The light shining on the entrance to the Turkish AIrlines Business Class Lounge in IST is just part of the way that you know how special it is! Photo by: Evan Berman

Istanbul Airport is enormous, both in size and importance. As the hub of Turkish Airlines, it makes sense that my two visits to IST this year were during my two Turkish Airlines connections. After my Turkish Airlines Business Class flight from Seattle (SEA) to Istanbul (IST) onto Budapest (BUD), I visited the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge, one of the finest in the world. Then, almost exactly 6 months later, I passed through IST again, flying Turkish in Economy from Dubai (DXB) onto Paris (CDG). This time, I visited the IGA Pop Up Lounge and attempted to enter the main IGA Lounge, but it was far too busy.

The Turkish Business Class Lounge is the nicest Business Class Lounge I have yet to visit, ranking only behind Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge for best overall. I look forward to returning!

This review of the Lounges at IST Airport is part of the Eastern European Experience. For more information on this trip, follow these links:

Intro

Flight: United Economy Class B737-800 CHS-ORD-SEA

6 Hours in Seattle

Centurion Lounge, The Club SEA, and United Club: SEA Lounges

Flight: Turkish Airlines Business Class B787-9 SEA-IST

Istanbul Airport’s Famous Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge and IGA Pop Up Lounge (This Article)

Flight: Turkish Airlines Business Class B737 MAX 8 IST-BUD

2 Days in Budapest

Dining in Budapest

Hotel: Ramada by Wyndham Budapest City Center

SkyCourt Lounge, Plaza Premium SkyCourt, and Platinum Lounge (Schengen): BUD Lounges

Flight: Lufthansa Economy Class A320-200 BUD-MUC and A321-200 MUC-ZAG

24 Hours in Munich

Starkbierfest Munich

Hotel: H+ Munchen (Wyndham)

Lufthansa Business Class Lounge MUC

Flight: Croatian Airlines Economy Class Dash 8 and ATR 72-600 (Twin-Prop Plane) ZAG-SPU-ZAG-SJJ-ZAG-BEG

2 Days in Split, Croatia, the Beauty of the Adriatic

Delicious Food in Split

Hotel Vestibul Palace in Split, Croatia, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World (Hyatt)

Primeclass Lounge ZAG

6 Hours in Zagreb

Wine Tasting and Learning about Croatian Feelings

2 Days in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Restaurants in Sarajevo

Hotel Aziza Sarajevo (AABooking)

Business Lounge SJJ

Air Serbia Premium Lounge and Business Club: BEG Lounges

Flight: Swiss Airlines Economy Class Embraer E190-E2 and A220-300 BEG-ZRH-LJU

2 Amazing Days in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Food Scene in Ljubljana

Day Trip around Slovenia: Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, Bled Castle, and Lake Bled

Hotel Emonec Ljubljana, Slovenia (Rocketmiles)

Flight: Air Serbia Economy Class ATR 72-600 and A319-100 LJU-BEG-SKP

1.5 Days in Belgrade, Serbia

Restaurants in Belgrade

Hotel: Hyatt Regency Belgrade (Hyatt)

3 Hours in Skopje, North Macedonia

Primeclass Lounge SKP

Flight: Wizz Air Economy Class A321-200 SKP-MXP

14 Hours in Milan and Monza, Italy

Hotel de la Ville Monza, Italy, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World (Hyatt)

Sala Montale and Emirates Lounge MXP

Flight: Emirates First Class A380-800 MXP-JFK

Conclusion

Istanbul Airport

As stated in the intro, IST is massive. And that makes sense, given its status as the 6th busiest airport in the world and busiest in Europe. This airport is a modern wonder, ground was broken in June of 2014 and the airport opened in October of 2018. To be clear, this is a completely new airport, replacing the existing Ataturk Airport. By the time the airport is fully constructed in 2028, it will be able to accomodate 200 million passengers, up from the 90 million as of 2018. I don’t know when it will happen, but at some point, ATL will no longer be atop of the list of busiest airports in the world (note that as of 2022, ATL had 30 million more passengers than IST, almost 50% more. So, at least for now, the saying remains upon death, “whether heaven or hell, you’ll have to change planes in Atlanta“)!

Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge

Turkish Airlines has 2 massive lounges at the new Istanbul Airport. They serve different purposes, though the names give a hint as to the intended audience for each. The Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Lounge is designed for Elite Members, both Turkish Miles & Smiles’ own and the other Star Alliance Gold members. Alternatively, the lounge that I visited, the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge, is designed for those passengers in Business Class on a Star Alliance flight, though elite members may also gain access.

Location:

The Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge is located near Gate E1 by the E Gates and is open 24/7.

Access:

This is a true International Business Class Lounge and as such, the requirements for entry are one of the following:

• Flying Business Class on a Star Alliance Airline (0 guests)
• Star Alliance Gold Members, no matter the class of service, when flying a Star Alliance Airline (1 guest)
• Turkish Airlines Corporate Club card holders travelling with Turkish Airlines (1 guest)

As noted in the description, I was flying Turkish Airlines Business Class and was able to gain access, through this manner. I do not have Star Alliance status as I generally stay away from United if I can help it 😉 so I would not have gained access otherwise. Atop the large escalator, there is a gate that requires you to scan your boarding pass for entry, with a lounge attendant nearby if there are any issues.

