Award booking issues on FB website

Old Jan 25, 2009, 3:54 am
  #196  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: FB Platinum LT, HK Airlines whatever, Skywards Ex-Gold :-)
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I booked a return promo award in last December from Shanghai to Stuttgart. One way with KLM, return with AF. The amount was confirmed with 60.000 Miles in BC and horrible 370.00 Euro Taxes.
After I checked my FB account I recognized that FB charged 120.000 Miles. I immediately called FB. The dragon on the line started fighting with me; she told me I choose this amount during my booking. She told me (not direct but she described it very clear) that I am too stupid to use the booking machine. Even my confirmation sent by Flying Blue with 60.000 miles doesnt interest her. She was not willing to do anything, and told me "Please dont argue with me and be nice, in two days is Christmas". I finished the call and wrote a fax to FB, mentioned her name and the story. On December 28th I got a call from FB that they would correct the amount today. But no apologize in all!
What really sucks is the attitude of them. Now I hate myself why I didnt choose to take a FC award with all the changes coming up
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Old Jan 30, 2009, 5:25 am
  #197  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Paris
Posts: 543
This same problem has happened to me today : trying to book a promo award flight to SXM and back...

and when I call FB, the ladies say there is nothing they can do... No availibility, no way of booking the promo internet tickets through them.

I also called the internet assistance and they say that FB has to help for the booking, since the glitch is not repaired yet..

I tried again FB sites (AF and KLM), and the problem occurs on both sites...
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Old Feb 3, 2009, 3:43 am
  #198  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: Miles and More
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I am trying to book one-way Promo Award from Europe to YUL (via AMS) at the end of February. Although at "select flight" stage I can see flights at Promo Award rates in Y, they dissapear at the next stage (trip overview) and the system says that only Classic awards are available. This is true for all dates I have tried in Y. However, a few days seem to have Promo availability in Business (but not the days I need). However, I have noticed that if I try to book a return flight, the Promo rates are back for the same days that were not available with one-way award. The rules of Promo Awards specifically says that they are available for one-way flights and it is confirmed by the partial availbility in Business, so I am really confused.

Can somebody with more experience advice me what to do in that situation?
Thanks in advance!
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Old Feb 3, 2009, 3:53 am
  #199  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Paris
Posts: 543
I just spoke with someone from FB, and they say that the web site is not up-to-date......
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Old Feb 3, 2009, 4:05 am
  #200  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
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It does not look like a problem with "updating" the web site - the same flights have different (non) availability of the promo awards depending on whether you book them as one-way or part of the return travel.
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Old Feb 3, 2009, 4:24 am
  #201  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Well i was perusing through the web promo awards yesterday and i thought YYZ would make a nice short break for this Sunday. I found the best value was go out Y with AF from CDG and back J with KLM to LHR . 126 Euros was the tax&extortion charges to YYZ but a very agreeable 41 Euros back.But as is becoming entirely predictable-the computer said 'non'.

Cut a long story short i managed to book YYZ-AMS-LHR as a single trip(with the 41 Euro charge still in tact) ....i am waiting 24 hours to see if FB wants to fiddle around with my booking and also check on Checkmytrip.com. As yet they haven't so i plan to book the CDG-YYZ outward leg today.It's a rather convoluted way of doing things but heck .....
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Old Feb 3, 2009, 5:00 am
  #202  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: Miles and More
Posts: 376
The calculation of taxes is completely weird. When trying to book Europe-YUL return itinerary the taxes for the outward trip initially are displayed at appx. 150eur and 45eur return (clearly, without fuel surchage). However, when you proceed further you see the total amount of taxes at apprx. 300 euros, so fuel surchage for the return trip is also included.
However, if you try to book the mirror-trip YUL-Europe, the situation is upside down - the final total of surchages is lower than previously displayed and does not include fuel surchages on either direction (total appx. 100 eur).
Same issue of non-availability of Promo awards when booked as one-way on YUL-Europe direction, but they are available if booked as a part of the roundtrip.
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Old Feb 15, 2009, 2:34 am
  #203  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Bodrum, Turkey
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Originally Posted by docklander
Well i was perusing through the web promo awards yesterday and i thought YYZ would make a nice short break for this Sunday. I found the best value was go out Y with AF from CDG and back J with KLM to LHR . 126 Euros was the tax&extortion charges to YYZ but a very agreeable 41 Euros back.But as is becoming entirely predictable-the computer said 'non'.
I think they will not let you plan a return trip in different classes. You need to book them separately as far as I know.. Can anyone confirm this?
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Old Feb 23, 2009, 12:09 am
  #204  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: OOL
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Posts: 3,659
Hmm, my first award on FB. Trying to book a simple one-way YYZ-AMS-GVA online, the daft thing goes all the way to collecting passport details then dies with
"We are unable to complete your booking for technical reasons. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try again later."

