Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles - Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge in Istanbul

Has anyone been? Do they have free wifi? Do they have showers?

The Turkish Air Lounge lounge is quite large and does have free wi fi, some food, and beverages. It's fairly comfortable and C class passengers as well as *A gold card holders are allowed entry with a boarding pass with same day flight on *A flight. I do not recall seeing shower facilities in this lounge.

The TK lounge in IST International terminal does have showers. They are over to the left towards the bathrooms. You ask at the front desk for a little shower kit that has a quasi-towel, soap, shampoo and slippers I think.

There is also a "relaxation room" with nice comfy chairs to nap in.

The lounge is quite enormous and has plenty of different spaces to watch TV, relax, eat, work on a laptop on the wifi, sleep or clean up. One of the nicer lounges I have been in.

That says more about the places/lounges you've been in than about the TK lounge.........personally I use the BA lounge rather than the TK lounge and only the TK lounge if the BA lounge is closed.

That says more about the places/lounges you've been in than about the TK lounge.........personally I use the BA lounge rather than the TK lounge and only the TK lounge if the BA lounge is closed.

So say us more about the places/lounges you've been :D
and what makes for you the BA lounge better than the TK's.

Uhhh, well lets see........I can say with no doubt that of the millions of members and visitors to FT, there is no one who who frequents Ataturk international airport more than I do, as a matter of fact I ca say with a high degree of certainty that there is no one on earth that has frequented that terminal since it opened 9 years ago, or since the current TK lounge opened about 5 years ago. The TK lounge is a mish mosh of styles which most people find abhorrant, service is almost non existant, much of the seating uncomfortable, while the food selection is exactly the same found in every other lounge at the airport, the semi-prison style layout and trays leave much to be desired. While the BA lounge may be somewhat crowded at the times before BA flights go out (and Qatar and Iberia, or whoever else is using it these days) it is generally a much more quiet sanctuary, with better staff and better seating. No there are no showers, however I should point out that in the several thousand premium flights I have taken in my life I have only ever wanted or needed such services twice, and in any case as I LIVE in Istanbul, I have never needed such service here.

I ca say with a high degree of certainty that there is no one on earth that has frequented that terminal since it opened 9 years ago, or since the current TK lounge opened about 5 years ago.

.. and they say familiarity breeds contempt!!

so you are saying that you do not like the TK Lounge. Well, unfortunately because I am a business class traveler on Turkish Airlines, I don't think I can go to the BA Lounge - I don't even know what BA stands for.

I am not looking for a 5 star hotel in an airport. I am looking for a clean & comfortable place to spend 8 hours during a layover.

Thank you for your help...I appreciate it!

The TK lounge in IST International terminal does have showers. They are over to the left towards the bathrooms. You ask at the front desk for a little shower kit that has a quasi-towel, soap, shampoo and slippers I think.

There is also a "relaxation room" with nice comfy chairs to nap in.

The lounge is quite enormous and has plenty of different spaces to watch TV, relax, eat, work on a laptop on the wifi, sleep or clean up. One of the nicer lounges I have been in.

Leyla, obviously the last few posts from myself and others have little to do with your original inquiry, which seems to have been answered several times already, the aditional debate relates to the TK lounge being an okay lounge, rather than a "best" lounge, as someone seems to have thought, FYI.

Although I don't live in Istanbul, Ataturk airport has been a main hub for most of my flights, and therefore I am quite familiar with it.

Turkish Airlines lounge, while very large, it's almost always packed. I was using it at 6am or 6pm, nevertheless it was always jam packed.

Food I don't usually eat there (there is nothing really to eat), I don't even drink much (I don't like the idea of dringking 200ml of water with 10ml of Coca Cola mixed in - that's what you get if you use the Coke machine). The positive side is the relaxation room in which you can take a nap - sometimes. Usually you can't, because it's either full (there are only 4 chairs!), or there would be some inconsiderate travel passengers who would keep pounding on their laptop keyboards in a room where you are supposed to sleep and relax.

So here is my advice to all of you fellow passangers:
In the food court, go upstairs to the lounge level, and on the left you have Millennium lounge. Entrance fee is 36 usd, food is equally crappy, so are the drinks, but what's really good about this lounge are the long bunk beds where you can truly lay down and sleep.

Since I usually have 5-6 hours of waiting, I would first go to the TK lounge check out if there are any free spots in relax room, if not, I would hit the Millennium lounge upstairs and get a few hours of sleep.

d_air has pretty much nailed it. The main problem is that the TK people took a look at lounge "fashion" from around the world and attempted to pay lip service to everything and have fooled no one but extremely light travellers or Turks that know no other premium experience. They have a kids room, which has one crappy toy and which is empty otherwise. They have showers, but no real towels and crappy toiletries. They have extremely slow wireless service. Their chairs look good, but are crap. They have some reading material, but never enough and a bad selection. Etc. Etc.

A note about the Millenium lounge: Other than TK, some of its partners, BA, Iberia and Qatar Airways, it is generally the lounge which all other carriers use. Since the refurb about a year ago it is okay, but again nothing wonderful and as pointed out above, all lounges use the same caterer.

In Millennium lounge you can usually get better sleep, they have these bunk beds, plus its almost always nearly empty, so you have plenty of space to spread out, and it's silent enough that you can really get some rest.

...fooled no one but extremely light travellers or Turks that know no other premium experience.

Wouldn't the "light travellers" include any in blissful ignorance of premium experience - or is this a particularly Turkish point you are making?

For every Concorde Room or FCL there are a hundred or more airports with only business-class lounges offering adequate places to wait for an hour or so in reasonable comfort with some refreshments. If they have free internet, be grateful - many don't: the same for showers and quiet rooms. For me, IST nestles in this category of every-day lounge. If you really need sleep and your own well-equipped bathroom, there's an airport hotel.

Passing through again last night the lounge made absolutely no impression on me, which is what I expect in lounges. Exactly the experience to leave me content - I want convenience, not an "event". I waited, drank a beer and caught up on e-mails. End of.

Uhhh, well lets see........I can say with no doubt that of the millions of members and visitors to FT, there is no one who who frequents Ataturk international airport more than I do, as a matter of fact I ca say with a high degree of certainty that there is no one on earth that has frequented that terminal since it opened 9 years ago, or since the current TK lounge opened about 5 years ago. The TK lounge is a mish mosh of styles which most people find abhorrant, service is almost non existant, much of the seating uncomfortable, while the food selection is exactly the same found in every other lounge at the airport, the semi-prison style layout and trays leave much to be desired. While the BA lounge may be somewhat crowded at the times before BA flights go out (and Qatar and Iberia, or whoever else is using it these days) it is generally a much more quiet sanctuary, with better staff and better seating. No there are no showers, however I should point out that in the several thousand premium flights I have taken in my life I have only ever wanted or needed such services twice, and in any case as I LIVE in Istanbul, I have never needed such service here.
Not sure why so much attitude in response to a simple question...:confused:

For my part, I was there last week and found it quite comforable & satisfactory.

Turkish Airlines, on the other hand, well let's just say my flight/aircraft had something to be desired.

Cheers,

Is this the lounge SQ C class pax use? I arrive on TK1956 at 03.50 and depart on SQ491 at 12.35 a few hours sleep and a shower would be most welcome.