ChrisA330

AC has a disconnect between what is in the Tariff and what they tell Travel Agents:

3. What is considered a duplicate booking?
Any space held for the same passenger that cannot all be flown, due to timeline and/or illogical itinerary. This includes when you hold more than one booking for the same passenger: - in the same or different PNR; with the same or different Travel segments; in the same or different booking classes; in the same or different CRS system.

https://www.aircanada.com/content/da...cedures-en.pdf

Adam Smith

I'm not surprised that's how they want it to work, but if that's the goal, they need to write it in to the tariff and be transparent about it.

YYC3722

I had 2 back to back bookings IAH-YYZ-YYC one in case I was done early. I had to cancel the later one. Both where in the system >24hr.

mike88m

So far still intact 👍(almost 2 weeks)

tylerc

How did it play out? I'm considering making a conflicting booking with 2 separate aeroplan accounts. Same pax on both, but different primary traveller. The second booking would have no AC on the itinerary. Wondering if I can get away with this for a day or so to sort out which one I will use?

canadiancow

This system is run by the operating airline.

If one booking has no AC, then AC isn't going to look at it.

But other airlines, including UA, have their own systems to cancel duplicates.

Far Siren

I have a booking on UA YYZ-ORD-DEN for myself & family which I would like to keep, but there is a possibility I will be in Europe that week and may need to fly directly to DEN from FRA, so would like to book a back-up flight just for myself FRA-YUL-ORD-DEN. The last segment (ORD-DEN) of both bookings will be on the same flight. The UA flights have my Premier # and the AC reservation will have my Aeroplan one. So basically the only identifiable info on the ORD-DEN duplicate segment is my name & birthday. Do you guys think either the UA or AC systems may flag this & cancel?

Adam Smith

AC will have no idea that your UA booking exists, so there's no way they'll cancel it.

​​​​​​Even though they have different FFP numbers, UA might potentially pick this up based on same name and DOB. You should check with the UA forum.

Bartolo

i can tell you that last spring UA did cancel me in a somewhat similar situation.I had an AE tx on AC. Bought a revenue tx on UA. Other than originating airport, departure date, my name, my AE #, there was absolutely nothing in common. Departure times from originating airport were very different. A lot of work to get the UA tx resurrected. Thankfully, got my seat back due to UA agent intervention. The flight ended up being oversold.

Far Siren

OK thanks for the data point. Sounds risky so I may just book a completely different itinerary then.

CaiusJuliusCeasar

I have YUL - VIE - BKK one way in J booked on march 2nd on Austrian. Thailand playing with entry measures, I would like to book YUL - FRA - HKT on march 4th (also one way, one leg with AC, the other with TG) so I can decide where I fly depending on the covid situation in march. Do I understand right from reading this thread that these bookings are NOT overlaping. Any chance of auto cancellation ?

Adam Smith

With this being your first post, welcome to FT

Assuming you booked both of these through AC, yes, there's a chance of auto cancellation. The system is stupid (I guess "badly programmed" might be technically more accurate), and even though your two bookings don't violate the tariff and don't conflict, the system may decide they do.

If your OS booking was made with OS and the other with AC, that's an interesting question. AC and OS are both on Amadeus, but would AC's dupe detector pick up a booking that's entirely on OS metal?

Can you elaborate on who you booked these with, revenue vs points, etc?

CaiusJuliusCeasar

Thanks! Still learning how the forum works. Not even sure I quote this right. Both bookings are on points booked on aeroplan. I haven't actually made the second booking because the 3 OS J seats are precious (having a 2 years old flying) and I don't want to risk loosing them. On another hand, I might no be able to fly to BKK and I want to secure the trip to Thailand. Yeah, I know, first world problem but that's why we're here!

Adam Smith

The dupe detector behaves in unpredictable ways. The only way to find out is to make the bookings. The good news is that the bookings aren't cancelled right away. I believe some customers ( @Bohemian1, @canadiancow ?) have gotten an e-mail notification. If one of the bookings is on a flight pass, there will be no notification, but if they're both Aeroplan, you may or may not get it.

​​​​​​The other option would be to make the second booking, wait a few hours (the dupe detector doesn't always pick things up right away), then ask AC whether one of the bookings has been flagged - the dupe detector attaches a remark to the PNR about the duplicate and when it will be cancelled. But this requires calling AC, which if you have no status, may be painful. Some members of this forum could more quickly obtain the info from AC, but you would have to be comfortable sharing your PNR, which contains a lot of personal information.

CaiusJuliusCeasar

Interesting. I have 25k, but I try to avoid calling them at all cost... I just thought of something: My SO is on family sharing, so what about her making the second booking ? It will be the same 3 people flying, but it would be booked under a different account holder. Would that do the trick ?