hawk99

I had assumed the booking wasn't completed cause the error message "Flight Redemption Failure" popped up and it said to try again

yyznomad

I've received that occasionally as well. Sometimes I have to call in and it gets resolved over the phone, or it just magically gets booked after some wait. They've all occurred on more "complex" itins, if you will.

canadiancow

Also, at a certain point in the booking process, it holds the seats. So if you back out after that, or it fails, the seats will be "gone" for maybe 30 minutes before they're released.

This is specifically to prevent a situation where someone else can book the seats while you're typing in your name and credit card number.

yyznomad

Booking snafus...
Image courtesy of @jasdou

YYC traveler

I have never seen this one before. My spouse and I have a TPAC multi-segment flight upcoming, two legs on AC and the last one on a codeshare. I used the AC iOS app to online check-in and it only offered me email or airport printing of boarding passes, no option for electronic boarding pass. I chose email.

The email that I received states: We've got boarding passes for all segments of the flight, so I've become curious why an electronic boarding pass isn't being offered. I double-checked, this isn't a case of the dreaded SSSS.

Ideas?

24left

@YYC traveler

I have no idea where you are going or who the partner airline is.

I've posted previously that in the past year or so, I've had this a number times, even when the first sector of a multi-sector TPAC trip is on AC. There is the issue of docs check and once the passports are verified and agent clicks ok, the digital BP becomes available. So to repeat, on my AC-LH, print at airport only was available until the FRA FCL concierge did the docs check and the digital became available. AC-UA-NZ, AC was print only, and UA was not available within the OLCI window, but once I arrived in SFO, UA Polaris lounge agent did docs check and digital became available for both UA and NZ. When I got to AKL, the NZ lounge agent did the docs check and then the NZ digital BP became available. On the return, the SQ was the first sector, so digital was fine, but could not get UA until I arrived in AKL and they did dis check and so the game goes. Had the same situation with an AC-LX trip and an AC-CX-OZ-AC where AC digital BP not available at all, but both the CX and OZ were. I've spoken to different AC concierges, different agents at UA, NZ, CA, LH and LX. Some claim it's docs check, some claim it's airline issues, some claim it's DHS. Lots of different answers.

Also, as mentioned previously, sometimes, the app doesn't even let me check in but when I do it via the browser, I can check in and sometimes also get the link to the digital BP. YMMV and have a great trip.

YYC traveler

Vietnam (Hanoi) and OZ (Asiana).
Thanks, I hadn't thought of the document check part, although I'm not sure why a digital boarding pass is different than a paper version. The barcode/QR code is all that is actually read as you pass through security checkpoints and the gate agent.

24left

I'm not sure of a whole bunch of things. However, I know that a couple of years ago, the digital BPs worked well for BR, LH etc without actual docs check. Then I noticed the pattern changed. I try different things even on just AC metal trips where the app says I can't check in or whatever. I use the AC mobile website on the phone and it works and allows me to check in. I feel like it's a constant game of hunt and peck or chicken and egg every time I have to check in for AC but especially if other airlines are on the PNR. Other people may not have these issues but whatever.

YYC traveler

yyznomad

I guess you didn't get some sort of "DOC OK" stamp or handwriting on the BP?

RatherBeInYOW

That was my first thought too, since there are still places where this is needed.

Flying AC out of DEL for example the iOS app will happily give you an electronic boarding pass but it is useless since DEL seems to still have a need to stamp your paper BP a bunch of times (passport control, security, etc.). Amusingly if you get an eUp at the gate they make you keep your original BP for the stamps; last time the concierge wrote my J seat in pen on top of my PY BP.

canadiancow

YYZ TB worked that way until fairly recently. Gate upgrades we're stapled to your existing BP so as to preserve the CBP stamp.

But in the context of this thread, it's much more likely to be some kind of bug. I've certainly been denied an eBP, but after offloading myself, clearing APIS, and checking back in, it would happily give me one.

RatherBeInYOW

YYZ TB has allowed an electronic boarding pass for some time, at least YYZ DOM - TB connections with Global Entry anyway. I have been using electronic boarding passes from the iOS app for many years, US CBP stamps haven't been required since I can't remember when.

DEL in 2019 on the other hand will happily bounce you back to the check-in desk if you get to the front of the customs line and show them an electronic boarding pass.

jc94

This is however a failing on the part of DEL, and not AC I feel

RatherBeInYOW

Oh, 100%

Just that there doesn't seem to be a correlation between the AC giving you an electronic boarding pass (or not) and the airport accepting said electronic boarding pass (or not).