Apr 2, 2019, 3:31 am
Last edit by: starflyergold
Unlike like Atatürk Airport, at Istanbul Airport there is more than one international lounge. Eligibility depends on your travel of class and your frequent flyer card status. PLEASE READ THIS WIKI BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS.
For discussions and questions regarding outstation lounges ( Moscow, Nairobi, Washington DC ) and all other domestic lounges ( including SAW ) please refer to the respective forum.
For PriorityPass Lounges in Istanbul Airport (IST) please consult this thread in the Europe forum or the Istanbul Airport Master Thread for questions regarding contract lounges.
This thread covers TK Lounges at IST airport.
Chart of Eligibility for Lounges:
Thanks to DELLAS for sharing this chart.
International Lounges:
Miles&Smiles Lounge: This lounge is open to all Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Elite, Elite Plus card holders and Star Alliance Gold status holders along with one of their guests when flying Turkish Airlines or another Star Alliance member. Miles&Smiles Elite Plus members are also able to guest family members regardless of the number of people (spouse and children). Also Turkish Corporate Club members are allowed to access this lounge with one fellow guest who holds a valid boarding pass on Turkish Airlines.
To access this lounge take the elevators across gate C1 to the mezzanine level.
Business Lounge: This lounge would be open for all Business Class passengers on Turkish Airlines and Star Alliance partners. Unfortunately, no guests are allowed to this lounge.
To access this lounge take the elevators across gate E1 to the mezzanine level.
Both lounges are non-smoking. The nearest "terrace" (IST does not advertise smoking areas) is: For the business lounge: exit via the escalators, turn left and left again, past the public rest areas, and the terrace is on the right hand side. For the M&S lounge: exit via the escalators, turn right and right again, past the public rest areas, and the terrace is on the left hand side. In both cases a 3 minute walk.
Exclusive Lounge: No details, no plans as of yet
Arrivals Lounge: No details, no plans as of yet
Both the Business Lounge and the Miles&Smiles Lounge have showers, sleeping rooms and Turkish speciality food.
To use the sleeping rooms, you must have a connection time between 4h and 9h and the duration of one of your flights must be more than 8 hours. Unfortunately, Miles&Smiles Elite card holders and Star Alliance Gold card holders traveling in Economy Class are not eligible to use the sleeping room service. For sleeping room related issues please consult the this thread.
None of the international lounges have direct lounge access from the check-in hall; however, priority immigration and security checkpoint are available both for transfer passengers and passengers starting their journey in Istanbul.
Domestic Lounges:
The domestic lounge has two sections; one for Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Classic Plus and Elite card holders, Star Alliance Gold card holders and Turkish Corporate Club members (if they have a same day onward international connection); and the other one for Business Class passengers and Miles&Smiles Elite Plus card holders.
Miles&Smiles Elite passengers, Star Alliance Gold card holders and Turkish Corporate Club members can invite one guest into the lounge. Miles&Smiles Elite Plus passengers can also guest one passenger or their family members regardless of the number of people (spouse and children). Miles&Smiles Classic Plus card holders do not have the right to guest someone.
The lounge has a separate entrance and check-in lobby from the street, along with a special valet parking drop-off point. Transfer passengers and passengers who decide to use the main terminal building can also access this lounge by using the elevators across gates G6 and G7. Be aware that there are no lounge signs within the terminal so it's advised to follow signs for gates G6 and G7.
For discussions and questions regarding outstation lounges ( Moscow, Nairobi, Washington DC ) and all other domestic lounges ( including SAW ) please refer to the respective forum.
For PriorityPass Lounges in Istanbul Airport (IST) please consult this thread in the Europe forum or the Istanbul Airport Master Thread for questions regarding contract lounges.
This thread covers TK Lounges at IST airport.
Chart of Eligibility for Lounges:
Thanks to DELLAS for sharing this chart.
