ISTFlyer

I also disagree with YVRELITE in this occasion.

First, mileage awards are bought upon miles collected through the airline itself and their partners. If you think that purchasing a ticket is abusing the system, why do many airlines have these frequent flyer programs, they could have simply shut up these programs and just sell tickets? Passengers have the right to collect miles and spend miles whenever they want if they follow the program T&C's.

For the part supporting the airline, what have airlines have done to support the customers' pocket? Did they lower the ticket prices when many people lost their jobs during COVID-19? I really find it awkward to find that customers should support the airline.

If we return to the subject ( catering & cost-cutting ), British Airways have significantly lowered their Club Europe and Club World prices after COVID when they offer an inferior product compared to the past. Instead of some region-targeted mileage offers, I haven't seen TK lowering Business Class fares ( both in cash and award tickets ) at all to compensate for the service decrease.

And, yes, unless it's cheaper to fly TK, or I have time constraints ( need to fly direct for a meeting/event, etc... ); I am not supporting TK with my money at this point. When they return back to normal service or even a close-to-normal service, I may reconsider flying them.

IAN-UK

I think maybe you don't understand how it works.

• Miles are the payment medium accepted by the airline: they have a cash value within the airline accounting system.

• The number of seats available, and the routes they are available on, are tightly controlled by the airline. Generally, seats released in this way are seats the airline does not expect to sell. And any revenue for the ephemeral life of an empty seat is better than no revenue at all.

It's generous of you to rescue airline from its stupidity by paying cash when you would, and could, have otherwise paid in miles.

But if you don't have the miles, I can't help wondering if your attitude is born of sour grapes rather that misguided altruism.

starflyergold

Let's remember loyalty programmes are cash generating for airlines. That's why you see some of them leveraging their programmes at the moment.

ronjames

Does anyone have a crystal ball that they can pull out to see if Turkish will reintroduce business class catering by Christmas time?

This will be my first ever business class flight, and I would like the full experience (as much as possible under COVID). As such, I was hoping to do the YYZ-IST flight, but I might have to settle for YYZ-WAW or YUL-ZRH...

ISTFlyer

​​​Hi ronjames , and welcome to FlyerTalk!

Unfortunately, there is no solid evidence about when TK would restore their catering level back.
Currently, we have no date for when catering would be restored back.

There are rumors going around but still, that's not enough evidence about when catering would return.

azj

Recently returned from IST. I can confirm 2 meal boxes, Denon head phones, amenity kits, slippers and bedding were available. Strangely they hand out drink menus, which is basically 4 wines, beer, soft drinks, juice and water. No hot drinks at all. I went into this with my expectations in check, but was still a bit disappointed in that there was no snacks mid flight, drinks etc. They did their service and disappeared. There was no proactivity. Trash, cups, bottles remained long after they were emptied. Perhaps this was for reduced interaction. In the end, I got nonstop service a decent seat and I didn't starve. I did miss the hot food as well as hot drinks. I'd still book TK for my next trip to IST, if it works out.

ericoguedes

It is really shameful how TK has acted in this situation. In addition, the complete lack of care regarding its catering was not enough, it has placed itself on social networks as the great protector of the health of its employees and passengers. What a lie! If this nonsense is true, would LH, LX, EK, QR and so many others be irresponsible just because they managed to maintain the minimum quality of their catering, even in the middle of a pandemic? We, customers, cannot accept this absurd without saying anything. It is not enough to express our indignation as in forums like this. It is necessary to charge TK's social networks for a change in behavior. And if that does not solve it, take it to the Justice of our countries, so that it pays the due compensation for receiving in the business a service inferior to the economy itself many times.

YVRELITE

i understand the reward program but I fail to see how its useful. 95% of people flying use Google to select cheapest flights, there is a calendar there you plug your dates and off you go. Often it's a mix of airlines its never just one single airline.

Don't you understand these reward programs are a facade they actually serve 5% of people or less. People like me fly based on cheapest available fare not a single airline or loyalty program in my eyes they are useless. I can't be bothered to keep track of points or find ways to earn them and j don't believe others can as well.

