Review: Turkmenistan Airlines Business Class Boeing 777 (FRA-ASB)

For the second sector of my Four Seasons Yacht via Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia adventure, I flew Turkmenistan Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER business class on the 4hr35min flight from Frankfurt (FRA) to Ashgabat (ASB).

I understand the average person is probably thinking “huh?” After all, Turkmenistan Airlines isn’t on most peoples’ radars. However, as I’ve covered, this is an airline that has fascinated me for years. I find the “stans” to be captivating in general, and Turkmenistan is unique, as it’s one of the world’s most secretive countries, perhaps only behind North Korea.

So I must admit, my Turkmenistan Airlines flight was… surprisingly pleasant and drama free? I mean, the whole thing was strange, given the huge business class cabin with just three seats occupied. But given the price point, many things were better than I was expecting — the food was decent, one of the flight attendants was friendly, and the bedding was pretty good.

Turkmenistan Airlines hugely undercuts the competition on business class pricing, so there’s something to be said for booking the airline when traveling between Europe and Asia. Just be ready for an adventure, as you definitely feel like you’re no longer on a “mainstream” carrier.

How I booked my Turkmenistan Airlines business class ticket

Turkmenistan Airlines has no airline partnerships, so there’s no practical way to redeem points on the airline. Fortunately the carrier’s business class fares tend to be really reasonable. Specifically, I booked the following in business class for $1,010, which is hard to beat:

7/15 T5462 Frankfurt to Ashgabat departing 7:00PM arriving 4:00AM (+1 day)
7/16 T5533 Ashgabat to Delhi departing 6:30AM arriving 10:50AM

I should mention that over the years, Turkmenistan Airlines has made it much easier to book tickets online. Back in the day, you could only really book a ticket on the carrier through some obscure online travel agencies. Nowadays you’ll often see Turkmenistan Airlines shown as an option on Google Flights.

Assuming you choose to book directly through Turkmenistan Airlines’ website, be sure that you select the “international flights” and then “non-residents of Turkmenistan” options, or else you won’t be shown any fares.

I have to say, the entire website experience is quite something — it’s almost like you’re shopping for something much simpler than an airline ticket, as there’s no online seat selection, no online check-in, etc.

Turkmenistan Airlines business class check-in & boarding

My Turkmenistan Airlines flight was departing from the new Frankfurt Terminal 3, which I was excited to fly out of. The airline doesn’t offer advance seat assignments or online check-in. Hilariously, official guidance from the airline advises to arrive at least four hours before departure, which I found to be bizarre, given that check-in only opened three hours before departure.

I was at the check-in counters as they opened at 4PM (for a 7PM departure), and I was the only person in the business class line. The contract worker checking me in was friendly enough. Based on overhearing conversation between the staff, it sounded like they were having some major issues with printing bag tags for this flight, though fortunately I didn’t have any bags to check (and due to these issues, he also didn’t weigh my carry-on).

Within several minutes I had my boarding passes all the way to Delhi, and proceeded airside.

I visited the Priority Lounge Frankfurt, though that was thanks to my Priority Pass membership, as Turkmenistan Airlines doesn’t offer business class passengers lounge access outside of Ashgabat (which seems cheap, but then again, the carrier also has attractive business class fares).

My flight was departing from gate J11, so I headed there plenty early, since I was of course beyond excited to fly on Turkmenistan Airlines!

There I saw EZ-A781, the gorgeous, 14-year-old Boeing 777-300ER that would be flying me to Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan Airlines has four 777s — two of them are Boeing 777-200LRs that were delivered directly to the airline back in 2014, and two of them are Boeing 777-300ERs that previously flew for Cathay Pacific, which the airline acquired in 2023.

While cargo was being loaded, I noticed how there appeared to be a Turkmenistan Airlines employee just sort of standing on the apron observing everything. They love their really big hats in the “stans,” and I assumed he flew with the plane roundtrip (and that was confirmed once onboard).

I’m curious, does anyone know if this guy is primarily there for security, or if he’s there to manage the loading and unloading of cargo?

Anyway, while boarding was scheduled for 6:10PM (50 minutes ahead of departure), it actually ended up starting at 6:30PM, with business class passengers being invited to board first.

