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Through-check bags? IST transit on 2 separate TK tickets

Through-check bags? IST transit on 2 separate TK tickets

Old Dec 16, 2019, 12:20 am
  #31  
 
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Okay sure, thanks a lot for your information. By any chance, do you know whether at IST airport they have early check in counter for SQ?
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Old Dec 16, 2019, 12:22 am
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by FVen
May I know what do you mean by "contracted third party check-in agent"?
Check-in agents are not TK Staff. They are employees of airport ground service companies. They have experienced supervisors and sometimes one TK staff / airport manager is around.

Although SQ is *A, my personal experience tells me that they don't connect luggage to other airlines in normal circumstances.

Good luck!
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Old Dec 16, 2019, 12:24 am
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by FVen
Okay sure, thanks a lot for your information. By any chance, do you know whether at IST airport they have early check in counter for SQ?
Nope. SQ checkin starts three hours before the flight time.
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 7:33 am
  #34  
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Originally Posted by rozy

Although SQ is *A, my personal experience tells me that they don't connect luggage to other airlines in normal circumstances.
Just to make it clear that SQ staff will not be not be involved nor make any decision about whether or not to check bags to final dest. It will be the check-in staff at TXL, which is neither SQ nor TK staff, but contracted staff at the check-in counters that decides if your request will be accommodated. You should be able to show the onward ticket, IST-SIN with SQ at the TXL check-in counters.

If you ask nicely there is a fair chance that they will tag bags to final destination to save you from entering Turkey to pick-up your luggage for re-check-in with SQ at IST.
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 11:44 am
  #35  
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Also a remark that,

If the OP manages to check his bags all the way to SIN

The OP should go to the SQ transfer counter to link the baggages in the SQ system. Otherwise, SQ would not see any of the OP's bags. This would involve an extra transfer security.
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 1:20 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by FVen
HI everyone,

I will be flying TXL-IST with Turkish Airlines and IST-SIN with SQ on 2 separate tickets. Is it possible for me to have through check in and checked baggage? I've read some reviews that since it's of the same Star Alliance they actually can do it if they want to. But the strict rule is that this isn't possible
What you should do first is go to the Turkish Airlines office at TXL which, I believe, is situated around Gate 6. This is normally staffed by 2-3 very competent and helpful TK employees. Explain your problem to them and ask them if they could possibly link the two tickets - the SQ flight also operates as a TK codeshare. Behave humbly and apologise for not booking the onward leg on TK and they will most probably bend the rules. Once the tickets are linked, the agency staff at check-in will have no problem in sending your baggage to SIN. But, as noted above, you do need to go as early as possible to the SQ gate at IST to ensure that your baggage is loaded.
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Old Dec 17, 2019, 7:49 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by johnirvine
What you should do first is go to the Turkish Airlines office at TXL which, I believe, is situated around Gate 6. This is normally staffed by 2-3 very competent and helpful TK employees. Explain your problem to them and ask them if they could possibly link the two tickets - the SQ flight also operates as a TK codeshare. Behave humbly and apologise for not booking the onward leg on TK and they will most probably bend the rules. Once the tickets are linked, the agency staff at check-in will have no problem in sending your baggage to SIN. But, as noted above, you do need to go as early as possible to the SQ gate at IST to ensure that your baggage is loaded.
I don't think that TK would convert two separate tickets to a single ticket.
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Old Dec 18, 2019, 3:04 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by ISTFlyer
I don't think that TK would convert two separate tickets to a single ticket.
I did not suggest that TK would convert two separate tickets into a single ticket, but merely link them in the system. I have done this many times, including on the two flights cited by the OP. TK do not, however, like doing this with cheap domestic flights as it reduces the airlines' revenue and is considered a scam.
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Old Jan 14, 2022, 6:03 am
  #39  
 
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Flying ESB-IST-ADD on TK with an onward connection from ADD-BLZ on ET with a separate ticket.

Ankara airport check-in was an absolute zoo with no priority check-in lanes so after nearly 45 minutes in a slow moving line it was right at flight closing time when we finally reached the counter. The agent was singularly unhelpful and kept insisting that we had to collect and recheck baggage in Istanbul and if we didn't agree then we would miss the flight. Fortunately a supervisor showed up and once he saw we were Elite Plus in Business Class sorted it out in literally 30 seconds. Baggage checked through all the way to Malawi with no further questions asked.

As a separate issue, I can't believe that TK doesn't have any sort of Priority ground services at a big station like Ankara. No Business Class check-in desk, no lounge and no priority boarding was a huge disappointment.

Last edited by B747-437B; Jan 14, 2022 at 6:16 am
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Old Jan 14, 2022, 9:20 am
  #40  
 
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You should simple have gone to the CIP lounge with is next to the terminal. There you get your VIP service and direct access to the lounge and from there a direct transfer to the plane.
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Old Jan 16, 2022, 7:12 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by rotojoma
You should simple have gone to the CIP lounge with is next to the terminal. There you get your VIP service and direct access to the lounge and from there a direct transfer to the plane.
Indeed, the lounge at Ankara has a separate entrance which is not linked to the main terminal.
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Old Jan 16, 2022, 12:19 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by ISTFlyer
Indeed, the lounge at Ankara has a separate entrance which is not linked to the main terminal.
Seriously? How do you access the lounge then? There was zero signage (in English at least) to indicate this and the TAV staff at the info desk told us that these were the only check-in counters for Turkish. Even the supervisor who sorted our bags out didn't mention it. In fact, we even asked at the boarding gate (flight was delayed 40 mins) if there was a lounge and they said no. We eventually used the PrimeClass Lounge using Priority Pass.
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Old Jan 19, 2022, 9:00 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by B747-437B
Seriously? How do you access the lounge then? There was zero signage (in English at least) to indicate this and the TAV staff at the info desk told us that these were the only check-in counters for Turkish. Even the supervisor who sorted our bags out didn't mention it. In fact, we even asked at the boarding gate (flight was delayed 40 mins) if there was a lounge and they said no. We eventually used the PrimeClass Lounge using Priority Pass.
There is a separate entrance at the end of the terminal in the arrivals level. The lounge has a separate check-in facility thus you wouldn't have needed to enter the main terminal.

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Old Jan 19, 2022, 1:18 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by ISTFlyer
There is a separate entrance at the end of the terminal in the arrivals level. The lounge has a separate check-in facility thus you wouldn't have needed to enter the main terminal.
Wow! There was zero signage indicating this all the way from rental car return to departures. How are passengers supposed to know about this?
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Old Jan 19, 2022, 1:28 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by B747-437B
Wow! There was zero signage indicating this all the way from rental car return to departures. How are passengers supposed to know about this?
The same concept is also the case in IST, SAW, ADB and BJV, plus was the case in old IST. People who could afford flying J or a Turkish elite would probably be familiar with the concept.

The main idea of this concept was for these people to avoid congestion and long lines at the regular terminal so that they could have a better experience.

At least in IST and ADB, the respective lounges also have another airside entry point but for ESB and SAW it's not the case.
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