Oct 28, 2019, 12:32 am
Last edit by: sammyg901
Last Updated: 21 AUG 2021
Due to various changes to the TK IT-system booking partner awards has taken a great step back. Details below.
Online: Potentially working?
See recent (July 2022) posts - it seems possible to ticket *A online IF you can find availability. A lot of availability does not show. If you can see X or I class on ua.com but not on turkishairlines.com then likely a ticket office can assist
Since August 2021 the online *A ticket payment flow is broken ("continue" button does not appear on the credit card entry page) so transactions cannot be completed. No known workarounds
From 18 Nov 19, you may continue to book partner awards online for selected airlines, routes and options. Not all options that you could book with another partner is bookable through the TK website.
Availability could be checked online via the United website without being a MileagePlus member with the book with miles tool at the flight search engine. Note: For UA flights, check 'X' fare bucket, for other airlines check Saver Award.
TK Hotline: Partially working
From recent reports ( fall 2020 ) in this thread, it is now possible to book *A awards from the TK hotline although still, not all agents are capable to do it; you might need to HUACA multiple times to find an agent that knows how to book *A awards. Although, it's strongly suggested to make your own research on availability before calling them.
Sales Office: Working
A sales office could book *A award tickets. You could call, e-mail or visit them in person. Some offices do not answer phones or do not reply to e-mails so visiting them in person would improve your chances to book a *A award ticket.
First class award: Not working
TK has stopped issuing first class awards since at least September 2019.
Due to various changes to the TK IT-system booking partner awards has taken a great step back. Details below.
Online: Potentially working?
See recent (July 2022) posts - it seems possible to ticket *A online IF you can find availability. A lot of availability does not show. If you can see X or I class on ua.com but not on turkishairlines.com then likely a ticket office can assist
Availability could be checked online via the United website without being a MileagePlus member with the book with miles tool at the flight search engine. Note: For UA flights, check 'X' fare bucket, for other airlines check Saver Award.
TK Hotline: Partially working
From recent reports ( fall 2020 ) in this thread, it is now possible to book *A awards from the TK hotline although still, not all agents are capable to do it; you might need to HUACA multiple times to find an agent that knows how to book *A awards. Although, it's strongly suggested to make your own research on availability before calling them.
Sales Office: Working
A sales office could book *A award tickets. You could call, e-mail or visit them in person. Some offices do not answer phones or do not reply to e-mails so visiting them in person would improve your chances to book a *A award ticket.
First class award: Not working
TK has stopped issuing first class awards since at least September 2019.
Everything You need to know about booking Star Alliance awards with Miles&Smiles
Jan 5, 2019, 11:56 am
#361
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 24
I am trying to book a Star Alliance upgrade award using TK miles. TK sends me to this website, says the Callcenter cannot do it: https://muaenduser.staralliance.com/StarMUA/StartPage.do?language=en&airline=tk&userType=Norma l&testremarks=false
Flight is NH0204 FRA-HND in Eco+ (E). Should be possible. See below screenprints, I get to the second step (availability seems ok), then error message 564.
Any idea how to proceed? TK ticket office? Startalliance Callcenter?
Flight is NH0204 FRA-HND in Eco+ (E). Should be possible. See below screenprints, I get to the second step (availability seems ok), then error message 564.
Any idea how to proceed? TK ticket office? Startalliance Callcenter?
update on my fight with TK:
After contacting TK on the callcenter, sales office (personal and email), Twitter and feedback form, I was being directed to the respective other channels every time until I looped back and they told me that they cannot help me. The sales office was the most competent contact, but said that they could not do a *A upgrade award booking due to a new system being in place.
The callcenter could prioritize my feeback form request based on Elite status, and after about 2-3 days I got a response from someone in the backoffice with the following content:
--Based on your request, we would like to inform you that we are currently developing our Miles and Smiles system.For this reason, we are unable to book or issue any award tickets with the flights of Star Alliance Member Airlines within Miles and Smiles award miles. This interruption is experienced in all our sales channels.We would like to express our sincere apologies for this inconvenience. We hope you to accept this experience as an exception and welcome you on our future flights. Thank you for your understanding.
--
So, whether they have no clue how to do this, or really cannot, who knows.
I gave up my efforts and booked the upgrade using LH MM miles via a 1 minute phone call to the LH callcenter. I guess you get what you pay for...
Jan 5, 2019, 4:11 pm
#362
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: DFW
Programs: OWE AA EXP;*A TK Gold; Marriott LTT; Hyatt Globalist; IHG Plat; National VIP
Posts: 3,097
Quite mind blowing
update on my fight with TK:
After contacting TK on the callcenter, sales office (personal and email), Twitter and feedback form, I was being directed to the respective other channels every time until I looped back and they told me that they cannot help me. The sales office was the most competent contact, but said that they could not do a *A upgrade award booking due to a new system being in place.
