When is a plus fare not a plus fare?
Nov 11, 2016, 12:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Virgin Flying Club Red; IHG Spire
Posts: 65
When is a plus fare not a plus fare?
Back in May, we booked flights for a weekend in Europe booking an early evening flight from London. At the time of booking, there were three different fare types:
Basic (HBO)
Plus
Plus Flex
As I have a baggage allowance, i'm clearly not on a HBO fare.
Fast forward to today and deciding to take the day off work and leave in the morning instead.
Go to MMB and there are change fees of £60 and fare difference.
Call BA and told i'm on a 'standard' ticket. e-ticket receipts show no fare information of use and logic would dictate that if I'm not on a basic.
Looking at Raffle's article from April (http://www.headforpoints.com/2016/04...lus-plus-flex/) it's clear I'm on a plus fare so does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can change this flight for free as advertised.
With no screen shots from time of booking, it's my word against BA's...
Basic (HBO)
Plus
Plus Flex
As I have a baggage allowance, i'm clearly not on a HBO fare.
Fast forward to today and deciding to take the day off work and leave in the morning instead.
Go to MMB and there are change fees of £60 and fare difference.
Call BA and told i'm on a 'standard' ticket. e-ticket receipts show no fare information of use and logic would dictate that if I'm not on a basic.
Looking at Raffle's article from April (http://www.headforpoints.com/2016/04...lus-plus-flex/) it's clear I'm on a plus fare so does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can change this flight for free as advertised.
With no screen shots from time of booking, it's my word against BA's...
Nov 11, 2016, 5:10 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Virgin Flying Club Red; IHG Spire
Posts: 65
Absolutely - whole situation is bizarre and I thought originally just an IT screw-up by BA but clearly not.
I've had a plus ticket on a different route before on a one-way flight and it worked perfectly when my meetings finished early.
I've had a plus ticket on a different route before on a one-way flight and it worked perfectly when my meetings finished early.
Nov 11, 2016, 5:49 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Somewhere around Europe...
Programs: BA Gold; MB Ti; HH Diamond; IHG Plat; RR Gold
Posts: 530
Was it booked through a TA or direct?
I've found before that bookings via Amex's corp TA don't get Plus benefits; even though they have a baggage allowance. Was flying NCL-LHR a couple months back and needed to do a same day change... Amex insisted it was a ticket change at £300. Thankfully that time the checkin staff took pity and agreed to waive it.
I've found before that bookings via Amex's corp TA don't get Plus benefits; even though they have a baggage allowance. Was flying NCL-LHR a couple months back and needed to do a same day change... Amex insisted it was a ticket change at £300. Thankfully that time the checkin staff took pity and agreed to waive it.
Nov 11, 2016, 8:25 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 573
The issue is that BA thought it would be an excellent idea not to write the free on the day changes in the fare rules. So your travel agent will still be able to change for free but they have to have read the briefings sent by BA with specific instructions on how to process the change.
If you ring they should be able to do it but I've had mixed results of agents who understand how plus fares work.
If you ring they should be able to do it but I've had mixed results of agents who understand how plus fares work.
Nov 11, 2016, 1:18 pm
#10
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,814
Moreover, there aren't connecting flights are there? Or codeshares or other complexities? E.g. did you buy via a Contact Centre?
It's possible that if you check classic.checkmytrip.com (and quickly) you may see the fare basis in the small print.
It's possible that if you check classic.checkmytrip.com (and quickly) you may see the fare basis in the small print.
Nov 14, 2016, 6:09 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Virgin Flying Club Red; IHG Spire
Posts: 65
Just back and in answer to a few questions:
Route of LHR-MAD. Booked myself on ba.com in May. Outbound was a BA flight number operated by Iberia and return a BA flight operated by BA.
Weirdly, online check-in failed to work either way with a message saying to call to have the ticket re-issued and it took a bit of fiddling at each airport before getting our boarding cards.
Fare basis from checkmytrip is OGOBA2 (economy restricted). I don't know what that means in plain English, but I booked ages ago and so was on the cheap, 5tp earning tickets.
The thing is, when I booked, BA had reformed the fare options to the three: Basic; Plus and Plus Flex. I clearly wasn't on basic as we had a baggage allowance and could book seats for free as silvers but very perplexed as to what I actually bought!
Route of LHR-MAD. Booked myself on ba.com in May. Outbound was a BA flight number operated by Iberia and return a BA flight operated by BA.
Weirdly, online check-in failed to work either way with a message saying to call to have the ticket re-issued and it took a bit of fiddling at each airport before getting our boarding cards.
Fare basis from checkmytrip is OGOBA2 (economy restricted). I don't know what that means in plain English, but I booked ages ago and so was on the cheap, 5tp earning tickets.
The thing is, when I booked, BA had reformed the fare options to the three: Basic; Plus and Plus Flex. I clearly wasn't on basic as we had a baggage allowance and could book seats for free as silvers but very perplexed as to what I actually bought!