Is Turkish Airlines or United better to Europe?

Turkish Airlines scores 8.8/10 against United at 8/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, Turkish Airlines wins 1 and United wins 0. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.

Which is cheaper, Turkish Airlines or United?

On the 180 routes where both were priced for the same week (November 8–14, 2026), Turkish Airlines was cheaper on 129 and United on 51. Every pair of fares is the same departure and return date in the same cabin, so the difference is the airline rather than the dates or the cabin.

Does the aircraft change the answer?

Yes. Turkish Airlines scores 8/10 on the 787-9 / A350-900 and 5/10 on the 777-300ER (legacy). Check the equipment on your date before deciding.

Has Jon flown either of these?

United, in business on a Europe route. Turkish Airlines has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

Head to head

Turkish Airlines vs United

Turkish Airlines scores 8.8/10 against United at 8/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare.

By Jon Miksis · cabin data verified September 1, 2026 · fares for travel November 8–14, 2026

Best product each one flies

Scored on what can be verified. Service, food and ground recovery are absent deliberately: they need someone in the seat, and they live in the reviews rather than here.

One caveat on the Value line, stated rather than buried: Value is computed from business fares, and a carrier with too few of them does not get a Value score at all. Where you see a dash, we have fewer than three priced business routes for that airline and did not want to invent a figure from one or two — so its product score is the mean of three dimensions rather than four, and it is not directly comparable to a score built on hundreds of fares. The airlines with the most fares behind them are named on the business-class ranking.

Turkish Airlines

787-9 / A350-900

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Product score: 8.8/10

United

777 / 787 (Polaris) · flown by Jon

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 6/10
Product score: 8/10

Dimension by dimension

Seat: level
8/10 on the 787-9 / A350-900 against 8/10 on the 777 / 787 (Polaris).
IFE: level
Screens, connectivity and power: 8/10 against 8/10.
Lounge & bags: level
What the fare includes before you board: 10/10 against 10/10.
Value: Turkish Airlines
Median premium over the cheapest carrier on the same route: 9/10 against 6/10.

Where both were priced on the same dates

Every fare is November 8–14, 2026, so a difference between two rows is a difference between two airlines and nothing else. These are economy fares, while the cabin scores above describe the business product — read them as how each airline prices against its competitors, not as what its business seat costs.

