Requesting Suggestions Award Travel on BA

[klfrodo]

Back Story

 

My FF program is through AS. BA is a partner. Wife and I are doing an 11 night med cruise in 2016 departing from VCE

 

After speaking with my AS rep, we got FC tickets from SEA to LHR as soon as the LHR tickets opened. (Actually AS metal from SEA to IAH, IAH to LHR on BA metal).

Once I realized we would be in London, I decided on a 48 hour stop over.

Then,,, when BA opened up LHR to VCE,, I called AS to book the award travel continuation to VCE.

 

Somewhere along the line, I logged into BA.com, went into Manage My booking, and selected our seats.

 

A couple of weeks later, I tried to log in again to get confirmation about number and sizes of allowable checked luggage,,,, error,,,, Booking confirmation number issue.

 

I called AS, I called BA, AS spoke with BA,,, "We can see the booking, we don't see a problem,,, maybe it's a computer glitch,,, check back later".

 

6 weeks later, I try again,,, cannot view my booking on BA.com. Called AS, they verified by trying themselves, they called BA, BA basically says too bad so sad,,, we see the booking, everything is okay, we're not going to put anymore effort into trying to fix the problem.

 

AS says they can see my bookings. I can see the booking under My Trips at AS. BA says they can see my booking.

I'm just frustrated that I have lost all control of my booking on the BA side of the house. Can't verify luggage allotment, Can't view seat assignments or change, can't pre-order meals and drinks. Not a HUGE deal at the end of the day, just don't like losing control of something that should be an easy matter.

 

Guidance, feedback, suggestions (other than go pound sand ;) ) welcome.

[FlyerTalker]

First off, I am not a BA user, so this is general advice. Have you tried accessing the record through the ticket number rather than the locator? Sometimes systems will get a problem in that linkage - the ultimate record is the ticket itself.

 

In fact, some smaller and Asian carriers have websites that only operate through the ticket number. You need that - the locator gets you nowhere.

 

Good luck...perhaps fbgd, as our resident BA expert, can give other suggestions.

[fbgd]

Good luck...perhaps fbgd, as our resident BA expert, can give other suggestions.

 

We have a few others that know BA well, Globaliser, please pick up the white courtesy phone!

 

Are you sure you have the Amadeus PNR, this is BA's reservation system. I've not heard of not being able to access a BA reservation on their own site before. Could a new PNR have been issued when you added the LON-VCE segment and that's why things cannot be brought up?

 

A few things to note....

1) The allowance in F is 3 bags per person

2) As an F passenger you have access to You First, a sort of concierge type service, 800 331 1332 that you can book your spa treatments through, pre-assign seats and pre-order the meals too. Much shorter hold times than the regular number and the team are very switched on.

3) If you want to track your flights I would recommend downloading the MyFlights app through the App Store. it's a great app and will notify you of time changes, seat changes, anything. You can plug your PNR in there and the app will handle the rest.

http://www.myflightsapp.com/

[klfrodo]

We have a few others that know BA well, Globaliser, please pick up the white courtesy phone!

 

Could a new PNR have been issued when you added the LON-VCE segment and that's why things cannot be brought up

http://www.myflightsapp.com/

 

I asked that specific question when I was on the phone with BA. They assured me that my 6 letter confirmation code had not changed when I added the continuation from LHR to VCE.

However, it is interesting that I could Manage My Booking before the continuation but could not after adding the continuation. Logical to me, but the BA rep says otherwise.

 

Thanks

[Gardyloo]

They assured me that my 6 letter confirmation code had not changed when I added the continuation from LHR to VCE.

Six letters and no numbers? That doesn't sound like an Amadeus locator to me at all, rather an Alaska locator.

[klfrodo]

Six letters and no numbers? That doesn't sound like an Amadeus locator to me at all, rather an Alaska locator.

 

This entire trip was booked on Alaska's web site. This is all award travel.

I have 4 separate PRN Numbers ( all of them are 6 Letters)

 

Again, I booked on Alaska's web site

I have 6 letters that indicate they are Alaska Airlines Confirmation Code XXXXX

My flight are

AS metal SEA to IAH

BA metal IAH to LHR

BA metal LHR to VCE

I can see all of this on Alaska's site. To include flight numbers, departure and arrival times. For the Alaska flight, I can see my seat assignments and change seats if I so choose.

On my printed out details, I also have a British Airways Confirmation Code (6 letters) XXXXXX

Before I added the continuation on to VCE from LHR, I was able to log onto BA.com with this BA 6 letter code and manage my booking. I was able to select my FC seats for the IAH to LHR segment.

After the continuation was added, I can no longer Manage My Booking at BA.com

 

I also have my return trip from VCE-LHR-ATL-SEA

VCE to ATL is on BA. This route was also purchased using award travel. This was Business rather than FC. This routing was all done at the same time. No changes.

I am able to Manage My Booking at BA.com for this return segment which also has a BA 6 letter PNR code. At BA.com I was able to purchase my return seats.

The Alaska portion of the return trip has a separate 6 letter PRN code

[fbgd]

As Gardyloo notes all BA (Amadeus) PNRs are a mix of letters and numbers.

 

My concern would be that perhaps your itinerary didn't get reticketed once the LHR-VCE segment was added and that could account for the foul up. That could cause major hassles if you go to check-in and it hasn't happened.

 

Try putting your BA PNR into this website and see what shows up. Does a ticket number appear lower down?

https://classic.checkmytrip.com/plnext/XCMTXITN/CleanUpSessionPui.action?LANGUAGE=GB&SITE=XCMTXITN

Edited October 27, 2015 by fbgd

[klfrodo]

As Gardyloo notes all BA (Amadeus) PNRs are a mix of letters and numbers.

 

My concern would be that perhaps your itinerary didn't get reticketed once the LHR-VCE segment was added and that could account for the foul up. That could cause major hassles if you go to check-in and it hasn't happened.

 

Try putting your BA PNR into this website and see what shows up. Does a ticket number appear lower down?

https://classic.checkmytrip.com/plnext/XCMTXITN/CleanUpSessionPui.action?LANGUAGE=GB&SITE=XCMTXITN

 

Trip does pop up with the 6 Letter code

 

However

 

"Your trip is on hold. Neither the price nor the reservation is guaranteed until the reservation has been confirmed"

 

Further Down

 

Flight 1 SEA to IAH AS730

Waitlisted

(Now this is the Alaska flight. We are confirmed in coach on Alaska but waitlisted for FC)

 

IAH to LHR BA196

Confirmed

 

LHR to VCE BA578

Confirmed

[klfrodo]

Interestingly Amadeus shows a flight on AS7154

the day after we arrive in London. Has no aircraft listed. Has no departure or arrival airport.

But it is confirmed.

 

We have no flight that day. That is during our stay over in London

[klfrodo]

Issue Resolved

 

Called Alaska back, started telling them what I found on Amadeus, they started trippin

 

Put me through to an award ticket supervisor who has been around for many many years,,, think back to the old paper ticket days.

She put me on hold and completely reissued new tickets.

Logged into BA.com,,,, and viola,,, there it is.

 

I'm sure I'm not going to get the terminology right but it had something to do with all the rules and restrictions and fare codes and ownership of the ticket.

Something had happened in the background and BA couldn't see it, therefore not allowing me to log into BA.com

 

Thanks to all for the help

[fbgd]

To me it sounds like the ticket was in "exchange status". I've had it in similar situations to yours. I didn't find it out until I got to the airport to check-in though. I missed my first flight, then had to spend a good hour on the phone trying to resolve the issue.

[Gardyloo]

Glad it worked out for you.