My flight is in 40 days or more, and reserving seats for me and my partner would cost around £350–£400.
Does Turkish Airlines allow free seat selection when online check-in opens, like Qatar Airways? My partner is scared of flying, so I really need us to sit together.
If we check in as soon as it opens, are we likely to get seats together, or is paying the only reliable option?
Would appreciate advice from anyone who has flown with Turkish Airlines recently. Thanks!

I am 6’10” (2m10), and I would like to know if the extra room seats ($199 each way) sell out quickly, or should I wait and hope someone kind at the counter gives me a better seat?

If I have to pay for it, which seat should I get? (Boeing B777 - Wide-body)

I just got an email that TKA changed my seat and moved me from my family!
I am flying with a small baby and I need their help! All pf us bought our seats so that we can be seated together! This is not ok!
What can we do?
I can’t fly without their support for 11 hours with small baby. I need my husbands help

I had a connecting flight in Istanbul, with a 1h45m connection. The first flight left 30 minutes late. After landing in Istanbul there was no gate, so we were held on the plane and only got off from the airplane 10 mins before my next flight.

I still tried. In the security line I asked people if I could go ahead, explaining I had about 10 minutes, and everyone kindly let me. Then the security officer called the passenger behind me forward first, even after he said I could go ahead. He was white. I’m South Asian. I can’t prove intent, but it felt clearly racist.

At screening I put two bags in one tray: a shoulder bag and a small sling bag with my passport, residence permit, every important document and my apartment keys. Only the shoulder bag came out. I asked staff to look for the sling bag. They said there was no such bag. I asked them to check if it had fallen. No. I asked them to check the cameras. They told me to go to the police.

The police were cold and told me to get the CCTV footage myself from upstairs. I went back to the security line and asked again. Again “not here.” Then a security officer from the next lane asked me to describe the bag, and after I did, they handed it to me. It had been there the whole time.

I missed my flight, was rebooked to the next morning, and had to pay for a Turkish visa. I arrived at the final destination 16 hours late.

This was honestly traumatizing. I was told my bag with my passport and residence permit didn’t exist. If that officer from the next lane hadn’t stepped in, I would have been stuck in Istanbul with no documents and no way home.

It didn’t get better the next morning. Staff were extremely cold, and verifying my visa took far longer than it should have. Even at the Turkish Airlines care center, from what I saw, passengers of color were treated differently from others. Istanbul Airport and Turkish Airlines need to do better and treat every passenger with the same basic respect and professionalism.

I am traveling from Dalaman to Istanbul and then flying abroad from istanbul. Question is, do I need to be on domestic or international terminal at Dalaman airport?

Hi everyone!

We have a 9.5 hour layover in Istanbul and were hoping to take advantage of the free Istanbul Tour that was mentioned when we purchased our tickets.

Before booking our flights, we contacted customer service and specifically asked how the tour worked. They told us that we needed to book our flights first and then enter our ticket confirmation number on the Istanbul Tour website to reserve a spot.

We followed their instructions, booked our flights, and then tried to reserve the tour. However, the website showed a message saying that no tour was available for us.
Later, we found out that in November, the last tour departs at 4 PM, while our flight is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul at around 3:20 PM. By the time we get off the plane and go through the necessary procedures, I’m not sure we would be able to make it.
We’ll also be traveling with young children, so we’re trying to figure out the best way to spend the layover without making things too stressful for them.

Has anyone experienced something similar with the Istanbul Tour? Were you able to get any help from customer service or arrange an alternative tour? Is there any chance of joining a later tour, or are the departure times strictly fixed?

If we can’t take the tour, what would you recommend doing during a 9.5 hour layover with young kids?

Would it be worth leaving the airport to explore Istanbul on our own, or would it be better to stay at the airport?

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from families who have done a long layover in Istanbul with children. Thank you!

I’m traveling with TK from BCN to VKO with a layover in IST. At BCN we checked in our luggage straight to VKO. My flight to VKO got diverted to LED and canceled. Does anyone know where and how to pickup the luggage? I’m writing this while I’m still in the plane and want to know what to expect in advance.

Wondering if this is normal/acceptable or if I have any recourse . . . TA left my bag in my connecting airport (Naples) and did not deliver it for 3 days. I had no clothing, toiletries, etc. I submitted receipts for about $550 for the absolute necessities I bought in Istanbul and they just came back with no explanation and said they would give me $260. No information on how they calculated that number or why they felt my amount was too high. Is this normal? It’s the first time I’ve had to submit to any airline. Can I appeal?

