Turkish Airlines Business Class on Boeing 787-9 | Tokyo/Narita to Istanbul | Flight Review

Turkish Airlines Business Class on Boeing 787-9 | Tokyo/Narita to Istanbul | Flight Review

Today, we’ll be experiencing Turkish Airlines’ international business class. Chef on board. Gourmet meals. The ultimate business class experience. From Tokyo/Narita to Istanbul. Layover in Istanbul. We’ll also experience domestic business class. Please enjoy. Our journey begins at Narita International Airport in Tokyo. We’re currently in the South Wing of Narita Airport’s Terminal 1. Today’s flight departs Narita Airport at 10:35am to Istanbul (flight number TK51). The fare is 937,660 JPY / 6,135 USD / 256,675 TRY. The check-in counter is A. Separate lanes for business class and economy class. Turkish Airlines does not offer a first class; business class is the highest class. I check in at the business class lane. Cool luggage tags! I check my suitcase. The boarding pass is red. I proceed through security and immigration. We’re in the restricted area. We have access to the ANA Lounges, United Club, and Turkish Airlines Lounge. The Turkish Airlines Lounge is located at the back. After passing through immigration, it’s about a 10-minute walk to Gate 47. There’s a United Club lounge along the way. It’s a bit far to get to Gate 47. We’re on the third floor, and the Turkish Lounge is on the fourth floor. The Narita Turkish Lounge opened on February 5, 2025. It’s also open to business class passengers of other Star Alliance airlines. A model airplane is displayed at the entrance. It features the Star Alliance logo (Turkish joined in 2008). Turkish Airlines lettering and Turkish flag. This is a model of a Boeing 787-9, the same aircraft we will be boarding on today. The reception area has a Turkish-inspired design. The lounge is open from 7:30 AM to 9:45 PM. Model Turkish hot air balloons hang from the ceiling of the corridor. Turkish Airlines serves approximately 350 destinations in 131 countries. Let’s take a look inside the lounge. This was formerly the location of ANA’s Suite Lounge (First Class Lounge). First, there’s the lounge and dining area. This area features a buffet. It’s said to be one of the largest Turkish lounges outside Turkey. It’s equipped with power outlets and USB-C ports. Window seats offer views of parked planes. It’s great for airplane enthusiasts. Meals are primarily served buffet-style. Turkish, Japanese, and Asian cuisines are available. While I’m here, I definitely want to try Turkish food. Turkish lentil soup. Delicious looking soup. Hot meals such as vegetable curry and chicken cutlet. Oven-baked eggplant with minced meat. Melon breads, muffins. Pickles. Cookies. Turkish delight (Lokum). Infused water. Coffee jelly. Salads, sandwiches, and more. Kisir. Bulgur salad, a staple of Turkish cuisine. Cacık. Cold Turkish yogurt soup. Red lentil kofta. Turkish minced meat dishes. Sushi, Japanese cuisine. Soft drinks and milk are available in the refrigerator. Heineken beers and wines. Alcoholic beverages are available. Mixed nuts that we might even get on an airplane. Two types of japanese sake (rice wine). Sparkling wine, white wine, red wine. Whiskey, spirits, etc. Beer server. I don’t know what brand of beer it was. Drink server. Six types of soft drinks and tea. Coffee server. A wide variety. We can make waffles. Turkish tea. Turkish coffee. Instructions on how to use the Turkish coffee machine and tea maker. Egg dishes are available from 7:30 to 12:00 and pide from 9:00 to 21:15. Live kitchen. Udon. Four types of pide menu. Pide is Turkish-style pizza. Both the pide and Turkish delight were delicious. Let’s take a look at other areas. Resting area and work station. Phone booth. Smoking area. The smoking area is surprisingly spacious. To the left of the reception desk are the showers and prayer roomd. There are three shower rooms. Hand shower only. Japanese-made shampoo, conditioner, and body soap are available. The shower room is clean. Towels and slippers. Hairbrush and dental kit are provided. A stylish hairdryer. The design is somewhat similar to that of a Dyson hair dryer. The shower room had a toilet. It was a comfortable shower time. Separate prayer rooms are also available for men and women. The Turkish Lounge at Narita Airport was generally good. However, the Turkish Lounge in Istanbul, where the airline is based, is more luxurious. The aircraft we’re flying today is a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The model in the lounge was the same aircraft. The Boeing 787-9 is a cutting-edge long-haul wide-body aircraft