Turkish Airlines Business Class A321NEO (IST-ZRH) Review

My approximately 3 hour flight from Istanbul to Zurich was a pleasure on Turkish Airlines A321neo in business class. Spacious legroom, moderate recline, and good food made the trip fly by. This is a very comfortable way to travel from Istanbul to Europe and can be a great deal if booked as part of a longer itinerary.

How I Booked (Award Flight)

This flight was part of a larger connecting itinerary, where I started in Cappadocia (NAV) and flew to Istanbul (IST), arriving at around midnight. I then waited in the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge until this flight to Zurich, which departed at 7:45 AM. I would then go on from Zurich to fly Swiss Air business class to Miami.

This entire itinerary was booked through Avianca LifeMiles for 68,310 miles and $112.21 in taxes and fees. I got the miles by purchasing 51,450 for $693 and transferred 16,900 from Capital One. It was nice that Capital One let you move the miles in increments of 100 once over the minimum transfer, so that way less miles were wasted.

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While I had more miles I could have transferred, I didn’t mind taking advantage of Avianca’s sale and bought just enough to trigger the highest bonus miles category (Avianca often tiers their sales as up to 160% bonus, depending on the number of miles you buy).

This was still way less than what the cash fare for the economy flight on Turkish back to Miami would have cost me, so I looked at as flying in business class for the price of economy. Even with Turkish miles, the economy flight was 55,000 miles just for the Istanbul to Miami route. I was also happy not to have to piecemeal together different flights, but rather have them on a single itinerary in case there are any delays or cancellations.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge (IST)

My long connection overnight meant I was basically sleeping in the airport. Luckily, Istanbul Airport is one of those airports that stays open 24/7. Shops and cafes stayed open, meaning I was able to grab a box of Turkish delights to take home, even though it was 1 AM.

There are two entrances to the Turkish Airlines business class lounge, one is accessible and the other is the main entrance with escalators. After a bit of confusion, I found the main entrance and was able to scan my ticket to get right in.

My ticket did not qualify for one of the bedrooms since I was not an international arrival that had a long transit. However, I was still able to freshen up in one of the shower suites while I was there. I grabbed some desserts before they put away most of the food for the night and got breakfast at around 5 am, anticipating that I would sleep on the flight.

The lounge had a nice array of food and various activities as a I detail in my full lounge review. While walking in the airport toward my gate, I found that there were other semi private areas where one can lay down for a nap on a lounger. That is a nice option to have, in case you don’t have access to a lounge.

Turkish Airlines Boarding

I left the Turkish Airlines Business lounge and went over to the gate once I saw it suggested on the flight monitors. The flight crew began checking passports after a few minutes, starting with business class passengers. Once they checked everyone’s passports, boarding could begin.

Boarding went smoothly and once seated we were offered a welcome drink of sparkling wine or orange juice.

Seat Layout on the A321neo

Turkish Airlines business class on the A321neo is arranged in a 2-2 layout with a single aisle down the middle. This is great for families or couples that would want to be near each other, but less ideal for solo travelers. The seat next to me remained empty though, so it was not a problem for me. This was a good thing because the little privacy divider that can comes out of the side of the headrest barely makes it two inches, doing very little to divide the seats.

The legroom is very spacious and the seat was comparable. The recline was not as much as I would have expected, but did make it more comfortable. There is also a foot rest, which helps the comfort factor. Both the recline and footrest are controlled by buttons on the side of the seat armrest.

In the armrest is also the only bit of storage you’ll have besides the standard seat pocket and beneath the seat in front of you. It was sufficient storage for a few essentials and the provided headphones were good.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Breakfast Service

Breakfast was served promptly. Although I initially wasn’t going to have breakfast onboard since I had already had an omelet in the lounge, I couldn’t pass up poached eggs with shakshuka. So, I willed myself awake, despite sleeping through takeoff, to make it through the dishes.

The tray table comes out of the other armrest without storage. There was nothing overly remarkable about the starter small plates, but it was nice to have a variety of options. The poached eggs were not runny, but still good, and were complimented by the veggie shakshuka.

Even a delicious espresso after breakfast couldn’t keep me awake after pulling an all-nighter, so I got some much needed rest on the remainder of the flight. Amenity kits are not provided, but are available if you need something. I did ask for a blanket, since I saw them while boarding, and received it quickly. The staff was careful not to disturb me, even between courses as I dosed off, and were pleased to serve.

Arrival

We arrived on time to Zurich and had a smooth landing. It was quite a walk to get through customs and to the main area of the terminal in Zurich, but it was very organized and empty.

Overall Impressions

Access to the Turkish Airlines Lounge beforehand is a game changer to arrive comfortably to your flight. Once onboard, the spacious seats, varied options for breakfast, and prompt service, make for a great flight. Turkish Airlines business class on the A321neo competes very well against other European carriers by embracing the luxury of middle eastern airlines.