Ged

Wifey has been in UK and after snowbound changes left Edinburgh to Heathrow on BA, then United across to LAX with Air NZ metal ultimately taking her to Auckland then CChurch. Both BA at Edinburgh and United in London confirmed she was booked through to CChurch - her baggage has tags indicating this as well - but wouldn't issue boarding passes and told her boarding pass would be issued at LAX. Arrives in LAX - 40m later than planned due to late take off from Heathrow. Spoke to flight attendants during flight re tickets and connections. No worries. There were 60 PAX doing the same and people would be there to meet her. Guess what. Nobody there to meet them. But it appeared the other 59 passengers already had boarding passes issued at Heathrow and got on the next flight. She eventually managed to get a manager at Air NZ check in desk in LAX - which was empty - who said she wasn't in the system. Not their problem !! Speak to United.

Who are now currently doing their best to avoid the discussion apparently. Who's at fault here and who should be stepping up to help ? It's all on same booking - Air NZ reference.

She's on her own in LAX at 9pm at night...Fricking fabulous service from our national carrier. I'm sorting out a hotel for her at the moment.

Cheers for your thoughts. Never had this happen before.

nzkarit

Who's ticket stock? I.e. what is the first three digits on the E ticket?

United caused the missed connection so think it's their responsibility.

Not surprising check-in was empty as would have been after checkin close.

LyingFlat

Regardless of whose ticket stock it is, the disrupting carrier is responsible for rebooking onward travel. In this case, it appears that UA are the disrupting carrier so they are responsible for rebooking the LAX-AKL-CHC sectors.

Xiaotung

I am just wondering if there was any way you could have done the online check-in just for the NZ sector, in which case you would have dropped the bags immediately after collection and headed to the gate.

Knowing LAX, I would leave a lot more than 40 mins above the legal minimum connection time. That said, it should definitely have been UA who's responsible for rebooking you onto the next flight.

Ged

Thanks for the feedback. United are now happy to sort out accomodation overnight. Turns out not all passengers were processed onto the next flight - same issues - pickup ticket in LAX story so a little aggravated que formed around the United desk.

NZKarit - Flights originally booked on THZ booking reference but when snow closed UK airports, travel agent rebooked and new booking reference for trip started XRL.

I've spoken to TA who said they can't help re rebooking as Air NZ have taken over the ticket and they will sort? She's been notified by United her bags went on the Air NZ flight she was told she wasn't booked onto - is that even possible ??- so the bags will ' meet' her in Auckland on Saturday. She's just been told at United desk she is re-routing to San Fran in 24 hours then onto Auckland...then CChurch.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Ged

@ Xiaotung She's not a regular traveller and relied on check in desks to confirm onward bookings and tickets- checked multiple times at CChurch and again leaving the UK but something has gone amiss. I was amazed at Air NZ - American staff who literally quoted " not our problem" .." You aren't in our system " .... but apparently have taken her luggage which was ???

Thai-Kiwi

Ged so the travel was arranged through a Travel Agent? In which case you have effectively distanced yourself from the airlines and need to deal with the Travel Agent in most cases. However, as noted by others UA has the immediate responsibility for re-booking as their flight caused the disruption.

In this case AirNZ really isn’t directly involved from a responsibility perspective as you contracted that out to the Travel Agent.

The ‘ticket stock’ number query refers to the first three digits of the airline’s 13 digit ticket. AirNZ is 086-xxxxxxxxxx, UA 016-xxxxxxxxxx, and BA 125-xxxxxxxxxx. Knowing this can be useful.

sbiddle

FWIW bags can routinely travel on different planes to pax these days.

Ged

Thanks again all. @ Thai Kiwi - Just checked the ticket stock and for all legs - Edin to London, London to LAX, LAX to Auckland and Auckland to CChurch all the Eticket information starts with 086- XXXX. Same number on all 4 legs. So, not that she'll be wanting to do this for the foreseeable, any ideas or suggestions as to what's happened.

How can BA in Edinburgh and United in London check-in desks confirm she is booked on the NZ LAX to Auckland connecting flight, her baggage is also booked on it and travelled, yet Air NZ desk in LAX claim to not have her in the system ?

nzkarit

Most probably more a terminology thing. Could be something like looking at the pax manifest and seeing didn't have a boarding pass issue prior to checkin closing would have never been moved to the manifest, so not in the system as a checked in pax.

Also booked in is different to check in. Booked have a booking on the flight. Checked in paperwork verified (or partially verified, eg online check in but still need to physically see passport), boarding pass issued, loaded on to pax manifest.