Time windows to visit SJC for ticketing issues?
 

From past experience, when's a good time to visit SJC for ticketing issues. e.g. sponsoring someone with miles from my account, signing for tickets etc.

I am thinking 9 - 11 AM may be best as the morning bank of flights have left by then.

While I'm not advocating this as the *best* time, I've had no problems ticketing at SJC between 5:30p-6:30p.

Can't recommend a good time. But from past experience, I would strongly advise you NOT to go during the 12noon-1.30pm timeframe.

And I would say (based on past experience) that around noon is the best time.

I've had very bad luck trying to ticket at SJC. I think they even have a sign that basically says "don't even bother during these hours". I suggest 1) calling reservations (which should know local ticketing hours) and 2) calling the SJC counter and asking.

i went yesterday at 12:30 and waited 3min.
there's a dedicated line for "Future Ticketing"
there's also special spaces for 1hr pkg in the short-term lot

I get the sense that so long as there isn't a line of people checking in, the agents are happy to help with ticketing. Usually when I go (after work), there are a few folks checking in but it's not busy and one of the agents will spend the time necessary with me.

Beware that not all SJC agents are adept at ticketing - I've had real good ones and a few doozies who needed quite a bit of peer support. All very pleasant nonetheless.

Went last night [Tuesday] at ~7p to cash in a paper voucher. There were 2 counter folks, both of whom were quick and seemed to know what they were doing. Total time in airport was about 15 minutes.

Got in at 1.30 pm. Out by 1.35. All the agents were just lounging around with no pax waiting.

www.flightstats.com has a useful "by airport" tab where you can punch in SJC, UA and check for departures at any given 3 hr window. That told me that the current bank of afternoon flights would be boarding or just left. Useful for future reference.

I have issued tickets there several times and never had the entire visit take 10 minutes. And with short-term parking so close you cannot beat it!

Any recent data points on this one? As looking to send the in-laws to take imminently expiring vouchers in for us.

Also will it work sending in someone else with our vouchers, so the vouchers have our names on them and the reservations are in our name but someone else takes them to the ticket counter?

I did one at SJC about 2 weeks ago at 1pm, with no waiting and no dirty looks. And I agree with the other posters that they are competent, as opposed to some UA stations.

I'm skeptical they will do a ticket where the person at the counter is different from the voucher name, even if the voucher name and the pax name are identical, unless _one_ of the people appearing is a traveler. Even if they are supposed to do it, I wouldn't count on it. Having said that, I've never been asked for ID at the counter in this situation, so if John Jones shows up with a voucher for John Smith meant for a ticket for John Smith, the subject of "and who are you standing in front of me" might well never come up. Of course, if a credit card has to be used for additional collection or taxes on an award, that could be yet a diffferent matter.

How in the world would someone in India know when the SJC counter is busy? Seriously, I wasn't aware that res had any list of "ticketing hours" as opposed to "hours the counter is open." And as far as calling the SJC counter -- good luck -- what's the phone number?

This entire issue of in person ticketing leaves a sour taste in many people's mouths -- if they close the CTOs, it seems to me they need to ticket at the airport, any time, anywhere, and not complain.

It seems the issue is more around the fact that we want to use our Chase card to pay the balance over the phone, it seems that is fine if you ticket by mail, but at the airport requires payment at the same time. Does anyone know if that is correct?

If you want to charge the balance to your credit card without your presence, there might be a problem. I have never done it before. I always charged to my own credit card when presenting John Doe's vouchers and ticketing for John Doe.

If you have to charge to your own credit card, use ticket-by-mail. As long as the voucher/s are sent in, post marked on or before the expiration date of the voucher/s, you shall be fine. You better be prepared to proof the date you sent them in.