Brian C.

Turkish Airlines has won awards for being the best economy class airline in Europe, maybe its even the world - I don't care! Here is the reality! You are given a baggage allowance of 30kg on a long haul flight - in my case (excuse that pun) or at least the case of my wife (still not punny!)- that was Malaga, Spain to Jakarta, Indonesia.

So what's the problem? Prices were ok - for the flights - timings, transfers, everything seemed clean and proper.

Now lets imagine that you had a wife who enjoyed a little shopping whilst on a 3 month trip to Europe. I know its hard to imagine, but try - a woman who might decide to buy some bits and pieces as souvenirs, as gifts, as enhancements for the already burgeoning wardrobes at home... yes? Okay so as a result of that I decide that I need to buy some more luggage allowance for my shopaholic - maybe another case of 30kg - or with a bit of frugal control - lets say, another 20kg case...

So how much IS that going to be? Bear in mind this is 3 weeks before the flight. IT is not turning up at the airport with EXCESS BAGGAGE - this is a planned approach and I want to buy another case worth (20kg) of allowance.

Now before you guess how much that will cost, let me quote you this interesting comparison: DHL will deliver it to arrive in 2 days for 370gbp. That is 18.50gpb per kg!
Ridiculous I know but then again - it is the world's most expensive courier company.

So lets use that for price conditioning, and now make an educated guess how much Turkish Airlines (a. K. a. Ali Baba & his 40 thieves) would want for a similar service?

NOt as excess baggage remember - this is a bit of an Oliver Twist
"Please Sir, I want some m-m-m-more!"
I see that my wife is going to have a need for more baggage allowance to take back home so how much can it be?

Drum Roll please...
For that same 20kg suitcase, Turkish Airlines want 540 EUROS
They charge 27 euros per kilo and there is no way around it - what they say is quite simple:
We give you an allowance - if you are daft enough to want to bring more - planned or otherwise - then we shall firstly show no understanding nor shall we yield, nor shall we give a rat's $#*! who you are and we shall be emotionless and without care and tell you in broken English, "Dem's da rools! You should have checked our policy before you booked with us you western ignorant filthy pig dog. May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits" Or something like that...

So luring us in with low cost flight prices or medium prices - these seedy illegitimates set out to fleece you like the men standing outside every boutique in every Turkish resort - come come come my friend - this way my friend - let me separate you from your money immediately.

So it is a shocking performace from all sides
AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE

BOOK Emirates or BA or Singapore Airline- it makes sense
Avoid Turkish Airlines - there is NO DELIGHT

My earlier review on GETAROOM was based on the fact that they refused to refund me on a cancellation, despite the fact that I had complied with every one of their conditions. They chose to hide behind the skirts of the hotel cancellation policy which of course was not with whom I contracted. The hotel in question also lied about the events surrounding my cancellation so as to enforce their own cancellation policy, however they finally rescinded when they realised my dispute was with GETAROOM and not them. They were: Wanaburi Hotel 99/9 Moo 2, T. Thep Kasattri, ******* Phuket.

The UPDATE from those characters at GETAROOM and me is to say that I have now been refunded.
Amazingly enough they chose to send an email some time after this review had started to gather views (currently running at over 30,000!) to advise me that they had decided randomly to revisit my case and as a gesture of good will had decided to refund me.

They did refund me, however with currency fluctuations et al, I still ended up "out of pocket" and to be honest, all they have done is refund me months after when they should have done; they have caused me a tiresome amount of time and aggravation and forced me to use my profession to obtain anything close to a return to the status quo ante. Too little too late - no attempt to appease nor apologise.

I had warned them that online reputation management was my business and that my company was a leading firm in ORM/BRIM and that I would take steps using the best of review sites (Hello Sitejabber!) to ensure that the general public became aware of their total lack of integrity. I guess they didn't believe that and so called my bluff.

So with regards to GETAROOM, I am not going to remove the reviews nor repair their online reputation, and as for their Brand Reputation Image Management - for as long as they continue to behave in this manner, they will never shine online.
Final Word - I will no longer post reviews in relation to this incident with GETAROOM as they did eventually - after far too long a period of lies and terminological inexactitudes by telephone and email - refund an amount close to the disputed amount. Case Closed. Job Done! Thank you SITEJABBER