Jan 30, 2014, 11:28 am
Last edit by: cheesedawg
Lounge Location
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one from the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control. Automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travelers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travelers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (get the codes next to the computer desk or also throughout the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Self-playing piano
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers.
Couches throughout the lounge - anyone confirm?
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one from the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control. Automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travelers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travelers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (get the codes next to the computer desk or also throughout the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Self-playing piano
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers.
You can only use them only if you are connecting to/from a longhaul Turkish Airlines flight (8+ hours) AND your layover is between 4 and 7 hours.
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
TK's Flagship IST *G Lounge [prior to 2015 Master Thread]
Jun 5, 2012 | 11:29 am
#316
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BCN/SIN/ZRH
Programs: SEN*** (LT FTL) , Ex (TK Elite+, OW Sapphire, Meli Platimun), Hyatt Gold, Bonvoy.
Posts: 953
We were in the lounge last week Monday at 15h.
Excellent. The lounge was full but is so big even if all the seats were taken you were not feeling bad.
Excellent staff. 2 waiters were removing and cleaning the tables every 2 mins.
One young guy told me they are indicated to clean as quick as possible....and he explained me some more things. They are trying to keep at the best level.
We were seated just at the round tables in front of the cook.
Front staff umproved slightly.
Cooks ok, we were surprised by a carusel going around the lounge offering cheese and cakes. Great
Food, good as always. But even if there were no Central ASIAN passengers... some of Europeans ate as pigs!!!! We saw a guy who took 5 plates full of slices of turkish pizza (I do not know the name) it must have been about 40 slices!!!! Incredible
Nothing left for other people.
We were not allowed through Fast track Passport control with *Gold and flying LH. Even if we had TK passes we were refused as soon as we showed out BP.
Excellent. The lounge was full but is so big even if all the seats were taken you were not feeling bad.
Excellent staff. 2 waiters were removing and cleaning the tables every 2 mins.
One young guy told me they are indicated to clean as quick as possible....and he explained me some more things. They are trying to keep at the best level.
We were seated just at the round tables in front of the cook.
Front staff umproved slightly.
Cooks ok, we were surprised by a carusel going around the lounge offering cheese and cakes. Great
Food, good as always. But even if there were no Central ASIAN passengers... some of Europeans ate as pigs!!!! We saw a guy who took 5 plates full of slices of turkish pizza (I do not know the name) it must have been about 40 slices!!!! Incredible
Nothing left for other people.
We were not allowed through Fast track Passport control with *Gold and flying LH. Even if we had TK passes we were refused as soon as we showed out BP.
Jun 8, 2012 | 11:08 am
#317
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
Posts: 3,020
If you have a long layover and want to visit the city, can you enter the lounge twice?
Jun 9, 2012 | 1:05 am
#318
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ADD
Programs: TK MS E+/*G - AFKL FB G/ST E+ - LH MM - AB TB - BWR Diamond - HHo Gold - LCA Plat - Sixt Plat
Posts: 104
Yes, no problem to enter the lounge as many times as you want. You just have your BP scanned at one of the automated doors at the entrance, and you're free to move around.
I must myself confess that I contribute to the lack of lockers: I often arrive early Morning in Istanbul, get a shower at the lounge, then leave my carry-on in the locker and go to the city for the day or half day, depending on the connection...
I must myself confess that I contribute to the lack of lockers: I often arrive early Morning in Istanbul, get a shower at the lounge, then leave my carry-on in the locker and go to the city for the day or half day, depending on the connection...
Jun 9, 2012 | 2:40 am
#319
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: STE+, used to be with TK but left due to their corruption and political ties
Posts: 4,525
Wifi issues
Is anyone else having problems with the wifi? Some pages will not load at all for me, while others are slow and some are functioning normally.
Jun 16, 2012 | 3:53 pm
#320
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YUL- YEG
Programs: AC*SE100k
Posts: 6
Does anyone know if one can access to the lounge upon arrival without connecting flight ?
Jun 16, 2012 | 4:02 pm
#321
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: IAH
Programs: UACO Plat/1K, DL Plat, Hertz 5*, Avis - PC, SPG Gold, Colorado Pass
Posts: 228
Not really. If not connecting then you have to go through immigration. If you have a connecting flight and ticket you could go back to the terminal but someone's checking tickets though.
Jun 16, 2012 | 4:04 pm
#322
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,847
No you cannot, as you cannot access most such lounges under the same circumstances anywhere in the World.
Jun 16, 2012 | 6:52 pm
#323
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,796
Jun 16, 2012 | 8:22 pm
#324
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YUL- YEG
Programs: AC*SE100k
Posts: 6
Thank you very much for the promp reply, I have been in that lounge once, and cannot say enough about it. I will be visiting it on the way out.
thanks again.
thanks again.
Jun 17, 2012 | 11:24 am
#325
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
Turkish CIP Lounge - Visit and Review
For those interested, I posted a trip report from a recent visit to the CIP lounge in IST. Simply loved it.
Be aware, clicking on the link will take you to my blog for the trip report.
Be aware, clicking on the link will take you to my blog for the trip report.
Jun 26, 2012 | 2:55 am
#327
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: PAR
Programs: AA 1MM, AF Plat, VS Gold, Hyatt Glob, Sixt Diamond, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 1,170
Sitting in the lounge now. I think my favorite things about the lounge are the player piano playing classical music and the 'homemade' raspberry lemonade. 
Also the lockers are incredibly useful. Well done TK!
Also the lockers are incredibly useful. Well done TK!
Jun 26, 2012 | 1:04 pm
#328
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: sfo
Programs: U/A premier 1K. UA 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 298
unless i missed it you dont mention what airline you are flying. I believe you would have to be flying a star alliance airline or of course Turkish airlines. You would need be *gold or travelling on a business class or first class ticket. There is an up escalator when you arrive past immigration that leads to the airside international departure gates but I had to show an intransit ticket to an agent before i could go up the escalator. You can then enter the club. It is worth a try.
On arrival if you just clear immigration, you have to walk to the next terminal( 5 minutes) that handles domestic flites. there is a Turkish Airline club in that terminal. No where as nice as the Intl one. It does have a nice spread for breakfast food, non alcohol drinks, and a private shulttle bus from the club right to the plane! kind of nice
On arrival if you just clear immigration, you have to walk to the next terminal( 5 minutes) that handles domestic flites. there is a Turkish Airline club in that terminal. No where as nice as the Intl one. It does have a nice spread for breakfast food, non alcohol drinks, and a private shulttle bus from the club right to the plane! kind of nice
Jul 7, 2012 | 4:31 pm
#329
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,485
On a recent trip thru the IST lounge, it was ok, but busy as hell and rammed. There seems to be no logic to where to go for food or drinks, and I struggled to fine the tiny restrooms.
Not a good lounge in my opinion.
Not a good lounge in my opinion.
Jul 9, 2012 | 3:06 pm
#330
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: Gold, plat, diamond and more
Posts: 3,360
Did you go to the wrong 
lounge
The new TK C lounge might be industry leading. Probably crammed at peak times like all other C lounges. but luckily the food is spread out to avoid lines.
All the staff I met were able to direct me in understandable english where the lavs were.
loungeThe new TK C lounge might be industry leading. Probably crammed at peak times like all other C lounges. but luckily the food is spread out to avoid lines.
All the staff I met were able to direct me in understandable english where the lavs were.