What it's like to fly with Turkish Airlines - Perfect for the little ones!

Excellent option for flying with children

I was really looking forward to seeing what it was like to fly with Turkish, one of the best airlines in the world and the best in Europe!
But is it really all that?

Well, I wanted to draw my own conclusions about what it's like to fly with Turkish and see if it deserved that title.

Check in

We bought a flight at an unbeatable price from São Paulo, so I still had to buy another flight from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo and it was still cheaper than a ticket with a connection. We flew LATAM, an old acquaintance of ours, and luckily we had bought our tickets before the new ANAC resolution on baggage and fares, otherwise we would have been screwed...lol Don't forget this new detail if you're like me.

We arrived in São Paulo at 10:40 p.m. and our flight was scheduled to take off at 3 a.m.! We took our time and as soon as check-in opened we rushed to the line to find a good seat on the plane. Even though we had booked seats, one thing I learned is that this changes at the last minute and seats aren't always held until check-in.

At the counter, the airline representative was very attentive and immediately directed us to the priority line. We checked our bags and went to the departure lounge, everything was very quick and practical, no stress.

I was about to find out what it was like to fly with Turkish and the first impression had already exceeded expectations.

The adventure has begun and children are very welcome

They called our flight! Now it's for real, we stepped onto the huge Boeing 777 and were VERY warmly welcomed with big smiles. As soon as we were settled in, the flight attendant brought us a beautiful teddy bear for Emmanuel. Wow!

- Look how cool! A new friend to fly with you

I was impressed right from the start, as normally he doesn't even get a magazine, let alone a themed stuffed animal.

We finished getting ready and when I went to put the headphones on the little one to watch TV, tcharam! There was another surprise: a whole bag with children's headphones, toothbrushes, shoes, socks and a little magazine. It's very good for the little ones to feel loved, the flight certainly flows much better and we've started off on the right foot.

The surprises were just beginning, and we still had a lot to discover about flying with Turkish. There were 4 flights in total, São Paulo - Istanbul and Istanbul x Bangkok and the reverse on the way back. On each flight Emmanuel received a different surprise, which was the joy of the trip. He loves airplanes and was very happy with his new toys.

I loved having new things to entertain him and he loved the presents! It would be so nice if all airlines welcomed children like this. To give you an idea, the flights were so enjoyable that on the way back, after 35 hours between flights and airports, Emmanuel turned to me and asked happily if we were going to get on another plane.

Of course, some tips for traveling with children by plane have helped and you can read them all here. here.

Breakfast

I was impressed by the quality of the products served on board, even though I was in economy class, there were no aluminum plates or plastic cutlery. All meals came with bread and water.
At breakfast we had the opportunity to try the scrambled eggs with toast and tomatoes, along with cheese and salad. We also tasted a Turkish sweet, which was very tasty and looked like porridge.

As for the little one, special children's meals were requested at the time of booking and at the first breakfast he was given an omelette with chips and fruit salad, it was delicious, I ended up swapping it with him, big eye mom...lol
It also came with a Turkish sweet that was tasty but different from his.
Ahhh, he also got a chocolate drink with a pet face and everything, I thought it was super cute. All in plates that imitate porcelain and metal cutlery.

Lunch and dinner

For the rest of the meals, there were always three options with a very elaborate menu.
I loved every dish I tried, from the meat to the noodles.
A delight, I even felt like I was in a category above economy.
All accompanied by butter, pepper and salt, along with bread.
Salad was also present at every meal.

We also tried wine and raki, a traditional Turkish drink.
Our little one was always surprised by the kids' menu and his favorite dish of all the flights was the pasta bolognese.

He ate his ass off!

Snacks

At any time you can go to the back of the aircraft and ask for a snack.
There are delicious sandwiches and drinks that can be enjoyed throughout the flight.
We love this treat! Sometimes you get hungry and have to wait until your next meal.
This makes it much easier, especially on flights of a little over 12 hours.

Ahhh, I found the Turkish white wine option delicious, it accompanied most of my meals.
As for the Raki, I thought it was too strong! It was only worth tasting.
I love reading about flights or what it's like to fly with airlines and being able to write about what it's like to fly with Turkish is great, I loved the experience.

Bathrooms

I loved the bathroom decorated with flowers and there's also moisturizer to help with the natural dryness of the heights.
The space is traditionally the same as on other aircraft, with baby changing facilities in all the bathrooms.

What really stood out was the care the crew took to make everything very cozy, fragrant and pleasant, with the flowers.

Flight kit

Our kit comes with the traditional one.
Lip balm, toothbrushes, ear plugs, socks and slippers.
All this in a pretty case, but with each flight they changed the color or model of the case.

As I said above, every flight was a new surprise for him.

Suitcases

We didn't have any problems with our luggage, everything arrived perfectly without any damage.
We didn't have to wait long either time and I found the process of getting off the flights and bags very smooth.

Aircraft

We took two types of aircraft, on the way from São Paulo to Istanbul and on the way back from Istanbul to São Paulo we flew on the spacious Boeing 777 with larger spaces between the seats and much more comfortable to travel in, at least in my opinion, and the distribution of the seats was just right for our family. 3 seats on each side of the windows and 4 seats in the middle row, we chose window, middle and aisle and flew happily and comfortably.

On the Istanbul - Bangkok and Bangkok - Istanbul legs, we flew on the Airbus A330, which was a little smaller, including the legroom, the comfort of the upholstery and, worst of all, the distribution of the seats: 2 on each side of the windows and 4 in the middle. We had no choice but to fly with a stranger next to us. Igor was squeezed in during the 10-hour flight between Istanbul and Bangkok on both legs. Emmanuel and I didn't lack space, as he's tiny and I'm not the biggest...lol

Even so, I found it much more uncomfortable and the flight seemed much longer!

Our little one managed to stay calm and comfortable on all the journeys, we put him in the middle seat with his head on one and his feet on the other.
I slept soundly throughout the flight.

Entertainment

I found a good variety of movies, series and children's content.
I also liked the fact that there were games to keep the children entertained! Emmanuel spent hours playing the memory game.

I went for the movies and Igor watched some series.
It would be nice if they put in newer films, many of which have been out of theaters for some time.
But overall this wasn't a problem, as there were a good number of films I hadn't seen before.

Final thoughts on flying with Turkish

We loved the experience and it definitely deserves the title of Europe's best airline.
Every detail shows the care they take to provide the best possible service.
All the staff were very kind to us! When they saw Emmanuel, they took great care to give him even better service.
Every treat made us feel loved and reassured to know that this is a company that welcomes children.

We love it and I hope this article on what it's like to fly with Turkish has cleared up all your doubts!
And have you ever flown with Turkish or another airline that you're happy to talk about and praise? Leave your experience in the comments, it's a pleasure to exchange experiences with you.

See here our adventure in Thailand, starting with accommodation in Bangkok
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