Originally Posted by
AvidFlyer1990
On a slightly different note, I am surprised that TK doesn't offer free selection of Bulkhead, Extra legroom and exit row seats to its own elites (Elite and Elite Plus)! Free standard seat selection can be had by anyone booking the right type of Eco fare, and not just the TK elites, so I am wondering what TK does differently for its own top-tier elites seated in the Economy cabin?
The answer to your question is nothing. For international flights, in the existing system, exit row/bulkhead seats are not free until everyone until 48 hours of departure, then blocked through OLCI for airport control and then these seats are distributed for free of charge at the airport at a first come first served basis regardless of status. The most annoying part in this is that for IST-XXX flights, transfer passengers are more likely to get exit-row seats for free as they have the option to ask for an exit seat at their first point of departure. However, it's easy to find exit row seats for domestic flight at airport check-in but the benefit of the extra legroom is generally much more effective at medium/long-haul.
That is one of the reasons that I don't pay extra to fly direct with TK on longer itineraries when I travel solo. Even Alex Cruz's BArb gives free exit row seats for long haul flights for Gold members upon booking and for Silver members upon OLCI. Even on $499 discounted transatlantic Basic Economy tickets. The reason that TK sells extra-legroom/bulkhead seats for their elites, is that they have realized that elites started paying for seats ( I talk about the wealthier Turkish population that doesn't fly anything else than TK ) as they don't have the vision that other airlines offer these seats for free to their elites.
AtlasGlobal is the only airline in Turkey that currently offers free exit-row seats for their own elites and blocks the first three rows of Economy for their elites.
Obviously, TK does not have theoretical seating for their Elites as well.