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Expatriation services and ticket process in the event of a death

Funeral repatriation process

We strive to ensure that the funeral repatriation process is conducted with compassion and sensitivity.

 


Dear passenger,

Please accept our sincerest condolences for your loss. This page provides information regarding funeral transportation and other provisions in the event of the death of a your first-degree relative*. For more information, or if you have further questions, please contact us at any time via the Turkish Cargo call center at 0850 333 0 777.

*Spouse, child (including stepchildren), parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchildren, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law and father-in-law.

Domestic transportation




For domestic transportation, the submission of the death certificate is sufficient for funeral repatriation processes. You can contact Turkish Cargo via the call center at 0850 333 0 777 for information on transporting the deceased individual and have them complete the reservation for you.

International transportation




For expatriation flights from abroad, it is sufficient to contact the IATA-authorized agents specified on the Turkish Cargo page regarding the supply of the the necessary documents and transportation conditions. You can also access Turkish Cargo via the phone line 0850 333 0 777 and ensure that your reservation is completed by having it directed to the relevant agencies.

Ticket procedures to be applied in the case of a passenger or family member’s death

Reservation and route changes Learn more

For passengers transporting a deceased first-degree family member, who wish to make a ticket change and have presented the death certificate: 

  • Regardless of the ticket class, return to your departure point is provided without a connecting flight. 
  • Ticket changes are made free of charge, provided that the unused legs of partially used tickets, i.e. routes not yet flown, have a maximum of 45 days between the return date and the new date you wish to fly. 

For passengers transporting a deceased first-degree family member, who wish to make a ticket change but do not have the death certificate: 

  • For tickets where the departure is used, a new one-way ticket must be purchased. If the death certificate and the document(s) showing the first-degree relation are then presented, the cost of the new one-way ticket will be refunded. 
  • For unused tickets, if the travel date needs to be changed to an earlier date, you must first purchase a new round-trip ticket. If the death certificate and the document(s) showing the first-degree relation are presented, the cost of the new round-trip ticket will be refunded. If you wish to change the date of the newly purchased ticket, you may do so within the scope of the fare rules. 
  • The rules mentioned above also apply to tickets purchased with Miles, but if the death certificate and the document(s) showing the first-degree relation are presented, the Miles spent to purchase the new ticket and the entire fare, if any, will be refunded.

Refund processes Learn more

In the event that a passenger dies, the refund will revert to an heir, provided that the certificate of inheritance is submitted. In the case of the death of a passenger’s first-degree family member, the refund is made to the passenger following the submission of the certificate of inheritance. 

  • In the event that the passenger or a first-degree family member dies prior to the flight’s departure, the amount paid by the passenger will be refunded in full. 
  • In the event that the passenger or a first-degree family member dies after the first leg(s) of the flight, the amount of the unused leg(s) will be refunded.

Miles transfer transactions for deceased Miles&Smiles members Learn more

Miles from the account of a deceased Miles&Smiles member can be transferred to the Miles&Smiles account of a family member and the Miles will have the same expiry date.

For this purpose, we kindly request that you submit the following documents via our feedback page:

  • The death certificate of the deceased Miles&Smiles member,
  • Certificate of inheritance,
  • Notarized waiver stating that other holders have waived their rights,
  • Photograph or scanned version of the ID or passport of the Miles&Smiles member to whom the Miles will be transferred,
  • Photograph or scanned version of the statement of claim with wet signature.

Procedures and rights applied when accompanying funeral repatriations

Domestic flights Learn more

When you apply to our sales offices as the Accompanying Person on funeral repatriation flights with the original bill of lading prepared by the relevant Turkish Cargo office for repatriation conducted by Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet on domestic flights (except Codeshare flights), discounts are applied for direct and connecting domestic flights and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - Nicosia flights with the following conditions:

  • When a discount is requested, the route and date of the repatriation flight indicated on the bill of lading is taken by sales personnel as the basis.
  • For the Accompanying Person, discounted tickets can be arranged for the next day as well as the date stated on the bill of lading for the flight repatriation.
  • The discount can only be applied as one-way or round-trip for the route for the flight repatriation. A discount on the ticket may be obtained if the arrival airport differs from the airport in the return booking.
  • Passengers traveling with the Accompanying Person discount are not required to fly on the same aircraft with the deceased.
  • Passengers traveling with the Accompanying Person discount need not have the same surname as the deceased.
  • A discount for a maximum of two passengers may be requested and these passengers should be listed under the same PNR.
  • Discounts are not applicable for open tickets.
  • Accompanying Person discounts on domestic flights cannot be combined with other discounts.
  • A 20% discount is applied on Business Class and Economy Class fares (W, U, P and Anadolu Jet promotional fares) on Accompanying Person tickets for domestic flights.
  • For other application conditions, standard fare rules apply.

International flights Learn more

When you apply to our sales offices with the original bill of lading prepared by the relevant cargo branch and Turkish Cargo for the funeral carried on international flights operated by Turkish Airlines, discounts are applied for direct international and domestic connecting international flights, with the following conditions:

  • When a discount is requested, the route and date of the repatriation flight indicated on the bill of lading is taken by sales personnel as the basis.
  • For the Accompanying Person, discounted tickets can be arranged for the next day as well as the date stated on the bill of lading the flight repatriation.
  • The discount can only be applied as one-way or round-trip for the route the flight repatriation. A discount on the ticket may be obtained if the arrival airport differs from the airport in the return booking.
  • Passengers traveling with the Accompanying Person discount are not required to fly on the same aircraft with the deceased.
  • Passengers traveling with the Accompanying Person discount need not have the same surname as the deceased.
  • A discount for a maximum of two passengers may be requested and these passengers should be listed under the same PNR.
  • Discounts are not applicable for open tickets.
  • Accompanying Person discounts cannot be combined with other discounts.
  • Changes requested for tickets with an Accompanying Person discount can be performed at non-discounted rates.
  • A 20% discount is applied on all Business Class fares and Economy Class fares (L and up) on Accompanying Person tickets for international flights.
  • For other application conditions, standard fare rules apply.

Frequently asked questions

Which documents are required for domestic and international funeral transport? Learn more

For domestic funeral transportation, only the death certificate is required. For international funeral transport, please contact Turkish Cargo officials at 0850 333 0 777 for information on the submission of required documents and transportation conditions.

What should I do if a ticket-holding passenger or passenger’s relative dies before the flight departure date? Learn more

If a ticket-holding passenger or their first-degree relative dies before the start of the journey, the fare paid by the deceased passenger is refunded in full against the declaration of succession. If the ticket-holding passenger or their first-degree relative dies after the start of the journey, the unused part of the ticket is refunded, again against the declaration of succession.

I wish to cancel/change my flight due to the death of a family member. What should I do? Learn more

We facilitate ticket cancellation and change procedures for passengers whose first-degree relatives have passed away. Please visit our page for more information. Processes may vary depending on the specific situation.

I am a funeral attendant. Can I issue discounted tickets? Learn more

We can apply discounts to funeral companion passengers traveling on direct/connecting domestic flights and TRNC - Nicosia flights. These passengers must apply to our sales offices with the original bill of lading prepared by the relevant Turkish Cargo authorities for funeral transport conducted by Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet (except Codeshare flights). Please visit our page for more information on the discount conditions.