Turkish Airlines’ New Business Class Menu Item Celebrates Turkish History

Updated: September 23, 2024, 3:56pm CDT

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Turkish Airlines Debuts The Oldest Bread
How To Book Turkish Airlines Business Class
Final Thoughts

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The author was traveling as a guest of Turkish Airlines. All opinions are the author’s own, and the airline had no input in this article.

Turkish Airlines just introduced a new menu item for business class passengers on select flights. Known for its exceptional in-flight catering experience, the airline debuted The Oldest Bread on an inaugural flight from Istanbul to New York City on September 22, 2024.

This new menu item isn’t just meant to taste good; it’s a nod to Turkish culture and history dating back 12,000 years. Made from ancient wheat, The Oldest Bread is another way Turkish Airlines aims to connect its passengers with Türkiye’s rich culinary and cultural history.

Let’s jump into the delicious details.

Turkish Airlines Debuts The Oldest Bread

Turkish Airlines‘ newest menu item debuted on a flight from Istanbul to New York City on September 22, 2024, and Upgraded Points was there to experience it firsthand. The Oldest Bread is made from 2 types of ancient wheat — Einkorn and Emmer — from the Anatolia region, an area in Türkiye that has been home to ancient civilizations for thousands of years.

Turkish Airlines The Oldest Bread inagural flight 1 — I was excited to be on the inaugural flight introducing The Oldest Bread from Turkish Airlines.

“We are pleased to introduce our business class travelers to the world’s oldest bread grown from the reproduction of ancient wheat discovered in excavations in the Anatolia region,” said Ahmet Bolat, Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and the executive committee, who was in attendance on the inaugural flight.

“With this bread, traditional to Turkish cuisine and significant to global culinary history, we aim to blend past and present together on our inflight guest experiences,” he said.

Turksish Airlines The Oldest Bread inagural flight press conference — An in-flight press conference with Turkish Airlines’ Chairman, Ahmet Bolat, on the inaugural flight introducing The Oldest Bread.

Turkish Airlines, which flies to more countries than any airline in the world, has a reputation for excellent in-flight catering, which includes onboard chefs. The addition of The Oldest Bread will continue the airline’s goal of sharing Turkish culture with passengers through culinary experiences.

Turkish Airlines The Oldest Bread — The Oldest Bread will be served to business class passengers on intercontinental flights from Istanbul.

Developed with input from Turkish culinary historians Ömür Akkor, who is also an award-winning chef, and academic Çetin Şenkul, The Oldest Bread will be baked fresh by the airline’s Istanbul-based catering company, Turkish DO&CO. It will be served warm with butter and olive oil to business class passengers on intercontinental flights departing from Istanbul Airport (IST).

Hot Tip:

Turkish Airlines makes it easy for connecting passengers to get a taste of Türkiye. Touristanbul is a program that offers complimentary tours to passengers with 6- to 24-hour layovers in Istanbul. Guests can take part in 6 different tours to historical sites, including a chance to taste traditional Turkish cuisine. Additionally, Turkish Airlines’ Stopover Service offers free stays in Istanbul for passengers with stopovers (2-night stays for economy passengers or 3-night stays for business class passengers).

How To Book Turkish Airlines Business Class

If you’d like to experience Turkish Airlines’ top-notch catering service, including The Oldest Bread, you’ll need to book an intercontinental business class flight departing from Istanbul. Thankfully, there are many ways to book Turkish Airlines business class using miles.

Turkish Airlines business class Boeing 777 — Turkish Airlines business class on a Boeing 777.

These flights can be booked using Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, which can be transferred from Citi ThankYou Points, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards at a 1:1 ratio or from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio. You also can book through Star Alliance partners like United or Air Canada.m

Keep in mind that Turkish Airlines currently features 3 different business-class cabin layouts. The Airbus A350 business class cabin has suites with privacy doors in a 1-2-1 layout. The Boeing 787 business class cabin has pod-style seats in a 1-2-1 layout. Finally, the business class cabin on the Boeing 777 features an older style 2-3-2 layout with forward-facing seats (these cabins will be updated to a new 1-2-1 layout beginning in 2026).

Bottom Line:

Turkish Airlines flies to 130 countries around the world — more than any other airline. Gateway cities in the U.S. include Atlanta, Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Newark, and Denver.

Final Thoughts

The Oldest Bread, a new menu item for business class passengers on select Turkish Airlines flights, was introduced on an inaugural flight from Istanbul to New York City on September 22, 2024, and Upgraded Points was there to take part in the festivities.

Developed in partnership with chefs and historians, this new product helps connect passengers to the history and culinary traditions of Türkiye. Served warm with butter and olive oil, The Oldest Bread is the latest addition to Turkish Airlines’ superior in-flight catering service.