One impulsive evening at home alone led me to book a trip to Ethiopia, using United Airlines points to redeem a business-class seat on Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. My journey began with a 9-hour flight from Washington, DC, to Istanbul, Turkey, for a short layover before continuing my journey to Addis Ababa with another airline.
I booked this flight for only 80,000 points and $13.70-– a steal in the points and miles world, if I do say so myself, and in this blog post I’ll be giving a Turkish Airlines’ business class review of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and helping you decide if it’s worth booking or not.
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Boarding
I always make it a point to include my boarding experience, as I feel it sets the tone for the overall business class experience and shows how much the airline emphasizes giving passengers an elevated experience before they set foot on the plane.
My experience boarding this flight wasn’t the best, as the flight was delayed because the plane didn’t arrive on time. This meant we spent a lot of time waiting in line, and it didn’t feel like much of a priority boarding experience, but eventually we were able to settle into our seats.
Business Class Seat Layout
Turkish Airlines’ business class on the Boeing 787–9 Dreamliner features a 1-2-1 seat configuration.
Every business class seat has aisle access and is lie-flat, transforming into a bed.
My Seat on Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
I chose a seat on the right side of the plane, all the way in the back, seat 8K.
I prefer sitting in the back because I can see everything happening in the cabin, and as a blogger, it makes it easier to film and take pictures. I also have easy access to the bathroom without having to walk up and down the aisle, so I make the trade-off of being one of the last passengers served during food service, but it is worth it to me!
I made my way to my “pod,” as I like to call it, and my first impression of the seat was that it was a fairly simple business-class seat compared to what I’ve experienced with other airlines.
It didn’t have much of a “wow” factor when I sat in it or got to the seat.
Personally, the two main reasons I enjoy flying business class are sitting comfortably, since the seats usually lie flat, and being able to get up as I please to use the bathroom or retrieve items from my carry-on bag.
That said, I’m usually not looking for much, but I mention this in case you’re expecting something grand or luxurious. That is not the vibe I got from this business-class model on Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787–9 Dreamliner.
Seat Features
The seat was extremely comfortable.
As I mentioned earlier, the seats lie flat into a bed, and to my left was a touchscreen control panel that let me change the seat into other seating positions throughout the flight.
Right below this was the control panel for the entertainment screen.
One thing I found impressive was the number of lighting controls in the seat.
The seat has side reading lights for every angle it can be adjusted to, a light near the side table, and one that shines from just below the window.
To my left was a storage compartment that held the amenity kit and noise-canceling headphones, but it could also hold other small items for easy access during the flight.
This is really the only storage area at the seat besides the compartments below the screen, where your legs would ideally be resting, and it would be great to see additional storage incorporated into the seats. I was able to place my bags on the ground to my right, but I’m noting it as an area for improvement.
There are two cubby-like areas below the TV for storage, and I kept my shoes and camera bag there.
The seat on Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features a large entertainment screen and tray table.
The Amenity Kit
The amenity kit on this flight came in a Lanvin Parfums bag.
Inside the bag were the following items:
- A pair of fluffy socks
- An eye mask
- Hand cream
- Ear plugs
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Lip balm
- A hair tie
I love a good amenity kit and think Turkish Airlines did great with this one. I rarely keep the amenity bags I get on my flights, but this one made it off the plane with me!
Other Seat Offerings
In-Flight Entertainment
This flight did have pretty good in-flight entertainment options with a variety of movies, TV shows, and live TV picks to choose from.
I found their TV and movie selection to be up-to-date with a lot of my flight favorites like the F1 movie, Michael, Avatar, Abbott Elementary, and more available to watch.
I was also impressed to see a lot of games offered that could be played directly from the screen itself! I haven’t seen such a selection offered on the other airlines I’ve experienced so this was new for me and was another great way to keep passengers busy and entertained during the flight.
The live TV options include a Turkish news channel, CNN, and a few sports channels broadcasting games. Also a great touch and way to stay connected, especially during a long flight.
Dining Service on Turkish Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Before takeoff, the chef came around the cabin to each seat and handed each business-class passenger a menu printed in both Turkish and English.
I absolutely love this and thought it was an interactive element of the experience.
This is the menu I was given, with an explanation of how dining service would run on this flight and what would be offered.
Dining service was split into two: an in-air lunch service starting soon after takeoff, and a before-landing service that included breakfast selections.
Of course, in between, business class always offers the option to order additional dishes, snacks,, and drinks.
Lunch Service
Lunch service included a selection from what I call the “appetizer cart.” The chef and a flight attendant brought down a wheeled cart, letting you choose your starting bites.
From the cart, I chose tomato soup with herbed crouton, Caesar salad, beetroot with goat cheese, and smoked salmon.
For my main course, I chose the Sumac Chicken Brochette served with sautéed zucchini, onion, and potato puree.
For dessert, I had baklava with strawberry ice cream and a few bites from the cheese tray. My cheese tray had a hair on it, but the staff immediately replaced it when I brought it to their attention.
The food during lunch service didn’t blow me away. However, I did find it fairly flavorful, or as flavorful as airplane food can get, and I thought the variety was good to choose from.
Breakfast Service
For breakfast, the appetizer was limited to a tray with fruit salad, bircher muesli, chicken breast & smoked turkey, and cheese.
The main meal options were either a feta cheese omelette with mushrooms and potatoes or a waffle with strawberry compote and cream. I went with the omelette.
I wasn’t that thrilled with the main meal selection, as the omelette was bland and the mushrooms seemed overcooked.
I was still pretty full from the previous meal, but if I weren’t, I probably would have asked to swap it for another meal.
I did have a strawberry and banana smoothie (not pictured) that was delicious!
Business Class Bathroom
The bathroom portion of my airline reviews has weirdly become one of my favorite parts, because you never really know what you’ll get.
The business-class passenger bathroom on Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was very spacious.
I didn’t feel like I was cramped in the bathroom at all, but that I had enough space to actually move around and could do a full 180 without hitting the sink (what feels like a luxury these days when flying, but should be the standard across all flight tiers!).
The bathroom had flowers as decor, which added a nice touch, along with an assortment of lotion, hand wash, and a reed diffuser.
There were two mirrors in the bathroom—one standard mirror above the sink and a full-length mirror.
When I visited, the bathroom was very clean
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a business-class bathroom that actually feels like a step up from economy, and this is another area where Turkish Airlines did very well.
Overall, I really liked the bathroom experience as a business class passenger and felt it reflected what you should expect when booking business class.
Customer Service
The customer service on this flight was good. I had pleasant interactions with every staff member I spoke to.
The flight attendants were very attentive and kind to passengers and did a great job of managing the cabin and keeping us informed about seatbelts, turbulence, etc.
Whenever I needed anything, I received assistance quickly and have no complaints or constructive feedback about the flight!
Turkish Airlines Business Class Review Final Thoughts
Based on my experience, I would fly Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner business class again.
It was a great value for what I received. The seat had nice features, it was fairly spacious, and it had all of the makings of a great elevated flight experience.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the food options, but the other parts of the flight made up for it.
