Last spring when I was planning Steven’s and my trip to Vienna and Prague, Turkish Airlines kept popping up with seriously unbeatable prices. (I think we ended up paying <$600 round trip from DC to Vienna.) Despite the rather long layover(s) at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, I ended up being glad we opted for Turkish — this is one airline that still treats its economy class passengers well. Here’s some of the special treatment you can expect on Turkish, even in economy:

• Hot towels at the beginning and end of your flight
• An amenity kit, including toothpaste, a toothbrush, an eye mask, slippers, and a few more doodads
• Turkish Delights just after takeoff (this sweet is often vegan; not sure about the vegan-ness of the ones they serve)

Plus, they have more than respectable food! Turkish is well-known for having a bona-fide chef on board; although she/he primarily serves the business and first-class cabins, you’ll see her/him helping out during meal service in economy, too. I was extra impressed that they offered a full meal service on our relatively short flight from Istanbul to Vienna, meaning we arrived at our destination with full bellies. That’s always welcome!

One downside to booking on Turkish? You can’t reserve seats or request a special meal online. Instead, you’ll need to call their booking line ahead of your flight to make that happen. Every time I make the vegan food request, I always fear this is the time it fails and I’ll be left meal-less. Happily, that was not the case on these flights — although I was a little disappointed that the special meals aren’t delivered early, as is usually the case!

Here’s a sampling of what we ate on Turkish.

As you can see, the presentation was pretty standard for airplane fare. But nearly everything tasted pretty darn good. I most enjoyed the white beans in tomato sauce, that phyllo-wrapped savory pastry, and the fresh, piping hot bread.

So, the verdict? Vegan food on Turkish Airlines is tasty and plentiful. Now go ahead and book your flight!