Review: Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 Business Class

February 13, 2026February 13, 2026 Koen 0 Comments

This review covers my Turkish Airlines business class flight on the Boeing 777 from Bucharest (OTP) to Istanbul (IST).

Flying to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines

On a recent trip from Bucharest to London, the best flight option by far was with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.

Flying with Turkish Airlines is always enjoyable on short- and mid-haul routes because it provides proper business class seating on most of its fleet, unlike most other European carriers.

Indeed, on intra-European flights – especially to premium destinations or on routes with high passenger or freight demand – Turkish Airlines even operates widebody aircraft with proper lie-flat seats in business class.

On my previous intra-European business class journey with Turkish Airlines, I enjoyed their Airbus A350 with lie-flat seats and all-aisle access, as well as the highly comfortable leather recliners on the Turkish Airbus A321.

This time, my trip would include flights on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 and Boeing 787, and I was certainly looking forward to the journey.

I had flown the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 before in economy class from Tokyo to Istanbul, but this flight marked my first time in business class on this aircraft.

turkish airlines boeing 777 business class review — *Turkish Airlines Boeing 777. ©Paliparan*

A visit to the business lounge

Bucharest Otopeni Airport is not a place where you want to linger for long before your flight, so I would not recommend arriving any earlier than necessary.

Although there is no fast-track security at Bucharest Otopeni Airport, queues usually move quickly, and the multiple daily Turkish Airlines departures generally fall outside the busiest early morning departure bank, so you avoid the worst of the crowds.

As Romania is in the Schengen zone and Turkey is not, you must pass through passport control to reach the non-Schengen part of the terminal, though queues again usually move quickly.

The non-Schengen business lounge at Bucharest Otopeni Airport serves all airlines departing from this part of the terminal.

It is a rather poor lounge, but it is certainly preferable to waiting in the public area.

bucharest otopeni airport non-schengen business lounge — *Stairs and lift leading to the mezzanine level, home to the non-Schengen business lounge at Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

non-schengen business lounge bucharest otopeni airport — *Seats in the non-Schengen business lounge at Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

Boarding

Turkish Airlines flights normally use a jet bridge at Bucharest Otopeni Airport, but unusually, we had a bus gate this time, as a Cygnus Air cargo plane (!) was occupying the jet bridge typically used for the morning Turkish Airlines flight.

Unsurprisingly, boarding was rather chaotic, and priority boarding was not enforced, though this mattered little in practice, as even if it had been, you would still have ended up on the same bus as the first group of economy passengers.

On the plus side, boarding by bus does mean you get some great views of the plane during boarding.

It is certainly quite a feeling to board a large widebody aircraft such as this Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 via the stairs.

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

turkish airlines flight istanbul — *My Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul was departing from a bus gate at the basement level of the terminal. ©Paliparan*

cygnus air boeing 757 cargo plane — *A Cygnus Air Boeing 757 cargo plane was occupying the stand in front of the jet bridge normally used by Turkish Airlines flights from Bucharest. ©Paliparan*

hisky airbus a321 — *Passing by a HySky Airbus A321 during the bus ride from the gate to our plane. ©Paliparan*

dan air airbus a320 — *Dan Air Airbus A320. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines boeing 777 — *The Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 that would fly me to Istanbul. ©Paliparan*

boeing 777 turkish airlines business class review — *Boarding a widebody plane like the Boeing 777 by stairs is always a pleasure. ©Paliparan*

Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 business class cabin

Once I entered the aircraft, I was warmly welcomed by the cabin crew and shown to my seat.

Turkish Airlines has two different Boeing 777 cabin configurations: one with 28 seats in business class and 372 in economy, and a more premium-heavy version with 49 seats in business class and 300 in economy.

My flight was operated by an aircraft with the latter configuration, featuring 49 business class seats spread across four rows in a larger forward cabin, as well as a slightly smaller business class cabin with three rows of seats, located between the main galley and economy class.

Regardless of the exact Boeing 777 variant, the business class seating layout is the same, with seats arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration.

It’s always a good idea to consult a high-quality seat map to see exactly how the business class cabin is configured and what the differences are between the two variants of the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777.

As always, Aerolopa has the most detailed seat maps.

Note that the window seats in the last row of the forward business class cabin (4A, 4K) have a missing window, making it harder to look outside as you have to lean forward considerably, so I would personally avoid them.

Outdated, or surprisingly good?

A lot has already been said about the 2-3-2 business class seating on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777, and it’s clear that these outdated seats are far from being world-leading.

