Turkish Airlines Lift your ban on selling tickets from TRNC

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 09:59

If you go onto Turkish Airlines web site you can book to fly to TRNC return or single to Ercan

But not Ercan return or single from Ercan

I presume this was to protect KHTY who are not offering a service at present if you go through a travel agent TA charge a fortune for a Ercan originating flight

This ban on selling tickets need to be lifted for all the people that have lost KHTY flights as it leaves Ercan UK originating flight with a Pegasus monopoly

Example

Last year I had to return in an emergency and could not amend my return ticket with TA

BHX ERC return £253 single

ERC to BHX £285 single

MajorieDawes


Joined: 23/10/2008
Posts: 62

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 10:12

You just need to book them through an agent i.e. Expedia.

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 10:32

I tied agents and they were price penalties for TRNC to UK single or return look at the example

MajorieDawes


Joined: 23/10/2008
Posts: 62

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 10:41

Sorry, missed the point about the price penalties which I was aware of. CTA also used to have price pentalites for one way flights until a couple of years ago.

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 10:48

Using http://www.skyscanner.com

Ercan -> London return (7/7 to 15/7) Pegasus £285 and Turkish Airlines £385

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 11:43

Mal

Turkish Airlines food included unlike pegasus £292 return LHR ERC £100 cheaper than the ERC LHR 7/7to 15/7

proger1



Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 2919

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 11:59

wandered, this has always been the case with Turkish Airlines, even before the KTHY problem. Can't tell you the reason but if you try as I am sure you are aware the site tells you that they are not authorised to book from Ercan to anywhere but Turkey destinations.

You can treat it as two return flights to get the timings and then try to call TA and ask them to book by phone with a credit card. Alternatively as my wife and daughter have just done, go to a travel agent and they will do it for you. It was around 100 stirling cheaper through the travel agent than it was for me on any other system I tried.



Paul

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 12:01

Turkish Airlines

1] We book them either way

2] They had increased their fares from before the Ash Cloud

3] From my experience - Service levels food etc better than much of their international competition - certainly on the North Cyprus from England routes



Ask us for an option through the form on http://www.flightholiday.co.uk (on the Flights > CTA tab). We will do it on Monday when open.

fiendishpaul


Joined: 18/05/2008
Posts: 1720

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 12:13

You could of course try flying from/to Larnaca where you will probably get a better choice of flights and they may be cheaper.



Paul

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 12:20

Paul I will not use Larnaca along with many others

The post is about TA sticking with the not quoting against CTA even though CTA are grounded

Plus over pricing TRNC to UK in comparison to UK to TRNC through agents leaving the traveler with only Pegasus as the one option now CTA are grounded

AllyTT


Joined: 13/09/2008
Posts: 188

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 12:56

I've always been able to book tickets FROM Ercan, even one-way, on the THY site. Just booked one-way to Istanbul this morning in fact. Just make sure you click on the international site, if you click on Turkey I believe it comes up with an error that they are not allowed to sell tickets originating from Ercan.

Dusterbruce


Joined: 03/08/2007
Posts: 1125

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 13:04

No doubt someone will tell me if I am wrong but I think the reason is to do with politics, at one time you could not book for Ercan online at all with TK

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 13:56

Ally TT you can book Istanbul with TA you cannot book LHR or UK from ERC if you book as two seperate flights ERC IST , IST LHR You cease to be a transit passenger and you would have to pay for a visa and collect and re book in your luggage at istanbul

Dusterbruce I am sure it is politics and as the reason for the blocking of reasonable priced seats CTA are not flying TA should be able to assist the flying public

5 times a day to London

5 times a week to BHX and possibly more to Manchester

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 15:05

Robert Msg 10 - what is wrong with using agents? Do you not want service, knowledge, experience, bonding and advice?

proger1



Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 2919

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 15:22

not to mention insurance

wanderer


Joined: 05/02/2009
Posts: 1653

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 15:33

Tom

Nothing wrong with agents but there is pricing discrimination TRNC to UK by TA thats the point I'm trying to make

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
27/06/2010 20:24

Robert Msg 16 - I got the impression you were "anti agent" in Msg 10 if you read this phrase (changed) "through agents leaving the traveler with only -------- as the --- option "

We (as all agents do) have to put some costs and a profit on but the extra service if we/they are good should be far in excess of what you pay in real terms>

I understand your point I am not sure if it is valid not having made proper comparisons on different dates. (In the "distant" past CTA severley discriminated in the Ercan outbound direction.)

proger1



Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 2919

Message Posted:
28/06/2010 07:03

wanderer, I recently spent a great deal of time searching for the required flights to get my daughter home to see her grandparents and after 2 days and several different search engines I found all the details of the best flights I could find (I thought).

I have to admit that due to the exact reason you have mentioned ie the TA not possible to book all the way, I told my wife to go to the travel agent. Within 20 minutes they had not only found much better flights without the need to go through passport control at Istanbul and collect baggage but it saved me around 80 pounds.

I have always done it myself in the past because I believed they were just trying to make more money but after losing alot of money being stuck in Thailand a couple of years ago and even more money in booking an NC hotel that I couldn't use both of which I could have got back if booked through an agent, I will use agents.

I would have used yours Tom but she was going to Russia, next time maybe !

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
28/06/2010 14:34

Paul Msg 18 - thank you. If you look in future on http://www.flightholiday.co.uk you will find that it does not just deal with Turkey and North Cyprus you can get flights to and from anywhere ferries in Europe, trains and lots lots more even tours as far apart as Egypt, South America, Africa and Jordan

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
28/06/2010 15:23

I've always found it cheaper to book flites to/from Ercan via a local KKTC Agent,

Geoff

Famagusta City

proger1



Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 2919

Message Posted:
28/06/2010 15:39

Sorry Tom, I have to admit I only browsed quickly through the site and it appeared that it only dealt with UK based flights. I will look harder next time.

Paul

proger1



Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 2919

Message Posted:
28/06/2010 15:52

Tom, while I am on the subject. How do you book the hotel inside the duty free airport in Istanbul. I was hoping to get a day room because we have a long wait for the next flight. I looked online and all I can find is an info page with some real basic stuff. Can you help with this?

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
28/06/2010 16:27

Paul Msg 22 - I am sorry I do not have the answer on this one - but if you are an HSBC Premier client there is a lounge for your use in Ataturk. To use the Turkish Airlines lounge you need lots of flight miles.

Msg 21- next time call or Skype me and I would be delighted to help.