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However, even though BA/IB are left with trying to sort out missed connections, I don’t think that’s the reason for this apparent policy change.
These bookings create more calls (three if booking each flight at T-360) additional complexity which means more call centre agent time, more error risk and more pressure on fares/ticketing teams (with added Iberia time pressures) and it all runs counter to getting passengers to do more online and requiring reward bookings outbound/return to be made at the same time.
Presumably it’s the same amount of work as for passengers from the regions booking, e.g. EDI-LHR-xxx, phoning up at t-355 to add the long-haul segment of the return xxx-LHR, then again the next day to add the regional connection LHR-EDI, so would you expect this practice to also be outlawed, based on the ‘outbound & return must be booked at same time’ T&C ?
@Ladyshopper – I’m not sure how you got on with BA in the end but there does appear to have been a change in policy or at least in application of terms and what you experienced is seemingly correct.
I called last week to add a return EZE-MAD-LHR (to my existing MAD-EZE) and was quoted the additional cost in Avios and money. The agent under calculated the Avios (which I corrected) and quoted the additional cash which seemed quite low, but within a possible range. The agent advised that I would receive the new e-ticket within ten minutes.
After two days I called to check and was told to wait another couple of days. I called again on Sunday and got a superb agent who noted that Iberia had entered a ticketing time limit of 9am tomorrow and said he would expedite the booking in the ticketing queue, keep an eye on the booking and call me no later than today if it hadn’t been issued. He duly called this morning to advise that both the Avios and cash quote I had been given were wrong, so that while BA wasn’t bound to honour the price, they would listen to the original call, decide how to proceed and call me later today.
A senior fares/ticketing agent did call this evening to confirm that the Avios quote was wrong and they would need to collect the difference and also that the cash quote was significantly wrong but would be honoured.
However, they said the routing MAD-EZE-MAD-LHR was invalid with a CV, so couldn’t be ticketed! An extraordinarily generous solution, at no cost to me was proposed and gladly accepted. The timely communication, acknowledgement of fault and resolution was exemplary.
In summary BA’s position is that it’s now only possible to have a destination open jaw but not an origin open jaw. I didn’t argue the matter as BA was offering a way round this, but I fear the agent was correct per term 15.10. He wasn’t a rogue agent, but someone senior who had been involved in discussions on this topic internally and with Iberia.
Thanks for the update JDB. I haven’t actually called again, but seems as if with your update that there is no point. I’m glad you managed to get sorted though.
@Scott – the whole thing with initial midnight calls, then subsequent calls to add domestic sectors or returns etc. is rather absurd, unfair and a poor use of resources so will be at risk.
The Iberia situation is rather different though. None of it can be done online if people want to book at T-360, the returning 50% of the Avios cheat (which is a wholly wrong way to do things, but saves much admin and obviates the need to re-ticket) BA has instigated also doesn’t work in this scenario and because of the zone issue, different tax systems, different peak/off peak charts, open jaw and extra cash + Avios collection issues is a whole lot more complicated. Adding a BA domestic sector and/or returning 50% of the Avios and (wrongly) not adjusting the taxes is a doddle and can mostly be done by telephone agents, but fairly much every Iberia one of this type needs to go to the fares/ticketing team but is often not correctly calculated by the telephone agent because it is complex, so creates a lot of unnecessary work/back and forth calls and lots of rather gratuitous reissues. It’s made worse by Iberia’s ticketing time limits.
I was very impressed with BA’s grasp of the issues!
@Flyer/Stayer, you missed “a single PNR”. Obviously there is no MCT on separate bookings!
@JDB, if people could do these things online, then in most instances, they would! I absolutely can’t be bothered with midnight calls but some BA IT issues (e.g. not being able to book a domestic connection in CE with the Barclays upgrade on long haul) are just egregious.
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