Turkish Airlines

Makes for a long flight, backtracking like that, but if you don't mind.

PS, did you account for one night in an Istanbul hotel each way?

My favorite airline. When I can get a good rate, they arrive at the top of my list. I just arrived from Europe tonight .... on KLM ... and every moment I was mumbling, should have flown Turkish Air.

I loved my Turkish Air flights and would not hesitate to book them again. I'll note that on a two-hour flight between Istanbul and Rome they served a full meal too.

Yes solid airline, not a bad choice at all.

I would be curious as to how much you saved flying Turkish Airlines instead of a more direct flight.

When I have priced using Turkish vs. Delta/KLM/Air France to Western Europe, the price was not enough for me to endure the significant backtracking and delay.

Too many factors for me to make a blanket statement.

From IAH to most of the major capitals in the Southern EU, Turkish will add about 3 hours to the trip time. But a 1.5 hour change in Istanbul is easy, while in LHR or Chucky D I would want at least 3 hours. But with Turkish the Departure is in the evening so I could leave Friday instead of Saturday. Turkish for a flight in April is about $300 cheaper and a lot more enjoyable than, say, KLM. And I like Istanbul and a few days layover is generally without additional cost. So, it's a personal preference and judgment call.