Snow at IST Causing Cancellations - January 2017
Jan 8, 2017, 10:33 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: *G, used to be with TK but left due to their corruption and political ties
Posts: 4,406
Rebooking alternatives
My father-in law was travelling MDE-AV-BOG-TK-IST-TK-HEL on one ticket, with the TK-fligths cancelled. I called TK for them and after 35 minute wait got an agent who told me that BOG-IST wasn't cancelled, it was just rerouted via PTY (duh, this is the original routing...) but that IST-HEL was cancelled. He refused to touch the booking for rerouting though since it involved other carriers than TK.
In MDE they didn't want to reroute but sent him to BOG. In BOG he suggested AF via CDG which was accepted. So phone handling was incompetent and useless while airport agent managed better.
In MDE they didn't want to reroute but sent him to BOG. In BOG he suggested AF via CDG which was accepted. So phone handling was incompetent and useless while airport agent managed better.
Jan 8, 2017, 11:31 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Thailand, Phuket
Programs: Emirates, Thai, TK
Posts: 441
TK will refuse to book you on another carrier even it is a star alliance carrier.
They rather leave you stuck somewhere for a week instead of rebooking you on another carrier the same day.
Maybe if you really insist of rebooking you are a little bit more lucky but not much change.
TK is totally useless during this kind of situations.
They rather leave you stuck somewhere for a week instead of rebooking you on another carrier the same day.
Maybe if you really insist of rebooking you are a little bit more lucky but not much change.
TK is totally useless during this kind of situations.
Jan 8, 2017, 11:38 am
#18
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite+, HIlton Diamond, Delta Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 201
Three of us got stuck for the past two days waiting to go IStanbul to Antalya. After getting canceled again today I decided to see what was going on at the other airport, and to my surprise found that I could get tickets to Antalya out of Sabina Gokcen for Sunday afternoon at the economy promo fare of 61 lira per passenger. Booked those and got my IST Antalya tickets refunded (those were 200 lira each). Made it home to Antalya this evening no problem. So an alternative is to see if you can get to your destination via SAW.
At at the same time, TK's revenue management leaves something to be desired if they are still selling promotion fares in the middle of a snowstorm.
At at the same time, TK's revenue management leaves something to be desired if they are still selling promotion fares in the middle of a snowstorm.
Jan 8, 2017, 11:45 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: IST, LAX
Programs: *G
Posts: 217
Well, jacking up the prices of SAW outbound promotion fares when they have thousands of stuck passengers at IST would be a new low, even for TK.
Jan 8, 2017, 1:00 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite+, HIlton Diamond, Delta Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 201
Jan 8, 2017, 1:46 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 245
So I went to LHR - having been cancelled the previous day - at 3pm to check in for a 22.35 flight to CAI via IST. Everything went swimmingly, checked in in 5 minutes flat, made it to the LH lounge for some serious relaxation - and then: at around 7.30pm, SMS from THY, IST-CAI cancelled.
Lots of difficulty in contacting anyone responsible at THY, only finally to be told that it was out of the question to be switched to Egyptair (whose desk was next to THY's desk, and who confirmed that they had seats). Pleading and imprecations got us nowhere, THY insists we MUST fly to IST, they absolutely will not refund us, or transfer us to another flight on the basis that we are already checked in.
In the meantime, the weather forecast for IST is heavy snow daily until Thursday....
Lots of difficulty in contacting anyone responsible at THY, only finally to be told that it was out of the question to be switched to Egyptair (whose desk was next to THY's desk, and who confirmed that they had seats). Pleading and imprecations got us nowhere, THY insists we MUST fly to IST, they absolutely will not refund us, or transfer us to another flight on the basis that we are already checked in.
In the meantime, the weather forecast for IST is heavy snow daily until Thursday....
Jan 8, 2017, 2:43 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,842
Operations at IST seem to have resumed, although some flights being significantly delayed, e.g. TK64 to BKK left some minutes ago with 3-4 hours delay.
Let us hope operations will get back to normal soon (and no further snow interuptions will occur during the next days).
Let us hope operations will get back to normal soon (and no further snow interuptions will occur during the next days).
Jan 8, 2017, 2:49 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,842
Lots of difficulty in contacting anyone responsible at THY, only finally to be told that it was out of the question to be switched to Egyptair (whose desk was next to THY's desk, and who confirmed that they had seats). Pleading and imprecations got us nowhere, THY insists we MUST fly to IST, they absolutely will not refund us, or transfer us to another flight on the basis that we are already checked in.
Jan 8, 2017, 3:08 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2016
Location: IST, LHR
Programs: TK E+, AA PLAT
Posts: 481
Just saw this on the TK website, don't know if can be helpful:
From 2.A I am assuming checking in is considered having "used" the ticket? Not sure if that is correct though.
Not sure what 2.B is meant to say, that it will be considered as a normal refund request.
