headingwest

Today I booked a return ticket from LHR-VIE. I waited until my preferred flight from LHR was available in the N bucket, so as to upgrade that leg into Club Europe. I checked redemption availability but as MMB didn't allow me to upgrade via the website, I had to phone. Unfortunately, as a Bronze I got put through to what seemed like a rather incompetent agent, in India.

After going through the security check and having to repeat the PNR several times, I explained that I wanted to upgrade the outward flight. A few minutes later I was asked if I wanted to upgrade both flights....the inward booked into O After waiting several more minutes I was asked to confirm that I wanted to book the flight into World Traveller! That's when I realised that what I thought would be a straightforward transaction would actually be quite challenging. After being put on hold the agent came back and I had to go though the whole thing again.

About 15 minutes later we finally got to the payment but the agent couldn't seem to get my card to work. I was told to call my bank. I explained that the card worked yesterday so I was confident that there wasn't an issue with my card and that it was probably more likely that BA's IT was to blame. After another few minutes she said that the card had actually been accepted, adding that I'd get an e-mail within 48 hours confirming the change.

I don't think she actually completed the transaction. No Avios were deducted, there is no sign of the payment in my bank account and the BA app is not showing the e-ticket number for the CE leg.

I like to think I'm quite a patient person but talking to this agent really tested my nerves. I quite understand that she may have been new or unfamiliar with the procedure for upgrading using Avios, but surely she should have been aware of the basics...like upgradeable fare buckets, and the difference between Club Europe and World Traveller. Last time I did an UuA, the (UK) agent was able to wrap it (paid, Avios deducted, e-ticket issued) up in less than 5 minutes, but this 'experience' lasted more than 35 minutes and I'm still not convinced that I have a ticket!

Am I likely to have a ticket and how can BA justify such poor customer service?

binman

Oh Dear....I think your have wasted your time.

BA call centre staff have like most BA staff been dumbed down to a level of incompetance that is simply embarrassing. I had a very big issue in the summer and spent almost 2 hours on the phone to 1800 - Airways which diverted to India and it was painful. My patience was tested to breaking point as they lied and prevaricated no matter which agent I got. When I finally got hold of a full print out of the PNR from a BA ticket desk it was clear that, when on hold, they were not taking any action at all and not recording what that they even spoke to me.

Call back when the UK is open but don't hold your breath for it being any better.

headingwest

hmm, so it sounds like I might have too. The app actually shows the flight as CE, but there is no e-ticket number attached.

corporate-wage-slave

It can genuinely take a few days for tickets to be reissued if UuA. My fear is that if you ring again they will simply tell you to wait until your turn in the queue has come up. If the App has updated then that's a good sign, and normally I'd only advise chasing up reticketing at about 48 hours to departure. If your are now in the correct cabin then you're not going to lose your booking, but you won't be flying or doing OLCI if unticketed. On the face of it everything seems OK, other than you got a very inexperienced agent who presumably was getting trained in what to do during the various stages of being on hold - a colleague or supervisor would have been walking her through the transaction. It therefore took much longer than it should, an experienced agent - whether in Newcastle or New Delhi - would have taken under 10 minutes to do this assuming the IT held up.

headingwest

Thanks C-W-S, that's reassuring. My only concern is that reward availability in CE will go before it's ticketed. MMB shows in U but with the TP's/Avios for CE, I know that's normal.

I'll wait for the dust to settle.

Anonba

Anonba

headingwest

This is what I couldn't understand, as the agent said that the payment had been made. The first 2 times the card was refused and she quoted to me what the system said....i.e. customer needs to contact the bank. When I insisted the card was fine, she then said the payment had actually already been made. There is no sign of it in my bank account. It's all very strange.

What may have confused matters is that I paid for the booking using my UK issued debit card (as the booking was quoted online in GBP), but as she quoted the upgrade price in Euros (my BAEC account in SK), I then opted to pay using a Slovak issued debit card. Thus 2 addresses linked to the cards.

Just to add, I'm not really criticising the agent for dealing with the upgrade, I'm sure it's quite complicated. What struck me was that she didn't really seem to know which classes were upgradeable or even the names of the products. It didn't fill me with much confidence in her work (hence my concern). If I were running the show, I wouldn't let agents anywhere near the telephones until they had a basic grasp of what the cabins are called!

Anonba

headingwest

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting you were. I just wanted to be clear in the thread. Anyway, I'm grateful for all input. ^

Yachtman

I guess it doesn't matter where the call centre is if BA is pushing costs down and not spending the right amount of money to have appropriately trained, experienced and empowered staff. Probably another accountancy based decision choosing the cheapest call centre to provide the service. A outsourcing service can provide all of the training offline, appropriately mentor staff and prevent situations like this.

simons1

I suspect that ultimately they told you what was required to get you off the phone.

Tafflyer