Issue with Turkish Airlines Ticket Purchase Using Virtual Card
On September 4, 2023, my spouse bought a ticket from Istanbul Airport to Antalya Airport using a virtual card linked to my bank card from Turkish Airlines (THY). When she tried to check in using the machine at the airport, an error occurred because the names on the ticket and the bank card were different. A THY staff member directed her to the D40 desk. After discussing with THY officials, they requested the bank card used for the purchase. Since it was a virtual card, my spouse tried to show it through the banking app, but they did not accept it. She then showed the physical card linked to the same virtual card, but that was also not accepted. They informed her that she could not fly today with this ticket and that I needed to come to the airport, or she should call me to cancel the ticket and buy a new one with cash. My spouse called me and informed me that we needed to cancel the ticket.
I called THY customer service and explained the situation. They told me that I needed to go to the nearest THY office to prove that I purchased the ticket. I explained that I was currently working and did not have the time, and requested to cancel the ticket. Since there were less than 12 hours left for the flight, we were refunded ₺1460 out of the ₺1900 ticket price.
Meanwhile, my spouse withdrew money from an ATM and bought a new ticket. The new ticket cost ₺2540, which was ₺640 more than the original ticket. Including the partial refund, we incurred a total loss of ₺1080.
Due to this policy by THY, we lost both time and money and experienced significant stress. My spouse is a homemaker, and we couldn't open a bank account for her because she doesn't work. She uses my bank card. In 2023, while people are buying houses and cars online, I question why THY requires us to go to their offices and pay in cash instead of using a virtual card to purchase a plane ticket.
