hugolover

I was surprised to face difficulties assisting a friend rebooking a PNR where all the segments had been cancelled by SN. The ticket was booked via an OTA.

SN as well as LH refuse to rebook the trip, passing it back to the OTA. The OTA will charge her €45 for the privilege. A full refund is available, without an agency admin fee. I’ve pulled the ticket and its just usual, not bulk/IT (would it make a difference for carrier canx?) and has the YR in the calculation. As per IROPS policy, the rebooking would be FOC across LH Group.

I thought, in general, where irregularities occur airlines would rebook the trip themselves and since Covid they will take over agency tickets in nearly all circumstances, especially if the pax wants a voucher or generally some way that means they don’t pursue a refund and gets off the OTAs phone lines. The OTA has no issue in having the ticket rebooked via SN.

For OTA tickets with LOT, my experience is very good, no issues whatsoever. You only need to speak to the agency to obtain a refund. Tickets without any irreg whatsoever can easily be rebooked by the contact centre. What’s going on with LH/SN? Why so crap?

I can tell that LH don’t really want to touch SN tickets if my previous experience during lockdown was anything to go by. I had to persuade them there was a LH Group policy of rebooking when SN’s phone lines were totally jam packed.

I’ve called LH in UK, LH in PL and the SN line, I’ve also tried SN's FB and their website chat.

Is there another line I can call, another way of going about this to help her?

Often1

Calling different channels won't change the facts. Unless it is day of travel IRROPS, the friend will need to have the third-party vendor handling the rebooking. If she agreed to a fee, that is a matter between the friend and the third-party. She will need to check her contract with the third-party for that.

hugolover

I know that rule, along with first segment (24h before etc or technically checked in too) I thought that rule was pretty much in the bin due to the pandemic? It assists no one, least the airlines who don't want to issue refunds.

SK AAR

Unfortunately, this is a very common approach by carriers, not only LH/SN. In fact I'm more surprised that LOT is prepared to touch OTA booked tickets; but I guess I will have to test it for my upcoming OTA booked KRK-WAW-CPH LOT flights this Sunday (where I have been waiting in vain for LOT to cancel, but it doesn't look like it). Hope that the LOT call center can put the ticket 'on ice' until a later and better time to visit Poland.

oliver2002

All carriers usually take the stance that you purchased the ticket from an agent and that agent is responsible to take care of your needs. This especially enforced if the trip has not commenced and the operating airline has not even started to take control of the ticket.

AFAIK SN has not lifted the suspension of BSP link and still is processing every refund manually by email.

LondonElite

It is completely standard practice for this to be the OTA's job. After all. that is why the ticket was purchased there in the first place.

hugolover

You won’t have an issue. LOT is very customer friendly with changing tickets.

hugolover

Once the old departure date has been and gone, does it mean it can be rebooked via SN?

I forgot there was a FB message where SN took out all the canx segments and put it into open status.

oliver2002

No the UN segments have to be taken out by the agent that issued the ticket. Then they have to put in a retention segment. When the pax is ready to fix a new date the agent has to book that new trip and issue a new ticket iin exchange for the old one. The airline will not touch the booking as they won't take control of a different agents ticket unless the agent requests the airline to do so.

The simple reason behind that is that the ticket is owned by the issuing agent. The airline cannot just take it away and do whatever with it as it has not come in their control yet.

hugolover

SN took out the unconfirmed segments and as I said, open status, meaning a retention segment was added. I've seen the FB Messages now. Pretty weird attitude from SN then isn't it? Should we be surprised?

Often1

Seems perfectly customer friendly. The passenger chose to work through a specific vendor and that is who he should work through. Presumably the passenger in this case saw some value in doing so and now has buyer's regret.

hugolover

It's a rule when it's a rule, except when it isn't .

Well, fares on the route with LH are exactly the same at the moment, its just SN have given up the ghost. Unfortunately that's just adding more money to the pot rather than rebooking the ticket they already have. In terms of buyers regret, I'd say its not as much regret SN will have for the beans to evaporate from their coffers and probably why SN still didn't activate the BSP link to try every trick to keep the cash in.

ISTFlyer

I am sorry hugolover ,

LOT is an exception in customer service.
I am totally against TA's or OTA's taking admin or service fees during irregular operations so I don't book with OTA's, I book directly with the airline in most cases.

Though, it's your friend who has decided to make business through the OTA so it's highly normal that both LH & SN asks the you or your friend to contact the OTA.

hugolover

I managed to get her ticket rebooked directly when SN could see the agent offered no further rebooking option except refund. Suddenly, it was possible to rebook to Helga metal.

By the way, even *TAP* will rebook an OTA ticket. *TAP*!