Review: Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class

January 9, 2024June 3, 2026 Koen 0 Comments

This review covers my Turkish Airlines business class flight on the Airbus A350 from Bucharest (OTP) to Istanbul (IST).

Flight to Istanbul

When I started to plan and book my trip to England, little did I know that I would find myself standing in front of the check-in counter of a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.

I was actually booked on a direct British Airways flight from Bucharest to London, but when that flight got cancelled and BA didn’t provide any rebooking options within a week, I had to arrange an alternative flight myself and claim back the costs.

Instead of my original flight to London, I booked a last-minute Turkish Airlines business class flight to Birmingham via Istanbul.

It was quite a lot of last-minute stress, but now that I stood at the airport in front of the check-in desk I could at least look forward to the experience.

After all, Turkish Airlines arguably offers a much better business class product than British Airways on intra-European flights.

That was certainly the case for the first of my two flights, as the short Bucharest to Istanbul leg was operated by a proper widebody plane – an Airbus A350.

Although I have flown Turkish Airlines numerous times before in both business and economy class (Turkish Miles&Smiles is also my Star Alliance frequent flyer programme of choice, in which I hold gold status) it marked my first time on their Airbus A350.

turkish airlines business class check-in desk — *Turkish Airlines business class check-in desk. ©Paliparan*

Bucharest Otopeni Airport

The queues at Bucharest Otopeni Airport are always light in the evening and I was through security and passport control in no time.

There are two business lounges at Bucharest Airport, namely the TAROM Business Lounge and the MasterCard Lounge.

Both airport lounges have identical facilities and food and beverage offerings, but as the MasterCard Lounge has much better views over the apron this is where I usually head to.

I enjoyed an Ursus beer and did some planespotting while I waited for the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 to arrive.

bucharest otopeni airport boarding gate — *Bucharest Otopeni Airport boarding gate. ©Paliparan*

ursus beer mastercard business lounge bucharest otopeni airport — *Enjoying a beer in the business lounge. ©Paliparan*

lufthansa bucharest otopeni airport — *Lufthansa Airbus A320 taxiing across the apron of Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

tarom boeing 737-700 bucharest otopeni airport — *TAROM Boeing 737-700. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines airbus a350 business class review bucharest airport — *My Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 arrives at the gate. ©Paliparan*

Boarding

Boarding for my flight to Istanbul started on time, with business class passengers and Star Alliance gold members being asked to come forward first for priority boarding.

It’s always a cool sight when you see a widebody plane at the gate for your short-haul European flight.

In addition to the Airbus A350, Turkish Airlines frequently operates the Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 on the route to Bucharest, alongside narrow-body planes like the Airbus A321.

Turkish Airlines has plenty of other European routes that are frequently operated by a widebody plane, such as London Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt and Athens.

boarding gate turkish airlines bucharest airport — *Boarding gate for my Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines airbus a350 — *The Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 which would fly me to Istanbul this evening. ©Paliparan*

Bucharest (OTP) to Istanbul (IST)
Turkish Airlines – Flight TK1046 – Airbus A350-900
Plane registration number: TC-LGD
Business Class – Seat 6A
Departure: 22:00 – Arrival: 23:20

istanbul bucharest map — *It’s just a short hop between Istanbul and Bucharest. ©Great Circle Mapper*

Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 cabin

As I stepped into the business class cabin of the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350, I was impressed by its elegant and contemporary looks due to the grey-and-black colours used on the seats and bulkhead.

The business class cabin on the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 features 32 seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring direct aisle access for every seat.

The business class seats are all staggered, with the window seats in the even rows being located closer to the window and separated from the aisle by a side console, while the seats in the odd-numbered rows are located closer to the aisle.

If you are travelling alone, my pick of the seats would therefore be one of the true window seats in the even-numbered rows, as you will have more privacy and less disturbance from crew or passengers walking along the aisle.

