schedule change star alliance award flight messup
Nov 5, 2020, 11:14 am
#17
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
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OP, just wondering how many people are you traveling with, what are your intended dates and are you traveling in Economy or Domestic First? I could check availability for you if you want so we could clarify your situation.
Without award availability, you would be going nowhere with TK in the short term as the back office in IST is the only way to perform a change without award availability as they are the only ones that could ask UA to open award space.
Plus, calling without a plan and just wait for the hotline agents to solve the issue is not a good idea.
TK uses third-party contracted call center management companies and the employees you are speaking to are not TK employees unless you've connected to someone in the IST headquarters. They have limited power and they could only cancel your ticket without penalty and refund the taxes/miles or they could rebook you on a flight with award availability.
Edit: The OP has stated that he is traveling in Economy in post #6
Without award availability, you would be going nowhere with TK in the short term as the back office in IST is the only way to perform a change without award availability as they are the only ones that could ask UA to open award space.
Plus, calling without a plan and just wait for the hotline agents to solve the issue is not a good idea.
TK uses third-party contracted call center management companies and the employees you are speaking to are not TK employees unless you've connected to someone in the IST headquarters. They have limited power and they could only cancel your ticket without penalty and refund the taxes/miles or they could rebook you on a flight with award availability.
Edit: The OP has stated that he is traveling in Economy in post #6
Last edited by ISTFlyer; Nov 5, 2020 at 12:01 pm Reason: Stated
Nov 5, 2020, 11:29 am
#18
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In addition to my previous post;
- If you don't want to share your travel dates in a public space, you are welcome to PM me.
Note: I am posting this as a seperate post as it might be useful for the OP to get an e-mail notification.
- If you don't want to share your travel dates in a public space, you are welcome to PM me.
Note: I am posting this as a seperate post as it might be useful for the OP to get an e-mail notification.
Nov 5, 2020, 4:15 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 27
dates are 11/21-11/28. I thought I had made progress. I now have the dates and flights showing up in the reservation but still hasn't been reissued. I had spoken with United today who said they would open award space for me on Turkish inventory but then Turkish was unwilling to do anything at that point. I even got United to be on a 3 way call but no help. Things make more sense now that you say they don't work for the airline. supposedly on United Airlines end their notes saying they opened availability. They suggested I email the ticket offices but even if their was availability I doubt there will be it now.
Nov 5, 2020, 11:08 pm
#20
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If UA opens award space for TK as they told you, TK would be able to rebook you on those flights that UA opened X inventory for you.
I can't see any X fare availability on RDU-OGG from 17 November until 4 December and on OGG-RDU from 19 November until 3 December. I assume that these award spaces are auto-blocked because of the high-season Thanksgiving period.
Your only hope at the moment looks like the TK back-office in Istanbul receiving your complaint and receiving a notification from UA that award space is opened for you.
By the way, if they write something generic to your feedback form request, write another one as a reply to the same one.
I am not sure if ticketing offices could handle award availability issues but I know that they could do award rebookings, cancellations, etc...
It might be worth trying to contact one of them or if possible, visiting them in person.
I can't see any X fare availability on RDU-OGG from 17 November until 4 December and on OGG-RDU from 19 November until 3 December. I assume that these award spaces are auto-blocked because of the high-season Thanksgiving period.
Your only hope at the moment looks like the TK back-office in Istanbul receiving your complaint and receiving a notification from UA that award space is opened for you.
By the way, if they write something generic to your feedback form request, write another one as a reply to the same one.
I am not sure if ticketing offices could handle award availability issues but I know that they could do award rebookings, cancellations, etc...
It might be worth trying to contact one of them or if possible, visiting them in person.
Nov 16, 2020, 1:42 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 27
no luck, tried going to the ticketing office in LA but there was a message on the door saying closed due to covid. Also got generic feedback response that had nothing to do with what I asked. The ticket asked for them to contact united via their liason to reissue the ticket. It is crazy the message said something about there being misunderstanding from time to time in phone interviews and that they are reviewing our communication processes. thanks for my understanding and they would be happy to accompany you in your future travels.
What an awful experience this has been.
What an awful experience this has been.
