TRIP REPORT: Turkish Airlines, Sarajevo - Kilimanjaro via Istanbul

TRIP REPORT

Written by: Amar Hamzić

Narrow body adventure to Africa

This was my third trip to Africa this year due to work obligations. I usually prefer to fly with the Lufthansa Group, as I have frequent flyer status and enjoy all the benefits that come with it, such as lounge access at their main hubs, priority check-in in or extra baggage. However, Turkish Airlines has consistently proven to be the best and most affordable option when flying from Sarajevo to Africa. I’ve previously used them for trips to Accra and Nairobi, and both times the combination of schedule and price was simply unbeatable.

For this trip to Kilimanjaro, it was the same story. Lufthansa and Austrian didn’t even show any connections to JRO from SJJ in their system, and the only alternative was Edelweiss via Zurich, which included a full overnight layover. Once again, Turkish Airlines was the clear winner, but this time with one small change: the Istanbul - Kilimanjaro flight, lasting almost seven hours, was operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, a narrow-body aircraft. Earlier this year, when I flew to Nairobi, I managed to avoid the MAX, as every other day that route is operated by an Airbus A330, which I personally prefer, especially when traveling in pairs due to the 2-4-2 seating configuration. This time, however, there was no such luck.

I arrived at Sarajevo Airport two hours before departure, and both check-in and security went smoothly. In the past six months, I’ve noticed that border control in Sarajevo has started stamping Bosnian passports on exit, which was never the case before, while they still skip entry stamps upon return. After security, I walked through the newly renovated duty-free area, which now looks modern and comparable to shops in larger European airports.

The inbound aircraft from Istanbul arrived about half an hour early, so boarding began right on schedule. Passengers seated in rows 18 and above boarded through the stairs on the rear airplane doors, while those seated further forward boarded directly through the airbridge. The aircraft for this leg was an Airbus A321neo (registration TC-LPJ), just over a year old and delivered to Turkish Airlines in September 2024. The cabin looked spotless and felt really new. The in-flight entertainment system worked flawlessly and was noticeably faster than on Turkish’s older A321s or 737s, with a refreshed selection of movies and series compared to my flights earlier in the year.

Once we reached cruising altitude, the cabin crew served a light meal consisting of a sandwich, soft drink, and a sweet cookie. I had pre-ordered a diabetic meal, while my travel companion chose the Asian vegetarian option. The differences between the meals were small but noticeable in small details as for example, my butter portion was lower in fat, the main had more protein and fewer carbs, and the fruit salad consisted only of bitter grapefruit, which always makes me a bit sad. About an hour and a half after takeoff, we were already descending into Istanbul after a smooth and uneventful flight.

Diabetic meal served

The best type of entertainment for me 😊

My layover in Istanbul lasted almost seven hours. Upon arrival, I headed straight to the Turkish Airlines Help Desk to claim my food voucher, available for all passengers transiting in Istanbul for more than five hours. I used mine at Burger King, although there were other options for other fast food chains, such as Subway and Popeyes. The voucher covered a standard combo meal with a burger, fries, and a soft drink. After eating, I headed to the F gates, which are about a 25-minute walk but tend to be less crowded, and settled there to watch a basketball game. Bosna had finally returned to the ABA League, and it was time for their first match against Mega in Belgrade. Unfortunately, the game didn’t end as I had hoped, but soon it was announced that my flight would depart from gate F7A, which was conveniently just two minutes away from where I had been sitting.

What can be confusing at Istanbul Airport is that at 18:30 there is a flight Istanbul - Zanzibar - Kilimanjaro, and at 18:35 there is a flight Istanbul - Kilimanjaro - Zanzibar. Both those flights show both destinations on the departure screens, which can be misleading. After double-checking my flight number, I proceeded to the correct gate, and boarding began shortly after.

The aircraft for this leg was a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration TC-LCS), built about six and a half years ago and delivered to Turkish Airlines in autumn 2021. The flight was fully booked, and due to limited space in the overhead bins, gate agents were tagging larger cabin bags to be checked free of charge. Knowing it would be a long flight, I paid an additional 39 USD for a seat in the first row with extra legroom. This made a big difference in comfort and guaranteed space for my carry-on, since storing items under the seat is not allowed in the first row.

Legroom was still good even when the business class curtain was closed

Screens were placed on the walls in front and easily controlled with in-seat remote

At each seat, Turkish had placed headphones, a pillow, and their standard amenity kit containing socks, an eye mask, earplugs, and small cosmetics. We pushed back about 20 minutes late, and meal service began not long after takeoff. My diabetic meal this time consisted of fish (which, unfortunately, tasted overly lemony) vegetables, and a rice pudding-like dessert reminiscent of Bosnian sutlija, along with a glass of white wine. The Asian vegetarian option included a flavorful vegetable curry with rice and spinach, flatbread, and a pistachio dessert.

Diabetic meal

Asian vegetarian meal

The in-flight entertainment system worked well once again, and I managed to watch four full episodes of The Pitt, which I really enjoyed. Before landing, we were offered another service of drinks and a choice between a salty chicken sandwich (cheese sandwich for vegetarians) or a sweet cookie.

With the extra legroom and decent entertainment, the flight wasn’t nearly as exhausting as I had feared. The only major issue was that one of the economy-class toilets malfunctioned, leaving only one functional toilet for more than 140 passengers. The queue never disappeared, and waiting times reached around 20 minutes, and it was especially uncomfortable for passengers seated in the back with all the noise and movements.

We landed in Kilimanjaro about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Overall, this narrow-body adventure was far better than I had expected. Turkish Airlines once again proved to be the most practical and reliable option for travelling from Sarajevo to Africa. As this was my first flight with the 737MAX8 variant, I have to say that I was positively surprised by how quiet the airplane was, even though I was seated really close to the engines. However, as someone who frequently flies with the Lufthansa Group, I do find their cabin crew generally friendlier and more engaging. On this seven-hour flight, the pilots addressed passengers for no more than ten seconds during the welcome announcement while still on the runway in Istanbul, and there were no further updates throughout the flight. I guess it’s not a big thing for most travellers, but as an aviation enthusiast, I found it a bit disappointing.

Terminal and main building at Kilimanjaro International Airport

All things considered, it was a comfortable and efficient journey, and Turkish Airlines continues to deliver solid service and value, even on long routes operated by narrow-body aircraft. And to wrap it all up, here are a few bonus photos from the safaris I took across several national parks in Tanzania.

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