Turkish Airlines Reviews 

Turkish Airlines Customer Service nightmare: Solution needed!!

I have been flying with Turkish Airlines with my family for our last several trips. During my last trip, I noticed an extra charge of $339.50, which I disputed. Now, there is an even bigger unauthorized charge of $3,565.46 outside of my actual ticket purchase amount—along with two separate issues.

I've been trapped in a customer service "game. Their support loop feels explicitly designed to stall rather than solve:

The Call Center Trap: Agents are trained to say, "Give me your info, and I will have my manager call you." I have heard this at least 8 times now. I have never received a single callback.

The Feedback Form Trap: Support directs you to an online "feedback form," promising an efficient solution. Instead, they use an automated AI loop to “punish” the customer—asking for the same information over and over and running in circles. Even the AI is coded to stall rather than to resolve the problem.

How many more phone calls and feedback submissions will it take for a real human being to pick up the phone, look at the facts, and resolve this in a single call?

What is the business value of the customer frustration Turkish Airlines is creating? Why promise an "escalation" and "solution" if there is no internal accountability to follow up? Is the strategy simply to exhaust customers until they give up? (They created a very long "backup" for the credit card company very efficiently, though) Right now, I don't know how to navigate this puzzle.

🙏 Looking for a Resolution

My three ticket numbers are TK-14796518, TK-14796514, and TK-14802044. They are waiting for a real resolution. If anyone in my network works at Turkish Airlines, or if a member of the corporate escalation team under Ahmet Olmuştur Prof. Dr. Murat Şeker is reading this, I want to turn this into a success story.

If anyone has successfully bypassed these automated forms to get a real human resolution, please let me know in the comments.

#CustomerExperience #TurkishAirlines #BusinessStrategy #CustomerService #Airlines #Travel #BrandLoyalty

Staff at the gate blocked us upon our arrival at the gate, even though we arrived two minutes before the last boarding. They delayed us getting to the actual gate to scan our tickets, so by the time we got there, the staff denied us entry to the plane. Despite the aircraft still sitting there, they claimed the system had shut us out.

We demanded to see video footage, but they refused and told us we needed to get a lawyer. We were very clear about the timing, as we were checking our phones while going up the hallway.

The staff was horribly unhelpful. We went up the chain of command, but we were denied by supervisors who remained anonymous, leaving us with no way to file a complaint.

This situation forced our family of four to be trapped in Turkey with no way out except to pay another $3,000 to purchase new tickets. We were also forced to rebook our ground travel on the other side. There was no sympathy shown whatsoever.

If I could give zero star I would do it. Turkish airlines doesn't deserve one star. Rude behavior,delays non compensated, lack of information , non professional behavior added to Istanbul airport where the staff when found are very rude and talk only turkish. Very bad experience.to avoid at any cost.

Our flight was canceled by Turkish Airlines, so we called customer support to reschedule. The first agent we spoke with, from the call center in India, told us that we either had to pay the fare difference or accept a full refund. I explained that since the airline had canceled the flight, we should not be charged anything extra to be rebooked. However, she insisted that we had to pay $174 per person because it was some kind of fee or tax that could not be waived.

This seemed completely wrong, so I said I would check other options before deciding. The agent then warned me that tickets were becoming more expensive and that we would have to pay even more if we did not accept the fee immediately.

We later found cheaper flights with Turkish Airlines one day apart and booked those instead. When we called back to cancel the original tickets, another agent told us there would be a cancellation fee. I objected and said this was not acceptable since the flight had been canceled by the airline. When I asked to speak with a supervisor, the agent hung up on us. In the end, we were able to cancel the tickets through the app with no fee and received a full refund, which proves the information given by the agents was incorrect.

During the rebooking process through Booking.com, I accidentally entered one wrong digit in a birth date. We called Turkish Airlines again to correct it. Another agent told us the ticket had not yet been issued because there was a fare difference, and in order to confirm the ticket and make the correction, we would need to pay another small amount, around $45. Since Booking.com offered a 24-hour cancellation option, we canceled and rebooked the ticket instead.