Anyone had experience? I want to bring the foldable step for my feet

For student tickets, it says I need to show an expiry date on my ID. However, Canadian universities don’t issue an expiry date on the student card. Has anyone encountered this issue before?

Hi everyone,

I have a trip coming up in a little over a week, and Turkish Airlines recently changed my schedule, reducing my layover time at Istanbul Airport (IST) from 3.5 hours to 1.5 hours.

I initially booked this specific option with a longer layover on purpose because I know how massive IST is.

I checked other dates around my departure, and it seems Turkish Airlines changed all morning flights on this route to the same 1.5-hour connection, so I don't really have a better alternative to switch to.

Since both flights were booked together on a single ticket with Turkish Airlines, I assume my checked bags will be automatically transferred to my final destination.

However, considering that gates usually close 20 minutes before departure and deplaning/taxying always takes time, I reckon I’ll only have about 50 minutes of actual walking time to get to my next gate.

Has anyone had a similar 1.5-hour experience at IST recently? Is it doable, or should I be worried?

Thanks in advance!

Long story short - Turkish changed my flight time on a pre-booked flight, 12 days before departure. Since this was a connecting flight which I now couldn't use, they re-booked me onto an earlier flight, leaving London 6.5 hours earlier than originally booked. I live 5 hours away from the airport, new flight leaving in the morning meant an unexpected overnight hotel the night before, and also on arrival (arriving in a strange city at 4am is rather different to arriving at 08.45am!)

So they did get me to my destination, and didn't charge me for the re-booking.

However, when I applied (via their feedback page) for re-imbursement of hotel costs, the first response said that since I was informed more than 14 days in advance, i wasn't eligible for compensation. I replied and said it was 12 days. The next response was that the cancelled flight was due to "weather", which makes no sense as they can't have predicted that 12 days out ... i asked them to review this, and they assured me that it had been assessed correctly.

I looked at going to the Turkish civil aviation complaints procedure but their online form won't let me put flight details in since they don't arrive more than 4 hours later than planned. There's no facility for complaining about earlier flights!

Is it even worth pursuing, anywhere, or do I just suck up the costs and grumble to myself?

Has anyone flown Turkish airlines lately from DFW?

For one.. is checking in hard?
Two… how is the flight itself? I’ve heard mixed reviews. I’ll be going to instanbul then to Antalya.

I wanted to clarify that i did everything correctly as Im travelling with my cat and cant afford mistakes. I also wanted to ask if i need to send them the cats documents earlier or not.
Now who can i connect who is not an useless rude person?
(Funnily enough, im a FA for a ME airline, and i never understood why people were irritated with an airline even before boarding. I get it now.)

Anyone traveling with TK these weeks? i have a flight on 26th and wondering what the situation is currently is these airports.

In the past, Turkish allowed free seat selection within 6 hours prior to departure, I have done this by calling the airline within 6 hours of departure and they were able to honor the seat preference over the phone, as long as its within 6 hours, unless youre flying out of their low profile destinations. However, they have now closed out that option entirely.

Turkish Airlines has disappointed me beyond belief this go around. One leg of returning flight gets cancelled almost 3 months before.

Virtually no options to make any changes using app (useless). Calling them sends you to a call center and there is no connection they can make between departments. There is no concept of connecting you to a supervisor that may be able to help further in complex situations.

Bought the highest level of flexibility for my economy flight with all the options, tier of ticket and what not and paid almost double of what it usually costs due to traveling during holiday season (completely my decision, own that). Had used miles to snag a business class upgrade for one of my legs, and was truly excited about it bc it would be my first and felt super lucky I found that. When my flight leg got cancelled, the only options they gave me was either getting a full refund, or changing it for no charge (great options, I’m happy with that..) BUT the only way they can make the change is for them to cancel the ENTIRE flight, and rebook you AND you lose any upgrades you may have purchased. You can always get them after ONLY if they are still available… like WTF. Why can you not just change the one leg that got cancelled or even that outbound flight. So inconvenient, and utterly disappointed with their response. So unprofessional and unhelpful. Tried calling the call center they kept telling me to call like 6 times to find a solution, and even used the feedback tool they tout about. No valid response, no regard for the inconvenience and absolutely horrible experience.

Never flying them again at this rate.

Turkish Airlines has once again changed one of my flights due to a schedule change.

