Bucharest to Tampa Turkish Flights

  About Tampa

Nestled on Tampa Bay is the quaint and quintessential city of Tampa in Florida's Gulf Coast. Due to its proximity to Cuba, much of the culture, cuisine and lifestyle is Cuban-influenced. Tampa is a famous tourist destination which sees a huge crowd of travellers visiting during peak season.

Best time to visit Tampa

Tampa's busiest months are from May through August as the weather is hot, just the way some people like it. However, it is the months of September to December that you should root for as the weather is very pleasant and the hotel prices are also cheap and convenient. The temperatures range from 22 degree Celsius to 31 degree Celsius, which is quite ideal if you are travelling from India. The hotel reservations in Tampa during these months are also affordable as they have discounted rates, making the trip perfect. You might even end up getting rooms facing the water, which is quite the sight. Plus, the city also sees fun events such as Oktoberfest Tampa and Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. You should know though that summer is also a good time when it comes to hosting events in the city. They have some really amazing events such as Sunset Music Festival, BeeFest and Bolts Brew Fest. Basically, Floridians of Tampa like their beer chilled and crafted. It reflects perfectly with the way they celebrate beer several times in a year. Despite being hot, the city does manage to attract a lot of crowds and along with them, heavy hotel prices.

The winter and spring months at Tampa are exquisite. Even though the temperature falls to 11 degree Celsius sometimes in January, the season still sees a good amount of tourist activity. Due to this, the flight and hotel charges are also quite steep. In fact, it would be best for you to start looking for hotels and accommodations along with your flight tickets, well in advance. You might still get expensive rates for flights and hotels in Tampa, but it always seems like you can manage to get some online deals. It is recommended that you start three months in advance to book flights and hotels in Tampa for a lush vacation. There are some fun festivals too that take place in the city such as Tampa Pride, Taste @ the Straz, Tampa Bay Beer Week, Gasparilla Pirate Fest and Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival. While the prices might be steep and even the streets might be full of crowded tourists, you should still opt for this time of the year for a trip to Tampa. The city's vibe is certainly something that would make you want to relax and have a good time.

Places to visit in Tampa

Tampa is ideal for a family vacation and especially for animal lovers. The place has a lot of tourist attractions that would keep anyone engaged. From the Florida Aquarium to the Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa continues to bustle with tourists as there are many natural locales to explore. You can start with the Riverwalk which is located along the Hillsborough River. You can walk it up or use a bike. The Florida Aquarium is recognised to be one of the best in the world and houses a colossal number of marine life with over 14, 000 residing within. It will take you a long time to complete your tour in the Florida Aquarium, but it will be quite an experience. You can also engage in some interesting shows at the Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Centre ZooTampa at Lowry Park is a fun expedition to explore with the family. The zoo has some beautiful animals, including African elephants, orangutans, tigers, koalas, penguins, to name a few species. You can also check out the Henry B Plant Museum, which is located on the campus of the University of Tampa.

Things to do in Tampa

Busch Gardens is a theme park which is sprawled across 297 acres of land. There are many live shows, roller coasters games and shops that would hold your attention. To enjoy the entertainment sphere of Tampa, you should try to get a ticket to watch a show at the Tampa Theatre. The theatre is recognised to be one of the most elaborate theatres in the world. The city also organises several boat tours, and all you have got to do is to pick a cruise or yacht trip and make the most of Tampa. Another fun amusement park is the Adventure Island where you can unwind with your family. Even though the beach is right there, you should visit the amusement park as your kids will definitely love the entertaining activities and rides present. Not to mention how you should indulge in some of the festivals and food tours.

Food and Restaurants in Tampa

Tampa's food is heavily Cuban-inspired. It is Cuban food and waterfront dining that the locals recommend and for all the right reasons. You can enjoy the lip-smacking seafood with Cuban flavours while watching the sunset. It is quite a sight and the ideal dining experience one can ask for. One of the best waterfront seats that you can find in Tamp is at the Oystercatchers, which is associated with Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. The place has the freshest and best seafood that you'll find in Tampa. While Oystercatchers does have a great view of the water and the best waterfront in Tampa, you can also opt for Cafe Dufrain which is located in the Harbour Island. The establishment gives a fancy spin to locally sourced dishes. For some exquisite Cuban food, you should visit Ybor City and make reservations at Columbia Restaurant. The establishment is recognised as one of the top-notch in all of Florida for serving the best Cuban cuisine. Besides Cuban, you will also find Spanish and Caribbean meals from the respective kitchen. What's fascinating is how you'll find flamenco performances while you relish the food.

