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

THY

TK - Turkish Airlines

Flight taken on 15 December 2014
TK789
21:20 02h 20m 23:40
Class Economy
Seat 7A
Yonatan Paz
4,228 · 93 · 7 · 0

Happy New Year to all and welcome to my first report for 2015.
This report consists my trip to South Africa for travelling and visit friends. My schedule is as follow:
TK TLV-IST Y A332
TK IST-CPT (via Johannesburg) Y A333
SA CPT-JNB Y A346
TK JNB-IST Y A333
TK IST-TLV Y A320
2nd flight on Turkish Airlines
3rd flight on A330-200
9th time in Turkey
I am excited to try three new experiences on this trip - TK wide body jets (I flew on TK A321 - http://flight-report.com/en/report-7507.html) and a new airline - South African Airways and a new country - South Africa!
My plan was to stay almost 2 weeks in cape town area and meet my friends and travelling around the city too!
Day of the flight!!!
I drooped off at Ben Gurion International Airport at 6:30PM - When my flight scheduled to depart at 9:20PM, so I had enough time to pass the security checks, to visit in the duty free and also in Dan Lounge and to do a little spotting (It was bad!)
Our flight scheduled to depart on time (TK789):


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

I passed Ben Gurion special check in and after that i was booked for seat 14A on TLV-IST sector and 18A on IST-JNB-CPT sector.
Not for me today :(


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

After that I went to the securtiy of the handy-luggage, only 2 counters were actived and a lot of passengers, most of them to Istnabul, USA and the Far East were waiting for +25 mins.
After that I went to the passport control, Again only 3 counters of 40 were actived and a chinese women had been stucking in the line and delayed me!!!
On our way to the Duty-Free, a pretty impresive duty-free zone:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Delta Boeing 777-200ER to New York - JFK:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

El Al Boeing 767-300 to Beijing-Capital:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

United Airlines Boeing 777-200ER to Newark:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

I was hungry so I bought a salmon sandwich and orange juice for me, it cost 42NIS = 13$


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

View from dan lounge, some El Al's 737 and American Airlines A330-200 (Sorry for the bad quality):


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

As I called to go to the gate I was running as fast as I can to gate B6:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

My ride for this short-flight today: Airbus A330-200 of Turkish Airlines, named Antalya (Tourist city in south of Turkey, I've there 7 times at all), old livery. I was suprised to see the old livery :)


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → IstanbulTurkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

On the plane. View back and foward from seat 11A. Most of the passengers were Chineses, Koreans, Turkishs, Israelis and some europeans. The load was about 68% - I saw a lot of empty rows on this short sector.


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → IstanbulTurkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Seat pitch is acceptable:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

We got headphones from the nicely cabin crew:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Our plane before departure in TLV:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

IFE of THY:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Impresive wing and a dirty window:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Safety video:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → IstanbulTurkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Flight time scheduled to be 1 hour and 50 minutes - Very short flight for wide-body jet.
Cabin before departure, I liked the colors:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → IstanbulTurkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Heading to runway 26 from the plane camera:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Taxi:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → IstanbulTurkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

After take-off:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

We got a light supper 25 minutes after take off. The meal was very tasty and enough for short flight (less than 2 hours flight), I drank coke and we got also crackers:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Cursing:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

I moved to the front of the economy class cabin in seat 7A to get a better view of the wing:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

The IFE crashed in the mid of the flight, I could see only the flight map.
As we were flying near the Istanbul we were staying 1:15 hours in the air and we were rolling over Bursa as Ataturk Airport is very busy airport and there was a fog over Istanbul Area:


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

There were rumors about landing in Izmir, sleeping in hotel for the whole night and after that to drive to Istabul by Bus, As a result I could miss my flight to South Africa, but Although the fog we landed in Istanbul.
Finally we landed at 01:08, after 2 hours and 52 minutes of flying. My connecting flight scheduled to depart at 00:50, so I thought that I missed my flight… Wait for the next flight report!
Gate 205, I also arrived to this gate after landing from TLV in 2013!!!


Turkish Airlines Tel Aviv → Istanbul

Regards and thanks for reading!!!
Yonatan Paz

Display all

Product ratings

Airline

Turkish Airlines 8.4

  • Cabin8.0 / 10
  • Cabin crew9.5 / 10
  • Entertainment/wifi7.0 / 10
  • Meal/catering9.0 / 10
Lounge

Independent Dan Lounge6.9

  • Comfort6.0 / 10
  • Meal/catering6.0 / 10
  • Entertainment/wifi7.0 / 10
  • Services8.5 / 10
Departure airport

Tel Aviv - TLV9.5

  • Efficiency10.0 / 10
  • Access10.0 / 10
  • Services8.5 / 10
  • Cleanliness9.5 / 10
Arrival Airport

Istanbul - ISL8.9

  • Efficiency8.5 / 10
  • Access9.0 / 10
  • Services9.0 / 10
  • Cleanliness9.0 / 10

Conclusion

Everyone knows that Turkish Airlines is a graet airline - Also in short routes like Tel Aviv-Istanbul.
It was a great flight - As I flew on A330, enjoyed from great food and served by nicely cabin crew.
The delayed very scared my because I could miss my flight and most of the passengers on this sector.
I will fly again Turkish Airlines!!! And you? Tell me!!!!

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