I flew on Turkish Airlines new A350 from Montreal to Istanbul after arriving on Air Canada B787 from Calgary.
Turkish Airlines premium passengers can use either Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge or Air France Lounge in Montreal. The Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge has a great view across the ramp, and some decent snacks. However, it closes at 9:15 pm and Turkish Airlines flight board around 9:45 pm and departs at 10:45 pm.
Video
Turkish Airlines A350 Seating
The Turkish Airlines A350 Business Class cabin has an understated luxury silver/grey decor with all-aisle access.
There are 8 rows of Business Class on the new Turkish Airlines A350. They’re the same seat as those on the B787 (the same seat is also used by Singapore Airlines regional/medium haul B787-10/A350)
Row 2/4/6/8 are window seat, Row 1/3/5/7 are aisle seat. For the middle couple seat, try row 1/3/5/7.
Turkish Airlines A350 Economy Class has a standard 3-3-3 configuration with the first few rows with extra legroom like Economy Plus. Row 28A and 28K has extra leg room due to no seat in front.
Seatmap of Turkish Airlines A350-900
The mask is no longer mandatory on Turkish Airlines unless the destination requires it.
Turkish Airlines also provide slipper and a shoe bag, in addition to the amenity kit. The A350 seat has a locker for private storage and mirror.
We departed on time out of Montreal and were one of the last in the evening to fly out. You can see the takeoff action on video here.
Food and Beverage
Economy Class has the option of fish or ricotta pasta.
For Business Class, it is on-demand dining. I have the Turkish Mezze for the starter.
But I opted to get some sleep. The seat felt excellent in privacy from your own cocoon but it is narrow. My feet are restricted in the smallish footwell which makes it hard to turn.
After a few hours of trying, I could not sleep on this flight. I think the seat was a bit too closed in and the leg space was restricted. I hope this was just a one-off experience as I slept well in the past in similar configuration including on a 17 hour delivery flight from Charleston to Singapore on Singapore B787-10 with the exact same seat.
Turkish Airlines Business Class passengers, elite frequent flyers receive free Wi-Fi. The 1GB bandwidth is generous.
We landed on-time after 8 hours 20 mins flight. Istanbul Airport was huge, so we took some time to taxi to the gate. As usual, the camera tail view on the A350 is fantastic.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- The food and beverage is the highlight on Turkish Airlines flight. There are some good elements of Turkish culture incorporated into the offering. There are no more cut back in service due to the pandemic.
- Wi-Fi up to 1GB size in Business Class.
- Mask is not mandatory on flights to Turkey. (Subject to destination rules)
Cons
- The Business Class seat while looks elegant and offer good privacy, it is narrow and feel closed in from the console in front. The legspace can be restricted in full recline.
Hi Sam, Nice review on A350. Last trip (June 2022), I was upgraded to Business class on A350 going home to the Philippines. It was a pleasant trip. Before, Turkish airline is using 777ER from Istanbul to Manila and I also experienced their Business class which is also a good one. Thank you for sharing your review.
Recently flew YVR to JNB via IST, so got to try both the Turkish 777 business class cabin (front facing seats) and the a350 business class cabin (herringbone seats). The hospitality on board the 777 plane is outstanding while the a350 offers more privacy – ideal for solo travelers although there is also a partition that can be moved up and down if you’re traveling with someone else but there are only four sets of seats for couples on the a350 and they are all in center.
Wow the economy meals look better than what the US big 3 serve in business.
Fantastic, we fly from Los Angeles to Istanbul every other year , they use Boeing 777 ER they are very nice , we never tried A350 . Thank you
I enjoy all your reviews and your Turkish Air report was so well produced. A pleasure to watch. I was smiling the whole time you were riding in a hot air balloon. One of my favorite ways to see “wild” territories. Put Kenya on your list for a basket ride. Now that you have a private ticket, you only need 10 hours in type for a balloon endorsement.
Always a safe journey…
Ric
Hi Sam, thank you for this review – especially as I’ll be flying on this plane next year in business class and only booked my trip last week! The narrow seat shouldn’t be a problem for me as I’m quite short haha. Can’t wait to try it out!