tcmb99

To call a major global airline with flights to most locations all over the world, all necessary permits, and who is part of the Star Alliance team is simply irresponsible and wrong.

You can spend all day talking about security issues in Turkey, Istanbul airport. You can also talk about bad service, poor handling of passengers or luggages, and these might all be reasons to avoid TK, as an opinion.

But to call an airline unsafe without any backing for it is madness. When you get into any vehicle there is a certain risk involved, but as much as I know Turkish looks after its planes well and takes care of them according to all international regulations.

Flying Swiss vs Turkish. Personally I like Turkish business class seats better on long haul flights, also better food and entertainment. Your transfer in Ataturk airport might be more difficult compared to Swiss though.

boosh

I don't have any issues with TK's safety record, and I feel as safe flying them as I do any other airline. Yes they have had a few incidents lately but that is by no means a reflection on the airline as a whole. Other airlines have similar incidents from time to time. At least TK's engines don't seem to spontaneously burst into flames, as have happened two or three times to BA in the last year or so.

If one goes back on this forum and read about peoples experience during the coup, the attach on IST and during the snow fall last December then it varies widely how people were treated by TK. And yes, if I was a TK employee during a coup I would probably worry more about the safety of my family than some travelers stranded, but it does seem that people get very different treatments when something like this happens. And if I was traveling with my family this would be a concern to me.

But as others have stated as well, TK is extremely good at recovering from IRROPS, so if something does go wrong they will get you on your way faster than anyone. In my opinion anyways. Its the way you and your family are treated that may either be fine, according to some, or horrible, according to others.

segacs

Personal preference: I'd switch to Swiss if I were you. The in-air product from TK is quite good. But the ground staff at IST are outsourced and are notoriously awful in the case of a misconnect or other IRROPS.

Plus, you have to assume that TK will have further cancellations and schedule reductions if things continue the way they have been and people keep cancelling their plans to visit Turkey. That could impact your flight schedule.

That's not to say that flying TK is unsafe. I don't think it is. But it may be more of a hassle than flying Swiss. Your call.

hfly

Outsourced staff is the curse of the industry. You are as likely to get third party staff in ZRH as you are in IST. If you are worried about a real downturn and cancelled routes, then the next round for that would be in about 5 months time. It really depends where you are flying. Yes TK cut 17 routes, but let's be honest, even the average frequent flyer had not heard of many of them, I know that I was honestly unfamiliar with a few.

Everything has to be seen in perspective. You flying to JFK? They have reliably filled up 1 and then 2 heavies a day with a very high O/D for decades. It is the third (and at one point purported 4th flight) that are in jeopardy. You want BCN? Well maybe it will go down to 3 a day (from 4 currently and 5 before the reductions), some of us remember, not so long ago when there was no 2 way nonstop to BCN from IST and then when it was twice a week.

Then again if UFA or Zapoaria(Sp?) are your destinations, then maybe you should think twice....except of course that barely any other decent carrier flies to them besides TK.

My real concern are the European trunk routes that TK was hugely aggressive in recent years when they ran the other airline off the route or practically of the route. Milan, Munich, AMS and TLV are examples. AZ, LH and KL flew these routes consistently for years in good times and bad, 2-3 times per day. TK would decide to hit the route hard and ramp up frequencies to 4/5/6/8/10 times a day, often out of both IST airports, and drive the other carrier off the route. These carriers often flew for decades and through thick and thin. Now what happens? TK had been reducing frequencies and jacking prices before the current problems.

CanadaDH

I'm not going to speculate on what future schedule changes may happen with TK, but on a straight up comparison of the two hard products, I would choose TK over LX any day. Swiss has a fine F product, but their business class seats feel like a cramped coffin to me when reclined, and I just don't find them particularly comfortable. I don't know how the actual measurements compare, but I feel like I have more space in the TK seat; less privacy, but more space. I'm certainly not ready to start switching my TK flights over to other carriers.

TPJ

Not really. No transit security while arriving from USA in neither ZRH nor IST. Security check while arriving from BKK at both airports.

joorinainen

Last time when there was weather IRROPS with TK and in JFK. Me and my brother were very well taken care by the ground staff. We got to choose our carrier and flights for next day and we got transportation and a hotel night near the airport.