kilton

Hello,

I have an award reservation for 2 days from now booked through CO that I can pull up on LH's site via My Bookings. I tried going through the OLCI process for the heck of it and got a scary error: "We are unable to find a valid ticket for you". Is this a standard error message when trying to check in too early, or do I potentially have a problem?

oliver2002

OLCI opens about 22-23h before scheduled departure. Before that you get the above error message.

kilton

So, naturally it's still not working at under 22h, and the reservations folks don't know why -- they say I'll just have to do it at the airport.

Sigh. :-)

fivesixseven

It depends. I could just check in for my flight at +26h

supermasterphil

Which is the latest: like I have posted before, the OLCI window often opens like 25-30hrs before takeoff.

dj_jay_smith

I have had this occasionally when under 23h before departure. Just keep trying every hour or so, eventually it will work.

I have had this about twice in the past year, so not often but still annoying and it gets you worried the first time it happens.

TRAVELSIG

Codeshares often (but not always) have this problem as well (where the flight is on LH metal and was booked as a CO flight etc).

kilton

OLCI ended up working the next morning. *shrug*

Oddly, it redirected me to SAS to check-in, despite both legs being on LH metal. (The first originated at BGO.)

TRAVELSIG

If you originate at CPH you have to use the SAS check-in even for an all LH metal ITIN and a 220 ticket stock without any code share. Another "best policy" of IT. And to learn about this? You must phone and get a knowledgable agent or read 100 pages of FT.

mherdeg

I recently changed a United award itinerary so that it contains only LH segments. The itinerary seems to have a valid e-ticket associated with it and LH seems to have the valid e-ticket and the LH record looks OK — and travel is in about 96 hours — but I get this scary message when I try to OLCI.

Should I be scared?

oliver2002

T-96h is way too early...

maarisk

Very recent experience with changed not award, but cash booking - changed my flights way back in May (planned mid July), instantly got confirmation of my changes and new ticket number, after 1,5h got mail from some automated robot, that CC was declined... Thought what da f***k and contacted my bank. Next day got response, that LH for some reason sent 2 transactions for the same amount with 1,5h apart and second was declined by my bank. Contacted LH call center and was ensured that ticket will be reprocessed (or whatever they call it, I did not provide other CC and had ensured that nothing can fail). Did not see any transactions up to my departure date. Couple of days called call center and was ensured that all is OK and OLCI will be fine... Not quite the case - around 20h before departure got error message that no ticket found for flights requested Called call center and was asked to call web support (on Saturday) that could not be reached. Time at the airport spent to check in was around 40 minutes (no queues yet for business pax as I was early) - there was a little back and forth between checkin agent and ticketing desk until they managed to check me in to my destination. Up to this day have not seen any transaction on my CC from LH regarding rebooking. Ticketing desk took my card, but it seems that did not authorize it as I did not have to sign anything.

Why I am telling this - BE PREPARED to deal with LH IT problems... If all goes well - lucky you.

oliver2002

Always take a look at your ticket to see the status of the individual coupons if there is a problem with a charge to your CC. LH ticket numbers can be currently easily verified here:

http://www.bookonline.saudiairlines.com/
-> Manage my booking
-> Search for an e-ticket

'Coupon status' should be 'Open for use'. If there is a problem, it will show 'suspended' or something equally horrifying. Since LH has moved the etix database to Altea it can be nicely monitored via any Amadeus eticket server application.

N1003U

Thanks for this tip, oliver2002. I have CC problems rarely when I make changes, but often enough to be annoying. The ability to see individual coupon status should be helpful to more efficiently resolve future problems.

makos

I dont know if this helps or not. I have had the other way around, LH tickets on UA flights. I was unable to use online check in at all. Had to do everything at the airport. At the airport the kiosk did not recognize my final destination. I had to put a US destination first then the kiosk was able to pull up my whole flight schedule.