Germanwings: Cologne to Istanbul

The carrier: Germanwings

About

Now owned by Lufthansa,Germanwings is an indisputable giant, one of Germany's big three budget airlines.  In addition to its German destinations, 'wings' flies to destinations in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Croatia and other Eastern locations.  It benefits from one of the best and most wide-ranging destination tallies among the airlines we profile. Unlike many carriers, Germanwings' route map is broad and well-distributed across Europe. An added bonus we love? With the airline's "Smart Connect" one-stop booking tool, it is possible to purchase connecting flights as single fares.

Upside

One of Europe's bigger low-cost airlines, with very good reach into the Balkans.  The website has a helpful low fare calendar in the upper right hand corner.  

Downside

Operates in part on a connecting flight model, feeding passengers via hubs.

Baggage

* Carry-on: Baggage cannot measure more than 55 x 40 x 20 centimeters and must weigh no more than 8 kg.
* Checked: Up to 20 kg of baggage (online €8 per piece is charged, at the airport €7 per piece); over this a charge of €20 per item).

* Please visit Germanwings’s website for more information on its baggage policy.

Seating

Pre-booking is allowed online during or after the booking process until 3 hours before the flight.  Standard seats cost €6 and XL seats with extra legroom cost €15.  Before midnight the night before your flight, you can also reserve a “private seat” via the call center for the same price as your own seat.  This means that the seat next to you will be kept empty for a more comfortable trip.

Check-in and Ticketing

Web check-in is available between 72 and 3 hours before departure.  At a German airport you can check-in online up to one hour before departure.  Passengers with checked luggage can also check- in online.

Tip

Germanwings hosts monthly offers, so check in often. Avoid early morning flights, which tend to be packed, out of their hubs. In general, allow extra time for check-in.

Fun Fact

There have been many liveries for Germanwings in order to promote the destination city. There is a special livery to promote the City of Berlin (named "Berlin Bearbus"), and there have been special liveries for the German cities of Hamburg (named "Hamburg Shopper") and Stuttgart. There have also been liveries for T-Mobile and two others with a mouth with a tongue, one of them with a speech bubble across the aircraft.

Departure: Cologne, Germany - Koeln (CGN)

In Brief: The Cologne-Bonn Airport is located 13 km (9 miles) southeast of Cologne. While not even among Germany's top five airports in terms of traffic, it punches above its weight in the budget air field. Germanwings and TUIfly both rely on Cologne-Bonn as a kind of superbase, and Air Berlin, easyJet, and Wizz Air all route multiple flights in and out of the airport. Transportation: A bus connection links the airport with Cologne's main train station. It takes 20 minutes and costs €4.60.

Arrival: Istanbul, Turkey - Sabiha (SAW)

Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is named after Sabiha Gokcen, the world's first female combat pilot. Location: Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is located 31 km (19 miles) from the city center. Transport: - Bus: There is regular shuttle bus service between the airport and the city center, which takes about 30 minutes. Bus services also connect Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and Ataturk International Airport; this journey takes about an hour. - Taxi: Taxis are available 24 hours a day to destinations in and around Istanbul. Service: There are a few information desks at the airport as well as ATMs, a bank, and a post office. Various restaurants, cafes, and bars as well as shops (including duty-free) are located in the Departures area of the International Terminal. Public telephones can be found throughout the airport. Other facilities include baby-care rooms.