FF tickets?

[montu6]

I really appreciate all of the info about potential problems with cruise line air tickets and consolidator tickets. But it got me thinking. What about FF tickets when problems occur, ie missed conections, mechanical problems, etc.? Is it the same as consolidator tickets. In other words, last to be taken care of, not endorsable. We will still use them but wanted to be prepared for when things go South. Thanks!

[Gunner22aa]

DW flew to Turkey to visit friends on an award ticket in business class. There was an issue with her flights in Frankfurt on the way home. She was basically dealt with at the bottom of the priority list even though flying upfront. She got home but it wasn't a pleasent experience for her having to wait 16 hours to be re scheduled.

[greatam]

DW flew to Turkey to visit friends on an award ticket in business class. There was an issue with her flights in Frankfurt on the way home. She was basically dealt with at the bottom of the priority list even though flying upfront. She got home but it wasn't a pleasent experience for her having to wait 16 hours to be re scheduled.

 

 

You didn't post which airline but I would say the experience was more of an anomaly than a normal experience. Particularly because it was a business class ticket as front of the plane flier usually get priority including being asked if they will downgrade if that is the only way to get them to destination in a timely manner.

 

To the OP-as an AA VERY frequent flyer and use a lot miles for upgrades and awards, I have never experienced what Gunner22aa experienced. But there again, I go into every flight with alternatives at hand even if it means getting on another airline, a totally out of the way routing or sometimes even a layover at my expense if needed to ease the process. When the earthquake happened in Chile in 2010, I was scheduled to fly in to Santiago for business the day after the Princess cruise left. The Santiago airport was closed. I had paid for the cheapest coach ticket to Santiago I could get and upgraded to business class with miles. The Santiago airport was damaged and no planes were landing. US carriers shut down ALL their Santiago flights. BUT LAN was flying into Mendoza and other carriers were providing service to Buenos Aires with free luxury bus service to Santiago. Even if I would have had to pay for my own bus from Mendoza to Santiago (as it was, LAN provided free bus service), I was prepared to ASK for the LAN flight to Mendoza.

 

Being prepared IN ADVANCE with alternatives to a flight and being able to offer those to an agent will more times than not get you EXACTLY what you want to speed you on your way. It makes their job a darn sight easier when YOU can come up with alternatives. They only look at the obvious because they don't want to offer a passenger an off the wall way to get their destination and have that passenger unload on them.

 

And the last thing-award tickets DO NOT carry the non reroutable/non endorsable restrictions that consolidator/negotiated/contract tickets may carry. They are taken out of regular inventory.

[Gunner22aa]

Combination of Lufthansa where the problem was and Air Canada who resolved it

[6rugrats]

My experience is that FF tickets are treated the same as "regular" tickets during irrops.

 

Not enough details given to comment on Gunner22aa's post.

[slidergirl]

The one FF award flight I had where there were "hiccups", I was treated very well. As soon as I knew the issue (storm caused power outrage to airline control center), I ran to the Sky Club and asked to be protected on the next flight with seats to Hawaii, in case my flight was delayed past the connection time. No problem. Then, I was called back and told that, if I was willing to fly the next day, I could be put on the nonstop flight in First, instead of doing a connection. I took the next day… But, I was offered very good choices.

 

p.s. turns out, the next day, while we were in the air, there was that big earthquake on the Big Island (where I was eventually headed). Kind of glad I went the day I did - I missed the earthquake and my hotel was up the coast by the epicenter!!! The day I arrived was "interesting" - no power at HNL, waited hours to get a manual ramp, looking for luggage in the dark, waiting hours for the Kona airport to be re-opened to queuing up for get on a flight….

Edited January 13, 2014 by slidergirl

[FlyerTalker]

My experience is that FF tickets are treated the same as "regular" tickets during irrops.

Ditto that experience here as well. Though it has only happened twice in all the award travel I've cashed in. Actually, that's pretty high now that I think about it. Both mechanical cancellations.

[Gardyloo]

I'm in the same boat - I've never been treated differently when traveling on FF tickets rather than revenue tickets.

[Clay Clayton]

ditto

 

When DDP and I used US Airways points to fly from IAD to ATN, the Pope's departure from JFK combined with storms in DC delayed our United takeoff by two or three hours which meant we missed our connection to Lufthansa in FRA. Once we found the right staff, we were quickly re-ticketed…unfortunately, the replacement flight was that quick….we ended up spending most of the day in the lounge. Guess we were luckier than our friends from Chicago who DID make their connection but stupidly didn't print, record, or remember the name or address of our Athens' hotel. They spent the day sitting in baggage claim at ATN.:eek:

[TruckerDave]

The one FF award flight I had where there were "hiccups", I was treated very well. As soon as I knew the issue (storm caused power outrage to airline control center), I ran to the Sky Club and asked to be protected on the next flight with seats to Hawaii, in case my flight was delayed past the connection time. No problem. Then, I was called back and told that, if I was willing to fly the next day, I could be put on the nonstop flight in First, instead of doing a connection. I took the next day… But, I was offered very good choices.

 

p.s. turns out, the next day, while we were in the air, there was that big earthquake on the Big Island (where I was eventually headed). Kind of glad I went the day I did - I missed the earthquake and my hotel was up the coast by the epicenter!!! The day I arrived was "interesting" - no power at HNL, waited hours to get a manual ramp, looking for luggage in the dark, waiting hours for the Kona airport to be re-opened to queuing up for get on a flight….

 

I've been to the Kona airport when I went diving in the big island....O'hare or JFK it ain't. ;)

 

But it was a nice (albeit sparse) little airport.

Edited January 14, 2014 by TruckerDave

[FlyerTalker]

ditto

 

When DDP and I used US Airways points to fly from IAD to ATN, the Pope's departure from JFK combined with storms in DC delayed our United takeoff by two or three hours which meant we missed our connection to Lufthansa in FRA. Once we found the right staff, we were quickly re-ticketed…unfortunately, the replacement flight was that quick….we ended up spending most of the day in the lounge. Guess we were luckier than our friends from Chicago who DID make their connection but stupidly didn't print, record, or remember the name or address of our Athens' hotel. They spent the day sitting in baggage claim at ATN.:eek:

Went to Namatanai in Papua New Guinea???

 

Or did you mean ATH? ;)

Edited January 14, 2014 by FlyerTalker

[slidergirl]

I've been to the Kona airport when I went diving in the big island....O'hare or JFK it ain't. ;)

 

But it was a nice (albeit sparse) little airport.

 

Yeah, it's a cool little airport. One year, there was an Air France SST at the airport the day I was departing. I would have LOVED to see that take off from there!!!! It was some special chartered around the world trip...