{"id":634943,"date":"2026-04-27T22:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T22:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/634943\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T22:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T22:32:16","slug":"turkish-airlines-review-not-quite-non-stop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/634943\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish Airlines review \u2013 not quite non-stop"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chris<\/p>\n

April 28, 2026 \u2014 5:00am<\/p>\n

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AAA<\/p>\n

The airline: Turkish AirlinesRoute Istanbul to Sydney via Kuala Lumpur, flight TK174Frequency DailyAircraft Airbus A350-900Class Business; seat 2A, aisleFlight time 20 hours 15 minutes, including the Malaysia pit stop (we\u2019re on time the whole way, until strong winds bring us into Sydney 75 minutes late)\"TurkishTurkish Airlines\u2019 route to Sydney currently stops in Kuala Lumpur.Getty ImagesChecking in<\/p>\n

After a week of taxi ripoffs in Istanbul, I dare not tell my driver my destination is Turkish Airlines\u2019 business class priority entrance. Fortunately, it\u2019s a quick stroll from the economy zone to the fast lane to zip through. In the lounge, I grab one of the only spare seats \u2013 awkwardly joining a family group. Some table seating opens up and I race over.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe lounge in Istanbul can get crowded.<\/p>\n

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Baggage<\/p>\n

Bring up to 40 kilograms of total checked baggage (50 kilograms on BusinessPrime fares), plus 20 kilograms for Star Alliance Gold members (maximum 32 kilograms per item). Cabin baggage is 20 kilograms, split as two bags up to eight kilograms each plus a four-kilogram personal item (baby care bag, camera, tablet or laptop).<\/p>\n

Loyalty scheme<\/p>\n

Miles&Smiles, Star Alliance. Booking Turkish Airlines reward flights is also straightforward via partners like Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, through which I redeem 132,000 points plus about $US500 ($756) for today\u2019s trip.<\/p>\n

The seat\"TheThe seat has direct aisle access, but feels tight.Chris Chamberlin<\/p>\n

There\u2019s direct aisle access for every passenger, but despite 44 inches (111 cm) of pitch and 20 inches (50.8 cm) of cushion width, it feels tight. In bed mode, my size 11 feet don\u2019t fare well in the footwell. The even-numbered window seats provide greater distance from the aisle (I\u2019m in 2A), albeit with the seat\u2019s shell significantly obstructing the views in these rows. A PIN-lockable side closet thoughtfully guards valuables. But nighttime announcements at every spurt of turbulence, plus the stop halfway, leave me with just four hours of sleep. Pyjamas? BYO.<\/p>\n

Entertainment + tech<\/p>\n

The 18-inch HD screen carries a respectable content selection including live TV, but the Tom Hanks film Inferno \u2013 filmed in Istanbul \u2013 draws me in. There\u2019s one AC\/USB-A outlet and 1GB of Wi-Fi data for business class passengers. But use your browsing time wisely: the data limit doesn\u2019t reset for the second sector.<\/p>\n

Service<\/p>\n

Unremarkable, and quite slow. I finish that two-hour movie before the appetiser comes. Of three premium lavatories, economy passengers monopolise two as crew leave dividing curtains open. A requested hot drink takes more than 40 minutes to arrive. But one crew member makes an appreciated effort, gracefully procuring salep, an off-menu favourite.<\/p>\n

Food\"LambLamb chops: scrumptious.Chris Chamberlin<\/p>\n

A refreshing lemon-mint juice greets, and warmed nuts with Champagne (Gosset Grand Reserve) arrive once airborne. After a samsa and a skewer, a uniformed chef delivers \u201cthe oldest bread\u201d \u2013 not stale; sourced from Anatolia, the region home to the world\u2019s oldest-known settlement \u2026 but bread all the same. The palate then sails to the sea for prawns and cured salmon before returning to land for lamb chops then baklava. I indulge in Turkish delight and a latte before the transit stop, and a fruit plate with yoghurt plus an omelette for breakfast. Dinner is laughably lacklustre: a paper-clad chicken wrap sits aside a vanilla slice. Did the chef sleep in? This final meal is airport takeaway fare at best.<\/p>\n

Sustainability<\/p>\n

Carbon offsets allow travellers to pay what they can afford \u2013 even if it\u2019s not full coverage \u2013 or, to make a greater contribution. Turkish Airlines also purchases full carbon offsets for all staff \u201cduty travel\u201d flights.*<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/p>\n

The airline has longer-term plans to fly non-stop between Australia and Turkey but is yet to tease a starting date. While its direct Sydney flights stop in Kuala Lumpur, its direct Melbourne route goes via Singapore (in aviation, \u201cdirect\u201d does not mean \u201cnon-stop\u201d<\/a>). It is currently operating its Australian flights per its normal schedule, avoiding Iranian airspace and flying over the \u2019Stan countries instead. Connections to Europe are unaffected.<\/p>\n

The price<\/p>\n

Fly business class from about $8900 return from Sydney.**<\/p>\n

Related Article\"The<\/a>The verdict<\/p>\n

On a 20-hour journey, sleep trumps all else. Until that gets easier \u2013 both with a better seat, and a non-stop service for a solid snooze \u2013 I won\u2019t race to book Turkish Airlines again. This is, after all, the same seat that Singapore Airlines offers in \u201cmedium-haul\u201d cabins on flights like Perth-Singapore. There\u2019s work to be done before this airline can be favourably compared to the top-tier carriers.<\/p>\n

Our rating out of five<\/p>\n

\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n

The writer flew at his own expense.<\/p>\n

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org<\/a><\/p>\n

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.<\/p>\n

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\"ChrisMelbourne-based journalist Chris Chamberlin<\/a> enjoys maximising his points to travel the world in comfort, and as a points coach, he helps others to do the same. From showering on a plane to stretching out in a double bed in the sky, Chris knows all the tips and tricks to fly in style without breaking the bank. His adventures have taken him on over 900 flights and aboard almost 80 airlines, earning lifetime frequent flyer status along the way. Follow him on Instagram @chris_chamberlinFrom our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"April 28, 2026 \u2014 5:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":634944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[64,63,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-634943","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-business"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}