Denied Boarding on SunExpress Flight Despite Being On Time—Requesting Compensation

On December 1, 2024, my spouse and I were scheduled to fly on the 18:10 Düsseldorf–Izmir SunExpress flight. We arrived at the airport at 16:00 with online check-in already completed, needing only to drop off our luggage. However, there was no separate counter for online check-in, forcing us to wait in the same long queue as passengers who had not checked in. Multiple tour buses unloaded passengers for different flights (Samsun, Ankara, Adana, Trabzon, Izmir, etc.), leading to overwhelming crowds.

Despite informing staff about our flight, we were told to stay in line and assured they would call us if we were at risk of missing the flight. No announcement or assistance was provided. At 17:20, after alerting the counter staff to our urgency, we were finally attended to, only to be told that boarding had closed because the flight was leaving early. Shockingly, this was for a flight listed as departing at 18:10 (which later records showed departed at 18:18). The staff dismissively advised us to purchase another ticket.

Needing to return for work the next day, we reluctantly purchased last-minute tickets for a SunExpress flight to Ankara for an exorbitant price of ₺17,000–18,000. To our astonishment, we were allowed to board this flight just 15 minutes before departure. If passengers can be accommodated so late, why were we denied boarding on our original flight?

I believe our seats were resold, as I doubt they went empty. This incident was deliberate and unacceptable. SunExpress staff failed to provide assistance, and the company’s policies are inconsistent and misleading. I will not recommend or use this airline again. I demand compensation for this distressing experience and the inflated cost of rebooking.