Jan 10, 2015, 2:41 am
Last edit by: starflyergold
Lounge Location
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Video walkthrough of the lounge made on 2016-05-25
IST TK Lounge Walkthrough - YouTube
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one in the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control, Only for TK Business Class passengers or TK Elite Plus in Y, but not Elite or other *G cards, you need to go through main passport control and enter from airside). Entry in the main terminal is done by automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it, if that is not present, please ask the lounge matrons and they'll manually let you in. It is also necessary to consult the front desk if you're bringing a guest(s).
Dedicated entry from the check in area (far left side as you face security/immigration) is only open from 5am to 12am midnight, outside of those hours you must enter the main terminal first and use that entrance.
Prior noted in this wiki, was that there was three entrances, however that one is an exit only that can be found in the lower level of the lounge.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance on both floors. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travellers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travellers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Must travel on Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance
The lounge cannot be accessed through Priority Pass or by paying at the entrance. There are many other pay lounges at IST.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
To go landside from the lounge: leave the lounge on the upper level and walk straight toward the food court. Just before the food court there is a set of stairs on the left (look for signs to the mosque) that takes you down to the arrival level, and then to the immigration counters.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (you get the code by scanning your boarding pass at machines dotted around the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Upstairs:
Turkish desserts, ie baklava
Nut station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Downstairs:
Turkish "special of the month"/chef's station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Simit cart
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Make-your-own-tea/wellness tea station
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), stands throughout the lounge
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Early morning food differences
"Turkish special of the month" chef's station serving breakfast foods instead (e.g. gozleme)
Kofte station replaced by made-to-order omelette bar/breakfast items
Mini-simits, croissants, and other breakfast pastries
Demel cakes not taken out until ~ 8am
Turkish desserts not taken out until after 8am
Mezze station replaced by muesli, yogurt station
Smoking
This is a non smoking lounge, smoking area is upstairs at the far end of the terminal.
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Golf simulator
RC car track
Self-playing piano
2x Xbox systems with FIFA and NBA
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers in Economy Class.
International to International connections only
Couches throughout the lounge.
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
IST International Terminal. Near Gate 220
Video walkthrough of the lounge made on 2016-05-25
IST TK Lounge Walkthrough - YouTube
Getting In
Opening Hours: 24 hrs per day
Entrances: 2 entrances - one in the main terminal, another from the far-left side of the check-in area of the airport with separate passport control, Only for TK Business Class passengers or TK Elite Plus in Y, but not Elite or other *G cards, you need to go through main passport control and enter from airside). Entry in the main terminal is done by automated gates. You need a boarding pass with your status on it, if that is not present, please ask the lounge matrons and they'll manually let you in. It is also necessary to consult the front desk if you're bringing a guest(s).
Dedicated entry from the check in area (far left side as you face security/immigration) is only open from 5am to 12am midnight, outside of those hours you must enter the main terminal first and use that entrance.
Prior noted in this wiki, was that there was three entrances, however that one is an exit only that can be found in the lower level of the lounge.
Bag Storage: There are lockers right next to the main entrance on both floors. Lockers are emptied at night.
Eligibility:
Business Class travellers on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines,
Miles&Smiles Elite and Elite Plus members (they may invite their families or one guest),
Star Alliance Gold members (they may invite one guest),
First and Business Class travellers on flights operated by Star Alliance member airlines.
Must travel on Turkish Airlines or Star Alliance
The lounge cannot be accessed through Priority Pass or by paying at the entrance. There are many other pay lounges at IST.
Multiple Entries:
If you're connecting and want to visit Istanbul, you can enter the lounge with your connecting BP, enjoy the lounge then go back to Immigration, enter Turkey, and come back to the lounge after your visit.
To go landside from the lounge: leave the lounge on the upper level and walk straight toward the food court. Just before the food court there is a set of stairs on the left (look for signs to the mosque) that takes you down to the arrival level, and then to the immigration counters.
Facilities
Working
Free Wi-Fi (you get the code by scanning your boarding pass at machines dotted around the lounge)
Showers
Printers and computers
Eating
Extensive Food and Drink Areas
Upstairs:
Turkish desserts, ie baklava
Nut station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Downstairs:
Turkish "special of the month"/chef's station
Coffee station + Demel cakes
Simit cart
Kofte/grill station
Pasta
Mezze
Make-your-own-tea/wellness tea station
Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), stands throughout the lounge
Fresh fruits
Fresh pide
Olive bar
Nut bar
Early morning food differences
"Turkish special of the month" chef's station serving breakfast foods instead (e.g. gozleme)
Kofte station replaced by made-to-order omelette bar/breakfast items
Mini-simits, croissants, and other breakfast pastries
Demel cakes not taken out until ~ 8am
Turkish desserts not taken out until after 8am
Mezze station replaced by muesli, yogurt station
Smoking
This is a non smoking lounge, smoking area is upstairs at the far end of the terminal.
