Is Turkish Airlines Business Class on the A350 worth it?

Turkish Airlines is one of the few airlines in the world to have its own on-board chef in Business Class. It’s a claim that piques curiosity and raises high expectations. On the return flight from Singapore to Istanbul, we had the opportunity to experience Business Class on the Airbus A350 up close for eleven hours. We wanted to take a close look at the seats, the food service, the drinks selection and the entertainment on this long daytime flight. Find out what Turkish Airlines really offers in Business Class, where the airline excels and where there is still room for improvement in our detailed review.

How did we book our flight?

We booked our flight directly through the Turkish Airlines website, which proved to be particularly straightforward in this case. While we booked Economy Class for the outbound flight from Berlin via Istanbul to Singapore (our reviewHaving chosen our preferred flight, we found it a little more difficult to decide on the return flight.

The upgrade to Turkish Airlines Business Class for the three of us on our return flight from Singapore to Berlin was surprisingly inexpensive, costing only a few hundred euros. We debated it for a while, but in the end, it was clear: it was worth it. Especially on such a long flight, we wanted to treat ourselves to the extra comfort, even though it was a daytime flight. Besides the significantly more relaxed travel experience, the deciding factor was primarily the additional frequent flyer miles we could collect with the upgrade.

What are the cabin and seats like in Turkish Airlines’ Business Class on the A350?

The Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 features 32 seats in Business Class, arranged in eight rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. The key advantage of this layout is that every passenger has direct aisle access, eliminating the need to climb over their seatmate. The cabin is located between the first and second doors, clearly separating it from the Economy cabin – a feature that proves particularly beneficial on long-haul flights.

The seating arrangement was well thought out: Seats at the windows alternated between those closer to the window and those closer to the aisle. The seats in the even-numbered rows, in particular, offered significantly more privacy due to their window orientation. In the middle row, depending on the row, there were either seats close together – ideal for traveling together – or seats further apart. A partition could be raised between the adjacent seats if needed. On our flight, the cabin was completely full, underscoring the high demand for Turkish Airlines' Business Class on this route.

The seats, manufactured by STELIA Aerospace, are distinguished by their exceptionally high side bolsters, which noticeably enhance privacy. Anthracite dominates the color scheme: the seat, trim, and cabin are finished in coordinated shades of gray, creating a modern and uncluttered overall impression. In contrast, the privacy screen is upholstered in light Alcantara, with subtle yellow-gold stitching adding elegant accents. The seat cover itself is a high-quality blend of dark gray fabric and leather.

What I particularly liked about the seat was its uncluttered appearance. While there isn't an extensive storage system, what is there is well-designed: a large storage surface and a small, lockable storage compartment with a sliding door provide the main storage space. This contained the universal power outlet, a USB port, and, upon boarding, the headphones and amenity kit. This is complemented by a magazine rack in the footwell, a small, extendable vanity mirror with an adjustable angle, and a hook for the headphones. Both the storage compartment and the surface in front of it can be illuminated separately, which I found to be a nice touch.

The Alcantara privacy screen also features an integrated reading light with three separately controllable LEDs. This allows for comfortable illumination to be adjusted depending on the seating position, without disturbing others.

The seat is controlled via touch-sensitive buttons on the inner edge of the tray table. The seat can be adjusted to several predefined positions, including a fully flat reclining position, or continuously. Directly below is the remote control for the entertainment system with a small touchscreen, which can also be used as an additional display for the flight route or movie selection.

The table folds out from under the large monitor, can be extended and unfolded, and when unfolded offers ample space for eating and working. One minor drawback: when the table is unfolded, it's difficult to get up from the seat. This requires some planning when getting up.

The amenity kit was from Lanvin Parfums, a brand I hadn't heard of before. It came in a large, light brown faux leather bag. The contents were well-stocked: fluffy socks, a well-padded sleep mask, a toothbrush, hand cream, lip balm, earplugs, and a hair tie. A blanket and well-cushioned slippers, which were comfortable even in size 46, were also provided during boarding.

After dinner, I had my bed made up. This included a mattress topper, a pillow with a cover, and a blanket. It was a pleasant way to relax for a bit – even on a daytime flight. Whether you actually get a deep sleep on Turkish Airlines' A350 is another question: the legroom is cramped, and the reclining position quickly feels restrictive for taller passengers.

It was also noticeable that the approximately five-year-old aircraft already showed visible signs of wear and tear. For example, my tray table was very difficult to pull out and jammed noticeably. For a premium product like Business Class, this is something Turkish Airlines should keep in mind.

What food and drinks are available in Turkish Airlines Business Class?

It was clear from the moment you boarded that Turkish Airlines takes its food seriously. A specially dressed chef greeted passengers in the cabin and personally distributed the menu. The menu was impressive, divided into a multi-page food menu and a separate wine and champagne list. This initial impression alone set a different tone than with many other airlines.

The welcome drink on Turkish Airlines is non-alcoholic – a conscious decision by the airline. The choices were a homemade raspberry-strawberry lemonade, a mint version, and classic orange juice. Shortly after takeoff, the first drink order was taken and a hot towel was offered.

