Well. It seems like these days the only way to get big companies to listen to you if you have a problem that falls just slightly outside the normal workflows is to shout about it online.
So here goes.
Back in April (APRIL!) I flew business class with TAM Brazilian airlines from London to Sao Paulo. I figured there’d be a decent chunk of miles from a flight like that. So I had a look around and worked out that I’d be best off trying to accrue them with a European partner airline also in the Star Alliance.
I chose Turkish Airlines and applied for a card. On check in at Heathrow I provided my membership card and was told the points would be applied to my account.
On the return leg of the journey I checked in. And was assured by the check in attendant that the points for the return leg would also be added to my Turkish Airlines account – no need to produce the card, my membership number was logged on the system.
My first statement from the Turkish Airlines miles programme Miles&Smiles didn’t have the points for the return leg on it. But I assumed they’d show up on the next one.
They didn’t.
It took ages to work out how to contact them online. I was asked for my boarding card. Which I had binned weeks previously. So I contacted TAM who resent me the e-ticket for the flight. I then filled in a long online form with Turkish airlines and attached the e-ticket and…
…nothing.
I called them IN ANKARA! – and was told it takes 2 weeks for them to even receive communication via that method! Unreal. A few weeks later no response. I found an email for the London office. I was advised by them to resubmit my query so went all the way through the process again.
I tweeted, I emailed. I phoned.
Weeks later I got a message on email:
The flight you have claimed dated 19/04/2013 and flight numbered JJ8084 from GRU to LHR can not be credited into your Miles&Smiles account.
Err. Why?
And to make life more interesting on my next statement, the following entry:
19.07.2013 JJ8084 GRU-LHR 18.04.2013 Already credited to othe 0
Err. What?
Since then no one answers my emails. Each month I get my statement and it reminds me how utterly useless they are. It’s such a simple thing this. And it must happen loads. And of course I can’t help thinking they’re just trying to avoid crediting me with the miles.
Anyone got any suggestions or similar crap experience with customer service from Turkish Airlines Best Airline in Europe 2013* (yeah right)
6 thoughts on “Turkish airlines are you listening?”
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Turkish airlines. If you ARE listening. The reference number for my original query is: 8153633
Dear Jeremy Head,
According to Miles&Smiles program rules, codeshare flights that operated with other StarAlliance airlines are credited into membership accounts with the flight code of the operated airline. Thereby, the missing JJ flights will be credited into your account after the inquiry from the related airline. Besides, we kindly would like to remind you that some of the flight classes are not eligible for mileage accrual in Star Alliance flights, you can also get the additional information about in which flight classes will not earn miles in JJ airline via our web page http://www.thy.com/smiles.
Thank you for choosing Turkish Airlines on your flights.
Kind Regards,
Hello
Thanks for replying. I don't understand. I took these flights months ago. Full fare business class flights. I provided proof of them with the eticket from TAM. I raised a query with you as they had not been credited to my account months ago. I got the response above which suggests that they can't be credited for some reason. The flight is absolutely eligible. You're not answering my questions at all.
Jeremy
Well. What do you know. They just credited me with the miles. :-)
My general experience is that ALL Star Alliance airlines are tricky with miles crediting, either for their flights or ancillary activities like car hire, and to be avoided. Lufthansa is a particular offender, and to rub salt in the wound purges your miles after 18 months I think, irrespective of your activity with them. The only exception SEEMS to be Aegean in Greece, which doesn't (yet) do this.
And, on a lighter note, when I first began flying Turkish (THY) in the 1980s, my Turkish friends all joked that the Turkish acronym stood for They Hate You.
Hi Marc
I did magically get my points credited. I had to put in another call... but I'm fairly confident this blog post added a sense of urgency.
Cheers!
J