boswings

I bought a roundtrip ATL-TXL J class ticket last December for traveling starting tomorrow. I wanted to make a change of dates and called the reservations number but they told me that they couldn't make a change over the phone until I showed my credit card to a TK agent. I told them that I only wanted to make a change and would be happy to bring the credit card when checking in for my flight at the later date since I'm based in Mexico City and they don't have an office here. I explained that if I didn't make the change, I would be losing my flight and thus my ticket. The agent transferred me to another agent at customer service who asked me to fill a form so they would open a "case" to be urgently dealt with. Unfortunately and in spite of various promises from TK personnel both at reservations I did not heard from them again. Based on this I had no option but to cancel my ticket and request a refund. I will now be traveling with Lufthansa next week.

Nonetheless I find it tragic that TK can put their clients in what it obviously is an impossible situation: one cannot make a change over the phone if they first don't show their credit card to a TK agent. However, one cannot do the change of dates if there is no TK office in your town and thus, you risk of losing your ticket if you cannot make the change before the flight. This circular reference is obviously stupid. Someone at TK's main office should use their brains to fix what it obviously is an impossible situation.

Often1

OP - You should immediately delete the TK case number. This is a public bulletin board and you have posted information which could be used to defraud you. Mods notified as well.

flyerby

potjernik

Yours is not an isolated case. I had a same problem when I needed to change the date of my flight from ACC to IST. The charge was minimal, but they would not take my credit card over the phone and were asking me show the card at the TK office in Accra. The problem of course was that I was not there, but in third country, without TK office. They also would not accept that I show my card at at the check in or anything along those lines. I was told that TK restricts changes in the ticket for the flights that originate in certain countries, for fraud purposes. Well, you tell me if this makes sense.....

craigthemif

Unfortunate situation. Add TK to the list of airlines where you should book through a travel agency instead of directly...

oliver2002

Unfortunately some countries are on the black list for verification of payment method, which definitely includes ACC, but not ATL. I suppose something in your booking raised a red flag, for which the airlines requires to see the actual card before the ticket is issued. TK is not the only airline that has such fraud mitigation policies, and wouldn't pin the blame on them....

Some info here. 26% sounds awfully high.
https://www.americanbanker.com/news/...p-fraud-at-bay

TPJ

Agree - their web site is useless...

flyerby

potjernik

I think you are wrong. This is TK policy not some intermediary payment/security agency rejection - let me explain: I was making request for a ticket change through TK phone customer service, not the website. The operator could check my details for security purposes and the name of the card matched traveler name (me). However, operator explained that they cannot even route me to the payment system (you know, the one where you punch in your card via phone). He simply said that ACC is on the list which is restricted.
If that is the case, yes, I would blame them. There's gotta be a better way to check if your request and your payment are legitimate. People book via their website because they expect that it will be easier to manage travel and ticket changes....

craigthemif

YMMV. I live close enough to a TK office that it doesn't matter much for me either. And usually my only paid TK flights are those I upgrade as E+.

But there's also that thread of where the guy had an involuntary flight time adjustment invalidate the one allowed change under his fare rules. A TA would probably have come in handy there as well...