Turkmenistan Airlines 777 business class cabin & seats

Before I get into the onboard portion of the review, let me mention that I was more careful than usual with taking pictures on this flight. I had heard that Turkmenistan Airlines has a struct no photography policy. However:

• I’m always careful with taking pictures, and avoid getting other people in them, since I recognize that’s typically the privacy concern with pictures
• It’s not like this policy is published when you book, or anything, so I figured I’d just take pictures until I was confronted, and fortunately on this flight, no one said anything

Anyway, I boarded through the forward left door, where I was acknowledged by two flight attendants (“greeted” might be a strong term), and was pointed right into the cabin. This cabin looked very familiar, as this was a former Cathay Pacific 777, and the only thing that had been updated was the branding.

These planes have a total of 40 business class seats, spread across 11 rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration. There’s a forward cabin with nine(ish) rows, and then a rear cabin with four (ish) rows — each cabin has one row of seats with just two seats, rather than four.

The business class here consists of reverse herringbone seats, based on the Safran Cirrus platform. While these seats are spacious, thanks to the 777’s wide cabin, this is otherwise one of the more outdated reverse herringbone products out there, in terms of bells and whistles. For example, Cathay Pacific is actively replacing this product with its new Aria Suite business class.

If you’re traveling with someone, you may prefer to select a pair of center seats, so you can be close to one another. However, given how reverse herringbone seats are configured, this still isn’t ideal in terms of communicating, since you have to lean forward to talk to the person seated next to you.

Most people will probably want to select a window seat. Initially, I assigned myself seat 19K, the window seat on the right side in the last row of the forward business class cabin (in line with my typical preference).

However, moments after boarding the crew recommended that I move further up, as there were only two other people in business class (that’s right, three of 40 seats were occupied!). Usually I’d politely decline the request, but I wanted to be on the crew’s good side (see above note about taking pictures), so I immediately agreed. 😉

Anyway, these are pretty standard reverse herringbone seats, and they seemed to be in decent condition. To the side of the seat were the entertainment controller, the seat controls, an AC power outlet, and a reading light.

There was also an closed storage space with a hook for headphones, as well as a small vanity.

The tray table extends from underneath the console to the side of the seat.

The seat also has an exposed storage area under the side console.

The entertainment monitor is stored at an angle on the back of the seat in front, so if you want to view it head-on, you just push a button so that it flips out.

Unfortunately there are no individual air nozzles in this cabin, though there were reading lights in the overhead console.

All-in-all, this was a solid hard product, especially for a flight of this length. And the cabin also seemed to be in good condition, for the most part.

Turkmenistan Airlines 777 business class entertainment

When it comes to inflight entertainment in Turkmenistan Airlines’ 777 business class, the inflight magazine is probably your best friend. 😉

There was audio and video on demand on the seat back monitor, but the selection was really limited. There were movies, TV shows, music, and a map, but seriously, the options were minimal.

In total, there were around 35 movies and around 40 TV shows, and that included both local and international options. So the selection was pretty dire. In the case of TV shows, there was just one episode from each show, and it was typically the first episode of the season.

I also found some of the choices to be quite unusual. For example, if you’re an airline from Turkmenistan and have an entertainment system with just a few dozen TV shows, you wouldn’t expect one of the choices to be an interview with Dr. Fauci on “the politicization of public health, the threats he faced during Covid, and his concerns over a divided America.”

So I’d highly recommend bringing your own entertainment if you fly with Turkmenistan Airlines. The airline also doesn’t have Wi-Fi on any of its planes, which I suppose is intended to get you ready for Turkmenistan (where much of the internet is blocked as well).

The best part of the entertainment selection is the inflight magazine, which features page after page of the pictures of Serdar Berdimuhamedow, the president of Turkmenistan. This is kind of what I imagine Air Koryo’s inflight magazine is like as well.

Turkmenistan Airlines business class amenities

Given how empty this flight was, none of the amenities were placed at seats before boarding, but instead, they were all brought by the crew once seated.

For one, I was offered bedding, including a very substantial pillow and a comfortable blanket.

