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Everything You need to know about booking Star Alliance awards with Miles&Smiles

Old Oct 28, 2019, 12:32 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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.



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Everything You need to know about booking Star Alliance awards with Miles&Smiles

Old Jan 15, 2019, 12:37 pm
  #376  
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 31
I just used my miles in a useless thing from the Miles & Miles store to prevent them from expiration.

Never Turkish Airlines again!
divB is offline  
Old Jan 16, 2019, 12:05 am
  #377  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Star Alliance Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 989
Originally Posted by asnovici


May I please ask which exact magical ticket office locations are you referring to because JFK, YYZ and IAH say its 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
Try IAH or HKG, they helped me pretty good in the past.
Granite64 is offline  
Old Jan 16, 2019, 8:11 am
  #378  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: LA
Programs: TK *G
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by Tifosi
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.
Every phone agent I tried told me to fill out the feedback form. I asked last time when they told me there was an extension until 1/15 what would happen when the system still wasn't working by then, and they told me to fill out the feedback form again if it happened... so I have and we'll see what happens.
asnovici likes this.
tmj143 is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2019, 1:17 pm
  #379  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: DFW
Programs: OWE AA EXP;*A TK Gold; Marriott LTT; Hyatt Globalist; IHG Plat; National VIP
Posts: 3,087
Originally Posted by Granite64
Try IAH or HKG, they helped me pretty good in the past.
It does not work in any offices. The system is broken since November, its not a matter of capable agents its completely not able to issue any Star tickets since mid November.
asnovici is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 12:14 am
  #380  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: TK - Gold, Kris - Gold, QFF - Points
Posts: 242
I recently emailed my local tk agent (who is capable and has helped me with a bunch of award things in the past) to try and book a syd-hnl flight which tickets into airnz.

i was told that airnz doesnt offer award Business class flights for this segment to other staralliance members.

Is this possible? Can airnz single out city pairs and blatently refuse to offer them on award bookings? Or does this sound like the above mentioned problem in that tk just dont see staralliance flights for redemption on their system?

fyi they found availability on economy, just not business, she looked for the next 11 months too so highly unlikely its an a Availability issue.

advice appreciated ! Thanks
ttep is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 12:46 am
  #381  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,826
Originally Posted by ttep
i was told that airnz doesnt offer award Business class flights for this segment to other staralliance members.

Is this possible?
I wouldn't say that NZ doesn't release seats on this specific route, but that NZ is notoriously stingy in J awards on their metal.

You should do your homework and try to find I availability on the UA or AC website and then contact again the office. Or try and book it yourself on the TK website.
malmostoso is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 2:15 am
  #382  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: TK - Gold, Kris - Gold, QFF - Points
Posts: 242
will check it out thanks - but would you say this is a completely different issue to what those above me are describing? TK saying their star alliance booking system has been down since Nov etc.. ?
ttep is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 2:33 am
  #383  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,826
Originally Posted by ttep
will check it out thanks - but would you say this is a completely different issue to what those above me are describing?
Since you're looking at J on NZ I'd say that to have conclusive proof that it's TK's fault you should first demonstrate that availability is actually there and is bookable (i.e. not phantom).
malmostoso is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 3:25 am
  #384  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: FCO
Posts: 498
Originally Posted by asnovici
It does not work in any offices. The system is broken since November, its not a matter of capable agents its completely not able to issue any Star tickets since mid November.
Not true.
Mine was issued mid December.
Granite64 likes this.
Sciamano is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 10:55 am
  #385  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: DFW
Programs: OWE AA EXP;*A TK Gold; Marriott LTT; Hyatt Globalist; IHG Plat; National VIP
Posts: 3,087
Originally Posted by Sciamano
Not true.
Mine was issued mid December.
can you share carriers on the reservation and place you ticketed it at?
asnovici is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 1:45 pm
  #386  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: FCO
Posts: 498
Originally Posted by asnovici


can you share carriers on the reservation and place you ticketed it at?
HKG office created the booking end of November.
FCO office issued it.
NH+TG
on22cz likes this.
Sciamano is offline  
Old Jan 20, 2019, 10:14 pm
  #387  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Krisflyer, BAEC
Posts: 23
Has anyone been able to book TG F class using Miles & Smiles? For the flight that I want, it shows availability on Aegean and United (before it got pulled), but when i called the SIN office, they couldnt make a booking on O fare class (First). They told me that I can only book biz or economy.
Jacknabbit is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 2:44 am
  #388  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: LA
Programs: TK *G
Posts: 24
Originally Posted by Sciamano
Not true.
Mine was issued mid December.
Which airline? I still can't book a ticket on United with them, and I got a lovely response to the feedback form that says I can pay money to reinstate the miles that I haven't been able to use. Has anyone succeeded in getting them to reinstate their miles again without paying since the extension to the 15th?
tmj143 is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 3:11 am
  #389  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Titan
Posts: 230
Originally Posted by tmj143
Which airline? I still can't book a ticket on United with them, and I got a lovely response to the feedback form that says I can pay money to reinstate the miles that I haven't been able to use. Has anyone succeeded in getting them to reinstate their miles again without paying since the extension to the 15th?
Just came across this thread. Just flew a booking I made thru TK on Thai Airways. Phoned it in Dec. 15th and paid the 4 bucks in taxes in person at the downtown Toronto office. Everything went smoothly. Im kinda glad I didnt see this thread beforehand.
jbjelloid is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 3:39 am
  #390  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,200
Originally Posted by jbjelloid

Just came across this thread. Just flew a booking I made thru TK on Thai Airways. Phoned it in Dec. 15th and paid the 4 bucks in taxes in person at the downtown Toronto office. Everything went smoothly. Im kinda glad I didnt see this thread beforehand.
Just $4 taxes?
onlysuites is online now  

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