Award booking problems with AA
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
Award booking problems with AA
So i booked an award ticket with BA on AA from LAX to SAT.
Everything looked fine until online check in when it didnt work. Because we have TSA PRE i always like to check in in advance and called AA. They told me that every single person on teh booking had the same date of birth June 30, 1970.
The booking was made on the BA website using my profile and using people in my household account.
anyhow I then called BA (no 800 line at this time -midnight in the USA just a 44 191 246 3933 number for urgent matters). The lady kept me online for 45 mins trying whatever she could. In the end she told me my passport numbers didnt match (usually you dont put passport numbers in bookings and I suspect that this was also a corrupt passport number) so she couldnt make the change - that call alone cost me 120$ (yes mobile to UK number)
I slept badly and we went to the airport 3 hours earlier and it took 30 mins to have it fixed.
How is this possible. Have you experienced this before?
I am going to ask for the refund to the 120$ to BA as they should put a 800 number available for urgent matters but assume they'll decline.
Any views?
Everything looked fine until online check in when it didnt work. Because we have TSA PRE i always like to check in in advance and called AA. They told me that every single person on teh booking had the same date of birth June 30, 1970.
The booking was made on the BA website using my profile and using people in my household account.
anyhow I then called BA (no 800 line at this time -midnight in the USA just a 44 191 246 3933 number for urgent matters). The lady kept me online for 45 mins trying whatever she could. In the end she told me my passport numbers didnt match (usually you dont put passport numbers in bookings and I suspect that this was also a corrupt passport number) so she couldnt make the change - that call alone cost me 120$ (yes mobile to UK number)
I slept badly and we went to the airport 3 hours earlier and it took 30 mins to have it fixed.
How is this possible. Have you experienced this before?
I am going to ask for the refund to the 120$ to BA as they should put a 800 number available for urgent matters but assume they'll decline.
Any views?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,487
So i booked an award ticket with BA on AA from LAX to SAT.
Everything looked fine until online check in when it didnt work. Because we have TSA PRE i always like to check in in advance and called AA. They told me that every single person on teh booking had the same date of birth June 30, 1970.
The booking was made on the BA website using my profile and using people in my household account.
anyhow I then called BA (no 800 line at this time -midnight in the USA just a 44 191 246 3933 number for urgent matters). The lady kept me online for 45 mins trying whatever she could. In the end she told me my passport numbers didnt match (usually you dont put passport numbers in bookings and I suspect that this was also a corrupt passport number) so she couldnt make the change - that call alone cost me 120$ (yes mobile to UK number)
I slept badly and we went to the airport 3 hours earlier and it took 30 mins to have it fixed.
How is this possible. Have you experienced this before?
I am going to ask for the refund to the 120$ to BA as they should put a 800 number available for urgent matters but assume they'll decline.
Any views?
Everything looked fine until online check in when it didnt work. Because we have TSA PRE i always like to check in in advance and called AA. They told me that every single person on teh booking had the same date of birth June 30, 1970.
The booking was made on the BA website using my profile and using people in my household account.
anyhow I then called BA (no 800 line at this time -midnight in the USA just a 44 191 246 3933 number for urgent matters). The lady kept me online for 45 mins trying whatever she could. In the end she told me my passport numbers didnt match (usually you dont put passport numbers in bookings and I suspect that this was also a corrupt passport number) so she couldnt make the change - that call alone cost me 120$ (yes mobile to UK number)
I slept badly and we went to the airport 3 hours earlier and it took 30 mins to have it fixed.
How is this possible. Have you experienced this before?
I am going to ask for the refund to the 120$ to BA as they should put a 800 number available for urgent matters but assume they'll decline.
Any views?
#3
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,692
Tbh what matters with this booking would be what is in the API on MMB on aa.com. Did you have a look at that? You should have been able to update and change API on aa.com and enter your KTN.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
#5
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,216
Certainly calling using Skype would have been a cheaper option. I am not sure I fully understand the reference to the passport numbers as for a domestic itinerary within the USA you wouldn't need to provide this information. Admittedly for reward bookings made on BA for travel with AA it won't show DOB on the AA record locator so I think it would have been difficult to know there was an issue ahead of time.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
Certainly calling using Skype would have been a cheaper option. I am not sure I fully understand the reference to the passport numbers as for a domestic itinerary within the USA you wouldn't need to provide this information. Admittedly for reward bookings made on BA for travel with AA it won't show DOB on the AA record locator so I think it would have been difficult to know there was an issue ahead of time.
