Turkish Airlines
Date: Saturday 06 May 2023
Gate: 2
Seat: 25A (Economy Class Seat)
Plane: Boeing 737-800
Scheduled: 08:20
Boarded: 10:12
Pushback: 10:33
Arrived: 11:39 (Scheduled 09:35)
Duration: 1 hour 6 minutes
Distance: 396 kms

This flight was from Denizli Çardak Airport to Istanbul Airport.

Airport Check In

After going though security our tour did a group check in around 7.20 am. We were already aware due to the fog that our flight had been pushed back from 8.20 am to at least 10.00 am.

All tour group bags were tagged under one passengers name. We were also given bag tags for our carry on luggage.

The is a further security clearance to get to the Departure Gate but this wasn’t open until almost 10 am due to the flight delay and this being the first flight of the day from this small airport.

Lounges

The are no lounges at Denizli Çardak Airport. There are a couple of eateries before the gate departure area that focus on coffee and tea but you can buy food as well.

Boarding

We boarded from Gate 2 at 10.12 am which was well after we should have been in Istanbul. There was a priority boarding line but everyone was using that and the economy lane without checking eligibilty.

Boarding was from the tarmac and entry was from either the front or back of the plane depending on your seat allocation.

The Seat

Turkish Airlines B737-800 has 145 seats in total with 4 rows in business class in 2 by 2 configuration (16 economy seats) and 21 rows in ecnonomy class in 3 by 3 configuration plus one row of 3 (129 economy seats).

The economy pitch is 31 inches (standard for most airlines). I was allocated seat 25A which was a window seat with only rows 26 and 27 behind me. The seat was fine for such a short flight.

Amenity Kit

There was no amenity kits on this short domestic flight.

Meals

Shortly after take off will we were offered a toasted cheese, tomato and egg roll which tasted great. For a beveridge you had a choice of a juice or a coffee. I choose the orange juice. A very nice meal for such a short flight.

Service

The service was quick and efficient. I received my meal quickly given I was seated near the rear of the plane where the service commenced. Announcements were made in Turkish and English.

Entertainment System

The seats had an in seat display screen with access to flight maps and entertainment system. You are not provided headsets so you need to provide your own. Given this was a short flight I selected the flight map option and listened to me iPhone’s music.

The Flight

This was a smooth flight with very little turbulence. The service was never suspended even if the seat belt sign stayed on the entire flight.

Arrival

We arrived very late over 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time due to the late departure. It is a very long walk to baggage claim but made easier with the automated walked pads. All of our group bags showed up in a timely fashion and we were off to catch our transport to the city.

Summary

This was my first experience with Turkish Airline and the in flight service and the seat plus entertainment system impressed me. The major letdown was the significant delay at the start but that is really on the weather. I’m looking forward to seeing what Turkish Airlines offer for international travel.