Route	Cabin	Turkish Airlines	United	Cheaper
DEN → ZRH	economy	$740	$804	Turkish Airlines by $64
IAD → FCO	economy	$740	$826	Turkish Airlines by $86
IAD → OPO	economy	$833	$748	United by $85
DTW → ZRH	economy	$755	$791	Turkish Airlines by $36
ORD → ZRH	economy	$759	$857	Turkish Airlines by $98
IAD → ZRH	economy	$759	$832	Turkish Airlines by $73
ORD → FCO	economy	$760	$783	Turkish Airlines by $23
ORD → MXP	economy	$760	$777	Turkish Airlines by $17
DEN → ATH	economy	$761	$947	Turkish Airlines by $186
DEN → BCN	economy	$762	$782	Turkish Airlines by $20
DTW → OPO	economy	$813	$766	United by $47
DEN → MAD	economy	$766	$783	Turkish Airlines by $17
ATL → OPO	economy	$849	$766	United by $83
ORD → OPO	economy	$813	$768	United by $45
DTW → BCN	economy	$810	$770	United by $40
DTW → MAD	economy	$814	$771	United by $43
DTW → MXP	economy	$804	$774	United by $30
IAH → MXP	economy	$859	$774	United by $85
DEN → OPO	economy	$843	$779	United by $64
IAH → DUB	economy	$882	$781	United by $101
DEN → FCO	economy	$781	$843	Turkish Airlines by $62
DEN → MXP	economy	$781	$786	Turkish Airlines by $5
DFW → OPO	economy	$897	$786	United by $111
IAH → OPO	economy	$897	$786	United by $111
IAH → MAD	economy	$835	$791	United by $44
SFO → MXP	economy	$904	$796	United by $108
ORD → MUC	economy	$798	$909	Turkish Airlines by $111
DTW → DUB	economy	$798	$1390	Turkish Airlines by $592
SEA → OPO	economy	$903	$799	United by $104
DEN → BER	economy	$799	$936	Turkish Airlines by $137
SEA → BCN	economy	$972	$802	United by $170
SEA → MAD	economy	$884	$803	United by $81
IAH → FCO	economy	$860	$805	United by $55
SEA → MXP	economy	$879	$806	United by $73
DFW → MXP	economy	$809	$1153	Turkish Airlines by $344
DTW → ATH	economy	$810	$877	Turkish Airlines by $67
DTW → FCO	economy	$810	$934	Turkish Airlines by $124
DFW → FCO	economy	$810	$1282	Turkish Airlines by $472
IAD → BCN	economy	$810	$1059	Turkish Airlines by $249
DTW → LIS	economy	$873	$814	United by $59
ORD → LIS	economy	$825	$815	United by $10
DEN → MUC	economy	$818	$926	Turkish Airlines by $108
SEA → LIS	economy	$1002	$821	United by $181
DFW → LIS	economy	$893	$823	United by $70
SEA → DUB	economy	$902	$824	United by $78
SEA → ZRH	economy	$831	$824	United by $7
DFW → ZRH	economy	$829	$927	Turkish Airlines by $98
IAH → LIS	economy	$968	$833	United by $135
DEN → DUB	economy	$916	$834	United by $82
DEN → FRA	economy	$836	$929	Turkish Airlines by $93
IAH → BCN	economy	$845	$1030	Turkish Airlines by $185
ORD → AMS	economy	$847	$1291	Turkish Airlines by $444
DTW → MUC	economy	$847	$1100	Turkish Airlines by $253
DTW → FRA	economy	$848	$1629	Turkish Airlines by $781
ATL → BER	economy	$848	$1337	Turkish Airlines by $489
IAD → FRA	economy	$848	$912	Turkish Airlines by $64
DEN → LIS	economy	$853	$854	Turkish Airlines by $1
DEN → AMS	economy	$862	$855	United by $7
ATL → ZRH	economy	$855	$1030	Turkish Airlines by $175
LAX → ZRH	economy	$859	$857	United by $2
SFO → FCO	economy	$961	$857	United by $104
DFW → ATH	economy	$859	$971	Turkish Airlines by $112
IAH → AMS	economy	$1066	$859	United by $207
SFO → ATH	economy	$860	$938	Turkish Airlines by $78
ATL → LIS	economy	$860	$1014	Turkish Airlines by $154
ATL → MXP	economy	$860	$1033	Turkish Airlines by $173
ORD → CDG	economy	$861	$1034	Turkish Airlines by $173
SFO → AMS	economy	$904	$865	United by $39
LAX → BER	economy	$869	$1400	Turkish Airlines by $531
IAH → ZRH	economy	$881	$871	United by $10
DFW → BER	economy	$898	$878	United by $20
SEA → FCO	economy	$880	$927	Turkish Airlines by $47
DFW → MUC	economy	$917	$881	United by $36
IAH → MUC	economy	$897	$920	Turkish Airlines by $23
IAH → BER	economy	$898	$1263	Turkish Airlines by $365
IAH → FRA	economy	$898	$1120	Turkish Airlines by $222
ATL → FRA	economy	$898	$1080	Turkish Airlines by $182
SEA → ATH	economy	$909	$1021	Turkish Airlines by $112
ATL → ATH	economy	$910	$929	Turkish Airlines by $19
ATL → MUC	economy	$912	$1840	Turkish Airlines by $928
DTW → EDI	economy	$918	$1074	Turkish Airlines by $156
SFO → MUC	economy	$918	$950	Turkish Airlines by $32
SFO → CDG	economy	$931	$1311	Turkish Airlines by $380
SFO → FRA	economy	$938	$2038	Turkish Airlines by $1100
DEN → EDI	economy	$939	$1439	Turkish Airlines by $500
DEN → LHR	economy	$966	$1538	Turkish Airlines by $572
IAH → LHR	economy	$970	$1494	Turkish Airlines by $524
SFO → EDI	economy	$985	$1429	Turkish Airlines by $444
DEN → CDG	economy	$987	$1316	Turkish Airlines by $329
DFW → EDI	economy	$999	$999	level
IAH → EDI	economy	$1093	$1525	Turkish Airlines by $432
ORD → ZRH	business	$3929	$10309	Turkish Airlines by $6380
ORD → MUC	business	$3975	$7034	Turkish Airlines by $3059
IAH → AMS	business	$4006	$6697	Turkish Airlines by $2691
ORD → FRA	business	$4017	$6832	Turkish Airlines by $2815
