There are some surprises when you make your own reservations in English on the Pegasus Airlines website. Here’s what you need to know:
1. For “passenger name,” enter your name exactly as it appears on the identification document you will use at the airport (ID card, passport, etc.) If the name on your reservation and the name on your document do not match, you may not be allowed to board your flight.
For example: if your name is “Alice Barlow” but your document gives your middle name as well (“Alice Anne Barlow”), be sure to enter “Alice Anne Barlow” for your online reservation.
2. The fare you see during the reservation process is only part of what you will eventually pay. This “base fare” does not include fuel surcharges, the service fee, tax, choice of seat, or even check-in. (Yes, there is a small fee for checking in for your flight!)
If you don’t pay for a seat reservation, a seat will be assigned to you at the airport.
3. Baggage allowance on most Pegasus flights is 15 kilos(33 pounds) of checked baggage, plus 8 kilos (17.6 pounds) of carry-on luggage. (Compare this to the 20 kilos (44 pounds) of checked baggage allowed on many international flights.) If you arrive in Turkey on an international flight and continue on a domestic flight, the weight of your luggage may exceed the lower domestic baggage limit, and you may have to pay an excess baggage fee. If you pay this fee as part of your online reservation, you will save money over paying for it at the airport when you check in.
In practice, it seems two passengers traveling together can combine their checked baggage to meet the weight limit. If one suitcase weighs 17 kilos (37.5 pounds) but another weighs only 12 kilos (26.5 pounds) , the total is below the 30 kilo/66 pound limit for two passengers, so you probably won’t have to redistribute things from one suitcase to another.
4. Pegasus uses a 3-tier package system of flight extrassuch as food and drink on board, extra baggage, freedom to change your flight dates, etc.:
—ESSENTIALS: If you want the lowest fare and no extras, this is what you select.
—ADVANTAGE: For a 23% increase in fare, the Advantage package includes seat selection, food, and an extra baggage allowance.
—EXTRAS: For a 63% increase in fare, the top package includes all of the Advantage package items plus the ability to modify your flight dates.
5. You will be asked to choose one or more means by which the airline can contact you: email, SMS text message, and/or phone. You are not required to choose one, but if you don’t you may not receive your confirmation! So choose at least one method.
6. Before completing the reservation process, as soon as you see your “PNR” (reservation confirmation code, six numbers and letters such as 83LLLA), copy it down! It is the key to checking and/or changing your reservation online. Although it should be in the confirmation email message sent to you, you may not receive the message (I did not, on two occasions), and the final screen of the reservation process may not include the code. Copy it down just in case.
7. Get to the airport early enough to allow time for check-in and the two full security checks (at every Turkish airport) you will pass through before boarding. Arrival an hour before flight departure time should be sufficient for a Turkish domestic flight.
Here’s how to get the best airfares for flights within Turkey.
| Pegasus Airlines Pegasus Hava Taşımacılığı Anonim Şirketi Basın Ekspres Yolu No. 2 Halkalı, Istanbul, Türkiye Tel: +90 (212) 697 7777 (pbx) Fax: +90 (212) 693 9777 Ticketing: +90 (212) 444 0737 | AnadoluJet |
—by Tom Brosnahan
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