United not offering any seats in TK so how to get it?
May 16, 2019, 5:09 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,757
Your screenshot indicates that you tried to search from the old Ataturk Airport (now ISL) not the current Istanbul Airport (IST). TK isn't flying from Ataturk anymore, so a search won't show any flights.
May 20, 2019, 7:58 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
unbelievable
flight IAH-ADB
United charges 30K miles for one way and $8 tax and 2 luggage +1 carry on
Same flight TK charges 45K miles for one way $150 tax and only 1 luggage
what the hell is going on here?
same flight same airplane same seat everything same
flight IAH-ADB
United charges 30K miles for one way and $8 tax and 2 luggage +1 carry on
Same flight TK charges 45K miles for one way $150 tax and only 1 luggage
what the hell is going on here?
same flight same airplane same seat everything same
May 20, 2019, 8:06 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Btw, if you book via TK, you would still have 2 checked bags + 1 carry-on + 1 personal item in Economy Class.
May 20, 2019, 11:22 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
Also, see below for TK 1 bag allowance
If you buy with money then it gives you 2 bag allowance
May 21, 2019, 12:13 am
#20
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 310
May 21, 2019, 1:03 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,040
Luggage policy guidance is almost always a glitch. It doesn't matter where or how you book the ticket (miles, cash, codeshare, OTA, etc.), because the operating carrier's policy will apply on the day.
May 21, 2019, 4:45 am
#22
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,338
Lets be clear. Booking that flight with UA miles through the UA website = 30k miles/$8....and booking through the TK website with TK miles = 45k/$150? Is that correct? Why the difference? Its simple really...Because they are different FF programs..... Why do you think UA miles and TK miles are worth the same and charged the same?
May 21, 2019, 4:46 am
#23
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
You can ignore what ever United tells you about luggage if United is not the operating carrier. United luggage calculator displays everything as if it was a United flight, which clearly it is not.
May 21, 2019, 7:23 am
#25
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 310
May 21, 2019, 7:31 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
United availability depends on the saver award availability on Miles&Smiles. If there is Economy saver availability, you could still book that ticket for 30.000 miles one way on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
May 21, 2019, 10:47 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 310
Award availability is similar to revenue fare pricing. You can find ~$600 round trip flights from Istanbul to the US. However, when prices are higher, they are simply higher. We may either travel on the higher price date by paying more, or we can try to find another date with the lower price. Now, it is very similar with award tickets. You can find 30k miles tickets for some days. But for others, you cannot. When you cannot, you can either pay the higher miles (45k) or you can wait for another day. Alternatively, you can waitlist yourself for a 30k award ticket.
May 21, 2019, 11:44 am
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PVG, FRA, SEA, HEL
Programs: UA Premier Gold
Posts: 4,783
Also, United is one of the rare carriers that doesn't surcharge for all of the taxes on award tickets. All European carriers charge for all of the taxes when purchasing an award ticket.
Could you please provide me one specific example where UA has to pay a tax to a government body, but is intentionally not collecting it from its passengers?
My experience is that UA is collecting all the taxes - as do the European carriers.
May 21, 2019, 12:01 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
The OP's case is an example. Airport surcharge for IST is €20 per visit ( including transfer passengers ). Obviously, all the taxes would be more than $6 in this case.
May 21, 2019, 12:04 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
The OP confuses "taxes" with "junk fees" (also known as fuel surcharges). United collects all the taxes but none of the "junk fees". Most European carriers have those "junk fees" built into the award redemption (but not all). Therefore you will see the real cost of the taxes on United redemption, but the same redemption on LH for example will cost hundreds more in "junk fee". Interestingly enough TK charge "junk fees" on its own metal, but if the airline of redemption does not charge them, they will not charge them either.