How to check in online with Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines online check-in lets you get your boarding pass before you reach the airport and, if you're travelling with no baggage or hand luggage only, go straight to security and on to the boarding gate. You can complete it on the Turkish Airlines website or in the Turkish Airlines app, and it takes just a few minutes.

In this guide we cover when online check-in opens, how to complete it step by step, how to get your boarding pass and what to do at the airport once you're done.

One question that comes up a lot is how far in advance you can check in online. With Turkish Airlines you can check in from 24 hours to 90 minutes before departure, either on the website or in the app. That's the point at which you can check in, pick your seat from the seat map and get your boarding pass.

If your trip includes more than one flight, you can check in from departure to arrival for any flights that are already open for check-in. And if you're flying out and back on the same day, you can check in for both flights at once.

The other deadline to keep in mind concerns the airport: all check-in and baggage procedures have to be completed 60 minutes before departure for international flights and 45 minutes for domestic flights (some airports have longer deadlines, so check your boarding pass or the website). To get there in time, the airline recommends being at the airport 2 hours before departure for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights. Do stick to these limits: your check-in is cancelled if you don't collect your boarding pass in time or if you arrive late at the boarding gate, and passengers who don't reach the gate in time aren't accepted on board, even with a printed boarding pass.

Before you start the Turkish Airlines online check-in process, make sure you have the following ready:

• Your reservation code (PNR) or your ticket number. The online check-in form accepts either in the same field, and you'll find both in the confirmation email you received when you bought your ticket.

• Passenger's surname, as it appears on the booking.

• ID card or passport, depending on your destination: you need it for some of the steps, and you'll need it on the day of your flight either way.

With your reservation code (or ticket number) and surname you can start the process in the app or on the web without needing to register on the airline's website. Now let's look at the steps to follow to check in online with Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines online check-in takes just a few minutes and can be completed on the airline's official website or in its app. Once you're done, you get your mobile boarding pass, which you can also print.

To check in online with Turkish Airlines:

1. Go to the Turkish Airlines website or open the airline's app.

2. Enter your ticket number or reservation code (PNR), along with the passenger's surname.

3. Select the passengers and the flight you want to check in for.

4. Check your trip details and, if needed, complete or confirm the information requested.

5. Pick your seat from the seat map, from those available in your travel class, or accept the one assigned automatically.

6. Confirm your check-in.

7. Get your boarding pass, to keep on your phone or print out.

Online check-in can be completed on the web or in the app. Below you'll find the differences between the two options.

Booked through a travel agency or a site like eDreams or Booking.com?

You still check in online on the official Turkish Airlines website or in the Turkish Airlines app, wherever you bought your ticket. The process is identical to the one for passengers who booked directly: you need your reservation code (PNR) or ticket number, along with the passenger's surname.

The one thing to watch is the reservation code. When you buy through a travel agency or an online travel agency (OTA) such as eDreams, Booking.com, lastminute.com or similar, you receive a confirmation code from the agency, which doesn't always match the Turkish Airlines reservation code, the PNR the airline uses to identify your booking in its own system. It's that one, the Turkish Airlines PNR, that you need in order to access online check-in.

How to find your Turkish Airlines reservation code (PNR):

• check the confirmation email from the agency or OTA: the airline's code is often shown in a separate section, next to wording such as "airline confirmation number", "airline booking reference" or "booking reference";

• if it isn't in the email, contact the agency or OTA directly and ask for the airline's reservation code, explaining that you need it to check in online on the Turkish Airlines website.

As an alternative to the reservation code, you can use your ticket number for Turkish Airlines online check-in: agencies usually include it in your travel documents.

Once you've completed online check-in, you'll have your digital boarding pass; if you're travelling with no baggage or hand luggage only, you can go straight to security at the airport and on to the boarding gate.

The Turkish Airlines mobile boarding pass is a digital boarding pass with a QR code, and you can view it in three ways:

• in the Turkish Airlines app;

• in your phone's browser;

• through the link you receive by email.

At the airport, simply have the QR code on your boarding pass scanned and you're ready to go. Bear in mind, though, that the mobile boarding pass isn't valid at every airport, and Turkish Airlines publishes the list of airports where it can be used on its website. If yours isn't on the list, print your boarding pass.

What to do at the airport

Now that you have your boarding pass, what you need to do at the airport depends on your baggage:

• if you're travelling with hand luggage only, in most cases you can go straight to security and then to your gate, skipping the airline counters altogether;

• if you have checked baggage, you'll need to drop it off at the Turkish Airlines check-in counters.

Remember the deadlines: all check-in and baggage procedures have to be completed 60 minutes before departure for international flights and 45 minutes for domestic flights, and some airports have longer deadlines. The airline recommends arriving at the airport 2 hours before departure for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights, so you have time for baggage and security checks.

If you don't stick to these limits your check-in is cancelled, and passengers who arrive late at the gate are denied boarding, even with a boarding pass.

In most cases Turkish Airlines online check-in is available with no particular restrictions, but in some situations the airline requires you to check in at the airport:

• passengers who need special assistance: unaccompanied children, passengers with a medical condition and passengers with reduced mobility can use the in-person check-in options rather than checking in online;

• children aged 7 to 11 travelling alone on an unaccompanied minor ticket: online check-in isn't available for them;

• flights operated by another airline: as covered above, on codeshare flights the operating carrier's product and service standards apply, including check-in procedures.

In these cases you check in at the Turkish Airlines counter at the airport, showing staff your ID card, your passport and any documents relating to your particular circumstances.

You checked in on time, well within the deadline, and you were at the gate exactly when you should have been. And yet a cancellation, a delayed flight or overbooking can still get in the way of your plans, even with a confirmed booking.

In these cases, if the airline is responsible, European Regulation EC 261/2004 entitles you to compensation of up to €600 per passenger. The right to compensation applies to arrival delays of more than 3 hours, to cancellations notified without sufficient notice (more details here) and to denied boarding due to overbooking.

For Turkish Airlines, which is not a European airline, EC 261 applies only to flights departing from European airports. If your Turkish Airlines flight took off from an airport in Turkey, the Turkish air passenger rights regulation applies instead, while in other countries other passenger rights may apply.

Working out whether you're entitled to compensation, and how to get it from the airline, may therefore not be straightforward. To find out more, read our guide to Turkish Airlines compensation. Alternatively, you can check for free with AirHelp: just enter your flight details to find out in moments whether you're entitled to financial compensation.

Track your Turkish Airlines flight after check-in

Once online check-in is done, the wait for your flight begins. From that point on it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your flight status, especially if you have connections or someone picking you up when you land.

The Turkish Airlines app lets you follow your flight details in real time through notifications, and it also gives you airport maps to help you find your way before and after your flight. The airline also says that in the event of a delay it notifies passengers by text and email, provided it has their contact details. You can check that your mobile number and email address are up to date in the booking management section.

Alternatively, you can use the free AirHelp app, which adds one more feature: if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, is cancelled, or you're denied boarding, the app automatically checks whether you're entitled to compensation under Regulation EC 261/2004 and alerts you directly.

With the AirHelp app you can:

• receive real-time notifications about delays, cancellations, gate changes and baggage carousels;

• scan your boarding pass to add your flight quickly;

• share your flight status with whoever is picking you up;

• automatically check whether a disruption entitles you to compensation of up to €600;

• start your compensation claim straight from the app, with no paperwork.

The app is free and available on iOS and Android.