Here is one of the highlights of this review series:a flight from Istanbul to Mexico City in business class on Turkish Airlines.

Why ? We will not repeat once again all the good things we think of the Turkish airline and its service. Secondly, because it’s an opportunity for me to discover two things that the pandemic prevented me from testing earlier: their Boeing 787 and the new business class that equips them.

Finally, in a more anecdotal way, with a flight of more than 14 hours I thought I would beat my personal flight time record…but I had forgotten my few experiencesbetween London and Jakartawhere the flight time was close to 16 hours.

As a reminder, the routing of this trip :

And the articles related to this trip…

Connection

At the new Istanbul airport there is a lot of taxiing on the tarmac and a lot of walking in the corridors. As soon as I got off my flight from Gothenburg I slowly hurried towards the central part of the airport to reach the Turkish Airlines business lounge.

And just when I think I have arrived at my destination…surprise!

Aftermath of the pandemic it has not yet reopened. All passengers are invited to join the airline’sMiles&Smiles lounge.

The international Miles&Smiles lounge in Istanbul. So here I go again for a little walk in the other direction since I had passed in front of this lounge a few minutes earlier.

Miles&Smiles International lounge in Istanbul

I’m not going to say much more about this lounge that I have already presented to you in the past but that it is always so pleasant to be back at.

On the other hand, the catering offer is still worse than normal, due to COVID. Still very acceptable but it leaves some regrets. The hot offer cooked on demand is reduced and the cold offer less varied than in the past.

The small individual booths closed by curtains have unfortunately disappeared, replaced by individual tables. You can still see the traces of the curtains when you look at the ceiling. That’s where I’ll settle down.

It’s almost midnight and I settle down comfortably while waiting for my flight to Mexico City which leaves at 2:30 am.

Even if Istanbul airport never stops there are a little less people at this time but I notice that the lounge fills up very quickly and it becomes difficult to find a place. If, given the context and the traffic, two lounges may be too many, one seems to be a little too few to accommodate all the customers of Turkish Airlines and its partner airlines.

From time to time I get up to see if my flight gate is displayed.

Ground experience and boarding

If the distances to be covered are the main reproach that is made to this new airport, one cannot deny that it is also very pretty and pleasant, which compensates. I’d rather walk 15 minutes here than in Amterdam, Frankfurt or, worse, any American airport.

When I arrive at the gateit’s a joyful mess. The flight is not displayed, no one knows which lane corresponds to which gate…

A pre-check of the passports is done while the boarding has not started. No one really understands what it means, knowing that they will be rechecked when the actual boarding starts.

Now that the flight is displayed, the lanes start to form and I take the opportunity to position myself in the first places of the priority lane.

The business class cabin of Turkish Airlines’ 787-9

If Turkish Airlines has always seduced us with its service, its long-haul cabins were getting oldand no longer corresponded to the market standards, as shown on this Istanbul-Phuket flight just before the pandemic.

This B787-9 is equipped with the new cabin of the Turkish airline.

If the seat reminds you of something, you’re not wrong: it’s the Symphony seat from STELIA Aerospace thatequips the Singapore Airlines 787-10 “regional” aircraft and that I had the chance to discover on a short Singapore-Bali flight. I made some criticisms at the time, let’s see if they are confirmed on a flight of more than 14 hours.

We have of course a 1-2-1 configuration with, on the window side, one row out of two with a seat facing the window and isolated from the aisle by the return and the side table, and the other with a seat facing the aisle and separated from the window by the side table.

For the central seats it’s the same: on one row out of two they are close and on the other separated. To be kept in mind when traveling as a couple.

This is my seat. A pillow and a blanket are already in place. When I chose my seat onlineI gladly chose one that was isolated from the aisle, but I won’t be so lucky on the return flight.

I think the dark tones of the cabin look great and give it a very premium feel. I also wouldn’t be surprised if this cabin ages better than the light-toned one on Singapore Airlines. After that, everyone has to decide for themselves: some will say that a dark cabin reduces the impression of space, others that it is warmer and that you feel more at home.

The headset is already placed in the storage space above the side shelf. And this is the only storage space that will be available, a bit limited when traveling “loaded” on a long haul.

All seat controls are tactile and are located above the remote control housing, which is tactile as well.

It is necessary to grope a little before understanding everything and the flights attendant will be called upon by a certain number of passengers.

The same goes for the light controls.

