Published 1st Jun, 2023

By Emmanuel Uti

A Lagos-based interior designer has accused Turkish Airlines of brushing off her repeated requests for a new travel date.

The designer, who wishes to remain anonymous, told FIJ she had employed every means to get Turkish Airlines to accommodate her request but the company would not do so.

Now left in limbo, she said she got entangled in the frustrating ordeal with the airline when she paid a travel agent N3.8 million for a trip with her three kids to New York last July.

The source said the agent booked her flight and that of her kids with Turkish Airlines but the family could not travel because of an unforeseen medical complication involving one of her daughters.

Two weeks after the original departure date, she apprised her agent of the need to reschedule with the intention of providing a new date when her family would be ready. Unfortunately, her efforts to secure a revised travel date since October have proven futile.

“Since October, I have been working with my agent to get a new date to use the ticket, but all efforts proved abortive,” the designer told FIJ.

“In January, I started the process all over, trying to get a new date, but it was unsuccessful as Turkish Airlines would not respond to messages.”

Frustrated by the lack of response, the designer visited the Turkish Airlines office in Victoria Island multiple times, only to be turned away and told that they had no business with her.

Unfazed, she continued to visit the airline’s office accompanied by her agent, who was instructed by the airline’s representatives to inquire about available seats.

The designer said she and her agent resorted to email correspondence to get the company to expedite the process but received no reply from the airline.

“In frustration, I requested a refund despite the non-refundable nature of the ticket. If the airline is unable to accommodate my travel request, refunding the money would be a fair resolution,” she said.

“I emphasised my willingness to travel on any date, even if it would be inconvenient for me and my family. I am not even picky. We will travel at their own time. Turkish Airlines should only reschedule our flights.”

As a last resort, the designer consulted her lawyer, who sent a letter to Turkish Airlines via DHL. Despite this, the airline remained unresponsive.

In an unexpected twist, she said, Turkish Airlines asked her to pay her agent an additional N10 million for a ticket upgrade, but she refused, stating that her only desire was to travel and that the airline should prioritise rescheduling their flights.

“To further complicate matters, the tickets are set to expire in June,” she complained. “I just want to travel. All the airline company needs to do is reschedule our flights. We will travel, even if it is inconvenient. It is unfair that they do not respond to me.”

FIJ reached out to Turkish Airlines for comment on the matter, but no response had been received at the time of this publication.

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