Aer Lingus reward booking. Seats gone whilst booking :-(
Apr 21, 2016, 11:52 pm
#1
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Aer Lingus reward booking. Seats gone whilst booking :-(
Hi from Maui!
I was on the phone with the Hong Kong line earlier, trying to book two Avios seats on Aer Lingus. I'd checked availability on United first.
Initially on the call the representative confirmed availability. Then she had a "technical problem" with her computer and asked for more time. After that, she came back saying that the seats were not available anymore when she tried to confirm them.
Does anyone have any experience with similar issues? My feeling is that something went wrong in the process and the seats are now in a limbo. Or perhaps I was very unlucky and someone got them just before me in a span of a few seconds?
I was on the phone with the Hong Kong line earlier, trying to book two Avios seats on Aer Lingus. I'd checked availability on United first.
Initially on the call the representative confirmed availability. Then she had a "technical problem" with her computer and asked for more time. After that, she came back saying that the seats were not available anymore when she tried to confirm them.
Does anyone have any experience with similar issues? My feeling is that something went wrong in the process and the seats are now in a limbo. Or perhaps I was very unlucky and someone got them just before me in a span of a few seconds?
Apr 22, 2016, 12:36 am
#2
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I have certainly been 'really unlucky' before 
it happens. Technical issue and seats in limbo is indeed a second option, but seats were not available in the first place and ua/ba inventory had not been properly updated is a third.
it happens. Technical issue and seats in limbo is indeed a second option, but seats were not available in the first place and ua/ba inventory had not been properly updated is a third.
Apr 24, 2016, 6:55 am
#3
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It has just happened again. I got a notification from Expert Flyer that the seats opened up again. I call BA, the representative was booking the seats and when trying to pay, it wouldn't let him. The availability then disappeared.
He says it happens all the time with Aer Lingus. Surely this time it can't be because their aviailabilty wasn't up to date? I'm wondering if they may be doing something wrong.
He says it happens all the time with Aer Lingus. Surely this time it can't be because their aviailabilty wasn't up to date? I'm wondering if they may be doing something wrong.
May 4, 2016, 12:43 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 178
Did you ever work this out? I am trying to book 4 passengers EI 134 BOS-SNN. United.com shows availability, and expertflyer shows T4. BA agent sees availability but when she tries to price it, it disappears. She even tried again and it AGAIN showed available, until she attempts to price, at which point is disappears. Not sure where to go next. 
May 4, 2016, 12:54 pm
#5
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I did manage to book it. I reported it on another thread but not on this one. I found that a lot of people had similar problems.
I've come to the conclusion (possibly wrong?) that some agents don't really know how to book Aer Lingus flights. Only the third agent I contacted, after two failed attempts across multiple days, was able to give me a booking reference. And that was after he had to put me on hold for a long time. I then had to call back the following day as the booking hadn't been ticketed yet.
My suggestion would be to ask the agent to speak to a supervisor or to escalate the issue somehow so that they can get it booked for you. I don't know if that kind of escalation is even possible.
I've come to the conclusion (possibly wrong?) that some agents don't really know how to book Aer Lingus flights. Only the third agent I contacted, after two failed attempts across multiple days, was able to give me a booking reference. And that was after he had to put me on hold for a long time. I then had to call back the following day as the booking hadn't been ticketed yet.
My suggestion would be to ask the agent to speak to a supervisor or to escalate the issue somehow so that they can get it booked for you. I don't know if that kind of escalation is even possible.
May 4, 2016, 1:32 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,655
I did manage to book it. I reported it on another thread but not on this one. I found that a lot of people had similar problems.
I've come to the conclusion (possibly wrong?) that some agents don't really know how to book Aer Lingus flights. Only the third agent I contacted, after two failed attempts across multiple days, was able to give me a booking reference. And that was after he had to put me on hold for a long time. I then had to call back the following day as the booking hadn't been ticketed yet.
My suggestion would be to ask the agent to speak to a supervisor or to escalate the issue somehow so that they can get it booked for you. I don't know if that kind of escalation is even possible.
I've come to the conclusion (possibly wrong?) that some agents don't really know how to book Aer Lingus flights. Only the third agent I contacted, after two failed attempts across multiple days, was able to give me a booking reference. And that was after he had to put me on hold for a long time. I then had to call back the following day as the booking hadn't been ticketed yet.
My suggestion would be to ask the agent to speak to a supervisor or to escalate the issue somehow so that they can get it booked for you. I don't know if that kind of escalation is even possible.
Its a system issue that is in effect showing false availability, in my experience.
***Aer lingus and cathay pacific unfortunately seem prone to show false availability when checking availability****
If a agent simply tries to grab availability and tries to go straight to payment and ticket then if it false availability when the system tries to ticket and generate the PNR reference the status is changed to unconfirmed.
This is what is happening when you they say its a technical error.
The thing to do is for the agent before they try to go to payment to 'end and retrieve the booking' (they will know what this means) which in effect saves the booking at that point and generates a PNR reference.
If the availability changes to unconfirmed at this point then it is false availability if not it is ok to go ahead and ticket.
May 4, 2016, 1:40 pm
#7
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The clarification you are given is quite interesting, thank you.
The reason why I suspect(ed) that in my case it wasn't a case of false availability, is that the two seats kept becoming available several hours after the failed booking attempts.
I imagine that what you described as 'end and retrieve booking' is what the third agent did for me, as he gave me the PNR reference during the call, but something had to be done when I called the day after in order for the tickets to be issued. At that point I didn't have to provide the payment details anymore, though, as I'd provided them already the day before.
The reason why I suspect(ed) that in my case it wasn't a case of false availability, is that the two seats kept becoming available several hours after the failed booking attempts.
I imagine that what you described as 'end and retrieve booking' is what the third agent did for me, as he gave me the PNR reference during the call, but something had to be done when I called the day after in order for the tickets to be issued. At that point I didn't have to provide the payment details anymore, though, as I'd provided them already the day before.
May 4, 2016, 7:41 pm
#8
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It has just happened again. I got a notification from Expert Flyer that the seats opened up again. I call BA, the representative was booking the seats and when trying to pay, it wouldn't let him. The availability then disappeared.
He says it happens all the time with Aer Lingus. Surely this time it can't be because their aviailabilty wasn't up to date? I'm wondering if they may be doing something wrong.
He says it happens all the time with Aer Lingus. Surely this time it can't be because their aviailabilty wasn't up to date? I'm wondering if they may be doing something wrong.