My overall impression is that Turkish Airlines customer support agents are deliberately trying to extract extra fees by giving misleading information. Turkish Airlines used to feel like a much better company — I still remember when they served freshly squeezed orange juice in economy class.

3rd class service never again travelling in Turkish airways or through turkey itself just low class

Today I came with my family a total of 4 on Turkish airlines economy, and the trip was from Riyadh to Beirut, with a layoff of one hour at Istanbul airport, I left Riyadh at 1:45 am, arrived to Istanbul at around 4:45 am and an employee was waiting for us outuside the plane to guide us through security check to the next plane, they made me at security check remove the laptop, the iPads, the phones, and 2 playstations, which delayed me, and put me and my kids under intense pressure, this done despite being checked on the first Turkish airline plane, in Riyadh, then I had to run with my kids and wife like an idiot to find the next plane, after the guide left with the other passengers, and left me waiting for security check, all of this was tolerated and passed.

However upon arrivak to Beirut at around 9 am, I received a WhatsApp message on my number noting that all my luggage a total of 10 bags, 8 large and 2 carry on (they told me at check in that they will ship for free in plane cargo because plane is full) with very important items, were not transfered for technical reason to the next plane, and I have to go to lost luggage department to file a complaint, I went to lost luggage department at Beirut Airport, and they acted rudely,they were allowing certain people who are known to them to pass and ignoring others, I told them I have a family and live very long distance and already booked a drive and paid him 200 dollars because of the bags, one of the individuals there told me if u have an issue go back to Turkey and get your bags. They noted that this is considered the normal and the reason is that I came on a short waiting connection of one hours, they even said that I should know this and I am responsible.
Although I was told initially when I asked the Turkish airline upon booking that baggage will arrive with me.
Now I had to go a 2 hours drive away and sit without my items and everything, waiting for a message from them the next day as they promised to get my items.

And then pay another driver 400 dollars to go to airport and get the bags back.

If they arrive.

I tried to call Turkish airlines multiple times but now reply.

It was the worst travel experience in my life for me and my family.

They seem to be only paying influencers to have the impression that their service is good. Indeed it is the airline with the most destinations but the service is declining each year. Food is getting mediocre, flights are delayed without an explanation. Movies are censored. Such a shame.

We are extremely disappointed with our experience with Turkish Airlines.

Our flight from Copenhagen to Istanbul was delayed, even though everyone had boarded on time. Both flights were booked on the same reservation, so Turkish Airlines was fully aware of our connecting flight to the Maldives.

As soon as we landed, we ran directly to the departure gate and arrived at 20:10. The flight was scheduled to depart at 20:20, but we were told we could not board because the gate had closed 20 minutes before departure. What made this even more frustrating was that, about an hour before landing, I had spoken with a flight attendant who assured me that we would most likely make the connection despite the delay. Unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case.

The most frustrating part is that we missed our connection because of Turkish Airlines' own delay. Despite this, we were rebooked onto a flight almost 30 hours later- 29 hours and 50 minutes, to be exact. Since there are so few flights to our destination, this made the situation even more frustrating. Knowing we were on our way to the gate, while we could actually see our aircraft still standing there, made the experience even harder to accept.

We appreciate that Turkish Airlines provided us with a hotel and meal vouchers, but that does not change the fact that we lost almost a day and a half of our holiday. Losing such a significant part of our vacation because of an airline-caused delay is extremely disappointing.

We expected Turkish Airlines to make a much greater effort to get us to our destination as quickly as possible. Instead, we were left waiting for nearly 30 hours, which is simply not the level of service we expected from an international airline.

