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)