With respect, I never have my BAEC number in any of my BA bookings. Usually my QF number is in, but sometimes it's never made it into the booking and there's nothing there. I've never had any difficulty logging in to OLCI at -24h and checking in, nor in selecting only the QF number for credit.
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It's really very simple: Just tell the truth and follow the rules.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Globaliser: With respect, I never have my BAEC number in any of my BA bookings. Usually my QF number is in, but sometimes it's never made it into the booking and there's nothing there. I've never had any difficulty logging in to OLCI at -24h and checking in, nor in selecting only the QF number for credit.</font>
If there isn't any EC or other FF flyer number in the booking - when you try and use OLCI how would the system know that Mrs J Bloggs is booked onto a particular flight. If you're relying ion the booking ref., won't the system then assume you're not an EC member and restrict OLCI to the last 12 hours before departure.
Once you are logged in, OLCI knows your name. It asks for your PNR locator, or for your flight number and boardpoint, and pulls up your booking using those details plus your known name.
No doubt BA could if it wanted to be difficult and say that it will only OLCI you if your EC number is already in the booking and you intend to credit the flight to BAEC. But BA doesn't restrict you like that, and the OLCI system works at -24h so long as you have a BAEC number with which to log on.
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by matthewuk: Also, is it still the case you need two browsers up at the same time to do this? </font>
I think that conventional wisdom is to do it on two separate computers side-by-side. Two browser windows open on the same computer won't work. When I do it for both of us, I just do it sequentially on the same machine. The sequence numbers that we get suggest that there are only ever a handful of people doing OLCI for any particular flight in the first 12 hours that OLCI is open, anyway, so the risk of something dramatic happening and getting split up across the aircraft is small.
I also have some confidence in BA's ability to sort out the mess if it ever were to happen - there is an OLCI helpdesk number which seemed (on the one occasion I've called it) to be staffed by people with access to DCS who knew what it was about. I think I'd be extraordinarily unlucky to be stuffed up in an OLCI seating competition, and then for BA staff to stuff up the fix as well.
[This message has been edited by Globaliser (edited Jan 22, 2004).]
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It's really very simple: Just tell the truth and follow the rules.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Globaliser: I think that conventional wisdom is to do it on two separate computers side-by-side. Two browser windows open on the same computer won't work. When I do it for both of us, I just do it sequentially on the same machine. </font>
Thanks
I was really wondering whether the OLCI will allow checking in a party of 2 in a single session rather than each having to log in seperately - sounds like it won't.
I think I'll OLCI me on my laptop and her on my PC so I can get the windows up at the same time. In the past (admittedly when we had differing status) different available seats have shown up
I think I'll also give EC a buzz and get her number added just in case the 24hr window doesn't work.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by matthewuk:
I was really wondering whether the OLCI will allow checking in a party of 2 in a single session rather than each having to log in seperately - sounds like it won't.</font>
I can tell you from personal experience tonight that it still doesn't. It also didn't allow me to change my seat but allowed my GF to (identical PNR and itinerary). For some miraculous reason, the option became available to me about an hour later.
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Globaliser: ...the risk of something dramatic happening and getting split up across the aircraft is small.
I also have some confidence in BA's ability to sort out the mess if it ever were to happen - there is an OLCI helpdesk number which seemed (on the one occasion I've called it) to be staffed by people with access to DCS who knew what it was about. I think I'd be extraordinarily unlucky to be stuffed up in an OLCI seating competition, and then for BA staff to stuff up the fix as well.
[This message has been edited by Globaliser (edited Jan 22, 2004).]</font>
There are quite a few 'extremely unlucky' people out there, then.
The issue is less that another person will take the seat next to you in-between log-ins, and more that, if you've changed your seat with OLCI, but your flying partner for some reason can't log on and change theirs, you can very well end up separated.
Then, because you're within 24 hours of the flight, the OLCI helpdesk number can't or won't help you change the other seat(s), because the flight belongs to the local airport. All the OLCI helpdesk can do is try to help you log in, but those attempts failed each time we had problems. Ended up getting seated together at the gate, but only AFTER the gate agents fixed the family seating. I have NO confidence in BA's ability to sort out the mess -- on one occasion, we were the last 'problem case' to get our BPs, after the plane was nearly fully boarded.
Moral of the story: until there's a group OLCI feature, fix your group seats on BA before entering the 24-hour window or you're taking a big risk if moving, however small you might perceive it.
--Grog--
[This message has been edited by Grog (edited Jan 23, 2004).]
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz: ...It also didn't allow me to change my seat but allowed my GF to (identical PNR and itinerary). For some miraculous reason, the option became available to me about an hour later.</font>
A perfect example of what I was referring to...fortunately you were able to solve it on-line.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Grog: Ended up getting seated together at the gate, but only AFTER the gate agents fixed the family seating. I have NO confidence in BA's ability to sort out the mess -- on one occasion, we were the last 'problem case' to get our BPs, after the plane was nearly fully boarded.</font>
Clearly it's a matter of perception. Certainly since oneworld was established (carrying over my QF status into BA bookings) I have only once failed to get seats of the type I asked for by the time I (or we) boarded the aircraft, however full the flight. On some occasions this has been sorted out by departure control between check-in (OLCI or airport) and boarding - or on one OLCI occasion, by the time I reached the bag drop desk.
The one occasion that I failed, I had a pre-allocated seat exactly to my desire. A codesharing data transfer glitch put paid to that and it didn't get sorted out at the airport.
Personally, I call that a pretty reliable ability to sort out the mess.
[This message has been edited by Globaliser (edited Jan 23, 2004).]
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It's really very simple: Just tell the truth and follow the rules.
For the record, for my flights, it has been fixed every time it was broken, but, that's exactly the point: it's been broken every time, and very nearly NOT fixed. OLCI should be solving potential problems, and yet, it often creates them.
Having BAEC card holders waiting until 10 minutes before transatlantic takeoff to find out whether they're next to their partner(s) is bad. It's equally wrong to give all BA flyers false confidence that such OLCI failures are either uncommon or always resolved well in advance.
I believe in the enhanced "manage my bookings" due out in February that you will be able to check in two or more pax at the same time.
However, it will have to be seen to be believed...
