Turkish Airlines nightmare – schedule change

slopemaster

I’d be enormously grateful if anyone can help with this.

A few days ago I got notification of the THIRD schedule change, and since then I’ve been totally unable to contact Turkish Airlines.
(They seem to make it deliberately difficult - I've also been trying to ontact them for a week about a lost bag)
All their emails are sent from noreply addresses.


Anyway, the main problem with the schedule change is, it is impossible. It has us arriving in Istanbul at 20.30 on 20/11

and leaving at 08.30 THE SAME DAY!



This is our return flight LAX to Marseille via Istanbul.
So, having already flown the outward leg, would we be entitled to a full refund so I could buy a ticket elsewhere? (Or only half, which would be nowhere near enough to get a new ticket?)
And, what if Turkish Airlines just refuse to refund?
The schedule change is more than 24 hr, and the Istanbul. Marseille leg has a new flight number. But of course not an EU airline so EU rules don’t apply.


Just to add - I only have ocasional internet access here, so please don't think I'm ignorant if I don't resond to any replies for a while.

Caz3121

slopemaster wrote: »

Anyway, the main problem with the schedule change is, it is impossible. It has us arriving in Istanbul at 20.30 on 20/11

and leaving at 08.30 THE SAME DAY!

This is our return flight LAX to Marseille via Istanbul.
So, having already flown the outward leg, would we be entitled to a full refund so I could buy a ticket elsewhere? (Or only half, which would be nowhere near enough to get a new ticket?)

what is the LAX-IST flight number you have been given? there only appears to be one TK flight from LAX-IST arriving on 20/11 which is TK10 arriving 17:55
The next IST-MRS flight after the arrival of that flight would be 22/11 at 14:25 so not a great connection
The best option (ones you can get through to them) would be to change the dates or request refund of unused part of ticket - you will not get a refund of the entire ticket price if you have already used the ticket to fly out to LAX. (this figure may not be exactly 50% but as you say will likely not cover a new one-way flight)
date options that work from a flights perspective around your original dates would be departing 18th arriving 20th or departing 21st arriving 23rd...both options have an overnight in IST
If you have yet to travel to LAX it may be worth investigating whether you can get a refund of the entire round trip ticket to start again with another airline

Turkish conditions of carriage are here http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/travel-information/legal-notice/general-conditions-of-carriage-passenger-and-baggage/schedules-cancellation-of-flight

Tyzap

slopemaster,

The background to all this. Turkish Airlines has announced major schedule cuts all over its network for the winter, it's due to the turmoil over there.

It's a massive reduction in their winter flying schedule which will result in much heavy metal sitting on the ground and flight crews twiddling their thumbs.

Many other passengers will also be affected by this.

slopemaster

Thanks for the replies, and sorry it's taken a week to get back.

In that time, Turkish Airlines have sent me no fewer than 18 emails advising me of schedule changes!
The upshot of which is, my IST-MRS flight has been changed so that it now leaves only 6 hours BEFORE I'm supposed to get in to IST, instead of 12 hours.
But there is now no flight given at all for the LAX-IST leg; it just says to call them. (But I can't.)
Their timetable still shows the original flight, TK10 arriving 20.30.
But I am now concerned they may be stopping the route altogether.

I checked the t and c (thanks for link) and, having already flown the outward half, would get only a miserable refund - the difference between a single and a return ticket, so potentially little or nothing.

But surely I can't be expected to potentially fly all over the place to get to IST, and then spend 2 days there waiting for a flight, when what I booked was a connecting flight?
Their t and c do seem to say they can do whatever they want, but there has to come a point where it is just not reasonable, surely?

First and last time I fly with them, that's for sure!
And it has put me off flying with any non-EU airline.
Back to BA and Lufthansa for me - last time I try to save a few bob that way!

Caz3121

slopemaster wrote: »

Their timetable still shows the original flight, TK10 arriving 20.30.

If you look to make a booking on the TK site you will see that TK10 arrives 20:30 up until end of October after which time it changes to a 17:55 arrival...timetable changes around this date are common across many airlines as they switch from summer to winter timetables
Have a check on the options on the TK website before you call them. As previously posted it looks like all the TK options include an overnight stay minimum.