Last year my sister and I visited Italy as part of our annual sisters’ trip which included NYC, London, and Florence. However, part of it (the Cinque Terre) was cut short because a family emergency she had. This year we decided to do that part of the trip and add on a couple of other Italian destinations—Rome and our beloved Lake Como. Here are five reasons I loved flying Turkish Business Class to Italy.

 

First, the Bad Part

Turkish Airlines contracts with the Swissport Lounge in Terminal 5, meaning its business-class passengers get access to this lounge as part of their ticket. This has to be one of the worst lounges I’ve been in, and we didn’t spend long there. I grabbed a few treats and headed to the terminal to wait. The lounge was tiny, dingy, and crowded. It was not a place I would imagine business travelers would want to spend time in. Honestly, Terminal 5 is not the nicest terminal at O’Hare to begin with.

The Delta SkyClub in Terminal 5 looked much better, but sadly, it wasn’t an option because we weren’t flying a SkyTeam carrier. The United Polaris Lounge is in Terminal 1, and we had access to that lounge because it’s also in the Star Alliance, like Turkish, and we were flying in business class, but that was too far to get to because you couldn’t walk to it.  If we had more time, we could have taken the Terminal Transport Bus between terminals.  The bus leaves every 15 minutes and takes about 10 minutes to get between Terminal 5 and Terminal 1.  But the terminal it was for us—a sad fate for this self-professed airport lounge queen. 😢

 

Five Reasons I Love Turkish Airlines: Flying From ORD-IST

Redemption Value

We were fortunate to find 45K business class seats on Turkish Airlines before they increased the redemption prices earlier this year and booked tickets for both our outbound and return flights. Flying Turkish Airlines business class to Italy for 90K roundtrip was a bargain! It is still possible to find these flights for 65K or 85K each way even after the Turkish devaluation, and that is still a deal I would grab, but they are hard to find. I did find these from NYC today, as an example of what’s out there:

 

 

So Much Room!

While I was on an older aircraft with a 2-2-2 seat configuration, which wasn’t the newest cabin layout, the amount of room was incredible. As long as I travel with a companion and don’t have to climb over a stranger to use the bathroom, this could be my favorite, most comfortable seat! Leg room for days, a locker to store a multitude of items, and a wider seat were all a win-win for me!  

 

    

 

 

Special Touches

It really is the little things that make a flight special. What’s not to love about tea lights with your meal or a flight attendant in a chef’s hat to take your order? Add to the fact that the catering on Turkish Airlines is usually excellent (including an appetizer and dessert trolley), and it is just bougie to the max! And I’m here for that, every time!

 

 

 

Great Service

The service on this flight was second only to Singapore Airlines’ service, which means it was outstanding. The flight attendants were here with amenity kits and unique drinks, making up our beds and delivering chocolates at the end of the flight. Again, those little touches are what make these flights special.

 

 

Fantastic Lounge Experience

One of my favorite lounges is the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge in Istanbul. It is huge and has a ton of eating options, children’s spaces, work spaces, and even ironing services. It is always a treat to spend a few hours in this lounge when you’re connecting to another destination flying Turkish.  And if you’re not connecting, there’s also an arrivals lounge where business-class passengers can freshen up after landing, in case their hotel rooms aren’t ready when they arrive in the morning.

 

 

 

Bottom Line

I hadn’t flown Turkish Airlines for a few years and had honestly forgotten how much I enjoy them. These are five reasons I loved flying Turkish Airlines Business Class to Italy. This flight reminded me to check them out again—even as a positioning flight to Istanbul and onward to Europe, they are a great option!

 

Related Posts

Podcast 68. Unlocking Airport Lounges: How to Travel in Comfort and Style