Review: Snoozing from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul in Turkish Airlines business class

Snoozing away on a long-haul flight is really the only way to fly. Sleeping sitting up is not my forte, which is partly why I try to find the cheapest business class ticket possible. Being able to lie flat is a real boon when it comes to nodding off in the sky.

Turkish Airlines were my carrier of choice for this trip as they had the best value offer. When I can find a business class ticket for under €3,000 from Europe to Australia, I’m in.

Denied at the Global Lounge

My connection was a hefty eight hours in Kuala Lumpur, so on arrival I went to the Global Lounge. The agent on the desk there denied me entry, saying it was too early and to come back “in a few hours”. I couldn’t believe it – what kind of cheap policy prevented a business class passenger from accessing the lounge?

Gloomily, I walked away from the lounge and after a bit had a flash of inspiration. I went back and offered to pay. The lady was having none of it and I was sent on my way again.

There is more than one Global Lounge at KLIA, and so when I passed another one, I walked up and handed over my phone. The attendant looked at the Boarding Pass and asked if I was business class, to which I nodded. He looked confused (mobile boarding passes at TK don’t mention the class of travel, so not his fault), then asked his colleague something and she directed him to scan it. Computer said yes and I was in! Happy, happy days!

While waiting I generally just relaxed, enjoying some of the frankly very tasty food while there. Eventually it was time to head to the gate for my flight.

The Gate

After proceed through a security screen, I was in the gate holding pen. I walked up to the end and spotted Business Class signage. Turns out the premium passengers have their own little area, complete with an attendant on guard checking entry eligibility.

By now I was very tired after the many hours spent flying to Kuala Lumpur and waiting in the lounge. Boarding was called and I gladly set off down the aerobridge and onto the plane. I’d already flown the IST-KUL sector on the same aircraft type a couple of weeks beforehand, so I knew what to expect.

TK61 – Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul (KUL-IST)
20 March 2026
Airbus A350-900 – TC-LHC
Seat: Business Class 4K
Departure: 23:45 Arrival: 06:05+1

After being greeted at the door, I crossed the galley to the far aisle. I quickly found my seat, stowed my cabin bag overhead and settled in while boarding continued.

A Seat for Snoozing

The Turkish Airlines business class seat is not the best product out there. In fact, I find it a little bit irritating, what with the wrap around screen that blocks window views and gets in your way. Even so, it goes flat, which means snoozing is likely!

All the usual things were present, such as a pillow, blanket, amenity kit and headphones. While it was not simple to see out the window, it ticks all the boxes.

The Menu and Welcome Drinks

Prominent on the menu are the words “Dine on Demand”, yet I never really noticed anyone dining outside of the usual times. Crew don’t really proactively ask you when you want to eat, so everyone sort of dines together.

A welcome drink is served and I elected for a glass of Champagne. This was accompanied by a hot towel, which I always like to wipe the airport off me before take-off.

A Light Dinner

Since I wasn’t particularly hungry, I went for a light dinner, selecting two starters. The Ginger Pumpkin Soup and Beef Tataki stood out as something nice and light, so that’s what I ordered.

An electric candle is placed on your tray and along comes the food. Happily both dishes were flavourful and delicious, so I was happy. I low key lamented I didn’t order dessert, but once the tray was taken away, I put the seat flat and went to sleep.

Breakfast Time

After getting a fitful sleep, it was time for the breakfast service. This comprises of a starter with three little bowls of goodies, then a main course. Out came a fresh fruit salad, with yoghurt, grilled chicken breast, a selection of cheese, honey and butter. Plus a Danish from the basket for good measure!

Fruit always feels very healthy and it was! I quite like the little dishes that go with it, it’s unusual and very cute. For the main I had the waffle and was delighted with the blueberry and vanilla combination. Yummo! Very good all round. Once done, we soon landed in Istanbul and I headed off for my connecting flight to Dublin.

Overall Thoughts

Snoozing my way from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul made the 10 hour or so flight pass very quickly. I made the right decision not to stuff myself full of food, so I would have the best chance at catching some z’s (though I still regret not having dessert!).

Turkish Airlines business class is a perfectly fine way to travel. As well priced business class products go, it is fine. The food quality is very good, while the seat is certainly the weakest part of the product, along with the fact the crew seem to ration the alcohol.

What do you think of TK business class? Any opinions on the seat or the food? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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