Part II of my Turkish Airlines adventures. This is my second flight that will take me from Istanbul to Dubrovnik for my Croatian trip. I booked this as part of my ticket from Singapore and paid 45,000 miles and 404 SGD in fees for this. That is quite a deal. This would be a short 2 hours hop to Europe which will allow me to check out TK business class on their short haul variant. They do have plenty of different business class configurations for their short haul. I will be on their A320 with typical intra “Europe” business class seats. If you are keen on TK’s long-haul business class, you can check out my previous flight experience here.

Checking In

I have already checked in ahead in Singapore earlier and have my boarding pass in hand. My baggage was checked through as well so all I had to do was to go through transfer security in Istanbul which was a breeze. They also had fast track and priority lines for security. It is very fast and efficient to transit over here. My ideal plan got canned due to the flight delay of the previous flight. This left me with a lengthy transit in Istanbul Airport and I did not qualify for any hotel or day rooms in the lounge. That was a disaster. I spent most of the time in the TK Business Class Lounge which is not ideal for having an overnight transit. They only have a total of 4 recliners in the entire lounge. I have not done this in a long time.

Boarding Process

I was assigned gate F12A. It was quite a far walk away from the lounge and middle part of the terminal. Do make sure to cater some time. IST is sparling. Boarding is scheduled for 6.25am. One hour earlier than flight departure. This feels way too early. TK always does this which is way too ridiculous. It doesn’t make sense at all. I am fairly sure that boarding won’t start on time. Boarding ended up starting at 7am with business class and those requiring special assistance. It was so unprofessional. Guess who board the plane after us? One of the pilots!

Ended up, we had to hold at the door before we were allowed on the plane. The crew welcomed us onboard and we were soon brought a welcome drink. Business Class took up the first 6 rows making for a total of 24 seats. This is certainly not ideal but the norm in this part of the world. Business Class seats aren’t that premium here. The crew soon brought by some welcome drinks and I am a huge fan of these TK juices. Similarly, there was a choice of 3 fresh juices, orange, raspberry and their signature lime mint juice. We had a slightly late departure. There is so serious issue with TK, nothing is ever punctual and their information is never updated.

While on the ground, the crew also came by with the menu for the flight. This is super impressive given the short flight timing. On some airlines, they won’t even serve you a meal. We pushed back at around 7.30am and were airborne at 7.42am.

Turkish Airlines A320 Business Class

This is no different from the renowned Intra Europe Business class where the seats are no different from Economy Class. They simply just block out the middle seat on these 3-3 configuration seats to make it 2-2 for the business class. This is probably my first time in such seats. I would not have splurged on business class for this short flight if it was not included in my earlier ticket. I guess it would be nice to check it off my bucket list. There was a total of 6 rows for business class which makes it a total of 24 seats. The design allows it to be customisable which makes it the reason why airlines like this so much as they can simply make the business class cabin larger or smaller depending on demand.

Row 1 seats are the best with slightly more legroom with the bulkhead. The rest of the seats have the same legroom as the economy. The cabin also does not come with any IFE but rather, you have those overhead screens that flip down. You can use your device to connect to the TK Planet system with the onboard wifi and stream content.

The middle seat is left empty with a panel that acts as an oversized armrest or for drinks. Left on it is a headset. It felt rather flimsy and not of the same quality as the ones on the long-haul flight. The seats come with a little recline.

The toilets are nothing fancy and just basic. It is on the small side as per the usual on narrow bodies. There are no special amenities or anything. There is one toilet in the front exclusive for the use of business class passengers.

Meal Service

While the seats are nothing fancy, the soft product is the most impressive aspect of this flight. Despite the short duration, they still offer a full meal with a full list of beverages. This includes spirits, wines and beers. Cocktails with simple mixers are also offered. There is no Champagne on this short flight You can find the menu for the flight. DO&CO catering is awesome!

The meal was served shortly after the seat belt sign was off and the crew sprang into action. They first came to take meal orders and to offer hot towels.

Within minutes, the crew came by to set the table with a white tablecloth. Everything is served via a tray given the short flight duration. I got the sweet curd crepes which was delicious.

The crew also came by with a pastry basket and I got a croissant. This is one of the best I had in the air. It was so buttery and flaky. The meal was good, from the cold cuts to the fruits. It is downright impressive to serve such a quality meal on a short flight. I even had time to kick back 2 cups of Turkish Coffee before they concluded the service.

Conclusion

This is a very short flight and thankfully it was short as those seats are uncomfortable. It is hands down the worst business-class set I ever flew. I guess I can check off the intra-Europe business class on my list. The service is decent and polished but I just feel that they are lacking the signature warm feeling that I am very accustomed to having back on Singapore Airlines. The soft product is very nice and I enjoyed the meal. The flight time was super short and we got in on time despite the late departure given how heavy they pad the flight. That brings an end to my whirlwind Turkish Experience. Stay tuned for my Croatia adventures!