built with composite materials. It is lighter and more fuel-efficient than many similar aircraft. This Boeing 787-9 flies from Narita during the day, while the Boeing 777-300ER flies from Haneda in the evening. The Boeing 777-300ER’s business class seating configuration is 2-3-2. Meanwhile, the Boeing 787-9’s business class seating configuration is 1-2-1. In-flight meals are loaded onto the plane at Narita Airport, and Japanese food is served on board. On today’s flight, meals will be served twice: after takeoff and before landing. The original departure time was 10:35 AM. Due to a 1-hour 10-minute delay, the departure time was rescheduled to 11:45 AM. The layover in Istanbul was scheduled for 2 hours and 15 minutes, but due to the delay, the layover time was reduced to about an hour. It was a bit rushed. Boarding began at 11:25 AM, 20 minutes before departure. There are 300 seats in total, including 30 business class and 270 economy class. The 30 business class seats are configured 1-2-1. The interior is chic, with a grey theme. For couples, the two middle seats are recommended. All seats have overhead bins. I like the chic interior of the business class cabin. It has a spaceship-like atmosphere. The seat width is 22 inches (55.8 cm) and the pitch is 73 inches (185.4 cm). My seat is 7K. The seat does not have a privacy door. Let’s take a look at the seat and its surroundings. Adjustable headrest. Shoulder strap. A stylish cushion. Headphones and slippers. The seat is made of a slightly soft material. This is what it looks like when I sit in it. It feels like a typical business class seat. There is plenty of legroom. Life jacket is stored under the seat. Reading light. Adjustable armrest. Comfortable in-flight slippers. A slipper bag. It can also be used as a shoe bag. In Anatolian House, slippers are presented to guests for their comfort. They are made from 100% sustainable materials. The welcome drink is a choice of champagne, water, or non-alcoholic drinks. This one is a homemade lemon mint drink. This armrest can also be raised or lowered. There’s a personal screen remote control. Headphone jack. Seat controls, lighting buttons, an attendant call button. A hook. Storage space with door. A universal power outlet, and a USB-A port. There’s even a mirror here. The storage compartment holds headphones. These noise-canceling headphones are from the Japanese brand Denon. It’s a brand we don’t often see on other airlines. A coat hook. A book pocket. A disposal bag. A Boeing 787-9 safety card. At that time, safety instructions were also announced on the plane. Flight attendants wear red or grey uniforms. The Boeing 787 is unique in that it features electronically dimming windows (EDW). The brightness of the windows can be adjusted by applying voltage to a gel sandwiched between two panes of glass. The window color changes from clear to blue to black. A unique feature of long-haul business class is the presence of a chef on board. The chef is responsible for overseeing the preparation of in-flight meals. The screen is available in 12 languages. The screen is tiltable. Dining table. It’s an average size. Ample legroom. On this day, the men’s amenity pouch is a navy blue. On the other hand, the ladies’ amenity pouch is a bright red. I turn on the screen. A Turkish Airlines promotional video is playing. I’m looking forward to the in-flight meal. The two middle seats honeymoon seats? After takeoff, the chef will bring the meals on a trolley. Turkish Airlines’ service level is highly regarded, so I’m looking forward to it. Let’s take a look at My Flight. Passengers are provided with live camera footage from outside the aircraft. Live camera footage of the forward direction. Live camera footage of the down direction. Launch the flight map. The flight map launch screen. The flight from Tokyo to Istanbul takes 13 hours and 10 minutes. The distance is 10,210 km (6,344 miles). It’s going to be a long flight. The captain’s speech began. It’s a long flight, but the business class will make it comfortable. The seat shell design is futuristic and cool. We didn’t look at the overhead panels. They had lights, air nozzles, and seatbelt sign. The captain’s speech finished. There are also in-flight announcements in Japanese. The Japanese used in the in-flight announcements is not fluent. The safety video will be played in Turkish, then in English. It appears to be a safety video released in August 2019. It’s animated, with Disney-esque characters. Instructions on storing luggage and fastening seat belts. A cute baby character appears. Instructions include