La Teresita Restaurant is another fun establishment that makes lip-smacking food and offers a great vibe. For special occasions, you should visit Bern's Steak House. The dining scene of the said restaurant is exquisite, and the food is divine. Far off to the other side of the spectrum is the Rooster & the Till, which basically has beautiful farm-to-table dishes to cater to the American tapas. Ulele is also a lovely joint which is perfectly nestled on the Tampa Riverwalk. They specialise in Native-inspired cuisine which includes charbroiled oysters with garlic butter and cheese. Tampa Riverwalk also has many other food joints that would get your attention. They favour Cuban food interspersed with wood-fired pizzas. Hillsborough River is another famous point where the foodies will have a good time indulging in classic to modern dishes.

How to reach Tampa

Flight connectivity to Tampa from India is quite good. Although there are no direct flights that fly to Tampa from India, a plethora of connecting flights and layover options are available. Thanks to a slew of flights that fly to Tampa from the US as well as some European cities, travelling to Tampa is not cumbersome. Instead, it is actually very convenient. Some of the airlines such as British Airways, Swiss, United Airlines, Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, Alitalia, Delta Air Lines, Qatar Airways, United Airways, American Airlines, Air France, Vistara, have impeccable flight connectivity to Tampa from India. The most convenient and popular route to reach Tampa from India is by flying to Miami and getting a connecting flight from there. As both the cities are in the Florida state, travelling via domestic routes becomes easier if Tampa is the destination. From India, there are various international routes to reach Tampa, such as from London, Zurich, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Rome, Toronto and Newark, to name a few. Some of the cities require a transit visa.

Specific countries have rules that require the travellers to hold a transit visa. If you have layovers or connecting flights from cities such as Zurich, Frankfurt, Toronto, Paris, London, Newark, to name a few, you will have to produce a transit visa. This visa cannot be used to step out of the airport as it is only to showcase that you are visiting the said city's airport to board a connecting flight. Flight tickets to Tampa are not cheap. Rather, they are quite expensive. One of the main reasons why travellers opt for Miami instead of flying to Tampa is because of the expensive flight tickets. However, if you have managed to save well and have enough in your bank account to make the trip happen, then you might be able to snag some flight ticket deals to Tampa online. It would be convenient if you also booked your hotels in Tampa while booking your flights. The accommodation in Tampa is just as expensive, which means you will have to make prior bookings, probably more than six months in advance. This way you will get amazing deals online plus you will get to save up for the same in the city.

  About Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier to the country of Turkey. The airline has excellent scheduled services to destinations across Europe, North and South American, Asia and Africa. It is one of the largest mainline carriers in the world with respect to passenger destinations. Turkish Airlines is also recognised as one of the only airlines to serve non-stop flights to a plethora of destinations from a single airport. It flies to about 126 countries directly, which is more than any other airline prevalent in the world. The airport also has an operational fleet of 24 cargo aircraft. Turkish Airlines' corporate headquarters is located at the Turkish Airlines General Management Building, which is on the grounds of Istanbul Atatürk Airport in Ye?ilköy, Bak?rköy, Istanbul. The Istanbul Airport in Arnavutkoy is Turkish Airlines' main hub base. The second hubs for the airline are Ankara Esenbo?a Airport and ?zmir Adnan Menderes Airport. In 2008, the airline also became part of the Star Alliance airline carrier network.

Founded in 1933, the airline was originally called as Turkish State Airlines and worked under the Ministry of National Defence. The airline underwent tremendous issues in the 1980s and 90s and even received a reputation for extremely poor customer service and flight delays. There are hijackings and other such concerns that took over, including the 1974 crash of the Turkish Airlines Flight 981 when the aircraft's flaw in design led to a massive accident that resulted in deaths of passengers. However, the airline's officials worked on fixing all the problems one after the other. While the necessary flight-related concerns were being fixed, Turkish Airlines continued to extend its international reach by attracting codeshare agreements with airlines such as American Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines. Asiana Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Czech Airlines. Turkey's economic crisis also led to a reduction in the domestic route airline passenger traffic. Further, a war in Iraq in 2003 affected the closing of some international routes.

Turkish Airlines has grown phenomenally despite all the trials and tribulations. After much political dissonance and other complications witnessed by Turkish Airlines, the airline also recovered from its financial losses in 2017. The profitability witnessed a 35 per cent increase in turnover. Turkish Airlines has managed to find its glorious reputation of being one of the top airlines in the world yet again. Several miles and frequent-flyer programs have also been introduced by Turkish Airlines. The airline has been an official carrier to several football clubs including Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa and FK Sarajevo, to name a few. Renowned athletes like Lionel Messi, Kobe Bryant, Wayne Rooney, Kevin Costner and Didier Drogba have been roped in for sponsorship and promotions deals by the airlines. Turkish Airline has been recognised with several accolades by Skytrax. Some of the titles received by the airline include Europe's Best Airline, World's Best Premium Economy Class Airline Seat and Southern Europe's Best Airline for consecutive years.

