MIles and Smiles -- A Booking Horror Story
Just went through a multi-day failed attempt to buy a Star Alliance Award ticket using my Miles and Smiles miles. I was so mad. Am cooling off a bit now.
Wanted a one way ticket in business class from SFO to YVR on Air Canada. Turkish Airlines website showed award availability on the date and flight I wanted. But, of course, you can’t purchase Star Alliance Award tickets online because Turkish Airlines website is missing that final payment button.
I followed a blogger’s advice and emailed three Turkish airline’s ticket offices asking about availability and pricing for the ticket I wanted. Received a reply from the IAD office saying that the award would cost 15k miles plus $31.30 in taxes and fees. The Turkish email gave me a booking reference (ah, false hope . . . ) but then said to call the Turkish call center to complete payment.
And then the fun began. When you call you have to enter your M&S number before speaking to a live agent. Did that. Waited some. Spoke to live agent. The agent called up my booking with the reference number. He noted I had the 15k miles in my account and then connected me to an automated payment system. Had to enter my credit card information manually (Ugh). Several times, as the first few times, apparently, the payment system was not working. Super Uggh. Then the agent asked me for some additional info, including my passport number, which I didn’t have with me. Well, the agent said, you will have to call back when you have that number. Triple Uggh.
Got the passport number. Called back. Automated answering system wanted my M&S number of course . . . but did not recognize it! Called back three times before my number was recognized. First live agent said I have to enter your payment info again. Did that. But payment system not working again! Multiple attempts, with multiple call backs. Gave up temporarily.
Fast forward two days. Now the $31.30 charge shows up on my credit card account! Not once, but three times! Call Turkish back. First agent says I have to call my travel agent to resolve this. What?? There is no travel agent!! After a pause, he says he will connect me to payment information. What?? I already paid . . three times! Agent then conveniently disconnects me. Call back. Next agent says she has no information that I have paid anything and the ticket has not been issued. She can’t help with either ticket or multiple payments. Says go to Turkish website to complete “Feedback form.” Went to website. Fill out feedback form. Attach screenshots of multiple cc payments. Ask for ticket to be issued and refund of additional payments. Send feedback. Or hoped I did, since there is no acknowledgment that Turkish received the feedback.
Fast forward two more days. Wondering what to do. Then, praise be, the credit card charges show up as reversed. But all three are reversed . .. not just the additional two I asked for. And the 15k miles, which had been deducted, now show up again in my Turkish account. But, of course, no ticket issued to me.
At this point, I am done with Turkish. I simply can’t stomach dealing with them again. Will probably write off the 15k miles in my M&S account.