Turkish Airlines Ground Services Staff Prevented Me from Boarding My Flight
Dear Sir/Madam, on 25.09.2023, I had a flight from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Rome Fiumicino Airport at 09:35. I was waiting to board the plane at gates 506A and 506B with all my documents and checks complete. As I was about to pass through the gate, I was pulled aside by a blonde female ground services staff member. She behaved extremely rudely and demanded to see my return ticket and hotel reservation.
I showed my return ticket, but she insisted that I would not be allowed to board if I did not show my hotel reservation. She even said, 'If you don't have a hotel reservation, you can't fly.' From 8:50 to 9:30, I tried to explain that my visa was a business visa, that I was an engineer, and that I needed to attend a fair, but she did not listen to me. Her only response was that I would not be allowed to board without a hotel reservation. I did not know that after obtaining a visa from the Italian government and purchasing a round-trip ticket from Turkish Airlines, I would also need permission from ground services staff.
Even though I was there 5 minutes before my flight was due to take off, she announced that there were no more passengers and that they could close the gate. I refer to the blonde ground services staff member as such because she did not share her name with me. After she left, other staff members attended to me, and I thanked them for their assistance. However, it is truly disappointing that Turkey's largest airline employs such personnel. I hope you share my embarrassment and take the necessary actions regarding this complaint to address my grievance. If I had missed this flight, it would have had consequences for me. Therefore, you can imagine the stress and anxiety I experienced. Rest assured, I will follow up on this matter. Thank you, and have a good day. Best regards.
