WITH existing services to Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Bologna, Genova and Turin, Turkish Airlines adds flights to Catania as its eighth destination in Italy. Catania flights will be operated four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in both directions.
Introductory round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Catania starting at €99 ($135) including taxes and fees. Additionally, for the first six months of operations to new destinations, there is a special offer for Miles&Smiles members, with a 25 per cent reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades. New flights to Varna in Bulgaria have also been added as the airline expands its network in Southern Europe. With its unique geographical advantage of covering ancient trade routes across Europe, the Middle East, North and East Africa, Turkish Airlines has added Varna to its network. Roundtrip flights between Istanbul and Varna are operated as Istanbul–Varna-Constanza–Istanbul two times per week, and two times per week as Istanbul–Constanza–Varna-Istanbul on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Introductory round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Varna starting from €79 ($107) including taxes and fees. Similarly, for the first six months of operations, there is a special offer for Miles&Smiles members.The airline increased its free baggage allowance for passengers from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to take advantage of the annual Istanbul Shopping Fest (ISF), which was held in the city from June 7 to 29, 2014. Istanbul’s annual shopping extravaganza celebrates the cultural, artistic and cosmopolitan highlights of the city, attracting millions of tourists from across the globe with its spectacular blend of shopping promotions, dazzling street shows, live concerts and colourful displays of the latest fashion. As a premier partner of ISF, the airline has increased its free baggage allowance for all UAE flights to and from Istanbul during the festival and up until July 15 this year, offering economy class passengers up to 40kg and business class travellers up to 50kg. A major highlight of the fashion capital is the recently opened Mall of İstanbul, featuring over 350 stores and conveniently located in Başakşehi, a short journey from Istanbul Atatürk Airport. With the largest country flight network in the world, Turkish Airlines offers connections to Istanbul from 254 destinations. Earlier in May the airline added flights to Boston, one of America’s oldest cities, operating from May 12, 2014. (Seven flights from Istanbul to Boston are operated per week.) Turkish Airlines already flies to seven cities in the US.