Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has put a nice price tag on business class tickets from Budapest to Shanghai. Flights with a layover in Istanbul start at €1,448 (~HUF 570,959) and include a chance to enjoy one of the world’s largest business class lounges.
A Boeing 737 hosts you on your flight from Budapest to Istanbul. The onward journey takes place aboard a Boeing 777-300ER, that features lie-flat-seats in a 2-3-2 configuration in its premium cabin.
We expect further shakeups in the airline industry over the following months. Some services might be cancelled, aircraft changed or downgraded. The schedule we describe may very well change.
Search & Book
Fare rules for these tickets are not very restrictive. There is no sales or travel period. The minimum stay is only two days (or a single night from Saturday to Sunday) while the maximum stay is 12 months. You can find multiple flights at the lowest fare in each week of 2021, primarily for weekday departures.
You can find suiting travel dates with Google Flights (instructions). The lowest fare displayed may drop by €100 or more when entered in our flight search. However, these fares are mostly offered by online travel agencies while we recommend booking through turkishairlines.com.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Turkish Airlines issues these tickets in booking class J. Most Star Alliance frequent flyer programs credit 100% of your travel distance without tier bonuses:
- 22,560 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 17,470 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
- 16,920 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 16,174 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 14,664 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 14,102 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 12,408 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 11,280 Award Miles + 1,884 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 11,280 Miles on Asiana Club
- 11,280 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 11,280 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 11,280 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 11,280 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 11,280 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 11,280 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 11,280 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 11,280 Miles on Azul TodoAzul
- 11,280 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
Turkish Airlines Business Class
Turkish Airlines’ Business Class product receives a lot of praise, especially for their outstanding catering that features on-board chefs on long haul routes. Their seats are comfortable and fully reclineable to a lie flat position.
Main point of criticism is their 2-3-2 seating pattern aboard their Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, that denies direct aisle access to the middle seat. Their Airbus A330 family feature are 2-2-2 pattern, which solves this problem. These reviews describe Turkish Airlines’ business class as fantastic and highly underrated:
- Turkish Airlines A330 Business Class Review by The Points Guy
- Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 Business Class Review by Onemileatatime
Cover Picture: Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge in Istanbul