I work at the airport/for the airline. You're wrong.
Dec 25, 2015, 8:31 am
#46
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,316
I had a very similar experience the other day. The mobile app and OLCI wouldn't let me check in and I knew I wouldn't be able to be at the airport more than 40 minutes before departure. Most likely this had something to do with two departures from the same airport. I'm not sure why this is an issue as other airlines can do this - or is this another AC IT fail?
So, I went to the airport late in the evening (after the 24 hours out from three of my flights) so they could check me in and give me at least three of the BP's I needed. First response was they can't check me in since it isn't 12 hours prior, only online. After showing the agent that the app wasn't working, I was pleased to see they took the initiative to call support to see how to "check me in early". After a little back and forth the agent only gave me the boarding pass for my first flight stating they couldn't do more than that.
While this was quite helpful to me, it would have made my life easier with my schedule to have the three BP's I requested. I'm curious if others have had similar issues with the app failing on them or other issues from two departures in the same day from the same point of origin.
So, I went to the airport late in the evening (after the 24 hours out from three of my flights) so they could check me in and give me at least three of the BP's I needed. First response was they can't check me in since it isn't 12 hours prior, only online. After showing the agent that the app wasn't working, I was pleased to see they took the initiative to call support to see how to "check me in early". After a little back and forth the agent only gave me the boarding pass for my first flight stating they couldn't do more than that.
While this was quite helpful to me, it would have made my life easier with my schedule to have the three BP's I requested. I'm curious if others have had similar issues with the app failing on them or other issues from two departures in the same day from the same point of origin.
Sometimes I've had them adamantly say "it won't work", but then it does. Other times they say "let's try!" and it doesn't.
I think it depends what state the flight's in. I also know they are able to change the state of the flight in some circumstances
Dec 27, 2015, 9:35 pm
#47
Join Date: Jan 2004
Programs: AC*E
Posts: 389
I don't normally have two departures in the same day from the same point of origin. Does this cause problems for the app and OLCI?
I've had very mixed results more than 12 hours out.
Sometimes I've had them adamantly say "it won't work", but then it does. Other times they say "let's try!" and it doesn't.
I think it depends what state the flight's in. I also know they are able to change the state of the flight in some circumstances
Sometimes I've had them adamantly say "it won't work", but then it does. Other times they say "let's try!" and it doesn't.
I think it depends what state the flight's in. I also know they are able to change the state of the flight in some circumstances
Dec 28, 2015, 5:51 am
#48
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Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,316
Dec 28, 2015, 6:37 am
#49
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE*MM, Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Gold, National EE, Sixt Plat, Hz 5*
Posts: 2,438
I was just at YYC and the concierge team there was able to check me in for flights on a pnr with the first departure in 30+ hrs. Lounge agents couldn't do it, but concierge no problem.
Dec 28, 2015, 8:48 pm
#50
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 1,291
"Hi, I'm checked in for my flight tomorrow. Could you please print my boarding pass?"
"We can't touch flights tomorrow. We don't have access in our system."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"No, we can't, we don't have access."
"I've done it here before."
"You can't do it. I know. I work at the airport. You're wrong."
"You can do it."
"No. If you're so sure, go talk to my colleague over there."
"Hi, I'm checked in for my flight tomorrow. Could you please print my boarding pass?"
"We can't do anything for flights tomorrow."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"I don't think we can."
"Could you please try?"
"Okay let's see. What flight are you on?"
"1308."
"I've never heard of that flight. Is that Air Canada?"
"Yes"
"To where?"
"Toronto"
"Oh wow that must be a new flight number.........oh hey it worked, here's your boarding pass."
Then the other agent came over and continued being a douche.
I explained to her that there is a very big difference between telling a customer that he's wrong and you're right (especially when the opposite is true), and saying "I don't know if that's possible, I've never done that" or whatnot.
I need a drink.
"We can't touch flights tomorrow. We don't have access in our system."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"No, we can't, we don't have access."
"I've done it here before."
"You can't do it. I know. I work at the airport. You're wrong."
"You can do it."
"No. If you're so sure, go talk to my colleague over there."
"Hi, I'm checked in for my flight tomorrow. Could you please print my boarding pass?"
"We can't do anything for flights tomorrow."
"I know you can't check me in, but you can print the boarding pass if I'm already checked in."
"I don't think we can."
"Could you please try?"
"Okay let's see. What flight are you on?"
"1308."
"I've never heard of that flight. Is that Air Canada?"
