NandoDave

Hello folks,

I've got a bit of a strange booking on my hands. I normal just book BA prime codes and use BA app for check in, however I have a CDG-LGW, LHR-SFO,SFO-LHR,LGW-CDG booked.

The flight from Paris to Gatwick is on Vueling with an IB code and the transatlantic legs are on BA, also with Iberia codes.

I could only check into the EU flights via the Vueling app, which uses a different PNR to the Iberia PNR.

I'm 26 hours out from the BA flights and the app is currently saying "Sorry we are unable to offer you Online check-in
Online check-in is not available for this part of your journey. To check-in and receive your boarding pass please proceed to the airport."

Now I know check in wouldn't open for me until 24 hours out, but I find this message concerning as it isn't just a simple 'check in not open' message.

Can anyone explain what is happening, and is this really the case that I won't be able to get a seat allocation until I get to the airport?

Cheers
Dave

Anonba

Call up and make sure ticket and booking is ok is a good place to start just in case. Although this message is what i would expect to see sometimes with codeshare flights.

corporate-wage-slave

Have a look at the main Why Can't I Check-in thread in the BA Forum Dashboard, I suspect you are item 5. It may open up after T-24, or at some point thereafter when BA has detected that you have indeed checked in for the first flight, and the VY sector may not register quickly or at all. With this sort of complex booking I would more or less assume to be checking in as I go, and anything better would be a bonus. It should be easier on the return legs.

NandoDave

Had a good read at those and I guess the Vueling flights are the sticking point like you say.

Would anyone BA at LGW be able to do anything when I arrive there later today?

corporate-wage-slave

Possibly, yes, particularly if you can show the VY boarding pass and you are within 24 hours of departure. They may be rather busy today, however. But also check the other frequent problems in that thread, if you are SSSS for example then it is what it is, but you may at least get some seats selected.

Often1

Any time that one is unable to check-in, I advise a phone call to assure that both the e-ticket and reservations are in order for all segments. While most of the reasons are entirely benign, not all are and the ones which are not may be hard to resolve at the airport in any reasonable time-frame.

Once assured that all is in order, you may then proceed to check in at the airport and just allow a bit of extra time.

cgtechuk

I had this issue last year on Iberia flight numbers and BA metal . Couldn't do anything online had to get it done at check in. It has s terrible habit of not adding the frequent flyer number properly either in my experience.other than that all was fine

NandoDave

Call BA or Iberia in this instance?

bisonrav

Visa/ESTA check at LHR? They should be able to process that at the checkin desk at LGW if you go over there and you're concerned about it, but personally I'd just head to the desks at LHR in good time and sort it out there.

NandoDave

Called BA and the agent was saying that the check in would need to be through Iberia. Iberia website says no due to the first leg being on Vueling....

In any case, she was very helpful and assigned us seats on the upper deck which hopefully will stick (showing as assigned in the app but I guess someone could pull us out of the seats between now and the morning).

NandoDave

Quick update to bring this to a conclusion.

Stopped by the deserted flight connections desk on the way to Gatwick passport control and they were more than happy to check us in for the Heathrow flight tomorrow and issued us with boarding passes.

Thus, solved for now, though no helpful tips to share on clearing anything to allow check in on the app.

First leg on the way back is BA, so higher chance of a successful app check in?

cgtechuk

I figured this would be the case.

in regards to the way back I had the same issue. I also had to chase the TPs later as they didn't post automatically but YMMV