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TK in Istanbul Airport: Thread #2 - Lounges

Old Apr 2, 2019, 3:31 am
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Last edit by: starflyergold
Unlike like Atatrk 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.
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TK in Istanbul Airport: Thread #2 - Lounges

Old May 3, 2019, 1:30 pm
  #166  
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
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Originally Posted by ISTFlyer
This would work as Stewie Mac mentioned.
HI, for point #3 , the immigration entrance. Is this a special entrance thats less crowded to get out of the airport ? I am asking since I have a 8 hrt layover and trying to figure out the fastest way to get out of the airport.
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Old May 3, 2019, 4:07 pm
  #167  
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Originally Posted by avrionis
HI, for point #3 , the immigration entrance. Is this a special entrance thats less crowded to get out of the airport ? I am asking since I have a 8 hrt layover and trying to figure out the fastest way to get out of the airport.
It's not a special immigration area. It's a secret pathway that you could access the arrivals hall from the departures level. It would lead to the regular immigration area which you could use the Turkish Airlines Fast Track lane.
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Old May 3, 2019, 8:19 pm
  #168  
 
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So can we have some confirmation: there is no real difference between the M&S lounge and the Business lounge? Why would that be? Also, do ALL TK passengers get access to M&S?
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Old May 3, 2019, 8:47 pm
  #169  
 
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Originally Posted by googs185
So can we have some confirmation: there is no real difference between the M&S lounge and the Business lounge? Why would that be? Also, do ALL TK passengers get access to M&S?
- yes, they are almost identical
- dont know
- no
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Old May 3, 2019, 8:59 pm
  #170  
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Originally Posted by googs185
So can we have some confirmation: there is no real difference between the M&S lounge and the Business lounge? Why would that be? Also, do ALL TK passengers get access to M&S?
For the last question, check the WIKI. There is the eligibility chart over there.
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Old May 3, 2019, 11:55 pm
  #171  
 
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Looks like the arts/museum section, a collaboration with Istanbul Modern Art Museum, in the business lounge (same space where the M&S lounge has the movie theater) has opened:

https://www.dailysabah.com/arts-cult...tanbul-airport
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Old May 4, 2019, 1:43 am
  #172  
 
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Originally Posted by googs185
So can we have some confirmation: there is no real difference between the M&S lounge and the Business lounge? Why would that be? ...
In the future, they may introduce differences between these lounges as they find fit to support their business model.
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Old May 9, 2019, 10:44 am
  #173  
 
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Originally Posted by gr8pirate
Looks like the arts/museum section, a collaboration with Istanbul Modern Art Museum, in the business lounge (same space where the M&S lounge has the movie theater) has opened:

https://www.dailysabah.com/arts-cult...tanbul-airport
Im in the Business Lounge now. Visited the M&S Lounge as well and the only difference I noticed was that the Business lounge has the Istanbul Modern istead of the movie theater in the M&S Lounge, as gr8pirate wrote. Both lounges have the same food offering, seating, etc.


Istanbul Modern, Business Lounge


Istanbul Modern with a selection from the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art collection


Movie Theater, M&S Lounge
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Old May 14, 2019, 10:00 am
  #174  
 
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I'm an Elite Plus member planning on connecting through IST, taking my wife and 2 adult children. Does anyone have any experience with lounge access in this case? What are my chances that we can all use the new lounge?
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Old May 14, 2019, 10:17 am
  #175  
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Yes you can, that has been established already.
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Old May 14, 2019, 9:51 pm
  #176  
 
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Originally Posted by hfly
Yes you can, that has been established already.
I couldnt find a reference to the E+ perk of guesting immediate family into the international lounge here (quick skim, might have missed it) and theres no mention of it in the new lounge pages on the TK website either. However, its still alive deep in the E+ benefits somewhere on the website.

I really do hope that one stays around!
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Old May 14, 2019, 10:50 pm
  #177  
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Originally Posted by gr8pirate


I couldnt find a reference to the E+ perk of guesting immediate family into the international lounge here (quick skim, might have missed it) and theres no mention of it in the new lounge pages on the TK website either. However, its still alive deep in the E+ benefits somewhere on the website.

I really do hope that one stays around!
See post #22 in this thread. Turkish Airlines defines family as a partner and children of the main cardholder so this could be confusing. E+ passengers could only benefit guesting their family at Turkish Airlines Lounges in Turkey when flying with Turkish Airlines.

However, last June when I was traveling to Greece on Aegean Airlines, back in Atatrk, someone in our party managed to enter the lounge with additional 2 family members alongside himself. In this situation, the main cardholder was an Elite Plus member.
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Old May 15, 2019, 3:18 am
  #178  
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IST you had already identified this as a translation problem. I had no problem bringing my side and kids into the lounge last week.
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Old May 16, 2019, 9:36 pm
  #179  
 
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Press release out of India, I have no idea how good the information is.

Another Indian article / press release mentions five more to the as-of-now-operating three, but is behind a paywall.

m&s, business, exclusive, domestic and arrivals would be 5 total.

m&s, business, domestic plus 5 more would be nice :-)

Travel News - Turkish Airlines to open 5 lounges at the new Istanbul Airport TravelBiz Monitor
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Old May 16, 2019, 10:51 pm
  #180  
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Originally Posted by gr8pirate
Press release out of India, I have no idea how good the information is.

Another Indian article / press release mentions five more to the as-of-now-operating three, but is behind a paywall.

m&s, business, exclusive, domestic and arrivals would be 5 total.

m&s, business, domestic plus 5 more would be nice :-)

Travel News - Turkish Airlines to open 5 lounges at the new Istanbul Airport TravelBiz Monitor
I think it's 5 in total. What would be the purpose of opening another three lounges in this lounge layout?
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