Traveling on Turkish Airlines to Italy

What will things be like in that part of the world in May?

I suspect there would be no agreement by the 'experts' on what it will be next week, much less 5 months from now.

For me to go that far out of the way, the savings on airfare would have to be to 30% or more.

I doubt there would be much of an impact but I would not fly through Istanbul to get to Italy.

Istanbul is out of the way, about 3-4 hours more there and another 3-4 backtracking to Italy. As for peace???

My only question would be about the length of the trip. We had people coming to our music festival in Assisi that 'made the mistake of flying through Istanbul' a couple of years ago. It took them 2 days to reach us and 2 days to get home - on both trips their luggage missed connections and it took over a week to relocate. Just saying.

No, I wouldn't expect any issues whether you're just transiting thought to a connecting flight or leaving the airport to the city for a long layover (you'll need a tourist VISA if you do leave the airport). I would not underestimate the cost savings of Turkish Air when multiplied by a number of passengers - it does add up. The downside is that you have to accept transiting through Istanbul and any connection time that entails (some flights have very long connections and some don't). It has worked for me several times (the Istanbul bound flight is a direct red eye from my airport, so I don't mind a stopover there since I would have to stop either in Frankfurt or Munich or London or Paris anyway). So look at the ticket cost, overall flight time, and connection time and decide whether it's worth it to you versus your second and best alternative. Political climate is really not a relevant factor here, and Turkish Air is a great airline (good food and service - and very good prices).

I have heard good things about Turkish Airlines. I have seen some great pricing deals from them.
However, I would never fly from the USA all the way to Istanbul, then back for more hours to Rome or Paris.

I wouldn't worry about the political climate if you are in Istanbul and stay in the very public places.

hey hey di_wright
where are you flying from and to? are you just looking at fares or the whole picture?
2 years ago we looked for a flight to venice, the fare looked good but was a 32 hour flight with long layover, about 24 hours, in istanbul and same thing coming back to USA!! crazy, that's wasting my time and energy when i could be in italy, a loss of 2 to 3 days.
for a few bucks more i'd find a flight direct to italy (11 hours from SFO). look at arrival and departure times too.
@robert that's what i'm talking about!! save money on fare but spend more for extra night hotels and buying clothes to wear in italy, a vacation to remember or NOT.
my 3 cents is fly to italy, no political climate to worry about.
happy travels
aloha

Our FF miles on United had us flying on our return from Venice to LAX through Istanbul with a 12 hour overnight layover. With US having Turkey in a warning stage, we were hesitant and checked next day flight. One more night in Venice was a great price to pay for a Lufthansa flight through Frankfort!

I have flown several times to the US and European countries via IST on Turkish Air and will shortly buy my tickets for this year's US trip as well. I haven't been to the new airport yet. I live "on the other side" of Turkey so there's no backtracking. From the US to Italy, you'll fly farther east to IST, then fly back west to Italy. You'll have to decide if the extra time in the air is worth the savings.

I don't expect any "political climate" would affect transit passengers in IST. You will go through a security check after deplaning, but you remain airside - no passport control. On your return to the US, you will go through an additional security check at the gate. This is standard for all flights to the US departing from IST.

As for flying Turkish, I enjoy it. I think the seats are a little roomier, the entertainment selection is better. The food and service are very good. And Turkish allows 2 free checked bags, something to consider if you're planning on shopping. On the other hand, if you're hoping to fly with only carry-ons, their limits are low and are often strictly enforced.

Wanted to thank all of you for your feedback. Good news...we will be flying from JFK/Gatwick and connecting from Gatwick to Bari, our final destination, with the same on our return. Connections are civil and our minds are at rest.
Happy travels to all!
Diane

hey hey di_wright
glad you found a flight that suits your fancy!! there are so many things to think about when booking airfare. another thing travelers need to look at are the arrival and departures times. too early to checkin with hours to wait and wonder what do we do now and too early for flights departring, like dark o thirty.
have a great and fun time, no gray hair and stress to start your holiday. don't forget to eat lots of gelato. enjoy
GO NINERS!!
aloha