Colombia1

Dear fellow travelers,
I'm in the process of getting my airline tickets to Italy and I found a really good price with Turkish airlines. The thing that worries me is that coming back from Catania, there is only an hour and a half for a layover in Istanbul.
I know that my question might be silly but, do you think that an hour and a half would it be enough to pass through passport control and get the plain back to USA?
Have you flight on Turkish airlines to go from USA to Italy?
Thanks in advanced.

sandralist

I know people who have passed through Istanbul on their way to the US without a problem making a connection, but they weren't coming from Catania. One of the problems for everybody flying in and out of Catania is that it can be a very windy place and flights can be delayed or cancelled.

If you have just one ticket to cover all your flights, then if the flight is delayed or cancelled it is the airlines responsibility to get you to the US and I wouldn't worry about it. If you are buying a separate flight ticket from Catania to Istanbul, and you don't get there in time, the airline won't help you get back to the US. You'l have to buy a new ticket. In that case, I would try to get to Istanbul a day early if you still want that cheap Turkish airlines flight.

Be aware that if you want to fly out of Catania and connect anywhere in Europe you still have to think about what happens if your first flight out of Catania is delayed or cancelled.

Colombia1

Thanks Sandralist for your reply, the ticket from Catania to Washington DC is with the same airline (Turkish airline), my concern is that there is one 1 hour and a half to change planes and go trough passport check.
Thanks for the advice about Catania, this is going to be our first trip to Sicily and I did not know that Catania has the "wind" issue.

tom_mn

Are you sure that you won't just transit Istanbul with no passport check?

sandralist

If it is all on Turkish airlines, I wouldn't sweat it.