anc-ord772

I will be on two separate tickets. I am a TK Elite but will be crediting to UA.

Arriving on LH FRA-IST @1210
Depart on UA IST-EWR @ 1355

Do I have enough time to make the connection? I think so given I can use my TK credentials at the secondary security but wanted to confirm with the experts.

pvgman

more than 1h is enough in my experience as long you can check your luggage to the final destination in FRA and as long your flight out of FRA is not delayed over 30min.

EJS464

I will be flying the following itinerary on separate tickets:

JRO - IST on TK arriving at 10:55
IST - EWR on UA departing at 13:55

Based on reading this forum it appears there is ample time for the transfer. It sounds like I can expect a security check (due to travel to the US) if I have a UA BP and my bags are checked in all the way through to EWR at JRO. Having never flown through IST or on TK I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone have any experience with TK on their ability/willingness to check bags to a different final destination on a separate Star Alliance carrier (UA in this case) compared to what has been ticketed with TK?
2. Does anyone have any experience with TK on their ability to provide the BP for my IST - EWR leg on UA upon check in at JRO for the TK leg?
3. How long should I plan to stand in line to get a BP at a transfer desk if I am unable to get the UA BP in JRO? Is there a separate line for Star Alliance Gold members?
4. If I am unable to get my bags checked through to EWR would I have enough time to pick up my checked bags, check in with UA at IST and then go through security/immigration?

Thanks in advance for any information and advice.

CAlex

1. You should carry a printout, showing that you have an onward connection to EWR. They should be able to check your bags all the way to destination, even if on 2 separate tickets. It can vary though, not sure about any specific rules in JRO.
2. If on the same ticket, they MUST give you a BP for second leg. If on separate tickets, they might have some limitations in the system to do that, because of this being a US-bound flight.
3. If the queue is longer than 20 people, and if you do NOT need visa for Turkey, you can use an alternative: use the Star Gold immigration queue, enter Turkey, then go to Departure area at the check-in desks. You have plenty of time for that, only works if you do NOT need a visa.
4. Absolutely, plenty of time, if no delays...

EJS464

CAlex, thanks for the responses, particularly the suggestion about the Star Alliance Gold immigration line.

dgxoxo

First of all, thanks to everyone that has contributed in this forum. I've learned so much about Turkish Airlines and am really looking forward to my flight next month. I arrive into IST at 8am and do not leave for CAI until 6pm. I intend to go into the city and enjoy a nice lunch and see at least one of the sites. I have two very specific questions:

(1) IST website advises that there is a left luggage facility on a fee basis (http://www.ataturkairport.com/en-EN/...yServices.aspx). Can anyone comment on whether they have used such facility and whether their items will be secure? Fortunately, I am not traveling with anything valuable, but will have a CPAP machine with battery that I would prefer not to lug around Istanbul.

(2) For my 6:05p departure to Cairo, I was thinking of returning by 3pm to have use of the lounge for a quick shower. Can I re-enter 3 hours before departure? (On the flipside, is that cutting it too close?).

nacho

There are luggage lockers at the departure level - it's close to the shops/toilet at the end of the check-in counters. It was on Jan 5.

You can join the free city tour if your flights are all TK flights. You leave IST at 9am and you can either go back at 1pm or 3pm.

Don't know about the lounge access - I'm running for it at the moment.

CAlex

Yes, you can enter the lounge from the dedicated door with separate security control, if you have a BP for your next flight. Being on TK you can get one from any desk, even 4h before your flight.

kumpel64

Hi CAlex,

i haven´t seen this immigration queue during my last visits to IST. Could you give me a hint, where to find it? I only saw a special counter / queue where you should have had a special card. Unfortunately i forgot the name of it.

I will be travelling to IST in february and would be great, if i could use this queue for entering Turkey without queueing at the ordinary counters.

Thks in advance.

dgxoxo

Thank you.

Oh this is good to know.

flugvergnugen

How about this scenario, since you have to reclear security anyway - if the line to enter Turkey is not too bad, go through immigration & customs (no visa needed for my nationality), out the door, up one (or two) level(s) and to the line with direct access to the lounge?

CAlex

I only saw it myself last week. The dedicated immigration line for business class / Star Gold members is at the right-hand side of the immigration "section". On the left you have the Transfer Desk, then the TAV-Premium immigration line (the one requiring some special card), then the visitors, then locals, and then the business class line. I hope this helps.

I've done it several times, it can save sometimes 15-20 minutes, compared to regular transfer options.

nighthawkrs

I know I just posted it in another thread, but it might be also useful here:

The problem of connecting in IST is the great variance in connecting times.

I had everything form 10 minutes to 2 hours.

This depends on some factors you can't control or predict:
- arriving gate/apron +/- 1h
- if apron: bus... +/- 20min
- if you don't have your boarding pass add 5-20min

absolutely worst case is apron, bus full, boarding card pickup, apron but gate on the other end of the terminal

eddie1973

I'll be doing Izmir-IST-ATH in a month with an hour layover, first time going through IST.

While I know I'm coming into the domestic term, do I still go through security to reach my ATH-bound flight? How far b/t the 2 terminals?

Thanks.

jozdemir

Roughly about a 10 minute walk between the terminals