Mistake PNR [TLV-ADD-BKK on ET]
 

I did the mistake of ordering a non-refundable ticket via trip.com for the route TLV-ADD-BKK.

When approaching the Thai embassy in TLV to get COE (certificate of entrance), they said that the flight ET618 ADD-BKK on Sep 19 had not been approved for passenger transportation by the Thai government. In addition they said that only ET608 on Sep. 4, 11, 18 and 25 had been approved from passenger transportation for ADD-BKK.

No COE so no show for the flight.

In addition to the document that shows the approved flights on ADD-BKK, in order to show that ET618 on Sep 19 was not approved for passenger transportation, I have 2 sets of documents:
1. 2 screenshots taken on Sep. 16 from ET website. One that shows only Sep 18 and 25 as viable flight options for ADD-BKK and another that shows many more flights on BKK-ADD than just the two on ADD-BKK. In addition, one can see that even ET didn't sell tickets on the route ADD-BKK on Sep 19.
2. 2 screenshots from the official BKK airport website. One that shows that at BKK, ET618 on Sep 19, a flight not approved for passenger transportation, doesn't have a baggage belt assigned, while ET608 on Sep 25, a flight approved for passenger transportation, has baggage belt no. 23 assigned.

Via trip.com, I was not able to convince ET that my PNR should not have been ticked at all as the ticket was DOA.

Any idea how to tackle this issue? Specifically how to prove that ET618 on Sep 19 was not approved for passenger transportation?

Thanks.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...90c20f9100.jpg
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Credit card chargeback with the evidence you already obtained, they sold you something you could not use

It will need to be much more than this and with exact -- documented -- clarity. The question is not whether you "can use" the ticket but whether it was a lawfully marketed ticket. If it was, then the fact that you purchased it and cannot use it is between you and your travel insurer.

If it was ticketed, it is a valid PNR. Whether it can be flown depends whether the airline operates the flight. whether you can get money back depends on the policy of the airlines and travel agent, trip.com for you.

Looks like ET screwed up here by not fully knowing the rules for pax entering Thailand - but as this problem is with ET I do not think it will get much traction in the TG forum!

What you write doesn’t seem to be accurate. Here’s another example of a flight TK MLE-CMB that took place but due to regulations, the OP was not able to board.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/turk...-hosed-me.html

there are many flights with cargo-only for one direction and passenger and cargo for the other direction. Thailand and Vietnam has been like this for a long time ever since the virus broke out.

When did you book this flight? It seems to me the problem may be with trip.com so good luck with that.

May I ask why you purchased a ticket for a non-CoE flight? Did you simply choose the wrong date/flight by accident?

I agree that ET should not have sold a ticket on a non-eligible flight.

Was your CoE denied?

Did ET 618 fly on 19 Sep? If so, I would ask ET if any passengers were on board.

Bought it on Sep 13.

I didn’t conceive the option of someone selling a flight that is not eligible for travel.

The embassy said that we will not issue a CoE because the flight is not eligible for travel.

Yes. One could not buy a ticket for ET618 on ET website but could buy one for ET619 on the next day.

So this seems like an issue between you, your CC Co. and trip.com?

I'm still confused about why you purchased a ticket on a flight that was not eligible for CoE? And why did you purchase it from trip.com?

The instructions from the RTEmbassy/Nairobi clearly tell you to contact Ethiopian Airlines (Bangkok office) for the air ticket.

For air ticket, please contact Ethiopian Airlines Bangkok Office via telephone number +6626534366
or Email: [email protected].

https://nairobi.thaiembassy.org/th/c...e39c4624002a83

trip.com was the only provider who offered a ticket TLV-BKK on that week.
I first bought the ticket, requested a CoE and only then received the RTEmbassy/Nairobi document from the RTEmbassy/TLV after requesting proof that ET618 was not eligible for transport.

Agreed, this was trip.com in the wrong, but if the flight flew (even with no passengers) it might not be easy to get anything from them.

How so? In the end, the ticket has to been issued by ET. Trip.com is just an agent and it can't sell an ET ticket without the fare filed by ET in the first place.

Are you asking why I'm blaming trip.com or why do I think there might be difficulty getting anything from them?