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FAQ 8: Free hotel/tour/cruise when connecting at IST

Old Jul 21, 2015, 8:54 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: ISTFlyer
It's strange this thread has no Wiki, so here it is, created 7/21/2015

PLEASE READ THE OP Post first

For case related questions ( ex: Am I eligible, etc... ) contact[email protected] first before posting your question here.

TK free hotel room rules:

A complimentary hotel accommodation (maximum 2 nights) will be provided to our valuable passengers when there are more than 10 hours (for economy cabin passengers) and 7 or more hours (for business cabin passengers) waiting during their international connecting flights due to Turkish Airlines schedule structure. However, if your destination can be reached by an alternative flight to your first flight and the waiting time is less, you cannot take advantage of the hotel service. This service is not applicable when there is a shorter connection available within the time frame mentioned above. The first and the connecting flights must be with Turkish Airlines. All passengers must hold a confirmed reservation for the first and the connecting flights. Complimentary accommodation will be arranged with Turkish Airlines corporate partners and will be provided through the Hotel Desk located after the customs check point at the arrival. Passengers must check for any visa requirements when entering Turkey. In the event where a visa is not granted, Turkish Airlines assumes no responsibility for providing complimentary hotel accommodation.

Note:
- You still need e-VISA to enter Turkish for a Tour or Hotel. The prices vary by countries ($60 USD for Canadian, $20 for USA, etc...)
You can apply here at https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

Tour website is at http://www.istanbulinhours.com/
There are 3 tours offered (Schedule)
  1. Tour 1 8:30am - 11am - Sightseeing Tour
  2. Tour 2 9am - 3pm - Tour
  3. Tour 3 9am - 6pm - Tour
  4. Tour 4 12pm - 6pm - Tour
  5. Tour 5 4pm - 9pm - Cultural Walk Tour
How to Apply - You need minimum 6 hours layover, max 24 hours. Both inbound and outbound flights must be on TK.

A Bosphorus cruise, with food and drinks, is available for business class passengers of more than 7 hour layover (183 as of Nov. 2017)


Here's a list of the common hotels that are reported in this thread:

Marriott Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel (72% TripAdvisor most common)
Akgn Istanbul Hotel (44% TripAdvisorcommon far from the airport)
Wow Airport Hotel (56% TripAdvisorcommon - very close to airport)
DoubleTree
Wyndham İstanbul Petek (92% TripAdvisor)
Radisson Blu Conference & Airport Hotel (53% TripAdvisor)
Hilton Garden Inn
Courtyard by Marriott Istanbul International Airport
Gonen Hotel Istanbul
Pullman Istanbul Airport Hotel
Print Wikipost

FAQ 8: Free hotel/tour/cruise when connecting at IST

Old May 24, 2018, 5:32 pm
  #781  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: DTW
Programs: TK E+, WY, Radisson R
Posts: 2,360
Originally Posted by DrRodneyMcKay
I'll be flying June 14th, so can certainly report back on the experience. They gave me quite the runaround with whether I qualify for a free hotel before saying that I do. Planning to have a backup hotel just in case, preferably somewhere in Old City - if someone has recommendations, they'd be appreciated.
There's no better time to use HH points than going to Turkey. For 5000 points, at 1 cpp

Zeytinburnu Hotels - Hampton by Hilton Istanbul Zeytinburnu

Hilton has a few C1 hotels (absolutely rare these days), 1 at Zeytinburnu, usually those C1 and C2 hotels are located at the most inconvenient spots. This one is an exception, 400M (5 min walk) to Marmaray Station which you can hop on to Sulhtanamet.

If you haven't booked your ticket yet I recommend connecting overnight coming from North America and leave next morning, forget about free hotels. I did it once and immigration, waiting for hotel, traffic during evening took (1/2+1+1) almost 3 hours and had only 4 hours left in the hotel.

Last edited by vincewy; May 24, 2018 at 8:25 pm
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Old May 25, 2018, 10:10 am
  #782  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by headingwest
Does anyone know if flight tickets need to be booked directly from TK or can they be bought from an online travel agent instead to qualify for the Touristanbul tour?