While there was no amenity kit, I was offered a pair of branded slippers, which I’m absolutely still wearing around my house. 😉

I was also presented with some Turkmenistan Airlines branded headphones.

During boarding, I was also offered my choice of pre-departure drinks. Now, the airline has a pretty limited selection of drinks (the carrier is dry), so I just asked for a glass of water. Bonus points for presentation!

Turkmenistan Airlines 777 departure from Frankfurt

My flight was pretty empty, and boarding wrapped up by 6:45PM, 15 minutes after it started. Around that time, the lead flight attendant was on the PA to welcome everyone onboard, and inform us of the flight time of 4hr35min (there are no announcements from the pilots on Turkmenistan Airlines).

She probably spoke the best English among the crew, but it wasn’t great — it felt a little like reading off a script without actually knowing what you’re saying, and with little annunciation. I could understand maybe every other word.

I just have to point out how fabulously bizarre the boarding music on Turkmenistan Airlines was. I absolutely loved it, but can’t find it anywhere else online, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

After boarding wrapped up, we just kind of sat there for an hour, with no further announcements, and no movement. Before the flight I had been impressed by Turkmenistan Airlines’ excellent on-time record, as this route showed as arriving early or on schedule just about every day.

But then I realized what’s going on — Turkmenistan Airlines pads the heck out of its schedule. For example, this flight is blocked at six hours, a full 1hr25min longer than our scheduled flight time. Around 7:35PM the cabin door closed, after two guys in slacks and baseball caps boarded, and took seats toward the back of the business class cabin.

One of them was the same guy I saw on the apron earlier, so I’m guessing the delay was to load cargo, etc. (I imagine one of the primary motivations for Turkmenistan Airlines’ network is cargo, since it sure isn’t passengers, when you’re flying a 777 with just three business class seats occupied!).

At 7:40PM we finally began our pushback, at which point the safety video was screened. My monitor wasn’t working, but that didn’t seem to concern the crew too much, though they did reset it after takeoff, and then it worked.

At 7:45PM we began our taxi.

It took around 10 minutes to get to runway 7C, and then after waiting for several more minutes, we were cleared for takeoff at around 8PM.

We had an incredibly powerful takeoff roll, and rocketed off into the evening. I enjoyed the views during the climb out.

Interestingly, the crew had to stay in their jumpseats for around 20 minutes, despite a smooth ride. And then the seatbelt sign was only turned off once we reached cruising altitude. In terms of “vibes,” I was expecting Turkmenistan Airlines to be a carrier where the sign is off like two minutes after takeoff.

Turkmenistan Airlines business class meal service

Service began just minutes after the crew was released, with dinner being on offer as the post-takeoff meal. This is obviously an oddly timed flight, given that it’s quite short, while departing at 7PM and landing at 4AM. So the crew brought around a single menu that I could glance at for a moment before making a selection. There were three options, as follows:

• Baked chicken with stewed vegetables, asparagus, and tomato sauce
• Steamed salmon in bechamel sauce with rice
• Roast beef, baked potato with cheese, and tomato sauce

As mentioned above, Turkmenistan Airlines doesn’t serve alcohol, so the listed drink options included still and sparkling water, Cola, Diet Cola, Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta, lemonade, coffee, green tea, black tea, and coffee.

I had tried to order the salmon, but was told that was already “finished,” so I instead selected the beef. With just three passengers, I can’t help but wonder if they just loaded one of each dish, or what.

Service began with warm towels being distributed — talk about nice presentation, and it had a lovely scent as well.

Within minutes I was already presented with the tablecloth and the full meal service. The main course was served with three sides — cheese, cold cuts, and a salad. There was also a bread roll. I am curious what kind of meat the cold cuts were, as the crew couldn’t explain it to me. I know Turkmenistan is a majority Muslim country, so you’d assume it’s not pork. For that matter, unlike in the other “stans,” I believe they don’t eat horse in Turkmenistan, given in what high regard the country holds those animals.

To drink, I ordered a Diet Cola, which had the same presentation as the pre-departure drink.

Once my tray was cleared, I was brought dessert, consisting of a little cheesecake tart with a raspberry, along with a Mars bar. Hah. I also asked for tea, and selected the organic berry burst option, as it was described on the packaging.

