Apparently self-upgrading on Turkish Airlines is allowed – you just don’t get the full business class service.
Travel writer JT Genter was flying Turkish business class and photographed a passenger who apparently was booked on the flight in economy, but sat in business class. They were with a travel companion and both were caught. Staff came on board to eject them from the cabin, they delayed – and a decision was made just to let them fly in the premium seat.
First time I've seen self-upgraders get caught during boarding, refuse to move, and actually get away with it! (The woman in the couple left for the bathroom, seemingly as a delay tactic)
The flight is delayed and short, so it seems the crew figured it wasn't worth delaying more pic.twitter.com/zn7z97jHua
— JT Genter (@JTGenter) January 28, 2026
However, it appears that what continued to differentiate them from actual business class customres is that everyone else in the cabin was offered the proper business class meal service. Crew refused to feed them.
Update: we took off and the crew is serving all other pax drinks and food. The self-upgraders are steaming that they aren't getting served a meal pic.twitter.com/i5yh9RKsSK
— JT Genter (@JTGenter) January 28, 2026
It appears that this was a flight from Skopje International Airport in Macedonia to Istanbul, which is just a 372 mile flight, blocked at about 1 hour 35 minutes from push back to arrival. That’s an impressive meal for such a short flight, though I’ve had equally good or better flying the 200 miles from Doha to Abu Dhabi on Qatar Airways. In the U.S. it’s standard not to offer a meal in first class at all on flights under 900 miles.
I’ve seen people attempt to self-upgrade but it is not allowed and I’ve never seen it actually succeed. In fact, something like this is more likely:
- A passenger on United was dragged off of a Shanghai – Newark flight after trying to upgrade himself to business class several times and stealing champagne.
- An American on a Korean Air flight was dragged out of business class after attempting to self-upgrade. When cabin crew try to get her to move, she chanted “US marshal! US marshal!” as though that’s whom she hoped would respond. Then they tried to move her and she laughed that she’s wearing a seat belt so she couldn’t be moved.
She was eventually dragged down the aisle and strapped into a chair to remove her from the aircraft. She then yelled something about the airline, confusing North and South Korea, and shouted “nuclear disarmament!”
I’ve never seen a passenger refuse to leave a seat in a cabin they weren’t ticketed in once caught. And I’ve never seen a situation like that not end in being physically removed from the aircraft. I guess the trick is to do it on a short Turkish Airlines flight and be obstinate – but I still don’t recommend it.
In Erdogan’s Turkey… the inflation is so bad, they should’ve just paid cash for the upgrade, because the Lira would be worthless by the time the flight arrives anyway.
Another idiotic take from 1990 and of course the comment is immediately after publishing. Get a life
@Thomas — You first.
@Thomas:
Given a choice of levity or stupidity, the choice is obvious. Too bad it went over your head.
@AlanZ — Eh, all good. Nothing that a delicious ‘roast goose’ on LH can’t satisfy. Hope your travels have gone well thus far this winter season.
@1990
So far so good. A Christmas cruise on the Seine. Top door wine and food. Fantastic Christmas markets in Paris. Eating oysters on the half shell while snowing on us.
Tomorrow a week in London.
Three weeks later, off to NZ and SIN. A change of clothes and off to Argentina for some serious carne asada and phenomenal Malbec in Mendoza. A couple of weeks later and off to Iceland for a seven day cruise and exploring around the island. Then summer, fall and winter in the frozen north. And feel a return trip to Japan in 27.
Yes, 1990, life is great. Should have retired earlier. Highly recommended. Wish everyone could afford to do so. And strongly pray that Orangeman meets his maker, and the rest of us get U.S. eu261.
That’s very unlike Turkish Airlines- the self upgraders were sitting there- I’m surprised they didn’t get a meal.
When I flew Turkish longhaul, the business class aisle was full of people visiting. And the attendants served them drinks. When I inquired about the people who didn’t seem to have seats, the attendant explained to me, “They’re just visiting friends”.
Didn’t bother me at all- I still got my drinks and food, and the people were happy to move aside when I needed to go to the bathroom…
@AlanZ — Beautiful. P2 and I tried Bateaux Parisiens for one of those, and it was delightful. Enjoy London, New Zealand and Singapore (and, Argentina! AND Iceland!) Wow! You’re making the most of retirement (and life, in-general). Best yet, when you’re not traveling, you return to your Mediterranean paradise. Ahh. (As for here, record snow in NYC, recently.) And, you’re really speaking my language on both of those last two. Big time! Saving precious bottles of bubbles for each!
What country is Macedonia?
Did you mean North Macedonia?
Let’s call it what it is; “self-upgrading” is THEFT. I just suffered an uncomfortable round trip of 11 hours each way on Turkish Airlines in a ridiculously cramped economy seat. It is absolutely unfair to the rule abiding passengers that anyone should be allowed to remain in a seat that was not paid for in full. Drag them out kicking & screaming if need be and duct tape them to their economy seat OR AT LEAST serve them with a LIFETIME BAN from flying on Turkish Airlines. Personally I vote for both!
PS: In a few months I will be repeating the round trip & will once more suffer the consequences of being a rule-following cheapskate in an economy seat.
What country were they flying too