The sanitary kit distributed by Turkish Airlines is very comprehensive. I am equipped for one month.

A bag is available to store your shoes and slippers are available too. I can’t remember any other airline that offers it in business class.

The screen is a good size and the interface is easy to use. On the other hand I am not convinced by the selection of movies offered and anyway, from now on, I travel with my own stock of movies and series stored on my iPad.

As for the travel position, the “foot box” is quite large and I can stretch my legs without any problem…at least in the sitting position. We’ll see later how it is in the lying position (spoiler: it will be more complicated).

The shelf is very large, deploys at the touch of a button, full or half width, and is more than adequate for placing a tray or a computer.

As you can see here that my iPad fits comfortably on half a tablet.

On the other hand I will make the same remarks as for the Singapore Airlines’ (which seems logical to me, since it’s the same seat).

First of all,I’m still uncomfortable at my shoulders and elbows level because of the very enveloping seat.

In addition, the form of the seat at the level of the passenger’s head completely hides a window.

But, let’s end on a positive note, the feeling of “privacy” is very good when you are in your seat: you can hardly see the rest of the cabin.

It is also possible to further isolate yourself by pulling a mini partition.

Of course I will test the comfort and functionality of this seat on a very long flight, but it is an excellent product, with a very flattering aspect, which marks a more than significant progression compared to the former aircraft in the Turkish Airlines fleet.

So it’s time to leave…

The flight and the service

It is really hot in the cabin and the welcome drink that we are given is … welcome.

The menus are distributed at the same time.

Then the amenity kits.

It’s Versace. I’m not convinced by the colors of the mask and socks but the skincare products are quality.

We remain then immobile 20 good minutes just next to the gate. I’m still thirsty,they could have given out bottles of water because of the wait. We take advantage of it to look at the safety instructions, less elaborated but less tiring in the long run I think that the old “Lego 2” that I could not support any more at a certain time by dint of seeing them.

We end up moving and at 3 am we start on the runway. At 3:20 am, finally bottles of water. I am saved.

A mattress topper and a pillowcaseare also immediately provided for the night. You saw them on a previous picture but I put them here anyway.

As a business class passenger I am entitled to 1 GB of free Wi-Fi.

The IFE tells us how much time is left until…the prayer.

We were given a hot oshibori and asked what we would have as an aperitif. Taittinger Brut Reserve for me. The accompanying nuts are warm and melt under the tongue but it’s still a bit cheap compared to other airlines.

The tablecloth is laid out for dinner and the small Turkish Airlines electric candle is placed on it. Totally futile gadget therefore totally indispensable.

Then come salt, pepper, butter, salad dressing, bread (kept warm in a small bag). Then the serious business can begin.

The starters are coming. Unfortunately, the COVID protocol has so far killed the cart that used to circulate with a whole buffet of appetizers that allowed the staff to prepare a plate for you on demand. Here it will be the same for everyone and the plates have been prepared in advance and served covered.

A creamy green bean soup will accompany them.

Table setting wise it is quite nice.

As for the starters, the salmon will be fresh and very good. Celery salad…surprising in a good way.

The soup will be creamy.

For the main course, I will take up an “old acquaintance”: the fish wrapped in papillote, already experimented on one of my last long flights with the airline. Service by the plate of course, it changes everything.

The fish is perfectly cooked, the julienne has a lot of taste and the whole forms a rather light dish for this advanced hour knowing that it will have to sleep well.

I have not been offered a drink since the aperitif serviceand this is often the case on long haul flights on Turkish in my experience. The service goes fast with a lot of rhythm but if you don’t ask for more drinks you won’t get any.

I’ll be served quickly after I request it, but it’s still more pleasant when it’s offered spontaneously. In any case there is no down time in the service and that is a good thing at this late hour.

Then comes the dessert. Here we have the possibility to cumulate so I will takethe chocolate fondant and the fruit salad.

Even though I’m not a fan of desserts the fondant will do the job. As for the fruit salad, let’s just say that it has the advantage of bringing freshness at the end of the meal but that it does not impress by its sophistication. They are more like fruit chunks than a salad.

I notice that in terms of “on demand” meals, everyone ate at the same time, which is logical given the time of the flight.

I will not be asked if I want tea or coffee but if I want to be waken up for breakfast or not.

