littlevoices

Resolution Edit: I got lucky, the systems came back online in time and a very good agent (Shita, thanks!) must have actioned on my earlier requests and put the tickets to the front of the queue. All ticketed in time, this might be a useful thread for anyone else with my rising level of panic over the past few hours

Pretty much as the title;

Made a booking yesterday at 2.30pm British time for 3 reservations - 2 of them included SQ&OZ, the other was LX, OZ & SK. None has yet ticketed (despite request for immediate ticketing). I've given a call every hour or so to the call centre today to try and get ticketed - and been told that the ticketing system is down from 9am onwards (about 5 agents now, including one who took down the references and said she would action them once the system returned). However, I have to assume that the system will not return before SQ auto-cancel the reservations.

I assume I am ok on the reservation with LX/OZ/SK and this won't be cancelled yet?

But for the SQ reservation - can I see on checkmytrip that the trips has been cancelled, what is the 'code' I will be able to see? Will only the SQ tickets be cancelled, and the OZ portion of the trip unchanged?

Will the seats I've booked be returned to the pool immediately?

Am I best ringing again at about 2.35pm, after checking on ANA, and rebooking exactly the same flights (not even sure if I can if the systems are down)? My miles haven't been taken as of yet from my account, not sure about the credit card but it could take a second set of charges if needed.

Is there anything else I can do? Feeling a bit helpless, and after such a positive experience yesterday as the whole booking process went very smoothly. I am assuming that calling SQ directly is no use, can I ask them to delay their auto-cancel..

Any thoughts at all would be appreciated... otherwise I'll be giving calls every 20 mins or so and hoping the system returns (unlikely if its been down for at least 4 hours I'm guessing)

Thanks, for what are becoming too regular requests for advice from me at the moment (sadly, clearly not my weekend!)


Edit: Just thought, I'm going to LHR tonight, can the ticketing desk there do anything for me?

stargold

You can call SQ to check exactly what time is the auto-cancel deadline. Not sure they will touch the BD booking so you may not be able to delay the deadline.

Note also that sometimes it's not "exactly" 24 hours but rather some later deadline during the day, like midnight. Only SQ or BMI can tell you what is indicated on the PNR, however.

Not a lot else you can do right now with so little time remaining though. Seats may be returned to the pool if the flight hasn't suddenly filled up overnight but it's not guaranteed.

Checkmytrip will definitely show you that the SQ flight has been cancelled, so until that happens then you're still okay.

I experienced the same thing on NH F and had to ask them to re-book the flight which was thankfully still available. Sometimes I just wonder whether the whole DC redemption experience is worth the raised blood pressure and near-hysteric anxiety...

littlevoices

I know the feeling, its such a long time since I had to do call centres, its almost worth giving all my miles to ANA just so that I can book easily online without the call centre hassles! Maybe if I'm lucky I get until 6pm (one agent mentioned that, I was slightly dubious). To be fair knowing when the flight cancels won't give me much as I'll be checking every 10 minutes on cmt.

Guess I'll just have to wait and see, thanks for the quick response. This trip had better be worth it in the end!

stargold

Try calling SQ - they always answer the phone before even one ring if you choose the "First and Business class reservations" option. Number is 020 8961 6993.

tinkybelle

Yes I had been trying to cancel a reservation since 8am LHR time.
they are still supposedly down.
If I were you I would call the US call centre and get them to ticket for you that is what I had to do a couple of months ago when I changed a res and they had not re ticketed 24 hrs before flight take off -on a sunday morn
then nice man in Phoenix did it immediately.

littlevoices

They said there was nothing they could do as bmi 'owns' that ticket - if it was one of their bookings they might have been able to, but, alas not. Very helpful though... not that there is much I/they can do. Another call to bmi came back around to Shita, who said she would be ticketing as soon as possible... she said I have until 6pm UK time, so, here's to hoping the systems will return by then - my flights are in her hands

Edit: Realised 6pm is when they close, so, if it isn't done by them I'm doomed anyway!

littlevoices

How do you get the US call centre? Do you have a number (I could skype I suppose). I didn't even realise they had a US call centre?

tinkybelle

its right there for the world to see
http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-us/cont...s-offices.aspx
unfortunately its too early in the morn to get usa now- lucky you will get india again.

littlevoices

Their website actually prevents me seeing that... it tells me as I'm in the UK I must visit the UK website (very advanced). Had to look via the google cache, for prosperity I'm putting it here;

T 1-800-788-0555 (reservations toll free)
T +1 480 443 1061 (sales office)
F +1 480 443 0856

Any idea what their working hours are? As its currently 6.40am in Arrizona (Where they're based) I'm guessing it will be a close run thing, but, might give me a few more hours after India is closed.

Edit: UK version of the webpage is here; http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/cont...s-offices.aspx
Not hidden away

tinkybelle

Id say they MAY start at 8 or 9.
its just a guess.
good luck

littlevoices

Since I'm already due to fly with bmi this evening, and I'm on a fully flexible ticket, would I be better going to LHR and getting the bmi ticket office/desk to sort it now (can they - or would they force me to go via the Diamond Club/ICC?), sadly the flights mean Flex ticket is worth nothing and I'd spend hours in the lounge anyway.

I was going to fly about 9pm but I'm willing to sit in the lounge working rather than at home if it means getting this ticket sorted out. Calling USA did indeed redirect to the ICC...

littlevoices

Looks like Shita (sic) is going to get a thankyou email...

one of three ticketed... will wait and see how it goes along... feeling happier already, the one that ticketed was the SQ F ticket, so, the most likely to have problems getting back

Update: two of 3 updated (those with SQ in them, so, my seats are safe)

Many thanks to everyone for your help, perhaps this thread might be useful in the future for someone with future panics, otherwise mods you can close/delete for me! It also demonstrated that you do have seemingly more than just 24hours... in my case this ticketing is taking place about 24 hours after the original reservation is made, (tho about 22 hours before the taxes were loaded.)