Denied boarding due to boarding pass link not working ?
 

My colleague checked into his flight this morning (29 Aug) at 9.27am. Flight is AC8117 departing SJC for YVR at 6.30pm. He gets his email with links to the boarding pass. Heads to the airport, returns rental car, reaches security and the link does not work. This is at least 45 mins before departure with no checked bag. Goes to AC counter and they say the flight is closed so no reprinting of boarding pass. They rebook him for free on tomorrow am flight. This seems bizarre because he was already checked in on the website and had a link to the boarding pass - I have seen the screen shot of the email. You would think they would at least reprint the boarding pass and send him thru security. SJC airport is small enough to get from the doors to gate in 15mins.
Also wonder if the BP link not working issue had something to do with the app breach and passwords resets. He could not check in on the app which is why he checked in on the website. Seems crazy to miss a flight because the airlines BP link would not work.
I told him to call in and ask for denied boarding compensation.
Anyone know if AC8117 was full today ?
Possibly a warning to everyone to check your BP link and perhaps take a screenshot if the BP displays.

Weird. I've had no trouble reprinting boarding passes just before flight time at checkin counter, lounge, etc (assuming I was validly checked in my the cutoff time, and that the requisite counter was open). An outsourced/outstation thing, perhaps, conveniently conflating "the flight is closed and we can't check in new people" to "we've logged out of the AC system for the day"?

That all being said, it is generally prudent to check one's boarding pass and take a screenshot or include in wallet so you aren't dependent on connection at the gate. Not due to this, presumably rare, situation, but since any number of other things could go wrong with boarding passes or your data connection, and you don't want to be That Guy (or Gal) holding up the line at the gate as you try to figure out why your data connection has conked out and so can't load your BP!

Agreed. Weird. Even if you don't complete OLCI to the last step, the "system" already thinks you're checked in.

I still use paper boarding passes for this very reason (and in case my phone battery dies). Old fashion, but it works.

Is this IDB?

Thats what I think too. He is checked and has a boarding pass email. Not his fault that the BP link does not work.

Only if the flight was oversold.

I always download electronic BP to wallet for exactly this reason that when needed, electronic communication may fail.

Have not had Apple lose a BP yet

and how is this IDB???

Complain to AC, see what they respond with, and go from there...so much jumping ahead without asking AC what they will do about this situation.

That's the USA DOT rule, but would a different definition apply to an AC flight to Canada?

If the passenger is checked in and was sent a BP which now does not work, is at the airport in plenty of time to make the boarding cut off with no checked bag, I would call that IDB. What would you call it ? I know its a IT fail but not a fault of the pax for missing the flight.

It's not IDB unless Canada has a different definition which applies to either AC flights or flights to Canada.

Here is definition from US DOT - and so a claim must meet THIS test that was flight oversold.

https://www.transportation.gov/indiv...ping-oversales

OP has not demonstrated the flight was oversold.

So until we have facts that state flight was oversold, then NOT IDB

Ok. So not sure what to call it then. Perhaps someone can check if the flight was oversold, the flight number is in my original post.

There's nothing useful in EF.

Comments:

AC8117/29AUG EQU ARNCR9A01
CTY TML ARR DEP GRND AIR CABINS J Y
SJC - 1830 - 02.12
YVR 2042 TOTAL TIME SJCYVR 2.12
SJC 1824 00:06E YVR 2040 00:02E CR9 XXX AD AA
DEP TML A GATE --/1
ARR TML M GATE --/-----
OPERATED BY/EXPLOITE PAR QK

me too along with my wife, maybe I am showing my age, but have never been comfortable with using my phone for boarding passes