While most business class products these days offer direct aisle access at every seat, that’s not the case on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777.

In fact, you could even end up in a middle seat in business class – something unthinkable on most other major airlines, apart from the old business class on the Emirates Boeing 777, another notorious example of an outdated cabin layout.

Compared with the Turkish Airlines Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, which feature a 1-2-1 business class layout with direct aisle access at every seat, the seats on the Boeing 777 offer far less privacy – something particularly noticeable for solo travellers.

However, there are a few silver linings.

As flawed as the 2-3-2 business class layout on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 is for solo travellers, it can be an excellent option when travelling with a partner, family member, or close friend.

Unlike more modern business class seats, it’s easy to communicate with your seatmate on this aircraft, though in case you do end up being seated next to a stranger, there are privacy partition screens above the center console which you can pull out.

There are a few more advantages compared with more modern business class products, which we will see when we take a closer look at the seat.

seat configuration turkish airlines business class boeing 777 — *Business class seats on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 are in a 2-2-3-2 configuration. ©Paliparan*

three abreast seating — *The three-abreast seats in the middle aren’t ideal, unless there might be three of you travelling together. ©Paliparan*

business class cabin turkish airlines boeing 777 — *Boeing 777 business class cabin. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines business class boeing 777 seats — *Although these business class seats offer little privacy, they are great when you travel with a partner or friend. ©Paliparan*

Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 business class seat

I had opted for a window seat in the last row of the rear business class cabin (seat 7K), as I predicted it would give me the best chance of having an empty seat next to me.

Indeed, my calculations were spot on: while the forward business class cabin was almost completely full, the rear cabin had only two other passengers.

It sometimes staggers me why people feel the need to sit as far forward as possible, when choosing the rear business class cabin would provide so much more privacy!

Once you take your seat on board the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777, you immediately notice just how spacious these business class seats are.

The seat itself is comfortable, there is plenty of shoulder room, but it’s the generous, largely unrestricted legroom that really sets these seats apart.

While some people complain that the business class seats on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 feel rather cramped, with particularly narrow footwells restricting legroom, this is not an issue at all on the Boeing 777.

The business class seat on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 – which converts into a fully flat bed – is arguably more spacious and comfortable than those on the airline’s Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft.

A pillow and blanket are provided at each seat, and a mattress topper is available upon request.

If you’re willing to overlook the limited privacy and the less-than-ideal seating layout, this is by no means a bad business class seat.

seat 7k turkish airlines business class boeing 777 — *I was seated in 7K, a starboard window seat in the last row of the business class cabin. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines boeing 777 windows business class — *Three windows all to myself in business class on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines boeing 777 business class cabin — *I was the only passenger in the last row of the business class cabin. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines boeing 777 business class seat — *The business class seats on this Boeing 777 of Turkish Airlines are certainly spacious. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines business class seat fully flat bed boeing 777 — *This business class seat turns into an (almost) fully flat bed at a 177-degree angle. ©Paliparan*

Other seat details

Another feature I like about these ageing business class seats is the near-unlimited storage space.

This begins with the ottoman, under which you can easily stow a bag – saving you the effort of retrieving it from the overhead bins each time.

Directly above the ottoman, next to the in-flight entertainment screen, is a convenient storage compartment.

Next to your seat is another small storage compartment, which also contains the entertainment controller, power socket, and headphone jack.

Each seat also has an individual reading light, though unfortunately there are no air nozzles on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777.

On the plus side, the fold-out tray table is large and sturdy, making it easy to work on a laptop or simply enjoy your meal.

These tray tables can rotate, allowing you to get in and out of your seat without having to stow the table away.

ottoman business class seat — *There is plenty of storage space for a small bag under the ottoman. ©Paliparan*

*Next to the in-flight entertainment screen you can find some storage compartments. ©Paliparan*

seat controls — *Seats controls can be found next to the armrests, and are easy to use. ©Paliparan*

*There is a power socket next to your business class seat. ©Paliparan*

usb-A charging port — *Each seat also has a USB-A charging port. ©Paliparan*

fold-out tray table business class turkish airlines boeing 777 — *The fold-out tray table is large and sturdy. ©Paliparan*

*The tray table can be swiveled, allowing you to get in and out of your seat without having to fold it away. ©Paliparan*

Pre-departure service

While the ground crew was still busy loading freight containers and passengers’ bags into the hold of our Boeing 777, one of the cabin crew members who would be serving us in business class came by to introduce herself.