ORD → OPO	business	$4046	$10361	Turkish Airlines by $6315
ORD → DUB	business	$4076	$4854	Turkish Airlines by $778
ORD → AMS	business	$4148	$12201	Turkish Airlines by $8053
ATL → DUB	business	$4337	$4271	United by $66
ORD → CDG	business	$4322	$5416	Turkish Airlines by $1094
ORD → MAD	business	$4347	$6333	Turkish Airlines by $1986
DFW → MUC	business	$4353	$6556	Turkish Airlines by $2203
ORD → EDI	business	$4386	$14890	Turkish Airlines by $10504
ORD → LHR	business	$4432	$11510	Turkish Airlines by $7078
ATL → ZRH	business	$4444	$7206	Turkish Airlines by $2762
DTW → EDI	business	$4486	$7246	Turkish Airlines by $2760
SEA → DUB	business	$4486	$6233	Turkish Airlines by $1747
ORD → LIS	business	$4507	$5302	Turkish Airlines by $795
ATL → MXP	business	$4527	$7559	Turkish Airlines by $3032
ATL → LIS	business	$4567	$5995	Turkish Airlines by $1428
ORD → FCO	business	$4574	$4880	Turkish Airlines by $306
ATL → MAD	business	$4607	$5291	Turkish Airlines by $684
ATL → FCO	business	$4634	$6003	Turkish Airlines by $1369
IAH → FCO	business	$4691	$5308	Turkish Airlines by $617
ATL → OPO	business	$4768	$6496	Turkish Airlines by $1728
ATL → ATH	business	$4788	$5995	Turkish Airlines by $1207
LAX → OPO	business	$4805	$15268	Turkish Airlines by $10463
IAH → OPO	business	$4815	$9921	Turkish Airlines by $5106
DTW → BCN	business	$6297	$4850	United by $1447
ATL → BCN	business	$4857	$5290	Turkish Airlines by $433
IAH → MAD	business	$4890	$6786	Turkish Airlines by $1896
LAX → FCO	business	$4961	$5417	Turkish Airlines by $456
SEA → MAD	business	$4990	$5486	Turkish Airlines by $496
IAH → MUC	business	$5016	$6051	Turkish Airlines by $1035
DFW → ATH	business	$5018	$7067	Turkish Airlines by $2049
SEA → FRA	business	$5082	$6869	Turkish Airlines by $1787
MIA → OPO	business	$5105	$13031	Turkish Airlines by $7926
BOS → BCN	business	$5171	$5975	Turkish Airlines by $804
DTW → MAD	business	$5997	$5203	United by $794
SEA → ATH	business	$5268	$5977	Turkish Airlines by $709
SEA → FCO	business	$5821	$5304	United by $517
IAH → LIS	business	$5376	$6495	Turkish Airlines by $1119
ATL → EDI	business	$5396	$12910	Turkish Airlines by $7514
IAH → FRA	business	$5429	$6060	Turkish Airlines by $631
DFW → ZRH	business	$5444	$7352	Turkish Airlines by $1908
DTW → MXP	business	$5467	$6803	Turkish Airlines by $1336
ORD → MXP	business	$5468	$11284	Turkish Airlines by $5816
IAH → BCN	business	$5486	$6785	Turkish Airlines by $1299
LAX → LIS	business	$5616	$6196	Turkish Airlines by $580
ATL → FRA	business	$5632	$12444	Turkish Airlines by $6812
DTW → DUB	business	$5699	$12431	Turkish Airlines by $6732
DTW → ZRH	business	$5746	$6556	Turkish Airlines by $810
IAH → DUB	business	$5750	$5789	Turkish Airlines by $39
MIA → EDI	business	$5796	$12090	Turkish Airlines by $6294
DFW → AMS	business	$5806	$7338	Turkish Airlines by $1532
IAH → MXP	business	$5825	$10179	Turkish Airlines by $4354
DTW → LIS	business	$5857	$5929	Turkish Airlines by $72
DTW → MUC	business	$5876	$5876	level
DTW → AMS	business	$5928	$6371	Turkish Airlines by $443
IAD → LIS	business	$5957	$6785	Turkish Airlines by $828
DTW → OPO	business	$5958	$7886	Turkish Airlines by $1928
BOS → ATH	business	$8428	$5964	United by $2464
DTW → ATH	business	$7078	$5995	United by $1083
ORD → BCN	business	$5997	$6692	Turkish Airlines by $695
DEN → FCO	business	$6401	$6003	United by $398
DEN → MAD	business	$6040	$6768	Turkish Airlines by $728
LAX → LHR	business	$6042	$8131	Turkish Airlines by $2089
DEN → AMS	business	$6061	$6840	Turkish Airlines by $779
IAD → ZRH	business	$6149	$6771	Turkish Airlines by $622
DEN → OPO	business	$6155	$10426	Turkish Airlines by $4271
DEN → LIS	business	$6166	$6771	Turkish Airlines by $605
LAX → MUC	business	$6275	$6876	Turkish Airlines by $601
DTW → CDG	business	$6572	$6355	United by $217
DEN → MUC	business	$6436	$6876	Turkish Airlines by $440
SEA → MXP	business	$6476	$9565	Turkish Airlines by $3089
DEN → DUB	business	$7546	$6480	United by $1066
DFW → DUB	business	$6486	$6849	Turkish Airlines by $363
SFO → MAD	business	$8390	$6733	United by $1657
DEN → ATH	business	$7718	$6777	United by $941
IAH → ZRH	business	$6844	$6784	United by $60
IAH → ATH	business	$9368	$6795	United by $2573
IAH → EDI	business	$6796	$12240	Turkish Airlines by $5444
DEN → ZRH	business	$6844	$7005	Turkish Airlines by $161
DEN → FRA	business	$6952	$6902	United by $50
DEN → MXP	business	$6985	$9911	Turkish Airlines by $2926
DFW → MXP	business	$7335	$11731	Turkish Airlines by $4396
SFO → FRA	business	$8012	$15070	Turkish Airlines by $7058
SFO → MUC	business	$8495	$10446	Turkish Airlines by $1951
SFO → MXP	business	$8935	$13987	Turkish Airlines by $5052
SFO → EDI	business	$9671	$14049	Turkish Airlines by $4378