In my eyes the people flying on points are exploiters who found a way to cheat the system or broke students or bloggers who abuse credit cards and steal points basically from airlines. These churners are the enemy of airlines I simply do not and can not stand seeing reward ticket people in business class when I pay full dollar for my seats I can't stand it I am sorry.

airoli

YVRELITE, you are of course entitled to your opinion and to feel the way you do. As IAN-UK has eloquently put it, this is not how airlines, frequent flyers and banks (which recently issued massive lines of credit based on the business model) see the concept of a loyalty program.
Given that this is Flyertalk, a community of frequent flyers talking about miles and points, I think you'll find it hard to win the argument here.

It's a bit like a vegetarian trying to change peoples' minds on a BBQ lover board - probably not worth the effort.

IAN-UK

Then maybe there are travel forums better suited to your needs.

The airline-related forums on FT are largely driven by interest in airline frequent-flyer programmes: the clue to this is in the description "Miles&Points > Airline and Mileage Progams". This holds for the hotel forums, which focus on the loyalty programmes operated by hotel chains.

Railing against the activity of contributors may feel noble to you, like Jesus cleansing the temple: but it can't be good for your blood pressure.

DaveS

The vast majority of miles are paid for with cash - that is real money as part of the ticket price. Others are paid for as part of the card fee on our credit cards. We could equally choose cards that give cash back or other rewards. That is not cheating the system, but using it as intended. If you want to really support the airlines, then pay the full Y/J fare direct instead of searching Google for the cheapest one possible. And note, you most likely will not get miles on the cheap Google fares.

ISTFlyer

My solution for this is not to fly TK rather than complaining in a public space.

As I've seen people indirectly enjoying the health approach; for example: people paying 5 times more for Business Class compared to Economy Class just for a middle blocked seat and 15 kgs extra baggage allowance in a domestic flight ( one-way ); plus as TK's premium cabin products are currently close to full on long-haul products so I doubt this would change until the pandemic is over or TK loses a significant amount of customers. There are also people who value the seat and the sleeping comfort itself as the price difference on long-haul, so they are also currently making a profit on long-haul Business class routes.

Unfortunately, I disagree with you again.

There are many people in the world who benefit from these mileage programs and they're enjoying them.

Definitely it's not 5% or less benefiting from them, if you add point or mileage-based credit card programs to that that would be 70% or higher.
Also, those points/miles are attributed by the airline/bank/program partner to the customer in face of their purchase with them. It's not people stealing those from them, and if those people getting cheap deals, extra miles, etc... are following the program T&C's which is determined by the program runner ( airline, bank, etc... ).

As someone flying 75k+ miles per year, if I didn't have a loyalty program including status in two alliances, I would have lost a minimum of $5000 per year which means 6 transatlantic trips for me which is HUGE MONEY for some of us.

I save this money from extra baggage fees, lounge access ( not purchasing food at the airport ), getting extra-legroom seats for free, and not paying airfare on award tickets that is a return of my money that I spent with that airline.

If saving money, using miles in a cash-back method and benefitting from status advantages is abusing the system, you are welcome to not use one of these programs or you are welcome not to use an airline or a hotel chain that has a loyalty program.

kq747

As others have said, you won't find alot of people to agree with you on FT especially because at least in the US, airlines are constantly pushing credit cards down our throats and basically telling people they want us to earn miles and use them (which again comes from spending actual money). But I ask you this; as someone who mostly flies in economy paid for by myself, do you object if I save up my earned butt-in-seat miles to upgrade a flight? What about getting an Op-Up due to my status from flying with a specific airline?

Also, I am not sure what you mean by "steal points;" can you explain incidences where this has happened?

kq747

The justice? I am not sure what you expect what I assume is the police/courts to do. TK are pretty up front about what to expect onboard in terms of food and beverage, and you are perfectly free to not book TK and vote with your wallet! I recently made the choice to book QR over TK for this reason (also timings) and it was quite straightforward

TPJ

Which is why TK has no incentive to improve