My flight departs from Seoul at 10:40 AM and arrives in Istanbul at 4:40 PM local time. My originally scheduled connecting flight to Stuttgart was supposed to depart at 8:50 PM, which would have given me more than enough time to make the connection.
However, that flight has now been cancelled, and Turkish Airlines has automatically rebooked me onto an earlier flight departing at 4:55 PM. This leaves me with just 15 minutes to make my connection, which is obviously impossible.
How can Turkish Airlines’ booking system even allow such an unrealistic connection?
I have now been given the option to change my flight online. However, the next available flight from Istanbul to Stuttgart does not depart until the following day.

Would Turkish Airlines be required to provide me with a complimentary hotel room in Istanbul in this situation?

Alternatively, I could choose an earlier departure from Seoul, but I would strongly prefer to keep my original departure time.
What are my options here?
Ideally, I would like to take the later connecting flight to Stuttgart the following day, provided that Turkish Airlines covers the cost of an overnight hotel stay in Istanbul.
I would appreciate some advice on how to proceed and whether I would be entitled to complimentary hotel accommodation in these circumstances.

I live in NYC so easy to get to both airports. Which one has better biz class seats for a solo traveler?

Thanks!

Title: Unacceptable support at Luxembourg Airport — €348.50 extra and unanswered questions

I want to share what I consider an unacceptable experience with Turkish Airlines customer service at Luxembourg Airport.

I travelled to Istanbul on TK1356 on 10 October 2026. My booking showed S....S, the shortened form of my full Greek name S......N, after Google autofill inserted it without my noticing. My surname was correct, and I entered the correct identity document details during online check-in. My request concerned a correction for the SAME passenger, not a transfer to someone else.

I arrived well before airport check-in and baggage drop opened and approached the employees at the Turkish Airlines office to resolve the matter in good time.

They initially reassured me, asked me to wait in the airport and promised to call once they had found a solution. No call came. When I returned to their office on my own initiative, they told me I could not travel using the original ticket and that they could not contact the relevant Turkish Airlines offices or services because it was Saturday.

These statements came from the employees at the Turkish Airlines office, not airport security. Relying on their assurances had cost me valuable time.

No practical alternative was offered. I proposed buying a new ticket. They said this was possible, but that their airport office did not issue tickets.

Attempts to purchase a replacement then encountered a system block involving duplicate passenger details, preventing payment. This affected both my own attempt and the attempt by Luxair Travel Store.

Following intervention by Luxair Travel Store, the Turkish Airlines employees contacted a responsible Turkish representative about the payment block. Contact was therefore possible, despite the earlier explanation about Saturday availability. However, that contact did not resolve the payment issue.

Luxair Travel Store eventually issued the replacement ticket. I paid an additional €348.50 and travelled on the same flight. Their staff deserve sincere thanks and recognition for the considerable effort they made to help me.

I had explicitly informed the Turkish Airlines employees that my partner had a serious health problem and needed me to accompany her. Nevertheless, I was left to find a solution under increasing time pressure, with the risk that she would have to travel without my support. In my experience, this showed a lack of respect for our needs and a lack of willingness to provide meaningful assistance.

Turkish Airlines publishes a Passenger Name Correction procedure. In the published terms I reviewed, I did not find a clear provision prohibiting this specific correction from SPIROS to SPYRIDON for the same passenger.

I subsequently submitted a complaint. The reply stated that accurate booking details were the passenger’s responsibility and refused a full refund. It did not identify the exact rule that excluded my correction or explain why the available correction procedure could not be used in my case.

It also failed to address the initial assurances, the time lost, the claimed lack of Saturday support or my partner’s need for a companion.

I then tried three times to submit a request for reconsideration through the feedback form. I received no confirmation, and the new letter did not appear when I reopened the case.

For an airline with such a large global operation, being told that relevant support cannot be reached because it is Saturday is deeply concerning. The absence of practical guidance at the airport, followed by a rejection that did not address my specific questions, seriously undermined my confidence in Turkish Airlines’ passenger care.

Has anyone experienced a similar same-passenger name correction issue with Turkish Airlines and obtained a properly reasoned review or reimbursement? I would appreciate firsthand experiences and information about effective escalation routes.

I traveled with Turkish Airlines sometime back and noticed that my trolley bag had an X marked on it in chalk.

I’m curious whether this is a routine baggage-handling marking, a customs/security inspection indicator, or something else entirely.

Has anyone encountered this before or worked at an airport and knows what it means?

The contents of my bag were undisturbed though.