Do date/time changes still need to be "stickered" on paper tickets?
 

I have a few segments left on an AONE5 ticket on BA stock. Called BA res and made a date change to a CX BOM-BKK segment.

I'm sitting in the Wing, so I went up to the counter to see if they could "sticker" the flight coupon to show the new date/time. She looked up the reservation and confirmed the date change in CX's res system, but insisted that she couldn't sticker a BA ticket and that it's not required anyways.

Does this sound right?

I don't know whether it is still required, but an agent at CX's BKK downtown office did actually sticker my ticket for a time change. This happened in December 2005 (I know it's a long time ago :)) and the flight in question was a CX service from KUL to HKG issued on BA stock as part of a LONE4.

The agent never mentioned that CX couldn't sticker BA tickets.

I have never felt that it is required since the tickets are not endorsed "VALID FLT DATE SHOWN" which means that they are valid for any flight on that route for which a reservation is held in the appropriate class.

But some airlines at some stations do insist on it - BA is the worst; CX never does IME.

Last year in April my second flight needed a flight and time change (from AA to BA) and the BA check-in agent took the ticket to ticketing to have the sticker applied whilst I waited at the desk.

On my last sector it was still open dated and I asked the checkin agent (BA again) if I needed to see ticketing and she said not to worry.

I manage to get a CMB issued CX ticket changed electronically for a AKL-SYD segment from LA to QF mid last year.
Caused a few problems at check-in, but the staff eventually said no worries, here is your boarding pass, we will sort out the endorsement ourselves

20 Segment paper ticket purchased/ticketed Aug '05, had some late stickies before pickup from CX CMB on October - nicely done and stamped.

After collection, two OPEN segments (AA) were booked and changes were made to 3 other segments - 1 CX, 2 AA. (Date/Time, not origin/destination/carrier)

None of these 5 changes had stickers and there were no problems encountered upon check-in with vouchers showing original flight/OPEN.

So, the answer is NO.

I'm trying to get AA to complete ticketing for an upcoming DONE4. At the moment they don't want to because "the scheduled flight times might change before travel" :rolleyes:

Just one of many challenges (none relating to the rules or my itinerary) that I've had on this booking. Next time it is back to dealing with TA.

Are you gettin that manure from the ATW desk?

A few weeks ago the BA check-in agent at LAX refused to take an AONE coupon that showed an AA flight and sent me to AA to have it "stickered". AA does not do stickers, so the AAgent had to re-issue the xONE ticket. Some kinda miracle that it all took place in time to get on the BA flight - one more aspect of why it's not so much fun anymore.

Aside from that, the reason I was using an AA coupon on a BA flight was that Cathay had canceled my AA LAX-LHR booking a week or two before (so claimed the AA atw desk). Another miracle that I happened to call in then to add a segment, else I would have been surprised to find no reservation when I came to board the AA flight.

Strange - when I did that (about 9 months ago now, because AA switched to coffins at the last minute) BA simply took the ticket into a back room somewhere and stickered it themselves. I think the ticket was on CX stock though.

Nah call centre.

Similar happened to me in ORD. AA canceled a ORD-BOS segment and a subsequent DCA-MIA-LHR claiming that QF had done some kind of mix-up when I asked them to change dates/times in MEL one month before. BA said everything was OK, but AA refused to check me in. Luckily I managed to fly ORD-YYZ-BOS on the same date as originally planned...

Was on a LONE4 2006 and had paper tickets, all dated, changed a date with LAN, walked into the office in Santiago, no stickers, no problems at check-in although the ticket showed a different date. While in Australia, called Finnair to change the date on two flights, no prob to do over the phone and did not need to reissue the ticket at all.
Changes showed up in SABRE/AMADEUS at once.

A fine example of "sorry, sir, there is no predictable answer to your question".

Do you have masochistic tendencies?

An inability to use 1-800 numbers.

You need to get yourself a decent international calling service - many allow calls to 1-800 numbers (for a fee normally, but at least you can get through).

What christep said and also why can't you ask to be transferred to the RTW desk once you get through to the call centre? I know here in the US if I ever didn't have the direct RTW number I just called the general AA or EXP number and asked to be transferred. Most agents would automatically do that once they know you're booking a RTW ticket.

Unfortunately not from NZ (when I am in NZ). There is another number (not free) to replace the 1800 bit but that doesn't work, as some more FTers learnt last month. (In theory you should be able to through any telco, but in practice they don't work.)

Half the time when I get through to the call centre I get cut off. I have no confidence they will successfully transfer me to someone.

Apologies for taking this off topic.

Well I know of at least one - the Western Union calling card that they distribute in New Zealand allows you to call US toll-free for the same rate as a normal call to the US.

I use VoIP to call AA (ATW, EXP, regular res) from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. It costs almost nothing. Or, ATT Direct to get to the EXP Desk and then get transferred. It costs zero.

More on stickers....
 

I'm in the middle of a paper AONE4, writing from BKK. When I was at LHR last week, I wanted to change tomorrow's CX flight BKK-HKG to one a bit later. Went to CX ticketing desk at LHR. They changed it and stickered the ticket without my asking. I prefer the sticker because it reduces the possibility of a foul up at the airport when I'm checking in for the new flight.

I had a CX ticketed DONE4 and the most frustrating part was that I could not verify the actual booked Cathey Pacific flights online, for all other carriers it was a doddle. (I was informed this was bacause I did not want my CX Asia Miles number attached to any of the flights)

AA- Check
QF- Check
BA- Check
CX- Nada, had to get the CX agent to cut and past the PNR text into emails.

Just to follow-up on my question -- I had no problem checking in with CX in BOM without a sticker on the coupon.

Dr.HFH-- Was your ticket issued by CX? I'm curious if the line that they gave me in the Wing about not being able to sticker a BA ticket is correct or not.

Previously, I've had success getting QF to sticker a QF segment on CX stock.

never mind, I can't read. :(

1 - On a recent trip I switched from a CX flight to a QF flight (so I could UG using points and not get up at 4AM - quite why I went for the original flight I dont know) and had to go to the airport to get the stickers applied - a somewhat pointless exercise it seemed at the time.

2 - Recent flight number change on a ticket - went to counter to get stickers applied and was waved away and told tojust check in.

3 - Another date/time change told not to get stickers but when I went to check in there were definitely some head scratching moments.

@Kiwiflyer I use skype for all interaction with AA - takes some tweaking on the mac to get it to accept a 1800 number (I created the contact on the PC and then opened up skype on mac). Maybe not the cheapest option but much easier with headset at home :)