Reward redemption annoyances
Sep 16, 2006, 5:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 116
Reward redemption annoyances
Just spent the last hour trying to get an award ticket HKG-LAX...
First try... on the CX website - spent a good deal of time choosing my flight/seats to make everything perfect... slight difficulty since I have to enter in the advance passenger info but for Aus passport, the Visa Wavier program kicks in and the CX website doesn't like it when you leave the visa section blank...
Anywayz, end up putting "Aus Visa Wavier" there and try to continue...
I get a nice long pause while the website reports 'processing payment' and 'finalising booking' and then... bang. a blank screen with red writing 'your booking could not be finalised due to system error, please try again'.
<sigh>
ok. attempt number two. Same deal - quite a bit quicker this time coz I know what to do, but a hassle to type it all in again.
Same big pause. Same error message. "cannot finalise booking" but this time, THEY ZAPPED MY MILES.
checking on my MPC account online -- can't see the redemption booking so not sure if the booking went through.
Find the number for the MPC desk and call up. After I explain the situation, she initially thinks I want to make a booking and says "sir, you don't have enough miles". Explain again that I don't have enough miles because they have been taken away already and after a while she gets it and talks to her supervisor.
(ten minutes of the 'I can fly' song)
After talking to her supervisor, they can see a problem with the booking. They dont know why the computer rejected it. She assures me the miles will revert back to my account in 30 minutes and advises me to try the booking online AGAIN at that stage. I try to confirm that the taxes won't get zapped from my credit card as well and she says 'yes - the computer will not do that. thanks for your call. bye'
Throughout the whole episode, the crappy agent seemed intent on getting me off the phone as soon as possible.
First try... on the CX website - spent a good deal of time choosing my flight/seats to make everything perfect... slight difficulty since I have to enter in the advance passenger info but for Aus passport, the Visa Wavier program kicks in and the CX website doesn't like it when you leave the visa section blank...
Anywayz, end up putting "Aus Visa Wavier" there and try to continue...
I get a nice long pause while the website reports 'processing payment' and 'finalising booking' and then... bang. a blank screen with red writing 'your booking could not be finalised due to system error, please try again'.
<sigh>
ok. attempt number two. Same deal - quite a bit quicker this time coz I know what to do, but a hassle to type it all in again.
Same big pause. Same error message. "cannot finalise booking" but this time, THEY ZAPPED MY MILES.
checking on my MPC account online -- can't see the redemption booking so not sure if the booking went through.
Find the number for the MPC desk and call up. After I explain the situation, she initially thinks I want to make a booking and says "sir, you don't have enough miles". Explain again that I don't have enough miles because they have been taken away already and after a while she gets it and talks to her supervisor.
(ten minutes of the 'I can fly' song)
After talking to her supervisor, they can see a problem with the booking. They dont know why the computer rejected it. She assures me the miles will revert back to my account in 30 minutes and advises me to try the booking online AGAIN at that stage. I try to confirm that the taxes won't get zapped from my credit card as well and she says 'yes - the computer will not do that. thanks for your call. bye'
Throughout the whole episode, the crappy agent seemed intent on getting me off the phone as soon as possible.
Sep 16, 2006, 7:41 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,409
Are you sure the online booking problem is not caused by your credit card? I had the same problem yesterday due to my credit card not having the "vertified by visa" function and when I used another one with it and worked fine.
Regarding the agent, yes, unless if you are Diamond the agents are crappy and don't even waste your time complaining because they don't care, just hang up and call again.
Regarding the agent, yes, unless if you are Diamond the agents are crappy and don't even waste your time complaining because they don't care, just hang up and call again.
Sep 16, 2006, 11:36 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 116
Originally Posted by B-HQC
Are you sure the online booking problem is not caused by your credit card? I had the same problem yesterday due to my credit card not having the "vertified by visa" function and when I used another one with it and worked fine.
Regarding the agent, yes, unless if you are Diamond the agents are crappy and don't even waste your time complaining because they don't care, just hang up and call again.
Regarding the agent, yes, unless if you are Diamond the agents are crappy and don't even waste your time complaining because they don't care, just hang up and call again.
Ended up - 1 day later - miles are still gone. Called MPC/AM line again -- seems like the agents on the reservations line have no training other than 'how to make an award booking' so the agent I got this time said 'how about i put another booking in and you can call up in a couple of days and try to get a technical person to force the miles back into your account'.
Sep 17, 2006, 12:24 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: None any more
Posts: 11,017
I would recommend calling the e-service centre (the people who support the website). In my experience they are very competent, take ownership of problems, and see them through to completion. +852 2747 2200
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en...contactus/esvc
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en...contactus/esvc