E-cert issue.
Mar 9, 2006 | 11:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 22,778
E-cert issue.
I am writing to bring up an issue of E-cert and child fare. Many $$ off E-certs such as PK035 and PDxx cannot be used with other discounts. That's fair enough for most circumstances. I have an issue with that when it comes to child fare. When a child is given one of these e-certs as a compensation for mechanical delays or other issues, it is essentially unusable by the child pax. In my opinion, its dishonest for the airline to pass something off as a compensation that the child cannot use. To say that child fare is discounted is a mere technicality. A child fare is a published fare in a sense as it as every published fare basis as associated child fare which may or may not be the less than the adult fare. I have never seen a bereavement fare accompanying a regular published fare. In that sense bereavement fare is discounted. I have brought this issue up with the airline on other occasions and usually have been allowed to use it on a child fare. The fact that I have been a PLAT for 8 years and the rest of my family is Gold probably has been a factor too.
On Monday, March 6th we booked a trip to SIN. My older son (13 yrs old) and I had two TCV's valued at $750 each. We had a PD cert good for $100 off any fare more than $400. We decided to use the PK035 for my younger son (8 years old). We booked my trip and my older son's trip on the phone and did not have to pay the call center fee as he was booked in the same record as I. We booked my wife's trip on nwa.com. Since only one E-cert can be entered at nwa.com, and a childs trip cannot be booked alone on nwa.com, we had to book my younger son's trip on the phone too. The agent we talked to was very nice. We explained to her that the E-cert in question was given to us on a domestic leg of an international trip my son was on that had been delayed due to mechanical reasons, and we feel that he should be able to use that E-cert. She checked with the rate desk and quoted us a fare of child fare- E-cert plus the call center fee for him ($826.88) less the $$s off from the e-cert.. My wife gave the credit card number and all. On Tuesday the 7th, she went to the airport to surrender the two TCV's for me and my son and she was told that the other son's ticket was in the process of being issued. Late this evening, March 10th, I went to do seat assignment for all of us. It was a juggling act to pick seats for 4 people in three different records. When I got done, I noticed that the 8 yr old's reservation had no ticket number.
So I called the elite line to find out what happened.
Agent: The ticket was not issued because the E-cert had not been surrendered.
Yaatri: The E-cert was electronic and did not have to be surrendered.
Agent: Sir, I am telling you the reason why it was not issued.
Yaatri: Yes, but my wife went to the airport ticket office on the 7th and she was told everything was OK with that reservation. An electronic cert does not have to be surrendered. However, had she been told it was necessary, she would certainly have done that.
Agent: I see what you are saying. Let me see what's going on. Actually you can't use the E-cert with the child fare.
Yaatri: We went over this issue with the agent who did the original booking on the 6th. She had checked with the international rate desk. The international rate desk had allowed it. (I gave her the same reason I had used to convince the original agent.)
But she was adamant that it could not be used. I thanked her and said I will take it up with customer relations and if she could just let the reservation be.
She insisted that she could not let it be. She entered notes disallowing the e-cert. I asked her to please let it be until I had a chance to talk to customer relations or she could check with the rate desk her self. I told her the reservation had sat for nearly 4 days already and one more day wouldn't matter. She would not listen to my suggestion. I thanked her and told her I would deal with it tomorrow.
Then I called my wife. My wife got to a supervisor who was mean and stupid. She would not believe that the original agent could have quoted us a fare of $826. She acted as if we were trying to pull a fast one. When my wife asked how come the airline was waiting for a cert that did not have to be surrendered, and which the airline now maintains cannot be used by a child, but handed out to a child for a mechanical issue. The reservation for a Gold member sat for 4 days waiting for something that that the airline says cannot be used, but had been allowed by the rate desk. Yet no one contacted us until I happened to go on nwa.com and discover that the reservation had not been ticketed. Something is wrong here. Somehow the fare that was quoted had disaappeared and now a higher fare was showing. But for 4 days neither was the ticket issued nor were we contacted although the airline had the credit card info and our phone numbers and e-mail. Basically, the reservation would have dropped off by midnight tonight had I not been vigilant. We did not see how we had made any mistakes. My wife asked her to check with the international rate desk too. But the supervisor did not want to do that. She inssisted that we either purchase the ticket right then at the fare without the $$'s off or pay adult fare for the child and get $$'s off. She also insinuated that "maybe my wife knew that the E-cert could not be used with the child fare and had later decided not to use it the E-cert and that's why had not surrendered it. All this did not make sense. She was not only illogical but unhelpful too. She also offered another possibility for the changed fare in which scenario, the child fare had not been applied. But then, the fare (adult fare) with E-cert would be about $1040 Which wasnt the amount showing in the record.
