Scotiabank Gold American Express® CardScotiabank Gold American Express® CardEarn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points + no annual fee in your first year

Review: Turkish Airlines A330 – Business Class – Montreal-Istanbul

  • Business
Review: Turkish Airlines A330 – Business Class – Montreal-Istanbul

Note8.6/10

Flight Carrier
Turkish Airlines
Departing Airport
Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Arrival Airport
Istanbul International Airport
Flight Number
THY36
Duration
10:00
Aircraft
Airbus A330
Cabin Class
Business Class
Share

Continuation of my trip to Asia with Aeroplan miles, today the flight with Turkish Airlines between Montreal and Istanbul.

We had left each other at the gate of the flight to Istanbul. It’s now almost 11pm and I must say that after a busy day I’m getting sleepy.

img 0749
Our Airbus A330-300

The boarding is already in progress when we present ourselves at the door, we arrive in this rather old-fashioned cabin, although the aircraft (TC-JOD) is hardly 2 years old. It must be said that the colors and lighting do not help.

seat in Airbus A33-300 of Turkish Airlines
IFE in Airbus A33-300 of Turkish Airlines
Airbus A330-300 Turkish Airlines cabin

I then inspect the kit and slippers offered. I’m not a big consumer of these products but socks and especially the mask are welcome especially when the cabin has no modern lighting.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Slippers
Turkish Airlines comfort kit
Turkish Airlines comfort kit

We leave with a little delay and it is necessary to pass of course to the de-icing station. Always impressive and at this hour there are not many people, so we leave quickly from there to fly to Europe.

De-icing at the Montreal airport
De-icing at the Montreal airport

While waiting for the meal I look at the headphones provided, they are of much better external quality than the previous ones.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Headset

This is the third flight with Turkish Airlines and it is a good company overall. The crew is pleasant but I noticed a small flaw. Maybe I’m unlucky but the services are very slow. It took almost 2 hours for the meal. I didn’t even wait for the end because I was so tired. So of course I could have chosen to sleep right away but then you would have had less pictures 🙂

img 0766
Aperitif with champagne and a mixture of nuts.

Here is the menu, I went for the simplest and lightest, having already eaten well at the salon.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Menu

You are asked to choose your breakfast dishes.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Breakfast Menu

I did not taste the wines, I stayed on champagne, a very correct Taittinger.

Turkish Airlines Business Class Wine List
Turkish Airlines Business Class Wine List

The table is set, I think the arrangement is quite nice.

Turkish Airlines Business Class service
The service is done with a cart
I had a soup and goat cheese salad

I didn’t even finish my meal, it was time for me to sleep. Flight attendants pull out a small mattress topper that hooks onto the seat. Not very thick but the blanket and the cushion are comfortable.

The flight attendant makes « the bed
Coverage in situation
The cabin is now plunged in the dark.

I wake up and we are already over Germany.

IFE with flight map

Small bottles of water are placed during your sleep, a good attention.

img 0777

Two hours before arrival the breakfast service starts, which is really too early for those who want to sleep as long as possible.

Breakfast on Turkish Airlines in Business Class
Breakfast on Turkish Airlines in Business Class
Too early for breakfast. Sad!

I take a look outside, I find the snow!

img 0778
img 0782

The weather was gloomy when we arrived: it was drizzling and the temperature was 6 degrees Celsius.

Arrival in Istanbul
Atatürk Airport

A disembarkation by bus is never pleasant especially with this weather.

img 0786

We go to the Turkish Airlines lounge and take a shower. Our flight towards Singapore taking off at 2 am, we want to take advantage of it to go for a walk in town although it is already dark.

The business class lounge in Istanbul is really nice.

We were able to have a shower without waiting. It was very hot in the cabins, I was almost sweating when I got out of there.

img 0789
img 0788
img 0787

So we took the opportunity to go for a walk in the historical center. The trip from the airport takes 45-50 minutes, you have to buy a ticket with cash. There is a transfer between the metro and the tramway.

img 0792
img 0793

We return towards the airport and we settle down in the lounge while waiting for our flight towards Singapore which is going to last a little more than 11 am.

img 0796

Bottom line

Turkish Airlines is a safe bet in business class. The service, although slow, is constant, the quality of the food satisfactory and the comfort is there. Fortunately, I did not have the case but his management of exceptional situations like the snowstorms in Istanbul during the last two winters leaves something to be desired. Due to financial difficulties, the company also had to close roads. However, for Aeroplan members, it is a first choice airline for travel to Asia or even Europe due to the low taxes charged on award tickets.


Annual fee
$250
Our valuation
$1,020
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,020Total$1,020Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 60,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

  • 5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

  • 60,000 Aeroplan points
  • 60,000 Avios
  • 60,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

  • $100 annual travel credit
  • Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
  • $50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

  • gas stations
  • grocery stores
  • drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Annual fee

Primary card$250
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xPharmacy
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xGroceries
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,555
2nd Year Value$589

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days



Our featured card

Featured
Annual fee
$0 $139
No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
$1,139
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,000Annual fee rebated$139Total$1,139Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 50,000 points
+ First Year Annual Fee Rebate
Apply Now

on TD's website

With this offer for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you can get up to 50,000 Aeroplan points as well as an Annual Fee rebate for the first year.

  • Earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first Purchase with your new Card
  • Earn 15,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of Account opening.
  • Plus, earn a one-time anniversary bonus of 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $12,000 within 12 months of Account opening

This card also allows you to enjoy travel benefits, such as a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation, as well as a rebate on the NEXUS program application fee (up to $100 CAD per eligible cardholder) every 48 months.

With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on:

  • Grocery purchases
  • Gas and electric vehicle charging purchases
  • Purchases made directly with Air Canada® (including Air Canada Vacations®)

You also earn 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases made with your card.

Annual fee

Primary card$139
Additional card$75

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 1.5xGas & EV
  • 1.5xGroceries
  • 1.5xAir Canada flights
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,714
2nd Year Value$425

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $2,000,000 / 4 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.