a Premium Lounge was not present at all. It was almost as if " we are shutting down so will be offering the worst possible service ".

The WiFi worked superfast. We had some nibbles and drinks. But I personally could not wait to leave. Which is in sharp contrast to my 2022 visit which was outstanding. But not this morning.

I will let the photos do the talking. Apart from the Air Canada spotting.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

The surprise I mentioned earlier ? The famous Air Canada toothpaste livery - not seen it in years !


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Enroute to the gate spotting - SK540 pushing back for Copenhagen. Ironically my Brother flew to Copenhagen the day before us,for his friend's wedding. Although he flew with Ryanair.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

A TUI 787 Dreamliner G-TUIN- arrived from Cancun and returning to Cancun - a guest at Manchester then ! By the way, tuin is the Dutch word for garden ! This Dreamliner is named "Shooting Star". And now I will be humming the Flip & Fill song of the same name !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Aircraft and Gate / Boarding Information


We knew of the gate shortly after we left home.
I love the alerts that Turkish Airlines send about the gate.
We began making our way to gate D6.
By the way,this gate is in the original T2 building and used be 206.
In 2018, I boarded at gate 207 next door when I was flying RAM to Casablanca.
You may enjoy my flight report on this platform.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Joe and The Juice - awesome logo - to me anyway !


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Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Shortly after we arrived at the gate,the ground staff followed and began setting up the gate area. Baby buggies were wrapped and announcements were made for passengers who had hand luggage only and had come through security without visiting check in.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

The year 1993 rang and want's it's decor back. Those ghastly colours of MAN T2 from when it first opened in 1993. 


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Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

The A321neo for our ride to Istanbul today was delivered to Turkish Airlines in December 2024,making her 18 months old today,the day of the flight. She landed around 0945am as TK1993 from Istanbul.

TC-LPG A321neo - previous routes of the last 7 days before our flight.

*Chisinau,Moldova
*Hamburg,Germany
*Van,Turkey
*Podgorica,Montenegro
*Manchester,England
*Copenhagen,Denmark
*Milan,Italy
*Jeddah,Saudi Arabia
*Nuremberg,Germany
*Warsaw,Poland
*Munich,Germany
*Cologne,Germany
*Dushanbe,Tajikistan

It seems that Turkish Airlines is stopping the tradition of naming aircraft and is also going to drop the rear Silver Tulip design. I was never a tulip fan to be fair and would love to see the 2020 branding introduced as a new livery along with new uniforms,safety video,boarding and landing music.

Shots of our ride arriving and at the gate - as you will note I had to walk to the left of the terminal just for the right side shot ! It feels so weird to see Turkish Airlines at Manchester Terminal 2 after the Airline flew for 29 years from Terminal 1 ! The windows needed a good wash. Although it appears that my photos may be blurry,I assure they aren't. It was like the windows hadn't been washed in years as they had thick stains.


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Turkish Airlines flies 3 to four times a day from Manchester to Istanbul,dependant on the day .
Flight times start in the morning with TK1994 departing around 11am.
There's a second flight in the afternoon around 1400pm which is TK1992. We would have been on TK1992 for this trip by the way !
And then an early evening flight just before 5pm which is TK1996.
On days that have a fourth flight ( TK196 ), it's an overnight flight departing around 2300pm and arriving in Istanbul around 0500am.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

I noted that TK1993 passengers disembarked by rear steps and the airbridge. It felt like the full service and low cost world had created a hybrid way to disembark the aircraft. But it must work as boarding began just after 10am !

We had to hold in the airbridge for a few minutes but eventually the dispatcher lifted the security strap and we began boarding.

A really friendly and upbeat young Airhostess welcomed us onboard. I managed to tell her we are travelling on a belated honeymoon and she said she will let the Inflight Manager ( Cabin Chief ) know.

This is my 11th Turkish Airlines flight and I have only ever seen Turkish crew onboard. The Airline however has been recruiting language speakers globally. And I met one during boarding ! A Steward named Gaurav from Delhi who was most pleasant and very helpful to all passengers all through the flight.

Business Class..maybe one day,just not today ! Note the headrest that has not been straightened out. By the way this photo was taken during boarding and not after the flight. What exactly do cleaners and crews do during a turnaround and how would this not be spotted ? Not the last time you will see this today ! The meaningless boarding music of the last 6 years played. It adds zero ambience or excitement and is a complete disconnect from the Turkish Airlines' brand and past boarding/landing music which had so much soul and rhythm.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

We were at the very back on 34EF. I said Gunaydin ( Good Morning ) to an Airhostess stood in the centre of the two washrooms who replied warmly.

We both took our seats which had Turkish Airlines earphones in a compostable package.