She presented us with the menu for today’s flight and later returned with pre-departure beverages.

As is customary in Turkish Airlines business class, you can choose between mint lemonade, raspberry juice, orange juice, or water as a pre-departure drink.

I opted for the refreshing mint lemonade, which was served with a bag of roasted hazelnuts.

As this was a short-haul flight, no amenity kit was provided, but on a long-haul Boeing 777 flight, Turkish Airlines would obviously supply one before departure.

airport workers freight — *Airport ground staff loading freight containers. ©Paliparan*

pre-departure drink turkish airlines business class boeing 777 — *Pre-departure drink and a bag of roasted hazelnuts. ©Paliparan*

koen turkish airlines mint lemonade — *Yours truly enjoying his Turkish Airlines mint lemonade. ©Paliparan*

Bucharest (OTP) to Istanbul (IST)
Turkish Airlines – Flight TK1044– Boeing 777-300ER
Plane registration number: TC-JJK
Business class – Seat 7K
Departure: 09:40 – Arrival: 11:10
Flight time: 1h30m – Distance: 264 miles

bucharest istanbul flight map — *It’s just a short flight from Bucharest to Istanbul. ©Great Circle Mapper*

Departure

Although boarding was completed relatively quickly for a widebody aircraft, it took a little longer for the ramp agents to load all the luggage and freight containers.

Once this was done, we were ready to depart for Istanbul.

The block time for our flight from Bucharest to Istanbul was 1 hour and 30 minutes, even though the journey usually takes around an hour.

The actual flying time is even shorter, as almost as much time is spent taxiing at both airports as in the air, especially at Istanbul’s mega-airport.

After a ten-minute taxi to the northernmost of the two runways at Bucharest Otopeni Airport, we lined up for departure.

At full throttle, we accelerated astonishingly fast down the runway and were airborne sooner than I expected for a fully loaded widebody plane like the Boeing 777.

The views on departure from Bucharest this late autumn morning were pleasant, with thin layers of clouds in the sky through which we climbed towards cruising altitude.

bucharest otopeni airport turkish airlines boeing 777 — *View from the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 on the apron of Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

taxiing runway — *Taxiing towards the runway. ©Paliparan*

TAROM hangar bucharest otopeni airport — *Riding by the TAROM hangar at Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

plane graveyard bucharest otopeni airport — *Bucharest Otopeni Airport plane graveyard. ©Paliparan*

plane graveyard tarom plane — *Part of the fuselage of a TAROM aeroplane. ©Paliparan*

runway turn — *Making the turn towards the runway. ©Paliparan*

bucharest otopeni airport runway — *Lining up for departure at the northernmost runway of Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

take-off bucharest otopeni airport — *Take-off from Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

take-off bucharest otopeni airport turkish airlines boeing 777 business class review — *Take-off view. ©Paliparan*

bucharest otopeni airport departure view — *View upon departure from Bucharest Otopeni Airport. ©Paliparan*

layer thin clouds view — *Thin layer of clouds above the Wallachian plain. ©Paliparan*

*Moody autumn skies upon departure from Bucharest. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines boeing 777 engine wing — *View across the engine and wing of our Boeing 777. ©Paliparan*

departure view — *Departure view. ©Paliparan*

clouds climbing plane engine wing — *Climbing through another layer of clouds. ©Paliparan*

cruising altitude boeing 777 turkish airlines business class` — *After a while, we reached cruising altitude. ©Paliparan*

Turkish Airlines business class menu

The business class meal service on the Turkish Airlines flight from Bucharest to Istanbul is expedited due to the extremely short flight time.

Although the quality and quantity of the meal are the same as on a longer short- or mid-haul Turkish Airlines flight, everything is served at once on a single tray, rather than the starter and main course being served separately.

Moreover, on such ultra short-haul flights in Turkish Airlines business class, there is no choice of main course, unlike on longer flights within Europe, or those between Turkey and North Africa, the Caucasus, and Middle East.

While we were still on the ground, one of the flight attendants had already come by to ask for our drink preference, as this would be served together with the meal on the same tray.

My flight had a breakfast service, and you can see the menu, including the drinks list, below.

turkish airlines business class menu boeing 777 bucharest to istanbul — *Turkish Airlines business class menu. ©Paliparan*

Meal service

The business class meal service began with a refreshment towel as soon as we reached cruising altitude.

Just moments later, the flight attendant brought my breakfast tray and shortly after returned with a bread basket, from which I could have my pick.