"Yes"
"To where?"
"Toronto"
"Oh wow that must be a new flight number.........oh hey it worked, here's your boarding pass."
Then the other agent came over and continued being a douche.
I explained to her that there is a very big difference between telling a customer that he's wrong and you're right (especially when the opposite is true), and saying "I don't know if that's possible, I've never done that" or whatnot.
I need a drink.
Dec 28, 2015, 8:51 pm
#51
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
All the agent had to say was...
Mr. Cow, I understand your ask, but please note it is against SOP for me to do so. Please come back again tomorrow.
Cow could reply: "Well I've done it before!"
Professional reply: "Sir, that may be the case, but it is against SOP and unfortunately I am unable to service your request".
See the difference?
Dec 28, 2015, 8:52 pm
#52
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 1,291
I have to say that this is not a fair assessment. AC can not directly print the BP for LH. What happens is when you have a checkin where you connecting flight is known, the AC system requests a checkin through an EDIFACT message and if all the required parameters align, the LH system will respond with the information required to have AC print the BP. AC can not print it directly without first having one of their own flights being the inbound connection. Sometimes it may take 2-3 requests before it works (i.e. - if you are checking in quite early and for LH - more than 24 hours before their flight). It's not a very simple system. However - LH in MUC could clearly print your BP as it is their system.
Back to the original post - -- Although I agree that the agents can be a bit unwilling to do things or may not be trained in certain transactions, there is some truth to the fact they can not access the following day's flights. When you use Web Check-in - it works a little bit differently and this is setup to allow the checkin from 24 hours. I believe local station checkin is only setup for access from 12 hours. They are not used to seeing someone come for a reprint the day before so they probably had not seen this situation before. I am always amazed how the staff also are not willing to "experiment" or try new things. (Without going into detail - I've had the same agent in YYC 2 times in a row at the SE desk who was completely useless - - including not knowing how to put me on a different earlier standby than I was already on).
Back to the original post - -- Although I agree that the agents can be a bit unwilling to do things or may not be trained in certain transactions, there is some truth to the fact they can not access the following day's flights. When you use Web Check-in - it works a little bit differently and this is setup to allow the checkin from 24 hours. I believe local station checkin is only setup for access from 12 hours. They are not used to seeing someone come for a reprint the day before so they probably had not seen this situation before. I am always amazed how the staff also are not willing to "experiment" or try new things. (Without going into detail - I've had the same agent in YYC 2 times in a row at the SE desk who was completely useless - - including not knowing how to put me on a different earlier standby than I was already on).
You are correct. Knowing how to setup to print a next-day boarding pass is different than following SOP which states that AC Agents are not to provide airport-printed boarding passes the day before travel at the station of origin.
Dec 28, 2015, 8:59 pm
#53
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 1,291
This is hardly bullying. How would the Cow have known?
All the agent had to say was...
Mr. Cow, I understand your ask, but please note it is against SOP for me to do so. Please come back again tomorrow.
Cow could reply: "Well I've done it before!"
Professional reply: "Sir, that may be the case, but it is against SOP and unfortunately I am unable to service your request".
See the difference?
All the agent had to say was...
Mr. Cow, I understand your ask, but please note it is against SOP for me to do so. Please come back again tomorrow.
Cow could reply: "Well I've done it before!"
Professional reply: "Sir, that may be the case, but it is against SOP and unfortunately I am unable to service your request".
See the difference?
Dec 28, 2015, 9:04 pm
#54
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,366
Thing you have to remember is that, according to FT Poster TOS, apparently Union members are evil people who are obliged to eat the firstborn of all passengers.
Dec 28, 2015, 9:21 pm
#55
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,316
This is hardly bullying. How would the Cow have known?
All the agent had to say was...
Mr. Cow, I understand your ask, but please note it is against SOP for me to do so. Please come back again tomorrow.
Cow could reply: "Well I've done it before!"
Professional reply: "Sir, that may be the case, but it is against SOP and unfortunately I am unable to service your request".
See the difference?
All the agent had to say was...
Mr. Cow, I understand your ask, but please note it is against SOP for me to do so. Please come back again tomorrow.
Cow could reply: "Well I've done it before!"
Professional reply: "Sir, that may be the case, but it is against SOP and unfortunately I am unable to service your request".
See the difference?
[Please acknowledge that dates and times are made up, but still show the relative periods we're talking about]
I remember flying YYZ-YUL on a Monday at 1300, and I was returning Tuesday at 1600.
