Is this Europe's best Economy Class?

The initial flight from London Heathrow to Istanbul Airport was operated by an Airbus A321neo, a core aircraft for Turkish Airlines linking major European hubs with high frequency to Istanbul. Upon boarding, the cabin feels fresh, modern, and clean, with each economy seat featuring a seat-back inflight entertainment (IFE) screen. Seats are upholstered in dark leather with red accents.  The A321neo offers 32 inches of pitch in rows 6–12, 37 inches in rows 13–14 (emergency exits), and 30 inches from row 15 onwards. Each seat is 18 inches wide with 5 inches of recline, competitive figures for the aircraft type.

Editors Tip: Rows 6-12 offer more legroom and are labelled ‘preferred seats’ yet they only cost roughly $5USD more than the standard seats with the lesser seat pitch.

Our onward flight to São Paulo was operated by an Airbus A350-900, where seating was equally attractive and comfortable. The cabin is arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration, with each seat providing 31 inches of pitch, 18 inches of width, and a recline of approximately 3 inches. The recline level is surprisingly smaller than a lot of comparable carriers operating this aircraft type who offer at least 5 inches of recline. Adjustable headrests are fitted to every seat.

The domestic sector to Antalya was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER featuring Turkish Airlines’ older economy-class seat. While the cabin design is less visually striking than the newer A350s and A321neos, it remains well presented, clean, and comfortable. The 777 is configured in a 3-3-3 layout, unlike most other carriers that opt for a 3-4-3 setup which significantly reduces seat width. Economy seats offer 31 inches of pitch, a width of 17.9 inches, and a generous recline of 6 inches, providing good comfort for the long-haul routes these aircraft typically operate. 

Catering is one of Turkish Airlines’ greatest strengths, with all meals supplied by Turkish Do & Co. Even on the short flight from London Heathrow, the airline offers a complimentary hot meal for all economy passengers, a clear differentiator from most European competitors, many of whom only provide buy-on-board service for similar route lengths. 

 Breakfast on the London flight featured a traditional Turkish pastry dish, served with cheese, a warm bread roll, and a sweet cake. On the long-haul flight to Brazil, the culinary standard remained exceptional. Menus were distributed to all passengers after boarding, and the two meals served, a breakfast featuring Turkish pastry and a pre-arrival meal of beef-stuffed aubergine were both excellent. 

All meals in economy are served in reusable containers with metal cutlery, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to sustainability and reducing single-use plastic waste. Turkish Do & Co’s influence is evident throughout, ensuring quality, flavour, and presentation that stand well above the industry norm.

Turkish Airlines was recently awarded the title of Best Inflight Entertainment in Europe, and it is easy to see why. Every aircraft we flew on featured the Planet IFE system, offering endless hours of content. In 2024, the airline reported that passengers enjoyed more than 70 million hours of entertainment through Planet, which now features over 1,000 films, 1,500 TV shows, and a range of music and games. 

 Recent additions include blockbuster titles such as Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, How to Train Your Dragon, M3GAN, and Civil War. Content is well-categorised by region and language, allowing passengers from across Turkish Airlines’ vast network to easily find familiar entertainment. 

 Select aircraft, including the A350 and 777, also feature external camera views — a nice touch for aviation enthusiasts. All three aircraft types reviewed offered inflight Wi-Fi, including free messaging for all passengers. Additional paid packages range from USD 5 for short sessions to USD 35 for unlimited access on long-haul flights, representing excellent value for money. 

Turkish Airlines pride themselves on offering economy class amenity kits on long haul flights to Sao Paulo. Kits are available within the seat on boarding, presented in a nice Lacoste bag containing an eye mask, socks, slippers, earplugs, and a dental kit. This offering sets Turkish Airlines above many other carriers who do not offer amenity kits in economy or offer a far more basic one.

 Turkish Airlines lavatories are well presented, modern, and kept clean throughout flight. While it is understandable that crew are busy, it would be beneficial for crew to pay higher attention to waste bin levels in lavatories, especially on long flights.  

 Cabin lighting levels are well maintained, with crew using the A350’s mood lighting well at appropriate times of flight. Crew use ambient lighting to allow passengers to slowly adjust to the sunrise and turning off lights at appropriate times for sleep and rest.  

Turkish Airlines are one of the world’s best airlines, offering an elevated service in economy in comparison to their competitors in Europe. Their new, modern aircraft with fresh seating allows for a high level of comfort on long sectors, coupled by their excellent service, catering, and entertainment. When Turkish Airlines refresh their older B777’s, their hard product offerings will become streamlined across their network, enabling them to offer the same high service as they do with their soft product.  

 If you are looking for a safe airline, who goes above and beyond to take care of their passengers with seating and service, then Turkish Airlines can deliver. With easy connections at their Istanbul hub, Turkish Airlines should be one of your top choices for travelling.  

Turkish Airlines are one of the world’s best airlines, offering an elevated service in economy in comparison to their competitors in Europe. Their new, modern aircraft with fresh seating allows for a high level of comfort on long sectors, coupled by their excellent service, catering, and entertainment. When Turkish Airlines refresh their older B777’s, their hard product offerings will become streamlined across their network, enabling them to offer the same high service as they do with their soft product.  

If you are looking for a safe airline, who goes above and beyond to take care of their passengers with seating and service, then Turkish Airlines can deliver. With easy connections at their Istanbul hub, Turkish Airlines should be one of your top choices for travelling.