Mixing classes not allowed on Star Alliance Awards
Feb 12, 2010, 2:54 am
#1
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Mixing classes not allowed on Star Alliance Awards
I tried to book a OnePass award on LX- I need a longhaul flight in O and short haul flight in I. Flights are available as per OP Service Centre.
According to the agent, she can not price the itin with the intra-Europe segment in I and long haul in O. It has to be all in one class. Since there is no O in short haul, I have to fly I all the way or the system won't price the itin.
Is this the case??
I never had problems with mixed class awards when booking awards using Star alliance FF programs.
According to the agent, she can not price the itin with the intra-Europe segment in I and long haul in O. It has to be all in one class. Since there is no O in short haul, I have to fly I all the way or the system won't price the itin.
Is this the case??
I never had problems with mixed class awards when booking awards using Star alliance FF programs.
Feb 12, 2010, 5:39 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 716
This can't be true. I just booked to Asia with some of the intra-Asian flights in I, but the overwater flights in O. Definitely call back and try another agent.
Feb 12, 2010, 7:47 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2009
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I think you need to try another agent, just had an award with EWR-FRA in O and then FRA-LHR in I
Feb 12, 2010, 7:50 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2008
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You absolutely have reached a bad agent. Call back and get a competent one. O is LX F and I is LX short-haul C. They absolutely will price. She was very, very wrong. And if you happened to get her name, report it to a supervisor for training purposes so she can learn what is correct.
Feb 12, 2010, 9:30 am
#5
Join Date: May 2009
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I have a reward booked that even alternates O-I-O-I (on LH, LH, LX, SA) in a single direction. The two I segments are 2-class service. It is absolutely bookable, but may require advanced skills to do (I happened to have an über-Elite desk agent on the phone at the time).
Feb 12, 2010, 10:55 am
#6
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I suspect I found the wrong agent too- I will try OPSC in Houston to see if I have better luck. Seats are available as per ANA, I can price the whole itin using my Miles and More account. To make sure that the seats don't disappear, I have asked her to hold the long haul F segments, so I need to find someone who can add the intra-Europe segments and price the itin.
Feb 12, 2010, 11:07 am
#7
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I suspect I found the wrong agent too- I will try OPSC in Houston to see if I have better luck. Seats are available as per ANA, I can price the whole itin using my Miles and More account. To make sure that the seats don't disappear, I have asked her to hold the long haul F segments, so I need to find someone who can add the intra-Europe segments and price the itin.
OPSC doesn't book tickets as far as I know.
Just call back and get another agent at the call center. I don't think this will be a problem.
Feb 13, 2010, 3:28 am
#8
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Update
Made three more attempts- got same answer that they can't do it. Got various answers like "LX does not release seats to us", "Mixing classes are not allowed on Star Alliance awards", "We can see seats, but can't price itin" etc. even though seats are available on ANA (which means it should normally be available to all Star Alliance carriers). Tried Brussels and Houston- neither could do it.
Since there is a possibility that Miles and More would release seats for a LH Gold, I decided to verify if it is true that LX will not release to CO. Just to experiment, I asked BD to do a dummy reward booking for me and it was done without any problem.
Since there is a possibility that Miles and More would release seats for a LH Gold, I decided to verify if it is true that LX will not release to CO. Just to experiment, I asked BD to do a dummy reward booking for me and it was done without any problem.
Feb 13, 2010, 7:22 am
#9
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Made three more attempts- got same answer that they can't do it. Got various answers like "LX does not release seats to us", "Mixing classes are not allowed on Star Alliance awards", "We can see seats, but can't price itin" etc. even though seats are available on ANA (which means it should normally be available to all Star Alliance carriers). Tried Brussels and Houston- neither could do it.
Since there is a possibility that Miles and More would release seats for a LH Gold, I decided to verify if it is true that LX will not release to CO. Just to experiment, I asked BD to do a dummy reward booking for me and it was done without any problem.
Since there is a possibility that Miles and More would release seats for a LH Gold, I decided to verify if it is true that LX will not release to CO. Just to experiment, I asked BD to do a dummy reward booking for me and it was done without any problem.
But I'm confident that the LX seats were not available on the ANA website
Feb 13, 2010, 7:39 am
#10
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That's the closest you've gotten. Have an agent build it, and when it doesn't price, then you need to escalate.
Basically CO's computer isn't auto-pricing it, so there's some sort of technical issue on their end. At that point, the agent has two choice -- A) find out why and get it resolved for you; or B) BS you and get you off the phone.
Since CO really watches how long an agent is on each call, they do better in their metrics with the B) BS you approach, which is the type of response you've gotten. Either you need to find a more confident agent, or you need to push back harder when you hear that.
I've trained dozens of CO agents over the years. It's just what you gotta do as a OP member.
Feb 13, 2010, 5:07 pm
#11
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Feb 13, 2010, 5:37 pm
#12
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Feb 13, 2010, 8:32 pm
#14
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I'm not saying I never have to redial when dealing with any other companies, but with CO I find myself redialing quite a bit in these types of situations.
Feb 14, 2010, 12:06 am
#15
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Though most call centers seem to balance that reality while being able to provide some semblance of knowledgeable customer service.
I'm not saying I never have to redial when dealing with any other companies, but with CO I find myself redialing quite a bit in these types of situations.
I'm not saying I never have to redial when dealing with any other companies, but with CO I find myself redialing quite a bit in these types of situations.
With respect to airlines, at least on CSR over on the UA board says there are no handle time or call per hour requirements. The notion of "hang up and keep calling back until you get correct info" was pretty much invented on the UA board, so there would not seem to be a correlation between cph requirements and quality of service.