First Leg No-Show: Urgent Advice Sought
 

Esteemed Fellow Travellers: Any advice on how best to handle this matter would be very much appreciated!

Summary:

Booked a trip to Thailand; to save £££, I (frequently) book a BA r/t J ticket, AMS-LHR-BKK (much cheaper than GLA-LHR-BKK), and a separate (KL) r/t GLA-AMS. Generally works very well (always allow 3 or 4 hours connexion time in AMS). I have just such a trip tomorrow (11th March).

But, at just before 9 pm tonight (10th March), KLM sent me a text saying the GLA-AMS flight (dep 06:05) was cancelled! Aaaaaarrrrrgghhh! Next KLM flight will be too late to get the BA AMS-LHR.

So, I called the BA Gold Exec number to try to sort out stuff. 40 minutes waiting and no reply.

Then, I found a GLA-LHR o/w BA flight (on Expedia - BA.com didn't have it), which will arrive at LHR BEFORE the AMS-LHR flight is scheduled to leave. It was very expensive (~£500). I am now checked-in for this flight and have my BP.

My plan is to try to explain things to BA desk staff at (both) GLA and LHR, so that they don't cancel my LHR-BKK (and return flights) because of the no-show for AMS-LHR. I've heard about stuff airlines can do in such circumstances - how should I approach the help-desks at GLA and/or LHR?

Again, any advice very much appreciated (and I don't really mind paying a 'reasonable' fee for the change).

-- Henry

1) I would keep calling using Skype and the USA number, to see if they can put a note on the PNR at least. It probably won't do much good. The reason why you're not getting through is essentially the same as why the AMS service was canned by KLM - bad weather and disrupted travel.
2) I would then hope for the best at the LHR end. GLA is handled by Menzies and I can't see them being able to do much. No harm asking though. By all means explain the whole story and show the KLM cancellation SMS. The fact that there has been a lot of poor weather may help you a bit, but you still need to ask very nicely about this.
3) I don't see the details of your AMS-LHR flight, but is that still operating? BA had a lot of disruption today which may run into tomorrow.
4) Next time follow the advice in the main B2B thread, and always go on a true B2B or go overnight. As noted frequently in that thread, three or four hours is the most risky strategy of the lot.

Ok so first off - is there any way you can get a refund of that Expedia ticket, maybe under their 24h rule if you bought from the US site? I fear it's probably too late, but I don't think that £500 was a good call here. Not least because there is avios availability on the 10am flight from GLA-LHR. [Edit: actually realised at that price it's probably a full flex fare, if so you can rethink if another idea comes up here.]

Assuming not, I think you indeed best head to GLA early and see if the ticket desk there can help you, and failing that at LHR as you suggest. c-w-s [already at it] and others may have other ideas.

I think the safest option is to spend the night driving to London and then taking BA8497 from LCY at 7.15 arriving to AMS at 9.20, but it costs a lot and you won't get any sleep.

Yeah, £500 was ridiculous, but it's better than losing the whole trip. I bought it on the Expedia UK website, so refund is possible? I plan to get to GLA early to see what they can do. I would think that a BA-induced change from the AMS-LHR... trip to GLA-LHR.. would also be around £500.

Given the circumstances (bas weather disruption), the option of an anti-no-show 'protection' may be feasible - for a BA Gold :) - but what will their attitude be to someone who 'plays the game' with regular (4 times a year) AMS-LHR-BKK tickets? Will they just laugh and say, "Serves you right?"

Checked Schiphol.nl website just now, and the AMS-LHR (11:40, BA) flight still shows as 'scheduled'.

Charm offensive at GLA/LHR?

BTW, my last trip (similar routing) was also severely disrupted (Drones, just before Xmas) but that was official - missed connexion at LHR due to delayed AMS-LHR; stayed o/n at the Sofitel and put on next morning's TG flight to BKK. Absolutely EXCELLENT service from BA Flight Connections. This time, though, my 'through-ticket' protection just ain't there!

--Henrty

I don't drive (or have a car).

-- H

Looking at Schiphol departures, all BA flights are listed as operating. Of course, this could change later on.

Another thought: do you know the fare rules for your AMS-BKK ticket? If it's not completely non-changeable, then it probably allows you to upfare to a fully flex ticket. This would allow you to essentially preserve the value of the ticket for the future, as you could then change the fully flex back to something else you wanted. You'd then likely need to buy a completely new ticket to BKK at this late stage, but there are always cheap ways to get there in Y, and at least then you've not lost the value of the current one.That could be an option if you don't have a better solution before your AMS flight departs tomorrow.

Just for info, what's the 'official' position regarding no-shows? Assuming I'm at LHR BEFORE the AMS-LHR departure, can I actually just pay a fee and carry on with the rest of the itinerary?

-- H

If it's not a dumb question, what about the NCL-AMS service at 06:00 hrs tomorrow?

Otherwise, yes I would be fine-tuning your charm offensive this evening. Your responsibility is to be at AMS at least an hour before departure or the ticket will be cancelled - being somewhere else - whether LHR or GLA - isn't much help.

KL1276 from EDI at 05:50 also looks like an option.

What time is your booked departure from AMS? easyJet has a flight from EDI pricing on Kayak at 142USD, arriving into AMS at 1305.

The EDI service looked to be full to me, but it is worth seeing if KLM can do something. NCL isn't full.

That one is sold out, but might be worth a call to KL to see if they can get you on it maybe on standby/waitlist. Or Kiwi.com look to be selling a seat on it, but not sure if that will actually ticket.