Nov 16, 2020, 4:30 pm
#22
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Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
As ISTFlyer recommended, reply to the non-responsive message repeating your specific request,noting the new flights and noting that UA has opened the space and opened it.
And while UA has absolutely no obligation or particular reason to do this for you, call UA back and ask whether it might reach out through its *A liaison to TK and ask TK to reticket. Expect a "no" to your request, but you may hit just the right supervisor who makes the try. If UA reaches out, it will reach a real empowered TK liaison agent and this might work.
And while UA has absolutely no obligation or particular reason to do this for you, call UA back and ask whether it might reach out through its *A liaison to TK and ask TK to reticket. Expect a "no" to your request, but you may hit just the right supervisor who makes the try. If UA reaches out, it will reach a real empowered TK liaison agent and this might work.
Last edited by Often1; Nov 16, 2020 at 4:48 pm
Nov 17, 2020, 2:18 am
#23
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I believe this *A liaison that is being mentioned in various threads from time to time is more a theory than reality - sadly. I have yet to hear any positive feedback that they actually exist and are able to solve issues like this. Why should UA lift a finger to solve a TK M&S issue - and why should M&S bend over backwards to put the OP on a flight when there is no X/I class availability? Sorry, but this is chasing a wild goose...
Nov 17, 2020, 2:39 am
#24
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Plus, I am not sure if Turkish would be helpful in solving the issue within the next 4 days as the OP was scheduled to travel on Saturday.
Although the OP has tried every method possible to solve the issue; in one of my previous posts, 2 weeks ago, I have warned OP to have a back-up plan, just in case, as most likely he would need to purchase last-minute revenue tickets for his entire party to make the trip. He would get a refund of miles and taxes for his original award ticket but he might have many unprecedented costs not directly related to TK.
By the way, the LA city office seems open according to the TK website so the TK website is giving misleading information about that specific office.
My suggestion for the OP would be to find a flight with 'X' or 'I' fare availability and to be asked to rebooked on an available flight bookable with TK miles if the travel is a must.
As the OP is scheduled to fly within the next 2-3 weeks, I would not suggest him to wait for TK to contact UA or vice-versa. It might be too late when TK tells him that there is no award inventory so his only options are a mileage refund and his only option to travel would be a last-minute revenue ticket.
As the OP is scheduled to fly within the next 2-3 weeks, I would not suggest him to wait for TK to contact UA or vice-versa. It might be too late when TK tells him that there is no award inventory so his only options are a mileage refund and his only option to travel would be a last-minute revenue ticket.
By the way, the LA city office seems open according to the TK website so the TK website is giving misleading information about that specific office.
Nov 18, 2020, 10:17 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 27
thanks, for all the advice. It finally got resolved by my brother going into the LAX airport to the turkish counter. A really nice woman spent 30 minutes resolving the issue. She was having issues seeing that seat availability but luckly as a backup I had been on the phone talking to a UA supervisor and was able to then have a 3 way call to get everything resolved. Not sure what should really happen in this situation but UA and Turkish were going back and forth telling each other who was supposed to reissue the ticket. Turkish said UA and UA said Turkish. Turkish said since it was a scheduling change on UA's part it was the others responsibility. Turns out I had the seats reserved on United's end for almost two weeks but for some reason Turkish couldn't see it was confirmed. So everything turned out ok but I can say with almost 100% certainty that would have not been the result if we didn't find an employee to talk in person and if not for some of the advice given.
Nov 18, 2020, 11:09 pm
#26
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thanks, for all the advice. It finally got resolved by my brother going into the LAX airport to the turkish counter. A really nice woman spent 30 minutes resolving the issue. She was having issues seeing that seat availability but luckly as a backup I had been on the phone talking to a UA supervisor and was able to then have a 3 way call to get everything resolved. Not sure what should really happen in this situation but UA and Turkish were going back and forth telling each other who was supposed to reissue the ticket. Turkish said UA and UA said Turkish. Turkish said since it was a scheduling change on UA's part it was the others responsibility. Turns out I had the seats reserved on United's end for almost two weeks but for some reason Turkish couldn't see it was confirmed. So everything turned out ok but I can say with almost 100% certainty that would have not been the result if we didn't find an employee to talk in person and if not for some of the advice given.
I hope that you enjoy your trip to Hawaii