flyalways

Hi there,
I just noticed that it is not possible to add any non-AI FF number to AI booking
on-line. I called telephone support line and they said that it is a new policy and
it can ONLY be added by agent at the airport. Why is AI not allowing customers
to add their non-AI FF number to the booking ??

oliver2002

You can add it during online check-in. Otherwise any ticket agent can add it.

flyalways

Nope ! That is not possible. I tried all different ways. Even AI phone agents can not add it now. (I did not check non-AI travel agents since this was a AI web booking). Only at the airport check-in desk according to AI phone agent :-(

Keyser

this is a recent change made about a month ago....for a couple of days in june they weren't even allowing their own ai number to be added online or over the phone (unless you entered it at the time of booking) but thankfully they rectified that quickly....

this change makes no sense but then again this is ai we are talking about....not much about them makes sense....

oliver2002

Did AI migrate or update its CRS? However limited SITA Horizon PSS may be, it should still be able to do such things?

flyalways

This is a huge pain for someone that is a *G with a non-AI carrier. To get lounge benefits, they now MUST go to
an agent at the airport so a proper boarding card can be generated to access the lounge...

PiperAtGatesofDawn

flyalways

Is this at the time of purchase ? I was trying to add it later since I had not added any number while booking.
I tried as "manage my booking" and "web check-in". In both cases it was not allowing to add any
other FF number...

PiperAtGatesofDawn

Yes it was at the time of purchase.

Here's what I suspect (though not sure) happened in your case. You logged in while purchasing the ticket - and AI added your AI FFP by default to your ticket. Most airlines don't allow changing FFPs online till OLCI or allow it only at airport check-in, gate check-in and sometimes through phone till gate check-in.

If you already had a FFP# in your ticket and given this is AI - your phone agent was probably correct in saying you need to get it changed at the airport.

vikasr

Recently I booked a AI ticket on an OTA. Usually I would then go to manage booking on the AI website to add seats and *A FFP number but this time the drop down menu for FFP only showed Air India as an option. All other *A airlines were not shown. I called AI and they said that this feature has been removed and to add another airline FFP, I must contact the checkin agent at airport. There is no other way.

flyalways

Nope ! This is NOT what happened to me. I had the number BLANK in the reservation when I purchased it
online. During the OLCI window I could not add the United number via "Manage my booking" OR "web check-in".
In both cases the ONLY option was to put AI FF number. (The interface was poorly designed to suggest that
you could put some other FF number when you can not)

Here is what happened at the check-in desk. They explained to me that I need to
show them the original United FF card or some proof that the number belongs to me.
Looks like they have no way of matching the name on the United FF account with the
name on the ticket automatically. Looks like people with SAME last name were
taking advantage of this situation and adding a *G number of relative with same
last name. They could not verify this and were now giving lounge access to
non *G customers. So their fix is to not allow this online.

I find that to be a very weak explanation. Most of the other airlines in
*alliance network can match it correctly so why can't they ? Is the IT
system of AI not smart enough to do this ? This creates a huge burden on
legit *G members to make sure that the number is added at the
check-in desk if somehow they do not add it at the time of booking or
want to change it due to error etc...

PiperAtGatesofDawn

How did you manage the situation since UA doesn't give physical cards? Did you show it on the app? They could have accused of traveling on someone else's FFP with the same last and first name.

I have had a similar situation at check-in in CCU a year or so ago where I was carded. I had entered my AI FFP in the reservation and the system had accepted it. Still the check-in agent carded me despite their system showing me as TMC! I asked them why he needed to see the card and he said he needed to check my name there.

SuperFlyBoy

Yes, Air India's new changes is not to allow any other Star Alliance members' frequent flyer numbers to be updated until checking-in at the counter! (We used to be able to do this online)

This is one way to save on liabilities to *A / other airlines, I guess!

(They told me to call United to have them update their (AI) PNR! Like UA's SHARES will have access to AI's SITA?? How ridiculous!)

NoviceFT

wow....just wow. have you already flown the segment in AI and did they accept your UA FF number

UA Fan

How?