BAEC, SILLINESS, AND BA boffins
Dec 12, 2019, 8:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Middle Earth, and often worse
Programs: BAEC Silver, A3 Gold
Posts: 2,216
BAEC, SILLINESS, AND BA boffins
I have been working in Qatar for some time and recently changed my BAEC "registered address" from Canada (I am a Canadian) to Qatar - primarily so I could get my BAEC cards sooner. Before this BAEC would send my card to Canada, and sometimes I would not get it for 6 months because my brother was "slow" in forwarding some mail - or it got lost during the forwarding process. Now I print my card from my BAEC account.
However, when the address was changed (from Canada to Qatar), I was unable to access the Book Hotels with Avios page. What the??? Some "secret agreement" with Qatar? If I changed my "country and language" to Australia or UK or Canada previously, I could access the page and view and book hotels. But no longer!
So I sent a request to BAEC to make the change back to Canada, including a copy of my Canadian passport. The BA boffins lost it due to "tech issues". So I re-sent the request and copy. Again the boffins messed up. This time they changed my name to my full name as in the passport - but NO address change. They also sent a note saying they would "like feedback" on their "customer service". As I could still not access and view the Hotel Bookings page, I sent BAEC a negative response to their customer service.
Anyone know if BA has outsourced their IT work to a country where knowledge of written English is poor, or is this a usual type of stupidity/incompetence within BAEC?
Any info on why changing my registered address to Qatar made it impossible to view and book the Booking Hotels with Avios page?
However, when the address was changed (from Canada to Qatar), I was unable to access the Book Hotels with Avios page. What the??? Some "secret agreement" with Qatar? If I changed my "country and language" to Australia or UK or Canada previously, I could access the page and view and book hotels. But no longer!
So I sent a request to BAEC to make the change back to Canada, including a copy of my Canadian passport. The BA boffins lost it due to "tech issues". So I re-sent the request and copy. Again the boffins messed up. This time they changed my name to my full name as in the passport - but NO address change. They also sent a note saying they would "like feedback" on their "customer service". As I could still not access and view the Hotel Bookings page, I sent BAEC a negative response to their customer service.
Anyone know if BA has outsourced their IT work to a country where knowledge of written English is poor, or is this a usual type of stupidity/incompetence within BAEC?
Any info on why changing my registered address to Qatar made it impossible to view and book the Booking Hotels with Avios page?
Dec 12, 2019, 9:04 am
#4
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,888
They were wrong:
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...and-conditions
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...and-conditions
3.7. Each Member must give British Airways immediate written notice of any changes of name or preferred mailing address and, if requested by British Airways, written proof of any such changes. These changes can also be made online by visiting Ba.com.
3.8. Members cannot transfer Membership registration between countries in which the Executive Club operates more than once in every six months.
3.8. Members cannot transfer Membership registration between countries in which the Executive Club operates more than once in every six months.
Dec 12, 2019, 9:06 am
#5
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,210
It’s not an IT glitch. Hotel, car rental and experiences redemptions are available in limited markets . These markets are applicable to your membership address.
Eligible countries
Countries eligible for online and offline sales
Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Ireland, Jamaica, South Africa, St.Lucia, Trinidad, Turks & Caicos, UAE, UK, USA
Countries eligible for online sales only
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey
See, here
Eligible countries
Countries eligible for online and offline sales
Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Ireland, Jamaica, South Africa, St.Lucia, Trinidad, Turks & Caicos, UAE, UK, USA
Countries eligible for online sales only
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey
See, here
Dec 12, 2019, 9:08 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Middle Earth, and often worse
Programs: BAEC Silver, A3 Gold
Posts: 2,216
Thank you KARFA. Obviously the BAEC boffins are reading some "script" and know nothing else. What kind of "customer service" is that?
Why the page blocking with the Qatar address?
Why the page blocking with the Qatar address?
Dec 12, 2019, 9:13 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Middle Earth, and often worse
Programs: BAEC Silver, A3 Gold
Posts: 2,216
Thanks Prospero. BUT, in spite of your post, a friend with an Australian address and Silver status can make (and has made) hotel bookings using Avios.
Dec 12, 2019, 9:21 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA GGL & GfL, AA LTP, Marriott (sigh) Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,229
exactly what prospero said--its a legal thing so whenever BA wants to offer a new product or feature, it has to be compliant with local laws where available.
so they have likely determined that there is not sufficient business sense to justify all the money required to diligence the laws (primarily consumer protection laws) to launch that feature in Qatar.
so they have likely determined that there is not sufficient business sense to justify all the money required to diligence the laws (primarily consumer protection laws) to launch that feature in Qatar.
Dec 12, 2019, 9:25 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,091
If still the case that you cannot, presumably your friend has their postal address in another country and the system is using that.
Last edited by BertieBadger; Dec 12, 2019 at 9:36 am Reason: Fix pronoun assumption, skim read "has" as "his". Doh!
Dec 12, 2019, 9:29 am
#10
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,888
https://www.headforpoints.com/2019/0...xecutive-club/
You do not have to live in the United Kingdom to join the Executive Club. It is open to citizens of almost every country.
The exception to this is residents of Australia and New Zealand. Unless you have an address elsewhere in the world, British Airways recommends that you join Qantas’ frequent flyer program since both airlines are part of the oneworld alliance and therefore elite status and reward earning and spending can easily carry over. This odd anomaly dates back to 2003 and is a remnant of the joint venture British Airways and Qantas had. British Airways appears to have little appetite to change this small rule despite the fact that they are no longer in a joint venture together.
The exception to this is residents of Australia and New Zealand. Unless you have an address elsewhere in the world, British Airways recommends that you join Qantas’ frequent flyer program since both airlines are part of the oneworld alliance and therefore elite status and reward earning and spending can easily carry over. This odd anomaly dates back to 2003 and is a remnant of the joint venture British Airways and Qantas had. British Airways appears to have little appetite to change this small rule despite the fact that they are no longer in a joint venture together.
It’s also worth noting that Australians are technically not allowed to join British Airways Executive Club. However, it is easy enough to get around this by listing the address of an overseas friend or relative when you sign up.
Dec 12, 2019, 10:45 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Middle Earth, and often worse
Programs: BAEC Silver, A3 Gold
Posts: 2,216
Yes, thanks to Prospero et al. I'll bet my Australian friend has postal address in another country - like Canada (where she has relatives).
Now to find out how long I will have to wait until I can change my address back to Canada. 🙄
Now to find out how long I will have to wait until I can change my address back to Canada. 🙄