Can BA award bookings be merged with OW revenue flight itin?
Aug 21, 2018, 7:18 am
#16
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It is unlikely you will be able to get a definitive answer here to any of your questions. Algeria is one of those places where the 'rules' that are followed can vary depending on who you end up dealing with and on what day. Whilst there is a fair bit of anecdotal evidence on FT of people being able to transit on separate tickets without a visa and even being allowed landside to check in in Algiers, it is not something I would be prepared to risk a revenue ticket over.
Aug 21, 2018, 8:27 am
#17
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If you have luggage, you'll need to have a visa anyway, and I don't know if ALG will let you stay airside for a separate flight (to be honest I don't even remember what the terminal layout is). All risky. You should get a visa and plan to stay overnight.
Aug 21, 2018, 8:40 am
#18
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That's still risky. Algeria is a bit of a dodgy place, and if the flight doesn't operate you don't have a lot of breathing room to make your flight out. 4h15m on separate tix in a place like ALG is way out of my comfort zone.
If you have luggage, you'll need to have a visa anyway, and I don't know if ALG will let you stay airside for a separate flight (to be honest I don't even remember what the terminal layout is). All risky. You should get a visa and plan to stay overnight.
If you have luggage, you'll need to have a visa anyway, and I don't know if ALG will let you stay airside for a separate flight (to be honest I don't even remember what the terminal layout is). All risky. You should get a visa and plan to stay overnight.
Aug 21, 2018, 9:58 am
#19
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I've always assumed that one reason the airline won't do this is because the combined itinerary would be much more expensive if booked all-cash ex-LHR. They may be happy to sell you a cheaper ex-ALG booking, but they're not too keen on makng it easy for you to position.
As an aside, I have in the past missed an award flight connection do to incompetence by the first airline (non-OW). BA customer service was sympathetic but wouldn't do anything, even for a GCH. However, the ground staff put me on the next flight anyway. In another case, at another airport, the ground staff was not as helpful in that regard, and I had to eat the first award ticket.
As an aside, I have in the past missed an award flight connection do to incompetence by the first airline (non-OW). BA customer service was sympathetic but wouldn't do anything, even for a GCH. However, the ground staff put me on the next flight anyway. In another case, at another airport, the ground staff was not as helpful in that regard, and I had to eat the first award ticket.
Aug 21, 2018, 10:27 am
#20
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I think the main point of all the answers above is that no one can give you positive certainty. If you don’t have a visa, the check in agent will first say no, then you’ll explain, then they’ll pass on to a supervisor who may call Algerian immigration authorise who may say yes or no. Once you arrive, you will try to ask to transit without a visa which may or may not be allowed and if it is which may be quick or very slow as an agent goes to the airline counter to get your bp. Basically, this is about a cumulation of additive risks. I have done transfers on separate tickets in TUN and CAI and it was hectic enough. Personally I’ll admit that Algeria is not a place where I would try this except with at least a night there (which I ended up doing in CAI and thank goodness I did).
Aug 21, 2018, 10:31 am
#21
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Well no, it isn't. If the minimum time needed to transit is 3hours, and I am trying to book a 1.5 hour connection then it's a pretty clear signal not to bother and to find other routings. IF my routing is within the minimum time, I'll probably give it a go, if I can sort out whether or not ALG is even ALLOWING int'l transfers, since it seems to be quite a mess.
As for losing my avios booking, only LGW-ALG would be on Avios, so there's nothing to be lost, I would be connecting to a revenue booking ex-ALG.
Other thread indicated you go to passport control, tell them you're in transit and they go get your BP from the desk then escort you to security, but someone else said they aren't allowing transit without visa at all now due to construction, so who knows.
As for losing my avios booking, only LGW-ALG would be on Avios, so there's nothing to be lost, I would be connecting to a revenue booking ex-ALG.
Other thread indicated you go to passport control, tell them you're in transit and they go get your BP from the desk then escort you to security, but someone else said they aren't allowing transit without visa at all now due to construction, so who knows.
Aug 21, 2018, 11:09 am
#22
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Well no, it isn't. If the minimum time needed to transit is 3hours, and I am trying to book a 1.5 hour connection then it's a pretty clear signal not to bother and to find other routings. IF my routing is within the minimum time, I'll probably give it a go, if I can sort out whether or not ALG is even ALLOWING int'l transfers, since it seems to be quite a mess.
As for losing my avios booking, only LGW-ALG would be on Avios, so there's nothing to be lost, I would be connecting to a revenue booking ex-ALG.
