I have been extremely excited about going to Turkey this year as I have not been for almost three years, so this year had an extra bonus because I would be flying with Turkish Airlines from Birmingham Airport to Dalaman Airport via Istanbul's Ataturk Airport! Flying out on the 25thof July for a much needed five week holiday, I was expecting two effortless flights. I can be very critical when it comes to flying because it’s something that I see being part of my career plan. Let’s see if my second Turkish Airlines flights live up to my previous experience with this airline.
Check-in flew by; our bags were interlined right through to Dalaman Airport well via Istanbul Ataturk. Having already checked-in online the previous day I had insured our seating was close to the front of the cabin. Making our way to through the security check-point without any problems we made our way to our Turkish Airlines flight TK1970 bound for the city of The Bosporus. If you like reading newspapers then you wouldn’t be disappointed due to the wide array of Turkish and British broadsheet and tabloid newspapers, such as Hurriyet and the Daily Mail.
I would like to say that I have an art for analysing the inflight service from the different airlines that I have flown with, having previously traveling with Turkish Airlines I was looking for the same high quality and professional services conducted by the cabin crew. I like to back my local airport so when Turkish Airlines announced they were commencing flights from Birmingham Airport to Istanbul it was the perfect chance for us to boycott the charter airlines that lack service and efficiency that Turkish scheduled airline exudes. 
Taking to the skies the hospitality of Turkish Airlines served a selection of beverages alongside a fresh and very delicious meal. For my dinner I chose the Kofte (Turkish burger) with grilled chicken, which was accompanied with a fresh salad, chocolate fudge cake and cheese with biscuits. The cabin crew on-board our Istanbul bound flight were attentive and always made sure our drinks orders were taken care of, the selection of alcohol beverages rivalled other airlines that I have flown with. An after dinner refreshment was served in the form of either Turkish tea, Turkish coffee, water or Ayran (Yoghurt drink).
I must be honest the efficiency of the cabin crew onboard our TK1970 flight to Istanbul Ataturk Airport was first class regardless of our standard Economy Class ticket. Nowadays, flying has become more like a bus journey where extra hidden charges ruin the customer experience. During my three hour flight to Istanbul I didn't pay a penny for any food or drinks. I always prefer a room with a beautiful view, I did appreciate the beautiful passengers that graciously tried to help me stow my cabin baggage during our embarkation at Birmingham Airport. A beautiful start to my holiday!
Turkish Airlines bring the entertainment! Seat-back televisions are present for every passenger to enjoy, no matter if they are Business or Economy Class. I for one made sure I watched as many Television programmes, movies and listened to both international and Turkish music during my three hour flight. I could even prepare for my upcoming trip to Istanbul due to their being a informative documentary about Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace! Keeping track of our flight was made really easy by Turkish Airlines thanks to the in-flight map that kept passengers up to date with all the necessary facts about our flight path and airspeed. Touching down in the vibrant city of Istanbul brought our transit period and entry onto Turkish soil. Collecting our tourist visas and passing through passport control didn't take us a whole lot of time, our connection time was around ninety minutes, so this allowed us enough time without any rushing involved. In our case we were required to make our way to transit from the international terminal to the domestic terminal for our internal flight to Dalaman Airport.
Boarding our final flight of the night bound for Dalaman Airport we were greeted by another polite and well groomed set of cabin crew, at our service for the short flight to Dalaman. Our aircraft was called Eyüp, which happens to be a place in Istanbul on the European side of the city. Our sixty minute flight was smooth with some turbulence; shortly after takeoff we were served a small snack box and one non-alcoholic refreshment. This small snack box contained a chicken and cheese sandwich with a lovely chocolate desert. All in all our Turk Hava Yollari experience was faultless, professional crew and on-time departures ensure we arrived at our destination content!Joseph Harrison