Turkish breakfasts are among the best in the world, and it’s no surprise that Turkish Airlines often aces breakfast in business class on its flights.

On my breakfast tray was a fresh fruit salad, along with smoked beef, a selection of cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, marinated olives, dried fig jam from Bodrum, and countryside butter from Trabzon.

There was also a bowl of some kind of banana-and-cinnamon-flavoured yoghurt topped with walnuts, as well as the main breakfast dish of gözleme, a traditional Turkish flatbread baked with scrambled eggs and spinach.

To drink, I had ordered a glass of orange juice, as well as a glass of champagne.

I was again highly impressed by the quality of this Turkish Airlines business class meal and enjoyed every single bite.

It’s also impressive that on such a short flight the crew manages to serve the meal so quickly, giving you just about enough time to finish everything.

Whether there is enough time to order a cup of tea or coffee after the meal depends on the flight.

I’ve had Bucharest to Istanbul flights where I managed a second drink after the meal, and others where we were already starting our descent while I was still finishing.

This flight fell somewhere in between, as we began our descent towards Istanbul almost as soon as I had finished the meal.

hot towel service — *Hot towel service before the meal. ©Paliparan*

breakfast turkish airlines business class boeing 777 — *The excellent breakfast served by Turkish Airlines on my flight to Istanbul. ©Paliparan*

bread simit turkish airlines business class breakfast meal — *From the bread basket, I had picked a bread roll and a simit, Turkey’s famous circular bread roll with sesame seeds. ©Paliparan*

In-flight entertainment

Turkish Airlines’ in-flight entertainment is quite good, offering a relatively large selection of films, including both new releases and classics, as well as TV series.

It also features a variety of games and a music library.

The only drawback is that the in-flight entertainment screens in business class on this Boeing 777 are rather outdated, with low resolution and positioned quite far from the seat.

You therefore have to lean forward quite a lot to use the touch screen, or else use the clunky remote control at your seat, which is equally inconvenient.

The headphones provided in business class are of decent quality.

As my flight was extremely short, I didn’t unwrap the headphones and simply put the route map on my screen and enjoyed the views from my window, as watching a film seemed pointless.

turkish airlines boeing 777 business class in-flight entertainment screen — *The in-flight entertainment screens in business class on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777. ©Paliparan*

in-flight entertainment turkish airlines films movies — *The film selection quite good. ©Paliparan*

tv series in-flight entertainment — *Selection of different TV series. ©Paliparan*

business class headphones — *Business class headphones. ©Paliparan*

remote control in-flight entertainment system — *Remote control to operate the in-flight entertainment system. ©Paliparan*

WiFi internet

The Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 is equipped with WiFi, and business class passengers receive complimentary internet access.

Business class passengers receive 1GB of data and unlimited messaging free of charge, while those with Elite or Elite Plus status in the airline’s Miles&Smiles frequent flyer programme enjoy unlimited data when flying in business class.

The WiFi network is easy to connect to, and it worked perfectly on this short flight between Bucharest and Istanbul, offering good speeds.

turkish airlines wifi internet business class boeing 777 — *As I hold Miles&Smiles Elite status and was travelling in business class, I received unlimited internet access on my flight. ©Paliparan*

Business class lavatories

On this Turkish Airlines Boeing 777, business class passengers have access to three dedicated lavatories – one in the forward galley near the cockpit and two around the main galley between the front and rear business class cabins.

The business class lavatories on Turkish Airlines are stocked with Molton Brown toiletries, which is a nice touch.

business class lavatory turkish airlines boeing 777 — *Business class lavatory on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 Dreamliner. ©Paliparan*

Business class service

Although I do not think Turkish Airlines crews rank among the very best in the world when it comes to delivering a highly polished business class service, I always find them friendly, welcoming and well intentioned – and, in the end, I think that is what matters most.

This flight was one of the better ones in terms of service I had lately with Turkish Airlines, as every flight attendant I interacted with was friendly and smiling.

It may have been the short flight time, but I also found them extremely hard working throughout the entire flight, and putting a lot of effort in their work.

Not only the flight attendant serving my side of the business class cabin, but also several attendants primarily assigned to the economy cabin checked on me several times as they walked past.

Considering the high intensity of work on flights this short – with the crew effectively having to complete a full meal service in just 20 to 30 minutes at cruising altitude – it is a testament to their dedication that they manage to do so while remaining friendly and professional.

turkish airlines boeing 777 dreamliner view — *View from the window during my flight to Istanbul. ©Paliparan*

Landing at Istanbul Airport

Almost as soon as I had finished my meal, the fasten seatbelt signs came on again as we began our descent towards Istanbul Airport.

