I Face Check-In and Delay Issues with THY–Air Albania Codeshare Flight to Tirana

I purchased a round-trip ticket from Turkish Airlines for July 28 (Istanbul to Tirana) and August 1 (return). At the time of booking, I didn’t realize the flight was a codeshare operated by Air Albania. I later found out Turkish Airlines takes no responsibility for such flights beyond selling the ticket.

I couldn’t complete online check-in, and THY directed me to Air Albania. Turns out, Air Albania doesn’t even offer online check-in, and I couldn’t find a single person to help. Fearing the flight might be overbooked, we arrived at the airport early, only to find the check-in counter opened just one hour before departure.

We were traveling with elderly family members and barely made it to the gate, which was quite far. Although the plane was delayed by 30 minutes, we would’ve missed it without requesting transport assistance.

The return flight was even more frustrating. It was delayed for 3 hours with no explanation, no announcements, and no staff available at Tirana Airport or online. Passengers were left to guess among themselves. I arrived at the airport in the afternoon and didn’t reach home in Istanbul until after midnight. Many passengers with connecting flights missed them entirely or had to run to catch them.

Had I known about the complications with THY–Air Albania codeshare flights, I would have reconsidered. I request Turkish Airlines and Air Albania take joint responsibility for customer service and provide proper communication, support, and compensation for the disruption and inconvenience caused.