Is it worth it, or do they just take you to all the places where they try to flog stuff?!
Doesn`t matter where you book tickets. I`ve booked return economy AER-DXB via IST from an online agent. TA gave free tour including breakfast and lunch, and Four Points by Sheraton Istanbul Batisehir stay on return connection.
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Old May 26, 2018, 10:16 pm
  #783  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
Originally Posted by DrRodneyMcKay
So I'm thinking of doing this - flying BOS-IST-MSQ and I have to have a 20 hour layover because TK only flies to Minsk once a day. I'd fly in at 4pm and fly out at 1pm the next day, which means due to the timing of my flights I'd miss all their tour times. I'd rather have the hotel anyway, as I'd need it, but are there any other tour options? I'd love to see some of the city, and am happy to pay for my own tour if anyone can recommend any.
I am arriving at 315 pm in Business Class. I booked the (Marriott) Courtyard so I just want a tour. Looking for my on late tour on my own, or wondering if TK would let me pay for a taxi cab to catch up with the 4 pm tour??

It seems that TK should offer a late afternoon option.

Last edited by BF263533; May 27, 2018 at 11:13 pm
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Old May 27, 2018, 1:58 am
  #784  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: UA 1K (Million Miler). AA Gold (lifetime 1 Million). TK Elite Gold
Posts: 890
24 hour 15 min connection

Merhaba, I will be flying from IAD to NAP in January 2019; both legs are TK, and in Y.
IAD flight arrives at 17.05 with NAP flight departing 17.20. I will not be able to ticket this on consecutive days, as this violates MCT.
Total connection time, therefore, in IST of 24 hours and 15 minutes. No status with TK, but *A gold with UA.
Will I be eligible for free hotel or try to schedule the layover with 15 minutes transit, which I will definitely not connect successfully .
BTW, any bets as to which Airport in IST will I be connecting? If "new" airport how will free transit hotels be handled?
Any ideas or suggestions?
TSK
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Old May 27, 2018, 3:41 pm
  #785  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,131
Originally Posted by cagcag
Will I be eligible for free hotel
Presuming you're not flying on one of the days that there is a shorter connection (some days there's a 15 hour connection, but not all days) then yes, you are eligible for a hotel.

Personally I'd suggest trying to print out something that shows this was the best/only connection option at the time you booked, as a schedule change between now and then is very possible which could change the options...

