booking a flight to turkey

tiger135

I havent been abroad for a long time, so finding it confusing booking everything. 
Ive booked the hotel, and have a transfer company waiting for me to send flight details.
I've gone on kayak and found a good flight time each way  , there was easyjet and corendon coming back.
Was proceeding and then realised the easyjet flight didnt include a cabin bag.
I will travel light and will fit everything in a small case, will make sure I get the cabin size one.
Any tips on booking, and should I use easyjet or a different one? 
I am only going for 5 nights so I dont need a lot of luggage. 

Caz3121

(I assume kayak may be directing you to a third party site)
Book the EasyJet flight on the EasyJet website - you can then select Standard Plus to include full size cabin baggage (with other benefits) or pick Standard and add the cabin bag during the booking process.
Note also the baggage rules for Corendon, their cheapest fares only have small underseat bag and the weight limit for full size cabin bags, if you select a fare that includes it, is 8kg

amanda1024

It can be better to book direct with the airline - the extra fees for things like baggage, choosing seats can be higher booking through parties, and it can also be harder to deal with things not going right (cancelled flights etc) if you don’t have a direct link to the airline. Be aware that some airlines’ cabin bag allowances are *very* small - much smaller than they used to be. Sometimes this means flights which look cheaper at first glance end up being more expensive. Easyjet is fine if you’re not looking for luxury and happy to budget for eg buying food/drinks on plane or bringing with you.

tiger135

Thanks so is there a size case I can buy which will meet all the requirements? 
I can travel light and ideally keep my case with me during the flight. 
Thanks for the tip about direct booking.
Im not really on a budget as im using some inheritance money for the whole trip.
Ive heard easyjet can be a pain with adding fees. 
Are there any better airlines worth paying a bit more for?
Not worried about eating, just want a bottle of water for the flight.
Thanks 

maman

I'm not familiar with Corendon but have booked flights to Turkey direct with Easyjet for many years including for 2024.

As you're only going for 5 nights you should be able to manage fine with the Easyjet size under seat bag included in the price.

I flew to Belfast recently with Loganair and their bag sizes are tiny in comparison. I was able to buy a suitably sized bag on Amazon for less than a baggage charge for a cabin bag. That was sufficient for 5 days in winter so I'm sure if it's a summer holiday with lighter clothing you'll be fine. Wear layers if you need to! 🤣

amanda1024

I bought one of these for some ryanair flights; it’s likely the same size would work for other budget airlines but it is worth checking: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aerolite-November-Ryanair-40x20x25-Maximum/dp/B07KCF3GLN
I would recommend British Airways or Turkish Airlines for a slightly less ‘budget’ feel - more staff, slightly more space on the plane. Whether they’re worth paying more for is up to what you personally value - most of my flying is for work and when my employer is paying I generally fly BA…

bagand96

tiger135 said:

Thanks so is there a size case I can buy which will meet all the requirements? 
I can travel light and ideally keep my case with me during the flight. 
Thanks for the tip about direct booking.
Im not really on a budget as im using some inheritance money for the whole trip.
Ive heard easyjet can be a pain with adding fees. 
Are there any better airlines worth paying a bit more for?
Not worried about eating, just want a bottle of water for the flight.
Thanks 

Most airlines charge fees for various added extras.  That's the business model these days, they sell cheap upfront fares but everything else is an added extra - ancillary revenue.

In my view no airlines are worth paying more for than any others, the experience is broadly similar across nearly all.  You'll have to pay for that bottle of water on nearly all airlines.  Take an empty bottle to the airport and refill it once through security!  A few airlines do offer a bit more, Turkish Airlines as an example are pretty good, you still get a full meal service and seat back screen like on long haul flights.  But on a 4 hour flight I'd only consider that a nice to have and still wouldn't pay much extra.

One thing just to mention on using separate airlines you obviously have separate bookings.  So if easyJet were to cancel your outbound, you'd not be entitled to a refund from Corendon for your return and vice versa.  No issue with this and I often mix airlines, but just be aware of it.  This would likely also be the case even if you booked both flights together via an agent on the same website.

maman

Thanks for the link @amanda1024, that's just the sort of bag I have.

I'm personally quite happy with Easyjet. I book early for seats close to the front (about row 9) and choose aisle seats so I can get up if I want to without disturbing anyone. 

I generally buy a meal deal airside from Boots or similar including water and teas and coffees on board are much the same price as any coffee shop.

All I'd question is why only 5 days?? I'd definitely stay longer. 😁

Voyager2002

Easyjet are actually among the more comfortable of 'low-cost' airlines: I find their flights a good deal less stressful than Ryanair. You might also consider Jet2, since their fares include a larger-than-average cabin bag.

As others have said, buy your tickets directly from the airline unless there is a really hefty cost saving. (I have found that neither Turkish Airlines nor Pegasus have web sites that allow me to buy so I bought their tickets from Expedia, which worked OK for me.) And in any case read the airline's web page carefully to avoid unpleasant and expensive surprises. 

I suggest that you take a book for the flight rather than relying on in-flight entertainment (which may not work and/or may be poor value for money). And do remember that telephone roaming charges in Turkey are very high, including a fee of £2 per minute to receive a call! If you have a dual-SIM phone then I suggest that you buy an e-SIM online before you go so that you can just switch over before you arrive and avoid any roaming charges. 

maman

Unless @tiger135 has any particular reason for needing to receive calls, I've found that free WiFi is readily available both in my hotel and most restaurants, bars and coffee shops. I just use WhatsApp for keeping in touch. 

tiger135

can you get any of those hard cases with wheels and extendable handle, or are they too big to take in the cabin?