Turkmenistan Airlines 777 business class lavatory

Turkmenistan Airlines’ 777 business class consists of three lavatories, with two being in the forward galley, and one being in the center galley. I immediately recognized those ex-Cathay Pacific bathroom finishes, which I love. Good times! As you’d expect, the lavatories were in decent condition, given their lack of use.

I also found the amenities in the bathroom to be interesting, and in particular, the little tin of NIVEA cream. Are you just supposed to stick your finger in there and take a little, or…?

Turkmenistan Airlines 777 business class bed

Once back at my seat, I decided to take a little snooze, with around 3hr30min remaining to Ashgabat.

I always try to recline my seat and place the bedding on it to then take a picture of what the bed looks like. However, I almost got “caught” taking pictures, as I stood over my seat with my phone. The lead flight attendant walked up to me and asked if I needed help, so I came up with the best excuse I could (other than “I’m fine, I’m just trying to take a picture!”).

So I said “I can’t figure out how to use the blanket” (I have no clue what I was thinking), but it worked. The flight attendant then said “I will show you,” and then… tucked me in. Talk about a Singapore Airlines first class level of service!

She asked if I wanted to be woken for the pre-landing service. While I’d ordinarily say no, I figured I had to review the entire experience, so I said yes. About 90 minutes after first falling asleep I was woken up again, in anticipation of that service.

Turkmenistan Airlines business class pre-landing snack

It’s rather impressive that Turkmenistan Airlines has a second service on an overnight flight this short. In this case, the pre-landing snack consisted of some cherry yogurt, plus a warm and flaky croissant with some kind of meat and cheese. Again, I’m not sure what kind of meat this was, and the crew didn’t know either. I also had a cup of coffee to drink, which I believe was instant coffee.

Turkmenistan Airlines business class service

There were two flight attendants working business class on this flight. Now, that’s a great ratio when there are just three passengers, though I’m curious how staffing levels are adjusted if there’s a full cabin. I guess the better question is whether there ever is anything even remotely approaching a full cabin on the airline?

Anyway, the lead flight attendant was genuinely charming, engaging, and friendly. Meanwhile the other flight attendant had zero charm or personality in how she conducted service. In fairness, I understand there may have been a language barrier, Turkmenistan has a pretty isolated culture, etc.

All-in-all, service exceeded my (low) expectations.

Turkmenistan Airlines 777 arrival in Ashgabat

While it was dark outside during the approach, I enjoyed keeping an eye on the map feature.

Our approach took us right over Baku, then over the Caspian Sea, before making landfall over Turkmenistan.

We started our descent around 30 minutes out, at which point the seatbelt sign was turned on, and the crew began their pre-landing safety checks. That included collecting all pillows and blankets, though didn’t include making sure that seats were upright.

The views on approach were incredible. It was the middle of the night, so the roads were totally empty, but the city otherwise seemed to be as lit up as Las Vegas, and it was much more sprawling than I was expecting. I couldn’t get any good pictures that weren’t super blurry, but I got some good ones on my daytime departure out of the airport.

We ended up touching down on runway 11L at 3:35AM, and from there we had a very short taxi to our arrival gate, where we pulled in at 3:40AM. We were still well ahead of schedule, despite our late departure.

I was looking forward to exploring Ashgabat Airport during my layover, and checking out the Business Lounge Ashgabat.

Bottom line

I am delighted I finally had the chance to fly Turkmenistan Airlines’ 777 business class, as it has been on my radar for years. I must say, it was actually a more “normal” flight than I was expecting. The seats were familiar, given that it was an ex-Cathay Pacific plane.

When it comes to the soft product otherwise, it wasn’t bad for such a short flight, minus the fact that the airline is dry. Perhaps the biggest downside is the limited entertainment with no Wi-Fi, so bring your own stuff, if you can.

Quite honestly, Turkmenistan Airlines’ business class fares are quite a good deal, if you’re up for an adventure. You’re not going to regularly find business class fares this cheap on any other “full service” carrier, so it just comes down to whether you value a flat bed vs. alcohol, Wi-Fi, and a bit more familiarity.

What’s your take on Turkmenistan Airlines’ 777 business class?