putting mobile phones into flight mode during the flight. If we drop our device, we are instructed to call the cabin crew. Instructions regarding no smoking on board. Instructions on oxygen masks. Instructions on emergency exits. Instructions on emergency lights. Instructions on life jackets. The safety video provided clear safety instructions. The safety video seems to be well-received. Safety instructions are available in sign language for passengers with disabilities. Next, a video about in-flight Wi-Fi will be shown. Business class passengers enjoy free in-flight Wi-Fi. After takeoff, check the in-flight Wi-Fi. The plane departed. There are two windows per seat. I can see the engines from the window of my 7K seat. In front of us is a Thai Airways plane. It’s not a typical design. The plane entered the runway. Taking off. Let’s take a look at the live camera footage. It’s incredibly clear. The seatbelt signs are on. Turkish announcements after takeoff. English announcements. 11 hours and 50 minutes until arrival in Istanbul. Since the flight departs in the afternoon, we will be able to relax on the plane. Try connecting to the in-flight Wi-Fi. Click on Turk Telekom WiFi. Proceed with Wi-Fi connection. Business class passengers simply need to press BUSINESS CLASS LOGIN. The cost of Wi-Fi connection for the full flight is 35 USD. Business class passengers simply need to enter their last name and seat number. I was able to connect to Wi-Fi for free. Hot towels are provided after takeoff. The tableware is from the Austrian brand DO & CO. Let’s take a look at the menu. The wine list. A white wine from Cappadocia, Turkey. 36 USD. Another Turkish white wine. 12 USD. A French white wine. 28 USD. A Turkish red wine. 10 USD. The table was set. A Turkish red wine. 21 USD. A French red wine. 9 USD. A Spanish red wine. 15 USD. An Argentine red wine. 36 USD. The champagne is Taittinger Brut Reserve. 59 USD. The rosé is 2023 Kavaklidere Egeo. 25 USD. Port wine. 23 USD. Four types of whiskey. Vodka, gin. Beers. Since we were in business class, it didn’t seem like there was a particularly expensive wine menu. Let’s take a look at the food menu. Eight appetizers and one soup. We can choose from the trolley. Three main dishes (salmon fillet, beef fillet, and gnocchi). Six desserts. Nine hot drinks (including Turkish coffee). Juices and soft drinks. A selection of wellness teas. The menu was unique in that it had numbers written on it. They also had a Japanese menu. Mixed nuts were provided. It was nicely warmed and delicious. I ordered Taittinger Brut Reserve champagne. I definitely want to drink the champagne first. Unfolding the table meant we couldn’t get out onto the aisle. Bread was provided. Extra virgin olive oil. Butter, salt, and pepper. There were several types of bread to choose from. Candle light. I didn’t know how to use it at the time. It says “Enjoy!” in Turkish and French. Cutlery with the Turkish logo. Mushroom soup. A rich soup. Octopus salad. Shrimp tempura. I ordered Cotes d’Avanos, a white wine from Cappadocia, Turkey. For the main dish, I ordered grilled salmon with miso. The salmon looked delicious. The side dishes are vegetables with ginkgo sauce. Rice with corn. Miso soup with tofu, green onions, daikon radish, and wakame seaweed. I actually wanted a Turkish main dish, but the miso-grilled salmon was delicious. There is lettuce at the bottom of the bowl of corn rice. The tableware is from the Turkish brand Porland. Desserts are available from the trolley. I chose traditional Turkish sweets such as baklava. I ordered Turkish tea. The tea glass had a unique shape. Cheese selection. Other desserts. I switch on the candle light. The candle light on the table will add to the ambiance. Both Turkish sweets were delicious. Since it’s a Turkish airline, I’d like to try Turkish food. We’re currently in China. There are 9 hours and 40 minutes left until arrival in Istanbul. This is an amenity pouch from the Italian brand Ferragamo. It contains various amenities. Amenity descriptions. I’ll go through each item later. Apparently, there are four colors for the men’s pouch alone. It’s luxurious for a business-class amenity pouch. Earplugs. Lip balm, facial mist, body lotion. Toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask, socks. The amenities were sufficient. The lavatory is average size. The lavatory has the same chic interior as the cabin. Hand soap and fragrances from the London brand MOLTON BROWN. Eau de toilette from the Turkish brand Eyüp Sabri Tuncer. The fragrances gave the lavatory a pleasant smell. Back in my seat. The