PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November With Turkish Airlines Connecting Flights to Europe, UK and USA

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Badar42
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by Badar42 »

adamalikhan wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 10:56 am This onward connection looks like it is going to be fun and games.
I just spoke with PIA contact centre. Luggage will not be checked through to the final destination. Therefore the passenger needs to collect their checked luggage and then check in again for the onward flight. I told the advisor that 2 hours connection time will not be sufficient. She said I need to book a flight with minimum 4 hour connection. I then told her that all the flights to Manchester are either 2 hours or 30 hours. She had no idea what to advise.

Re flight changes, apparently I can make one free change for the leg operated by PIA but no changes to the onward connection. Is this hassle really worth it? Who has come up with this stupid idea of a codeshare that requires the passenger to do all this?

Istanbul Airport is massive and unlike ME3, staff are very unfriendly and most do speak proper English, none are Urdu speaking so there will be many disgruntled passengers.
The contract centre must be confused ,I've searched the flights on pia website and nowhere does it say you need to collect the luggage and both flights are under pk flight number.Saying that connections at Istanbul aren't enough at all ,once I landed at Istanbul from Islamabad and it took me hour n half from touch down to past security.
b78709
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by b78709 »

This is BS and I doubt contact center was ever contacted. It's a fake news. I, myself, have through checked bags up to 6 legs on PIA involving 6 different airlines and non PIA document for all interlined flights in the past even 10 years ago from Lahore and Islamabad airports. Also, IATA requires through checking of bags.
adamalikhan
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by adamalikhan »

b78709 wrote: Mon Oct 31, 2022 3:10 pm This is BS and I doubt contact center was ever contacted. It's a fake news. I, myself, have through checked bags up to 6 legs on PIA involving 6 different airlines and non PIA document for all interlined flights in the past even 10 years ago from Lahore and Islamabad airports. Also, IATA requires through checking of bags.
As a fairly new member of the forum, the first thing you need to learn is respect towards other members. I contacted the contact centre and reported the information I was given. Why has this touched a nerve for you? Try and keep on top of your emotions.
ba260
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by ba260 »

Istanbul is horrible place to transfer staff English skills aren't great, airport is massive - to much walking for our people, Wifi is limited. If the flight timings are suited to connect to the UK and Europe, that is not good.
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Abbas Ali
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by Abbas Ali »

PIA starting flights for Istanbul from November 15 with 6 weekly flights - 4 flights from Islamabad & 2 flights from Lahore.

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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by Abbas Ali »

PIA passengers can fly to destinations in United Kingdom including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh via Istanbul through airline's codeshare partner Turkish Airlines.

From November 15, PIA starting 6 weekly flights to Istanbul including 4 flights from Islamabad & 2 flights from Lahore.

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Abbas Ali
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by Abbas Ali »

Bids submitted by following two accepted for Ground Handling service to PIA flights at Istanbul Airport (IST).

Havas - https://havas.net/en/ground-handling-services

Celebi - https://www.celebiaviation.com/services/ground-handling

Havas is the lowest evaluated bidder.

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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by ammad »

Very least PIA needs to do daily flight from LHE and ISB to IST, to cater as many as EU and Americas bound passengers. If this stint goes well, PIA can start daily flight from Karachi to IST, where PIA condition is really really bad, as PIA lost miserably against ME3's. So new flights should run with only intention in mind is to: how to get BACK some % of the passengers which are lost to the ME3's.
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Abbas Ali
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by Abbas Ali »

PIA passengers can travel to destinations in USA including New York, Washington, Chicago, Houston, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco via Istanbul through airline's codeshare partner Turkish Airlines.

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b78709
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November With Turkish Airlines Connecting Flights to Europe, UK and USA

Post by b78709 »

There are more stations in US and Canada being served by Turkish Airlines such as Boston, Newark, Seattle, Vancouver and Montreal. PIA must expand the code share with Turkish to all of Americas (North & South America), Europe, Africa, North & central Asia if not not system-vide.
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Abbas Ali
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by Abbas Ali »

Fly to Italy

Rome, Milan, Bologna via Istanbul from Pakistan.

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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November

Post by Abbas Ali »

Fly to Athens, Greece, via Istanbul from Pakistan.

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ammad
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November With Turkish Airlines Connecting Flights to Europe, UK and USA

Post by ammad »

Now the Indian origin PM in UK, it's getting increasingly less likely that PIA will be getting permission any time soon to fly to UK.

All PIA can do is extend code sharing with TK, and fly to newer markets towards far east and Oceana side.

PIA+TK advantage will blossom specially for those cities where TK flies but none of the ME3 flies, in Europe and in Americas. for e.g. YVR. and 30+ European cities.

Turkish currently flies to 118 destinations in Europe across 43 countries. Of course ME3 in combine can't handle Europe the way native TK is covering Europe.
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November With Turkish Airlines Connecting Flights to Europe, UK and USA

Post by mohammad »

Apart from the focus on advertising this venture is a shit show. I tried better part of the day trying to book a flight from Lahore to New York but couldn't pay for the booking online due to an error on the PIA website.

The other option was to pay 10 dollars extra and book with Etihad. Why would anyone go through the pain of trying to book with PIA when they can pay few dollars extra and get a much better experience.
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Re: PIA Starting Flights for Istanbul in November With Turkish Airlines Connecting Flights to Europe, UK and USA

Post by Abbas Ali »

PIA Lahore to Istanbul inaugural flight PK707 scheduled to leave Lahore at 7:40 AM on November 15.

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Source: lahoreairport.com.pk

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