SWISS vs Turkish Airlines
On the best documented aircraft, SWISS scores 5/10 for the business seat and Turkish Airlines 8/10. The aircraft on your booking decides whether those seats apply.
By Jon Miksis · comparison updated
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What matters for your booking
Business fares
Of 69 shared business routes, SWISS was cheaper on 15, Turkish Airlines on 54, and 0 were the same price.
Economy fares
Of 58 shared economy routes, SWISS was cheaper on 24, Turkish Airlines on 34, and 0 were the same price.
Start with your route and cabin. A fare advantage in economy does not establish a business-class bargain, and a better seat does not establish that a connection or a higher fare is worth it for your trip.
The business seats being compared
These are each airline’s best-scoring documented business aircraft. The fare grid does not identify aircraft, so the seat below is not promised with any fare in the table. Service and food require a separate firsthand review.
SWISS
A330-300 (legacy staggered cabin)
- Seat layout
- 1-2-1 / 2-2-1
- Fully flat bed
- Yes
- Direct aisle access at every seat
- No
- Privacy door
- No
- Seat score
- 5/10
- Wi-Fi
- Paid in the recorded product
- Lounge access
- Included in the recorded fare
- Checked bags
- 2
Cabin checked .
Recorded source: SWISS long-haul fleet pages, seat maps.
Turkish Airlines
787-9 / A350-900
- Seat layout
- 1-2-1
- Fully flat bed
- Yes
- Direct aisle access at every seat
- Yes
- Privacy door
- No
- Seat score
- 8/10
- Wi-Fi
- Paid in the recorded product
- Lounge access
- Included in the recorded fare
- Checked bags
- 2
Cabin checked .
Recorded source: Prince of Travel Turkish business guide, Turkish Airlines fleet pages. Sources conflict on whether the A350-900 has a sliding door; recorded as no door because a door is a claim and this one is not settled..
Seat scores describe bed, aisle access and privacy door only. Read the scoring method. A tie does not compare comfort, food, service or reliability.
Check the aircraft on SWISS
A330-300 (legacy staggered cabin): 5/10 for the seat. This legacy A330 seat map alternates 1-2-1 and 2-2-1 rows: some window seats have a neighbor, while solo seats reach the aisle directly. It does not describe the newer A350 SWISS Senses cabin, which is not yet scored in this table. Confirm the configuration and exact seat on your flight. Recorded August 30, 2026.
Check the aircraft on Turkish Airlines
787-9 / A350-900: 8/10 for the seat. The 777-300ER is Turkish's principal US aircraft and carries a materially worse cabin. Retrofits to 1-2-1 are under way and the 'Crystal' business class with doors is not expected on retrofitted 777s until 2027-2028, so the same route and fare can produce either product well into 2027. Recorded September 1, 2026.
777-300ER (legacy): 5/10 for the seat. The cabin the retrofit is replacing, on the aircraft Turkish flies most from the US. Recorded September 1, 2026.
Compare the fares and the routing
Each row compares the same airports, cabin, travel dates and observation date. It can still compare a nonstop against a connection. Journey times, aircraft, baggage allowances and change rules were not recorded with these fares; check those before treating the price difference as a saving.
Showing 12 of 69 matched business routes. Round trip per person in USD, for travel November 8–14, 2026.
| Route and observation date | SWISS | Turkish Airlines | Price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Boston (BOS) → Amsterdam (AMS) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $4,461Connects via ZRH | $3,366Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $1,095 less |
New York (JFK) → Prague (PRG) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $12,159Connects via ZRH | $3,842Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $8,317 less |
Chicago (ORD) → Zurich (ZRH) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $6,792Nonstop | $3,929Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $2,863 less |
New York (JFK) → Venice (VCE) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,280Connects via ZRH | $3,996Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $1,284 less |
Boston (BOS) → Budapest (BUD) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,990Connects via ZRH | $4,003Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $1,987 less |
New York (JFK) → Budapest (BUD) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,293Connects via ZRH | $4,034Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $1,259 less |
New York (JFK) → London Gatwick (LGW) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $4,583Connects via ZRH | $4,163Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $420 less |
Boston (BOS) → Venice (VCE) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $4,203Connects via ZRH | $4,246Connects via IST | SWISS was $43 less |
Los Angeles (LAX) → London Gatwick (LGW) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,598Connects via ZRH | $4,203Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $1,395 less |
Chicago (ORD) → Rome Fiumicino (FCO) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $4,277Connects via ZRH | $4,574Connects via IST | SWISS was $297 less |
Los Angeles (LAX) → Berlin (BER) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,364Connects via ZRH | $4,297Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $1,067 less |
Los Angeles (LAX) → Hamburg (HAM) Observed September 1, 2026 Compare all observed airlines | $5,339Connects via ZRH | $4,302Connects via IST | Turkish Airlines was $1,037 less |
Your airport missing? Check the full route tool for the airlines we observed there. Confirm current fares, journey time, baggage and ticket rules before booking.
Before paying for the ticket
- Check the exact operating airline and seat map on every long flight, including the return. An airline name or business-class label alone does not guarantee a flat bed or aisle access.
- Compare total journey time and connection length. A lower fare may buy a much longer trip.
- Reprice with your bags, preferred seats and change rules included. These observations do not establish that the tickets have identical restrictions.
- Check other airlines on the route. Being cheaper than the other airline on this page does not establish the cheapest fare in the market.
Common questions
- Is SWISS or Turkish Airlines better in business class to Europe?
- On the best documented aircraft, SWISS scores 5/10 for the business seat and Turkish Airlines 8/10. The aircraft on your booking decides whether those seats apply. Of 69 shared business routes, SWISS was cheaper on 15, Turkish Airlines on 54, and 0 were the same price. Service and food are not scored in this comparison. These are observations for travel November 8–14, 2026, not current quotes.
- Which is cheaper, SWISS or Turkish Airlines?
- Of 69 shared business routes, SWISS was cheaper on 15, Turkish Airlines on 54, and 0 were the same price. Of 58 shared economy routes, SWISS was cheaper on 24, Turkish Airlines on 34, and 0 were the same price. Both counts refer to travel November 8–14, 2026. A cheaper fare may involve a connection; compare the itinerary as well as the price.
- Will I get the business seat shown here?
- These cards describe the named aircraft in our cabin records, not a seat guaranteed on every flight. At least one of these airlines has a recorded aircraft or cabin variation. Check the operating airline, seat map and aircraft for every segment before paying; equipment can change. The fare observations do not record the aircraft.
- Has Jon flown these business cabins?
- SWISS business class is on Jon’s confirmed flown roster. Turkish Airlines business class is not on Jon’s confirmed flown roster. That records the airline and cabin, not every aircraft or itinerary. This page compares documented specifications and dated fares.
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