The Definitive Guide to Turkish Airlines’ Direct Routes From the U.S. [Plane Types and Seat Options]

Key Takeaways

• Turkish Airlines operates direct flights from major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, using Boeing 777-300ER, 787-9, and Airbus A330 aircraft.
• The airline does not offer any first class seats on U.S. routes. The best business class seats are on the 787-9.
• Turkish Airlines doesn’t offer premium economy seats, and the best economy seats are on the 777-300ER.

Turkish Airlines is the flag carrier of Türkiye and bears an impressive distinction: It flies to more countries than any other airline in the world.

The airline operates scheduled flights to over 350 destinations on 6 continents. Founded in 1933, it serves 131 countries, far ahead of its nearest competitor, the Lufthansa Group, which serves 106 countries.

This major airline is part of the Star Alliance and operates 390 aircraft. Given the number of planes and the airports it serves, there are key differences worth knowing as you plan your travel with Turkish Airlines.

Here’s what you should know about its U.S. destinations and the planes flying these trips.

Where Does Turkish Airlines Fly in the U.S.?

Turkish Airlines‘ massive route network flies to 14 U.S. destinations and a handful of cities in Canada and Mexico.

From its megahub in Istanbul (IST), Turkish Airlines flies to these U.S. destinations:

Plane Types Turkish Airlines Flies to the U.S.

Turkish Airlines boasts a massive fleet of nearly 390 planes and 13 different plane types, but flies just 4 aircraft types to the U.S.:

• Airbus A330-300
• Airbus A350-900
• Boeing 777-300ER
• Boeing 787-9

Of these, the plane most commonly flown to the U.S. is the Boeing 777-300ER (meaning “Extended Range”). Unfortunately, these planes currently feature the airline’s worst business class.

Seat by Aircraft Type

Turkish Airlines is introducing new business class suites with closing doors on its Boeing 777 aircraft. The current 2-3-2 setup is finally being phased out.

With that addition and the phased removal of the business class currently found on those planes, you’ll find multiple layouts, seating arrangements, and business class seats across the carrier’s fleet. What you won’t find, though, is first class. You also won’t find premium economy on Turkish Airlines, though we’ll discuss a small exception below.

Within the plane types Turkish Airlines flies to the U.S., there are multiple layouts and seating arrangements possible on all aircraft types but the Airbus A350. Here’s an overview of what you might find on your flight:

*These planes were originally part of an order Aeroflot placed for 22 Airbus A350-900 planes. After receiving 7 of them, economic sanctions on Russia for the Russia-Ukraine War kicked in, preventing Aeroflot from receiving the rest of the order (on top of its suspension from the SkyTeam alliance). Turkish Airlines took over the order, and these planes have a very different look from the rest of Turkish Airlines’ cabins.

Hot Tip:

Turkish Airlines has another layout on its Airbus A330-300 planes, also featuring a 2-2-2 business cabin. However, these planes don’t have lie-flat seats, only recliner seating, and you shouldn’t find them flying to the U.S.

Seats on Turkish Airlines A330-300 Planes

These planes present polar opposites. If you’re flying business class, avoid them; they have the narrowest seats and the only 2-2-2 layout you’ll find on Turkish Airlines flights to and from the U.S. For economy passengers, snagging the 2 window seats with lots of extra recline can make for a much more comfortable trip.

Seats on Turkish Airlines A350-900 Planes

Business class on Turkish Airlines’ A350 planes is easily identifiable by its dark palette and staggered window seats, with some seats closer to the window and others closer to the aisle.

You can also spot these planes from the seating layout, as they lack the recognizable premium economy seats after the galley in the center of the plane.

Business class on the Aeroflot-Turkish planes has a very different look. It’s more rectangular and has a lighter palette.

You’ll also recognize the 3 rows of premium economy on the seat map. Turkish Airlines doesn’t sell premium economy on any of its flights, so snagging these seats at an economy seat price — plus a nominal fee for claiming “extra legroom” seats — can be a great deal.

