Istanbul has been the epicentre of global trade for centuries. Located at a crucial point where East meet West, Istanbul has rewritten the history of the world. The same city, blessed with sea, sand and sunshine, is now overhauling the international travel sector. The national carrier Turkish Airlines and its sprawling state-of-the-art new airport are fuelling this major shift in aviation history.
Welcome to the new world of air travel. Experience it on earth and in air. The majestic airport with all the amenities takes every passenger to new horizons of luxury. The dazzling new airport offers three exclusive lounges for Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance Airlines’ business class passengers on international flights.
For those arriving by private car, a valet parking service is offered with specially designated check-in counters for business class and elite Miles&Smiles members. Passengers are invited to enjoy a wide selection of international and Turkish cuisine from the catering areas which include fresh traditional Turkish Pide and Simit, a grill offering Turkish meat specialities and vegetarian options and a garden to relax in with a Turkish coffee or tea accompanied by something sweet and delicious.
The Turkish Airlines Lounge Business accommodates 765 people. The sprawling lounge includes a 130m sq museum in partnership with Istanbul Modern to create a unique cultural experience as part of the flight journey. Passengers and also differently-abled travellers can relax in specially designed private suites and take a refreshing shower, rest in the lounge on comfortable couches and savour delicious, exclusive treats from Turkish and international cuisine. A gaming area and a large play zone for children provide entertainment for the whole family.
The airline offers luxury in the air and on the road with its exclusive chauffeur-driven, luxury vehicle service. A private vehicle transfers travelers to and from the airport for business class flights.
Turkish Airlines provides stylish vehicles and professional chauffeurs for all business class passengers travelling from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Tehran, Cairo, Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Dacca, Nairobi, Riyadh, Dammam, Amman, Jeddah, Bahrain to Turkish Airlines’ US and Canada destinations and vice versa. The complimentary drive is only provided in US and Canada gateway cities.
The Turkish Airlines Lounge Miles&Smiles has an area of 5,600m sq and can seat up to 765 people. Guests can freshen up using 11 suites with 11 showers. A spacious children’s playground here ensures all ages are kept entertained. For those travelling for business, three private meeting rooms are available for use, and a library, cinema and console gaming area provide entertainment before flights. A selection of delicious treats of Turkish and world cuisines are provided.
The Turkish Airlines Lounge Domestic has 4067m sq area and is designed with two meeting rooms where passengers can make the most of their time before a flight while tasting delicious treats. Passengers can complete check-in procedures and transfer directly to aircraft on apron buses.
Modern art at airport
A selection of artworks from the Istanbul Modern Collection can be seen at the Turkish Airlines Lounge in the airline’s brand new hub, Istanbul Airport. Spanning 130 square metres, the exhibition titled A Selection from the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art Collection highlights significant examples that represent four main dispositions of modern art of Turkey together. Made possible with a collaboration between Turkish Airlines and Istanbul Modern, this selection will be renewed three times annually within the project.
Varied artworks are featured here, ranging from early 20th-century landscape paintings to abstract paintings by artists who were aiming for a synthesis between Eastern and Western arts during the 1950s.
Explore Istanbul
Passengers with a stopover of over 20 hours in Istanbul can take advantage of Istanbul, exploring the city before boarding for their connecting flight. They can stop over in Istanbul on round-trip journeys from 88 destinations in 33 countries and use their time to enjoy legendary views of the Bosphorus, spectacular palaces, and a rich variety of shopping and entertainment.
As part of the service, Turkish Airlines offers accommodation in some of the city’s best hotels free of charge. You can stay in a five-star hotel for two days on business-class trips, and in a four-star hotel for one day on economy-class trips, free of charge.
All passengers flying with Turkish Airlines will receive free access to PressReader for 48 hours when they can download favourite publications to their devices. An unlimited and free PressReader service will also be available for download in main Turkish Airlines Lounges when connected to the lounge Wi-Fi.
Dine on demand
Another new experience Turkish Airlines offers to its business-class passengers on intercontinental flights is to allow them to request their catering service at any time they wish during the flight. This service is offered by very few airline companies in the world and it allows passengers to receive a more customised service.
Companion app
Turkish Airlines also offers to its passengers a “Companion Entertainment” app that can be paired with the inflight entertainment platform “Planet”. This application makes “Planet” an interactive platform, which can be used before and after the flight, thus boosting passenger satisfaction. With this, passengers will be able to browse the rich variety of content offered by “Planet” before their travels. They can add their preferred movies, TV shows and series to their favourites, and watch them on their flight at a time of their choosing.
Boarding pass in Braille alphabet
Boarding passes with Braille alphabet are given to visually-impaired passengers at the Istanbul Airport’s special assistance check-in desks. This service enables travellesrs with special needs to access their gates and get the details of their flights without any further assistance.