Fleet size of Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines' fleet size stands at 353 aircraft. The airline only has aircraft variants from the Airbus and Boeing family. Some of the aircrafts namely Airbus A319-100s, Airbus A321-200, Airbus A330-300s, Boeing 737-800s, Boeing 777-300ERs, Airbus A321neo and more are part of the fleet. In 2016, the airline announced that it was delaying the delivery of about 39 Boeing and Airbus aircraft due to a drop in the air traffic. Turkish Airlines was originally supposed to bring in a committed 167 aircraft including 92 Airbus A321neos, 65 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 9s. Additionally, the airline was also slated to receive about 10-32 aircraft in 2018. However, the orders have been pushed through 2023 as the airline's outstanding orders are yet to be received. In 2019, the airline did receive its first-ever Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which was ordered back in March 2018. The airline has shown keen interest in acquiring Airbus A220 and Embraer E190/E195 to serve new destinations.

Baggage Allowance

The checked baggage allowance on Turkish Airlines is 32 kg. The passengers are allowed to carry 32 kg weighed baggage for free. The weight is applicable to single baggage that a passenger can carry. Beyond the stated baggage allowance, Turkish Airlines will not accept more. It is recommended that the passenger avoid carrying unnecessary and restricted items in their baggage. This might turn into a concern if you are travelling within a new city. Additionally, the passenger is also entitled to carry a piece of baggage that weighs not more than 23 kg. The luggage cannot exceed the weight stated by the airline. Similarly, the airline has also put forth a dimension for the baggage that needs to be followed. The dimension of the bags cannot exceed a total of 115 cm. The cabin baggage that is allowed by the airline is also cannot be more than 8 kg. As long as the piece of baggage's measurements falls under the dimension of 23x40x55 cm, the airline will accommodate the same. Along with the hand baggage, Turkish Airline also allows a small bag such as a handbag or a laptop bag that can be rested under the seat.

Passengers are allowed to carry musical instruments, sports equipment and other fragile items along with them on board. However, there are certain restrictions and rules that need to be followed by the traveller to ensure that no problem crops up. In case passengers are flying with infants, Turkish Airlines also has reservations to cater to the needs of the travellers. The airline provides spaces for strollers and other equipment too, which can be availed by passengers. Similarly, passengers who have physical disability and mobility issues can carry crutches and equipment to help them move around.

In-flight services

Turkish Airlines' in-flight services promise comfort and luxury. The seating is exquisite as the reclining chairs have a capacity to add to the comfort of the passenger. Further, the business class and economy class also offer legroom and adjustable footrest that can add to the luxury of the traveller. The seats are also capable of turning into comfortable beds with a lift-up seat design. Following the exquisite seating arrangement, the airline also offers phenomenal in-flight services. There are entertainment systems that are personalised and cater to individual passengers. The seats also come with power plug systems to help with the charging of portable electronic gadgets. For medium and long haul flights, the airline has in-flight meals too. They are complementary and can be requested to the airline ahead of the journey.

Much of the dishes that can be found in meals served in the economy class of Turkish Airlines include Turkish dishes. There are hot and cold beverages as well as snack services also available onboard. Interestingly, the airline also offers amenity kit as part of their ticket. The kit includes a sleep mask, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, earplugs and lip balm. The airline has reserved entertainment content for kids travelling with parents. The in-flight entertainment systems have in-built games, films, music and a range of TV channels for children. The airline also has toy sets that can be requested on board.

Popular routes and top cities for Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines is known to have an immaculate domestic route and international route connectivity. The airline flies to more than 50 domestic cities and 244 international destinations that have been spread across 123 countries. Turkish Airlines has flights reserved for about 108 cities in Turkey and Europe. As for other continents, the airline connects to 64 Asian cities and 19 cities in the Americas. Outside of Turkey, Turkish Airlines sees a large number of flights serving Germany, Russia, Italy, the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Spain and the United Kingdom. These countries see the maximum number of flights being chartered by the airline. The airline also provides carrier services to Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad.

Why travel by Turkish Airlines?

Turkish Airlines has built a reputation for its excellent domestic route and international route connections. With flights catering to over 315 destinations worldwide, the airline has become one of the most sought-after options. Despite several complications and concerns that have cropped up over the years, Turkish Airlines has seen tremendous growth. It has upgraded its passenger fleet and even enhanced the facilities that make it more accessible for travellers. You can find and even book a Turkish Airlines flight on the airline's official website. Simultaneously, you will be able to find out more about the flight details such as flight status on the site. Often passengers even get their web check-in done on the official website. If you download the airline's app from Play Store, you can further get hold of details on Turkish Airlines' flight schedule. The in-flight services of Turkish Airlines also add to the world-class facilities that can be availed at the airport and the flight. The airline has dedicated first and business class lounges installed at the airports.