Business & Money | Tuesday 14 April, 2015 12:57 am |

and the 11th in the Americas by inaugurating flights to San Francisco.

Demonstrating once again its commitment to linking Istanbul to all of the world's major tourist and business centers, Turkish Airlines today adds San Francisco to its global network, bringing this hub of global technology "online".

With existing services to Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Toronto, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Boston and Montreal, Turkish Airlines adds flights to San Francisco, operated 5 times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays in both directions.

To commemorate this important event, a special livery has been applied to the aircraft operating the first flight on this route. To signify the new link between these two major world cities, Turkish Airlines combined a modernist perspective with minimalist design and created a unique livery for the Boeing 777-300, named Safranbolu, which will inaugurate service between Istanbul and San Francisco.

Round trip fares are available from Istanbul to San Francisco starting at 511 Euros (including taxes and fees).

Additionally, there is a special offer for Miles&Smiles members, with a 25% reduction in the miles needed to redeem either award tickets or upgrades till 30 September 2015.*

San Francisco flight times as scheduled from April 13th;
Flight No. Days Departure Arrival
TK 079 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday IST 13:05 SFO 16:25
TK 080 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday SFO 18:10 IST 17:05 +1

To view the flight schedules please visit www.turkishairlines.com, contact the call center at +90 212 444 0849 or visit any Turkish Airlines sales office.

The second largest city of California, San Francisco is a city with a rich historical past and a natural setting that has made it one of the most popular destinations in the world. A melting pot of cultures, architectural styles and businesses as still active fishing fleets moor near the offices of high-tech firms that have increasingly expanded northward from San Jose’s Silicon Valley—40 miles to the south.

San Francisco’s history dates to the late 1700s and the arrival of Spanish friars who built missions, many of which are still operational today. The city grew rapidly during the Gold Rush, becoming a wide-open place that was known for its wealth and raucous lifestyle. That tolerance of diverse groups and individuals continues today and the city remains known for its social and political liberalism. Until the post-war period of the 1950’s and the growth of Los Angeles, it remained the financial and cultural center of California.

In the past 20 years, the low profile skyline has been altered by the addition of numerous tall buildings, made possible by engineering advances that make such construction possible in this earthquake prone area. Yet it remains a city of neighborhoods, each with a distinct character that is loved by the local residents, and in most of the city any change to the local landscape meets with resistance. Parks and open spaces abound and the mild, cool climate provides residents with ample time to enjoy the outdoors. The largest space, Golden Gate Park, is home to summer productions, world-class museums and sports fields.

The City itself covers but 47 square miles (121 square kilometers) and is densely populated, with San Francisco Bay to the east and the open Pacific to the west. The city has a well-developed public transport system that operates both within the city limits and connects San Francisco to the rest of the Bay Area. Direct train service by BART links the city with its airport and is the easiest way to get downtown or to other points in the region. And, of course, the famous cable cars remind one of those on Istiklal Street in Istanbul. Because of its peninsular location, it is a city of bridges, with the famed Golden Gate linking Marin County to the north and the Bay Bridge connecting with Oakland/Berkeley to the east.

The San Francisco Bay Area is also home to literally dozens of universities and educational institutions, with the University of California, San Francisco, UC Berkeley, the University of San Francisco and, just to the south, Stanford, being some of the most easily recognized. The city also has world-renown cultural resources in its Symphony, Opera and Ballet.

This educational bounty has made the region home to world's largest high tech corporations, as well as thousands of tech startup companies located from San Francisco to Silicon Valley. Because of this, the region is one of the wealthiest in the nation and has housing prices that can take one’s breath away.

Attractions like Alcatraz, the Exploratorium and the Tech Museum provide ample activities that appeal to all ages and a sunset Bay Cruise is bound to impress even the most jaded visitor. Unlike Los Angeles, San Francisco has a cool (and often foggy) climate. Its beaches are lovely for walks but the sea temperatures discourage swimmers. Yet journey to the wine country near Napa or nearby Yosemite (4 hours) and you will have boundless sunshine and a very different landscape and climate.

With all of this history, beauty and diversity, it is no wonder that San Francisco regularly ranks as one of the top 10 destinations, worldwide.

* Turkish Airlines reserves the right to make changes in this regard.


About Turkish Airlines:
Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 269 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 266 destinations worldwide with 223 international and 43 domestic. According to Skytrax survey of 2014, Turkish Airlines was chosen "Europe's Best Airline" for the fourth and "Best Airline in Southern Europe" for the sixth consecutive time. Having won in 2010 the world's "Best Economy Catering Service" and in 2013 the world’s "Best Business Catering Service" awards, Turkish Airlines was this year awarded the world's "Best Business Catering Service" and “Best Business Class Lounge Dining” prizes in the Skytrax survey. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on www.turkishairlines.com.

About Star Alliance:
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. The integration of Avianca Brasil is currently in progress. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,316 airports in 192 countries.