Looking for help canceling a non-refundable ticket
Jul 18, 2016, 6:49 am
#16
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There is a reason why fares to Europe are dirt cheap this year. As much as I love a bargain, falling forex due to Brexit, and Europe, no thank you to Turkey, Egypt, and even to western Europe. We went to the UK earlier this year, but crossed out Brussels and Amsterdam due to security concerns. That's why our next trip is to China and not Western Europe. Turkey and Egypt were on our short list for a while, but we crossed both of them out. I love a good bargain and empty tourist attractions, but this is too much risk.
Jul 18, 2016, 6:53 am
#17
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Location: Canada, USA, Europe
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We've crossed off the US given the deteriorating race relations and likelihood of being gunned down I broad daylight. No thanks, and my policy doesn't cover semi-automatic gunfire.
Jul 18, 2016, 7:27 am
#18
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Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
I'm sorry OP, you state that you bought your ticket on June 30th and then that , "When I booked my tickets I had no idea that the airport would get blown up."
The suicide bombings at IST airport were on June 28th TWO DAYS before you say you bought your ticket. So this is nonsensical.
As I asked on the other thread, can people who have flights way in teh future please keep the lines clear for the next few days in order to help out the thousands of people who are currently having problems pertaining to the last few days and the coming few days?
In a weeks time, all should be back to normal, and then feel free to tilt at TK for trying to refund the non-refundable ticket which you chose to buy even though the incidents which you claim were/are a surprise had already started to happen.
Also a note to UK based people. Travel insurance is mostly a UK thing, and historically due to the lack of protections that UK fliers had vis a vis fliers from places such as the US, also aided by huge travel insurance publicity in the 1980's when the industry advertised hugely and most UK citizens took their first package flights, and had no protections (and many tour operators going bust). The types of insurance that most of you go on about generally does not cover incidents such as these.
This should not be confused with medical insurance which is a different beast.
The suicide bombings at IST airport were on June 28th TWO DAYS before you say you bought your ticket. So this is nonsensical.
As I asked on the other thread, can people who have flights way in teh future please keep the lines clear for the next few days in order to help out the thousands of people who are currently having problems pertaining to the last few days and the coming few days?
In a weeks time, all should be back to normal, and then feel free to tilt at TK for trying to refund the non-refundable ticket which you chose to buy even though the incidents which you claim were/are a surprise had already started to happen.
Also a note to UK based people. Travel insurance is mostly a UK thing, and historically due to the lack of protections that UK fliers had vis a vis fliers from places such as the US, also aided by huge travel insurance publicity in the 1980's when the industry advertised hugely and most UK citizens took their first package flights, and had no protections (and many tour operators going bust). The types of insurance that most of you go on about generally does not cover incidents such as these.
This should not be confused with medical insurance which is a different beast.
Jul 18, 2016, 7:51 am
#19
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Japan
Programs: NH-SFC, SQ, UA, JL- JGC/Sapphire, AA, DL, IHG-Gold, SPG-Gold, Marriott-gold
Posts: 194
I am also in the same situation, but flight is on this Fri, July 22nd.
Didn't expect at all that TK would start operation so quickly as if nothing had happened..
Actually even more difficult situation since I purchased tickets on June 6th thru third party online - eDreams who is really notorious in every sense (word of mouth).
Currently awaiting reply email but so far response. Very hopeless...
Didn't expect at all that TK would start operation so quickly as if nothing had happened..
Actually even more difficult situation since I purchased tickets on June 6th thru third party online - eDreams who is really notorious in every sense (word of mouth).
Currently awaiting reply email but so far response. Very hopeless...
Jul 18, 2016, 9:08 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5
I'm sorry OP, you state that you bought your ticket on June 30th and then that , "When I booked my tickets I had no idea that the airport would get blown up."
The suicide bombings at IST airport were on June 28th TWO DAYS before you say you bought your ticket. So this is nonsensical.
