The Perils of being a Smith
 

We checked in at MAN for our altered flight MAN to AMS on the 24th Dec: A lot of confusion followed as I seemed to be on the plane twice in different seats with different PNRs but with the same FD number. After phone calls to AMS they offloaded one of me. Check in for AMS to CPT on the 25th went without hitch and we had an excellent flight with 10 free seats in C. On the return however we checked in and were settled into the CPT lounge when the lounge agent said KLM were sending an agent up urgently to speak to me. On arrival she wanted to see all my documents and PE card. She produced another itinary also for a Simon Smith in my seat with my PE number on it but a different PNR. She explained she had another Simon Smith downstairs checking in for the same flight which was a problem as it was full to the rafters and jump seats! Anyone have any ideas how my PE number and seat got into his booking?? The other chap had to be bumped.

If I remember correctly, there was some messing-around over your flight reservations, so presumably you will have made some phone calls?

In that case it's quite possible that in one of those phone calls they will have opened your namesake's booking by mistake, noticed there was no FD number in it and added it in thinking it had been omitted by mistake. The same may have happened with the seat reservation.

But was this really "another" chap or you passing yourself in some parallel "zone".

Then again could be a "sign" of things to come.

Probably a mix up by a phone agent changing the wrong PNR though.

pmcg