Economy passengers will also find the Aeroflot layout more comfortable, as it offers more recline at their seats.

Seats on Turkish Airlines 777-300ER Planes

The most common plane type you’ll find Turkish Airlines operating to the U.S. is the Boeing 777-300ER. Those planes have the airline’s worst business class, including a 2-3-2 layout.

These planes will gradually get new seats with privacy doors.

Until then, you’ll continue to find the 2-3-2 layout available in 2 setups: with bigger or smaller business-class cabins.

The most obvious difference is whether your plane has business seats after the galley or has economy seats there. Other than this, the seat sizes and spacing are the same in both layouts.

Seats on Turkish Airlines 787-9 Planes

The airline flies a single version of the Dreamliner, the Boeing 787-9 model, and it flies just 1 layout of this plane type. Thus, if you’re flying a 787 with Turkish Airlines, there’s no guesswork. The economy and business seats on this plane are comparable to those on other planes with the newer seats in the airline’s fleet.

Hot Tip:

To see what it’s like flying this plane type, check out our Turkish Airlines 787-9 reviews in economy from Istanbul to Atlanta, business class from Istanbul to Bali, and business class from Chicago to Istanbul.

How To Know Which Plane Type You’re Flying

There are a few ways to find out the plane type you’re flying. However, most of these will tell you the plane type and not the specific seating layout — and Turkish Airlines has a few of them on some plane types.

Even searching for flights on the airline’s website doesn’t tell you the specific seating layout up front, but you’ll get most of the details you want on the search results page. Here, the airline lists the intended plane type.

On the 787-9, there’s only 1 layout. On the 777-300ER, you could have 2 different layouts, but the seats are the same in both. When layout really matters is the A350-900 aircraft. The website doesn’t indicate the difference, it just tells you the plane type.

You need to proceed forward with a booking — even if you’re going to discard it — until you get to the seat map. Here, you see a staggered 1-2-1 layout in business class for both plane types. If there are 7 rows, it’s the Aeroflot layout; the Turkish layout has 8 rows. In economy, look for the 2-4-2 layout in rows 8-10 to identify the Aeroflot cabins.

Hot Tip:

Plane swaps can happen for mechanical reasons, weather, or operational needs. You might move from a plane with newer business-class seats to a plane with older seats, and the airline is unlikely to consider this a valid reason for compensation. You can ask to be rerouted onto a trip with your desired (originally booked) seats if possible, but there’s no guarantee.

Best Points To Earn To Fly Turkish Airlines

Because Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance airline, you can book its flights through its own Miles&Smiles program as well as through partner programs like Avianca Lifemiles, United MileagePlus, and Air Canada Aeroplan. While pricing varies across these programs, you’ll find the most abundant seats within Miles&Smiles itself.

Earning Miles&Smiles miles is possible from flying and from the airline’s credit card. You can also transfer points into your Miles&Smiles account from Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Points, Rove Miles (all at a 1:1 ratio), and Marriott Bonvoy (at a 3:1 ratio).

For comparison, if you’re flying nonstop from the U.S. to Istanbul, you can expect the following award prices:

• Turkish Miles&Smiles: 40,000 miles per person in economy, 65,000 in business
• United MileagePlus: 44,000 miles per person in economy, 88,000 in business
• Aeroplan: From 40,000 points per person in economy, from 70,000 in business (prices increase with distance)
• ANA Mileage Club: 27,500 miles per person in economy, 50,000 in business

Final Thoughts

Turkish Airlines operates a relatively straightforward fleet of planes to the U.S. While it has multiple plane types and a few cabin layouts within some of these, the differences — and number of options — are much smaller than you’ll find in fleets from some other airlines.

That said, the differences are definitely worth noting for some of your options. The 2-2-2 and 2-3-2 business cabins are best avoided if possible. If you’re traveling with someone, finding 2-4-2 layouts and choosing the 2 seats near the window is a much better layout. There’s also the extra recline for economy seats on the A330. Then, there are the “don’t call it premium economy” seats on some A350 planes.