mkt80

I am currently scheduled to fly from Europe to NYC this summer on turkish business class on a 7777-300ER via IST but I now see an opening with Swiss business class on a A330-300 via ZRH. I've never flown either products and the two reasons I would consider changing are 1) total flight time is 2.5 hours less and 2) I don't know how I feel about not having a direct aisle seat (and what also looks like a close proximity to a seat neighbor although I may be wrong).

I was wondering what people who have flown both products recommend? Although I haven't flown Swiss business class I have flown brussels airlines which have a similar staggered product and I remember the foot cubby being extremely limiting and uncomfortable - even though the throne seat did seem cool at first. Is this the case with the single seats on the right side of the plane on Swiss? Any other advice?

Thanks!

crazycrab955

Easy call.

Turkish service is fine when everything works smoothly, the flight departs on time, your connection works out, etc.

But if something -- anything -- does not go according to plan, you are screwed on TK. And they are hapless to proactively solve problems. Everything is "my friend, my friend, please understand." That would *never* happen on LX, or in ZRH. Both are efficient, punctual, and professionally run. Those are three adjectives that I think few among us would choose to describe TK.

Take it from someone who just spent 13 unplanned overnight hours in IST thanks to a huge TK delay and subsequent misconnect. With an infant in tow. Not keen to repeat that experience.

If it is a head to head choice, LX will get all of my business going forward.

Yoshi212

Definitely go with LX. I rather enjoy Istanbul as a city but ZRH is such an easy access point & the experience when you get a crown (single aisle access) business seat you'll be quite happy.

Kacee

I prefer TK food, service, and seat comfort. And of course the IST lounge is fantastic. But from the continent, I would probably go with LX vs. the long connection to IST. The comments about IRROPS are also well taken.

potjernik

SIGH....unfortunately, so true. Not to mention that IST became so overcrowded that even the nice TK lounge struggles to balance out the unpleasant experience in IST. (I was stuck in the airport ground traffic, in the bus, for 20 minutes yesterday! And it is Ramadan!)

1Newflyer

I have flown both in the last month. LX from BOS to ZRH and TK from HKG to IST. Each has its own merits. It was my first on TK. I would take the time and connection convenience as the determining factor for my next trips. I am OK with trying TK and the lounge but would not make my decision strictly on these bases. TK plane was old and not maintained well but the mattress and the pillow for the seats was great. Food and service was good but being it overnight did not make much use of it. Lounge at IST is big but so what. It felt like an extension of the main hall with so many people. Tea was good. Why not get an isle seat on TK? It probably will cost you to make changes so that should be a consideration and you probably will enjoy either one being it your first on both.
Take LX.

Fasano Havenshire

Turkish has a very nice business product, but their business seats on some planes do not go to 180 degrees. Also, if anything goes wrong with your Turkish flight, it is a huge headache and the agents who answer the English call line tend to have issues with English. Go with LX

mkt80

Wow, I really did not think I would get so much overwhelming support for Swiss!
How is the hard product on the Swiss A330-300 thought? I really disliked the Brussels Airlines throne-style cubby hole cause it made impossible to get comfortable while trying to sleep. Have the screen sizes been upgraded?

Thanks for everyone's advice!

Kacee

Most of us just wouldn't fly backwards to IST for 2+ hours, adding something like 4 hours of extra flight time for TK's advantages.

The LX seats on the 330 have not been updated. The screens are tiny. The service is Swiss cold. If you can score a throne seat at check-in, the seat is not bad.

mkt80

Thanks for the clarification! Total additional travel time for me is just +2hrs (one of which is due to a longer layover). If the seats are old and screens tiny I think I will stick with turkish. I've tried the throne Seat on brussels and it doesn't make up for the uncomfortable feeling of the tiny foot compartment.

PetzLUX

Throne seats at LX do not have a tiny foot compartment.

Service at LX has always been better than at TK. LX crews are always great (with me).
Personally I do not care about screens. I have my iPad and my iPod with me, so I can watch/listen whatever I like and not the crap offered by the airlines.
ZRH is great to connect at, IST is a zoo.
The offerings at IST lounge may be good, but I have experienced the lounge to be pretty dirty.

Like AF, TK is now on my no-fly-list; too many incidents/accidents...

SwissBritMiss

You sure? I've had a couple of pretty lacklustre IRROPS responses on LX... The Swiss aren't immune...

That said - I'd agree with LX. TK and IST are "fun" for me - for trips where I don't mind too much if something goes a little wrong. If flying to/from IST or for leisure, then why not go with TK - if transiting and for work, the ZRH efficiency is definitely worth the trade off for "coldness".

curt

On a side note: TK bent a lot of frames in the last years. Based on this, I would always go with LX. YMMV...

Kacee

Do you speak German? I do not and have had consistently aloof and inattentive on-board service from LX. Never an issue for me an LH, by contrast.

I also find LX's advance seat assignment policies really annoying. Great if you're SEN or HON, I suppose, but the rest of us are left the dregs and pray for something decent at check-in.

PetzLUX

I do speak several languages, amongst them German, English, French, Italian,...
LX crews are really great with me, very attentive service, super friendly...
However I do often find LH crews to be more distant.