Multiple airlines, have eticket but SAS says "not finished ticketing"?
 

Hi all, first post. Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place.

Slight newbie here, so sorry for that, but need some help on a trip booked for this coming Sunday, booked through an online travel agent.

Leg 1 is Stockholm-Manchester with SAS.
Leg 2 is Manchester-Las Vegas with Vigin Atlantic.

I have booking codes for both airlines, and can login properly on each website.

Now to the point, there was a timetable change about 6 months ago (I was informed by email from the agent), and if I accepted I didn't have to do anything. All fine, but a few days ago when I checked the trips on each airline's website, to assign seats etc, on SAS it says "We haven't finished ticketing all of the flights in this booking. Please contact your travel agent for help".

I contacted the travel agent, a couple of times now, they have reissued tickets several times (not because I asked them to, but they could see that tickets were not issued despite my previous phone calls). When I then spoke to SAS, at first someone said everything looks normal and that the website would update eventually so the error message would disappear, but it hasn't and upon further communication they say that they can't confirm anything as the tickets are not theirs, but rather Virgin's. They do see eticket numbers on each person.

I then called Virgin who confirmed everything is in order from their end.

I do have eticket numbers (but only one for each person for the two outgoing flights , and two flights return, on two different airlines - is this normal to only have one eticket number for all those four legs?). I do see the eticket numbers on both the SAS website as well as the Virgin website, and they are the same. They are also the same numbers that I have been sent in the itinerary from the agent.

One last thing: On the itinerary from the agent, I can see an additional eticket for each person traveling, but it does not seem to be used for anything. I cannot find my booking on either airline's website using it.

I presume everything is in order, but the "error" message on the SAS website worries me a little. I will be traveling with my young children and don't want to be met with hassle upon checking in at the airport (as I presume I will not be able to check in online).

For what it's worth, SAS and Virgin Atlantic are not on the same alliance, but they do have a cooperation so they have said that I will be able to get boarding passes for both legs in Stockholm, as well as having my bags checked all the way through.

Do I need do worry? Thanks so much for your input.

Hmmm, I suppose it is a hiccup between the two booking systems and SK's webfront for the pax. Very little you can do besides what you did by calling both SK and Virgin. How many e-ticket numbers you get depends on how they (the OTA) build the itinerary. 1 e-ticket for the outbound and 2 for the inbound sounds strange but might be ok.

Anyhow, try to check in ARN-MAN on Saturday online. If that doesn't work get on the phone with SK and be at ARN in good time to have a chance fixing things at the desk. Art the day of departure SK should be in control of the ticket from ARN to MAN at least and should be able to fix it.

Thanks for your response! I have the same e-ticket för outbound and inbound, so just one e-ticket number per person in total (same ticket-number on both SAS and Virgin websites). However, on the itinerary, there are two e-ticket numbers (not saying which is for what). But the additional one doesn't seem to be for anything as I can't use it on Virgin's or SAS's websites, perhaps it's an old one before they made the schedule change or something.

And thanks for the tip, I will try and check in online asap Sat morning. Guessing I should try first from Virgin's website, but that likely won't work for the SAS leg (or it will automatically direct me to the SAS website which would be great). If not I will try from SAS website directly, but guessing that's not going to work as it claims there are no issued tickets.

What do you suggest I tell them on the phone on Saturday morning? And yes, I intend on going to ARN very early (2 hours+) on Sunday to sort everything out.

Thanks again!

You have to check-in at SAS, no point even trying on the Virgin website. How much earlier I'd go to ARN would depend on what is happening on Saturday. If you can check-in online, I'd just be there 1 hour before boarding or assuming you have FastTrack even an hour before departure should be ok. If you cannot check-in, and they can't help you on the phone, I would be there as early as possible without ruining my day. Probably I'd give it at least like 3 to 4hrs. Dealing with e-tickets not issued or messed up unusually takes a long time, especially if they are from another airline or OTA. Unpleasant, yes.... I hope it just works our for you in Saturday.

For the two e-ticket numbers, what is are the first three digits? Are they completely different or is it the same with a -some number at the end?

Thanks, got it. Yes fingers crossed I can check in online, that would really make life easier.

The (correct) e-ticket number, that works on both websites, starts with 932 (Virgin I take it). SAS also sees this number, confirmed when I spoke to them. For all passengers, they are "in order" so to speak, ending with 88, 89, 90 and 91.

The additional e-ticket number in the itinerary, which doesn't seem to be used for anything, also starts with 932. Perhaps I should give the OTA another call, just to ask why they have included that additional e-ticket number.

Thanks for all your help.

Ok, if both are 932s on Virgin (SK would be 117) it seems all flights are just on one ticket which should make it easier. I guess you are right and the second "empty" ticket is just the reference for the booking before the schedule change.

You could ask the OTA to confirm via mail that the ticket have been issued correctly. Then you have something in written to show to the desk in ARN if things go south, which hopefully will not happen and it is just a glitch in the systems. Had a similar issue some years ago between UA and Continental. UA said the tickets were issued, Continental didn't even saw the reservation... was a mess but worked out in the end.

Correct, all flights are on one ticket number and both airlines confirm they see that exact number sequence. On both websites I can see the correct ticket number, it's just that warning at the top of the SAS website that concerned me.

Last time I spoke with the OTA, they sent me a new email containing the itinerary with the heading "New ticket has been issued", that should probably be enough to bring along? (apart from that they have an additional ticket number which is confusing)

I may be overly paranoid, as you say most likely a hiccup in the SAS website, just want to make sure we can reduce the risks :) Thanks a million.

should be good enough, just so much you can do.

True, you did what you can do to check and have a plan how to work in on the weekend in case things are not going well. Keep my fingers crossed it is just SK's messy IT acting up, wouldn't be the first time... ;)

Thanks! As an update, I spoke briefly with SAS again - they confirm that I will not be able to check in online "as we are traveling with another airline, so check in at the airport is necessary". So chances I will be able to check in online are extremely slim.

I guess that means I will have to head out ridiculously early. :(

Since SK sees the ticket there shouldn't be much to worry about.

If you plan to be there 2 hours before the flight, that would leave you still a good amount of time to sort out things without too much waiting time.

For what it's worth, Sunday mornings between 07:00-09:30 are normally pretty quiet at ARN T5. On the other hand, the Easter vacation is starting this weekend, so there will probably be more families flying out than on a usual Sunday. Expect all flights to be fully booked with unfrequent flyers that need assistance for check-in. The ground staff will be very busy.

I have the same error message for an award flight OSL-CPH-IAD-DEN in August. OP, would you let us know how everything worked out for you today? I hope it went well!

Just back from the trip now.
All went well. The day before the trip, I got a notification from the SAS app that it was open for check in. And that actually worked! So I checked in through the SAS app & obtained boarding cards for both legs. And that was through SAS, despite the ticket being issued by Virgin Atlantic. I wasn't expecting that, but rather that I would have had to check in through Virgin in some way, either online or at the airport.

So if you have the same problem exactly, I wouldn't worry too much.

Edit: When I first googled the problem, most posts on the topics on various forums were related to awards flights - so I guess it is more common in that space and possibly I wouldn't jump to conclusions in any direction based on my experience above - as mine was a normal paid ticket through an OTA. Perhaps someone with more experience about awards-travel can help you, as I think it's more common that awards tickets aren't issued correctly.

Thanks for reporting back and happy to hear all went well! ^

I get those messages often with trips booked through the company TA. Never worried about them and they have never been a problem. Just another one of SK IT's numerous incompetencies.