Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of T?rkiye that flies to the most countries worldwide, operates flights to 349 cities in 130 countries, including the Incheon-Istanbul route, making it the airline with the most destinations globally.
When using Turkish Airlines to visit Middle Eastern and European countries for travel or business purposes, the greatest advantage is the convenience and efficiency of transfers. Transferring at Istanbul, a key transportation hub between the Asian and European continents, offers favorable transfer waiting times and flight durations to most Middle Eastern and European cities. Turkish Airlines enables travel to over 50 countries within 3 to 5 hours from Istanbul Airport, and it is notable that passengers can reach not only major and smaller cities in Europe but also key cities in the Middle East and Africa.
Due to these geographical advantages, many passengers traveling to their final destinations in Europe and Africa transit through Istanbul using Turkish Airlines, which provides special services for transfer passengers.
Passengers transferring at Istanbul Airport with Turkish Airlines who stay for at least 20 hours can use the stopover service, which offers free accommodation at Turkish Airlines partner hotels. Through this stopover service, transfer passengers can briefly stay in Istanbul, enjoy comfortable lodging to relieve travel fatigue, and leisurely explore the city for a richer travel experience.
This service provides economy class passengers with a one-night stay at a 4-star hotel, and business class passengers with a two-night stay at a 5-star hotel including breakfast. Transportation from the airport to the hotel is not provided separately. If passengers wish to extend their hotel stay, they can do so at a special rate at the partner hotels.
The stopover service was first introduced in 2017, temporarily suspended during the pandemic, and resumed in March 2022. It was first introduced on routes from Korea in September 2022. According to a global survey conducted by Turkish Airlines from January to May 2024 targeting passengers who used the stopover service, 73% of those passengers cited the accommodation service as the reason for preferring Turkish Airlines.
The stopover service can be applied for at least 72 hours before the departure of the first flight via the official Turkish Airlines website or email. Online applications through the official website are simple by entering the reservation code (PNR) and passenger’s last name, and passengers can select their preferred hotel from partner hotels. When booking via email, applications can be submitted to the Korean office’s stopover service email with the passenger’s name, reservation code (PNR) or ticket number, accommodation dates, preferred room type, phone number, and email address; the hotel will be assigned randomly. After the application is completed, a hotel voucher is issued, and passengers must present the hotel voucher along with their boarding pass at hotel check-in.
Detailed information about the stopover service can be found on the official Turkish Airlines website.
Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines currently operates flights between Incheon International Airport and Istanbul International Airport 11 times a week.
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