The callcenter could prioritize my feeback form request based on Elite status, and after about 2-3 days I got a response from someone in the backoffice with the following content:
--Based on your request, we would like to inform you that we are currently developing our Miles and Smiles system.For this reason, we are unable to book or issue any award tickets with the flights of Star Alliance Member Airlines within Miles and Smiles award miles. This interruption is experienced in all our sales channels.We would like to express our sincere apologies for this inconvenience. We hope you to accept this experience as an exception and welcome you on our future flights. Thank you for your understanding.
--
So, whether they have no clue how to do this, or really cannot, who knows.
I gave up my efforts and booked the upgrade using LH MM miles via a 1 minute phone call to the LH callcenter. I guess you get what you pay for...
After contacting TK on the callcenter, sales office (personal and email), Twitter and feedback form, I was being directed to the respective other channels every time until I looped back and they told me that they cannot help me. The sales office was the most competent contact, but said that they could not do a *A upgrade award booking due to a new system being in place.
The callcenter could prioritize my feeback form request based on Elite status, and after about 2-3 days I got a response from someone in the backoffice with the following content:
--Based on your request, we would like to inform you that we are currently developing our Miles and Smiles system.For this reason, we are unable to book or issue any award tickets with the flights of Star Alliance Member Airlines within Miles and Smiles award miles. This interruption is experienced in all our sales channels.We would like to express our sincere apologies for this inconvenience. We hope you to accept this experience as an exception and welcome you on our future flights. Thank you for your understanding.
--
So, whether they have no clue how to do this, or really cannot, who knows.
I gave up my efforts and booked the upgrade using LH MM miles via a 1 minute phone call to the LH callcenter. I guess you get what you pay for...
Jan 7, 2019, 11:45 am
#364
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,686
Will they put an award on hold if you do not have the required miles yet (waiting for transfer)?
Jan 8, 2019, 8:41 am
#366
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: FCO
Posts: 498
Yes
Jan 8, 2019, 2:25 pm
#367
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: DFW
Programs: OWE AA EXP;*A TK Gold; Marriott LTT; Hyatt Globalist; IHG Plat; National VIP
Posts: 3,097
Jan 9, 2019, 5:19 am
#368
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: C2
Programs: AY ex-Lumo, TK Elite, BT VIP, ITA Executive
Posts: 1,157
I believe the thread is quite rich in information on which offices have capable agents. Of course, UA / AC might be non-issuable as discussed. But you certainly can issue a *A award with M&S miles. That's a fact, not a guess.
Jan 12, 2019, 8:21 pm
#370
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: DFW
Programs: OWE AA EXP;*A TK Gold; Marriott LTT; Hyatt Globalist; IHG Plat; National VIP
Posts: 3,097
May I please ask which exact magical ticket office locations are you referring to because JFK, YYZ and IAH say it’s impossible because the system is broken? This has nothing to do with UA or AC tickets. Thay cant ticket ant Star award tickets. And I have read this thread precisely to decipher what offices “have capable agents” whatever it means in this context and there are none that can circumvent the failure of TK with confirmed outcomes pointing to a specific location
Last edited by asnovici; Jan 13, 2019 at 10:33 am
Jan 13, 2019, 10:25 am
#371
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YYZ
Programs: TK*G, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 678
May I please ask which exact magical ticket office locations are you referring to because JFK, YYZ and IAH say it’s impossible because the system is broken? This has nothing to do with UA or AC tickets. Thay cant ticket ant Star award tickets. And I have read this thread precisely to decipher what offices “have capable agents” whatever it means in this context and there are none that can circumvent the failure of TK with confirmed outcomes pointing to a specific location
I was told the same. They can book it, but they cannot ticket it - although it is not completely clear wether they cannot issue tickets at all (which is odd) or they cannot deduct the miles (which is stupid but more likely).
Jan 13, 2019, 10:37 am
#372
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: DFW
Programs: OWE AA EXP;*A TK Gold; Marriott LTT; Hyatt Globalist; IHG Plat; National VIP
Posts: 3,097
Also multiple inquiries to when Star ticketing will be fixed were all responded with uncertainty. Incredible incompetency of TK IT and complete lack of willingness from executive management to fix this. How is Star allowing this to continue and TK call itself a Star member is mind boggling.
Jan 14, 2019, 4:53 pm
#374
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 31
Hi Juan,
I am in the same shoes. I just wasted 3 hours to go the sales office at the airport and still no luck. Miles and Smiles is such a scam and I'd love to sue them for these business practices. They should immideately remove the information about Star Alliance award bookings.
I am in the same shoes. I just wasted 3 hours to go the sales office at the airport and still no luck. Miles and Smiles is such a scam and I'd love to sue them for these business practices. They should immideately remove the information about Star Alliance award bookings.
Jan 15, 2019, 10:48 am
#375
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: YEG
Programs: TK*G, AC
Posts: 345
Called TK in a last ditch effort to book an award ticket or have them extend the mileage expiry date. No luck. Their system issues continue and they are unwilling/unable to extend the expiry date. I was transferred to three separate agents to try to sort things out but no one was willing to actually deal with the issue.