Flying Turkish Airlines to Japan- What is it like?

So, in the past three years I have taken various routes and various airlines to Japan, and I continue looking for the best airline to take me to Japan from Europe.

Given that we live near a capital city airport, we don’t really that doesn’t have many options of intercontinental flights. I don’t really go on many flights except when I visit Japan, so I am most interested in flights to East Asia. Most times, I have flown Finnair, and quite liked my firsts flight, but subsequently, left me stranded at Kansai Airport, and about 50% of my flights have been significantly delayed. I also flew Etihad Airways in 2024, KLM and Qatar Airways in 2025. Both okay, but Amsterdam Airport on the KLM flights was a horrible experience for me both times. So, off I go, looking for a new favourite airline.

Another option would be a train to a major airport like Munich or Frankfurt, and we have direct train connections if no tto the airport, then at least to Munich of Frankfurt City. I’ve done that, when flying to Fukukoka on China Airlines in 2023, took the earliest train out and still feared about my connection, with my train running late, and just about made it on the flight. About 70% of the trains I take are significantly, late, so this is an option that I only explore if the ticket is very cheap and I have a time buffer of at least six hours.

My usual prerequisites are an airline with good safety rating, reasonable pricing, no more than two transfer and a reasonable travel time – or a daytime layover long enough to go sightseeing. Also, I currently do not want to fly over Russia, which rules out Hainan Airlines from Berlin, or the (often very cheap) Chinese Airlines operating out of Frankfurt or Munich.

Please excuse the absence of photos from the flight here. As all flights were busy, it was nearly impossible to take photos without people on them. I will post some photos here on my actual trip – a partial pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku, starting with the temples in Tokushima Prefecture.

A few facts about Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines, founded in 1933, has been operating for over 90 years. So, a fair bit younger than KLM, the world’s oldest airline still in operation, but not that much.

They became a major air carrier in the mid-1990’s – and they’ve gone from strength to strength since then, establishing Istanbul as a major hub for European and intercontinental travel, first by expanding the old Atatürk Airport, utilizing the city’s eternal “second” Airport Sabiha Gökcen and finally construction a huge new airport, which runs like clockwork and has established Turkish Airways as a major player in international air travel.

Turkish Airlines also gets a full Safety rating on Airline Ratings and comes in Twelfth place, behind Etihad and Qatar Airways but well before Finnair, Japan Airlines or KLM on the 2026 “Worlds Safest Airlines” list. They’ve had no fatal incidents in recent years and pretty much every plane I have flown on them in recent years has been modern and an Airbus (I love Airbus). Overall I think they are a good airline, and I appreciated the flexible options on this ticket this time, since I was really not sure until the very last day whether I would be able to travel.

How do I feel that Turkish Airlines is majority owned by the Turkish government, whose politics I am, mildly speaking, no ta fan of? Well, living in a country where railways and flag national airline are fully privatizes (and then bailed out with government funds if need be), I much prefer a national airline that is, at least in parts, owned by the government. Like Finnair. Did I feel a bit bad flying Turkish Airlines and not Finnair? Yes. But the flexible ticket really was tipping the scales here for me.

Booking Process, Web Site and Mobile App

I normally check flight prices on Skyscanner and then proceed to book directly with the airline most of the time. I also signed up with their “Miles and Smiles” Loyalty Programme which appears to offer quite generous rewards – I am definitely not into travel hacking much, but a few flights have already gotten me a free flight to Istanbul.

The Turkish Airlines website is very easy to use and has a pleasing design. Flights are clearly priced, with several options on flexibility even in Economy Class – which I normally fly. They also free stopover programmes such as Istanbul city tours and free hotel stays in Istanbul, which I have not done yet. Normally, I am far too anxious to get to my destination, and book something with the shortest possible layover.

I booked my flight very late, less than two weeks before departure, but still paid just under 1200 Euro for an Economy Return flight with an option to cancel (for a 160 Euro fee) and to change my travel dates. Usually, Turkish Airlines long haul fares contain a checkd luggage allowance of two pieces at 23kg each – extremely generous when you consider most of the EU airlines make you pay handsomely for luggage.

Also, I hasten to add, I once had to cancel flights for some of my party on a different trip a few years back. Turkish Airlines customer service in Germany was actually easily contactable by phone, and tickets got cancelled and refunds issued very swiftly – this is one thing I really always appreciated about Turkish Airlines.

Departure, Arrival and Transfer in Istanbul

All in all, this trip was relatively uneventful. I had a seven-hour layover at Istanbul in the late evening, far from ideal. We taxied for ages, which shortened the layover by an hour. Arriving from Schengen/EU meant I could transfer without any security or immigration checks – and go right to me gate.

