1353513636

Checked in for TAP flight and checked 1 bag and then asked to change FF number to non *G number. Agent refused and when I tried to show her how to do the service + accrual number on Amadeus, she got a supervisor instead to tell me it was impossible. I asked said supervisor for their name so I could request TP better train them in the future and she instead said I could pay 35 Euros or she would grab my boarding card. I said "you're not going to grab it out of my hand, are you", and then she said "I can grab your boarding pass" and I think had my reservation cancelled. I called TAP right away and they said the reservation was still active and I can still see the check in on TP's website, but not sure if there's some way to cancel that doesn't update these places.

What should I do?

Rebook mileage ticket and ask TP for mileage compensation later?

Rebook cash ticket and claim EU261/2004 b/c ticket was cancelled less than 14 days before departure without consent? Cash ticket is about 100 Euros more than it was when I purchased TP ticket.

Anything else?

irishguy28

Hold your horses.

It's never a good idea to "up the ante" in such a blatant manner; telling an agent how to do their job is never going to get you in their good books.

Besides, your story is incomplete. You checked a bag and didn't get it back? You had the boarding pass confiscated, but couldn't obtain a reprint from a kiosk or another desk?

Why?

1353513636

I realize this although some agents appreciate being shown something they haven't seen before.

​​​​​BP wasn't actually confiscated. Supervisor said she could grab the BP out of my hands and I was just like "oh no you won't" (probably shouldn't have said that). Then she made a motion and said something to the counter agent the mannerism of which suggested she told counter agent to cancel my reservation. I just walked off with passport and BP and saw neither of them again. I don't know if they intended to offload me but didn't remember my name or something else was said (I don't speak Spanish and incident occurred in Spain) but I boarded the flight and the bag showed up at the other end.

irishguy28

Then I fail to see the grounds for compensation.

Additionally, for any EU261/2004 issues to arise, you would have to either have not been carried as ticketed, or subject to a long delay.

1353513636

I posted the original message this morning expecting to be denied boarding and seeing what the best course of action would be were it to happen. I agree there is no grounds for compensation anymore besides maybe some goodwill miles for the poor experience.

nldogbert

Ahh.. this happened in Spain... this explains a lot of the behaviour of the ground staff. I've had seen a lot of these type of ground staff in Spain, Portugal and Italy - a lot of power tripping ground staff (there are of course some which are really nice, but sadly not that many).

In your situation, what I see is that just the agent checking you in was
a) not well trained if she did not know how to change the FF number
b) did not use logic that you and she has seen that you are *G - why did she make it difficult for you to change it to another FF non*G? I would understand that this is difficult if the system will not accept the bag - but still this should be manually adaptable.
c) if it was just an FF number - you could have just let her have it her way to leave your *G number in there and change it later at the gate.

In any case - since no one was there, and if you are looking for better advise, don't think you will get any. However, to a certain extend I know how you feel and I think half the issue lies with just how these Spanish ground staff are - a lot of them that I have come across just have their head somewhere else but to assist/do their work. [sorry don't want to sound categorizing people, but I have enough of my fair share of their attitude]

Cheers!

irishguy28

I agree with c) which was the obvious and sensible course of action for the OP to follow. (Or even change it online themselves).

I think, however, that you have misinterpreted a) and b). It is not that the agent didn't know how to change the number. In many cases, an airline will object to the perks of one status card being used on a flight, while the miles are instead diverted to another.

Star Alliance seems to be the alliance that is the most stringent about this.

The agent was thinking thus: in order to avoid the €35 bag fee, the *G status should remain associated with the flight. The "cost" of claiming the free bag allowance via that status was that the miles should count towards that programme.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-...programme.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufth...-programs.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/aegea...ssible-lh.html

KLouis

You don't sound like categorizing people, you are!

Palal

Which station was this at?