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
Nov 24, 2019, 6:31 am
#301
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
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Not yet.
Yes you would need to clear immigration and the visa costs ( if applicable ) would be on your own expense
You would not be able to use the departure lounge from the landside of the airport.
Turkish Airlines currently does not offer arrival based lounge access at Istanbul.
The only way to access lounge after arrival is if you are a transfer passenger and if you're holding a valid onward boarding pass, you could go to the departure lounges after arrival before clearing immigration but this would involve clearing security ( once after arrival, once after coming back to the airport from the tour ).
Turkish Airlines currently does not offer arrival based lounge access at Istanbul.
The only way to access lounge after arrival is if you are a transfer passenger and if you're holding a valid onward boarding pass, you could go to the departure lounges after arrival before clearing immigration but this would involve clearing security ( once after arrival, once after coming back to the airport from the tour ).
Nov 25, 2019, 7:27 am
#303
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No, you can't book a tour from the lounge. Normally, you are not supposed to visit the lounge, if you're taking one of the tours but no one would check if you did or not.
The only way to book a tour is to present yourself at the respective desk at the arrivals level after leaving the baggage claim hall.
Nov 25, 2019, 3:33 pm
#304
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
If one should take an Istanbul Tour, would it be ok to leave the carry-on bag in the lounge locker? I know at least one airport (AUH) that does not allow pax to exit the airport while their bag is still in the lounge locker. They claim to get a notification from passport control when that happens, and eject the luggage to the "lost" area.
I don't think that would be an issue at IST lounges, as their lockers are self served.
I don't think that would be an issue at IST lounges, as their lockers are self served.
Nov 25, 2019, 3:58 pm
#305
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You could use the lockers in IST without any kind of personal information so that won't be the issue in IST.
Nov 26, 2019, 10:42 am
#307
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Follow signs for A and B gates. After taking the escalator down to the gate level. You would see a secret door next to those escalators. Just go through those doors and you are in the transfer level which you could proceed to immigration.
There is a detailed post ( with images ) in the TK forum but unfortunately, you need to search it by yourself.
There is a detailed post ( with images ) in the TK forum but unfortunately, you need to search it by yourself.
Dec 10, 2019, 2:33 pm
#308
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
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First time at new IST lounge
Currently in the business class lounge and think it's beautiful. However, I do have one gripe. There is only bottled water available and they are tiny 330 ml bottles. I doubt my one person crusade makes much of a difference, but I refuse to use bottled water. (I can't stand to see all that plastic waste wash up on the shores of our oceans.) It's a shame with a brand new airport/lounge, that they could not make an alternative available.
I always travel with my own bottle which I fill up from 5 gal dispensers or filtered water fountains. However, this beautiful new lounge has neither. Just the tiny bottles which mean a lot of plastic for very little water. I've resorted to drinking hot water with lemon while I'm here, but I usually like to board a plane with my own full water bottle.
Does anyone know where I can get cold filtered water? I've asked a few staff members and they keep pointing me to the array of plastic bottles. Do they have filtered water in the kitchen. Are there dispensers in the airport?
I googled whether tap water is safe to drink and found this:
I always travel with my own bottle which I fill up from 5 gal dispensers or filtered water fountains. However, this beautiful new lounge has neither. Just the tiny bottles which mean a lot of plastic for very little water. I've resorted to drinking hot water with lemon while I'm here, but I usually like to board a plane with my own full water bottle.
Does anyone know where I can get cold filtered water? I've asked a few staff members and they keep pointing me to the array of plastic bottles. Do they have filtered water in the kitchen. Are there dispensers in the airport?
I googled whether tap water is safe to drink and found this:
As mentioned, the tap water nearly everywhere in Turkey can be considered safe to drink, but in many places it does not taste very good.
Dec 10, 2019, 2:40 pm
#309
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Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
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In Turkey, no one drinks tap water as bottled water is cheap and filtering tap water would cost much more than purchasing bottled water.
Probably, you wouldn't find filtered water anywhere in Istanbul Airport.
Probably, you wouldn't find filtered water anywhere in Istanbul Airport.
Dec 10, 2019, 8:55 pm
#312
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Sorry, hard to remember you’re in a developing country when you are in a state of the art, brand new airport. However, there surely is drinking water available that doesn’t taste bad and doesn’t come out of 330 ml bottles for making coffee, tea, wine, beer, cooking, etc. I avoid plastic as much as I can regardless of where I am. Never thought I’d have to apologize for that.
Dec 11, 2019, 2:28 am
#314
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Sorry, hard to remember you’re in a developing country when you are in a state of the art, brand new airport. However, there surely is drinking water available that doesn’t taste bad and doesn’t come out of 330 ml bottles for making coffee, tea, wine, beer, cooking, etc. I avoid plastic as much as I can regardless of where I am. Never thought I’d have to apologize for that.
I've certainly imbibed tap water and noticed no alien taste. But habits die hard ....
Long and short: fill up your trusty bottle from a tap or give in to bottle culture.
Dec 11, 2019, 3:26 am
#315
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