Since it was evening, I arrived a bit too late to partake in the free city tour. So, all I could do was wait, and as new as it is, IST is not ideal for long layovers.

Firstly… it is extremely expensive. A cup of coffee costs around 9 Euro. A coffee and a very simple sandwich – 15-20 Euro. Easily the steepest prices in Europe. I think even Helsinki Airport was cheaper. Duty Free had snacks also ridiculously expensive.

Getting from one gate to another can take a long time – you may actually walk over a kilometre. There are some slow-moving travelators – so if one has a lot of time, like I did, it’s not a problem. You can also take an oversized golf cart, but I think they aren’t free unless you are on a higher priced ticket or are over 60 years old or have a disability – I am not sure. Anyway, they are impossible to flag down if you really are in a hurry. There free water refill stations and free WiFi, thankfully.

When I returned from Osaka, I had to pass both through Security and passport control. Again, the long walks between gates aside, the security and passport control are well organised, with a separate sections for International Transfers, Domestic Transfers and Arrivals. There was a queue, but we waited less than five minutes for Security Control. All in all, with all the transfers I have done at IST I have done ( about seven in the last three years), I feel the airport works very well and efficient as far as transfers are concerned – it just isn’t very comfortable.

It’s not an airport made for lingering. I find it quite cold, it is noisy, and although there is ample seating, none of it is terribly comfortable for resting. There are a couple of screened-off rest areas in the central part, but they ar ein a brightly lit, heavy traffic area, and often very crowded. An empty gate area often works much better for a quick nap. For work, it’s not bad. Lots of tables with power points, and now the WiFi is so much better, once you control the noise issue, one should be able to work there easily for a few hours in the departure lounge.

Aircraft

Turkish Airlines operate a fleet of nearly 400 airplanes, both Airbus and Boeing. Their largest aircraft are the Boeing 777-300 and the Airbus A350, and we flew to Istanbul on a 777, since its a high-volume route, and larger aircraft are often used, even for the relatively short flight.

I was hoping for an A350 for the long Osaka flight but got a Boeing 787-9, which was packed. Oh well. I find that neither the 777-300 nor the 787-9 have a particularly comfy Economy cabin. The Turkish Airlines 787-9 Economy seats have a pitch of 31 inches, width of 17 inches and a recline of 3° in a 3-3-3 layout.

The 777 Economy cabin has an inch less seat pitch, and is otherwise the same. I much prefer their (older) A330 cabin, with 32 inch pitch and a 7.5° recline, and I also much prefer their 2-4-2 layout.

But Economy passengers can’t be choosers, and you have to put up with what you’re given, which, in my case, was alright. It matters much more who’s sitting next to you, if the flight is full and whether there are any disruptions.

On the Flight

We boarded punctually and orderly into a clean, welcoming aircraft where Economy was full. There’s an elaborate greeting, always addressing passengers and in particular, children, something very charming about that. Usually, there’s an address from the Captain, and as soon as the plane has safely taken, off, they hand out hot towels – something very old school and welcoming. Also, they have printed menus and even an amenity kit in Economy Class – by far the nicest, a zippered pouch containing socks, toothbrush, earplugs etc. And, of course, you get a nice fabric-covered pillow and the usual airline fleece blanket.

Our flight was calm, but, I never sleep well on planes, especially when they are full. IN-flight entertainment was okay. Nothing stellar, not many Asian films considering they fly a lot of Asian routes, and not many good Turkish films, either. The screens were a decent size, though, and the headphones they handed out were nice.

Also, bathrooms were kept immaculately clean. And, of course, a huge bottle of Cologne took pride of place in the bathroom – one made by Atelier Rebul exclusively for Turkish Airlines called “Miracles of Nature”, containing orange, lemon mint, basil and coriander. , and it’s actually really nice! The internet said you can buy it at Istanbul Airport, but I searched high and low for it, could not find it and eventually had to buy another Atelier Rebul Cologne called “Istanbul” which is also a Turkish Airlines Exclusive and is served in Business Class… but honestly, the Economy Class one smelled amazing. You can buy a large bottle of “Istanbul ” Cologne fairly cheaply (about 25 Euro) at some of the Duty Free shops in Istanbul, but there are no Duty Free sales on the flight.

Freshly cologned, I landed in KIX in the evening, breezed through Immigration and Customs, bought a phone card and plug adaptor and hopped on the train to Wakayama, where I would stay for the night before taking a ferry to Tokushima on the island of Shikoku early the next morning. I felt mid-evening was a nice time to arrive at KIX. This being June and relatively low season, immigration and Customs did not take long at all, and neither was the train station at KIX particularly busy.