I then noted that boarding also began from the rearmost door. Passengers continued boarding from both ends of the aircraft and this was uneventful. Until it wasn't . Upto leaving my house,the aisle seat of our row ( D ) was free. I had hoped it would remain free. My wish did not come true.


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Oh look. Someone has not straightened out the headrest. I have no words. Other then the aforementioned when walking through Business Class.


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If there is any doubt as to which Airline's headrests these are !


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An Arab male of around 30 and stocky build went to take 34D and was doing his utmost to not come into contact with my Wife on 34E. On seeing his respectful attitude, I pulled out the strap part of his seatbelt. He then made a very strange comment where,with a smile on his face,he stated that he will be happy if I wanted to change seats so I may sit comfortably with my……daughter.

My heart sank. There is only a few years age gap between me and my Wife. But no way do I look old enough to be her Father. I told this guy that she is my Wife. His smile vanished. He fastened his seatbelt and shut his eyes and he 'slept' through take off. He would later awaken for his meal and go back to sleep.

After #daughtergate,I was very surprised to hear an announcement that Boarding was complete at 1037am.
This hybrid method of boarding very clearly works for efficient boarding ! Although staggered boarding in covid made for efficient boarding too for airlines in general.

At 1039am there was a superfast Captain announcement that sounded comical rather than professional.
As the overhead lockers were being secured, I saw pillows in them. I requested 1 each for me and my Wife and some water which was promptly brought. As this flight is always over 3 hours,I do feel a small water bottle should be placed in every seat pocket before boarding.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Our neighbours off to Lisbon and Paris :)


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Pushback and Take Off


Pushback was at 1045am and the safety video volume was higher than the engines but still comfortable to listen to. That 6 year old safety video along with the awful boarding/landing music does nothing to elevate Turkish Airlines' brand. I do hope they change both soon.


Turkish Airlines is the Airline of a predominantly Muslim country.I always thought it odd that they don't play or announce a pre travel prayer. But it turns out they do on Saudi and some longhaul flights !


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Much as a I love safety cards,they sure need to simplify the safety card at Turkish Airlines.
You may also watch the safety video on the video screens. And of course Youtube.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Pushed Back….here we go !


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Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

We taxied to runway 1 and I still thought we had time left until take off - until the engines suddenly began to roar into life for take off !
The shock meant I filmed the take off but only have photos from when we were airborne !

The usual route of TK 1994 is over my neighbourhood and today was no exception. 


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Prayer Times albeit they will be slight varied as the flight travels all through Europe and timings will vary.


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Inflight Progress


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Turkish Airlines Manchester → IstanbulTurkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

I look forward to when my native Glasgow becomes a Turkish Airlines destination. As mentioned earlier,it is already on a list of proposed future destinations.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Inflight Service


12 minutes after take off,the crew came round with hot scented towels which was a very premium touch and appreciated.
Even more so given I have saw menucards,Turkish Delight,crackers and cheese and the main meal inner tray dish all vanish from my TK flights over the years due to cutbacks.
But Turkish Airlines still delivers an outstanding and unrivalled Economy Class service to the UK and Europe.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Sitting at the very back,means you get your meal first. All 4 other TK1994 flights I have taken,all offered 2 choices of main course except my 2020 flight which offered only breakfast.

An Airhostess came with trolley and asked how I am and if I would like meal service.

She announced the choices to myself and would do the same for every passenger as ;
Lasagna with cheese and spinach or meatball with Rice.

She then asked if I wanted brown bread or Pitta. I have never had a choice of bread before on Turkish Airlines Economy Class so asked for the brown bread,which arrived as a warm roll. I would be surprised when looking ahead of me,that the ' Pitta ' was actually a traditional Turkish seeded bread roll.

After handing me my bread roll and drinks,she said "enjoy your meal" in a pleasant manner.

The ' Lasagna ' was in fact Spinach and Riccotta Canneloni on a bed of slow roasted parmesan tomato sauce. My Wife's 'Meatball' was actually a burger patty with rice and curried carrots.


My absolute favourite time on any Turkish Airlines flight ! Those Bright Red meal trolleys always mean it's "Party in the Sky" time ! And yes,that is a reference to the Turkish Airlines Lego Movie inspired safety video from long ago ! Go to 3:23 to get the party started !



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Gotta love the stylish cutlery set. A world ahead of many other airlines longhaul Economy Class and unthinkable in any European Economy class.


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In the absence of menucards,a descriptive sticker should be placed on the foil covering of the main dish, as what we were told we were being served,was in fact slightly different.

Turkish Airlines is eventually introducing onboard digital menucards for all cabins. This was not offered on this flight however I have seen an online review where a menu was visible online before a flight. And it looked very elegant in White and Gold.

The bread was accompanied by Turkish butter, the starter was a spicy aubergine salad with a dollop of plain yoghurt.