Relaxing
Relaxation Rooms (see below)
Ironing service
Newspapers and Library
Media wall
Pool Table
Golf simulator
RC car track
Self-playing piano
2x Xbox systems with FIFA and NBA
Sleeping in the Lounge
There are 5-7 relaxation rooms.
Eligibility:
4-7 hour layover for TK Business and Elite Plus customers in Economy Class.
International to International connections only
You can only use them only if you are connecting to/from a longhaul Turkish Airlines flight (8+ hours) AND your layover is between 4 and 7 hours.
You may be eligible for a free hotel outside the airport.
TK's Flagship IST *G Lounge [2015 onwards Master Thread]
Jan 21, 2015, 8:18 pm
#31
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Jan 21, 2015, 10:31 pm
#32
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: Lifetime AS 1MM & MVPG, AS MVPG100K, AA, DL, HH-G
Posts: 8,259
Jan 22, 2015, 1:52 am
#33
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,586
Jan 22, 2015, 3:08 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: TLV
Programs: UA Platinum, Avis Chairman, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, GA Pilot
Posts: 3,225
Jan 22, 2015, 3:59 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,729
I've been there a few times and yes, it is a nice lounge. Perhaps the nicest in *A (well, I guess Lufthansa's private terminal at FRA knocks spots off TK's lounge...)
You should really try and see Qatar's new lounges at Hamad International.
Or even Cathay Pacific's The Wing at HKG.
You should really try and see Qatar's new lounges at Hamad International.
Or even Cathay Pacific's The Wing at HKG.
Jan 22, 2015, 5:09 am
#36
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: HNL
Programs: Marriott Gold | Hilton Diamond | Hyatt Plat | UA 1K | HA Plat| Hertz President's circle
Posts: 588
Jan 22, 2015, 5:52 am
#37
Join Date: Apr 2001
Programs: AA (PLATINUM), HHonors (DIAMOND)
Posts: 1,068
Jan 22, 2015, 7:54 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: ZRH / YUL
Programs: UA, TK, Starwood > Marriott, Hilton, Accor
Posts: 7,295
Jan 22, 2015, 8:07 am
#40
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,661
Jan 22, 2015, 9:31 am
#41
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: NAP
Programs: LH, BA, TK
Posts: 2,409
Best *G lounge, definitely.
Best J lounge, yes.
Better than many F lounges, ehm no.
Best J lounge, yes.
Better than many F lounges, ehm no.
Jan 22, 2015, 12:44 pm
#42
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,969
It is better than all UA GF lounges. Better than ICN OZ F lounge. Better than ZRH Swiss F lounge and Vienna *A F lounge and better than LAX A* F lounge and as good or better than SQ SIN F lounge (aside from private room)
IMO, the only *A F lounges that top it are LH at FRA/MUC and TG BKK, and SQ SIN PR.
The TK lounge is also better than some One world F lounges, IMO.
Jan 22, 2015, 1:41 pm
#43
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
Crowding can be a problem but I rarely find the downstairs to be over crowded. When it does get very crowded it can be difficult to get a wifi signal.
As for privacy there is this really nice room to the right as you walk in full of lazy boys. Would be a great place to relax if they didn't insist on blasting music from the tv. I spent four hours in the lounge this morning and they were showing a Coldplay concert in there. Very loud. Oh well
As for privacy there is this really nice room to the right as you walk in full of lazy boys. Would be a great place to relax if they didn't insist on blasting music from the tv. I spent four hours in the lounge this morning and they were showing a Coldplay concert in there. Very loud. Oh well
Glad they added more room too. Having connected probably 8 or 10 times through IST about a year ago, it was almost always way too crowded. Still, the food selection was un-matched. The sweets and cakes section alone was enough to induce a diabetic shock.
Jan 22, 2015, 2:26 pm
#45
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Sacramento area, CA USA
Programs: UA Gold Million Miler, HH Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,858
It is a huge improvement over their prior lounge. We were there in May, 2013 and April, 2014. You can get in with Star Alliance Gold. We were so dazzled in April and I cannot wait to try it again. It stands to reason that a country with really delicious cuisine would have great lounge food.
We were in Iran this year and expected great food there also but were disappointed as it did not hold a candle to Turkey's. I am talking countries, not lounges!
We were in Iran this year and expected great food there also but were disappointed as it did not hold a candle to Turkey's. I am talking countries, not lounges!