Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles - Options for 7 hr IST layover on TK?

Greetings,
I'm arriving IST at 17:05 and departing at 00:30. Too late for the free city tour which is no big deal as I've already been to Istanbul and will be there again before this flight. But is there any other service provided by TK for this long a layover?

Could they somehow arrange a free transit visa so I could go into the city on my own?

Cheers.

Jon

You should have stated your citizenship in your original post, some nationalities don't even need a visa to enter Turkey for short stays.

You should have stated your citizenship in your original post, some nationalities don't even need a visa to enter Turkey for short stays.

Good point.

US passport. Yes, eligible for a $20 3 month entry sticker (not a visa) but it would be nice if I could avoid paying the $20 for a few hrs in Istanbul.

Good point.

US passport. Yes, eligible for a $20 3 month entry sticker (not a visa) but it would be nice if I could avoid paying the $20 for a few hrs in Istanbul.

If you are flying C you'll be eligible for a complimentary Hotel.
If so contact the lounge desk to arrange a visa free entry.

If you are flying C you'll be eligible for a complimentary Hotel.
If so contact the lounge desk to arrange a visa free entry.

It's actually a UA award ticket so probably not eligible for anything.

It's actually a UA award ticket so probably not eligible for anything.

That doesn't answer my question ;)

Give us a little bit more info ! Are you *G ?

That doesn't answer my question ;)

Give us a little bit more info ! Are you *G ?

No status, just a Mileage Plus member.

I think that's a bit tight to get into the city, especially during rush hour, for a brief visit.

Worth it if you had 6-7 hours. It's not like there is a great subway connect to the terminal to the city that you can rely on.

I'd hang out there in IST if I had lounge access.

to clarify if you are on award ticket in C with a layover does TK provide free hotel and visa waiver?

I think that's a bit tight to get into the city, especially during rush hour, for a brief visit.

Worth it if you had 6-7 hours. It's not like there is a great subway connect to the terminal to the city that you can rely on.

I'd hang out there in IST if I had lounge access.

It's a 7 hour layover.

I've gone from Sultanhamet to the airport in a little over an hour on a combination of the tram and subway.

I don't have lounge access unless I can get TK to give me a pass for a late flight and subsequent baggage delay last summer.

I recently had two 7-8 hour layovers in IST and ended up checking into their airport hotel, which is inside the international terminal. I believe that it's called TAV. They charge in 3 hour increments, and while it's pretty expensive (around 129 euros for 6 hours), it's easy and clean and it's nice to have a shower, some privacy and a real bed to nap in. If you're not up for shelling out for the hotel I believe that there are also two lounges in the international terminal that allow you to pay for access. I think that one of them is called Millennium, or something like that.

As for TK offering a hotel on long layovers, I was flying JFK-IST-HK in Comfort and didn't have the option on either route.

1. No it IS a visa, one on arrival, but you buy it from the VISA desk and it clearly states that it IS a visa. AFAIK you always have to pay for it. In any case you say that you will be in IST beforehand, so wouldn't you be getting one at that point anyway?

2. At 17:05 you would be encountering the absolute WORST possible traffic, furthermore, where exactly would you want to go? Sultanahmet? Everything is closed at that time and you could easily lose 90 minutes getting there at that time, probably only a max of 30 mins returning. So your going to go through all that for a big 3 hours or so?

3. Its 7 hours, no free hotel.

4. There is no subway to the airport, there is a dinky tram that takes forever and at that hour would possibly the most densely packed tram on Earth.