And as always,Turkish Airlines Desserts by Do&Co are a masterclass in how to 'sweeten the deal in the skies' ! On today's flight,we had a scrumptious home made Chocolate Mousse with crispy fig bits.

I have enjoyed this dessert a few times onboard Turkish Airlines, But I did not get the fig taste at all from this dessert today.


After the meal,the usual tea/coffee service took place.
I had secretly discussed with the Cabin Chief to surprise my Wife. And boy did she keep her promise to do so ! Once meal service was over,she arrived with a tray of treats for my Wife AND me as well as a handwritten note from the crew. My Wife was very happy.
Another Airhostess joined the Cabin Chief to wish us a happy future and asked how long we would be in Istanbul for. Even Mr Daughter guy smiled at seeing the tray. I will keep the tray photos private however. I really appreciated the stirrer being hygiencally sealed as opposed to bare hands of crew on other airlines touching these ( ahem BA ahem ).


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Lil souvenier gift from the crew - 2 Business Class menucards which have beautiful descriptions and images of ingredients.


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Amenities / Washroom


Pillows were available on request. I had my own personal blanket that I had brought, but didn't see if blankets were also offered to passengers. The washroom was clean and tidy. I am not going to indulge the current trend of showing inside the toilet bowl as it is very unnecessary and repulsive. Literally why would anyone want to show an aircraft toilet bowl in a review ?

I only made one washroom visit. When I came out,the Airhostess who had served us our meals,was crouched in the galley sorting items to put into trolleys. As there was a queue to get back to my seat,I thought I would stretch my legs and asked for a Mango Juice. I was on time as they were running out. It was a local Turkish brand 'Tamek' but it did not have the delightfulness of a Pakistani Mango Juice however !

I didn't notice any kidspacks being given to young children so presume this is a longhaul-only thing.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

The footrest was super sturdy and really offered great foot comfort. The lil seat pockets are great for mobile phones and glasses / small items.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Excellent Air Conditioning nozzles - a rarity on newer aircrafts.


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IFE


Turkish Airlines Inflight Entertainment is world class,well documented and renown. Therefore I will just show some screenshots rather than go into great detail.


Any good IFE system worth it's salt HAS to have a USB port for charging - it didn't work greatly but I was glad that I would land in Istanbul with a decent amount of battery !


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Hearing the song Layla after many years.


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Despite being a seasoned Turkish Airlines passenger,I really struggled to adjust the volume and brightness. I then disovered it by pressing the 3 icons you see in brackets. Way to go to make something simple so difficult !


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The WiFi offer - exciting but to see but it did not work sadly :(


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Olden days Skylife Magazine - when Manchester began service - although I remember it as beginning in 1996 not 1997 ! Coincidentally the date we flew was 1 day before the listed begin date…..29 years ago if we go off the below !


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Cabin Crew


The 5 Cabin Crew were very helpful to families with kids. I could write for hours about how amazing they are and hace done in last reports. One Airhostess needed to get to the back galley and there was a queue of people for the washroom. It was hilarious to hear her say "beep beep,please may I get past ?!" A really cute moment. I was sad to hear that having a souvenier photo with the crew is "forbidden" yet we landed to see online videos and photos of passengers with Turkish Airlines' crews. Of my 11 flights on Turkish,this would be the 2nd where the "forbidden"rule was apllied yet on 9 flights I have had photos in the galleys with my lovely hosts. It seems then that the policy is very inconsistent and only lenient for select passengers.

The family sat in front of us had two kids. The younger child did not make a sound all the way to Istanbul. The older child,possibly a girl,of around 4 years old did not stop banging her head into the seatback for the whole flight. The worst part was when this child vomitted or poo'd all over the seat. The Mother tried to wipe the seat back and the father took the kid to the toilet for a clothes change. The stink was unbearable and do bad that I had to spray a scent around me as I genuinely thought I would throw up. As I sprayed, the lady half looked round,as if I should endure the awful stink and try to bare what what was happening. The Cabin Crew handled the child's mess issue very efficiently and I was really impressed.


The Turkish Airlines app,whilst clear about onboard photos and videos,does not take into account the many photos and videos online of crew with passengers. Even by asking I was told no.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Descent into Istanbul


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After some time,the beautiful land of Turkey ( or Türkije as it is now formally known ) and I began to feel happy at the trip ahead.

Beautiful landscapes made way for water views,before the aircraft levelled out to begin finals into Istanbul. There were some stunning views. Very close to landing,we went over a hill and it felt like we might almost touch it. Do look out for this next time you are landing into Istanbul as it is quite a thrill !


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At 1608pm after just 3 hours and 8 minutes flying time,we touched down in Istanbul ; my quickest flight to date to Istanbul !

