Any tips for the usual mystery on how to get seat assignments on Turkish when you've booked your tickets via United (016) which includes Turkish segments?

Turkish says you have to call United to do it. United says you have to call Turkish. HUCA over and over with Turkish but no luck.

We are 4 people on 3 different reservations, so we won't automatically be seated together on check in day.

I have had this problem on Star Alliance carriers forever, completely futile on getting seats when booked via United. Being *G doesn't help at all. Since I often book the kids on miles tix and pay for my own, it's hard to get us sitting together... Any tips?

UA can not do although in *A they can submit a seat type (Aisle, window ,... ) in the reservation

In *A the operating carrier controls the seat assignment.

Have you gone with the TK PNR to the TK website and tried to select seats?

For some carriers, their social media agents are more helpful

Not exactly the same, but I had TK tickets booked on AC stock and that didn't work for me. I had to call, but had no problem with that.

Your UA reservation should reference a TK PNR. Using that, you should be able to pull up your reservation on TK's website app and assign yourself seats. For the reservation that has more than one person, you'll need the UA ticket number for each passenger as well (might also need it for the single passenger PNRs... not sure). It's worked for me but can be frustrating as it might not work the first time you try. In fact, I'm holding a TK flight next year where I was able to grab seats for my wife and I in J via their website app.

Their website tends to give errors when you try to pull up your booking.

But app works great. On the menu if you scroll down under additional services it says seat selection. Dont try manage my booking because it gives an error.

But fyi they charge money for all economy seat selections now.

Well that's clearly wrong!

this has always been a problem with TK call back and get another agent.

Well the TK website doesn't let you pick (you can't even click on anything), no luck using the app but get "paid seat selection is not available for this flight" for the TK flights. Someone has suggested hitting them on Twitter which I'm attempting to do.

Those in the TK forum are saying "Turkish is great in the air and terrible on the ground", I definitely agree!

PS One Turkish agent tried to convince me that she couldn't assign seats because they have changed the flight, and United will instead fly FRA-IST instead of the Turkish plane that was originally scheduled to do it. Does she not know how much we know about how things work???!!!

TK has joined the number of companies that seem to have decided to work around their website issues by developing an app instead. The TK website is currently hopeless, but the app let me select seats quickly and without issue - and they immediately showed up in my UA reservation.

Yikes - not happy they've joined the rest of the EU carriers in charging for all seats. Yes, their website was traditionally pretty useless. Definitely got a fancy new site since the last time I flew them several years ago, but apparently that's just an interface update, and didn't update the tech on the backend. Unfortunate.

TK call center, IME, is absolutely horrible. I've never had an interaction with them that I could clearly understand (I realize that sometimes the accents are hard for me to understand - but I know its been beyond that also). Anytime you can deal with these issues on a website/app (even with UA), IME, that's the best way to do it.

Yes, that's been the saying. Depends what part of the ground. Lounges (on the ground) are great. Also had a great experience with them in IST personally escorting about a dozen of us over from our 4 hour late flight from YYZ to get us all on the BOM flight they held for us (It was something like 30 minutes after scheduled departure). Walked us all the way through transit, security etc. (a walk the theoretically would have been unnecessary without the transit protocols they have - our flight docked at gate right next to departure gate, but because you had to go to central transit area, then walk back, it added like 20 minutes). I'll be honest - wouldn't have been completely disappointed to spend 24 hours exploring IST (this was in the days before I would have been worried about safely visiting) - but equally glad they got us on board (luggage didn't arrive until the next day - that part after landing was not fun). Call center part of the ground is definitely in the 'terrible' league.

This. The TK IPhone app is the only way I've been able to have a relatively pain free experience when trying to get a seat assigned.

Wish I'd read this thread before two overly long chat session with UA and a Twitter exchange and phone call with TK. Same scenario: two TK flights on a multiple-carrier reservation booked with UA miles. UA could only provide 016 ticket numbers but TK website requires 235 numbers to make seat reservations, and TK phone agent told me I'd have to wait until check-in for seat assignments (for BC). Was about to call again but then saw this thread, downloaded the TK app, and made the seat reservations just like that. Thanks, fbcooper and milepig!

Hi there! Were you not prompted to enter turkish ticket numbers after using the PNR to find the flights in the app? And was this for one traveller or multiple? I'm trying to figure out how to do the same, but its asking me for surnames and ticket numbers for the passengers... wondering if its because multiple passengers are on the same PNR?

That's strange. I happened to be in the TK app last night and tried to manage my booking. But now it is asking for (and doesn't accept) my ticket number, so I can't do anything. Our PNR has two passengers. I'm wondering if they changed the app in the last few weeks. I don't remember exactly what it looked like last month. Let us know if you find out anything.

Join the chorus of people not being able to select their seats on TK flights bought through UA.

Was not able to resolve it either.