The suicide bombings at IST airport were on June 28th TWO DAYS before you say you bought your ticket. So this is nonsensical.
Originally I had purchased my tickets on November 27, 2015. It was a multi-destination ticket which included a 3-day stop in Istanbul. At that time everything in Turkey was fine and I was really looking forward to spending a few days in Istanbul. I have many friends who have been there and they had nothing, but good things to say about it.
To make a long story short, after several incidents with terrorist groups attacking tourists and popular tourist locations, and ISIS blowing up the airport, I decided to modify my itinerary to eliminate the 3-day stay in Turkey. At that time there was a schedule change for several of my flight so I could modify/cancel my itinerary free of charge. I foolishly thought that as long as I am just passing through the Istanbul airport I should be OK. After all I was going to be inside the "secure zone" of the International terminal.
I tried to modify my itinerary, but I discovered that it would actually be easier if I cancel it and re-book it, so this is what I did. I canceled my ticket, got a full refund based on the schedule change, and I booked another ticket. That is the ticket that was purchased on June 30th and it was a result of the bombing that had occurred two days earlier.
Here we are now, some two weeks after I had re-booked my ticket, and I am back where I started. I no longer feel safe flying with this airline and being anywhere near Turkey. Unfortunately I no longer have the luxury of cancelling my flight because no schedule changes have occurred yet.
I also just read today that the FAA has extended the ban on all flights originating from Turkey to the US until September 1st. We are probably one incident away from turning this a permanent ban, or at least extending it even further.
I cannot blame the airline for the unfortunate events that have occurred in their home country however, they have proven to be completely incapable of dealing with situations like this. I was at the airport on Saturday, trying to talk to a representative since they do not have an office here in Boston, and I overheard conversations between them and other passengers that they were trying to re-book on flights leaving early this week, despite the FAA ban that was already in place.
If you go on their Twitter page, Facebook page, or their home page, they keep saying that "everything is fine and all flights are back to normal".
And for those of you suggesting "travel insurance", that's all fine, but I think at this point you are better of with a good life insurance policy if you are planning on flying to Turkey. No travel insurance will help you when someone decides to drive a tank through the airport and you are stuck there.
Jul 18, 2016, 9:23 am
#21
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,352
Jul 18, 2016, 10:48 am
#23
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC, IB+, TAM multi+
Posts: 453
I am also in the same situation, but flight is on this Fri, July 22nd.
Didn't expect at all that TK would start operation so quickly as if nothing had happened..
Actually even more difficult situation since I purchased tickets on June 6th thru third party online - eDreams who is really notorious in every sense (word of mouth).
Currently awaiting reply email but so far response. Very hopeless...
Didn't expect at all that TK would start operation so quickly as if nothing had happened..
Actually even more difficult situation since I purchased tickets on June 6th thru third party online - eDreams who is really notorious in every sense (word of mouth).
Currently awaiting reply email but so far response. Very hopeless...
Yeah... ify ou need to cancel with them you might as well just give up already. No way they are going to pay you anything back.
Jul 18, 2016, 11:05 am
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
No, there is no ban until September. Please try reading what experienced people here including the moderator of the forum have written, rather than people posting and reposting incorrect information after the fact. In fact everything should be back in order in 48 hours..
Jul 18, 2016, 11:34 am
#25
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: IC Diamond Amb, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, HH Diamond
Posts: 309
You are correct, but I didn't share all the details because I didn't want to muddy the waters, and now I feel like I have to.
Originally I had purchased my tickets on November 27, 2015. It was a multi-destination ticket which included a 3-day stop in Istanbul. At that time everything in Turkey was fine and I was really looking forward to spending a few days in Istanbul. I have many friends who have been there and they had nothing, but good things to say about it.
To make a long story short, after several incidents with terrorist groups attacking tourists and popular tourist locations, and ISIS blowing up the airport, I decided to modify my itinerary to eliminate the 3-day stay in Turkey. At that time there was a schedule change for several of my flight so I could modify/cancel my itinerary free of charge. I foolishly thought that as long as I am just passing through the Istanbul airport I should be OK. After all I was going to be inside the "secure zone" of the International terminal.
