ISTANBUL: FREE TOURS!

If you’ve booked long distance flights before you’ll be familiar with the least stops versus cheapest flight conundrum. Do you spend more money on a ticket that delivers you door to door, or do you take the cheaper option which usually results in longer travel time?

When the latter ends up with you spending more money getting acquainted with duty free goods and Starbucks of the region you’ll be kicking yourself for not going direct.

Now Turkish Airlines are giving South African passengers even more reason to take the route with Touristanbul – the 100% free layover service for all international transit Turkish Airlines passengers.

All you have to do to take advantage of this unique perk is book flights with Turkish Airlines which include a stop in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines, which now flies from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban to Istanbul, is a great option for going abroad; they connect to more countries around the world than any other airline, and have been voted Europe’s best airline for the last 6 years!

In a nutshell

Turkish Airlines passengers connecting in Istanbul with a layover of between 6 and 24 hours can get a complimentary tour of the spectacular city during that period.

Touristanbul offers a range of free trips through wold famous highlights like the Topkapı Palace, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Galata Tower and the Dolmabahce Palace, plus a sampling of legendary Turkish cuisine, with variable durations depending on the length of the layover.

Tours depart daily from the Hotel Desk at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. Information on the schedule: www.turkishairlines.com/en-tr/flights/fly-different/touristanbul

South Africans with more 20 hours of connection time in Istanbul can receive complimentary accommodation from Turkish Airlines. Economy class passengers qualify for a one night stay at a 4-star hotel; and business class passengers a two night stay at a 5-star hotel in Sultanahmet and Taksim, popular neighbourhoods widely regarded as the central points of Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines, which flies to more countries and more destinations than any other airline, operates flights to Istanbul daily from Johannesburg, five times a week from Cape Town and four times a week from Durban.

New destination – Krasnodar

Krasnodar, a major economic centre in southern Russia, has now also become Turkish Airlines’ 303rd destination. Krasnodar is the 10th destination in Russia served by Turkish Airlines, joining Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Rostov, Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Voronezh, Samara and Ufa.

The Istanbul-Krasnodar direct flight operates five teams a week in both directions with round trip fares starting at $280 including all taxes and fees.

Krasnodar flight times – local time

Turkish Airlines’ flight schedule 2018: www.turkishairlines.com
WS