Due to the extraordinary weather conditions at Istanbul,
For passengers who have bookings on the Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet flights from/to Atatürk Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) and transit flights between 06/01/2017 - 08/01/2017 and ticketed on/before 07/01/2017 , will be handled with following conditions, disregarding the related fare rules:
1) Rebooking and rerouting will be made without any charge for different booking classes only if the same destination for Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet flights departing until 18/01/2017 (including) providing that the tickets are revalidated until 15/01/2017 only for Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet flights departing until 18/01/2017 (including). Rerouting and rebooking to the flights later than 18/01/2017 will be made according to the (original) fare rules.
2) Refund Requests:
A) Unused Ticket: refund will be made without any charge providing that tickets are refunded until 06/02/2017 (including).
B) Used Ticket: refund will be made considering as involuntary.
3) Extension of Validity: Validity of ticket can be extended until 15/01/2017 without any fare difference or penalty.
For passengers who have bookings on the Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet flights from/to Atatürk Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) and transit flights between 06/01/2017 - 08/01/2017 and ticketed on/before 07/01/2017 , will be handled with following conditions, disregarding the related fare rules:
1) Rebooking and rerouting will be made without any charge for different booking classes only if the same destination for Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet flights departing until 18/01/2017 (including) providing that the tickets are revalidated until 15/01/2017 only for Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet flights departing until 18/01/2017 (including). Rerouting and rebooking to the flights later than 18/01/2017 will be made according to the (original) fare rules.
2) Refund Requests:
A) Unused Ticket: refund will be made without any charge providing that tickets are refunded until 06/02/2017 (including).
B) Used Ticket: refund will be made considering as involuntary.
3) Extension of Validity: Validity of ticket can be extended until 15/01/2017 without any fare difference or penalty.
Not sure what 2.B is meant to say, that it will be considered as a normal refund request.
Jan 8, 2017, 9:59 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 245
A tip for anyone arriving in IST: there is a very nice landside TK lounge. We are there right now after a horrific but eventually successful experience trying to rebook our cancelled onward segment to Cairo: and there must be at least 500 people queuing for the TK hotel desk. The TK arrivals lounge has showers, day beds, and is very quiet and civilised. Downside is that they chuck you out at 1pm.
EDIT: managed to snare a room at the TAV Airport Hotel landside, for €118 inc breakfast, which is perfect, and it is 2 mins away on foot from the TK landside lounge.
EDIT: managed to snare a room at the TAV Airport Hotel landside, for €118 inc breakfast, which is perfect, and it is 2 mins away on foot from the TK landside lounge.
Last edited by mtdd; Jan 8, 2017 at 10:17 pm
Jan 9, 2017, 12:41 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Denmark
Programs: SAS Eurobonus, Norwegian, Finnair
Posts: 7
Hi all.
We had CPH-IST-KUL friday night, but it got cancelled.
We waited all day saturday to get new tickets and got new tickets saturday with a flight at 17:00 PM.
It got cancelled too, så sunday we cancelled our trip and TK-staff told us to call their callcenter to get refund.
Now i have tried to get in touch with TK since sunday morning on TK's costumer-support lines :
+90 850 333 08 49 : Call gets disconnected
+90 212 444 08 49 : Call gets disconnected
And the Danish costumer-support : +45 33 14 40 55 - noone is answering.
Tried also 3 Sales-offices in DK (AAL+BLL+CPH) - noone is answering.
Is there anyone who has another number they used, where there really are staff in the other end of the line?
We had CPH-IST-KUL friday night, but it got cancelled.
We waited all day saturday to get new tickets and got new tickets saturday with a flight at 17:00 PM.
It got cancelled too, så sunday we cancelled our trip and TK-staff told us to call their callcenter to get refund.
Now i have tried to get in touch with TK since sunday morning on TK's costumer-support lines :
+90 850 333 08 49 : Call gets disconnected
+90 212 444 08 49 : Call gets disconnected
And the Danish costumer-support : +45 33 14 40 55 - noone is answering.
Tried also 3 Sales-offices in DK (AAL+BLL+CPH) - noone is answering.
Is there anyone who has another number they used, where there really are staff in the other end of the line?
Jan 9, 2017, 12:58 am
#28
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: HEL
Programs: *G, used to be with TK but left due to their corruption and political ties
Posts: 4,406
Strange that there is no answer at all. I called them using the Finnish sales office number (which redirects to the normal call center) and got an answer on: +358 09 8171 0 849
Jan 9, 2017, 2:37 am
#29
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Denmark
Programs: SAS Eurobonus, Norwegian, Finnair
Posts: 7
Nope - same story... press 9 for English... press 0 for refund etc.... And gets disconnected.
But thank you for your help
Jan 9, 2017, 3:01 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,842
Refunds can be processed until 6 Febr 2017 so there is very little point in trying to get through to TK call centers now - wait some days/until closer to 6/2 and then most likely you will get through to an agent quite quickly. Right now you are calling at the same time as thousands of other pax whose flights have been cancelled, delayed, rerouted etc...not the best odds for a quick reponse.