raunow

As discussed earlier in this thread:
- In practice, when checking if you're eligable, they only look at your boarding cards, not your reservations/PNR.
- Whether there are (or will be) any rules in place that would theoretically allow them to refuse you if you're travelling on two reservations/PNR's is unknown (and knowing TK, not something I'd spend time worrying about until seen).

So don't worry about different PNR's (if your connection is otherwise eligable).

raunow

Definitely not only "airport hotels", we were sent to the HGI by the Golden Horn (25Km from the airport), but still only 25mins transfer due to the late/early hour.

We travelled in business, but were sent to the same hotel as economy passengers. Others have reported beeing sent to better hotels as business class passengers than as economy.

In my experience they'll try to:
- Group passenger primarily by the flight departure time (to coordinate transfers).
- Use reputable hotels in acceptable distance from the hotel.

Don't know if there is any reliable pattern beyond that (and given the generosity of this offer, I'm actually quite happy the way it works).

Regarding wait times, we waited 15-20 mins at the airport. Any less, and I'd not have had time to finish my Starbucks coffee ...

zig2

Hi, I am going to have a very long (15 hours) transfer at Istanbul and I am planning to take the tour. However I also heard stories that the free hotel thing might turn you down when there is an earlier flight. Yes there is an earlier flight for me but it cost me several hundred more so it made me to book this. So under this situation will they give me the free tour? Or will they change me to an earlier flight for free? I know by the rules I am eligible to have the free tour, but I am not sure in practice.

nacho

I was in your situation last time - we went on the tour, no question asked.

MahiMahi524

Any thread with this information? If not, maybe we can start one with this info.

According to the hotel desk, they partner with many different hotels but some of the most common ones include:

Radisson Blu - seen mentioned previously
Wow Airport Hotel
Doubletree
Hilton Garden Inn
Courtyard by Marriott


Maybe others who have used the service can add info on which hotels for what class of service, and when they used it? Apparently J gets better hotels than Y based on what I've read. Do they allow "requests" for hotels at the hotel desk?

MahiMahi524

I think technically you don't qualify, simply because the earlier flight exists... however, as noted before, they may still let you have the tour.

moeser

Yes,they do allow requests and it's a good advice to do so otherwise you might end up
in the ''Air Boss Hotel ''.

We also had 1 stay in a Sheraton Hotel ( long,long story ),can't remember which one.

As a J class PAX demand a 5* property near to the Airport !

Unfortunately it seems pretty unpredictable which hotel you'll get in
our days.

In 2007/08 it was the WOW and 2009/10 the Marriot Courtyard.

dabee69

In addition Akgun which is far from being great and Gonen Hotel Istanbul. Gonen's ok, great pool and sauna. They require swim cup. I was lucky, they noticed us when my son and myself were about to leave. I'd avoid WOW 4*. Small rooms, very expensive and not so great food options.

It is also not clear when and what food options are included. 2013 so far it has been only Bed & Breakfast, even for 23h between the flights. Last year for the same 23h layover I got smaller hotel with lunch, dinner and breakfast.

2012 LAX stopover got me dinner, bed and breakfast.

Maxwell Smart

My experience with the TK-provided hotel was the OPPOSITE of what I thought the eligibility rules were. I thought that eligibility was based on there being 10 hours between your arrival and the next OUTGOING flight to your destination.

(all travel was in coach, this was a couple weeks ago)

I flew IAD-IST-ARN. I arrived into IST at approx 5pm. I was booked on a flight to Stockholm departing at 840am the next morning. However, there was an IST-ARN flight that departed a few hours after my arrival into IST. So since there WAS an earlier departure to ARN that I could have booked that didn't require an overnight stay, I believe this itinerary was ineligible for a hotel. However, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask, so I went to the hotel desk. Lo and behold, they provided me with accommodations at the WOW 4* near the airport. (The stay went fine, except that the TK shuttle bus in the morning came nearly 45 min late; then when we hit a traffic jam approaching the terminal, we all ended up getting out while still on the roadway, grabbing our bags and running to the terminal!)


On the return ARN-IST-IAD, I departed ARN around noon, arriving into IST around 5pm. My flight to IAD was scheduled to depart at 130pm the next afternoon. Since that was the next outgoing departure to IAD, I assumed it would be eligible for hotel. However, it was denied by the hotel desk because there was another INCOMING ARN-IST flight after the one I was on, arriving approx 5am. Since if I had taken that flight I would not need a hotel, it was denied. I explained that when I made the booking, that late-night flight was not available and thus I had booked the only possible connection there was. No go, I spent the night in the TK lounge (after spending the evening in town having dinner and strolling around). So apparently they interpreted the rule as meaning there can be no outgoing OR INCOMING flights during your layover to be eligible.

So now I'm confused, in which case were the eligibility rules correctly applied-- both, neither, or one? Not complaining, I still got a hotel for one of my two overnights in IST, just not the one I thought it should have been. And if I wasn't eligible for either night, I'm happy I got one night!

And there are certainly worse places to have to spend an overnight than the TK lounge in IST!

moeser

The Akgun is not even a 4* Hotel and far away from the Airport.I thought
they wouldn't use it any more.

Don't know how they got 5*

Last time I stayed there travelling in C , I almost missed my flight because we got stuck in the traffic.

Next time take the WOWs own complimentary Airport Shuttle back to the airport.
We always did.It is much more reliable than the TK bus & you'll be more flexible.

Maxwell Smart

That was my backup plan, but the TK shuttle was scheduled for 6:00am, the first WOW shuttle doesn't go till 6:30. And the 6:30 one was already scheduled full with 'regular' hotel guests. The TK shuttle finally left at 6:45 and was packed (I had to stand). Could have also taken the train, but it was raining and didn't want to get soaked walking to the station. Since I had carry-on only and already had my boarding pass, I didn't have a serious time problem, just a reduction in the time I could spend in the lounge!

michaelpowell44

I'm flying TK on J CAI IST ORD. Arriving 11:40 pm depart 1:30pm next Day. Therefore the tours would not be possible because I will depart to soon. Any suggestions. Can you just skip out mid way through the tour? Arrange a tour on my own?

nacho

You won't have time for the tour - either you stay at an airport hotel that will take you 30-45 mins to get to the city. Or you are at the city that will take you 30-45 mins to the airport. Either way you don't have time. If you choose to stay at the city, you might be able to do a morning walk, not nothing much.

This is the experience on my recent trip CPH-IST-LAX:

My LAX flight departs at 12:50. We arrived IST at around 10:40pm the night before.

We have already checked all the bags in and would like to check another bag in. So we had to go through extra security before getting to the check-in counter which took us about 30 min. (Apis check/passport check/usual security questions). If you need APIS make sure you have the approval docs with you.

By the time we finished the 'process' we had to rush to the gate.

Be at the gate early because there was at least another 2 rounds of passport/Apis check, plus potential hand luggage search at the gate.

IamHungry

Will you get a free hotel if you book TK flights by using UA award miles biz class??

yyzleg

Yes, if the connection is 7 hours or more.