Very tight connection on IST airport
I read a similar Q&A but I'm hoping to get an updated answer, in case something changed. I'm traveling with my wife from OTP to JFK with 65 minutes layover in IST, one ticket with Turkish Airlines, on a Friday at the end of February, landing in IST at 7:10 AM, economy tickets. A few days ago I looked on TK's reviews and now I'm afraid of missing the connection, as I read they blame you if you miss it because of long security queues and the only option they give you is to buy another ticket, otherwise they cancel your return flight. Being on a budget, this would be the end of the road for us. My question is, are there experienced travelers which can advice me on how to minimize the time spent transfering in IST? Most probably I will get both boarding passes in OTP and our baggage will be transferred directly to JFK (hope they will have time) but I think there's a security check for passengers transferring in US and I'm afraid of long security queues. I read on TK's website that international gates close 25 mins before departing. To best calculatemy odds I also tried to see if the OTP-IST flight stops at gate or on tarmac, but I think there are days and days. The IST-JFK flight usually departs from gate 219, but I've also seen gate 209. I think the only way to increase our chances would be to run - we can do that, or at least walk faster than other people if it's very crowded. But what about security? Having an economy ticket we'll have to stay in line and I doubt people would let us pass if we tell them we're missing the connection - probably there are some other people in line with tight connections. Any advice will be much appreciated.
Best Answer
Note: This answer applies to Ataturk Airport, not the new Istanbul Airport, which is scheduled to begin serving this flight on or before 3 March 2019.
Let your flight crew on your originating flight know you have a short connection. They can open a door off the jetway for you that goes directly to the departure area and will skip the long lines.
See also the related Q&A, Need guidance on how to navigate Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST), including Aleks G's description of this transfer door.
Pictures about "Very tight connection on IST airport"
What is a tight connection flight?
In the event that your first flight arrives too late to connect, the airline will be obligated to put you on the next available flight without charging any fees. Sometimes these standard connection times can be incredibly tight.Is 1 hour transit enough in Istanbul airport?
Mohammadreza, If both flights are with Turkish Airlines and you are on a single ticketing with 1 PNR number for the whole trip, then 1 hour and 40 minutes layover at the transit area of the airport is sufficient time. No immigration, no visa required.What is the minimum connection time in Istanbul airport?
You are required to be at the terminal at least 3 hours before your international flights and at least 2 hours before your domestic flights.What happens if you miss a connecting flight Turkish Airlines?
If you will miss a connecting flight Turkish Airlines will take care of that \u2014 mostly, according to the Turkish Airlines missed flight policy, you will be offered another flight completely for free. If it is a self transfer flight (you booked flights separately) \u2014 it is your responsibility.Transfer International to Another - Turkish Airlines
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Andrea Piacquadio, LT Chan, JESHOOTS.com, Gustavo Fring