Then she said that the very first NW agent might possibly have made a mistake but was unwilling to take our word or to check with the rate desk. She also said she was going to remove the E-cert information and the credit card info so that the reservation would definitely fall off after midnight unless ticketed. When my wife asked her to please not do that and give us time to get to customer relations. She insisted that we had to decide right then whether we wanted to pay the adult fare and use the E-cert or pay child fare and not use the e-cert. My wife asked her why she would not give us time to reach customer relations when the reservation had already sat for 4 days with inaction on part of the airline. The supervisor said "because I can, I decide what I want to do." She also said she was removing any reference to the E-cert or the reason why the reservation was not ticketed, so that no other rep would be able to see that. When My wife said it was neither right nor legal to deliberately wipe out the information and re-write history, the supervisor basically said "It is my prerogative" and hung up on my wife.
Next call took my wife to another supervisor who claimed she was sitting right next to the previous supervisor and knew what had happened and was not going to do anything different.
On the third call, the elite gent told my wife that the first supervisor wrote remarks so that no other supervisor would touch it now. He was sympathetic but said he was afraid to do anything. While my wife was talking the phone was accidentally disconnected.
Fourth call, the agent was nice and willing to listen to my wife's story. Having heard the story, she put my wife on hold. She came back and said it was done. Miracle!! My wife asked her how she was able to pull it off. She said she went to a supervisor who told her that no supervisor would touch that record now, but that she could go to the international rate desk and get their approval. That's what this agent did, which is what the very first agent had done. The ticket was re-priced, actually about $9 lower than before, the e-cert discount was applied. The reservation has been ticketed now.
I don't get it. The airline needs goodwill from frequent fliers as much as it needs money. When I make a mistake and not book a fare, I know I may pay a higher fare, which I have on occasion. In this case, we were quoted a fare which had been Okayed by the rate desk. The airline sat on it for days claiming that they were waiting for the e-cert, which was not needed, but now would not allow it. A supervisor would insinuate that my wife was lying, would neither give us time, nor would check with the rate desk if our story w a s plausible. Not only that, erased information, which amounts to deliberate suppression of information, to re-write history and make it impossible for anyone without the initiative or the desire to go out of their way to help us. Yet a smart agent knew how to handle it. The total time spent on this issue, nearly 2 and half hours, and NW got $9 less than it would have had there been no screw up and substantially less than what the supervisor sought to collect. How did it help NW?
Tomorrow morning my wife is coming to Mississippi to see what happened to my place during Katrina. This is the place where we had Christmases, Thanksgivings Easters and other holidays for 6 years. She even begged the supervisor to give us one more day.
I am amazed at the attitude. She does not belong in that job. She was stupid, dishonest and vindictive. If I were her boss, knowing what the rate desk did twice, I would fire her. I hope some one pays attention to this at NW.
On Monday, March 6th we booked a trip to SIN. My older son (13 yrs old) and I had two TCV's valued at $750 each. We had a PD cert good for $100 off any fare more than $400. We decided to use the PK035 for my younger son (8 years old). We booked my trip and my older son's trip on the phone and did not have to pay the call center fee as he was booked in the same record as I. We booked my wife's trip on nwa.com. Since only one E-cert can be entered at nwa.com, and a childs trip cannot be booked alone on nwa.com, we had to book my younger son's trip on the phone too. The agent we talked to was very nice. We explained to her that the E-cert in question was given to us on a domestic leg of an international trip my son was on that had been delayed due to mechanical reasons, and we feel that he should be able to use that E-cert. She checked with the rate desk and quoted us a fare of child fare- E-cert plus the call center fee for him ($826.88) less the $$s off from the e-cert.. My wife gave the credit card number and all. On Tuesday the 7th, she went to the airport to surrender the two TCV's for me and my son and she was told that the other son's ticket was in the process of being issued. Late this evening, March 10th, I went to do seat assignment for all of us. It was a juggling act to pick seats for 4 people in three different records. When I got done, I noticed that the 8 yr old's reservation had no ticket number.
So I called the elite line to find out what happened.
Agent: The ticket was not issued because the E-cert had not been surrendered.
Yaatri: The E-cert was electronic and did not have to be surrendered.
Agent: Sir, I am telling you the reason why it was not issued.
Yaatri: Yes, but my wife went to the airport ticket office on the 7th and she was told everything was OK with that reservation. An electronic cert does not have to be surrendered. However, had she been told it was necessary, she would certainly have done that.
Agent: I see what you are saying. Let me see what's going on. Actually you can't use the E-cert with the child fare.
Yaatri: We went over this issue with the agent who did the original booking on the 6th. She had checked with the international rate desk. The international rate desk had allowed it. (I gave her the same reason I had used to convince the original agent.)
But she was adamant that it could not be used. I thanked her and said I will take it up with customer relations and if she could just let the reservation be.
She insisted that she could not let it be. She entered notes disallowing the e-cert. I asked her to please let it be until I had a chance to talk to customer relations or she could check with the rate desk her self. I told her the reservation had sat for nearly 4 days already and one more day wouldn't matter. She would not listen to my suggestion. I thanked her and told her I would deal with it tomorrow.
