At the beginning of the year, we decided to take one last vacation before our upcoming wedding. The somewhat dreary winter made us consider the always-warm Emirates. We had always wanted to visit Dubai, so in mid-January we booked a relatively inexpensive flight with Turkish Airlines from Leipzig via Istanbul to Dubai.
Turkish Airlines flight TK1338 to Istanbul
On March 29th, we packed our suitcases and drove the few kilometers to Leipzig Airport. After a brief visit to the lounge, which in Leipzig isn't really worth mentioning, >>First-world problems<, We went to Gate 22 and then boarded the A320-200 (TC-JPD). Boarding for TK 1338 went very smoothly, and the captain was able to request pushback from the gate even before the scheduled departure time. The aircraft was almost completely full. Most of the passengers were retired couples who, judging by their conversation, were looking forward to their city break in Istanbul.
After a short taxiing period, we took off from the north runway heading east. The menus were handed out shortly after reaching cruising altitude. Today we had the choice between a hamburger steak and chicken breast or vegetarian pasta with eggplant. This was accompanied by a salad and a chocolate cake. Delicious! However, the older people had some problems with the flight attendants' service being mainly in English.
There was quite a lot of air traffic along the way. Several planes, including an Emirates Boeing 747, crossed our path. It's always annoying when you have your camera in the overhead bin. We started our descent after just 2 hours and 25 minutes. It felt like it took almost longer than the entire flight. It seems to be very busy here in the evenings, because we circled extensively over the Mediterranean.
CIP Lounge (Istanbul)
Arriving at Istanbul Airport, we initially got lost trying to find our way to the main terminal area. After a short while, however, we found the famous CIP Lounge. This lounge is supposedly one of the best in the world. But it quickly became clear to us that it is definitely the best and largest lounge we have ever visited.
We checked our hand luggage at the entrance and took a few laps around with the camera. Fantastic! The interior design is simply brilliant, and the newly opened area on the lower floor is especially spacious and much less crowded than the upper floor. There are several drink areas and buffets. In addition, there are three kitchens serving hot Turkish dishes from the grill.
For those needing a bit of variety and exercise after all that food, there was a pool table, a golf simulator, and a Carrera slot car track available. However, these attractions were very busy in the evening. Therefore, we simply relaxed, read the newspaper, and enjoyed a cocktail or two.
Turkish Airlines flight TK762 to Dubai
After thoroughly exploring the lounge and filling our bellies with snacks and alcohol, we headed to the boarding gate for flight TK 762 to Dubai at around 12:35 a.m. If everyone had simply followed the printed boarding groups, or if the gate staff had consistently enforced them, it wouldn't have been such a chaotic affair. The A330-300 (TC-JNV) looked a bit dated inside. I hadn't seen the blue economy seats on Turkish Airlines before. But perhaps that had something to do with the fact that TK only acquired the Airbus aircraft from Gulf Air in 2013. In any case, the seats were very uncomfortable, and the extremely wide center armrest made you feel quite cramped.
Due to turbulence over Ankara, service was delayed for some time. Breakfast service (at 2 a.m.) fell right in the middle of our four-hour flight. We still managed to get some sleep, though. We woke up just in time for landing and had a fantastic view of the skyscrapers, especially the unmissable Burj Khalifa.
After landing and passing through immigration without any problems, we picked up our rental car, a really old white Chevrolet Spark. The car already had over 62,000 km on the clock and drove like it. I had to really floor the gas pedal just to get up to any speed. When we return it, it'll probably be even more worn out.
Are you still looking for a flight to Dubai?
Dubai International Airport is accessible year-round from many German cities. You can find cheap flights through online travel agencies such as Flugladen.de and Bravofly., ebookers.com, Expedia, lastminute.com or skyscanner.
