Author: Irina
We spent 7 hours in an uncomfortable place called the New Istanbul Airport. We managed to be surprised, disappointed, angry and, of course, calculate how long all important routes take. For example, from the plane to baggage claim or just taxiing
Quick reference:
✓ We visited Istanbul Navalimani in April 2019 - we flew in from Los Angeles and waited for a connection to Moscow. But we are constantly updating the article.
✓ It has been under construction since 2015 - the reason: it is not possible to expand Ataturk - and will continue until 2023. It is positioned as the largest in the world!
✓ Opened in October 2018, but Turkish Airlines and all others solemnly "moved" to the new international airport only on April 5, 2019.
✓ Ataturk Airport is closed.
Where is Istanbul New Airport located?
In the north - the New Istanbul Airport, in the south - Ataturk, already old
Generally speaking, in a wide field beyond Istanbul, where there is nothing around. More specifically, in the suburb of Arnavutköy, from where the distance to the city is ≈ 40 km to Taksim Square and ≈ 50 km to Sultanahmet.
How to get from the New Istanbul Airport to the city itself is no problem, there is often public transport, plus taxis and transfers. I'll talk about this a little below, but for now:
Features of the airport - what have we noticed?
New airport entrance and check-in desks
I wanted to write all the emotions about the airport on my instagram, but there was a problem: the wi-fi did not work in the Arrivals hall! And here's how to order a taxi? |
Transit / change at the New Istanbul Airport.
We did not go through the test with a short docking, but our friends happened to. And although the security check passed quite quickly, and in principle there was enough time (1.5 hours), they advise taking a flight with a connection not less than 2 hours... Just in case. The airport is new, plane / queue / anything else delays are likely.
- When leaving the "sleeve", employees immediately distribute passengers to transit or to exit to Istanbul.
- If no one is watching, go with the stream and look for the pink Short connection international pointer. It can be used if the transfer is less than 75 minutes.
- There are many volunteers on the spot - in lilac T-shirts - they will definitely help, if anything.
The new Istanbul Airport (IST) is so large that reviews say that it takes as much as half an hour from the moment of landing to the complete stop of the plane. It is difficult to be objective here - different bands, gates, terminals. I will say that our Boeing-777 taxied exactly 10 minutes.
Airport facts.
✓ Upon arrival, exchangers - Exchange - start at baggage claim, work around the clock. There is also a huge duty free. An islet with ATMs - ATM - is located opposite the Hotel Desk.
You can exchange currency or withdraw cash in several places at the airport - also euro and dollars are accepted for payment in all cafes
✓ Escalator to bus stops also opposite Hotel Desk.
✓ Location of the Hotel Desk (where people apply for a free hotel from Turkish Airlines, see below for more details): go to the arrivals hall along the green / red corridor, turn right, you need to reach the very end.
✓ About wi-fi: it works fine in the Departures hall. It's called something like IGA_guest, you need to enter a phone number (Russian just after 7), receive and enter a message with a code. Will give an error, but connect :)
✓ At the entrance to the New Istanbul Airport, as in Ataturk, everyone goes through a security check. Demand to take out a laptop ☹
Entrance to the airport from the side of the street - you can enter both on the 1st and 2nd floor
✓ On the security check after passport control - hurray! - do not ask to take off your shoes.
Official website: www.istanbulhavalimani.com
Airport address: Tayakadın Mahallesi, Terminal Caddesi No: 1, 34283
For fans of numbers (we are the same, that's why we spotted):
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Our impressions.
+ The airport is clear and simple, it is difficult to get lost. Signposts, volunteers, travelators - everything is in order. Distances to some of the gates are long, 7-10 minutes each, so lucky.
+ Business lounges at Istanbul Airport are now available for Priority Pass or Lounge holders. Two - IGA Lounge and IGA Sleepod (capsules for sleeping for 3 hours) - in the international terminal, one - of the same name - in the home terminal.
+ There are not many people (yet?), You cannot compare with Ataturk. Perhaps they are well dispersed. Although the comrades lying side by side / sleeping / contemplating on the floor are already here.
