While it is huge it's very easy to get around. Everything is well marked, passport control is quick and efficient. Check in with Turkish Airlines was easy with very little wait time. They did 2 pre-clearance security checks this time before getting to the check in counter.
People Also Ask
If you're traveling on a foreign passport, it can take 50-60 minutes to get through immigration at Istanbul Airport.
For domestic flights in the United States, most airlines recommend that passengers arrive at the airport at least 1-2 hours before the scheduled departure time for check-in and security screening.
If you will miss a connecting flight Turkish Airlines will take care of that — 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) — it is your responsibility.
Of the three, however, Istanbul International Airport is the newest and the largest with almost 37 million passengers passing through in 2021. Long term, the airport is planned to handle as many as 200 million passengers as the airport could be a major transportation hub connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa.
If you miss your connection booked with the same airline that your were on for your first flight, and the issue is due to a delayed take off or anything else that's in the hands of your airline, it's the airline's responsibility to rebook you on the next available flight.
At a minimum, I'd say you should plan for one hour for domestic layovers and two hours for international layovers. But this is not a hard, fast rule! If you have to go through security again on a domestic layover, you might need more time.
The airline-ranking company Skytrax rated Turkish Airlines as the sixth-best airline in the world. These are my eight takeaways from my 14 hours aboard two Turkish Airlines flights.
Overall, passengers usually have to re-clear security for connecting flights, though there may be some exceptions depending on the airport and flight itinerary. To make this process easier, checking with the airline or airport ahead of time is recommended.
For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection. For international flights on different airlines, the connection time will need to be even greater as you may have to change terminals between the two flights.
If you missed your connecting flight due to a short layover, the airline will book you on the next flight free of charge as long as the connecting flight is part of the same ticket.