The landing announcement was as follows ;

"Ladies and Gentleman and dear children.
Welcome to Istanbul,one of The most visited cities in the world that unites continents and civilizations with its culture,history and unique sceneries".

I wish Turkish Airlines would personalise the landing announcement and mention the city the flight has just landed at,as well as providing a fun fact of that city.

Prelanding into Istanbul,I feel an Arrivals video should be shown to enhance the Arrivals process.

And I would love to see a more up to date version of "Delightful Istanbul"



You know you are at Turkish Airlines' home when you see Istanbul's Groovy Control Tower !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Air Transat A330 - their Istanbul flights which launched in December 2025,seem to have had a lot of publicity.


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Back in 2020,Uzbekistan Airways operated a 787 Tashkent-Riga-New York JFK service. I had a trip booked to Riga that never went ahead due to a certain virus. But I had timed the trip to get a photo of an Uzbekistan Airways at Riga.

It only took 6 years,but I managed to get these stunning shots whilst sat onboard a comfortable seat on my favourite airline. The beautiful weather only enhanced the already colourful and beautiful Uzbekistan Airways Dreamliner !


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Emirates and Qatar Airways - 2 giants in their own right who fly multiple times a day from the home base of the mega giant Turkish Airlines.


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787 TC-LLD - arrived from Shanghai. Would later fly to Bodrum then Mexico. Turkish Airlines sure connects the world !


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My first ever sighting of the new old Saudia livery and their A321neo. The livery could have been a lot more exciting in my opinion.


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We parked up next to a Turkmenistan Airlines 737-800,which looked beautifully green in the Istanbul Sun. I had dropped my blanket behind my seat. The crew efficiently got it out. We bode the crew farewell and in our excitement headed upstairs to Transfers ! A very kind Gentleman directed us back downstairs. Of all the people to meet at Transfers was the family who had a vomitypoo kid. I felt sorry for the passengers of the next flight this kid was on.


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Palandoken and Oslo A321 facts

As luck would have it,our Aircraft parked right in front of the hall for those with 'Final Destination Istanbul'.

After landing it took ages to get a gate. That said,taxying to the gate,disembarkation,efficiient immigration all took a total of 57 minutes which is really good and only felt like minutes.


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The below scene after we had parked up at the gate. Turkey now issues fines for passengers who stand up too early so best to stay seated for your safety and the safety of your payment cards !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

TC-LPG's Economy Cabin - she won't be on the ground long as she was then heading to Ljubljana,Slovenia.

Hopefully 33E had been given a deep clean before the next flight. 

Bye Bye TC-LPG - Hope your passengers have a lovely and fresh flight ! Especially those seated around row 33DEF and 34DEF !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Bye Bye TC-LPG - Hope your passengers have a lovely and fresh flight ! Especially those seated around row 33DEF and 34DEF !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

Even these dirty windows cannot stop my joy on seeing these Turkish A321 jets !

On the left you see TC-LST named "Palandöken". She had arrived from Dubai and would then go on to fly to Amman and Malta.
Palandöken is a municipality and district of Erzurum Province, Turkey. It is named after Palandöken Mountain which is a ski resort.

On the right you have TC-LSE arrived from Oslo and would then fly to Izmir and Rome. Every Turkish Airlines aircraft tells a global story !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

As luck would have it our aircraft parked right in front of immigration for FINAL DESTINATION ISTANBUL !


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

And as per the below IST website screenshot photo,it sure does ! Until it doesn't. Read on.


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Our Baggage was ready and waiting. Talk about destination friendly Uber belts.


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Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul

I had to laugh at seeing the sign of Celebi Handling ( pronounced like Jalebi, the Pakistani and Indian Sweet sensation ) !


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Our Transfer waiting area was like a giant ashtray,where hundreds of people were stood smoking as if their life depends on it.
A terrible first impression of Istanbul ( obviously not my first visit ) and Turkey,one which I hope the Airport reviews and removes soon.
See you on the return flight !


Notifications after switching on my Internet.


Turkish Airlines Manchester → Istanbul
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Airline

Turkish Airlines 9.3

  • Cabin10.0 / 10
  • Cabin crew10.0 / 10
  • Entertainment/wifi8.0 / 10
  • Meal/catering9.0 / 10
Departure airport

Manchester - MAN8.9

  • Efficiency10.0 / 10
  • Access10.0 / 10
  • Services5.5 / 10
  • Cleanliness10.0 / 10
Arrival Airport

Istanbul - IST7.3

  • Efficiency10.0 / 10
  • Access10.0 / 10
  • Services9.0 / 10
  • Cleanliness0.0 / 10

Conclusion

Turkish Airlines consistently delivers a 5 Star inflight experience.
I highly recommend anyone headed to Istanbul or beyond to the East,to try Turkish Airlines.

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