International Lounges:
Miles&Smiles Lounge: This lounge is open to all Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Elite, Elite Plus card holders and Star Alliance Gold status holders along with one of their guests when flying Turkish Airlines or another Star Alliance member. Miles&Smiles Elite Plus members are also able to guest family members regardless of the number of people (spouse and children). Also Turkish Corporate Club members are allowed to access this lounge with one fellow guest who holds a valid boarding pass on Turkish Airlines.
To access this lounge take the elevators across gate C1 to the mezzanine level.
Business Lounge: This lounge would be open for all Business Class passengers on Turkish Airlines and Star Alliance partners. Unfortunately, no guests are allowed to this lounge.
To access this lounge take the elevators across gate E1 to the mezzanine level.
Both lounges are non-smoking. The nearest "terrace" (IST does not advertise smoking areas) is: For the business lounge: exit via the escalators, turn left and left again, past the public rest areas, and the terrace is on the right hand side. For the M&S lounge: exit via the escalators, turn right and right again, past the public rest areas, and the terrace is on the left hand side. In both cases a 3 minute walk.
Exclusive Lounge: No details, no plans as of yet
Arrivals Lounge: No details, no plans as of yet
Both the Business Lounge and the Miles&Smiles Lounge have showers, sleeping rooms and Turkish speciality food.
To use the sleeping rooms, you must have a connection time between 4h and 9h and the duration of one of your flights must be more than 8 hours. Unfortunately, Miles&Smiles Elite card holders and Star Alliance Gold card holders traveling in Economy Class are not eligible to use the sleeping room service. For sleeping room related issues please consult the this thread.
None of the international lounges have direct lounge access from the check-in hall; however, priority immigration and security checkpoint are available both for transfer passengers and passengers starting their journey in Istanbul.
Domestic Lounges:
The domestic lounge has two sections; one for Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Classic Plus and Elite card holders, Star Alliance Gold card holders and Turkish Corporate Club members (if they have a same day onward international connection); and the other one for Business Class passengers and Miles&Smiles Elite Plus card holders.
Miles&Smiles Elite passengers, Star Alliance Gold card holders and Turkish Corporate Club members can invite one guest into the lounge. Miles&Smiles Elite Plus passengers can also guest one passenger or their family members regardless of the number of people (spouse and children). Miles&Smiles Classic Plus card holders do not have the right to guest someone.
The lounge has a separate entrance and check-in lobby from the street, along with a special valet parking drop-off point. Transfer passengers and passengers who decide to use the main terminal building can also access this lounge by using the elevators across gates G6 and G7. Be aware that there are no lounge signs within the terminal so it's advised to follow signs for gates G6 and G7.
TK in Istanbul Airport: Thread #2 - Lounges
Apr 3, 2019, 5:22 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
But this is OT...
Apr 3, 2019, 9:17 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
I'm hoping that the food and drinks offering will be much the same in the Business and Miles & Smiles lounges. No doubt there will be bucket loads of lentil soup, as always 
I've got a 9 hour (from midnight) connection next month, so I hope one of them will remain open during the night.
I've got a 9 hour (from midnight) connection next month, so I hope one of them will remain open during the night.
Apr 3, 2019, 9:53 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
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: 14,186
I'm hoping that the food and drinks offering will be much the same in the Business and Miles & Smiles lounges. No doubt there will be bucket loads of lentil soup, as always
I've got a 9 hour (from midnight) connection next month, so I hope one of them will remain open during the night.
I've got a 9 hour (from midnight) connection next month, so I hope one of them will remain open during the night.
Apr 3, 2019, 10:24 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 10
Does this apply to the Domestic Lounge as well? Will be landing into ISL just before midnight and taking earliest flight the following day
Apr 3, 2019, 10:24 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
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: 14,186
Apr 3, 2019, 12:49 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
ISTFlyer, can you please clarify something, regarding the M&S lounge, you state above that E+ will be able to bring in immediate family members (as is currently the case), the not ideally written TK site says clumsily that it is only ONE family member. Can you tell us where you got your text from? Thanks.
Apr 3, 2019, 12:58 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
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: 14,186
ISTFlyer, can you please clarify something, regarding the M&S lounge, you state above that E+ will be able to bring in immediate family members (as is currently the case), the not ideally written TK site says clumsily that it is only ONE family member. Can you tell us where you got your text from? Thanks.