flight attendant prepared the bed. Bed pad, duvet and pillow are provided. All of the colors are subdued. Press the switch to make the seat fully flat. The fully flat bed is complete. It actually angled about 170 degrees. The bed length is 76 inches (193 cm). I think it’s a standard bed for business class. Since it’s a daytime flight, some passengers might not sleep. I lay down in bed. I was given a bottle of water. The cabin lighting is dim. There are no doors on the seats, but I didn’t mind the person sitting next to me. The overhead lights could be controlled from here. Let’s take a look at the in-flight entertainment. It is an easy-to-use remote control. Let’s take a look at the movies. There are 705 movies available. This is a larger selection than other airlines. They offer a variety of languages. It’s a beautiful screen and very easy to see. Even a single movie is available in various languages ​​and with subtitles. Next are the TV programs. There are 1,789 TV programs. It is divided into detailed genres. There is an item called Discover Turkey. Videos of tourist spots in Turkey. In addition, there are videos available that allow us to learn about Turkish culture. Next is music. There are 2,181 music programs available. Looking at the numbers, the in-flight entertainment seems substantial. There’s a kids’ section. There’s a Disney section, featuring various Disney cartoons and movies. Live TV. There are about 15 games. During this flight, there were several announcements warning of turbulence. There’s an information section about Turkish Airlines. Clicking “More”… There are sections on Islam & Life and The Quran. Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country, so these sections seem to exist. Since there’s nothing to do, I take a nap. I slept well in a comfortable bed. Are we over Turkmenistan? There are two hours and 37 minutes left until arrival in Istanbul. The 2nd meal will be served two hours before landing. Hot towels are provided before the meal. The plane has already traveled quite a distance from Tokyo. I’m given orange juice. I shift my seat into the dining position. It’s still daytime outside. Let’s take another look at the menu. This is the menu before landing. Three main dishes (omelette, pancake, and flounder fish). Fresh fruit salad. Bread and Danish pastry. Chicken breast, roast beef. Muesli. Cheese, cucumber, and tomato. Spanish honey. The description is in Japanese. Turkish coffee. Served with Turkish delight (Lokum). The muesli has a very sweet taste. The Turkish coffee has a rich flavor. It was nice to be able to drink Turkish coffee on the plane. I ordered the Japanese dish, flounder fish. Side dishes included rice, carrots, bamboo shoots, tofu, and more. Since the main dish is sourced in the departure city, flights departing from Turkey should offer Turkish cuisine as the main dish. In-flight meals adhere to Islamic principles. Pork, for example, is likely not served. Before landing, I received a small black box. It says chocolate coated Turkish delight. It’s pistachio flavored. It was delicious. Connecting gate information is available before landing. The next flight is to Antalya, departing at 7:40pm. Pre-landing speech from the captain. After 15 minutes, the plane begins its descent. The plane is already over Turkey. Pre-landing preparations are underway. The overall cabin. The lack of doors on the seats made the cabin feel spacious. It is already near Istanbul. The seatbelt sign was on. Istanbul is nearly 10,000 km away, which feels far away. Istanbul is nearly 10,000 km from Tokyo, which feels far away. Antalya is a popular resort destination for Europeans. Istanbul is at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. Asia is on the right, Europe on the left. Check out the live camera footage. Many ships are visible. The image is quite high-resolution. Upon investigation, I found out they were using the LATvision™ HD Landscape Live Camera. We’re near the airport. Residential areas are visible. The live camera shows the airport runway. The runway is clearly visible. We’re about to land. Landing. The sound of applause or something falling. After landing, background music plays. We arrived just after 6:00 PM. Just in time for the sunset. English in-flight announcements after landing. The English in-flight announcements after landing are automated. If you’ve only flown once, you might not realize they’re automated. After boarding it twice, I realized it was an automated voice. I think the Japanese in-flight announcements after landing are also automated. The airport’s name is Istanbul