Is Business Class Worth It? 8 Reasons to Splurge on Turkish Airlines' Business Class

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at cteel@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

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Opting for Turkish Airlines’ business class is completely worth the money. From enjoying amazing Turkish cuisine to arriving at your destination refreshed and ready to go, here’s why a ticket is worth the splurge.

You Can Actually Sleep

Turkish Airlines’ business-class seats recline flat with the push of a button, and the flight attendants will turn your seat into a bed with a padded cover, pillow, and blanket whenever you’re ready to rest.

You Can Avoid the Reclining Wars

You’re not just pushing a button to jolt your seat back if you’re in business class: The seat is more like a cozy recliner chair. Lean back with your feet up and truly relax—the seat reclines back into its own shell, so you’re not impeding on the space of the person behind you.

You Won’t Arrive Tired and Achy

After a long-haul flight in economy, I always arrive feeling sore and exhausted. But in business class you can lie flat, change positions, and easily access the aisle (even from a window seat), which means more moving around and getting comfortable—thus preventing the aches and pains that usually come with a long-haul flight. After flying in Turkish Airlines’ business class for more than 20 hours, I arrived at 6:00 a.m. pain-free and ready to take on a full day of exploring.

You Can Forget Mediocre Airport Food

Turkish Airlines uses famous chefs to prepare its business-class meals, all of which are delicious. You’ll choose dishes from a menu of options, and you can eat at any time you’d like—not just when the meal cart rolls by.

Turkish airlines' business class — Caroline Morse Teel

You Can Enjoy Peace and Quiet

Crying babies or loud seatmates won’t bother you in business class, thanks to the complimentary Bose noise-canceling headphones Turkish Airlines provides at each seat.

You Can Get Off the Plane First

Economy class is held back from leaving until business class deplanes. This was a key advantage for me for two reasons—first, when I had an extremely tight connection, I saved time by being the very first person out the door so I could sprint to my gate in time. Second, when I arrived at Kathmandu airport (known for its long visa lines) I was able to beat everyone else on my flight to the queue, which also saved me a lot of time.

You Can Pack More

Business-class customers can bring a maximum of 66 pounds of luggage onboard, compared to the 44 pounds allowed in economy class.

You Can Skip the Line

Turkish Airlines’ business-class customers get dedicated lines not only at check-in, but also when going through security. This includes the extra security you usually have to go through at the gate before flying to the United States.

More from SmarterTravel:

Caroline Morse Teel received a complimentary upgrade to Turkish Airlines business class. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline for in-flight and other travel photos from around the world.

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