- on IST airport it's not possible to check-in neither on LH counters nor on LH/Austrian check in machines. Pax just wait in line until 2 h. before departure until the "dedicated" counters will be opened. It's really tiring when you come to the airport earlier.
Online check-in is your friend (granted, if you don't have any bags that is)
- the contracted lounge for FTL's is just on opposite site of the terminal than boarding gate, Turkish Airlines lounge, despite situated much closer is not available
There's no dedicated LX gates in IST. Sometime you end up at 305, the next time at 220, etc... I'm there every 2-3 weeks and have seen every gate of that airport by now. The only airline that seems to be at the same gate range everytime is EK.