Airline Denies Boarding for Family and Infant on Flight Departing from Antalya
In a recent incident, a family from St. Petersburg found themselves in a difficult situation while returning from their vacation in Antalya, Turkey. The family, who had already passed registration and held boarding passes for their return journey to Russia, were shocked when Turkish Airlines refused to let them board the plane without a child seat for their one-and-a-half-year-old child.
The family, who had spent a night in Antalya and flew back with another airline the next day, had initially planned to have the child on their lap during the flight. However, upon their return, they tried to refund the cost of the missed flight, but Turkish Airlines refused. The airline's response was: "No seat was provided, hence the transportation is impossible."
The specific airline rules regarding child seats may not always be transparent to passengers at the time of ticket purchase. Turkish Airlines allows children under 2 years old to either travel as infants without a separate seat or to have their own seat if booked separately. However, passengers must bring an approved child car seat that complies with safety regulations.
Child car seats are not allowed in exit rows and aisle seats. To properly book a child’s ticket with a separate seat and ensure correct seat assignment, Turkish Airlines recommends contacting their reservation center directly at +1-888-795-8878. This helps avoid booking errors and allows arranging proper seating together with the family, given infants and minors have special fare classes and documentation requirements.
The family's experience highlights the importance of clear communication regarding airline rules and regulations. Experts note that the seat requirement was not clearly stated before ticket purchase in this specific case. The family's situation is being discussed among travel experts and consumer rights advocates, with some calling for improved communication from airlines to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The family was sent back to the terminal and had to go through border control again. They had to buy a separate ticket with a seat for the child, which required a special cradle or car seat according to Turkish Airlines' rules. The family paid almost 210,000 rubles for emergency tickets on the new airline.
Lawyers consulted by the family believe the carrier followed formal rules, but the family felt treated like criminals despite no prior warning about the seat requirement. The incident serves as a reminder for families traveling with young children to double-check airline policies and regulations before their journey.
This incident is not the first of its kind, as similar instances have been reported with other airlines. As travel continues to increase, it is crucial for airlines to ensure clear and transparent communication with passengers to avoid misunderstandings and potential inconveniences.
Travel experts and consumer rights advocates are discussing the family's situation, calling for improved communication from airlines like Turkish Airlines to prevent similar incidents in the future. Families traveling with young children should double-check airline policies and regulations regarding child seats before their journey to avoid potential inconveniences.
In the general-news and crime-and-justice sphere, this incident serves as a reminder that clear communication is essential in the travel industry to maintain passenger trust and avoid misunderstandings.