Other thread indicated you go to passport control, tell them you're in transit and they go get your BP from the desk then escort you to security, but someone else said they aren't allowing transit without visa at all now due to construction, so who knows.
As for losing my avios booking, only LGW-ALG would be on Avios, so there's nothing to be lost, I would be connecting to a revenue booking ex-ALG.
Other thread indicated you go to passport control, tell them you're in transit and they go get your BP from the desk then escort you to security, but someone else said they aren't allowing transit without visa at all now due to construction, so who knows.
Aug 21, 2018, 12:29 pm
#23
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I've always assumed that one reason the airline won't do this is because the combined itinerary would be much more expensive if booked all-cash ex-LHR. They may be happy to sell you a cheaper ex-ALG booking, but they're not too keen on makng it easy for you to position.
As an aside, I have in the past missed an award flight connection do to incompetence by the first airline (non-OW). BA customer service was sympathetic but wouldn't do anything, even for a GCH. However, the ground staff put me on the next flight anyway. In another case, at another airport, the ground staff was not as helpful in that regard, and I had to eat the first award ticket.
As an aside, I have in the past missed an award flight connection do to incompetence by the first airline (non-OW). BA customer service was sympathetic but wouldn't do anything, even for a GCH. However, the ground staff put me on the next flight anyway. In another case, at another airport, the ground staff was not as helpful in that regard, and I had to eat the first award ticket.
Aug 21, 2018, 2:18 pm
#24
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This is as close as it gets for your purposes: https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...d-pesky-rules/
Not the same thing as merging two separate tickets (which is not possible).
Not the same thing as merging two separate tickets (which is not possible).
Aug 21, 2018, 4:15 pm
#25
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This is as close as it gets for your purposes: https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...d-pesky-rules/
Not the same thing as merging two separate tickets (which is not possible).
Not the same thing as merging two separate tickets (which is not possible).
I tried similar with BA in the past, started with an F redemption (+2-4-1 voucher). Tried at lounge and airport ticketing office to add paid legs to PNR. Was told this isn't possible as redemption tickets are not "owned" by them (I guess similar to a BA holiday booking which is owned by yhe holidays team and not BA normally). But I've never phoned up the BA team who deal with redemption seats to see if this is possible?
The 2-4-1 voucher means often it's just not possible to buy a connecting leg as it's not BA metal, so is a problem I come up against often.
Aug 22, 2018, 7:33 am
#27
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Any IATA carrier can book multiple tickets into the same PNR. Most agents are not trained, so you will typically need to wait for a senior supervisor or a call back. Alternatively, even a mid-range but decent TA can do this for you (typically for an hourly fee).
Aug 22, 2018, 9:38 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Word of caution. This indeed appears to be a current issue in ALG. Friends parents were in transit on separate tickets (MAD-ALG ALG-CAI) recently and were denied boarding for MAD-ALG because they didn't hold visas for Algeria. Proof of onward connection shown and IB still refused to allow them to travel. So while you may think you'll be within MCT, there's nothing to say BA will allow you to fly ex LGW in order to make your revenue flight itinerary anyway.
Aug 22, 2018, 11:03 am
#29
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Ive never seen a booking setup direct with BA where this was done.
Aug 22, 2018, 11:03 am
#30
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Has anyone tried this with BA? [To avoid clicking link to find out: article says AA allows you to redeem flights, then call them to buy a new ticket within same PNR for paid segments].
I tried similar with BA in the past, started with an F redemption (+2-4-1 voucher). Tried at lounge and airport ticketing office to add paid legs to PNR. Was told this isn't possible as redemption tickets are not "owned" by them (I guess similar to a BA holiday booking which is owned by yhe holidays team and not BA normally). But I've never phoned up the BA team who deal with redemption seats to see if this is possible?
The 2-4-1 voucher means often it's just not possible to buy a connecting leg as it's not BA metal, so is a problem I come up against often.
I tried similar with BA in the past, started with an F redemption (+2-4-1 voucher). Tried at lounge and airport ticketing office to add paid legs to PNR. Was told this isn't possible as redemption tickets are not "owned" by them (I guess similar to a BA holiday booking which is owned by yhe holidays team and not BA normally). But I've never phoned up the BA team who deal with redemption seats to see if this is possible?
The 2-4-1 voucher means often it's just not possible to buy a connecting leg as it's not BA metal, so is a problem I come up against often.