- There are unfinished premises like back streets, where not everyone will wander, whitewash is pouring in, construction waste is lying around. Some toilets, such as the food court, have soap taps, but the soap itself is not. Near the tables in the cafe stick out the wires wrapped in electrical tape O_o
+ What surprised me was the cool information counters. We approached this to find a restaurant, enter the name, and then a huge face of a girl emerges on the scoreboard, saying in English: “Hello, can you hear me? How can I help you?". At first it seemed that this was an advertisement - you know, like hello, welcome to our cool airport, etc. It turned out to be an online operator :)
The first time we saw video support at the airport - you start looking for something and they call you, while the truth is in English or Turkish
Metro at New Istanbul Airport
The new Istanbul airport and the metro are still incompatible concepts. There is no subway, but construction is already underway. They promised by the end of 2020, but apparently did not have time!
Transfer and taxi
We did not find out the taxi prices, and the tourists who used the services of the locals were not announced on the forums. The only thing that is known for sure is that especially arrogant drivers may demand an additional payment even in excess of the meter, because “to go too far”.
A transfer is considered a reliable option: it is paid in advance, and the driver meets at the designated time with a sign on which your name proudly flaunts, and delivers to the hotel door.
Transfer from New Istanbul Airport can be ordered in advance:
1) from the hotel - and it will cost 55-60 euros per car
2) on KiwiTaxi (checked by us in Greece) - 40-43 euros (for two / for four)
To a certain extent, this is the fastest way to get to the hotel - from 40 minutes and further according to traffic jams. no problems with IstanbulCard, waiting for the bus, negotiating about the price (about a taxi).
Buses
A common question about the New Istanbul Airport is how to get to the city center easier and cheaper. For this, the universal answer is buses. They go to Sultanahmet, to Taksim and in other 18 directions. The journey takes 40-80 minutes (no traffic jams / there are traffic jams) + this is the cheapest way.
There are two carrier companies to choose from:
- Havaist shuttles (express non-stop): to Taksim route IST19, to Sultanahmet IST20. Price ≈18 liras.
- IETT (regular bus) - to Taksim route H2 (5.2 lira) and transfer to the Istanbul metro (2.7 lira).
The schedule, drop-off / landing points and the exact cost can be found on the IETT website (there is also about Havaist): www.iett.istanbul/en/main/pages/access-to-airports/798.
Important.
You can ONLY pay for the bus with the Istanbul Card. And to top up / buy it (6 liras) - in cash or by credit card at the machine at the bus stops. BUT: the card, according to reviews, sometimes does not work. I described where to get the cash in the section "Facts about the airport".
By the way, Istanbul Card is allowed to use one for several people.
The short diagram is as follows:
We got to baggage claim → changed money → went to the arrivals hall (or take off here at an ATM) → go down to the floor below → buy / top up the card → get on the bus.
Note: if you have already been to Istanbul, and the card is lying around in the table, check its expiration date. Our one and a half year old worked!
To Sabiha Airport and vice versa from the New Airport, take the Havaist on the IST8 route. To Ataturk Airport - H4 (IETT).
Rent a Car
The rental offices are open. You can rent a car from $ 29 per day by booking in advance on RentalCars. The longer the term, the lower the daily price.
Priority Pass at New Istanbul Airport - Lounge Zone
The new Istanbul airport has not yet agreed on a priority pass. Or they are with him, not the point. It is important that the n-hour transfer is not carried out as comfortably as possible. We'll have to huddle in cafes or in the areas of sofas (which are permanently occupied).
(Upd: Agreed! There are lounges at the Istanbul airport. At the moment there are three of them:
- IGA Lounge - available in 2021 for Priority Pass cardholders, but can be sneaked in for about € 45 per person (price changes frequently)
- IGA Lounge - in the domestic departures terminal
- IGA Sleepod - sleep capsules at the international terminal
There is also the Turkish Airlines Lounge - where mere mortals cannot get for Euro-lira.
We photographed the VIP lounge of Turkish Airlines back in Moscow, it is no longer possible to enter Istanbul without a flight in business class. But you can get to the IGA, which is on the left
Where to stay near the airport? Hotels
Remember the beginning of this text? "In a wide field beyond Istanbul" ... Nearby, not only a hotel, there is no settlement.
