Help! Step-by-Step: How to book a Star Alliance award ticket with Miles & Smiles
Sep 22, 2014, 9:24 am
#31
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
…And now my booking hold has been cancelled. The time limit ran out before I could even get in touch with the Arlanda ticket office. Oh well I'm not going crazy about trying to book a *A award with M&S so I'll just abandon those plans and spend more time in Tokyo. Now what can I do with 2x 10 000 miles?
Nov 7, 2014, 2:40 am
#32
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: BRU
Programs: TK elite plus, Flying Blue platinum, ALL gold, IHG diamond
Posts: 118
After calling, tweeting and mailing I just gave up and went to the airport desk. It took three staff members, but they were finally able to do the booking. Taxes were correct.
Nov 18, 2014, 3:53 am
#33
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 668
I am looking to book a one-way award ticket on United using my M&S account. I have found a flight with an available seat -- at least using the United website -- but I still do not know how to book the actual ticket. I live near Washington, DC. If I go to the airport, can they book the ticket, or do I need to call M&S? I still can't believe that on-line booking for Star Alliance awards is not available. If anyone knows a relatively easy way to book the seat on United, I would appreciate the recommendation.
Thank you.
Thank you.
What about award tickets on TK, can it be done online?
Nov 18, 2014, 4:32 am
#34
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,590
Jan 21, 2015, 3:58 am
#37
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: zurich
Programs: Miles&Smiles Gold
Posts: 509
I am trying to do my first *A award ticket. Its not easy.
1.Step I emailed the local TK office
Answer: I can do the booking on the staralliance website (?????) over phone or direct in the office.
2.Step called the local hotline I got with the e-mail. The woman found a flight (ZRH-BKK over Dubai). I said I want to fly with THAI and not over DXB. She said she can not manually chose flights, I need to go the sales office.
Now I sent a email to an other sales office...lets see.......in the end I anyway need to go the local office to pay the taxes......
any advice??
1.Step I emailed the local TK office
Answer: I can do the booking on the staralliance website (?????) over phone or direct in the office.
2.Step called the local hotline I got with the e-mail. The woman found a flight (ZRH-BKK over Dubai). I said I want to fly with THAI and not over DXB. She said she can not manually chose flights, I need to go the sales office.
Now I sent a email to an other sales office...lets see.......in the end I anyway need to go the local office to pay the taxes......
any advice??
Jan 21, 2015, 5:19 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,095
I am trying to do my first *A award ticket. Its not easy.
1.Step I emailed the local TK office
Answer: I can do the booking on the staralliance website (?????) over phone or direct in the office.
2.Step called the local hotline I got with the e-mail. The woman found a flight (ZRH-BKK over Dubai). I said I want to fly with THAI and not over DXB. She said she can not manually chose flights, I need to go the sales office.
Now I sent a email to an other sales office...lets see.......in the end I anyway need to go the local office to pay the taxes......
any advice??
1.Step I emailed the local TK office
Answer: I can do the booking on the staralliance website (?????) over phone or direct in the office.
2.Step called the local hotline I got with the e-mail. The woman found a flight (ZRH-BKK over Dubai). I said I want to fly with THAI and not over DXB. She said she can not manually chose flights, I need to go the sales office.
Now I sent a email to an other sales office...lets see.......in the end I anyway need to go the local office to pay the taxes......
any advice??
If your local office is not far away, try pop in there and have everything sorted (if you are certain about your trip). If you book it via their incompetent Call Centre, you'll still have to go to your local office to have the ticket ticketed.
Jan 23, 2015, 1:51 am
#39
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: zurich
Programs: Miles&Smiles Gold
Posts: 509
A little update.
After a lot of emailing with different sale offices agents I got my booking code.
The customer serivce is terrible. One agent found the availability of the flights I want but she insisted the Miles I need to pay are 60000 and not 45000. She said for the routing ZRH-CDG-BKK I need 2 tickets 15000 for ZRH-CDG and 45000 CDG-BKK. I gave up with her.
The other one was more competent but said there is no availabilty on the flight ZRH-CDG. As I did not have more patience I said she should just book CDG-BKK. After minutes I got the booking code.
It seems as soon there is a connecting flight they are clueless.
But one thing was the same with all agents. You NEED to pay the taxes in the local sales office. Its not possible online or over the phone.
After a lot of emailing with different sale offices agents I got my booking code.
The customer serivce is terrible. One agent found the availability of the flights I want but she insisted the Miles I need to pay are 60000 and not 45000. She said for the routing ZRH-CDG-BKK I need 2 tickets 15000 for ZRH-CDG and 45000 CDG-BKK. I gave up with her.
The other one was more competent but said there is no availabilty on the flight ZRH-CDG. As I did not have more patience I said she should just book CDG-BKK. After minutes I got the booking code.
It seems as soon there is a connecting flight they are clueless.
But one thing was the same with all agents. You NEED to pay the taxes in the local sales office. Its not possible online or over the phone.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:44 pm
#42
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: TK G,UA *S
Posts: 1,137
TK might be an attractive destination for *G but if the only way to get award tickets is a TK office then that award miles might finish unused due to all these difficulties.
Not everyone has a TK office nearby. Meaning a *A flight cannot be booked at all.
Not everyone has a TK office nearby. Meaning a *A flight cannot be booked at all.
Jan 30, 2015, 6:46 am
#43
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Yes that's correct. Also the fact that miles can't be used for one-way tickets is a huge minus which essentially takes away much of the value with the program. TK seriously need to do something about this, but I somehow get the impression that their management is very detatched.
Jan 30, 2015, 1:32 pm
#44
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 260
Yes that's correct. Also the fact that miles can't be used for one-way tickets is a huge minus which essentially takes away much of the value with the program. TK seriously need to do something about this, but I somehow get the impression that their management is very detatched.
Feb 11, 2015, 2:22 am
#45
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Zurich
Programs: BA GGL, TK*G EL, KL P ELPL, ex AB P, ex LH/LX Sen, HHonors D4L, Bonvoy P
Posts: 1,647
Based on my experience, booking over M&S hotline by phone works smoothly. BUT: So far ticketing by local TK office ALWAYS failed. At ZRH office, they always managed to retrieve the booking within seconds - but always failed to issue the ticket even after asking the supervisor, the supervisor calling Istanbul etc etc
I don't want to blame ZRH staff, they really went out of their way. After a while, all staff present were involved ... but without success, I'm afraid ... They were very apologetic, but this didn't change the situation.
I don't want to blame ZRH staff, they really went out of their way. After a while, all staff present were involved ... but without success, I'm afraid ... They were very apologetic, but this didn't change the situation.