The weather in Istanbul was rather gloomy today.

Still, as usual, I enjoyed the views on landing at Istanbul Airport, as there is always something captivating about seeing the vast urban sprawl of Turkey’s largest city.

black sea view plane — *View above the Black Sea. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines boeing 777 wing engine — *Boeing 777 wing and engine. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport descent — *Starting our descent towards Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

sunlight clouds — *Rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. ©Paliparan*

clouds descent plane — *Descending through the clouds. ©Paliparan*

sea of marmara ships — *Ships in the Sea of Marmara. ©Paliparan*

final approach istanbul airport — *Starting our final approach towards Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines boeing 777 business class review landing istanbul — *On final approach towards Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

window view — *View from the window over Lake Küçükçekmece. ©Paliparan*

window view landing istanbul airport — *Flying over the Istanbul suburbs, with Atatürk Olympic Stadium being visible in the distance. ©Paliparan*

boeing 777 turkish airlines business class landing view — *View from the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 on final approach to Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

forest reservoir istanbul — *Flying over a forest and reservoir on the outskirts of Istanbul. ©Paliparan*

Arnavutköy Istanbul — *Flying over Arnavutköy. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport landing view — *Istanbul Airport comes into sight. ©Paliparan*

runway approach istanbul airport boeing 777 turkish airlines business class review — *Approaching the runway. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport landing — *Landing on one of the outermost runways at Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

touchdown landing istanbul airport — *Touchdown. ©Paliparan*

Arrival procedure

As any frequent Istanbul flyer will know, touching down at Istanbul Airport does not mean you have arrived yet, as it can take a long time for planes to reach their gate at this mega airport.

This time, we had a fairly average taxi time of 15 minutes to reach our gate, which isn’t too bad for Istanbul, as I’ve experienced occasions when it took twice as long.

If the origin of your Turkish Airlines flight is considered a “safe” country from the security perspective of Istanbul Airport, connecting passengers can walk straight through the jet bridge back into the terminal.

Fortunately, this is generally the case for flights from Bucharest or any other city in the European Union, saving you the hassle of following the special transit route and having to re-clear security.

I had a fairly long layover at Istanbul Airport, so I spent some time in the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge before continuing to London on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

taxiing istanbul airport taxiway — *Taxiing towards the terminal. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport taxiing — *Reaching the terminal after landing at Istanbul Airport can take a long time due to the airport’s enormous size. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines airbus a350 istanbul airport — *Passing by a Turkish Airlines Airbus A350. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport terminal taxiway — *Approaching the huge terminal at Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

taxiing istanbul airport — *Of course, we had to taxi all the way around the terminal to reach our arrival gate. ©Paliparan*

istanbul airport — *Istanbul Airport. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines airbus a330 — *Turkish Airlines Airbus A330. ©Paliparan*

mahan air turkish airlines istanbul airport — *A single Mahan Air plane between Turkish Airlines aircraft. ©Paliparan*

turkish airlines airbus a330 istanbul airport terminal — *Arriving at our gate next to a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330. ©Paliparan*

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

Conclusion

Business class on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 is rather outdated and features an unappealing 2-3-2 seating configuration, but for some travellers it can still be a product worth seeking out.

If you are travelling with a partner, family member, or close friend, the seats on the Boeing 777 make it easier to socialise during the flight compared to more modern business class seats.

In addition, some passengers may find the business class seats on the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 more spacious than the newer ones on aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, partly due to the unrestricted legroom.

Of course, the biggest downside is the lack of privacy for passengers travelling alone, and the small chance of ending up in a middle seat – something almost unheard of in business class today.

However, if you happen to fly the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 on a short- or mid-haul route like I did on this trip, the aircraft is amazing, as you enjoy widebody business class comfort on a relatively short flight – something no other European carrier currently offers to the same extent.

As outdated as the seats are, Turkish Airlines makes up for this with excellent on-board service in business class, and the food is both high in quality and generous in portion size, even on shorter flights.

I certainly enjoyed my delicious Turkish breakfast during my business class flight on the Boeing 777!

Another positive aspect is the fast and reliable WiFi on board the Turkish Airlines Boeing 777, with business class passengers receiving a complimentary 1GB of data and unlimited messaging, while Miles&Smiles Elite members flying in business class enjoy unlimited data.

Koen

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