Flight Review: Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Economy Class (a tale of two trips)
Flight#: TK760
From: Istanbul (IST)
To: Dubai (DXB)
Flight time: 6h
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Flight#: TK61
From: Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
To: Istanbul (IST)
Flight time: 11h 30min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
This is a tale of two trips on Turkish Airlines economy class on the same type of aircraft, the B777-300ER. The cabin interior and the duration of the flight, though, was not exactly the same on each flight. So, in this flight report I have combined elements of both (specifying which one is which) to provide the full picture.
The Cabin
The economy class cabin on Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER presents more of less the same sort of fittings and colour palette as the A330-300 that we already commented on here.
The difference with the A330-300, though is the layout, which in the largest B777 is 3-4-3…BUT…towards the back of the cabin, the last rows are actually 2-4-2, which on a very long flight are really a blessing!
The image at the top of this flight report is from the “regular” three-abreast row, the one below is the two-abreast configuration that I sat on for my +11h flight between Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul.
So, when I checked in and saw that I had been assigned a seat in the last row of one of the largest airliners that exist I thought that wasn’t going to be fun…but it turned out to be the opposite, since having a two-seat row and direct aisle access on such a long flight turned out to make the flight much more comfortable! So, if I am in a position to choose, I would not hesitate the next time to aim for one of the last rows!
As you can see in these pictures, the economy class passengers get a pillow, a blanker and a set of headphones.
You can get an idea here of the seat pitch and general layout, with the seat back screen in the upper part and cloth literature pocket at the bottom of the seat in front.
The seat had a rather food recline, btw.
As usual in these flight reviews, a snap of the lavatory (if in the last row, you are obviously next to it, but it wasn’t that hassle after all to have people come and go, since the extra space and the sense of extra privacy by the fact of not having more rows of seats behind you more than compensate for this).
Above is the cabin on the Istanbul to Dubai flight, below is the view from the very last row on the Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight. Note the extra aisle space by the last three rows!
The seat itself I think was the same on both flights (and if it wasn’t the difference was unremarkable). The last row had blue headrests instead of red, I ignore the reason for this. The headrests, btw, are of the “ear” type, that you can shape so that they envelop you a bit.
Food and Amenities
A constant on Turkish Airlines: amazing food, even in economy.
Below is what we were served on the Istanbul to Dubai flight (only one meal, dinner, since it is a “relatively” short flight that takes place during the evening).
A Turkish classic: salad, kebab with rice and chickpeas and dessert alongside water, wine (or soft drinks) and coffee or tea.
On the Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul flight we could enjoy two meals: dinner shortly after our evening departure and breakfast just before landing in Istanbul.
First, let’s have a look at the dinner: salad, hummus with bread, a generous portion of very tasty noodles, dessert and drinks.
And here is the breakfast: pancakes with different types of jam, a very tasty Turkish salty cheese with vegetables, fruit (including a slice of papaya!) and the accompanying drinks.
You may have noticed in the previous pictures that the Turkish Airlines B777-300ER, as is the norm with the rest of the airline’s long-haul fleet, is equipped with seatback screens that give access to a rather comprehensive inflight entertainment platform. We have covered it in other flight reviews, so you can check. it out here.
The aircraft was also equipped, in both instances, with inflight internet, although as an economy class passenger you need to pay for one of the data plans (or join the Miles & Smiles loyalty program) in order to enjoy it.
A couple of details about the different sockets that you find onboard the Turkish Airlines B777-300ER. Note that there is a USB and a LAN socket, but not one for the regular charger!
Last but not least, the amenity kit, which we got on the Kuala-Lumpur to Istanbul flight, but not on the Dubai one (I guess it depends on the length of the journey!).
It was actually pretty good and complete for economy class, including eye mask, socks, slipper, a dental kit and ear plugs, not to speak of the beautiful and colourful design!
Our Take
If you are familiar with the Turkish Airlines long-haul product, you won’t find big surprises here: Turkish Airlines often offers great value for buck.
Also the two-abreast trick at the back of the cabin was a nice surprise and certainly something I will keep in mind.
For a more comprehensive view of the Turkish Airlines offering, with other types of aircraft and cabin also, I encourage you to check also my other Turkish Airlines flight reviews: