Kensterfly

We plan a trip to Europe this summer. IAH to NCE or CDG. Since TK seems to be the only airline with Biz award seats available it looks like we will go through IST.

1. I understand the Biz class product on TK beats the heck out of UA. Is that correct?

2. There is about a 15 hour, over night layover in IST. I understand that, at one time, TK would put you up in a hotel if you had an overnight layover, it that still the case? If not, can I assume that there is a club that can be accessed due to our Biz Class seats? If we have a 15 hour layover with no hotel, at least the club would be nice IF... we are allowed to remain there overnight.

3. I have Silver status with UA. Will that get us any sort of priority line at Security at IST? Or, coming home, at NCE, or CDG? Or, will having Biz Class seats get us a priority security line? I don't our Global Entry status will be of no benefit over there

4. We are looking a river cruise in France. We can choose to begin at NCE and end in Paris, or vice versa. Would there be any advantage to beginning or ending our trip at either of these airports. Either way, TK appears the only way to go for award Biz seats.

Thanks!

dtxdnc

I would definetely recommend exploring Istanbul, 15 hours is very long, even If you dont get free hotel (dont know the deal rules) you can book one to yourself, have a good dinner outside, explore some city night&day and have a good rest.

You can enter to TK Lounge with your Business Boarding Passes, it is huge lounge and very good one. Make sure your ticket is connecting, and your bags are tagged all the way thru your final point.

AFAIK Silver status will not get you any priority but your Business BP will do the job on passport controls/check-ins & security If you decide to leave the airport for hotel and come back again. The priority entrance to Airport from land is done from E-1 door with your Business BP, other doors are normal.

dtxdnc

I dont know the quality of UA, but on TK,

For your IAH-IST leg, you will get 777 which has a really premium business class seats IMO. Seats are 180Degree reclineable, which is actually a bed.

You can watch some videos on Y.tube about the class configs.

For your IST-NCE leg, you will get narrow body, most likely 737 which you can expect small aircraft, basicly larger & comfortable economy seats but configuration depends on aircraft version. If the IST-NCE flight gets overcrowded, TK Operations may change the aircraft 777 as well, in that case you will get the super seats again.

I have witnessed many times that A320 has been switched to 777 for 1 hour domestic flights due to unexpected large sales of tickets on high holiday seasons.

freakflyer

Be aware that as of now if you are coming directly from the US on the way over you will not be able to get a visa to leave the airport. Hopefully that will change by the time you leave.

TPJ

1. Yes - no comparison...

2. You can stay in lounge that is open 24/7. Food is limited (but still some available - like fruits) from about 12.30am to 5.30 am.

3. There will be no security in IST - both EU and US are treated as sterile areas - you will disembark at the Departure level (there will be B/Pass check at the gate, though)

4. CDG has a fairly good *A Lounge - NCE 3rd part lounges are mediocre.

dvs7310

I seem to remember another thread in a different forum regarding this itinerary. Unless the diplomatic spat ends before your trip then you're NOT getting into Turkey at all, so you'd be stuck in the airport for 15 hours with that connection. US citizens can currently only get visa on arrival if their flight is not directly from the USA. Only possible way around this is to get standard visas processed at a Turkish embassy in another country (they can not issue at any Embassy or Consulate in the USA right now). Often that requires being a resident of that 3rd country, but there seem to be reports of non-residents getting visas issued in London.

Other questions:
1) Yes, the seat is a bit better than UA but the food is significantly better. Service on TK is really hit or miss so on par there.

2) The lounge is likely to be your only option. The ban shows no signs of letting up. In which case I have noted in your other thread that the sleeping suites are off limits with your itinerary as the layover is too long.

3) Global Entry and UA Silver won't get you any benefits, but your Business Class TK boarding passes do. Priority Check in, priority screening lane at security in transit, or immigration entering Turkey, also dedicated immigration and security lane right at the TK lounge if exiting Turkey.

4) With TK you'd have the luxury of beginning at one end and ending at the other since they service both airports using an open jaw itinerary. Having said that, most other European *A carriers would be the same. The only real advantage is saving time and cost transiting back to the point of origin since with an open jaw its unnecessary.

dtxdnc

OP is planning the trip on summer. I am pretty sure, the visa-ban will be removed by then.

dvs7310

I thought it would have been solved within a few days after it started, but it's dragged on for ages now. I would not hold my breath on it at this point.

Kensterfly

Just to tie up this thread... We ended up booking a different river cruise that ends in Vienna. So, for our return, we got Biz saver award seats VIE-IST-BOS, then Y seats from BOS-IAH.
Four hour layover in IST. Plenty of time to enjoy that famous lounge I've heard so much about. A330-300 on the long haul and I hear good things about it. We have the two center seats, Row 2. Looking forward to ending our cruise in style.