ostendadler

Hi Guys,

My initial Qatar Airways booking has been transferred to Turkish Airlines and they've given me a 1 hour transfer in Istanbul from Dubai to New York.

Is that even feasible ?

I'm flying economy.

LondonElite

Is this on one ticket or two?

UAPremExecflyer

If one ticket, eminently doable - asked and answered many times over http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/turki...-istanbul.html

TPJ

TK (sort of) published policy is this: if your flight arrives 60 minutes or more before the departure of your subsequent time AND if you miss your flight you will have to pay change of booking fee or buy a new ticket. I would not risk 60 minute connection time in IST.

airoli

Huh? Is this "policy" of which you speak for single ticket connections or for self-connections on separate tickets?

Either way, it makes no sense. What are they trying to do - encourage people to rush through the airport by saying "if you had more than 60 minutes to connect and still did not make it, it is your fault because you were slow"?

At certain times, IST transit security (no status, Y class) alone can easily take >45min. Add to that a bus gate on arrival, and even Usain Bolt wouldn't make it.

comatoseflyer

QA gave me TK as well DXB to LHR via IST. Off topic but few questions:

1. Are you able to select seats on the website using either QA or TK PNR number?

2. Can you view anything other than the reservation on Turkish Airlines website using the PNR?

I can't select seats using either PNR because it says "Dear esteemed customer, paid seat selection service can only be carried out with electronic tickets that begin with 235(Turkish Airlines E-Ticket Number)."

vincewy

Let's set aside seat selection for the moment.

One hour connection coming from outside EU/USA/Canada going to the aforementioned areas, arriving at possibly the busiest time at IST traveling in Y without status, I can tell you the chance of making the connection is very slim.

I believe you're connecting TK3, you'll most likely be reassigned TK1 7 hours later. If possible, ask TK or QR if you can take the morning 7 am flight out of DXB ( forgot the flight number) where you'll have around 2.5 hour connection.

I arrived IST last night from TLL and our plane was stuck on tarmac for 45 min, an increasingly common scenario at IST now, actually delay in my scenario would be over 1 hour had I flew in Y. This is not factoring into delay from actual landing time which is also common.

SK AAR

I assume that this is a QR rebooking (= 1 ticket); then it is valid connection and can be/should be booked. If your incoming flight is on time, you will most likely make it to your next flight - if delayed and you miss your TK flight to NYC, TK will take care of you/rebook - dont worry. I wouldn't hesistate to accept this.

pablitoooooo

Agreed. If your flight is on time, you should make it. If your DXB flight gets a parking position on the tarmac, the bus will drop you of in a manner such that you won't need to go through security. Someone will just check your boarding card and you'll be able to proceed to your gate directly. TK flights to the US tend to be late anyways, they just don't manage the security control at the gate efficiently yet.

If you get a jet-bridge, you will be allowed to go to the departure level directly (most likely) also with just showing the boarding pass. There may even be a gate agent calling your destination as you exit the jetbridge.

Your worst-case scenario is getting a jet bridge but having to go to the arrivals floor and having to clear security for transfer passengers. That could mess it all up.

airoli

Arrivals from DXB are not considered "clean" AFAIK and hence require a trip through transfer security, which makes a 1h connection very problematic.

SK AAR

Having transferred at IST several times (also with having to clear security before getting to the departures level /from "unclean destination") the OP will most likely make that connection. There is no need to worry the OP unneccissarily; the OP is even on 1 ticket so there is no issue at all/no need not to accept the proposed itinerary - TK will fix this is in the unlikely event that the OP misconnect.

airoli

Transferring through IST all the time, always from "unclean" destinations, I have often seen transfer security with massive line-ups (well beyond the end of the zig-zag queues) for passengers travelling in Economy Class without status. If this occurs, clearing security alone will take >45min, not counting the time it takes to get there - which may well be from a bus gate.

Yes, TK will re-book the OP on a later flight if a misconnection happens, but given that the OP travels to NYC, it's not as if there are flights every hour so the resulting delay may be substantial and inconvenient.

vincewy

I disagree with the notion that TK will take care of you if you miss the connection within the same PNR, see the horror story here

http://www.seatplans.com/users/profile/187411 (regarding Muscat to Istanbul review)

Basically, if you sit in the back of Y cabin and without any status, it could take more than 1 hour to get to your connecting flight and TK could (not saying they always will) deny their responsibilities simply because the plane arrives with legal minimum connection time.

Add to the congestion at ground operation, resulting another 45 min delays (actually 1 hr if you fly Y) with the official arrival time 30 min earlier with my flight just couple weeks ago, so that's up to 2 hours delay.

Adding those together you need at least 2.5 hours connection time to be just protected for the connection, let alone making to the connection.

Enthilza

You also have to take into account the boarding time of your flight to NY. Boarding usually starts 1h before take-off and given that you have (on top of the security check when arriving from DXB) additional security screening at the gate for US-bound flights, I would not risk it.

flyer121

You need to change your ittenerary. This is not a enough time and your are highly likely to not make your connecting flight.