wordsew

Straight from the Air China site:


Ticket Authentication
If your e-ticket was not purchased on Air China website，you may verify the ticket’s authenticity by visiting the TravelSky website at www.travelsky.com.
Used e-tickets can be verified by the system within 27 days after the tickets were thoroughly used.
Unused e-tickets can be verified by the system within a year after the tickets were purchased.
For questions about your e-insurance, please call Air Union Insurance Brokers customer service at 400-810-2688, or Samsung Air China Life Insurance customer service 400-810-1888, or visit their website at www.ssac.com.cn.
Thank you for flying with Air China.

eethan

I completed my flights last week so they ticketed correctly. Months beforehand, I called CA's LA office and confirmed middle-column aisle seats.--Direct access to aisle. However, during check-in, I only got aisle seats next to the window. This is annoying when your seatmate keeps going to the bathroom.

Wonder if there's a way to secure your seats, or does CA give the good business seats to paying passengers? Is there no way to reserve seats online?

jasonvr

So is everyone having problems with http://www.travelsky.com/newsky/journey_online.jsp

I just get an error. As I recall, several months ago that was the only way I could check my itin (using CA PNR provided by UA). Using the other site mentioned doesn't work no matter what name I put in. I've tried multiple different variations. Also tried various ticket numbers that show up on UA, LH, and CMT sites.

Mabuk dan gila

Try http://www.travelsky.com/tsky/journey_online.jsp instead of /newsky/

You could also try the e-ticket number on http://www.saudiairlines.com "manage bookings" for a variety of different airlines e-tickets.

jasonvr

^ Bingo! That worked. Used UA provided CA PNR and [LASTNAME]/[FIRSTNAME]

Note that the eticket shows name as [LASTNAME]/[FIRSTNAME][MIDDLEINITIAL][MIDDLENAME][TITLE]

Edit:
And by the way - Wiki added!

ENFO

There was no way for me to reserve seats online, so I just noted the seats (there were two of us) and looked them up on Seatguru. They were completely fine, but I did call them again a few weeks before and again a few days before the flight to confirm the assigned seats - precisely because I was nervous that there was no way to check online. I understand it may be a hassle though, if you have a lot of flights lined up.

MSPeconomist

WARNING: Anyone with award tickets including Aiir China segments, especially if issued using UA miles and especially for FC or business class seats, should check their bookings regularly as some UA award tickets with Air China segments are reported as being "mysteriously" cancelled. There's a long thread about the issue in the UA forum..

Superorb

Is the only way to check by calling air China to verify?

srikp

It is not just award tickets. I have an upcoming reservation with Air China.

They sent an email stating my flight has been rescheduled. I check my schedule and they have cancelled the return flight from New Delhi (DEL) to Beijing (PEK) on July 15th and rescheduled me on a flight on July 17th.

However, they did not bother rescheduling the onward travel from Beijing to LAX or LAX to DFW. On calling their customer service, the lady was rude and said no tickets available at the same price. I said that is not my problem. She said she will check and get back. I called back today and I was told my entire ticket has been cancelled. Now I am fighting them to reinstate the ticket.

This was a ticket purchased through the www.airchina.us website and paid using paypal.

jasonvr

Does the trip originate or terminate in the US? If so, and if CA doesn't fix it, submit a DOT complaint. Cancellation of a ticket and then forcing you to rebuy would amount to a post-purchase price increase which is no longer permitted.

srikp

Thanks Jason. Yes the outbound originates from US (DFW).

DFW - LAX - PEK - DEL and return same route.

They are saying no more cheap tickets available so I have 2 choices - take a full refund or book on a higher fare which is going to be double of what I originally paid. And they are doing me a favor and offering me a discount.

How long does DOT take to review the complaints? My flight is scheduled for June 28th.

Superorb

This is the federal government here. They only act quickly when you owe them money. If I had to guess I'd say glacially slow, but I've never complained to the DOT before.

moondog

I think he'll have better luck by pursuing the AGs in Texas and/or California (CA has a presence in both states). This is still a slowish process, but it is a little more serious (i.e. active v. passive) than a DOT complaint. But, obviously it wouldn't hurt to alert the DOT as well.

ETA: I've only gone the AG route against an airline once... UA about 3 years ago. The process required almost no effort on my part other than filing my initial claim, which set the wheels in motion. UA accepted arbitration, and IIRC, I had to consent to this. A few weeks later, I received a notice saying that the mediator had decided in my favor (i.e. exactly what I requested), and a few weeks after that, a check showed up in the mail.

I was never planning on spending a lot of time on this because the amount in dispute was only ~$250, but I'm not sure I would have played it much differently even if the number had been significantly larger (i.e. my instincts told me that a more aggressive approach might have actually hurt my chances).

jasonvr

I don't recall how long it took for DOT to force KE to reinstate the first round of RGN fares, but I don't recall it being very long.

AG might be another route, but I'm assuming that's not really what the OP wants (i.e. doesn't just want the money back, but rather needs to fly as ticketed). Unless the AG will force CA to make him whole by refunding the original price paid as well as reimbursing for whatever price OP has to pay for a replacement ticket, I think DOT is still a stronger option.

Either way, I would start the process IMMEDIATELY since you've got about 4 weeks until travel.

moondog

In my case, the AG didn't "force" UA to do anything. They merely recommended arbitration, to which UA agreed, and ensured that the facts I presented were properly conveyed. If the situation had been different (as it is with the OP), my stated objectives would have been along the lines of what you suggested.

I agree with your statement about the OP needing to get things started ASAP.