Turkish Airlines Brings Back US Routes & Increases Frequencies

a plane parked at an airport

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The latest schedule update from Turkish Airlines sees the airline planning to restart services to three US cities and ramping up services to a further four US cities that it currently serves. Here’s what you need to know about the airline’s new schedule:

Istanbul – Chicago O’Hare 

Currently, this route is operated 3x week and this state of play is set to continue through to the end of July. From 1 August 2020, the frequencies on this route are set to increase significantly 10 weekly flights operating on the following schedule:

TK5 IST 14:10 – 17:35 ORD (Daily 777-300ER service)
TK185 IST 16:30 – 19:55 ORD (Mon, Thu & Sat 787-9 service)

TK6 ORD 21:30 – 16:10+1 day IST (Daily 777-300ER service)
TK186 ORD 23:05 – 17:50+1 day IST (Mon, Thu & Sat 787-9 service)

Given the choice between the flights on offer, the 3 weekly flights operated by the 787-9 Dreamliner are the ones to aim for as they offer the airline’s new Business Class cabin.

Istanbul – Houston

This route is set to return from 26 July 2020 with an initial schedule of just 3 weekly flights. From 1 August, Turkish Airlines is scheduled to offer a daily service on the following schedule:

TK33 IST 14:05 – 19:10 IAH (Daily)
TK34 IAH 20:55 – 16:50+1 day IST (Daily)

This route is set to be operated by a Turkish Airlines 777-300ER which is not equipped with the airline’s latest Business Class seats.

Istanbul – Los Angeles

a view of a city from a hill

This route is currently operating 3x/week and this is set to increase to 4x/week from 1 July. From 1 August, however, this route is scheduled to operate 11 weekly flights on the following schedule:

TK179 IST 08:35 – 12:15 LAX (Tue, Wed, Fri & Sun 787-9 service)
TK9 IST 13:10 – 16:50 LAX (Daily 777-300ER service)

TK180 LAX 13:45 – 12:55+1 day IST (Tue, Wed, Fri & Sun 787-9 service)
TK10 LAX 18:30 – 17:40+1 day IST (Daily 777-300ER service)

Given the choice between the flights on offer, the 3 weekly flights operated by the 787-9 Dreamliner are the ones to aim for as they offer the airline’s new Business Class cabin.

Istanbul – Miami

As things stand, this route is operated 3x week and Turkish Airlines is set to maintain this frequency through the end of July. From 1 August 2020, the schedules are now showing a daily service with the following timings:

TK77 IST 13:40 – 19:00 MIA (Daily)
TK78 MIA 20:40 – 15:00+1 day IST (Daily)

This route is set to be operated by a Turkish Airlines 777-300ER which is not equipped with the airline’s latest Business Class seats.

Istanbul – New York JFK

Turkish Airlines is set to restart service to/from New York JFK from 1 July 2020 and will be operating this route 5x/week. All things being equal, this route will ramp up significantly and offer 3 daily services from 1 August. Here’s the August schedule:

TK3 IST 07:25 – 10:50 JFK (Daily)
TK1 IST 13:30 – 17:20 JFK (Daily)
TK11 IST 18:35 – 22:30 JFK (Daily)

TK12 JFK 00:10 – 16:50 IST (Daily)
TK4 JFK 12:30 – 04:55+1 day IST (Daily)
TK2 JFK 19:00 – 11:50+1 day IST (Daily)

All flights on this route are currently scheduled to be operated by Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER which are not equipped with the airline’s latest Business Class seats.

Istanbul – San Francisco

a tall buildings in a city

This is one of the routes that Turkish Airlines mothballed when the pandemic took hold but it’s now set to return from 13 July with 10 flights per week on the following schedule:

TK189 IST 09:55 – 13:15 SFO (Wed, Fri & Sat 787-9 service)
TK79 IST 13:10 – 16:30 SFO (Daily 777-300ER service)

TK190 SFO 14:25 – 13:50+1 day IST (Wed, Fri & Sat 787-9 service)
TK80 SFO 18:10 – 17:15+1 day IST (Daily 777-300ER service)

From 1 August, TK189/190 operate on Wed, Fri & Sun

Istanbul – Washington Dulles

Through the end of July, Turkish Airlines will continue to offer this route 3 times a week although the 787-9 Dreamliner which currently operates on this route is set to be replaced by a 777-300ER from 1 July. From 1 August, this route is scheduled to be served 10x/week with the Dreamliner reappearing in the schedules:

TK187 IST 08:35 – 12:25 IAD (Mon, Thu & Sat 787-9 service)
TK7 IST 15:00 – 18:50 IAD (Daily 777-300ER service)

TK188 IAD 17:00 – 09:55+1day IST (Mon, Thu & Sat 787-9 service)
TK8 IAD 23:15 – 16:05+1day IST (Daily 777-300ER service)

Given the choice between the flights on offer, the 3 weekly flights operated by the 787-9 Dreamliner are the ones to aim for as they offer the airline’s new Business Class cabin.

Bottom Line

It’s great to see Turkish Airlines planning to restart a number of its US routes and scheduling increased flights to the cities it currently serves, but all of these changes should be approached with a good deal of caution. The current travel crisis is far from being over and the pandemic is still going strong so situations can and will change between now and August. Do not make any bookings based purely on this information as the Turkish Airlines schedules may well change again.

[HT: Routes Online for the heads up on some of these changes]

1 COMMENT

  1. Should never have locked down.
    We ground the v world economy to a halt to save life of people in their 70s and 80s who are going to die pretty soon anyway. One last time the dying boomers show the middle finger to the rest of the world as they depart it.

    In death as in life completely useless, that’s baby boomers.

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