Terrible airline. Absolutely avoid if you can.
I had a flight from Zurich to Yerevan with a connection in Istanbul. The first leg was Economy, the second Business Class. The first flight was delayed by about 1.5 hours, leaving us with only around an hour before the connecting flight. In a normal airport that might be enough. In Istanbul, it's not.
After landing, our aircraft spent another 15 minutes taxiing to a remote stand. Then we had to wait another 10 minutes just for the shuttle bus to arrive, and once it finally did, the ride to the terminal took another 10–12 minutes. After that came another security check for international transfers (seriously?). There was only one line, the staff moved incredibly slowly, and nobody cared that people were trying to make tight connections. Telling them you're about to miss your flight is completely pointless—they simply don't care.
The airline didn't have anyone waiting for delayed connecting passengers. No assistance, no escort, nothing. I ran across the entire airport only to find my gate already closed. The airline employee told me it had been closed 20 minutes earlier, even though I had seen "Last Call" on the departure board just five minutes before reaching the gate. To make matters worse, the staff spoke to me as if I had done something wrong. Rude, dismissive, and completely uninterested in helping.
They sent me to the Care Point, saying, "You won't have to pay for anything." At the Care Point, the only thing they asked was, "Did they tell you what time your next flight is?" Then they silently handed me a new boarding pass and, as I later realized, kept my old one with the baggage tag attached.
They simply don't give a damn about your plans, your time, or their passengers. They don't care that you'll spend the entire night traveling without sleep. They don't care that you have work the next morning. They don't care that you deliberately chose this itinerary to avoid flying overnight and carefully planned your connection.
The only person who apologized for the delay was the captain of the first flight. Not a single ground employee or airline representative showed any empathy or took responsibility.
At this point, I'm just hoping they don't lose my luggage or damage it.
An absolutely awful airline experience. Expensive tickets, terrible customer service, zero accountability, and complete indifference toward passengers. I will avoid flying with this airline again whenever possible.

Unfortunately on a recent holiday to Vietnam, Cambodia we had our flights with Etihad Airlines from Dublin thru Abu Dhabi to Hanoi, back from Bangkok to Dublin, thanks to Trump's war, changed to Turkish Airlines from Dublin through Istanbul. HUGE mistake! At Dublin airport we asked the Flight Operative at Turkish Flight Desk to upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy or whatever they call it - it was awful - We paid extra and there was absolutely NO difference to all the seats beside and around us - no extra legroom, no additional comfort.
Then, we were returning from Bangkok on the 8th May, home 9th May, thru Istanbul to Dublin. I, again, tried to book an upgrade to extra legroom in Istanbul, Aisle seats or Exit seats. All requests were refused as "the flight was full"!? He ending up booking my wife and me into 2 window seats one behind the other!!!
We got on the flight and into our appointed seats . There were empty seats everywhere! The front row at the bulkhead - 3 seats were completely empty! The Exit seats only 3 rows behinds had one person in each row of three.
We will do our very level best to NOT fly with this airline again.

Had a flight delayed to the next day and had to spend a night in Istanbul. Wouldn't have minded because they paid for our accomodation but had to make our own way there as they didnt provide transport or money for one

I would never fly with this company again. Terrible customer service and steal your money.

⭐☆☆☆☆
I am extremely disappointed with my experience with Turkish Airlines regarding seat upgrades and customer service.
Before my flight to Turkey, I paid $180 for two upgraded seats because I believed the upgrade would provide additional space or legroom. Upon boarding, I discovered that the seats were not larger and offered no meaningful increase in comfort compared to standard seats.
My husband and I are both tall, and we genuinely do not fit comfortably in standard airline seats. As a result, we endured a 12-hour flight in significant discomfort, despite paying extra for what was presented as an upgraded seating option.
Before our return flight from Turkey to Miami, I contacted Turkish Airlines specifically seeking assistance in finding seats that would actually accommodate our height. I was informed that seats with additional space were available, and I paid another $180 for two seats.
What was most frustrating was that Turkish Airlines refused to refund the $180 I paid for the original upgrade, even though those seats provided none of the benefits I reasonably expected when purchasing them.
In total, I paid $180 on the flight to Turkey and $180 on the flight from Turkey to Miami, for a total of $360 in seat upgrade charges.
The issue is not just the money—it's the misleading nature of the upgrade and the complete lack of empathy from customer service when I tried to resolve the situation. I repeatedly explained our circumstances and the discomfort we experienced, but there was no willingness to find a fair solution.
I expected better from an international airline with Turkish Airlines' reputation. Travelers should be aware that paying extra for certain seat upgrades does not necessarily mean additional space or legroom. My experience left me feeling misled, overcharged, and ignored.

