teflon

(tl;dr: overcharged on an Avios redemption, I'd like it fixed please.)

We took a trip to visit family in Glasgow over Easter, and when I booked it, the most convenient way to get back was with BE to SEN. (Not quite as convenient for us as LCY, but I'll take it over STN any day of the week)

I tried an Avios booking, but no dice - BA.com showed availability but just threw up an error, and avios.com didn't work at all.

So I called, and made the redemption... and then realised they'd missed off my son.

Next evening was an hour long phone call to cancel and rebook - though they couldn't get it to ticket, and had to take manual payment details.

I'll save a few boring details (like how it took three phone calls to get the first booking refunded, and prompt them to actually issue the tickets), but they did issue the ticket eventually.

On one of the calls, I queried the taxes I was being charged, which appear to include APD for my 3-year old daughter. The answer I got was that the taxes looked "about right", and when I pointed out that that's bit necessarily the same as being right, was dismissed with a 'computer says no' kind of response - if I wanted the tickets issued, I'd just have to go along with it, as there was no way to change it.

I was resigned to giving up on the Ł13 I'm pretty sure I've been overcharged, but then noticed they'd deducted the Avios twice. So off I go to the Customer Relations form, thinking it would be a good way to get it sorted - complaints departments generally being good at this kind of thing.

It took then over a month to get back to me (they're busy don't you know), and then only replied to the bit of my message where I'd mentioned one of the phone agents being rude; and completely ignored the bit at the end where I gave them my preferred resolution (refund the excess tax, give me my 14k Avios back, and maybe chuck some more my way as compensation for wasting my time). Maybe they were hoping I'd be happy with the warm fuzzy feeling from the fact they'd not only wished me a good trip on my next flight, but had taken the time to mention the destination by name.

It's two weeks since I wrote back to them. Other than waiting another two, is there any way to chivvy them along a bit?

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corporate-wage-slave

Yes, you can either call them during the UK afternoon, office hours, which may indeed resolve the issue more quickly. Alternatively you can exchange a Direct Message via Twitter, include your PNR and telephone number (valid for about 3 or 4 hours) and they will call you.

If I can make a general point about this, which may be irrelevant in your case, but having spoke about this at length to someone who works for BA's Social Media team, it's best to focus any complaints very, very tightly. Many complaints go on and on, 3 page letters are not unusual, the record is something like 26 pages for a delayed flight. I'm sure this wasn't the case here, but you are more likely to get a positive resolution if you put one paragraph in only, focusing on what can be fixed (excess fees and Avios) and nothing else (such as rude agents), since the agent then has no other place to go when framing a response.

teflon

Thanks - I did try to keep it brief without including too many extraneous details (I can write a good complaint letter when it's called for), but no dice here.

I tried calling CR today but just got a message saying they're still too busy from the recent (8 weeks ago now?) weather disruption.

Maybe I'll have to take to Twitter after all...

subject2load

Amazing to see what some organisations (in this case, a global one, no less) consider it acceptable to put people through, in terms of effort and frustration ; as opposed to those which have in place the necessary personnel, facilities, and mechanisms, to resolve a simple matter promptly - and with a sense of professionalism and respect for the customer.

Just how did it get to this low point, one wonders ..........

Often1

I would stay away from discussions of rude agents and requests for compensation. It is too easy for BA to focus on those.

Rather, I would send two entirely separate complaints. One would simply state, "I was charged double for my ticket in PNR XX. Please refund Y avios." The second would say, "I was charged APD of 13 GBP for a 3 YOA's ticket in PNR XX. There is no APD for children. Please refund."

MSPeconomist

It's a cost saving matter, especially if they can delay enough with nonresponses that the customer just gives up on receiving any resolution.