Turkish Airlines Technical Error Prevented Boarding Despite Valid Ticket (PNR: SDZD5C)
On September 13, 2025, I purchased an economy class ticket directly from turkishairlines.com for my Bucharest (OTP) – Istanbul (IST) flight, with reservation number SDZD5C, and paid by credit card. One day before the flight, I successfully completed the online check-in process, but at the final step, the system failed to generate a boarding pass or QR code despite three attempts. On the day of the flight, I arrived at Otopeni Airport more than one hour before departure, but since I had no QR code, I went to the Turkish Airlines check-in counter, where no staff were available. Airport personnel informed me that without a boarding pass or QR code, I could not proceed. My spouse and I repeatedly called THY customer service (0850 333 0849) but faced long delays and unhelpful responses. When we finally reached an agent, we were told nothing could be done unless we paid an additional fee of around ₺2,000, and even then, time had already run out. As a result of this technical error on Turkish Airlines’ website and the absence of support at the airport, I was denied boarding despite having purchased a valid ticket, completing check-in, and arriving on time. I was then forced to buy a new ticket from another airline for ₺7,343 and pay for an extra day of accommodation in Istanbul, incurring further losses. I firmly believe Turkish Airlines is responsible for these failures and I demand a refund of my unused ticket as compensation for the inconvenience and financial damage caused.