The seats in the middle section are also staggered, with those in even-numbered rows being spaced further apart, while the seats in the odd-numbered rows are right next to each other, and therefore would be the pick of the bunch if you are travelling with your partner or a close friend.

turkish airlines airbus a350 business class cabin flight review — *The business class cabin on the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350. ©Paliparan*

window seats turkish airlines business class a350 — *The window seats are staggered, with some being closer to the window while others are closer to the aisle. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines airbus a350 business class cabin — *The middle seats are staggered too, with the seats in half of the rows being right next to each other, while in the other half of the rows the seats are further apart. ©Paliparan*

*Inside the business class cabin. ©Paliparan*

Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 business class seat

The Turkish Airlines business class seats on the Airbus A350 are all cocooned in a hard shell, which on the inside is covered with some fine-patterned fabric that give it an elegant look.

Although these business class seats aren’t fully enclosed and don’t have sliding doors, they still offer a lot of privacy as due to the shell you won’t easily make eye-contact with other passengers.

The business class seat on the Airbus A350 felt quite spacious too and there was enough room to wiggle your feet around in the footwell, which didn’t feel restricted at all.

Of course, the seat turns into a fully flat bed, with plenty of space to sleep in whatever position you prefer.

In the compartment above your side console you can find headphones, as well as conveniently located power outlets (both a power socket and USB charging port).

This compartment also offers plenty of space to store some small personal belongings, such as your passport or glasses.

It also features a fold-out mirror, which is a nice touch.

The seat control were responsive and easy to use as well.

Overall, I was perfectly satisfied with the comfort of my seat, and it was a pity I could only enjoy it on this one-hour flight instead of a proper long-haul.

turkish airlines business class seat airbus a350 — *Seat 6A was my seat on the flight. ©Paliparan*

business class window seat — *Business class window seat. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines business class seat fully flat bed airbus a350 — *The seat converts to a fully flat bed. ©Paliparan*

screen in-flight entertainment airbus a350 turkish airlines business class — *A large TV screen and a window for entertainment during the flight. ©Paliparan*

privacy shield business class seat — *The seats have small privacy shields that prevent direct eye contact with other passengers seated in your row. ©Paliparan*

storage compartment — *Storage compartment and power outlets next to your seat. ©Paliparan*

light controls — *Light controls. ©Paliparan*

seat controls — *Seat and in-flight entertainment controls. ©Paliparan*

footwell airbus a350 — *The footwell was large and didn’t feel restricted. ©Paliparan*

Pre-departure service

Shortly after the first business class passengers had settled into their seats, one of the crew members came by with refreshment towels.

There was also a pre-departure beverage service, with the choice of drinks being between freshly squeezed orange juice, lemonade with mint, and water.

The mint lemonade served by Turkish Airlines is a personal favourite of mine, and I almost always opt for it as my pre-departure drink of choice because it is so refreshing.

*Before departure, refreshment towels were distributed. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines business class koen — *Yours truly enjoying his Turkish Airlines business class on the Airbus A350. ©Paliparan*

Departure

The load in business class was relatively light today, as there were only six other passengers or so in the forward cabin.

We departed from the gate on schedule and swiftly taxied to the runway, which at Bucharest Otopeni Airport is just a short distance away.

As it was already dark, there wasn’t much of a view from the window.

Fortunately, the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is equipped with cameras on the tail, as well as at the front and underneath the fuselage.

You can therefore watch how the plane takes off on your in-flight entertainment screen.

pushback gate bucharest otopeni airport — *Pushback from the gate. ©Paliparan*

bucharest otopeni airport terminal — *The terminal of Bucharest Otopeni Airport as seen from the plane. ©Paliparan*

airbus a350 tail cam departure — *Lining up for take-off on the runway, as seen from the tail cam on the Airbus A350. ©Paliparan*

Meal service

Although the flight time between Bucharest and Istanbul was one hour and 20 minutes on paper, in reality the actual time spent in the air is much shorter.

