Jul 21, 2015, 8:54 pm
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:
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)
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)
Akgün Istanbul Hotel (44% TripAdvisor–common – far from the airport)
Wow Airport Hotel (56% TripAdvisor–common - 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
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)
- Tour 1 8:30am - 11am - Sightseeing Tour
- Tour 2 9am - 3pm - Tour
- Tour 3 9am - 6pm - Tour
- Tour 4 12pm - 6pm - Tour
- Tour 5 4pm - 9pm - Cultural Walk Tour
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)
Akgün Istanbul Hotel (44% TripAdvisor–common – far from the airport)
Wow Airport Hotel (56% TripAdvisor–common - 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
FAQ 8: Free hotel/tour/cruise when connecting at IST
Mar 26, 2019, 5:57 am
#871
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
I tweeted TK Help Desk about hotels and tours after the Great Move and this is what they said but note the layover period has increased:
Hello, a complimentary hotel accommodation will be provided to our passengers when there are more than 12 hours (for economy cabin passengers) and 9 or more hours (for business cabin passengers) waiting during their international connecting flights due to TA 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. Also, as of 7th April, we will continue providing the TourIstanbul service. Simply head to our desk located at the arrival terminal next to the hotel desk.
Hello, a complimentary hotel accommodation will be provided to our passengers when there are more than 12 hours (for economy cabin passengers) and 9 or more hours (for business cabin passengers) waiting during their international connecting flights due to TA 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. Also, as of 7th April, we will continue providing the TourIstanbul service. Simply head to our desk located at the arrival terminal next to the hotel desk.
Will be interesting to see how it will pan out - IF, my Client accepts my routing and does not tell me to go via ADD, I will report back.
Mar 26, 2019, 7:48 am
#872
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,185
Thanks for this. I have a trip planned and still qualify since I have 15 hours, so it will be interesting to see what they will offer me. I am *G on M&S, so can use the Lounge, but flying Economy, so do not think that the Airport Hotel qualifies (if they have built one). Last time, it was full and I was directed to the Hotel Desk.
Will be interesting to see how it will pan out - IF, my Client accepts my routing and does not tell me to go via ADD, I will report back.
Will be interesting to see how it will pan out - IF, my Client accepts my routing and does not tell me to go via ADD, I will report back.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:56 pm
#873
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO, DUS
Programs: BA Gold (OW Emer), TK ELPL (*G), Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 528
Maybe I misunderstand, but at Atatürk Airport I always went to the hotel desk and got a hotel on the spot. I never reserved the hotel via email before. Is this now required?
Mar 26, 2019, 12:59 pm
#874
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,185
Mar 26, 2019, 2:39 pm
#875
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
I did not do this the first time I used the service, and got a really crappy hotel in some Industrial area. The second time, (yes, I was flying J Class), I did email them, and got a very decent hotel. And the last time, flying Y again, I got the Radisson - which fulfilled my needs. So I would take the advice and email beforehand - it cannot do any harm, and if they have loads of pax, it may help to get you to a better hotel. Going back to my first experience, if my ticket was fully flexible, I would actually have extended my stay and paid for myself in a hotel of my choice - hotel prices then were cheap, and I have no issue spending a few $$ on feeding myself at small family run diners - goodness knows, the tourist industry was hit hard enough a few years ago.
So, I will see what pans out, and if I can, (keeping fingers crossed), that I do the JNB - OUA routing on TK as opposed to ET, I will report back as to what the new procedure is like.
Last edited by roadwarrier; Mar 26, 2019 at 2:41 pm Reason: Spelling
Mar 26, 2019, 9:57 pm
#876
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,147
Hello, a complimentary hotel accommodation will be provided to our passengers when there are more than 12 hours (for economy cabin passengers) and 9 or more hours (for business cabin passengers) waiting during their international connecting flights due to TA schedule structure.
It'll be interesting to see if the restrictions for the sleeping rooms in the lounge (I presume they still have them?) have changed to match this? They were previously for layovers up to 7 hours, on the grounds that above 7 hours you could get a hotel room. If the hotel room is now 9, but the sleeping rooms are still 7 hours, that leaves anyone in the 7-9 window with nothing...
Mar 28, 2019, 3:59 pm
#877
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 484
What's the expected turnaround time for [email protected]? Is there another way to get in touch with them?
My family and I are booked in paid J class SFO-IST-LHR // NAP-IST-SFO, and I emailed [email protected] to confirm eligibility 3 days ago, and then following up yesterday. Still no reply.
I had emailed another alias, [email protected] but they said I was ineligible because LHR isn't on their list of approved destinations! I then gave the person the link to the webpage: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-k...ice/index.html , but the person could not help at all and only said to contact [email protected] as that's a totally different program/department.
First of all, having two different free hotel programs with different rules is already confusing enough already. Having the customer service be helpless and unable to transfer/escalate things is utterly frustrating, when we are spending thousands of $$$ on them.
We are *G and have previously visited their lounge in IST and loved it. But this would be our first time actually flying on TK metal, and I am quite disappointed at the customer service already!
My family and I are booked in paid J class SFO-IST-LHR // NAP-IST-SFO, and I emailed [email protected] to confirm eligibility 3 days ago, and then following up yesterday. Still no reply.
I had emailed another alias, [email protected] but they said I was ineligible because LHR isn't on their list of approved destinations! I then gave the person the link to the webpage: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-k...ice/index.html , but the person could not help at all and only said to contact [email protected] as that's a totally different program/department.