I would rely on the Turkish version as I imagine the text is mistranslated from Turkish to English.
Also my previous experiences, traveling with a large group in Atatürk Airport; my friends who have children were able to enter the international lounge with two children and their partner without any issue. Even Elite Plus members was able to use the direct lounge entry with two of their children.
Also this page indicates;
Elite Plus üyelerimiz hem Türk Hava Yolları hem de AnadoluJet iç hat ve Türkiye çıkışlı dış hat uçuşlarında, beraber seyahat ettikleri aile bireyleri (eş ve çocuklar) ya da bir misafirleriyle (aynı gün başka bir Star Alliance üyesi havayolu tarafından gerçekleştirilen uçuş için düzenlenmiş biniş kartını göstererek) birlikte özel yolcu salonlarından faydalanabilir.
Elite Plus members may benefit from the CIP lounges together with their family members (spouse and children) or one of their guests (by submitting the boarding pass issued for a different Star Alliance operated flight on the same day) while traveling on both Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet domestic flights plus international flights departing from Turkey.
Apr 3, 2019, 6:30 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 10
Thanks for clarifying ISTFlyer. Transferring from international to domestic and I hope the domestic lounge is better than the one in Ataturk
Apr 3, 2019, 11:43 pm
#25
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 246
Apr 3, 2019, 11:52 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Istanbul
Programs: QR Privilege Club
Posts: 137
My gutfeel, only: I expect the Miles & Smiles Lounge may have inferior F & B catering than the Business Lounge. Not because it will be (has to be) more crowded than the Business Lounge. In the past times, at Ataturk AP Istanbul Lounge, there used to be some characters who would carry out substantial amount of food, even bottled/canned beverages and cutlery for future consumption. I'm not talking about an apple or a banana or a sandwich or a can of Coke being carried out!... 
Hard to believe, but that has been a fact.
So, I believe they will serve accordingly, t discourage those unsocial types...
Hard to believe, but that has been a fact. So, I believe they will serve accordingly, t discourage those unsocial types...
Apr 4, 2019, 2:09 am
#27
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
My gutfeel, only: I expect the Miles & Smiles Lounge may have inferior F & B catering than the Business Lounge. Not because it will be (has to be) more crowded than the Business Lounge. In the past times, at Ataturk AP Istanbul Lounge, there used to be some characters who would carry out substantial amount of food, even bottled/canned beverages and cutlery for future consumption. I'm not talking about an apple or a banana or a sandwich or a can of Coke being carried out!... Hard to believe, but that has been a fact.
So, I believe they will serve accordingly, t discourage those unsocial types...
Hard to believe, but that has been a fact.So, I believe they will serve accordingly, t discourage those unsocial types...
I think there's a post somewhere about a guy challenged in the lounge about the bottles of whisky he'd been busy secreting in his bags.
So Big Brother is monitoring us, but was probably not overly interested in the lady I watched painstakingly filling two "liquids" bags, one with cheeses and olives, the other with fragile-looking slices of cake.
But i have no idea if she, or the whisky-man, were in the lounge on the strength of class of travel, or FFP status.
Apr 4, 2019, 2:40 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 30
Has anyone found any information about paying for additional guests at the new Miles&Smiles lounge? I'm TK Elite, and I'll be flying TK internationally in June from the new IST with 4 guests (the wife and 3 in-laws), and I'm trying to get them all into a lounge. Might have to try out the IGA lounge instead...
Apr 4, 2019, 8:01 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
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: 14,186
Has anyone found any information about paying for additional guests at the new Miles&Smiles lounge? I'm TK Elite, and I'll be flying TK internationally in June from the new IST with 4 guests (the wife and 3 in-laws), and I'm trying to get them all into a lounge. Might have to try out the IGA lounge instead...
Edit: Corrected information
Last edited by ISTFlyer; Apr 5, 2019 at 9:40 am Reason: stated