Food and Drinks:

Perfection. That’s the way I would describe the food situation at the Turkish Business Class Lounge. The above picture is the homemade manti, a type of Turkish ravioli, prepared by chefs in an oven in front of you! I travel a lot and visit many more lounges than the average person and I was still blown away!

The only US lounges that prepare restaurant quality food (read: not cheese cubes or cheap salads) are the United Polaris Lounges (Star Alliance Business or First Class only), American Airlines Flagship First Dining (oneworld First Class only), and the newly opened Capital One and Chase Sapphire Lounges, and who knows how long their delicious meals will last. Note that there are a few others such as Qantas First Lounge at LAX that have elevated food, but these are one-offs not the norm.

As I only has a few minutes at the lounge, I did not have time to explore the self-serve drink area. I settled for a water, though there were plenty of options had I so desired. This includes a barista for coffee (remember, this lounge is open 24/7 and Turkish flies all over the world so it can be a much-needed pick-me-up!) After missing out on the Turkish sweets on the long-haul Turkish flight, I had to get some in the lounge and I was not disappointed at all!

The food alone is worth planning a several hour layover at this lounge. And there’s so much more to see and do here!

Wi-Fi:

I did not stay long and did not require much wi-fi. That being said, I had no problem checking the status of my flight or any other activities that require wi-fi.

Amenities:

Where to begin? There is truly something for everyone here. The list includes the normal amenities such as:

• Shower
• Individual Bathrooms
• Bar & Food (really good food!)
• Nap room

Then there are more unique options, such as:

• “Movie theater,” a room with 12 TVs where you can relax and catch up on news, sports, or a movie (there’s popcorn!)
• Kids area. Check out the simulation racetrack! If I was 7 years old, I would never leave the lounge!
• Self-playing grand piano. When you walk into the lounge, this is the first thing that you see
• Game Room
• And much more!

A couple of notes: the showers are available first come, first serve. When I arrived (at roughly 6:40pm), there was a 15 minute wait. I had no time for a shower anyway, but know that you are likely to have to wait. The nap room access is rather annoying. Only passengers with a layover of 4-9 hours, with at least one long-haul flight (defined as at least 8 hours in duration) may access them. This seems pointlessly restrictive, why not allow those with more than 9 hour layovers and just limit the time in the room?

Recap:

What a treat it is to visit this lounge, though I only got 20 minutes or so before heading to the gate for my flight to Budapest. I can’t wait to visit this lounge again! As was the case with my flight, the food was excellent, the service was ok, and the amenities were solid.

IGA Pop Up Lounge:

I was flying Turkish Airlines Economy Class when I transited through IST in September. That meant no access to the Business Class Lounge this time :(. Instead, I headed for one of the many Priority Pass Lounges at the airport. There are 3 main ones, IGA Lounge (there is a 2nd one in the Domestic Terminal) and the IGA Pop Up Lounge.

When I attempted to enter the IGA Lounge on a Sunday Morning in September at 11:45am, the line was so long I decided to head over to my gate and visit the Pop Up Lounge instead. Note that the IGA Lounge is very highly regarded as one of the top Priority Pass Lounges in the world and despite the line is a massive 48,000 sq ft space, just smaller than the 60,000 sq ft space the Turkish Business Class Lounge offers.

Location:

The Pop Up Lounge is located near Gate A6 by the A Gates and is open 24/7. While this Lounge was perfectly fine, IST is so large that I would not recommend visiting unless you have a flight departing from the A or maybe B gates. I walked for nearly 20 minutes in changing planes from F gates to A gates and I’m a fast walker!

Access:

This is a Priority Pass Lounge and the access is as follows:

• Priority Pass (up to 2 guests)
• Star Alliance Gold Members, no matter the class of service, when flying a Star Alliance Airline (1 guest)
• Turkish Airlines Corporate Club card holders travelling with Turkish Airlines (1 guest)

As noted in the description, I was flying Turkish Airlines Business Class and was able to gain access, through this manner. I do not have Star Alliance status as I generally stay away from United if I can help it 😉 so I would not have gained access otherwise. Atop the grand escalator, there is a gate that requires you to scan your boarding pass for entry, with a lounge attendant nearby if there are any issues.

Food and Drinks:

This lounge’s food and drink selection was more “satisfactory” than the perfect of the Turkish Business Class Lounge. That was fine with me as I had received a decent meal on the flight, already eaten breakfast in the lounge in Dubai prior to the flight, and had another flight awaiting me. The snack items were less appetizing knowing I would be fed well on the plane! Instead, I opted for a local Turkish beer and bottle of water. Soon enough, it was time to head to the gate to board!

Wi-Fi:

The wi-fi at this lounge was provided through the airport. IST, like many Middle Eastern airports requires either a code or your passport to login to the wi-fi for security reasons. Unfortunately, this never ends up working so for the most part, you just don’t get to use wi-fi. Thankfully, there was a machine inside the lounge that offered a code and after only the 3rd time of attempting to get one, I was able to get a code that worked and enter it into the request bar. My reward? Wi-fi that was slow, but manageable. Don’t expect blazing speeds here!

Amenities:

Unsurprisingly, given the name of the lounge (Pop Up), there are no amenities here. Unless you include free (slow) wi-fi!

Recap:

I visited the new Istanbul Airport twice this year. The first time, flying Business Class, I was able to access the wonderful Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge. The most recent time, flying Economy, I visited the IGA Pop Up Lounge which was nothing more than a quiet place to sit with decent beer and passable wi-fi. Next up: the Turkish Business Class flight to Budapest!