long layover at ESB
 

1. Will the check-in baggage go directly from Izmir to final destination since the layover time at ESB is over 12 hours? Or I have to get my boarding pass of the international segament at ESB airport.
I know the check-in time is usually 3 hours time before the departure.

2. Once I arrive at ESB, can I go out of the airport and visit the city during the 12 hours or i have to stay at the transfer zone?

3. If I decide to stay at the airport, is there any lounge for the long layover time? I am United platimum = star A gold.
The location of thee lounge is after the depature zone, after I get the departure stamp on my passport? any lounge before the depature zone?
I knew SAW airport doesn't have lounge.

4. for this flight, I can get fully refund if my PCR test is posstive regardless the fare class ?

Basically, I hope to stay inside the lounge to do some computer work while getting some food for dinner.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...32c996e69e.jpg

1. Yes, your bags will be checked through.
2. If you are a tourist ( exempt from the curfew ), yes you could leave the airport.
3. All lounges in the ESB International Terminal are closed. The TK Domestic Lounge is open but it would require passing security three times. Although, check the opening hours as they might have limited hours due to the curfew.
4. AFAIK, that applies for solely domestic travel. Not for international itineraries but I'm not 100% sure.

Why are you flying via Ankara when presumably there more and much better connections via IST? Much cheaper?

I am in Izmir: I don't see any cheap option from IST/SAW ?

Indeed, for the date that the OP is traveling, transferring via IST is almost x4 of transferring via IST or SAW.
By the way, there is a direct ADB-KBP flight by PC on 23:50 that day for ₺442 ( without baggage ) and ₺560 ( with baggage ).

Thank you. I've been thinking of the nonstop pegus flight option. my hotel check out time is 12pm or 1pm. so i still need to kill time for the whole afternoon and evening in Izmir. if I spend 12 hours at ESB, i can sit down, enjoy the free food and using wifi at a lounge. but you just said ESB has no depature lounge anymore due to COVID 19. is there anyway you can figure out the domestic lounge opening hour ? thank you so much.

Unfortunately, TK doesn't publish their lounge opening hours online thus I don't know a way to check the operating hours of the ESB domestic lounge. However, it would most likely close after the last domestic departure that day which might be much earlier than your flight.

Also, don't expect proper food at the ESB Domestic Lounge. Just some pre-packaged sandwiches, cakes, etc...

Is it easy to get an airport bus of ESB to the attraction place of Ankara, like IST/SAW airport? so i can spend the rest of the day in the city if lounge option is not good.
one of the reason I choose TK flight option over Pegasus is to explore Ankara without making an additional trip, at the same time to get TK miles.

why did you say" it would require passing security three times" ? i am assuming the lounge is before the international departure zone?

The transportation similar to IST/SAW, there is a bus line to the city that takes around an hour but due to the lockdown and 15 May being a holiday ( Ramadan ) the buses run within 1 hour intervals ( if you miss one you wait 60 minutes ) and almost everywhere in Ankara would be closed.

For the three security part, the TK Domestic Lounge is not inside the terminal, it has a separate entrance outside. So, you clear security three times.
1- When entering the lounge from it's separate entrance
2- When entering the main terminal building
3- When clearing passport control and heading airside

update: I finally took the nonstop flight from ADB to KBP by Pegasus, so I won't be able to provide any updated info about ESB