djwam

Hi All,

Flying to the US on sunday, with a ex-DUB flight, and it got me thinking about changing flights.
Basically I wasn't brave enough to book a proper BtoB, so I get the early flight (lands at 9:40). My US ticket gets me on the 1pm flight, not on the 10:30 (which would use my inbound plane).

My reasoning was that given I didn't know the terminal at all, and given what people mentioned regarding doing a BtoB in Dublin (security to go through etc etc), it would be risky. Now, what I wonder is the following :
Assuming I end up doing the "transfer" quickly enough, do you think it'd be possible for me to ask the BA desk to put me on the earlier (BtoB) plane (assuming hand luggage only). Or is it impossible given I'd be arriving too late ?

MPH1980

I asked the last time I did this and got told (rather firmly) no in a repeated number of ways. "the flight is full" ("but you were selling tickets a few minutes ago"), "I can't adjust tickets here" ("But someone did that for me a while ago"), "You need to ask at the check in desks".

Basically - I was left with the impression they didn't want to do it.

T8191

ex-DUB takes many forms, but I’m guessing you’re planning to double back to LHR to fly BA to somewhere. We did that once, and never again! Of course, it takes us 2 sectors and the M25 to get to DUB in the first place.

Now we take a leisurely trip to DUB, overnight and then head to the USA (with pre-clearance) the following morning.

Your Destination May Vary

Cymro

I very much doubt that, if you did manage to make the transfer quickly enough, you'd have enough time to be put on the same flight as well! A B2B in DUB is tight - took me 20 minutes of a 40-minute turnaround last time, though I wasn't the last to board. You won't be ticketing as well.

DELLAS

Maybe attitudes will change when Menzies take over the handling.

MPH1980

When I last asked - I was ahead of boarding by a good 10 minutes - and that was with the new 'via transfers' route you have to do - AND with me missing the door to the gates and thus walking all the way down, past the gate on the lower floor, and back up the escalators.

It is possible - and frankly - it was ridiculous she wouldn't do it - but I also knew the fight was lost on the third changing excuse.

Maybe - but honestly - I think when you have a 3rd party company there they are going to be more interested in following the rules. If BA say "all ticket adjustments need to take place at check in" then that's what they'll do - because if they break the rules and get caught - then the company could get fined/lose the contract/whatever is stipulated. Now - if BA said "do what's good for the customer ..." that might be different ... but do we *really* think that's what BA's operating procedures are going to say?

Tobias-UK

mikeyfly

In the last few months I’ve had a reasonable success rate of changing tickets to earlier flights (gratis) at T5, GLA, NCE

I think it may have suited the airline, but it certainly suited me! Just my recent experience

MPH1980

In my case - changes were allowed but with a fee associated.

I agree - if you book non-flex - expect non-flex, but no harm in asking really. If you're standing at a gate, and there's a flight about to go and it has empty seats, ticket sales have closed, you are HBO and you could get on it, what is the possible benefit to the airline to say no? The only benefit to the airline is to say yes! Why? Because a) they keep me happy as a customer and b) they get a chance to sell my seat again.

I get the arguments about 'but if you wanted to be on the flight at x time you should have paid for it' arguments. Fine. But they aren't losing income here - the seat is leaving empty or it is leaving with me in it. There's no additional income to be gained by leaving the seat empty. There IS additional income to be gained by letting me move because now my seat can be resold. You might argue - ah - but if you let people get on any flight earlier just because there's an empty seat - they'll book the cheapest flight of the day and ask to move.

Well - guess what - BA let you do that now. I book the cheapest plus fare of the day which is after my expected departure. I pretty much do that on every european flight I take. Then as I get near the airport - I move the flight forward to the next flight with seats (exactly what I was asking to do in DUB). In this case - I only knew I could make it when I was stood at the gate. And in some cases - it's been cheaper to book the plus fare than the basic fare.

I have no problem with "your ticket doesn't allow changes" - I have problems with rubbish excuses which are simply not true because the person doesn't want to do it. And no - she didn't know whether my ticket allowed changes or not - she never got that far.

Flexible preferences

The income that is lost is through an erosion of the benefits of the more expensive flexible tickets. If flexibility can be had for free then why pay for it?

MPH1980

Absolutely - and BA have introduced fares which allow the flexibility.

And I had flexibility.

But the people at the desk aren't willing to exercise it. As I said - the people at the desk never asked about my ticket. It was just 'no'.

Instead - BA cost themselves money as they now had a lounge visit on their cost books.

Flexible preferences

I see, although I thought you said your ticket was flexible for a fee. So just to clarify you were happy to pay the appropriate change fee to switch flights?

NeverFirst

MPH1980

Yep.

Flexible preferences

Then, I think you're right. BA should have done it, assuming they can take payment at the gate.