A passenger who took a nine-hour journey with the carrier crowned Europe‘s finest economy service has revealed all about their experience.

Taylor Rains flew with Turkish Airlines, recently declared the continent’s top budget airline by Skytrax, travelling from New York to Istanbul.

Flying aboard one of the airline’s Boeing 787s, the journalist heaped enormous praise on the carrier for its culinary provisions, which it contracts out in New York to Austrian firm DO and CO.

Taylor observed that the cuisine truly excelled, particularly given it arrived with heated towels and maintained exceptional standards, especially the salmon dish, reports the Mirror.

Writing for Business Insider, Taylor said: “Lunch, as we were departing midday, included a choice of grilled salmon or mushroom orecchiette (a type of pasta), followed by sides and dessert. It’s easy to see why Turkish won Skytrax’s award for best economy catering.

“Despite my scepticism, the salmon, served with ratatouille, Caesar salad, and celeriac mousseline, was fresh and flavourful, and the portions were generous. I was full by the time I got to the carrot cake.”

Taylor concluded: “I don’t usually recommend eating airline food if you can avoid it, but Turkish seems to have figured it out. The meals felt lighter and more satisfying than usual, similar to what I’ve experienced on five-star carriers like Singapore Airlines.”

Besides receiving recognition as Europe’s finest airline, Skytrax also presented Turkish Airlines with accolades for their business class dining, premier business class in Europe, top economy class in Europe, and finest economy class catering in Europe amongst other honours.

Taylor’s enthusiastic endorsement of the carrier arrives as travellers start planning their summer getaways and choosing their destinations for this year.

With this in mind, aviation industry professionals are emerging once more to share their suggestions and insider knowledge with passengers preparing to jet off, particularly those embarking on long-distance journeys.

Nevertheless, one flight attendant employed by Virgin Atlantic revealed there were several spots they would never occupy, according to the Express.

They cautioned: “I don’t like the first row by the wings. People congregate by the toilet, and it can be noisy because of babies in cradles at the bulkhead.

“On some older aircraft, it can get quite chilly near the emergency exit rows. I’d usually avoid these seats if you’re sensitive to the cold.”

For travellers concerned about feeling cold aboard the aircraft, the flight attendant provided reassurance that bringing additional warmth was perfectly acceptable.

They explained: “There’s nothing stopping you from bringing extra flight socks or even a hot water bottle – we’re more than happy to fill one up for you during the flight.”