Iberia/BA nightmare
 

Hi all,

Help appreciated.

Just had distraught parents on the phone. They booked the LHR to BIO service on BA but through the Iberia website (was cheaper) both in club.

Arrived at airport today and told it hadn't been ticketed. Agent apparently phoned Iberia who said there had been a 'payment issue'.

Flights were booked about six months ago and yesterday my dad phoned BA to reserve seats as it wouldn't let him do do online - agent at BA apparently did this and made no mention of any problems.

I was sadly in the air and couldn't help (I'd have told them not to pay for new tickets, which they've done). They've now paid £1000 for two economy return tickets.

Is there anyway to resolve this and recuperate any lost money?

MANY thanks (had my mum on the phone in tears...)

Did they get a booking confirmation from IB? Or did they never actually complete the transaction on the website?

This is an Iberia issue. What was the 'payment issue' you refer to? Did they actually pay for the original ticket?

I am reading lots of stories about booked flights turning out not to be ticketed lately... Seems to me like his parents got a confirmation email, or they would not know how to checkin online or call BA with a PNR with no mention of any issues by the BA agent.

Is it now the responsibility of passengers to check that every ticket (no matter how it is bought) is properly ticketed and payment is collected, etc? May I also fly the plane? That would be cool!

Yes they had a working pnr/confirmation code which worked fine for 'manage my booking'.

What about ticket numbers? Were there any in the booking confirmation that they should have received?

How is a 'normal' passenger supposed to know this?

I would expect an airline to contact them if there was a problem with the reservation. Not them having to play Sherlock Holmes.

Unless there is a 'we will hold your booking right up to the moment you fly for free' option nobody told me about, this most definitely seems like a cockup.

I would definitely start calling people, not writing.

They most likely would not know about this. That's why we help people on FT.. ;)

The reason I ask, is that if there are ticket numbers (which I suspect there isn't) it is a slam dunk case where the airline doesn't have a leg to stand on. If the ticket numbers are lacking, the battle will be harder but not impossible.

Call CR. Asking for a case to be set up, and for an email so you can send documents.
You'll also need a letter of authority signed by your parents authorising you to deal with their complaint.

"All posts are my own and not on behalf of my employer"

jackr27, you've not actually answered my questions, they are very pertinent questions. Without your answer to that it is impossible to offer any useful opinion:

I think we are in violent agreement. It was more a rant towards the airline, not the folks of FT. :p

I believe it is an indefensible position for the airline, even if there was a payment issue (mistyped cc number, etc). It is bad practice to not revoke the confirmation or inform the passenger about the payment problem. I know that technically a PNR is not a confirmation and that you need the ticket issued. I also know where to find that etc. But only because I spend way too much time here...

That aside, I have read many reports lately of ticketing issues so there may also be a link with that new noFLY system?

IB have contacted me in the past when payment for a booking didn't go through (Argentine issued card so no surprise there). They told me they would hold the seats for 48 hours to complete payment.

Except that if there was a ticketing issue, wouldn't it be on the Iberia side since the OP's parents booked through Iberia?

Yes. What I read was that BA flights supposedly ticketed by others (AA for instance) somehow showed unticketed etc... It was a hunch, not a well documented theory with empirical data and already peer reviewed. :)

Payment issue is still an apparently as reported by a BA agent who has spoken to someone at IB, according to the OP's parents who are emotional.

How long are BA bookings taking to get ticketed in general at the moment?

I made a change to a redemption booking 10 days ago for a trip in a few weeks and it still hasn't been reticketed and the change fee hasn't been charged even though it all shows as confirmed on MMB, at what point is it worth a call?