First of all, having two different free hotel programs with different rules is already confusing enough already. Having the customer service be helpless and unable to transfer/escalate things is utterly frustrating, when we are spending thousands of $$$ on them.
We are *G and have previously visited their lounge in IST and loved it. But this would be our first time actually flying on TK metal, and I am quite disappointed at the customer service already!
Mar 28, 2019, 5:09 pm
#878
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,185
What's the expected turnaround time for [email protected]? Is there another way to get in touch with them?
My family and I are booked in paid J class SFO-IST-LHR // NAP-IST-SFO, and I emailed [email protected] to confirm eligibility 3 days ago, and then following up yesterday. Still no reply.
I had emailed another alias, [email protected] but they said I was ineligible because LHR isn't on their list of approved destinations! I then gave the person the link to the webpage: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-k...ice/index.html , but the person could not help at all and only said to contact [email protected] as that's a totally different program/department.
First of all, having two different free hotel programs with different rules is already confusing enough already. Having the customer service be helpless and unable to transfer/escalate things is utterly frustrating, when we are spending thousands of $$$ on them.
We are *G and have previously visited their lounge in IST and loved it. But this would be our first time actually flying on TK metal, and I am quite disappointed at the customer service already!
My family and I are booked in paid J class SFO-IST-LHR // NAP-IST-SFO, and I emailed [email protected] to confirm eligibility 3 days ago, and then following up yesterday. Still no reply.
I had emailed another alias, [email protected] but they said I was ineligible because LHR isn't on their list of approved destinations! I then gave the person the link to the webpage: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-k...ice/index.html , but the person could not help at all and only said to contact [email protected] as that's a totally different program/department.
First of all, having two different free hotel programs with different rules is already confusing enough already. Having the customer service be helpless and unable to transfer/escalate things is utterly frustrating, when we are spending thousands of $$$ on them.
We are *G and have previously visited their lounge in IST and loved it. But this would be our first time actually flying on TK metal, and I am quite disappointed at the customer service already!
Mar 28, 2019, 5:17 pm
#879
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 484
It's frustrating I can't get in touch with them for something as simple as this.
Last edited by Ryu2; Mar 29, 2019 at 12:09 am
Apr 1, 2019, 11:59 pm
#880
Join Date: May 2009
Location: TPE
Programs: TG*G
Posts: 74
I will be flying in J class TPE-IST-ACC (9hr 15 min stop over) and LOS-IST-TPE (21 hr stopover - ugh!) at the end of April and return in early May. I'm on one ticket so I'm fairly sure I'm entitled to hotels in both directions. I know it is unclear which hotels they'll be using but it sounds like emailing them to give warning in advance helps get better hotels. I live in Taiwan and the hotels page on the website doesn't include a Taiwan-specific email address as an option.
Any ideas?
Cheers!
Any ideas?
Cheers!
Apr 2, 2019, 12:03 am
#881
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,185
I will be flying in J class TPE-IST-ACC (9hr 15 min stop over) and LOS-IST-TPE (21 hr stopover - ugh!) at the end of April and return in early May. I'm on one ticket so I'm fairly sure I'm entitled to hotels in both directions. I know it is unclear which hotels they'll be using but it sounds like emailing them to give warning in advance helps get better hotels. I live in Taiwan and the hotels page on the website doesn't include a Taiwan-specific email address as an option.
Any ideas?
Cheers!
Any ideas?
Cheers!
Apr 4, 2019, 2:00 pm
#882
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SIN (with a bit of ZRH sprinkled in)
Posts: 9,446
Well, considering it’s clearly listed as Taiwan, China I would write the Chinese address 
hardly rocket science, is it?
hardly rocket science, is it?
Apr 5, 2019, 9:26 am
#883
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
I have an 8h45min layover in ISL later this month, booked in J. When I booked my flight the rule was free hotel for layovers over 7 hours in J, now the rule is 9 hour threshold. Am I out of luck or is the rule dependent on when the flight was booked? Part of why I booked this itinerary was the free hotel - I like breaking down my two long flights with a short stint in a hotel, sometimes in Istanbul and sometimes in Doha. Without the hotel this is a very bad layover and I would have never booked this itinerary...
Apr 5, 2019, 10:25 am
#884
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: YVR/YUL/LHR/HKG
Programs: TK Gold
Posts: 576
I have an 8h45min layover in ISL later this month, booked in J. When I booked my flight the rule was free hotel for layovers over 7 hours in J, now the rule is 9 hour threshold. Am I out of luck or is the rule dependent on when the flight was booked? Part of why I booked this itinerary was the free hotel - I like breaking down my two long flights with a short stint in a hotel, sometimes in Istanbul and sometimes in Doha. Without the hotel this is a very bad layover and I would have never booked this itinerary...
Apr 5, 2019, 11:23 am
#885
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,185
Dear folks, as this thread was dedicated to Atatürk Airport, I had created a new thread for the hotel, tour, sleeping room issues in Istanbul Airport. You could visit that thread by clicking here.
I have also created a WIKI over there that you could have basic knowledge about the process of the hotel rooms, tours and sleeping rooms after the movement.
I have also created a WIKI over there that you could have basic knowledge about the process of the hotel rooms, tours and sleeping rooms after the movement.