I tried to modify my itinerary, but I discovered that it would actually be easier if I cancel it and re-book it, so this is what I did. I canceled my ticket, got a full refund based on the schedule change, and I booked another ticket. That is the ticket that was purchased on June 30th and it was a result of the bombing that had occurred two days earlier.
Here we are now, some two weeks after I had re-booked my ticket, and I am back where I started. I no longer feel safe flying with this airline and being anywhere near Turkey. Unfortunately I no longer have the luxury of cancelling my flight because no schedule changes have occurred yet.
I also just read today that the FAA has extended the ban on all flights originating from Turkey to the US until September 1st. We are probably one incident away from turning this a permanent ban, or at least extending it even further.
I cannot blame the airline for the unfortunate events that have occurred in their home country however, they have proven to be completely incapable of dealing with situations like this. I was at the airport on Saturday, trying to talk to a representative since they do not have an office here in Boston, and I overheard conversations between them and other passengers that they were trying to re-book on flights leaving early this week, despite the FAA ban that was already in place.
If you go on their Twitter page, Facebook page, or their home page, they keep saying that "everything is fine and all flights are back to normal".
And for those of you suggesting "travel insurance", that's all fine, but I think at this point you are better of with a good life insurance policy if you are planning on flying to Turkey. No travel insurance will help you when someone decides to drive a tank through the airport and you are stuck there.
Originally I had purchased my tickets on November 27, 2015. It was a multi-destination ticket which included a 3-day stop in Istanbul. At that time everything in Turkey was fine and I was really looking forward to spending a few days in Istanbul. I have many friends who have been there and they had nothing, but good things to say about it.
To make a long story short, after several incidents with terrorist groups attacking tourists and popular tourist locations, and ISIS blowing up the airport, I decided to modify my itinerary to eliminate the 3-day stay in Turkey. At that time there was a schedule change for several of my flight so I could modify/cancel my itinerary free of charge. I foolishly thought that as long as I am just passing through the Istanbul airport I should be OK. After all I was going to be inside the "secure zone" of the International terminal.
I tried to modify my itinerary, but I discovered that it would actually be easier if I cancel it and re-book it, so this is what I did. I canceled my ticket, got a full refund based on the schedule change, and I booked another ticket. That is the ticket that was purchased on June 30th and it was a result of the bombing that had occurred two days earlier.
Here we are now, some two weeks after I had re-booked my ticket, and I am back where I started. I no longer feel safe flying with this airline and being anywhere near Turkey. Unfortunately I no longer have the luxury of cancelling my flight because no schedule changes have occurred yet.
I also just read today that the FAA has extended the ban on all flights originating from Turkey to the US until September 1st. We are probably one incident away from turning this a permanent ban, or at least extending it even further.
I cannot blame the airline for the unfortunate events that have occurred in their home country however, they have proven to be completely incapable of dealing with situations like this. I was at the airport on Saturday, trying to talk to a representative since they do not have an office here in Boston, and I overheard conversations between them and other passengers that they were trying to re-book on flights leaving early this week, despite the FAA ban that was already in place.
If you go on their Twitter page, Facebook page, or their home page, they keep saying that "everything is fine and all flights are back to normal".
And for those of you suggesting "travel insurance", that's all fine, but I think at this point you are better of with a good life insurance policy if you are planning on flying to Turkey. No travel insurance will help you when someone decides to drive a tank through the airport and you are stuck there.
And no tanks were driving through the airport while 1 of the bombs of the ISIS boming exploded inside the international terminal...and the others outside that terminal.
TK would probably be able to assist stranded passengers/passengers flying within the next days better if people whos flights are scheduled months out wouldn't try to rebook these now...
Jul 18, 2016, 3:38 pm
#27
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Jul 18, 2016, 6:48 pm
#28
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