I don't have skype as I use facetime. Obiosuly doesn't work for this situation. Also I was a little panicked given I had 6 people on a booking I feared could result in a denial. What week systems. will still ask for a refund although knowing BA and its not our fault policy I know I wont get.
#7
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,209
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
Well 1) I think their systems are at fault and 2) for a global company to have no 800 calls to reach within 24 hours isn't great.
#9
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,216
I agree with golfmad . I don't see why BA would refund the cost of the call.
On a separate note I still don't understand the reference to passport details as they aren't required for an LAX - SAT flight (SAT being San Antonio for those who may not know).
As for the lack of a global 800 number and 24-hour call centre availability, I have to agree on this. It is frustrating. You shouldn't have to dial out of region and struggle to find out which office is open at any given time.
On a separate note I still don't understand the reference to passport details as they aren't required for an LAX - SAT flight (SAT being San Antonio for those who may not know).
As for the lack of a global 800 number and 24-hour call centre availability, I have to agree on this. It is frustrating. You shouldn't have to dial out of region and struggle to find out which office is open at any given time.
Last edited by Geordie405; Nov 4, 2019 at 2:44 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
Ok for BA to change their records they needed to match with a passport information that was never given.
In other words BA systems are totally idiotic. It was a total Kafkaian situation.
And the lady made me try every single passport of our 6 passengers (and we are dual nationals) to see if one matched. I absolutely told her that I had never entered that information and that it is not required for a booking from LAX to SAT but she insited it need to match what the system had stored so she could change the booking. That's why we lost 30 mins for nothing.
So I book electronically a ticked, following every step correctly
BA then emits tickets with completely wrong information (my household account is all correct) due to a system glitch
I spend 35 mins with a BA agent that was nice but clueless and nothing changes.
I have to go 3 hours early at the airport to have it changed by AA.
BA doesn't provide a free number
and BA has zero responsbaility.
No wonder BA is such a ...... airline, the worst by far. It has a group of die hard followers that would follow it no matter the quality so they have zero incentive to progress.
And they don't progress.
In other words BA systems are totally idiotic. It was a total Kafkaian situation.
And the lady made me try every single passport of our 6 passengers (and we are dual nationals) to see if one matched. I absolutely told her that I had never entered that information and that it is not required for a booking from LAX to SAT but she insited it need to match what the system had stored so she could change the booking. That's why we lost 30 mins for nothing.
So I book electronically a ticked, following every step correctly
BA then emits tickets with completely wrong information (my household account is all correct) due to a system glitch
I spend 35 mins with a BA agent that was nice but clueless and nothing changes.
I have to go 3 hours early at the airport to have it changed by AA.
BA doesn't provide a free number
and BA has zero responsbaility.
No wonder BA is such a ...... airline, the worst by far. It has a group of die hard followers that would follow it no matter the quality so they have zero incentive to progress.
And they don't progress.
#11
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,692
Certainly calling using Skype would have been a cheaper option. I am not sure I fully understand the reference to the passport numbers as for a domestic itinerary within the USA you wouldn't need to provide this information. Admittedly for reward bookings made on BA for travel with AA it won't show DOB on the AA record locator so I think it would have been difficult to know there was an issue ahead of time.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
I dont know but aa said it was issuing tickreter that had to correct ba said yes they had to correct but they couldnt.
ba s fault. 100%.
yes not changeable on mmb...
if you have ba bookings on aa check. Ba sucks!
ba s fault. 100%.
yes not changeable on mmb...
if you have ba bookings on aa check. Ba sucks!
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
Also not a KTN pb as aa said they could not let us FLY at all with incorrect information.
if we didnt have our passports (which we dont need for kids in the us typically) we would not have flown.
just be warned.
if we didnt have our passports (which we dont need for kids in the us typically) we would not have flown.
just be warned.
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA NON flyer, LH Frequent Traveller, V/A Gold, HGP Diamond, HHonnors Diamond, GHA Black
Posts: 605
Also the ba lady for once was very apologetic of the poor ba systems and recongnized this did happen on a regular basis but they struggle to fix it. Ba software designers so no point expecting much improvement from the worst airline in europe.
#15
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,209
I don't think that's a fair summary of the situation at all. I don't think BA should feel obligated to compensate you for the cost of the phone call as it was a consequential loss.