Turkish Airlines 777-300ER – Name That Movie: “It’s So Old”
We booked a quick flight from Athens to get to Istanbul on an older 777-300ER. Just like Top Gun Maverick, “It’s so old”, the plane really did look and feel old. However, the crew were young and energetic and even with the turbulence for the first 30 minutes, they were able to complete a full meal service before landing on this 1.5 hour flight.
The seats featured the infamous 2-3-2 layout. The space between the you and the screen was ridiculous, an NBA player could lie flat with room to spare. Obviously, the direct middle seat in the layout is the one you probably will want to avoid. However, a family of 3 would fit perfectly. The cabin itself was open and privacy is not one of its strong suits. The plane really does show its age with the small screen and seat controls. It really is a throwback to the early 2000’s.
Although there were overhead bins in the middle of the cabin, it didn’t make the plane feel tight. Due to the seats being more open than newer business class style seating/pods, you can see pretty much around the entire business section.
The seat itself wasn’t too bad though, comfy enough for the flight. The IFE controller was tucked down below the armrest and is a must use as the screen probably wasn’t a touch screen, not that I could reach it! The power outlets were also tucked below which is a bit awkward to reach. The reading lights are just so weird too, I can’t imagine how many eyes were taken out due to them. The seat controls just look old but they do the job.
You do get a nice pre-flight drink of your choice. We both got the Homemade Lemon-Mint but also got an extra Fresh Raspberry to try.
As the flight was only 1.5 hours, we were surprised that they had a full meal service. However, it didn’t get to start almost 30-40 minutes after we took off due to the turbulence. But once it sub-sided, the crew worked feverishly to get the food out to everyone. What a fantastic meal service for such a short flight!
As we landed into Istanbul, we got a couple of shots of the city but it can’t do it justice until we experience it up close. Unfortunately, this trip we won’t be spending any time here, just to the airport for 5 hours and then off to Singapore. Despite not spending time in the city, we were excited to see the airport and all the shops it had to offer. Not to mention, the famous lounge, which we will have a full writeup soon.
As we experienced this fantastic crew from Turkish Airlines, we were looking forward to seeing how the newer A350-900 would stack up. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the experience we were hoping for and you can read about it here.
PROS:
- Fantastic crew that was energetic and worked efficiently to serve everyone is such a short period of time
- Food was quite good for such a quick flight
CONS:
- 777-300ER is showing its age and the 2-3-2 layout needs a retrofit
Thanks
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