Can't give 0 stars or I would. Never have I flown in such cramped conditions. I swear it should be illegal. I paid for these seats in the understanding I could put my seat back without disturbing anyone behind me, I can't move my seat at all. I looked into Turkish airlines but for the plane we were flying but at the airport I find out they had changed planes. Nothing I could do about it at this late stage. I didnt have claustrophobia but I do now, the seat in front is about 9 inches from my face, I just hope their seat can't go back either or I will be standing got the rest of the 4 hour fight.

Miles statement: they made an error more than 3 years ago and now they have removed those miles from my account. I was counting on those miles to issue an award ticket for my coming holidays. Ok, you made a mistake, you can solve it in the near future. Maybe one year later... But 3 years and 3 months later you discount my miles because you are incompetent!?!? It's not my fault, it's your fault. It's not my responsibility to know how the miles are credited to know that you made a mistake. However, if for more than 3 years I have a specific number of miles, I count on them. I could have issued a ticket with all my miles last year and what would have you done today? Put my account in negative, - miles because you erred??? Unbelievable. If you err, it's not my fault. You solve the situation asap, but not after 3 years and 3 months when I'm counting on those miles. The worst thing is the complete lack of customer service. The reply random feedback that you have to open online each time, no continuous communication with one agent who can understand your case, nobody tries to help because they don't care. They make the mistake but I'm the prejudiced one now. Awful

We booked Turkish Airlines for a special trip. All was going well till they cancelled one leg of our trip AMM-IST 2 months out (not linked to war in middle east). Even though there were multiple other Turkish Airlines flights between the two cities they could not put us on any of those flights. Their system cancelled the entire flight AMM-IST-BKK-BNE. They were unable to put us on any flight as the flight BKK-BNE was code share with Jetstar and they can only use Jetstar. Multiple requests to be able to go on a different flight all were rejected. Leaving us with no flight available. You also can not escalate your call and speak to anyone higher than the call centre operator that answers the phone. Their system also does not log the calls against your account so every time you speak to someone they have no knowledge of anything that has happened before and you have to start again. Then at the last minute we are scrambling to find new flights. When we try to cancel our tickets there is a system error and they can't process the cancellation or refund. I am not holding my breath that I will actually see my money again! Luckily everyone you speak to has platitudes 'I understand' etc. which is most helpful. I have travelled extensively with many different airlines and never experienced anything like it before. DO NOT USE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Will never consider using Turkish Airlines again.

Turkish Airlines is night mare they have holding my money for last 4 month where I should have received my refund in 10 to 15 days. But nothing yet and I have called them multiple times they have requested me to fill feedback form I did that twice but they are not willing to release my refund.

The worst customer service and experience with the staff.

10th follow up

No one has contacted me in 4 days, I have a case open and they first blamed me on me.

Don’t send me scripted responses, I need a supervisor to call me.

If not, we can play this game for weeks until your mistake is resolved.

I am formally requesting the chat transcripts and phone recording logs showing my identity verification and the alleged cancellation request associated with my booking. Specifically, I need the phone call recordings or chat transcripts where my identity was verified and where a cancellation was requested. If you cannot produce records showing I initiated cancellation and that my personal information was verified before canceling, I expect immediate reinstatement of my flight at the original fare and conditions.

Feedback Form: TK-14743696 Ticket Number: TWV48B

Horrible customer service. Personal are very rude. Never ever again I'm going to use thy. Shame on you Turk hava yollari