First time flyer

From my experience turkish airlines is a top tier airline. No bad experiences with them.

>>1189102
> 15 hour layover
go see istanbul obviously. Maybe sleep a few hours in a hote/hostel as well

I think they have a free sighseeing service with that layover
http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/corporate/announcements/announcement/free-tours-of-istanbul-for-turkish-airlines-transfer-passengers

They take security seriously at Ataturk (sometimes), so be back in time, 3-4 hrs earlier.

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I had a really bad experience with them.

Keep in mind, this was a one off, most people I've talked to only had compliments for the company.

But anyway:

>flying back home from Istanbul with gf
>don't have anything to do, so go directly to the airport, well in advance
>have to wait for the check-in to open, we're like 3rd in line
>sorry, there's "something something", can you come back in 40min
>"ooh, ok then..."
>come back in 40min
>"I'm sorry, the flight is overbooked you're fucked"
>ask them to sort it out
>guy calls someone on the phone, asks us to step aside and starts explaining to two teen polish grills they're fucked as well and are probably gonna get separate hotels without a transport
>random attendant rushes by, just grabs our passports
>start running after her, only then does she tell us to go with her to the customer support room
>get there
>a bunch of angry, irritated people screaming at the women working there
>one woman with a 6 month baby is crying because she's been overbooked
>turkish lady gets so upset at the employees, she drops her 4-5y.o. son from her hands
>complete chaos
>we wait for 1 hour while the employees don't do anything but argue with everyone
>eventually have to look up a transfer route ourselves and have to scream at them to get a new ticket
>they take so long, we have to run across the entire airport so we don't miss our new flight
>another couple who followed our lead has to run as well, the woman being in high pregnancy and screaming at everyone that she can't run that fast
>we manage to catch the flight

There was also the thing where I had to unpack an entire tent at the security checkpoint because "the rentgen revealed sharp pointy sticks inside."

I'm not even mad at the complaint office employees, their job must be hell, but the fact that they intentionally overbooked a flight, then fucked us over because they saw we're just random students was pretty mean of the company and the check-in employee.

They are great!
Top tier food. Good looking hostesses. The only problem is that all Istanbul airports are a mess.

>>1189387
How bad? Like, what can I expect, since I've got a layover of about 4hours back and forth each.

>>1189392
If you don't have to go through security or check in, then it should be fine.
Let's say... the food is decent.
Not same person, and I've only been to Ataturk a few times, but my impression was that it's just congested. Otherwise fine.

>>1189392
I am him. It is not a shit airport really, it just seems to have 2x more passengers than it can handle.

Also, I hope you are not a smoker. The smoking terrace is awful, also due to the congestion.

I think the best areas to sit and spend some hours are either A. the lounges. B. The lower floor of the food court. The tiny cafe there is not overpriced, and if you are heading somewhere exotic, it might be the final place to get a mozzarella panini and a good cup of coffee for some time.

>>1189217
>"I'm sorry, the flight is overbooked you're fucked"
Why does this shit even happen anyway? I've had that happen to me, but with Air Canada. I paid 500$ for my ticket and when I get there they tell me the flight is full and there is no place for me and show me a bunch of paperwork detailing how they're not responsible for anything and how I can't complain because purchasing a ticket does not guarantee a seat in the plane, apparently.

Eventually I screamed so much they put me in the next plane a couple of hours later and pretty much implied that THEY were doing ME a favour and that I should be grateful for getting in any plane at all. Fucking Air Canada.

>>1189502
You could have saved the screaming, if you are bumped because a flight is over booked they always pout you on another plane. If you were a dick, maybe they let you stew a bit first.

Planes are over-booked because flying unslod seats is a waste of a revenue stream, and some people miss connections, change plans, die, etc and don't show up for their flights.

Before bumping folks, they call for volunteers who can afford to wait for the next flight, who are offered Valuable Considerations. If you can afford a delay, this is worth considering.

>>1189502
I don't know if it's true but I've heard that airliners always overbook their flights slightly. Statistically it's very possible that atleast one or a few people will cancel their flights. Especially on a large plane with hundreds of people.

>>1189102

15 hours is quite a long time. If they have showers I'd get one. Sometimes they'll have pay lounges that you can get food/drink/ showers for an economical price.

>>1189533
I had it about 12x happen to me that the flight was overbooked...
6x I got bumped to business or first on interconti
4x I got something between 300-700€ cash and free lounge access when I would take a flight 1-4h later on continental flights.
2x+ stay here for 1-3 nights hotel paid and we upgrade you to business on interconti.

Glad I'm usually very flexible.

>4 flights with Turkish here
>2 9-hour layovers at Ataturk

The food is great, as, at this point unanimously agreed.

Ataturk is a nice airport. It could be overcrowded during the day, but I was never there during that period of time. It has a nice international connection procedure, so you don't go through customs/security if you're just transferring.

>>1189659
I wouldn't bet on that, they don't have public showers iirc.
Loungers are overpriced.

>>1189533
I've been researching now and apparently I should have got some form of compensation. I was 18 and travelling alone so I think they took advantage of my naiveness.

This happened 5 years ago so I'm not sure if I can still ask for something but I guess I'll try.

They told me straight away what my two options were after I was rejected at check-in on my flight: they would try to put me on another plane leaving less than 1h later (to JFK, originally I was going to Newark) or, if that plane was full, I would have to go home because there was nothing else they could do. That plane turned out to be full, so they told me "well, tough luck" and sent me away, literally telling me I couldn't be there without a ticket and directing me outside the check-in counter - and that's where the paperwork was given to me and where I was told they weren't responsible for what had happened. It was after that the screaming started, outside the check-in counter, and they ended up putting me on another plane to Newark about 2h later (more than 3h after the flight I intended to board had left) because of my complaints. One of the staff even had the nerve to tell me, after the entire ordeal, that I was basically getting a free flight. And of course, they put me on economy.

Fucking Air Canada.