The actual flying time can be as low as 45 minutes, depending on the exact flight path.

It’s therefore highly impressive that Turkish Airlines manages to do a full meal service in business class on this extremely short international flight.

Unless you have requested a special meal in advance, there is no choice of meal, as everyone in business class is served the exact same dish.

When it comes to drinks, you can choose out of a selection of juices, teas, coffee, soft drinks, as well as alcoholic beverages.

Beer, white, red and sparkling wine, rakı, as well as liqueurs and other strong alcoholic drinks are all available in Turkish Airlines business class on intra-European flights.

You can see the full menu for my business class flight from Bucharest to Istanbul below.

turkish airlines business class menu — *Menu for the short flight between Bucharest and Istanbul. ©Paliparan*

meal service menu turkish airlines — *There was no choice of meal on the flight, as everyone received the same selection. ©Paliparan*

Food

The meal, which was served on a single tray, was served almost immediately after we reached cruising altitude.

Dinner consisted out of a selection of Turkish meze, cucumber yoghurt, sea bass and julienne vegetables en papillote, a selection of different cheeses, as well as a mascarpone passion fruit tart.

To drink, I enjoyed a glass of white wine.

Everything tasted delicious – which wasn’t much of a surprise as I think Turkish Airlines and its catering partner Do&Co consistently excel in their business class food offerings.

Sure, the food might not be as fancy as you can find with some other airlines in business class, nor is the Turkish Airlines wine selection particularly impressive.

However, this is more than offset by the consistency and quality of the food that is served, and I also really appreciate Turkish Airlines’ dedication to highlight local delicacies from different regions across Turkey.

After the delicious meal, there was still plenty of time left for me to enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee.

business class meal turkish airlines airbus a350 — *Turkish mezze, sea bass, a dessert and some cheese: A great meal for what is just a short one-hour flight to Istanbul! ©Paliparan*

fish vegetables dish turkish airlines — *The fish and vegetables dish after I took off the parchment paper. ©Paliparan*

turkish coffee turkish airlines business class airbus a350 — *Some Turkish coffee to conclude the meal. ©Paliparan*

In-flight entertainment

Although I didn’t have time to watch a film due to the short flight time, I did browse through the in-flight entertainment system on board the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350.

The entertainment selection was impressively extensive, offering hundreds of films, series, games, and a vast music library.

Operating the in-flight entertainment system was straightforward, and the headphones provided were of high quality, effectively cancelling out the noise from the cabin and plane.

Moreover, the actual in-flight entertainment screen at my business class seat was large and had a high resolution.

turkish airlines airbus a350 business class IFE entertainment — *Browsing through the in-flight entertainment (IFE) selection on the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350. ©Paliparan*

ife selection — *IFE selection. ©Paliparan*

Wi-Fi internet

The Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is equipped with Wi-Fi internet, and passengers in business class get complimentary access with unlimited data.

It’s enormously straightforward to connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi network, as the only thing you need to provide is your seat number and surname.

turkish airlines wifi internet — *Turkish Airlines Wi-Fi. ©Paliparan*

Business class lavatories

When the fasten seatbelt sign went on as we approached Istanbul, I had a quick look at the business class lavatory.

The business class lavatory on the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is spacious and stocked with Molton Brown toiletries.

business class lavatory turkish airlines airbus a350 — *Business class lavatory on the Airbus A350. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines molton brown — *Molton Brown toiletries inside the business class lavatory. ©Paliparan*

Service

The Turkish Airlines flight attendants on my flight from Bucharest to Istanbul provided a friendly and attentive service.

While Turkish Airlines might not provide the most polished business class service, I consistently find their crews among the friendliest, reflecting the hospitable nature of Turkish people.

Landing in Istanbul

With a population of well over 15 million people, landing in Istanbul is always impressive as the urban spread seems to go on and on.

I certainly enjoyed our holding pattern over the city suburbs, watching all the lights of the thousands of cars and buildings below.

After a short while, we started our final approach towards Istanbul Airport, where we landed on time.

Istanbul Airport has an extremely large surface area, and taxiing to your gate can easily take 20 minutes or more if you have the bad luck of landing on the far opposite side of the airport from your arrival gate.

This time, it also took a good 20 minutes before we reached our parking spot.

istanbul arrival view — *Istanbul arrival view. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines airbus a350 business class — *Looking back over the engine and wing of the Airbus A350. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport approach arrival — *Final approach towards Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

tail cam airbus a350 — *Watching the landing on the tail cam. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport night view landing — *Landing at Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

taxiing istanbul airport — *Taxiing along the massive terminal towards our gate. ©Paliparan*

Arrival

After bidding the crew farewell and thanking them for an enjoyable flight, I disembarked the plane.

Depending on your flight’s origin, you’ll either be directed straight to the airport concourse for a connecting flight, or need to pass through transit security first.

Weirdly enough, there doesn’t seem to be much consistency when it comes to flights from Romania, as about half of the times it’s deemed as a “clean” point of origin and you can walk straight into the terminal, while other times you are required to re-clear security.

Fortunately, that was not required this time, as Turkish Airlines gate agents guided passengers with Istanbul as their final destination to the arrivals hall at the end of the jetbridge, while those with connecting flights were directed straight into the terminal.

You won’t expect to see something lost while arriving at your destination or transfer. Custom Name Badges are the ultimate travel assistant. Customize your name and contact information, and add your favourite emoji. Pin it to your bags and it will be like a beacon to illuminate your carry-on luggage.

It can increase the chances of finding it if it is accidentally lost. At security, the unique design will attract the attention of the staff and make it easier for them to identify your luggage. Don’t let your belongings get lost in transit. Customize a name badge that is as unique as your travel.

istanbul airport — *After a short but fun flight, I had arrived at Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

The Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 is a delight to fly in business class, as it has comfortable seats offering lots of privacy, complimentary Wi-Fi internet, and good in-flight entertainment.

One of the best aspects of the Turkish Airlines business class product is the exceptional food, as Turkish consistently delivers delicious meals that showcase local cuisine.

Even on my Turkish Airlines flight – which had less than an hour of actual airtime – business class passengers were served a full three-course meal, with time to spare for coffee after.

Enjoying Turkish Airlines’ business class aboard the Airbus A350 doesn’t require a long-haul flight, as Turkish frequently operates widebody planes to several European destinations.

I really can’t think of a more enjoyable way to fly within Europe than on a Turkish Airlines widebody plane like the Airbus A350.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘From Cornwall to Yorkshire: Train Travel Through England‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. My British Airways Cancellation and Compensation Saga
2. Review: Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class Bucharest to Istanbul (current chapter)
3. Review: Turkish Airlines Business Lounge Istanbul Airport
4. Review: Turkish Airlines Airbus A321 Business Class Istanbul to Birmingham
5. Review: CrossCountry Train Birmingham International to Reading
6. Thirsty in Tyburnia: Spending a Sunny Afternoon in London
7. London Paddington and the GWR First Class Lounge
8. Review: GWR Night Riviera Sleeper Train London to Penzance, Cornwall
9. Penzance: A Visit to Cornwall’s Down-to-Earth Seaside Town
10. By Train to St Ives: A Trip on the Branch Line From St Erth
11. St Ives: Cornwall’s Most Picturesque Seaside Town
12. St Michael’s Mount: A Visit to Cornwall’s Most Iconic Sight
13. Review: Great Western Railway (GWR) Penzance to Plymouth
14. GWR Pullman Dining: Great Food on One of Britain’s Best Trains
15. Review: Avanti West Coast First Class London to Manchester
16. A Dewsbury Lock-In: A Night in Britain’s Most Run-Down Town