Airport (IATA: IST). The airport is located on the European side of Istanbul, in the Arnavutköy district. It is Turkey’s largest airport and the second-busiest in Europe. In 2024, it served over 80 million passengers. It is said to be the seventh-busiest airport in the world by total passenger numbers. It is also the fourth-largest airport in the world in terms of area. Let’s disembark. The Turkish logo is painted on the wall at the rear of the cabin. Layover at Istanbul Airport. Due to a delay, we were a little worried about making our next flight. It is the fourth-largest airport in the world. International and domestic flights share the same terminal. Because of the airport’s size, we had to walk quite a distance from the international area to the domestic area. Let’s move to the domestic terminal area. It took about 15 minutes to get there. There is a security check when entering the domestic flight area. We have entered the domestic restricted area. The next flight is already at last call. There are 35 minutes left until departure. We had to hurry. The domestic area is also large, and we still had a lot of walking to do. ItIs a large plaza. Due to lack of time, I was unable to visit the domestic business class lounge. Apparently, the domestic lounge is not as large as the international lounge. However, the lounge is said to be well-equipped for a domestic flight. We head to the boarding gate. The boarding gate is G3H. I made it on time. I board the bus. Take a bus to the plane. Originally, my next flight was scheduled to be on an Airbus A350-900. There was a change in aircraft type, resulting in the same Boeing 787-9 as my previous flight. Let’s check Turkish Airlines’ aircraft types. Turkish Airlines’ flagship aircraft are the Boeing 787-9, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 777-300ER, and Airbus A330-300. There are also various other aircraft types. For long-haul flights, business class, with its 2-3-2 seating configuration, is not recommended. Let’s board. The business class cabin is the same as my previous flight. Even though it’s a short-haul flight, this aircraft is luxurious. There’s a partition between the two middle seats. My seat this time is 7A. Looking closely, I notice a different cushion design. I chose fresh raspberry for my welcome drink. It ‘s a delicious color. The safety card is the same. Let’s take a look at the menu. This time, I’m enjoying a Turkish main dish. The beverages menu. Alcoholic drinks are not served on domestic flights. The safety video is the same. The “Enjoy your flight” is good. The screen is almost identical. The flight from Istanbul to Antalya is a 1-hour, 25-minute flight. The distance is 635 km (394 miles). It looks like it’s going to be a busy flight. Departure. There were only about six business class passengers, probably because it was late. Takeoff. Watch the takeoff on the live camera. Many Turkish planes are visible. It’s dark, so the scenery is almost invisible. Daytime flights are better. 56 minutes left until arrival in Antalya. Check the in-flight Wi-Fi. The normal fare is 350 TRY (8.37 USD). Business class passengers enjoy free Wi-Fi even on domestic flights. The meal was served. Wet wipes. I didn’t see them on the previous flight. Adana kebab (Turkish ground meat kebab). Fresh berry and vanilla trifle. Chicken and zucchini salad. Homemade ayran. Turkish salty yogurt drink. Bread was provided. The Adana kebab was delicious. The rice was also soft and delicious. Trifle. A traditional dessert originating from the UK. I was satisfied with the Adana kebab. In this lavatory… It comes with a baby changing station. Once we finished our meal, we immediately prepared for landing. It’s a busy flight. The airport runway come into view. Beautiful night view. Antalya is Turkey’s fifth-largest city. We’re about to land. Landing. The airport’s name is Antalya Airport (IATA: AYT). The announcement after landing. It’s exactly the same as the previous flight. The background music after landing was soothing and nice. It took about 17 hours from Tokyo/Narita to Antalya. It’s around 9:30 PM local time in Antalya. After this, I will spend the night at the hotel and start my activities the next morning. After disembarking, I take a bus to the terminal. The business class seat on the Boeing 787-9 was comfortable. Turkish Airlines is highly rated for its service level. It was ranked 6th in Skytrax’s “The World’s Best Airlines 2025” ranking. Personally, I thought it was a high-quality airline overall. I’d like to experience Turkish Airlines’ business class again. Thank you for watching.