Grrr, is it always like this?
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Old Feb 23, 2009, 2:51 am
  #205  
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Originally Posted by harryhv
Grrr, is it always like this?
Pretty much IME.

At least you got quasi-availability and not 'there are no Air France flights' on an exclusively KL route.
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Old Feb 23, 2009, 6:46 pm
  #206  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Originally Posted by Roger
Pretty much IME.
Thanks, gave up on the web page and called the Sydney FB number. The lady couldn't be more helpful, made the booking without problems. Except her (manually-computed) taxes were double those showing on the web. But she kindly agreed to charge the lower web-rate anyway.
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Old Mar 25, 2009, 6:36 am
  #207  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: AY, SK, AF/KL + randomly others
Posts: 239
Couldn't find this reported earlier: Required miles change to an inexplicable number.

I'm trying to do something with 2 x 25000 expiring miles at family members' accounts. Attempting to book something intra-Europe ex-HEL, and avoid AMS with its hideous taxes. As AF-flights aren't bookable through the web interface (this, I believe, is old news), Im mainly looking at anything to Mediterranean with OK via PRG. First trying the Finnish KLM and AF sites, and everything ends up with the infamous "For technical reasons, we are currently unable to respond to your request. We apologise for the inconvenience."

After experimenting with several different country home pages, the AF French site finally seems to work without the technical reasons problem. Instead, it tells me that Le montant en Miles de votre voyage a chang. Le nombre de Miles requis pour ce voyage s'lve dsormais 55 000.

Now, how is that possible? 55 000 miles cannot be any logical economy class awards, since it should be 25 000, 37 500 or 50 000 with various classic/flex combinations. Only possibility is an eco flex + business classic, but all flights show conomique for cabin class

I guess I just have to call them just hate the prospect of having to spell them names of persons (different from the account holders) with various nationalities, which they will without doubt get wrong (as usual).
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Old Apr 10, 2009, 1:16 am
  #208  
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I am guessing you are now offered the new enhanced Economy Elite fares. They are more expensive than regulare Economy. It is an improvement. For some odd reason every other fare is now EE instead of regular economy. Makes me wish I was a simple Ivory...
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Old Apr 10, 2009, 2:50 am
  #209  
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I spent some time at the Crown Lounge help desk putting my stash of miles to good use, which was successfully and efficiently accomplished within fifteen minutes.

The agent was of the opinion that the online award booking engine is basically useless. As we have all experienced by now, the booking engine lives in a world of its own, and has been blessed with a very vivid imagination. It has an amazing ability to find availability where there is absolutely none.

Johan
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Old Apr 10, 2009, 7:39 am
  #210  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Colombia/Newcastle/Kuala Lumpur
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Originally Posted by johan rebel
I spent some time at the Crown Lounge help desk putting my stash of miles to good use, which was successfully and efficiently accomplished within fifteen minutes.

The agent was of the opinion that the online award booking engine is basically useless. As we have all experienced by now, the booking engine lives in a world of its own, and has been blessed with a very vivid imagination. It has an amazing ability to find availability where there is absolutely none.

Johan
The last time I used the award online site for a trip from BOG to KUL was early last year and what a hassle it turned out to be, wrong mileage deducted,expensive tax which I challenged and was reduced (mistake by the system they said).Then on the return leg from KUL the check in desk couldn't find my reservation and after numerous phone calls,found it,but couldnt give me my two onward journey boarding pass from AMS to CDG and from CDG to BOG.Mad rush in each airport to print out boarding cards..I just hope I dont have the same hassle later this year when I book another award ticket!
What happened to the easy telephone booking service they had years ago..lol
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