IAD-IST A330
Check-in opens at 6:30pm. No bag tags available.
Could not print my BP for IST-SIN - agent tells me to get it at IST.
Managed to snag exit row seats - could not do so online nor at booking.
Flight departs Gate A32. TK uses Virgin Atlantic lounge which is directly opposite gate. Table service - order off menu - had the Thai satay and Chicken Tikka Masala.

Boarded along with C class pax. Every Y pax was given an amenity kit (not sure why - commemorating the new IAD service perhaps - case is off white and looks like the old UA grey hard pouches. Inside were socks, toothbrush, eyeshades, ear plugs and lip balm.

Exit row seats nice, longer recline compared to UA E+, plus the seat slides outwards when reclining. Funny that dinner meal service commenced @ around 1am EST. Slept through that. IFE is fantastic - huge selection of new releases. Puts my usual carriers - NH and UA (ha!) to shame. FAs were decent. This was an A330 - could not plug in my Shures - it was a 2 plug headphone outlet only with another 2.5mm plug for who-knows-what. So I used the supplied phones. Good enough.

Arrival into IST
Disembarkation at IST was onto buses. Knew it wasn't the jetbridge when both forward and aft doors opened. Took a long time - 30 minutes - before buses took off for the short ride to terminal.

No need for any landing cards/customs forms whatever upon entry to IST. Once landside, went to check-in counters at E (business class check-in) to get my BP and asked why IAD couldn't issue it. There was some language barrier but they said" IAD is not online". Whatever that means.

Yeni Bosna
With a 7 hour layover, decided to venture a little ways from the airport. Took metro 2 stops (1.75TL per jeton[token]), to Yeni Bosna; went to the Airport Outlet mall about an 8 min- walk away. Had to buy jetons using machine - booths were not staffed. At Yeni Bosna, left out of the metro station and walk straight until major road. Do not cross road but instead hang a left and you will see the mall next to a university campus building. Supermarket at basement and food court on 4th or 5th floor. Had a kofte meal. Returned via metro. Baggage checked upon rentry to airport and thereafter I went to gate G for fasttrack immigration. Took 5 minutes with perhaps 10 pax in line ahead of me.

THY lounge, hang a left about 25 yards. Took a shower. Think gym shower - shower cubicles have doors but changing area is wide open, protected only by a curtain in front of lockers. Didn't faze me. Towels were large paper ones. Did their job. Hairdryer. Rooms are particular busy (maybe 2-3 pax coming in) during Muslim prayer times as they have to wash. Prayer rooms next to shower room.

Food at bar decent. Rice + kofte options for a hot meal and a variety of breads. Did not drink so don't know about liquor options. Struggled with wifi sending me an sms for password - in the end I gave up and used my iPass instead. Tried to key in: 00 1 <US mobile number> but no success.
Irritating were flight announcements every 5 minutes over and over in a strident female voice. Maybe that's why there were those earplugs in the amenity kit.

IST-SIN
Gate 305 was a little confusing to find and quite some walk from the TK lounge. I had to pay close attentions to the signposted directions - it's off to the side towards the end of the hallway for the 2xx gates.

Boarding was an unexpected scrum onto buses. No priority boarding, in fact no announcements at all - the sole indication was that the crowd building up at the gates (lice?) suddenly surged forward with an expectant hum.

Departure delayed 1.25 hours.

IST-SIN was in ComfortClass on the new 777-300ER. Seats similar to NH or UA old C class with extendable legrest and a little less recline. Power ports, bendy reading lights, 10 in LCD IFE with around 50 movies. A circumaural headphone provided but not noise-canceling. Forward bathrooms (shared with C?) had L'Occitane toiletries. Amenity kits - leatherette dark blue bag containing the usual.

Noticed the new Boeing mood ceiling lights as they shifted color from orangey-red to bluish.

Arrival at SIN
Priority tags on bags seem to mean nothing. My bags came out middle of the pack among a sea of other bags.

Summary: a first-time TK flier, I thought it was a really good experience. Good Y seats, decent crew, great IFE, good inflight map on the 777-300ER that always shows updated arrival time - unlike UA which, man, you have to sit through sometimes 5 minutes of interminable map displays to finally get to *that* screen that shows arrival time. The bad: the boarding and de-boarding process - mad chaos to be charitable.