Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles - TK 77W service IST-SIN

For anyone hoping to redeem into F class suites on TK service from IST-SIN in next few months I thought I should draw atention to under noted e mail I received from TK customer services. I had been planning to change my LH F class bookings from FRA-SIN in October to TK F class suites from IST but was uneasy about it given recent aircraft changes on route so I asked them whether, notwithstanding October still showed it operating as a 77W, this might change. Not so sure I should take risk now and probably best to stick with LH !

Response from TK customer services "UNFORTUNATELY MANY IST-SIN FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO AIRBUS 340 IN JULY AND AUGUST. ITS MOST LIKELY THAT SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER FLIGHTS WILL BE OPERATED BY AIRBUS AS WELL , SO THERE IS NO GUARANTEE IT WILL BE OPERATED BY 777.

IF YOU MUST TRAVEL IN FIRST CLASS WE RECOMMEND YOU TO LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS OR YOU CAN BOOK WITH US IF AIRCRAFT TYPE CHANGES YOU CAN CANCELL IT.

WE DO APOLOGISE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE"

HKG seems to be one of the few places that gets a regular 77W service at the mo, as BKK has also been getting the 343.

Where are the 77W's being deployed to then?

Can't you just sit tight and then claim (potentially rather lucrative) downgrade compensation if there is an equipment switch?

Where are the 77W's being deployed to then?

They are currently serving LHR, BKK, HKG, PEK and ICN on various days of the week. Like you say, the only route that has had a more or less guaranteed 77W since the start is HKG. All schedules seem fluid and certainly no route timetable, post 01 Sept, can be taken as gospel; well maybe HKG is still safe but who knows? TK is kinda like TG's twin sister with fleet scheduling but at least there's only two C cabin types, either of which is perfectly fine; 77W preferred obviously.

the message is pretty straight forward from TK

I took it 3 times and it was the best 1 st class ever. Very nice food and great ground service on a buggy :)
similar to SQ only a different conversation with the TK staff - poor english

i would try my luck.

I m going to take it again in AUG - hopefully it will be there

They are currently serving LHR, BKK, HKG, PEK and ICN on various days of the week. Like you say, the only route that has had dedicated 77W since the start is HKG. All schedules seem fluid and certainly no route timetable, post 01 Sept, can be taken as gospel; well maybe HKG is still safe but who knows? TK is kinda like TG's twin sister!

TBH, I would have expected SIN & BKK to have demand

TBH, I would have expected SIN & BKK to have demand

IST-SIN becomes 5x weekly IST-SIN-CGK in September.

As this has very little to do with bmi or Diamond Club, I think we can safely move this discussion off to the Miles & Smiles forum. :)

Does TK alert pax in advance if there's equipment change? If so how long in advance? Currently my IST-BKK flight on 29 July is listed as 77W, but really I'm not holding my breath. I'm in J so an equipment swap won't really impact me all that much apart from losing a sweet seat.

For me, the most important part of this topic is you claming something to TK and they reply you back, also before a date you plan your flight! it's amazing, really. Normally they would ignore you at the first place, or better you would get a reply while you are already in SIN.

I don't know if it is your luck, or your inquiry being for first class, or maybe the customer service finally started doing something.

is the 77w still flying London to Istanbul and Istanbul to HKG in August?

BTW the 77W doesn't fly to HKG every day, so if you do fly to HKG with TK make sure you double check which days the 77W will be flying.

I want to fly on or around the 14th August . I think the 77w flies to HKG that day , I am just not sure on the LHR to IST leg. saying that there may be no availabilty in F on redeemed miles.

FOM, no SIN was the steady one for awhile, HKG is NOW but was NOT as recently as three weeks ago. Its the stupidest thing in the world, how the hell are they supposed to ever develop a F product and passeneger if they cannot stick to the routes?

Thanks for that.

I agree hfly, I've almost come to the conclusion they're not bothering anymore. I've seen some awful shenanigans on the part of TK when it comes to dealing with passengers booked in revenue F; awards too . Basically they downgrade them with no contact and when challenged, say "Tough ......, now go away"

Well they wont get away with that if they join th EU :D

What in 2080 or so?

Just noticed that my F class reservation for late September had a time change (but still showing 77W F class). Being very worried about losing my F seat I dug a little deeper and there is now no F inventory on the flight and and expertflyer now shows aircraft type as A340. Guess I'll be in business class then :mad: On the same day BKK now shows 77W but I can't change to that as it would get me in SIN too late :(

I am booked using a frequent flyer award in F IST-BKK on TK60/30SEP returning TK67/05OCT SIN-IST.

These were ticketed on August 10.

It is using miles fro US Airways.

I called TK and got a seat in F on September 30 but they couldn't assign a seat on my return on TK67/5OCT/SIN-IST.

