Introduction

Talk about a déjà vu! I’m on my way to Turkey again. I’m taking the same flight I took a few weeks ago from Basel to Istanbul when I travelled to Antalya. The only difference being that I’ll be travelling on the Boeing B 737-9 MAX this time. I’m honestly not quite sure how comfortable I feel about flying with the MAX, but it is what it is. When I first made the booking it was still an A 321 operating the service.

Check-In

The Turkish Airlines app is a bit unreliable. When I made the booking for this trip, I was only able to reserve seats on the international sectors, but not on the domestic ones. The day before departure, I receive a mail from Turkish inviting me to check in on the app. But that doesn’t work, and I keep receiving a message that the process could not be completed. However, when I try on my laptop, the process works smoothly and without a hitch.

In any case, I arrive at the airport at 09h38 for the departure at 11h00. I can’t be bothered to go to the lounge, so instead I head straight for passport control. My aircraft is already at the gate. Sadly, there’s no way to get a good shot of my bird. So I photograph the other traffic instead.

Boarding

Boarding for the flight starts early, at 10h20 instead of at 10h30. There is a separate queue for Business Class and Star Gold passengers. Originally, when I checked in online, it looked as though the seat next to me on 2D would be occupied as well. But I luck out again, and by the time boarding is completed, the seat next to me remains empty.

The Cabin & Seat

There are four rows of Business Class in a 2+2 configuration for a total of 16 seats. The MAX has a different seat installed than the A 321. This one is just as comfortable, but looks a bit flimsy. The seat pitch is great, and the seat has a good recline. There’s also a footrest.

The seat has a decent amount of storage space for a narrow body. In addition to the seat pocket in the back of the seat in front, there is also a small storage compartment below the armrest, which is where there’s also a power plug. On the side of the seat at eye level there is a small divider that can be pulled out for extra privacy. However, given that it doesn’t extend further than about three centimeters, it’s pretty useless.

Oh lord, not again. Turkish Airlines has this idiotic brand video that they show right after the safety briefing ON EVERY FLIGHT. The title is Inner Portait. Apparently, Turkish Airlines has found a way, using ground breaking AI technology of course, to visualise the transformative power of travel on the brain. Who ever comes up with this nonsense?

The Service & Crew

Boarding doesn’t take long to finish, so I’m guessing the flight is not full, even though the load in Business Class is decent. The crew pass through the cabin with welcome drinks, and I have a glass of the orange juice.

We push back right on time at 11h00. Two gates down, the Speedbird is being readied for its return to Heathrow.

We take off on runway 15. We line up from the intersection, rather than using the full length, which suggests that the aircraft is not heavy.

Once the seatbelt sign comes off, the crew hand out the menus and scented hot towels. The menu hasn’t changed since my last flight on this route.

The Meal – Lunch

I wonder how often airlines change their menus? It makes no real difference because this is a very nice and tasty meal. The only difference being that this time, I actually eat the strawberry sponge dessert, and it’s really very good! To drink I have orange juice and a coffee with milk.

The trays are removed and I ask the flight attendant for a glass of sparkling water, which she brings me with a packet of Turkish hazelnuts.

I spend the remainder of the flight reading in my Kindle and listening to music on my iPhone. It is remarkable how quiet the MAX is, which makes for a very pleasant ride.

Arrival

The flight time is two hours and forty minutes. Today, our approach is from the south. We land on the western most runway and then taxi for just under thirty minutes to reach our gate on the C concourse, which at least is close to domestic transfers. I now have two hours to make my connection.