But the animals did not plan the air harbor, and a place for a hotel in the New Istanbul Airport was allocated. Called YOTEL Istanbul Airport, it is located both in the "dirty" (accessible to everyone) and in the "clean" (only for passengers) area, it is considered the largest airport hotel in Europe. Price list - O_o: from € 160 per night for two without breakfast.
More reasonable options - for 35-50 euros, but already in Istanbul - look for them on RoomGuru or Booking.
How to get a free hotel from Turkish Airlines?
We took advantage of the offer in March back in Ataturk, on the eve of the "grand move". In the new airport, the process with the hotel is exactly the same as in the old one.
Yes, the airline provides a room in any hotel for free, if the transfer in Istanbul is from 12 (layover) or from 20 hours (stopover), both flights are international and operated by the Turks.
I never went into the details of the difference between Layover and Stopover. I see a connection in the ticket at 20 hours and 10 minutes - I go behind the hotel :) The inspiration came this time when we were denied a free overnight stay.
I explain.
The easiest way to find the info on the Turkish Airlines website is that "if you are in Istanbul for 20+ hours and want to see the city, write a week in advance to the post office, we will book a hotel for you."
1) Last year we flew from Samara to Hong Kong with a stopover in Istanbul for 21 hours... We sent a request for an email, which was followed by a request to approach the Hotel Desk at the airport. Okay, come over. US organized a great hotel nearby (it was still in Ataturk) and a transfer.
2) This year the route was Moscow-Los Angeles with a change at the same 21 hours... I doubted, write, do not write to the post office, again come up to that desk. But I wrote it all the same. Surprisingly, they sent a voucher for check-in at a hotel in the center of Istanbul and reminded that you have to get to it yourself.
According to reviews, Akgun Hotel did not look very good, and we decided to check at the airport, suddenly it falls out better. The man at the Hotel Desk studied our ticket for a long time and delivered a verdict - “and you are not entitled to a hotel, you could take a flight from Moscow tomorrow, and you would have waited 3 hours. "
It's good that we didn't throw away the voucher at Akgun 🙂
Conclusion.
- Layover - this is a forced transfer (as in example 1) - 1 flight per day flies from Samara to Istanbul). For her, the hotel rule works from 12 hours, you need to contact the Hotel Desk at the airport.
- Stopover - this is when you (on purpose?) Choose a docking longer, from 20 hours, although they could have arrived in Istanbul later or left earlier. As in example 2) - there are several daily flights from Moscow to Turkey.
We, of course, did not choose anything on purpose, but simply took the cheapest ticket. In this case, to get a hotel, you need to write to [email protected].
At the New Airport, the Hotel Desk is located at the end on the right as you exit the green / red corridor.
How do I get a meal and excursion voucher from Turkish Airlines?
Much easier.
✓ Tour of Istanbul. Condition: transfer from 6 hours, without reservation of flights early. Everything is decided at the Hotel Desk.
✓ Meals at the airport. Condition: transfer from 5 hours. The food voucher can be handed out at Care Point - in the International Departures Hall, it is opposite gate A2 or D1.
You can eat at Burger King, Sbarro (pizza) and Popeyes (burgers). Stomp to the cafe for about 10 minutes to the other end from the Care Point. We figured the voucher was about $ 5 (in BC it's small fries, water and medium burger).
Keep in mind that for the sake of fast food and an unfriendly attitude, you will have to ditch at least half an hour to get a piece of paper, 10 minutes to walk with backpacks and another 40 minutes to order. Although there is still nothing to do for 5 hours 🙂
Nice cafe at the airport - Cay Saati. Cappuccino - 18 TL, water - 7 TL. Payment in lira, dollars, euros.
Scheme of the New Istanbul Airport
Bottom line. Istanbul's main airport is far from an example for the rest, and spending long hours in it is not the most rosy part of the trip. To a greater extent, this applies to the details.
We will write off something similar to the Russian “and so it will do, the main thing is it works, we will finish the rest” and we hope that over time the New Airport will become the best version of the good old Ataturk. Only mind you without chaos and terrible queues!
Have you managed to visit the New Istanbul Airport? Share your impressions in the comments!