Two meals are served during the flight: a main meal and, upon request, a light meal before landing. In Turkish Airlines Business Class, you can eat at any time. However, no one actively asked me if I wanted to eat at the time suggested by the flight attendants.

The actual service began about 40 minutes after takeoff. I opted for a glass of champagne, Taittinger Brut Réserve, and a mineral water. This was followed by a warm nut mix, before the bread service: a fresh sourdough roll with soft, spreadable butter and an herbed olive oil. As an amuse-bouche, marinated shrimp, a piece of pork loin, and a deep-fried pastry, similar to a spring roll, were served. An electric tea light in a candle holder sat on the tray—a small but effective detail that lent the whole experience the feel of a candlelight dinner high above the clouds.

The appetizers were served from a trolley, and the selection was remarkable. Among the choices were marinated seafood salad, smoked salmon, hummus, eggplant salad, guacamole with grilled shrimp, Waldorf salad, chicken satay skewers, and Caesar salad, complemented by a pea and mint soup with herb croutons. I opted for a selection: smoked salmon, guacamole with shrimp, chicken satay, and Caesar salad. The guacamole was noticeably fresh, and the satay skewer was drizzled with peanut sauce right at my seat—all that was missing were a few fresh onions. Since I hadn't had a decent satay in Singapore itself, this was a welcome make-up. The trolley appetizer service is truly first-class for business class.

For the main course, the chef took our order personally. The choices were beef fillet with potato gratin, mushroom sauce, and vegetables; prawns in sweet and sour sauce with rice; or a vegan noodle dish with tofu and pak choi. I opted for the beef fillet, which was served directly from the galley onto my plate—still slightly medium-rare and pleasantly tender. Desserts were also served from a trolley: Turkish sweets, a chocolate and coffee ganache, apple and walnut tart, vanilla ice cream, a cheese selection, and fresh fruit salad. I combined the vanilla ice cream, fruit salad, and Turkish specialties, enjoying them with a Portuguese port wine and coffee.

During the flight, snacks could be ordered upon request or purchased from the galley. The selection included chips, popcorn, chocolate, cookies, and fresh fruit. However, a certain scarcity was noticeable. For example, the popcorn was apparently only available in very limited quantities and was divided into small containers – a minor drawback for a long-haul business class flight.

Shortly before landing, there was another meal, which was surprisingly substantial. A tray was served with fresh fruit salad, yogurt, chicken breast, a selection of cheeses, honey and butter, as well as freshly baked bread, a croissant, and pastries. For the main course, I could choose between a mozzarella and tomato omelet with mushrooms, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes, or pancakes with caramelized bananas and vanilla sauce. I opted for the pancakes—and that was a good decision.

The drinks menu in Turkish Airlines' Business Class is one of the most extensive I've seen on a long-haul flight. The selection of non-alcoholic options ranged from homemade lemonades and freshly squeezed juices to a wide variety of mocktails, customizable detox juices, and a broad collection of wellness teas. Coffee lovers were also well catered for: Turkish coffee, espresso, flat white, iced latte – the list was long, and oat milk was available upon request.

Turkish Airlines showcased its national character with its wine selection: three of the nine wines were from Turkey, complemented by offerings from France, Argentina, and Spain. The champagne was a non-vintage Taittinger Brut Réserve – a solid choice for Business Class. In addition to wine and champagne, the selection included classic whiskies such as Glenfiddich 15 Year Old and Johnnie Walker Black, as well as vodka, gin, and the Turkish beer brands Efes and Heineken.

What is the in-flight entertainment like in Turkish Airlines Business Class on the A350?

The 18-inch seatback screen impressed with its excellent resolution. Movies and TV series looked incredibly sharp, and the size was perfectly adequate for a long-haul flight. The entertainment options were remarkable: there was a wide selection of movies, TV series, and music, with much of the content also available in German – a welcome bonus for German-speaking travelers. Those who preferred to follow current events could choose from a selection of live TV channels, including several international news channels.

The headphones available at the seat are from the Japanese manufacturer Denon and feature active noise cancellation. They performed their task adequately: cabin noise was well suppressed and the comfort was acceptable, if not particularly outstanding.

One feature I personally really appreciated was the high-resolution external cameras. The entertainment system allowed me to choose between a forward-facing or a downward-facing view. This was ideal for visually tracking the flight path or observing the landscape below. It was a shame that the rear camera was unfortunately defective on our flight. Meanwhile, I was able to keep an eye on the flight route on the small touchscreen of the remote control without having to use the large screen – very convenient.

The Turkish Airlines A350 is equipped with Wi-Fi, and business class passengers receive free access. Logging in is straightforward using your seat number and last name. However, the data allowance is limited to 1 GB. After that, the connection is only available for messaging. This was sufficient for occasional browsing, emails, and messaging on the daytime flight. But anyone planning to stream for hours or work intensively should download the content beforehand.

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