Forty-two months and the new Istanbul Airport finally opened, the single largest airport terminal in the entire world and it was our first time we would be landing there. Gokce and I had been to Ataturk Airport countless times before and knew it like the back of our hand. We loved the beautiful chaos of Ataturk Airport, but due to the rapid expansion of Turkish Airlines over the past decade or so, it was bursting at it seems and clearly it was time for expansion or a new airport.
We were able to experience the new Istanbul Airport through its arrivals, transit and departures process and wanted to share our experiences (and the above video) with you so that you may have an idea of how to maneuver the gigantic terminal upon your visit to or through Istanbul.
ARRIVAL AND FIRST IMPRESSION
Upon landing at the airport, both of us had a very similar experience (Gokce landed a few days before me). Landing from an international flight requires an incredibly long taxi of nearly 30 minutes to the gate after touching down in Istanbul. It literally felt like we did a lap around the entire airport. If you’re connecting through Istanbul to another destination, keep this in mind when booking the connecting flight, because with the long taxi times and size of the airport a tight connection time may be difficult to make especially with a flight delay.
The positive though is that both of our arrival flights had an actual gate, unlike at Ataturk Airport where I only had a gate once upon landing from my inbound flight from New York. Walking off an actual gate certainly beats getting bused from the plane to the terminal for another five to ten minutes after landing.
Once in the terminal itself, we were both struck by how huge and how empty it seemed to be. Gokce landed on a Sunday and I landed on the following Saturday, during the start of the summer season and it was almost a ghost town both days compared to Ataturk. I had previously spent an hour in the passport control line for non-Turkish citizens/residents but this time there was hardly anyone in the line, an almost bizarre experience for me upon landing in Istanbul. That said, there were plenty of signs pointing you to where you needed to go, so while it is very large, you should not have trouble getting around the airport.
Gokce left the airport to meet up with her family and was out of the airport in under 30 minutes from gate to curbside, impressive considering how big the airport is. Currently, the metro line is not ready and will not be ready until 2020, so to get to and from the airport, you can either take a bus (Havaist) for 18-25 Turkish Lira per person or a cab for 100-150 Turkish Lira per person. There is no Uber either (it is very limited in Istanbul), so our best advice is to download the phone application called BiTaksi. You may need a Turkish phone number to actually hail a cab, but you can still search where you want to go and get a price estimate through the BiTaksi app so you can know the yellow cab you’re about to take is not trying to overcharge you.
TRANSIT
I booked my standard summer connecting flight down to Izmir 3 hours after landing from New York and had plenty of time to check out the new airport while waiting to meet up with Gokce. A quick side note, they have added a fully autonomous check-in experience for domestic flights. You can print your ticket and tag your check-in bag without ever interacting with an agent, which Gokce took advantage of and you can see a bit in our video.
As mentioned above, the passport check was super quick and then there was an additional security screening to switch over to the domestic portion. Unlike Ataturk Airport, everything is in one building, so connecting to a domestic flight is now easier. The upgrade from the old domestic terminal is even more noticeable, with every flight having its own gate waiting area, compared to 2-3 flights sharing one at the old domestic terminal, it is much more relaxing this way.
Seemingly the only area of the terminal which seemed to be crowded was some of the food areas, specifically by Starbucks and a tea shop (located a level up from the gates). We enjoyed a quick, but expensive (10 Turkish Lira) tea before our flight to Izmir.
If you have a membership like we do through our Chase Sapphire Reserve cards, Priority Pass lounge has just opened, however, a downside is that it is pretty far from most gates due to the massive size of the airport. Additionally, WiFi was difficult to connect to and after a few tries, I finally gave up since we both had Google Fi service which works in 170+ countries worldwide (including Turkey) and had data service upon landing. If you travel internationally like we do, it’s been hugely beneficial and if you sign up through https://g.co/fi/r/KM4271 you can receive a $20 service credit (we do as well for full disclosure).
DEPARTURES
We both wound up taking the Havaist bus back to the airport from the Asian side of Istanbul and the cost was 25 Liras. Even if we were leaving together (Gokce stayed 5 days longer), it would have been more cost effective for the two of us to take the bus and a taxi would not save you any time. I left around 2:30pm on a Tuesday, right before rush hour and made it in 75 minutes to the airport. During rush hour it could take 90-120 minutes, as Istanbul rush hour traffic is infamous. The buses leave from pre-determined bus stops throughout the city to the airport, and you can find the timetable here (https://hava.ist/en/new-timetables) or download the “Moovit” phone application.
We both had the same impression of departures as we did on arriving, the airport seemed empty, probably due to the sheer size of it all (did we mention how big it was?). Check-in for North American flights are over at the J bank of counters (right by the Istanbul sign), which can be accessed through entrance 4 (there are 7 separate huge entrances) and then security for the flight is right beyond that. It was surprisingly quick and then I had two plus hours before my flight.
I was able to find the new Turkish Airlines Business Class lounge, the entrance is located by gate E1, though I did not have access this time. For American flights, which are at the A gates for additional security screening purposes, it’s nearly a 15-20 minute walk to your gate from the lounge, so definitely plan accordingly. The Yotel Hotel entrance is also located in the international terminal, near the C gates and boasts 400+ rooms, but rates are pricey and in Euros. For now, it is the only hotel near the airport though.
I wound up finding a sports bar called Tickerdaze not too far from the Yotel and grabbed a quick beer before the flight. While on the expensive side for Turkey as a whole, 36 Turkish Liras for a 50cl pour of Efes malt was not terrible after we had spent the previous weekend in Cesme. I would definitely recommend passing time at Tickerdaze before your flight unless you have lounge access (or until the priority pass lounge is open) as they also had ample charging stations for your phone and electronic devices while waiting for your flight.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
The New Istanbul Airport is impressive and boasts a ton more space to move about compared to Ataturk, which is appreciated. It is also definitely something to reconsider when booking a transit flight, you may be in for a rush if you try and transfer in less than an hour. The airport has continually been built out and we cannot wait for the metro connection to be completed in 2020 or 2021.
Here are some key points from the video:
- The airport is very large and modern.
- Passport control and luggage claim were easy and quick.
- There are multiple transportation options to and from the airport, including taxis, buses, and the Havaist shuttle.
- The airport has a variety of shops and restaurants.
- There is an airport hotel for passengers with long layovers.
- Overall, the new Istanbul Airport is a world-class facility that is convenient for travelers.
Have you been to the new Istanbul Airport? Share your experience in the comments below!