On the return flight from Osaka, on the same aircraft type, I had an aisle seat, a very quiet Japanese man not moving once in the window seat, and nobody between us, and rested quite nicely. The flight was so calm and forgettable, which is probably the best way to travel on a cheap-ish Economy ticket. I almost forgot that there was a technical issue with the airplane, another older A330, that they had to replace the airplane and our flight got delayed, but they sorted that swiftly, within about 90 minutes.

Food and Drink

Turkish Airlines used to be famous for their food, in all classes. I would say this is relative – Economy Food was certainly decent, and I think I have mostly flown airlines with fairly decent food in a long time. I was able to pre-order a Vegetarian Meal quite easily, which, choosing the Asian Vegetarian Meal, was a vegetable curry, usually a safe bet.

You also get given a menu, so you can expect what you will be given, and choose your drinks – of which there are many to choose. Beer, wine, lots of alcohol-free options. Whereas many airlines now give you exactly one drink, or make you pay, Turkish Airlines gives you drinks quite liberally. They will come through the cabin at night, too, with drinks. Altogether, a nice Economy offering, comparable to Etihad or Qatar Airways.

Turkish Airlines to Japan: Yay or Nay?

For me, Turkish Airlines delivers every time. If the price is reasonable, I would chose Turkish Airlines over similar offers, since my flight shave always been reliable – not without delays, but they usually sort out any problems fast, especially if the flight is out of Istanbul, the main hub.

Another feature of Turkish Airlines is the relative flexibility of their Economy fares, even in the cheapest version. My ticket had a relatively modest cancellation fee of 160 Euros, which means peace of mind for me. Of course, I could buy travel insurance, but I doubt they’ll be paying out if I don’t travel because my cart is sick, for example, which for me, would definitely be a reason not to travel.

I feel slightly uncomfortable that Turkish Airlines is mostly government-owned by a government I would not support, and I understand this is a argument that stops many people from using the airline. However, I feel similar reservations on some of the gulf airlines, and for the time being, I do not have that many options for safe, reasonably priced flights, and in terms of reliability and service, Turkish Airlines are one of the top airlines for me.

Last not least, considering the current geopolitical situation, Turkish Airlines do fly to Russia but the routing to East Asia or Southeast Asia also means that the best route does not cross Russian Airspace but rather goes through Central Asia and China. Whereas quite a few airlines, mainly the PR China ones, will use Russian airspace when flying to Japan from Western and Central Europe.

Where I stayed

I travelled without stopping over in Istanbul, on the shortest and cheapest routing possible, to Kansai Airport and arrived there around 19.30. Most trains run safely until about 23.30, so there usually is no need to spend the night at Kansai Airport -which has two hotels, the four-star Granvia and the much cheaper First Cabin Kansai Airport, an upmarket capsule hotel with rather roomy sleeping cabins. I have stayed at First Cabin Kansai Airport when a previous flight got cancelled in the middle of the night, and would stay there again, if I had a late arrival or early flight out.

Other than that, take any local train one stop to Rinku-Town, which has lots of hotels in walking distance to the station -and a big shopping mall, too. I would recommend the Henn na Resort and Spa Kansai Airport. Mid-range hotel spacious extremely comfortable rooms, and if you don’t like the hotel’s spa, there is a public onsen (with natural hot spring and restaurant) next door, and a supermarket across the road for last-minute shopping.

I was, however, travelling onwards to Shikoku, and with the direct buses to Tokushima running just four times a day, I took a train to Wakayama and spent the night at the Hotel Granvia Wakayama. The hotel is next to the station. No crowds, no roaming around huge Osaka stations… I simply went to the convenience, store, bathed, ans straight to bed. The hotel is officially classified five stars, and some of the photos on the website look very fancy, but my single room was like a standard business hotel room – but very compfortable. And I paid under 45 Euro for it, so I am not complaining.

The Small Print

I flew Turkish Airlines from Berlin to Osaka Kansai International in June 2026. I paid 1085 Euro per person for a return Economy flight including 46kg checked luggage, as always, paid by myself. I wasn’t asked to write this review, all opinions are my own.

Nothing you see here was sponsored, and I did not receive compensation, discounts, or special treatment in exchange for writing it. All my own honest and unbiased opinion. This post does contain affiliate links to accommodation I stayed at as well as some good accommodation in the area which I researched and would consider staying at. If you book a hotel using my affiliate links, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please refer to my blog’s Terms and Conditions for further information.

This post (well, my entire blog, except this) is free from generative Artificial Intelligence.

I hope this helps in your decision whether to choose Turkish Airlines for your next flight.