Is TK C class really that bad?
 

Hello there

I have an upcoming flight planned from SIN-ZRH with TK via IST in C class. When I read the comments it seems that whilst their hard product is good on their new A330-300 that their service is rather bad or mediocre to say the least.

Are they really that bad nowadays or are these just a few ppl who had a bad experience?

The TK Airbus fleet does not have a particularly horizontal lie-flat seat. The 77Ws are definitely an improvement.

I flew NRT-IST (77W) and then IST-TXL (343) on TK in March. My preference would be for LX C (once they start flying this route again), but otherwise, I was reasonably happy about the 77W hard and soft products.

The 330 has the true lie flats IIRC..

I flew 2 long hauls with them a while back and thought the service quite good (and the food very good indeed!)..

It may simply come down to which crew you get, because I have no complaints from those flights...

Is TK C class really that bad?
 

I flew the 77W from BKK to GRU in 2011 and was satisfied with the IFE, service (though not up to the standard of my usual NH of course) and food (if you don't like Turkish food though, you may be disappointed). I can't speak to the A330 or A340, however.

A330-300s have exact same C-seat as the 77W. On a good day, it should provide a great trip, including the transfer via IST and access to the lounge there...

+1. The new TK C seat on A330-300 which usually plow the SIN-IST-SIN route is exactly the same then on 77W and a very good seat at that that goes fully flat (without an angle / incline).

As far as food goes I would go so far as to say that it is pretty much excellent on TK in C with Do&Co catering. Rarely have I had better C class meals and I took the flight 4 times as a RT.

Thanks a lot for your input. How about the service? I heard mixed reviews about it. Also how good is the English spoken? I heard sometimes things get lost in translation or that the FA's are rude and not very polite...

FAs are not rude/impolite, they have just have limited English skills and you get the feeling that they don't understand you or do not know how to respond. Most of them seem to be unaware of the service concept (how to serve a passenger with a smile and a friendly chat etc) but that is most likely due to inexperience and inadequate training by TK.

Do keep in mind that TK has been expanding a lot and hired many new FA, so most of them are inexperienced and not yet gained the confidence and knowledge required to serve pax in a professional manner.

Except for the crew everything else on TK is perfect. Great food, nice seats in C and CC, great IFE, the best lounge in the world at IST etc. I would not hesitate to book TK again.

+1

short anser: NO
long answer: TK C food is fantastic imho (but I love turkish food), seats are very good (no experience with 340) and cabin has been on all occasions I have flown with them (3 times long-haul) been almost empty. FAs tend to be quite conservative with serving alcohol tho (so one might have to ask for refill).

Most SIN-IST flights feature the Airbus A330-300s with full flat seats, which I prefer over Boeing 777-300ERs. 2-2-2 is better than 2-3-2.

The seats are okay, and the entertainment system is surprisingly very good as well. The food in general is excellent despite there is a lack of variety for frequent flyers. If you like Mediterranean food, you will like TK food. I love their beef dishes and the appetizer trolley.

The major issue with TK is the crews - they are really not trained properly and lack the polish. They are a bit distant and you have to use your call buttons frequently.

I will say if you get a good fare, go with it. But if SQ is priced the same, I will go with SQ.

Carfield

+ 77W / 333 seat
+ Appetizer & dessert trolley
+ Cheapest fares usually

- Variety of food. Kebab, ravioli, breakfast toast etc..FF's know what im talking about
- Service ground/air
- IST. Too many people, this goes for the lounge and the airport itself.

Though I cannot speak to this particular class (to my recollection), I have flown Turkish Air many times and have always been thrilled with the service. There are patterned blankets, decent travel packs in long haul flights even in economy, amusing "exercise" videos shown on the video screens every few hours, and traditional Turkish music played on the tarmac. The food is Turkish, which can be interesting, but I recommend a try of the visne (sour cherry juice.) Finally, the spoken Turkish is what it is ... no better or worse than any dual-language airline, in my opinion. Have a great flight!

Thanks you all. I will be looking forward to my flight with them and will report back how my experience was.

BTW I read that usually the male FA's are better than female FA's in terms of service and friendliness. Not sure how objective this is though...

How can you tell the difference?

Im doing LAX-IST which is 2-3-2 so it's not the Jet Airways flat beds...is this an older seat? Is there free wifi onboard?

Im also doing ORD-IST which is an A330, but I cant see how to tell the difference between -200 or -300? Seating is 2-2-2 and only 4 rows so I hope it is the newest flat bed!