Can gate agent change award flight?
May 4, 2015, 3:57 pm
#1
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Can gate agent change award flight?
Hi everyone, I googled till the cows came home but couldnt find an answer to this question. Hubs and I are using avios to fly Bos-Dub tommorow. We are going with another couple but couldnt find 4 awards so we are flying 3 hrs apart. Expert flyer is showing 7+ seats available (biz) on the 6:00pm so i was hoping aer lingus would release them but they did not. Several calls to BA got me no where. Is it possible that they can be changed at the airport? I realize awards are a different animal than purchased tickets but it does seem silly to have empty seats and not allow a last minute switch. Has anyone been able to make this work or am i looking at a 5 hr wait in the lounge?
Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance.
May 4, 2015, 4:33 pm
#2
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From the time I spent working for an airline, the GAs can do pretty much whatever they want. They would get into trouble only if it impacted revenue or was blatantly against the rules.
Now, whether they will do it is another matter. A lot depends on the kind of day they've been having, how many dipstick pax they've been exasperated by, whether the city manager is clamping down, and so on.
You've already got confirmed seats and the trip will go off as planned. It wouldn't hurt to ask, but be polite. As Don Corelone says, "Mention it - don't insist".
Acting like a DYKWIA is pretty much guaranteed to get you a cold shoulder.
Now, whether they will do it is another matter. A lot depends on the kind of day they've been having, how many dipstick pax they've been exasperated by, whether the city manager is clamping down, and so on.
You've already got confirmed seats and the trip will go off as planned. It wouldn't hurt to ask, but be polite. As Don Corelone says, "Mention it - don't insist".
Acting like a DYKWIA is pretty much guaranteed to get you a cold shoulder.
May 4, 2015, 7:09 pm
#6
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Are you checking bags? If so, I'd ask before the gate... ask when reaching the check in counter, with bag matching procedures and all.
May 4, 2015, 7:30 pm
#8
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Thanks everyone,
We are not checking bags and will ask at check in, at the lounge and at the gate. It truly seems ridiculous that we couldnt use the empty seats but the BA agents were pretty adamant its not going to happen.....it will be interesting, but travel always is
We are not checking bags and will ask at check in, at the lounge and at the gate. It truly seems ridiculous that we couldnt use the empty seats but the BA agents were pretty adamant its not going to happen.....it will be interesting, but travel always is
May 4, 2015, 9:23 pm
#9
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A number of airlines require the desired flight have the requisite award class inventory to be able to do this. Some agents may be flexible enough to do this if your desired flight is about to depart with empty seats, but many either may feel inhibited if the rules don't allow it.
Ask nicely and be prepared to take "no" as the answer; if your changes are granted, congratulations; be sure to thank the agent.
Ask nicely and be prepared to take "no" as the answer; if your changes are granted, congratulations; be sure to thank the agent.
May 5, 2015, 12:43 am
#10
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I think it's unlikely, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that these ticket types are really inflexible and gate agents don't have a great deal of latitude where this is concerned. I do agree that you should ask at the gate, but I'd expect the answer to be a firm 'no' regardless of how many J seats are open on the later flight.
May 5, 2015, 12:51 am
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May 5, 2015, 1:06 am
#12
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An excellent point which I forgot to make in my haste. Ex-US I'd say your chances might be as high as 50%, Ex-anywhere else very slim.
May 5, 2015, 7:09 am
#13
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Australia, USA, Austria iirc are at the top of the list where the opposite is true.
The best thing is to inquire at the ticket counter and then the gate agent. If the gate is particularly busy, even in the USA such a request is likelier to get shorts grift - though if they view granting the request as ridding themselves of an annoyance, they just might do it if there are several seats available.
May 5, 2015, 8:36 am
#15
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I think it's unlikely, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that these ticket types are really inflexible and gate agents don't have a great deal of latitude where this is concerned. I do agree that you should ask at the gate, but I'd expect the answer to be a firm 'no' regardless of how many J seats are open on the later flight.