Turkish Airlines through Istanbul

Great airline, I've flown them multiple times (to Turkey and elsewhere) and would highly recommend them. You should have no problem in the airport - you're only transiting through anyway (I assume you're flying on a single ticket through Turkish Air?). They have more layers of security than any US airport, so I wouldn't worry about it. How long is your connection time for the second flight? IST is a very busy airport.

I just flew from Athens through Istanbul to San Francisco on Turkish Air about 3 weeks ago. Fine airline, good service, decent but not outstanding food, at least in economy. The airline touts that they have been selected as Europe's best airline for the past 6 years in a row. I had about a 90-minute connection time in Istanbul, which would have been fine, but the US regulations on electronic devices added several checkpoints approaching the gate, then a bottleneck at the gate where many people had further baggage checks. As a result, the plane took off, and landed at SFO, about 2 hours late. I understand those regs are undergoing changes as we speak.

The vegetarian food options on Turkish Air are outstanding (even in Economy) and they consistently get accolades for their meal options (they actually have a real chef on board).

Connection time is an hour in Istanbul. Is that enough?

They must be monitoring this forum. Price went upr over $100 in an hour..

I flew them from JFK to Istanbul in 2011, and would absolutely do so again. It was nicer than most coach flights, with much better food. However, I didn't change planes in Istanbul as I was terminating there, so I don't know what that's like.

The only thing that keeps me from flying with them again is the total time of flights. Since you have to go to Istanbul then "double back" to get to places further west in Europe, it takes a lot longer with Turkish Air than with other options. If you don't mind the total flight times, go for it!

Connection time is an hour in Istanbul. Is that enough?

Likely not, but the airline will get you on the next available flight. Look at the schedule for all IST to Catania flights that day to see how frequent they are should you miss your connection. For an inexpensive fare, I would take a reasonable delay, it will give you time to eat and relax.

I have flown Turkish Airlines twice -- once to Istanbul, and once to Venice with a connection in Istanbul --- and I had stellar experiences both times. I recall reading somewhere that the president of Turkish Air, who has a PhD in aerospace engineering, is an airplane guy to his core, and he is deeply interesting in making the flying experience as pleasant as possible for passengers. While many of the other airlines I have flown seem to be focused on providing the absolute minimum of amenities that they can get away with, Turkish Air seems focused on how to provide the as many comforts and amenities as possible. The food is first rate --- lots of fresh yogurt, tomatoes, olives, salads (with high quality olive oil), grilled fish and such -- even in coach. Children get activity packages with toys and coloring books, and adults get comfort packages with socks, moisturizer, lip balm and such in addition to the usual eye mask. There are little details of seat comfort --- headrests with adjustable side flaps to keep your head from flopping over when you sleep, footrests, and real blankets. I have always gotten first rate service from flight attendants, although, as a fellow passenger noticed on my last trip, I probably earned a few brownie points with the attendants by being able to speak passable Turkish.

So, yes, I would highly recommend flying on Turkish. And a little layover in Istanbul, if you can arrange it, is a special treat, too.

I have always felt safe at Ataturk Airport. It's an older airport that wasn't designed to handle the number of people who pass through it. Think of it kind of like Dulles, in that respect.

I flew them to Nairobi. Turkish air doesn't care. They left 6 hours late, claiming weather. It turns out their other aircraft (a different flight number) left Istanbul late in coming to New York. Another TA aircraft had slid off the runway in Istanbul earlier in the day, which cause a chain reaction with the different aircraft availability. I was surprised that they had no other aircraft available at their hub.
In New York they gave me a coupon for a whopping $8 to buy dinner at LaGuardia (we were supposed to get it on the flight). The coupon bought a small sandwich, no drinks. They did not keep us informed what was going on. We did not board until 11 pm.
When we got to Istanbul we had missed our next flight. TA did not give us a hotel and it was $50 per person for a visa to leave the airport. I had to argue with the agents even to get rebooked on a flight the next day. They tried to split our party up, sending us on different flights across different days. We had to argue with them for food vouchers.

I evaluate an airline based on how they handle things when they go wrong. Turkish Air treated us as though we were the source of the problem. I will do all I can to avoid them.

I've flown many times after that. I've seen other airlines handle way worse problems way more effectively. Southwest gets extra points.

I expect:
Updates when there are delays
Rescheduling when it is the airlines fault.
Food vouchers where required by contract or law.
Hotels when it is the airlines fault
Airline reps that don't act as if it is my fault (non-surly)

In the last 3 years, I've flown through IST 3 times, so 6 time in the airport. A one-hour connection outbound is tight but they might hold the plane to Sicily if there are other connecting passengers. It looks like there's only one flight a day to Catania, so if you miss the connection, you may be stuck in Turkey overnight. A one-hour connection inbound is more of a problem because of the extra security from IST to the U.S. On the other hand, there are 3 flights a day, so not too bad. My experience is that with a short connection, your luggage will not be transferred. That means wasted time in Catania reporting it and then maybe further discussions trying to get luggage delivered depending on where you are spending your first couple of days in Sicily. If you are traveling with carry-on only (note the 7 kg. weight limit), you can avoid that hassle.

I was comfortable on all my flights and found the food and entertainment on the transatlantic flights to be better than any other airlines I've flown.

I've flown to Europe on Turkish and have another roundtrip planned for September. I used United miles for award tickets in business class for both trips. TK's business class is excellent, much better than any U.S. airline. I cannot comment on economy class seating or food.

I strongly recommend is that you travel with carry-on luggage only, especially with the one-hour connection at Istanbul. Since you say there's only one connection per day, if you miss the second flight you will have to spend the night in IST. I wouldn't want to do this without my luggage. At the very least (if you check luggage) be sure you have everything you will need in your carry-on in case you mis-connect (change of clothing, nightwear, medications, toiletries, electronics, chargers).

Be sure you have your printed ticket documentation, not just boarding passes. I believe that if you mis-connect you'll be entitled to a hotel at no cost. There's a special desk for long connections AFTER immigration and customs. Turkey requires a $20 e-visa for U.S. citizens, since you're not planning to exit the airport you don't need to get this beforehand. But you might be required to purchase it if you have to spend the night. If you miss your connection get help from a TK desk immediately.

Wow - I've seen a few burqas in the Istanbul airport but none on the flights. I'm still trying to figure out what differentiates a jihadist beard from any other.