Does Turkish Airlines Have Premium Economy?
I fly Turkish all the time, mostly between my home hub of SFO and IST to visit family, and although I can't reasonably afford business class I do enjoy the occasional splurge on premium economy or at least an extra-legroom seat (I'm 6'2!). So this question is near and dear to my heart: Does Turkish Airlines offer a premium economy class?
The answer is both yes, and no. Almost the entirety of the Turkish fleet is made up of dual economy+business class set ups. The one exception to this is the 6 A350s initially earmarked for the Russian carrier Aeroflot that Turkish Airlines acquired after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These planes still have the original Aeroflot interior, which has a dedicated Premium Economy class.
Is Turkish Airlines Premium Economy Worth It?
IF you can score one of the premium econ seats on the "Turkoflot" planes, absolutely! Because Turkish Airlines doesn't officially have or sell a premium economy product, these seats usually go for the standard "extra legroom" price. For a very brief period (less than a year) in 2023, these were the planes flying the IST-SFO route, and it was glorious. If I remember correctly the price for the upgrade was around $175, which is a steal compared to American carriers' often worse premium economy products that go for over $1000.
Is Extra Legroom Worth It On Turkish Airlines?
On any other plane, the best you can do (without shelling out all that cash for Business Class that is), is to pay for an extra-legroom seat. These usually are either in the front of the section, or by emergency exits. Although you'll definitely appreciate the extra legroom, these are just standard seats. And you'll be limited in how you can utilize the space in front of you, especially on the emergency exits. For me, $150 to not have my knees touch the front seat on a 14 hour flight is definitely worth it. Be advised though that some of these "extra legroom" seats are next to the "baby bassinets" (this is why I prefer the exit seats).