Then I called my wife. My wife got to a supervisor who was mean and stupid. She would not believe that the original agent could have quoted us a fare of $826. She acted as if we were trying to pull a fast one. When my wife asked how come the airline was waiting for a cert that did not have to be surrendered, and which the airline now maintains cannot be used by a child, but handed out to a child for a mechanical issue. The reservation for a Gold member sat for 4 days waiting for something that that the airline says cannot be used, but had been allowed by the rate desk. Yet no one contacted us until I happened to go on nwa.com and discover that the reservation had not been ticketed. Something is wrong here. Somehow the fare that was quoted had disaappeared and now a higher fare was showing. But for 4 days neither was the ticket issued nor were we contacted although the airline had the credit card info and our phone numbers and e-mail. Basically, the reservation would have dropped off by midnight tonight had I not been vigilant. We did not see how we had made any mistakes. My wife asked her to check with the international rate desk too. But the supervisor did not want to do that. She inssisted that we either purchase the ticket right then at the fare without the $$'s off or pay adult fare for the child and get $$'s off. She also insinuated that "maybe my wife knew that the E-cert could not be used with the child fare and had later decided not to use it the E-cert and that's why had not surrendered it. All this did not make sense. She was not only illogical but unhelpful too. She also offered another possibility for the changed fare in which scenario, the child fare had not been applied. But then, the fare (adult fare) with E-cert would be about $1040 Which wasnt the amount showing in the record.
Then she said that the very first NW agent might possibly have made a mistake but was unwilling to take our word or to check with the rate desk. She also said she was going to remove the E-cert information and the credit card info so that the reservation would definitely fall off after midnight unless ticketed. When my wife asked her to please not do that and give us time to get to customer relations. She insisted that we had to decide right then whether we wanted to pay the adult fare and use the E-cert or pay child fare and not use the e-cert. My wife asked her why she would not give us time to reach customer relations when the reservation had already sat for 4 days with inaction on part of the airline. The supervisor said "because I can, I decide what I want to do." She also said she was removing any reference to the E-cert or the reason why the reservation was not ticketed, so that no other rep would be able to see that. When My wife said it was neither right nor legal to deliberately wipe out the information and re-write history, the supervisor basically said "It is my prerogative" and hung up on my wife.
Next call took my wife to another supervisor who claimed she was sitting right next to the previous supervisor and knew what had happened and was not going to do anything different.
On the third call, the elite gent told my wife that the first supervisor wrote remarks so that no other supervisor would touch it now. He was sympathetic but said he was afraid to do anything. While my wife was talking the phone was accidentally disconnected.
Fourth call, the agent was nice and willing to listen to my wife's story. Having heard the story, she put my wife on hold. She came back and said it was done. Miracle!! My wife asked her how she was able to pull it off. She said she went to a supervisor who told her that no supervisor would touch that record now, but that she could go to the international rate desk and get their approval. That's what this agent did, which is what the very first agent had done. The ticket was re-priced, actually about $9 lower than before, the e-cert discount was applied. The reservation has been ticketed now.
I don't get it. The airline needs goodwill from frequent fliers as much as it needs money. When I make a mistake and not book a fare, I know I may pay a higher fare, which I have on occasion. In this case, we were quoted a fare which had been Okayed by the rate desk. The airline sat on it for days claiming that they were waiting for the e-cert, which was not needed, but now would not allow it. A supervisor would insinuate that my wife was lying, would neither give us time, nor would check with the rate desk if our story w a s plausible. Not only that, erased information, which amounts to deliberate suppression of information, to re-write history and make it impossible for anyone without the initiative or the desire to go out of their way to help us. Yet a smart agent knew how to handle it. The total time spent on this issue, nearly 2 and half hours, and NW got $9 less than it would have had there been no screw up and substantially less than what the supervisor sought to collect. How did it help NW?
Tomorrow morning my wife is coming to Mississippi to see what happened to my place during Katrina. This is the place where we had Christmases, Thanksgivings Easters and other holidays for 6 years. She even begged the supervisor to give us one more day.
I am amazed at the attitude. She does not belong in that job. She was stupid, dishonest and vindictive. If I were her boss, knowing what the rate desk did twice, I would fire her. I hope some one pays attention to this at NW.
Last edited by Yaatri; Mar 10, 2006 at 7:22 am Reason: corrected lots of typos and added for the sake of clarity. I was so tired when I typed it.
Mar 10, 2006 | 8:23 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: DCA
Posts: 3,395
I think you should probaby email your experience to NW. I imagine they will probably give you some bonus miles for your trouble (and the best part is you already have your email written up!)
Mar 10, 2006 | 12:28 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Memphis, TN
Programs: DL-DM, Hilton-Dia
Posts: 201
Originally Posted by humanoid94
I think you should probaby email your experience to NW. I imagine they will probably give you some bonus miles for your trouble (and the best part is you already have your email written up!)