What happens if the aircraft swaps

Both carriers are paying-the-same-fare-either-way propositions on some frames. The worst product each one flies:

Turkish Airlines

777-300ER (legacy)

Seat: 5/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Product score: 8/10

United

777 / 787 (Polaris) · flown by Jon

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 6/10
Product score: 8/10

Turkish Airlines: The cabin the retrofit is replacing, on the aircraft Turkish flies most from the US.

United: The 767-300ER and 767-400ER run an unusual 1-1-1 layout with no paired seats at all, which is more private again. Select 787-9s add Polaris Studio suites with doors in the front rows.

Common questions

Is Turkish Airlines or United better to Europe?: Turkish Airlines scores 8.8/10 against United at 8/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, Turkish Airlines wins 1 and United wins 0. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.
Which is cheaper, Turkish Airlines or United?: On the 180 routes where both were priced for the same week (November 8–14, 2026), Turkish Airlines was cheaper on 129 and United on 51. Every pair of fares is the same departure and return date in the same cabin, so the difference is the airline rather than the dates or the cabin.
Does the aircraft change the answer?: Yes. Turkish Airlines scores 8/10 on the 787-9 / A350-900 and 5/10 on the 777-300ER (legacy). Check the equipment on your date before deciding.
Has Jon flown either of these?: United, in business on a Europe route. Turkish Airlines has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

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