Lost-in-Space

Hello fellow FTers, I hope you can help me with a booking issue.

Last week I held a reservation on BA.com under the 3-day hold option and two days later went in to finalise it. I went through the process and after confirming my credit card details and then passing through the CC verification window (none needed) I got a new screen saying something along the lines of (foolishly I didn’t take a screen shot):

‘BA cannot confirm that this booking is complete. Please call your BA office.’

I called and explained the issue to the agent. She said she’d put me on hold and talk to Revenue. After coming back, she said: Don’t worry, the booking is confirmed, there was a problem attaching the e-ticket number. I (the agent) need to send an email to Revenue with all the details and they’ll attach the e-ticket number. As it’s not urgent this will take 7 days.

I asked her to reconfirm that the booking was accepted and she said yes. But I am worried as I haven’t seen a charge on my card, not even in the pending actions. Has anyone experienced this before?

Obviously I am concerned that after the 7 days nothing happens and I call BA and they say that the 3-day deadline has passed or that my CC didn’t work. I’ve checked the same flights and either the price has gone up or they are no longer available.

I hope I don’t get into a discussion with BA regarding honouring the original booking!

Deltus

Did you get a PNR (6-character reference) at any point? If so, can you check if there's a ticket number in Manage My Booking?

Lost-in-Space

Deltus, yes I had the PNR - both in MMB and I had it in the 'Hold' email. But in MMB all I could see was 'Complete this booking' so no e-ticket number and now as the 3 days have elapsed, the booking has gone from MMB.

Krisz

I would give them a call back to check and confirm that the booking is fine. In my experience some agents have no real clue of the official process and could give out false information. Other agents do check more and can give you the true answer. I would call until I have at least a PNR which I can check in MMB. The ticketed status is not that critical but needs to be sorted out sooner than later.

Krisz

Also give a call to the card issuer to see any pending transaction from BA for the full amount. Don't forget the hold process initially takes Ł5 then when you click finalise then charge you the full amount and separately refund the Ł5. If there is no pending transaction on the card you used to finalise the booking ask the issuer if they see any payment authorisation request from BA at all and if yes why was it rejected, etc.

Brisbane Road

Often1

Nonetheless, the simple counsel in any situation where one lacks an e-ticket number is to call.

This is 1990's technology trying to keep up with 2019 volume.

Anonba

Lost-in-Space

Hello all, and firstly thanks for your advice. We have an outcome!

I called BA again today hoping to get it fixed - despite the original agent saying 'it would take seven days to fix', not 'up to seven', seven!

Today's agent put me on hold, came back, apologised and said the flights had been wrongly input. I assume the agent meant on the email that was sent to Revenue by the first agent. Although the fare class was no longer available, and the fare obviously was higher, they would honour the original booking and fare.

I then received an email from my CC company about the charge and about 20 minutes later the e-ticket arrived.

I guess I was reluctant to call earlier, as being a good Grammar school boy (Aberdeen Grammar, of course!), when the agent said seven days, I planned on calling back in seven days.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, when the first agent said ABZ was Ibiza, I should have known!

Cheers.

Scots_Al