Today we’ll be experiencing Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Business Class. Enjoy an international Business Class flight from Tokyo/Narita to Istanbul, a layover in Istanbul, and a domestic Business Class flight from Istanbul to Antalya.

– 1st Flight (International)
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Flight Number: TK51
Departure: Narita Airport, Japan, 10:35 AM
Arrival: Istanbul Airport, Turkey, 5:45 PM
Flight Duration: 13 hours 10 minutes
Fare: 937,660 JPY / 6,135 USD / 256,675 TRY

2 hours 15 minutes (transfer at Istanbul Airport, Turkey)

– 2nd Flight (Domestic)
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Flight Number: TK2438
Departure: Istanbul Airport, Turkey, 8:00 PM
Arrival: Antalya Airport, Turkey, 9:25 PM
Flight Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
Fare: 28,695 JPY / 7,855 USD /7,855 TRY

■About Turkish Airlines
Founded: May 20, 1933
Base: Istanbul Airport
Alliance: Star Alliance
Flyer Program: Miles & Smiles
Fleet: 490
Destinations: 352 Routes (including cargo)
Number of Employees: 40,264
Website: turkishairlines.com

Turkish Airlines is Turkey’s national airline, founded in 1933. Its main base is Istanbul Airport in Arnavutköy. Its abbreviation and ICAO code is THY, which is derived from its Turkish acronym.

On April 1, 2008, the airline joined the Star Alliance.

In February 2014, the airline changed its Japanese name from Turkish Airlines to Turkish Airlines.

The airline currently serves 131 countries and operates scheduled flights to 352 destinations (including cargo) in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas.

Turkish Airlines’ level of service is highly regarded. In particular, it has been ranked in the top 10 of Skytrax’s “The World’s Best Airlines” list (6th in 2025, 7th in 2024, and 6th in 2023).

■Table of Contents
00:00 Intro
00:40 Check-in at Tokyo Narita Airport
02:00 New Turkish Airlines Lounge
09:25 Boarding the Boeing 787-9
11:08 Business Class Seats
18:53 Safety Video
20:39 Takeoff
21:58 In-flight Wi-Fi
22:36 Menu
24:53 1st Meal (After Takeoff)
28:33 Amenity Pouch
29:30 Lavatory
30:06 Fully Flat Bed
31:35 In-flight Entertainment
34:16 2nd Meal (Before Landing)
37:00 Before Landing
38:30 Landing
41:30 Layover at Istanbul Airport
43:24 Domestic Business Class (Istanbul to Antalya)
50:00 Thank you for watching

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