Here's where I'm at with my partner redemption attempt. Four full days after I first asked them to ticket the itinerary, after having sent five email reminders and called three times on the phone (of which, the last two times I was assured the issue was being flagged on priority and someone from the partner award team would call me to finalise the booking), still no calls.

But the esteemed partner award team has sent me an email saying they will call me in the next 48 hours to finish ticketing the award. Or I can call the service centre and have it done on the IVR.

Understandably short of confidence about them ever calling, I called the service centre and asked to be put on the IVR to complete the booking. Whereupon I was told that my passport info was not logged in the PNR.

This despite me having sent scans of my passport in my very first email to them.

And no, the lowly service rep on the line cannot add the passport details to the PNR. Nor can his supervisor.

You guessed right - only a member of the esteemed partner redemptions team can do it.

Surely no one can be so incompetent without malicious intent?