Originally Posted by cagcag
BTW, any bets as to which Airport in IST will I be connecting? If "new" airport how will free transit hotels be handled?
Nobody knows. I was in Istanbul last week, and the general feeling is that there is very little chance the airport will open in October as planned, but that the announcement about that will not be made until after the upcoming election (in June/July). There are hotels being built near to the new airport, but apparently most of those will not be ready by October either.
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Old May 29, 2018, 7:41 am
  #786  
pjs
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Alpharetta, GA, USA
Posts: 937
Wife and I connecting in IST flying TK Biz BKK-IST-ATL on 7/31. We have about a 9 hour layover (5am-2pm). I was originally planning to take the 8:30-11 tour (Bosphorus cruise seems way overpriced). We have been to Istanbul before and seen the main sites. Is it worth getting a visa and dealing with all that hassle or should we just hang in the lounge and find a place to rest, eat and relax? Any thoughts from those that have been on this tour or had this kind of layover since the visa rules changed? Thanks.
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Old May 29, 2018, 7:57 am
  #787  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by pjs
Wife and I connecting in IST flying TK Biz BKK-IST-ATL on 7/31. We have about a 9 hour layover (5am-2pm). I was originally planning to take the 8:30-11 tour (Bosphorus cruise seems way overpriced). We have been to Istanbul before and seen the main sites. Is it worth getting a visa and dealing with all that hassle or should we just hang in the lounge and find a place to rest, eat and relax? Any thoughts from those that have been on this tour or had this kind of layover since the visa rules changed? Thanks.
The tour has too much walking distance. I`d prefer relaxing at the lounge, imho.
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Old May 29, 2018, 4:14 pm
  #788  
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,351
Originally Posted by pjs
Wife and I connecting in IST flying TK Biz BKK-IST-ATL on 7/31. We have about a 9 hour layover (5am-2pm). I was originally planning to take the 8:30-11 tour (Bosphorus cruise seems way overpriced). We have been to Istanbul before and seen the main sites. Is it worth getting a visa and dealing with all that hassle or should we just hang in the lounge and find a place to rest, eat and relax? Any thoughts from those that have been on this tour or had this kind of layover since the visa rules changed? Thanks.
Originally Posted by djsochi
The tour has too much walking distance. I`d prefer relaxing at the lounge, imho.
There isn't very much walking on the short tour. I enjoyed it a couple years ago, but I had never been to the city before. I had been to the airport and lounge several times, so I figured it was worth the time for the tour. If you have seen the main sights, though, it would probably be repetitive. You only get ten or twenty minutes at each stop.
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Old May 29, 2018, 5:14 pm
  #789  
pjs
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Alpharetta, GA, USA
Posts: 937
Originally Posted by fumje
There isn't very much walking on the short tour. I enjoyed it a couple years ago, but I had never been to the city before. I had been to the airport and lounge several times, so I figured it was worth the time for the tour. If you have seen the main sights, though, it would probably be repetitive. You only get ten or twenty minutes at each stop.
Thanks - just figured it would get us out and stretch our legs/see the sun after a redeye from BKK. My bigger concern was it is worth the hassle with getting visas just for a 3 hour tour? We could just transit right to the lounge and veg out instead. Probably will just decide on the day depending on if we get any sleep on the first leg.
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Old May 29, 2018, 6:55 pm
  #790  
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Originally Posted by pjs
Thanks - just figured it would get us out and stretch our legs/see the sun after a redeye from BKK. My bigger concern was it is worth the hassle with getting visas just for a 3 hour tour? We could just transit right to the lounge and veg out instead. Probably will just decide on the day depending on if we get any sleep on the first leg.
If you're eligible for the e-visa, I found that process relatively quick and painless. My understanding is that US, UK and some other passports can get a visa at the airport as well, if you prefer to decide when you get there, but I have no experience with that.
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Old May 30, 2018, 9:07 am
  #791  
pjs
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Alpharetta, GA, USA
Posts: 937
Originally Posted by fumje
If you're eligible for the e-visa, I found that process relatively quick and painless. My understanding is that US, UK and some other passports can get a visa at the airport as well, if you prefer to decide when you get there, but I have no experience with that.
Thanks - looks like e-visa is $20 and VOA is $30 for US passport holders. For the $10 x2 cost difference, we will probably just wait and decide on the day given the possibility of inbound flight delay or general weariness.
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Old Jun 9, 2018, 3:40 pm
  #792  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: YVR/YUL/LHR/HKG
Programs: TK Gold
Posts: 568
On the TK's website, it says both TK1752 ant TK1754 passenger connecting to Montreal/Toronto with next day TK35/TK17 will have free accommodation WITH a HOTEL SYMBOL???.

I note that to benefit from the TK's hotel, one must choose the SHORTEST possible time with 7 hours of a layover with econ passengers. Since TK1752 would not be the SHORTEST possible layover in IST, may I know whether it still qualify for a free accommodation?

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Old Jun 9, 2018, 3:56 pm
  #793  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Chicago
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, IHG (Platinum Elite), Amtrak Guest Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors
Posts: 636
tobiashenry, unless I'm reading it wrong, it looks like you would qualify because your stopover would be at least 10 hours on a TK metal flight.

Now for a question of my own, for those that have done the stopover: is your luggage checked through to the destination, or do you pick it up in IST and check it again when you depart? If it's checked through to the destination, where do they keep it for 20 hours? The idea makes me a little nervous.
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Old Jun 9, 2018, 4:15 pm
  #794  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: TK M&S, LH MM, Global Entry, Hertz Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,087
Originally Posted by DrRodneyMcKay
tobiashenry, unless I'm reading it wrong, it looks like you would qualify because your stopover would be at least 10 hours on a TK metal flight.
I wouldnt bet on getting the complimentary hotel on the longer connect just because theres a little symbol on the famously-funky website. Rules in post #1 are quite clear, but if you do want to chance it and get lucky, good for you!

Originally Posted by DrRodneyMcKay
Now for a question of my own, for those that have done the stopover: is your luggage checked through to the destination, or do you pick it up in IST and check it again when you depart? If it's checked through to the destination, where do they keep it for 20 hours? The idea makes me a little nervous.
I always check my bags to final destination. No idea where stuff is kept, but Ive never had anything stolen from luggage with TK.
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Old Jun 10, 2018, 7:10 am
  #795  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: YVR/YUL/LHR/HKG
Programs: TK Gold
Posts: 568
I just sent an email to ask them to clarify. Let's see what they are going to say. BTW, does anyone know what hotel they are using now?
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