Turkish Airlines Passenger's Special Service Request Issue
On 03.08.2023, we requested special service for my 84-year-old mother, who has a flight ticket for the 11:35 Istanbul-Rize flight, due to her age and Parkinson's disease. Passengers with special service requests are not allowed to check-in 24 hours before the flight. We were at the counter 45 minutes before the flight. The boarding pass was issued. However, due to overbooking, we were informed that the passenger might not be allowed on the plane and could only fly on the next available flight if there was a seat. I expressed that passengers with special service requests should be prioritized in case of overbooking and that elderly and sick passengers should be given priority. I also mentioned that I could not leave my mother, who is in such a condition, to wait for the next uncertain flight without an escort. They refused to board my mother, stating that Parkinson's patients cannot fly without a health report. Despite quickly obtaining a health report from my mother's doctor and having our boarding pass, my mother was not allowed on the plane.
I asked where it was written that a passenger who has been traveling with THY for 10 years and has Parkinson's disease needs a health report. They said it was airline rules. On the web page https://www.turkishairlines.com/tr-int/bilgi-edin/hasta-ve-engelli-yolcular/, it is written that a 'patient who can meet their personal needs' can fly with a health report. It is unclear how the term 'patient' is interpreted. In summary, it is unclear why a passenger with a health report and a boarding pass was not accepted on the plane. The ticket we purchased was not made open, nor was it credited for the next available flight. We had to buy a new ticket.
