Denied Boarding b/c of Computer Problem -- Compensation
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,227
Of course much of the time, particularly on international, a failed OLCI doesn't indicate anything more serious, but at least you'd know to be better safe than sorry.
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,663
Well, I think the point was (or should have been!) that if OLCI fails, you should get to the airport earlier than normal in case there are problems.
Of course much of the time, particularly on international, a failed OLCI doesn't indicate anything more serious, but at least you'd know to be better safe than sorry.
Of course much of the time, particularly on international, a failed OLCI doesn't indicate anything more serious, but at least you'd know to be better safe than sorry.
#33
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,662
When I check in online for my typical LHR-PHL flights, I almost always am unable to complete the process. Sometimes on the morning-of-the-flight, it does let me check in. I don't fret about it anymore.
#34
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Texas
Programs: Hyatt Glob (Barely); Marriott Plat Life; AA Up and Down Now Plat; Hilton, UA, BA, HA Peasant
Posts: 2,668
Well, I think the point was (or should have been!) that if OLCI fails, you should get to the airport earlier than normal in case there are problems.
Of course much of the time, particularly on international, a failed OLCI doesn't indicate anything more serious, but at least you'd know to be better safe than sorry.
Of course much of the time, particularly on international, a failed OLCI doesn't indicate anything more serious, but at least you'd know to be better safe than sorry.
Whether London or Garden City; why wouldn't you check in as your window to do so opens? At least you know if you might have a problem.
Then there is Point B. The boarding pass in your hand is still your friend and might just save you. I've walked past the frustrated crowd to the gate when the kiosks at the airport were down and nobody could check in on site. Once or twice. They didn't hold the plane. I boarded and went home.
I've also boarded twice when the readers were down at the gate. If you had paper they took it and you got on. Twice. Would they still do that? I don't know.
My third actually happened to me story. I checked in from a phone on a moving bus going back to London from Stonehenge. Very slowly. The day before. Poor connection. But it worked. Much to my amazement that got us far enough up the Upgrade List to sit in the front instead of steerage. Sometimes the seats go to the stubborn. Or maybe it is to the obsessive-compulsive.
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,235
Bingo. That is the point.
Whether London or Garden City; why wouldn't you check in as your window to do so opens? At least you know if you might have a problem.
Then there is Point B. The boarding pass in your hand is still your friend and might just save you. I've walked past the frustrated crowd to the gate when the kiosks at the airport were down and nobody could check in on site. Once or twice. They didn't hold the plane. I boarded and went home.
I've also boarded twice when the readers were down at the gate. If you had paper they took it and you got on. Twice. Would they still do that? I don't know.
My third actually happened to me story. I checked in from a phone on a moving bus going back to London from Stonehenge. Very slowly. The day before. Poor connection. But it worked. Much to my amazement that got us far enough up the Upgrade List to sit in the front instead of steerage. Sometimes the seats go to the stubborn. Or maybe it is to the obsessive-compulsive.
Whether London or Garden City; why wouldn't you check in as your window to do so opens? At least you know if you might have a problem.
Then there is Point B. The boarding pass in your hand is still your friend and might just save you. I've walked past the frustrated crowd to the gate when the kiosks at the airport were down and nobody could check in on site. Once or twice. They didn't hold the plane. I boarded and went home.
I've also boarded twice when the readers were down at the gate. If you had paper they took it and you got on. Twice. Would they still do that? I don't know.
My third actually happened to me story. I checked in from a phone on a moving bus going back to London from Stonehenge. Very slowly. The day before. Poor connection. But it worked. Much to my amazement that got us far enough up the Upgrade List to sit in the front instead of steerage. Sometimes the seats go to the stubborn. Or maybe it is to the obsessive-compulsive.
There's never been any issue other than AA having lousy legacy IT systems.
#36
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 112
I had an AA award ex ORD with 2 AALegs and two QR legs. Absolutely no way, no how was AA going to let me complete OLCI. Not for lack of trying either. Departure at 6AM. We reached the counter at 4:15. And it took the agent over an hour to get us checked in and boarding passes issued. No issues with IT or the tickets or anything. It just took her that long to decipher all the stuff in Timatic and check stacks of paperwork. Then she messed something up and had to start all over. Net effect, we walked up to the gate at 540.
Lesson learned. I’ll always look twice to find the priority check in desks instead of the first open general desk.
Lesson learned. I’ll always look twice to find the priority check in desks instead of the first open general desk.
#37
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ILM/STT
Programs: AA Exp, Admirals Club
Posts: 192
I don’t know if this is what happened to you or not, but…. I FF to STT. We have to go through Customs to leave even though it’s a territory. American is always very clear that you have to be checked in 90 minutes before departure. I’ve also been told we are supposed to clear customs 90 minutes before. But they don’t check that part. I’m sorry that happened to you.
#38
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: AA EXP 3.4MM, BAEC, UAMP, Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz Gold, GE/TSA TT
Posts: 2,723
just recently for SFO-JFK-MAD I could not OCLI from my Macbook, but was able to do it using the Android app on my Samsung phone.
weird....
weird....
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
It's not limited to AA. My lifetime international OLCI success rate on UA is 0%.
#41
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,572
The UA mobile application allowed for scanning and recording of passport and from the website able to upload RAT result and check in and get boarding pass for SYD-LAX . the LAX-ORD was no issue , nor was the ORD-LHR sector
#42
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
The idea that "4 euros per passenger" is something the airlines don't worry about when it comes to pricing is simply absurd. These are the same people who took magazines off planes because the bean-counters showed them it would save on fuel.
#43
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: USA
Programs: American Airlines (Executive Platinum), Hyatt (Globalist), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Diamond)
Posts: 2,917
That's actually the opposite of what I was saying. My point was that even if the airlines managed to successfully pass on 100% of the cost, it would still be a good deal for consumers.
Why would I want to pay an extra $6/flight for insurance that I get from multiple credit cards? If people want insurance, they can buy insurance.
#44
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: ba silver
Posts: 729
These situations are quite rare. I don't think paying IDB in cases like this would increase fares by six dollars per passenger. This may be the case in Europe as airlines are on the hook for mechanical delays which I don't favor.
The rules need to change so that IDB is payable to any passenger who is lawfully entitled to board the flight by: paying for ticket, checking in on time, being fit for travel and having the required documents. As long as the flights is not canceled the passenger should have been boarded somehow, perhaps by getting authorisation from a higher up at the airline. No payout for any other reason though; that's what insurance is for.
The rules need to change so that IDB is payable to any passenger who is lawfully entitled to board the flight by: paying for ticket, checking in on time, being fit for travel and having the required documents. As long as the flights is not canceled the passenger should have been boarded somehow, perhaps by getting authorisation from a higher up at the airline. No payout for any other reason though; that's what insurance is for.
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,235