My experience with TK "in the air" has been nothing short of fantastic. Good food, even in economy, and nice little touches that make them stand out from others.

Unfortunately, I saw the dark side of Turkish Airlines last week during what might otherwise be a simple flight delay/tight connection/lost bag - that can happen to anyone on any airline. The lack of communication ("unable to make outgoing calls" of lost baggage status), management of their failings (three hour delay, but no explanations why) and corrective action (ie: failure to protect passengers on alternative onward flights) have bruised an otherwise good relationship i've had with the airline. Turkish's unapologetic stance and not to mention a really rotten way to start a vacation, overshadowed a visit to their fantastic lounge in IST and in-flight experience.

This was a one-off bad experience with Turkish (though I know there are other threads from others on FT about the same issues) that wouldn't prevent me from flying them again. But those considering flying them should be aware of the airlines potential failings.