Originally Posted by hfly

I have noticed a bunch of strange things over the last year or so regarding BA flights to Istanbul, and wonder what BA is thinking................

I would say that in one in 4 flights from LHR-IST, the gate agents play the ARABIC boarding instructions, etc, which of course hardly anyone getting on the flight would understand. I and I have also witnessed several Turks also have mentioned this to the gate agents, and the answers range from, "Oh I am terribly sorry, but I pressed the Turkish button" to (believe it or not), "isn't it the same thing", to "are you sure?".

Moving onto going through security, Over the last 2 years Turkey has rescinded the need for visas to a bunch of nationalities (among them UK and US) Yet, most of the time people are sent back for visa checks, even though they are not necessary (and technically never were but were listed as needed by Timatic). It sees that BA IT strikes again.

But the craziest one I experienced the other day when after landing in Istanbul, the Purser made a special announcement that Turkey is a Muslim country and as it is the month of Ramadan it is "ILLEGAL to smoke, vape, eat or drink in public and that passengers could be subject to arrest, fines" etc.

I called her over, and flat out told her that perhaps she has mixed up a Saudi, Omani or whatever message from her IPad. She showed it to me and it was clearly marked as being for Turkey!

Despite what has happened in the last 20 years or so politically, Turkey is still a secular country and one has the right to eat, drink or smoke anywhere at anytime that one wants, and while one might want to point out that it is Ramadan, and one might want to be respectful, and in truth there are certain neighborhoods of Istanbul and certain parts of the country where I would not eat in public during the day, none of these places are places where the average BA passenger is going to go! Worse though is the fact that someone at BA has seemingly decided for whatever reason to spread such information in an official capacity!