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Once at gate D17 — finally !— the sun began to cast an orange glow . And , there at the gate , was our Airbus A330-200 . As the light dimmed outside we were called to board the plane , which we did in no time . My seat had been relocated to the back of the aircraft ( I guess due to weight and balance requirements ).
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Once onboard , the generational difference between the Turkish Airlines ’ A330-200s and A321neos was crystal clear . However , despite looking aged and tired , the cabin was spotless . The seats had more padding , but my seat ’ s IFE screen was out of order despite the friendly cabin crew ’ s attempts to make it work . |
Ultimately , they moved me to the next seat over , the flight being not completely full .
Ten minutes after boarding , the Captain announced that the aircraft needed to be replaced . So , off the plane we went , back to the boarding gate . This could have been a real hassle but , at the hub of one of the largest airlines in the world ( over 370 aircraft ), a replacement was found in no time and , within 15 minutes ( seat change included ) we were on a bus on our way to board .
As we arrived at the ramp , an Airbus A330-300 was being prepared for our flight to Dubai . In the still of the night , we boarded via the aft stairs , the clacking sounds of our steps , the smell of jet fuel , and the brightly lit red tail with the airline ’ s logo put a smile on my face . My inner avgeek could not have been happier !
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17 A look from the window on our way to Istanbul .
18 The massive Istanbul International AIrport seen on my way to gate D17 .
19 Our Airbus A330-200 parked at the gate . The aircraft would subsequently be replaced .
20 Passengers boarding the flight to Dubai . TC-JOE is an Airbus A330-300 delivered to Turkish Airlines in 2014 .
21 The Economy class cabin of the Turkish Airlines A330-200 offers a comfortable 2-4-2 abreast seating .
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