mboca28

So I flew J class
YYZ-IST via FRA on AC in December and now

MIA-IST non stop on Turkish this week

Some Comparisons

AC 787 vs Turkish 777 transatlantic

AC wins by far, better pods, better service, better food except free Wi-Fi on turkish

IST Airport vs YYZ

like comparing a Mercedes with a Lada

YYZ is so bad

examples

Turkish Airlines lounge has 5 separate food stations making fresh everything, charging stations everywhere, designated business class entry for security and passport control, seamless in Istanbul a nightmare in Toronto

Finally a short international comparison

YYZ - FLL vs IST - MUC

both 3 hr flights
we are on a new A321 NEO on Turkish so they win on aircraft,airport food service etc

designated j class security and passport control
comfortable seating with 14 x 8 screen
free Wi-Fi ( I am writing this as I fly)


final comment
I am proud to be a Canadian but so embarrassed by YYZ, the feds blew it when Seaton disappeared.
The IST Airport is an hr drive from the city longer if you are the Asian side but it’s an hr to YYZ from downtown.
The subway connects you to IST as well.
AC can match up with any airline in the world as far as I am concerned but if you count customs and immigration we really really suck

fbrdky

Fair comments. I would like to add the following:
On a 787 in J, TK would win over AC,
Much of the inconvenience of security and customs can be overcomed with a Nexus card. for $50 every 5 years, you can have a priority-like experience, even when you're flying in Y.

rankourabu

Never mind the 787, even on the 777, TK wins for me, I like that we get to sit together in business class, there is way more legspace, and space overall, than single seats most airlines have, but I can see how to someone flying alone, AC would seem better.
And the food, lol, there is a reason TK food wins awards... and AC does not.

And I've spent 30 minutes at security in IST, and longer in the passport line so..... therefore IST sucks if we are going to draw conclusions from a single event

bambinomartino

Look, I've driven the flagship sedans from both Lada and Mercedes. I won't have experienced Turkish J and IST lounge until early next month, but I am sure you are a tiny bit harsh on YYZ. Maybe a Citroen or an Opel at worst?

I'm booking an upcoming redemption flight (VAR to LHR) sort of last moment, so all that's available is connections via IST and FRA/MUC/BRU, and I'm already mad that I'll have a segment on European "J" with middle seat blocked off. I am leaning towards the via BRU option, as that has the shortest last leg, even though the flight from IST is on a narrow-body, whereas the flight to FRA is on a 333.

Admiral Ackbar

I cannot see which universe that exists where AC J food compares with TK J food (have flown both recently, AC last week and was laughing at how little food they actually serve) either in quantity or quality. But there is no accounting for personal taste (this is not a dig at OP).

Agree that YYZ is subpar as an airport, especially when the weather is less than optimal

ACYYZ/SD

Was going to book a full fare flexible J ticket on TK from the Middle East - YYZ. Would love to experience their fine cuisine & the IST lounge, but stunned that seating is still 2-2-2 on a 777. No thanks.

Bohemian1

Yeah, I'm not a fan of 2 by 2 seating either but am still intrigued about flying with them.

vsadda

There is ABSOLUTELY no way AC J catering is better than that of TK J. I guess to each his own ...

user2946363

It’s actually 2-3-2 on the 777, 2-2-2 on the 333, and 1-2-1 on the 359 and 789.

yyzcdg

Agree. TK J wins on bread alone.

Bravada04

This is great timing.....been looking at booking a reward flight with TK - started reading a ton of reviews and found some horrific customer service issues. It sounds like if everything goes right with tickets, flights & baggage it could be a good experience but if any of those things go south, it sounds like a very challenging experience.
I guess that goes for almost any airline though for the most part. It just sounded like there was absolutely no care for the customer.
I would be curious of others experience - I was a little surprised to hear the OP say that AC meals are better when the one thing I thought I would like to experience is the well regarded Turkish food that is rated so high and of course to have a lay over and experience the new airport and lounge.

totti

Thank you for pointing this out. The portion sizes are ridiculously small and are only matched by UA. I am regularly hungry when I get off on AC flight particularly on westbound TATL. The cured meat platter with one leaf of lettuce and the pasta salad before landing that's been around for ages is something special for sure…

I totally agree.


As long as you can avoid the middle seat on a 777 it is actually not that bad. Yes, there is less privacy in a 2-3-2 configuration compared to AC but the overall product is still pretty good.

In defence of YYZ, I personally would consider the signature suite superior compared to TK lounges.

rankourabu

The new TK lounge is sadly not as good as the one at the old airport was 😔

grandgourmand

I’ve got a TK flight in a couple weeks on the A350. Looking forward to it. Unfortunately I only have a 1.5hr layover so won’t get to enjoy the IST lounge much, if at all.

I would fly the 777 no problem, if flying with family. Leg room seems great

rankourabu

The 777 is great for couples. The leg room is so much better than the little cubbies of AC and others. And there is no table to bang into your knees when sleeping like on AC. They bring out the candles, set the table nicely and serve great food. My only complaint is that TK keeps their cabins very hot.
In 20 TK flights, never had a bad one, short or longhaul. Even the 2 Y flights with them were good.