In the end I find that ifthe service is a bit, not degraded but simplified, because of the sanitary protocol, the late hour made us want to speed things up so much that there were shortfalls on the drink orders and on the coffee in particular. If you didn’t ask or go to the staff, they were on their track and didn’t deviate.

I take the opportunity to have a look at the geovision :we are just above ….Gothenburg, from where I left the day before in the late afternoon.

Totally logical trajectory to go from Istanbul to Mexico City when you look at a globe but not very intuitive at first. Funny situation though.

I put my seat in bed position to go to sleep, the iPad on the shelf to watch a movie.

And that’s it.

The fears that I had a priori are confirmed: if I completely stretch out my legs, my feet touch the bottom of the footrest, if I sleep curled up, my knees hit the furniture.

Don’t put words in my mouth: I’m going to sleep like a babyfor a long time and it’s still infinitely more comfortable than not having a bed. But I’m still convinced that this seat is not the most suitable for tall or broad-shouldered people (I don’t put myself in the second category so I might as well say that they must not be comfortable). I don’t remember feeling so tight in a business seat and maybe that’s why Singapore Airlines only uses it on its “regional” routes.

It is still warmin the cabin and the darkness is never total.

Personally, I don’t mind but I know that not everyone does.

Nevertheless, I fall asleep easily and sleep very well.

When I wake up, there are still 5 hours of flight left.I slept a little more than 6 hours but I feel like I slept 10 hours because I feel so good. I fell asleep in Gothenburg and we are over Canada.

A quick visit to the toilets. They are well kept and they smell very good..thanks to the care products that are available.

3 hours before the arrival, the cabin is turned on again for the breakfast service. A little violent, they could go more gradually.

I start by taking an orange juice and they also bring me a hot oshibori.

Then the rest arrives,it’s a real ballet between those who serve and those who clear away: nothing useless stays long on my tablet. You can tell the staff is working hard like I’ve rarely seen.

Once again, no cart, everything is served on a tray.

A plate of the most beautiful effect. Of course the pastries are hot but just enough to avoid the chewing gum effect that is too common on other airlines.

As soon as my plate is finished, the second service arrives. I had the mushroom omelet.

The omelet is delicious, just melting and reconciles me with this dish on a plane so much I was used to see it failed and badly reheated. It’s not that complicated, but there are airlines that systematically destroy pastries and omelettes at breakfast…

Outside the sun is showing up.

I realize that I didn’t wear my mask the whole flight. On the other hand we spent our time eating and drinking or sleeping under a blanket. And as far as social distancing is concerned, there is nothing like a business class cabin…

I set my seat to the “intermediate” position to continue watching movies comfortably while occasionally glancing outside.

We begin finally our descent.

Landing and arrival in Mexico City

The Mexican land suddenly appears to us.

Then Mexico City.

The runway gets closer and we see a terminal of Benito-Juárez before touching the ground.

A few minutes later we are parked next to an Iberia.

We will not disembark in Mexico City, at least not the passengers to Cancun. Passengers bound for Mexico City will of course get off and we will take on passengers bound for Istanbul who will not be able to get off at Cancun.

But all that is another story that will come with my next review. In the meantime, here we are with 2 hours to kill on the ground in the aircraft while the cleaning is done.

The Crew

I have rarely had bad surprises with a Turkish Airlines crew, and even then it was in economy on medium-haul flights.

Here I had a very pleasant, efficient and professional crew. That said, as you noted,I noticed a few flaws in the servicebut I attribute them in part to an ” accelerated ” service protocol given the time of the flight : there was a will to maintain a complete service but without dragging it out

The staff has, as often on Turkish, disappeared from the cabin after the service but it is less sensitive during a night flight even if circulating with cold drinks or ice creams on occasion is appreciable… and others do it.

Bottom line

Despite some of the criticisms you have noted I had an excellent flight. The cabin is very comfortable, although there are a few complaints about the seat, but let’s be honest: if it could have been a little better, we must also think about those who flew almost 15 hours trying to sleep in an economy class seat. Sometimes one has to put things in perspective.

As for the catering it was more than satisfactory even if I regretted the absence of the starters cart. But that’s the COVID protocol and we’ll have to live with it for a while longer.

So there will always be things to improve and they must be noticed but I sign with both hands to spend 15 hours again in a plane tomorrow in such conditions.

I think Turkish Airlines can do even better: I know it’s demanding, but you only lend to the rich. There are others for which I have given up hope.

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