It shows as a 77W.

Do you think schedules are firm for these dates?

Thanks.

I am booked using a frequent flyer award in F IST-BKK on TK60/30SEP returning TK67/05OCT SIN-IST.

These were ticketed on August 10.

It is using miles fro US Airways.

I called TK and got a seat in F on September 30 but they couldn't assign a seat on my return on TK67/5OCT/SIN-IST.

It shows as a 77W.

Do you think schedules are firm for these dates?

Thanks.


SIN-IST that day has just been changed to an A340 so no first class :td:

:mad:

I just received email from Opodo about a schedule change. 2 OCT TK 66 IST -SIN is now A340 rather than 77W

TK 1979, IST-LHR in Oct is now A321 rather than 77W.

We are in Y so maybe the impact is not that material for your flight to SIN but I was really looking forward to the IFE on 77W. For the IST-LON leg it is a disaster... Not happy at all...

Just checked my bookings one of my LHR - IST has been downgraded to A321 (First)

The good news is they have moved the 77W on to the JFK route, both my flights in Oct have now changed. I'm only booked in business on these flights but business looks better on the 77w than the A340 I was originally booked on.

Seems that from Oct the 77W's are only flying on the LHR route Su,M,F while JFK is operated daily with the 77W.

How do TK ever expect to sell First if the aircraft are continually being switched between routes?

Just lost my first booking IST-BKK/SIN-IST.
Now downgraded to A330.
I am switching my award.

At least the today's BKK-IST is operated on 77W's. Just sipping champagne at the TG F lounge while waiting for my flight to board in about an hour.

I have a booking IST/BKK/IST in mid October. When I booked TK's booking engine showed 343s both ways (although the seat plans when I actually reserved my seats were for a 343 to BKK and a 332 on the return).

I see that both TK's website and expertflyer are now showing the flights as operated by 77Ws. ANA is showing award availability so I'm thinking about booking C to F upgrades. Am I wasting my time and are the aircraft types likely to change again before the date of travel?

I have a booking IST/BKK/IST in mid October. When I booked TK's booking engine showed 343s both ways (although the seat plans when I actually reserved my seats were for a 343 to BKK and a 332 on the return).

I see that both TK's website and expertflyer are now showing the flights as operated by 77Ws. ANA is showing award availability so I'm thinking about booking C to F upgrades. Am I wasting my time and are the aircraft types likely to change again before the date of travel?

Toss a coin. Heads it will stay the same, tails it will change again. It is really anyone's guess what will happen in October, although I'd say your chances of keeping the 77W are good as they have just changed your flights which suggests they are done messing with equipment for Sep/Oct but you never know with TK.

I see that both TK's website and expertflyer are now showing the flights as operated by 77Ws. ANA is showing award availability so I'm thinking about booking C to F upgrades. Am I wasting my time and are the aircraft types likely to change again before the date of travel?

The TK F was very nice when I took it on Tuesday night. I was just by myself in F and had two FA's and a purser serving me.

One of the best caviar presentation in F on the air BTW.

If you can guarantee F for nominal number of miles I would go ahead and do the upgrades.

LHR - IST - SIN 01 sept is A321 and A330
SIN - IST - SIN 23 sept is A330 and B77W (24th)

But I am in Y so no real problem. And seatcounter shows lots of 7s so plane could be empty on the IST - SIN - IST sectors

SIN - IST - SIN 23 sept is A330 and B77W (24th)

But I am in Y so no real problem. And seatcounter shows lots of 7s so plane could be empty on the IST - SIN - IST sectors

For IST-BKK on 28AUG which is a B77W I am also seeing all 7's (except A class which is 4) - prices in thy.com are still low which would correspond with the the numbers seen on seatcounter

To be honest I am a little pissed off. I just booked TK because the flights on my LHR-IST-SIN rt route used to be operated by 9W 777er aircrafts. Now they changed to A321 on LHR-IST and A340 on IST-SIN sector:mad:

My flights into SIN are at 1st of october and out at the 12th. As far I am booked in Y Class I would like to upgrade now. Does anybody know how much TK charge for Cash upgrades at Check in?

At least the today's BKK-IST is operated on 77W's. Just sipping champagne at the TG F lounge while waiting for my flight to board in about an hour.


Sorry if this is a little off topic, but I just scored IST-BKK and back for early next year on the 77W.

Do you get full use of the Thai first lounge AND the spa when flying F on TK? I thought I read this was only when on Thai F.

Do you get full use of the Thai first lounge AND the spa when flying F on TK? I thought I read this was only when on Thai F.

You get the F lounge access based on the *A lounge access rules, although TK tries to get you to use a lounge closer to their gate. You do NOT get the spa access. That is only for TG F pax.