Turkish Airlines Sales

Yes. Turkish Airlines launched flights from Melbourne to Istanbul in March 2024 and from Sydney in November 2024, both operated on Airbus A350-900 aircraft. These services currently include a brief technical stop in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur (you stay on the aircraft). Sydney is increasing to daily service from January 2026. True non-stop flights to Sydney are expected from late 2026 using the larger A350-1000, with non-stop Melbourne services to follow in 2027. From Istanbul, you can connect to over 340 destinations in 132 countries — more than any other airline in the world.

Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance with 25 member airlines including Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, and ANA. This means you can earn and redeem frequent flyer miles across any Star Alliance program, enjoy seamless connections with through-checked baggage, and access Star Alliance lounges worldwide if you hold Gold status.

On flights from Australia, Turkish Airlines uses a weight-based baggage system. Your total checked baggage allowance depends on your fare type — EcoFly fares include the least, while PrimeFly fares include the most (up to 30kg). No single bag may exceed 32kg. Carry-on for economy is one cabin bag up to 8kg plus a personal item up to 4kg. Allowances vary by route and fare, so check the Turkish Airlines baggage calculator before you fly.

Yes, and it's one of Turkish Airlines' best perks. If you have a layover of 20 hours to 7 days in Istanbul on an international-to-international connection, economy passengers from Australia get two free nights in a 4-star hotel, and business class passengers get three nights in a 5-star hotel. Apply at least 72 hours before your layover. For shorter stops of 6–24 hours, the free Touristanbul program offers guided city tours including transport, meals, and museum entry. It's essentially a free mini-holiday on the way to Europe.

Turkish Airlines punches well above its weight. The airline was named Best Airline in Europe for the 10th time at the 2025 Skytrax Awards and ranked 9th best airline in the world. Their catering, handled by Turkish Do&Co, is consistently rated among the best in economy class globally — expect two full meal services on long-haul flights featuring Turkish cuisine alongside international options. All seats have seatback entertainment screens with a large selection of movies and TV, plus USB charging.

Turkish Airlines is typically one of the more affordable full-service options from Australia to Europe, generally cheaper than Emirates and competitive with Qatar Airways and Etihad. Sale fares from Australia to Europe have been seen from around $460 return. Unlike some competitors, all economy fares include meals, entertainment, and checked baggage. Factor in the free Istanbul stopover hotel and Turkish Airlines often represents the best overall value for getting to Europe from Australia.

Yes, it's called Miles&Smiles and it's free to join. You can earn miles on Turkish Airlines and all Star Alliance partner flights. For Australian travellers, note that Turkish Airlines is not a Qantas Frequent Flyer or Velocity partner — they're in different alliances. You can credit your flights to Miles&Smiles directly, or to other Star Alliance programs like Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, or Air New Zealand Airpoints. Miles&Smiles offers particularly good value for business class redemptions.

Turkish Airlines offers three economy fare tiers on international flights. EcoFly is the cheapest — it includes meals and entertainment but has the lowest baggage allowance, no seat selection, and limited change options. ExtraFly adds more checked baggage and lower change fees. PrimeFly is the most flexible, with the highest baggage allowance, free seat selection, free changes, and full refundability. All three tiers include meals and seatback entertainment, so even the cheapest fare is a full-service experience.

Turkish Airlines holds the highest 7-star safety rating from AirlineRatings.com and was ranked the 12th safest airline globally and the highest-ranked European carrier. The airline is IOSA certified and operates a modern fleet of over 530 aircraft, with around 85 new deliveries planned for 2026. Turkish Airlines is also financially strong, posting a $2.2 billion profit in 2025, which matters for long-term reliability and investment in fleet and service.