I went to check-in, and they printed both boarding passes ACCIDENTALLY. It just automatically checked me in and printed the return boarding pass, even though I was 28 hours before departure.
I simply don't believe that "we're not allowed to do it" based on how the system works and the fact that I've had exactly one request (around 5%) denied.
Believe me, I have never had the "screw you" attitude toward someone who said "I'm not allowed to". Only to people who have said "it's not possible".
Heck, today I had a concierge apologizing that we couldn't land at ORD. My reaction was "of things that went wrong today that I care about, the weather in ORD preventing our landing is not even on my list.".
And given how they've solved things after another FTer told me what to tell them (thank you, by the way), I'm pretty convinced that printing a boarding pass is not against SOP.
Everything I've been told EVERY time I've done this was "if you're checked in, I can print it. If you're not, I can't check you in until [12 hours|the flight is open|the day of the flight]". So I've had different responses, but no one had ever told me they couldn't print the boarding pass.
Dec 29, 2015, 3:45 am
#56
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
Everything I've been told EVERY time I've done this was "if you're checked in, I can print it. If you're not, I can't check you in until [12 hours|the flight is open|the day of the flight]". So I've had different responses, but no one had ever told me they couldn't print the boarding pass.
Mar 27, 2016, 2:31 pm
#59
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SE, FOTSG Platinum
Posts: 5,725
77L swapped for 77W on 1136 today. No biggie, just need to see if I can move my sxit-row to the PE cabin.
Agent: "Well, yes sir, 14D is open and I've moved you into it, but that's definitely not a premium economy seat. Are you sure I can't put you in an exit row? "
Me: "No, thank you, if it's the HD then row 14 is the PE seats, but it'll show up in the manifest as regular economy because they don't sell PE on Vancouver-Toronto."
Agent: "Sir, I'll show you the seat map. See, row 14 is 2-4-2, it's a two-cabin aircraft. The exit row is a much better seat."
Me: "If row 14 is 2-4-2, and the row behind it is 3-4-3, then it's an HD and row 14 is PE seats, and I'm happy to stay right where I am, thank you."
Agent, with an angry sigh: "Sir, I've tried to help you. It's nothing to do with what products we sell on that flight. This flight shows as a 77F and it definitely, absolutely does not have any Premium Economy seats anywhere on the aircraft."
So, i say thank you, I'll take my chances.
Got to the MLL, asked the agent there to check and tell me if I'd been wrong, if there was maybe a new seating configuration, and proceeded to have almost the exact same interaction. "No, sir, there definitely aren't any PE seats on the 77F."
Anyway, here i sit in a PE seat. Easy to see where the agents would see that only J and Y seats are manifested on the flight, but you'd think they'd know the HD product.
Agent: "Well, yes sir, 14D is open and I've moved you into it, but that's definitely not a premium economy seat. Are you sure I can't put you in an exit row? "
Me: "No, thank you, if it's the HD then row 14 is the PE seats, but it'll show up in the manifest as regular economy because they don't sell PE on Vancouver-Toronto."
Agent: "Sir, I'll show you the seat map. See, row 14 is 2-4-2, it's a two-cabin aircraft. The exit row is a much better seat."
Me: "If row 14 is 2-4-2, and the row behind it is 3-4-3, then it's an HD and row 14 is PE seats, and I'm happy to stay right where I am, thank you."
Agent, with an angry sigh: "Sir, I've tried to help you. It's nothing to do with what products we sell on that flight. This flight shows as a 77F and it definitely, absolutely does not have any Premium Economy seats anywhere on the aircraft."
So, i say thank you, I'll take my chances.
Got to the MLL, asked the agent there to check and tell me if I'd been wrong, if there was maybe a new seating configuration, and proceeded to have almost the exact same interaction. "No, sir, there definitely aren't any PE seats on the 77F."
Anyway, here i sit in a PE seat. Easy to see where the agents would see that only J and Y seats are manifested on the flight, but you'd think they'd know the HD product.
Mar 27, 2016, 9:24 pm
#60
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton G,Nexus, Amex MR Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 4,422
Its not just at the airport, sometimes have the same experiences calling into AC and AE.
AE - As a SE, agent said I would still pay YQ on AC metal.
AC - Agent said I was unable to select preferred seat on AC metal with a LH ticket. HUCA and got it fixed.
AE - As a SE, agent said I would still pay YQ on AC metal.
AC - Agent said I was unable to select preferred seat on AC metal with a LH ticket. HUCA and got it fixed.