Free nights in Istanbul from Turkish Airlines

Personally, the leader among the airlines for me now is Turkish Airlines and whenever there is an opportunity, I fly with them. This is especially true for flights where there are few Russian tourists.

However, this is not about the company itself, but about one of its peculiarities. The thing is that if you have a connection in Istanbul (and 99% of international flights of “Turks” go through Istanbul) and it is long, you will be provided with a hotel and transfer to it free of charge. I would like to share with you some tips and tricks on how to make the most of your layover in Istanbul and spend the night in five-star hotels while waiting for your plane, instead of waiting on a bench somewhere in the airport. Agree, it is much more attractive!

To take advantage of the free hotel offer, you must meet certain requirements:

1. You must have a ticket for both flights and be checked in for both flights;
2. Transfers should last between 7 (business class) and 10 (economy class) hours. Anything less or equal to this time is considered inadequate, anything longer is a stopover and you cannot count on a hotel.

Upon arrival, after passing through passport, visa and customs control, you should go to the special Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk. How to find it, nice step by step and with photos you can read in this pdf file.

I have only used this offer twice. The first time we were taken to a five-star hotel with room rates starting at 200 euros per person. However, its disadvantage was its location. It seems to be in the center, geographically, but in such a pop that the nearest subway is 25 minutes on foot. And I was unlucky with the weather, it was raining, so I just stayed in my room and walked around the local streets.

The second time was more interesting. The hotel was only 4 stars, but right in the center of the historical part of the city, Sultanahmet. Two minutes walk and I was already enjoying the crowds of tourists.

Based on my experience and the experience of my acquaintances, the following nuances can be noted:

• You won’t be able to choose your hotel and location.
• Hotels are always decent, 4 or 5 star, regardless of ticket class.
• You will be taken to the hotel and from the hotel back to the airport by minibus free of charge, but when it is convenient for the company. This means they will bring you back about 3 hours before the flight.
• You’re supposed to get free breakfast at the hotel. That’s a mouthful, because it usually consists of sandwiches with GMO honey or jam, tea, and a horribly sweet, but my favorite, chocolate pudding. On the other hand, it’s put on, one way or another. Sometimes it’s not bad to have a cup of tea or coffee. Especially if you have to drive at 3 in the morning. However, some cunning hotel staff will keep quiet about it, or even lie about not serving breakfast.
• From the moment you check in to the moment you check out, you are on your own. You can see the city, go somewhere else. The main thing is to be in place at the time of the transfer.

For me, such connections are a good way not only to rest before the next flight (and take-offs and landings are still a strain on the blood vessels), but also to walk around and see the city. Istanbul, as well as Turkey in general, is bad for a vacation because of the intrusive service and (often) aggressive staff, especially in the evening.

When buying tickets, think, maybe you have an opportunity to see Istanbul? For citizens of Ukraine entry is visa-free, they do not check tickets, insurance, purpose of arrival, they rarely even look at your face. For Russians also seem to be visa-free, but they ask for tickets and purpose of arrival, although here it is enough to say that transit and show boarding passes.