Jan 10, 2015, 2:41 am
Last edit by: starflyergold
Lounge Location
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Video walkthrough of the lounge made on 2016-05-25
IST TK Lounge Walkthrough - YouTube
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one in the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control, Only for TK Business Class passengers or TK Elite Plus in Y, but not Elite or other *G cards, you need to go through main passport control and enter from airside). Entry in the main terminal is done by automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it, if that is not present, please ask the lounge matrons and they'll manually let you in. It is also necessary to consult the front desk if you're bringing a guest(s).
Dedicated entry from the check in area (far left side as you face security/immigration) is only open from 5am to 12am midnight, outside of those hours you must enter the main terminal first and use that entrance.
Prior noted in this wiki, was that there was three entrances, however that one is an exit only that can be found in the lower level of the lounge.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance on both floors. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travellers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travellers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Must travel on Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance
The lounge cannot be accessed through Priority Pass or by paying at the entrance. There are many other pay lounges at IST.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
To go landside from the lounge: leave the lounge on the upper level and walk straight toward the food court. Just before the food court there is a set of stairs on the left (look for signs to the mosque) that takes you down to the arrival level, and then to the immigration counters.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (you get the code by scanning your boarding pass at machines dotted around the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Upstairs:
Turkish desserts, ie baklava
Nut station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Downstairs:
Turkish "special of the month"/chef's station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Simit cart
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Make-your-own-tea/wellness tea station
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), stands throughout the lounge
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Early morning food differences
"Turkish special of the month" chef's station serving breakfast foods instead (e.g. gozleme)
Kofte station replaced by made-to-order omelette bar/breakfast items
Mini-simits, croissants, and other breakfast pastries
Demel cakes not taken out until ~ 8am
Turkish desserts not taken out until after 8am
Mezze station replaced by muesli, yogurt station
Smoking
This is a non smoking lounge, smoking area is upstairs at the far end of the terminal.
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Golf simulator
RC car track
Self-playing piano
2x Xbox systems with FIFA and NBA
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers in Economy Class.
International to International connections only
Couches throughout the lounge.
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Video walkthrough of the lounge made on 2016-05-25
IST TK Lounge Walkthrough - YouTube
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one in the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control, Only for TK Business Class passengers or TK Elite Plus in Y, but not Elite or other *G cards, you need to go through main passport control and enter from airside). Entry in the main terminal is done by automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it, if that is not present, please ask the lounge matrons and they'll manually let you in. It is also necessary to consult the front desk if you're bringing a guest(s).
Dedicated entry from the check in area (far left side as you face security/immigration) is only open from 5am to 12am midnight, outside of those hours you must enter the main terminal first and use that entrance.
Prior noted in this wiki, was that there was three entrances, however that one is an exit only that can be found in the lower level of the lounge.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance on both floors. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travellers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travellers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Must travel on Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance
The lounge cannot be accessed through Priority Pass or by paying at the entrance. There are many other pay lounges at IST.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
To go landside from the lounge: leave the lounge on the upper level and walk straight toward the food court. Just before the food court there is a set of stairs on the left (look for signs to the mosque) that takes you down to the arrival level, and then to the immigration counters.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (you get the code by scanning your boarding pass at machines dotted around the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Upstairs:
Turkish desserts, ie baklava
Nut station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Downstairs:
Turkish "special of the month"/chef's station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Simit cart
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Make-your-own-tea/wellness tea station
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), stands throughout the lounge
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Early morning food differences
"Turkish special of the month" chef's station serving breakfast foods instead (e.g. gozleme)
Kofte station replaced by made-to-order omelette bar/breakfast items
Mini-simits, croissants, and other breakfast pastries
Demel cakes not taken out until ~ 8am
Turkish desserts not taken out until after 8am
Mezze station replaced by muesli, yogurt station
Smoking
This is a non smoking lounge, smoking area is upstairs at the far end of the terminal.
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Golf simulator
RC car track
Self-playing piano
2x Xbox systems with FIFA and NBA
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers in Economy Class.
International to International connections only
You can only use them only if you are connecting to/from a longhaul Turkish Airlines flight (8+ hours) AND your layover is between 4 and 7 hours.
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
TK's Flagship IST *G Lounge [2015 onwards Master Thread]
Sep 19, 2017, 8:52 am
#556
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,164
This question was answered literally 1 day ago and 2 posts above yours. Your other questions were also answered within the past day or two in another thread in this same forum ("Star Gold Fast Track for Immigration").
Sep 19, 2017, 6:35 pm
#557
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: UA1P
Posts: 20
Because,
I called to TK and asking to above question at last week.
The agent of TK said:
1. Direct entrance in to IST Lounge is currently closed (open date unknown)
2. The Gold Track operation hours are not clearly defined.
Sep 21, 2017, 7:30 am
#558
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: TLV
Programs: UA Platinum, Avis Chairman, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, GA Pilot
Posts: 3,225
I was at IST on Sunday transferring from TLV-DUB and there was no "Gold track" in the transfer line. Had to go through a long security line with the rest of the sheep.
Sep 21, 2017, 11:42 am
#559
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,700
I think you missed it, it's all the way to the right side and not really well posted. I was through IST twice this past week and the Fast Track line was indeed there. I'm not sure if it's actually posted as Gold Track or not, I think TK has their own branding on it instead.
Sep 24, 2017, 1:51 am
#560
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
I think you missed it, it's all the way to the right side and not really well posted. I was through IST twice this past week and the Fast Track line was indeed there. I'm not sure if it's actually posted as Gold Track or not, I think TK has their own branding on it instead.
Nov 21, 2017, 3:08 pm
#561
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,740
We are flying SFO-IST in business with Turkish and then IST-AUH in business with Etihad. Will we be able to access the lounge since we are arriving in business w/ Turkish?
Nov 21, 2017, 7:03 pm
#562
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,460
And check with EY which lounge they send their C pax to.
Nov 30, 2017, 9:23 am
#563
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: UK - the nearest airport is named after a motorway !
Posts: 4,237
downstairs shower suite - any update on fixing?
Was in the lounge a couple of weeks ago and 3 out of the 4 showers downstairs were broken (as advised by the attendant, to explain the 4 hour wait!). Anyone been recently who can advise if all/any have been fixed? I'm back again next week and hoping for a shorter wait (although I went upstairs and the three hour wait advised when I picked up my pager turned into 2 1/2).
Nov 30, 2017, 9:44 am
#564
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
Was in the lounge a couple of weeks ago and 3 out of the 4 showers downstairs were broken (as advised by the attendant, to explain the 4 hour wait!). Anyone been recently who can advise if all/any have been fixed? I'm back again next week and hoping for a shorter wait (although I went upstairs and the three hour wait advised when I picked up my pager turned into 2 1/2).
Used one of the upstairs showers this morning.
Dec 3, 2017, 5:32 am
#565
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,674
Some report accessing the TK departure lounge with their arriving boarding pass via the automated gate. Keep a copy of your mobile bp and try your luck.
Dec 10, 2017, 4:58 am
#566
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HEL
Programs: BA Gold, AY Gold
Posts: 653
I finally got the chance to visit this lounge and while it is nice and the design is beautiful, it is certainly not THAT special. Sure, it is huge and has a pool table and stuff, but lacks some very basic features:
1) Not a single sleeping/resting chair. If you want to take a nap, you will have to take it in an armchair or in two armchairs in the fetus position. The bedrooms are only available if layover is between 4 and 7 hours and one of the flights is over 8 hours. Possibly only for TK elites.
2) Extremely busy during rush hours and a huge amount of people with no manners (might apply to many lounges). Lots of people having their feet on tables (yes, shoes on), walking right at you, loading tons of food on their plates like they've flown in from a refugee camp...
3) I had to wait 100 minutes to take a shower, because apparently some people like to spend up to 60 minutes in the shower and the staff won't bother them before that!!!
4) Only one food station and the Chinese shop offered meat when I visited.
5) One has to print out a wifi code by scanning the boarding pass instead of password-free wifi (might be a Turkey thing), annoying!
6) No-one mixes drinks/cocktails, you just fill your glass with whatever you want
7) Only two restrooms. Had to stand in line to get into a booth for the first time ever in a lounge.
8) The lounge is huge, and is not divided into smaller sections in any way. No quite corners to rest or to work.
9) Latte drinks taste bad in Turkey, don't know why. I thought it was the milk, but a very nice waitress let me taste the milk and it tasted normal. Turkish coffee is great!
If this was an ordinary lounge, I would say that is great. But for a lounge that gets this many positive reviews and so much praise in general, it is surprisingly poor.
1) Not a single sleeping/resting chair. If you want to take a nap, you will have to take it in an armchair or in two armchairs in the fetus position. The bedrooms are only available if layover is between 4 and 7 hours and one of the flights is over 8 hours. Possibly only for TK elites.
2) Extremely busy during rush hours and a huge amount of people with no manners (might apply to many lounges). Lots of people having their feet on tables (yes, shoes on), walking right at you, loading tons of food on their plates like they've flown in from a refugee camp...
3) I had to wait 100 minutes to take a shower, because apparently some people like to spend up to 60 minutes in the shower and the staff won't bother them before that!!!
4) Only one food station and the Chinese shop offered meat when I visited.
5) One has to print out a wifi code by scanning the boarding pass instead of password-free wifi (might be a Turkey thing), annoying!
6) No-one mixes drinks/cocktails, you just fill your glass with whatever you want
7) Only two restrooms. Had to stand in line to get into a booth for the first time ever in a lounge.
8) The lounge is huge, and is not divided into smaller sections in any way. No quite corners to rest or to work.
9) Latte drinks taste bad in Turkey, don't know why. I thought it was the milk, but a very nice waitress let me taste the milk and it tasted normal. Turkish coffee is great!
If this was an ordinary lounge, I would say that is great. But for a lounge that gets this many positive reviews and so much praise in general, it is surprisingly poor.
Dec 10, 2017, 3:57 pm
#567
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: TK E+, RJ S, AZ E
Posts: 1,871
1) Not a single sleeping/resting chair. If you want to take a nap, you will have to take it in an armchair or in two armchairs in the fetus position. The bedrooms are only available if layover is between 4 and 7 hours and one of the flights is over 8 hours. Possibly only for TK elites.
The suits are for J or E+. With all the rules that TK sets, its quite difficult to get one.
As for the other things you mentioned, I can relate. Lets see what 2018 will bring us (with the new lounge at the new Istanbul airport).
Dec 10, 2017, 7:45 pm
#568
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
I never seem to be able to find layovers that fit the 4-7 hour window on my travels :-(
. Lets see what 2018 will bring us (with the new lounge at the new Istanbul airport).
Dec 13, 2017, 5:53 am
#569
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
IMHO the bartenders at airport lounges tend to make drinks too strong for my liking...
Dec 13, 2017, 6:18 am
#570
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: YVR/YUL/LHR/HKG
Programs: TK Gold
Posts: 581
Just asking whether I can bring my parents in? I'm not sure whether they allow more than 1 guest