Act fast: Turkish Airlines offering 40% off Economy & Business Class tickets to healthcare workers

From now till 18 July 2020 (or more likely, while stocks last), Turkish Airlines is giving healthcare workers 100,000 promo codes for 40% off Economy and Business Class fares, to anywhere in their network. 

This is valid for tickets booked up till 1 August 2020, with travel until 31 May 2021 (blackout dates apply). It’s not quite the free tickets that Qatar Airways was giving out last month, but those were in Economy Class only, and hey, 40% off isn’t bad either…

How Turkish Airlines’ 40% off promotion works

To enjoy this offer, eligible passengers will need to register and get a special promo code. There’s a total of 100,000 codes available and I imagine they’ll go rather fast, so act quickly. 

Registration can be done on this page. First click on “Continue with Miles&Smiles” (you must be a Miles&Smiles member to participate, but it’s free to join), login to your account and select “New Feedback”. Scroll to the bottom and select “Discount for Healthcare Professionals”.

You’ll then be prompted to enter your details and submit proof of your status.

Turkish Airlines says the promotion is available to health workers registered with the Ministry of Health or health institutions accredited by the Ministry of Health. Participation is also open to family physicians and paramedics. You need to submit a copy of your personal healthcare identity card which includes the name and/or emblem of the organization, unit, occupation, name-surname, date of birth.

Upon successful registration, customers will get two promo codes in their email within three days- one for domestic flights (within Turkey), and one for international flights. Each promo code can only be used once, and is not transferable. 

Each promo code can be used to book tickets for a maximum of four people (including the healthcare worker). Only flights operated by Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet (their regional carrier) are eligible for the discount, and both one-way or round-trip itineraries are valid. 

What’s the catch?

Turkish Airlines says that the  40% off applies to base fare only, not the taxes. They’re mum about fuel surcharges though, and that’s crucial because the entire value of the promotion hinges on this.

My working assumption is that fuel surcharges are not discounted, but I really hope I’m wrong. That’s because Turkish Airlines is notorious for having high fuel surcharges. On this Economy Class flight from Singapore to Paris, for example, you can see that the base fare is only S$210, or 24% of the total ticket price! 

Assuming fuel surcharges are not discounted, you’ll only save S$84 on this ticket- hardly earth-shattering. 

Business Class may be a much better deal then. On this Business Class flight from Singapore to Paris, the base fare is S$2,475, which means you’ll save S$990 with the promo code. 

Also note that although your travel dates can be up till 31 May 2021, there are a few blackout periods:

• 29 July- 4 August 2020
• 28 October- 2 November 2020
• 15 December- 31 December 2020

Cancellation and refund charges follow the usual fare class conditions. Turkish Airlines’ current Covid-19 flexibility policy offers a one-time no fee change for tickets issued by 20 June. You’ll still be required to pay the fare difference, however. 

If I were booking this, I’d try and schedule my travel as far in the future as possible. Turkish Airlines has anyway announced some major service cuts in Business Class, so the near-term experience won’t be anything to shout about. 

Conclusion

Another promotion that you’ll want to tell your friends in the healthcare sector about, but I really hope this doesn’t turn out to be a damp squib. If the discount doesn’t apply to fuel surcharges, then your savings (especially on Economy Class tickets) could be extremely underwhelming.

If you manage to get a promo code, do sound out below! 

(Cover photo: One Mile at a Time)