Adding flight segment - Diff availability for new and existing booking

[squid01]

Hello,

I have all booked on the one ticket (all in business):

ADL>KUL>DEL (stop over for two days) on MH
DEL>HEL on AY

I am looking to add a connecting AY flight for HEL>CDG. Searching availability on QF website there are 8 business seats and 8 economy suits on the flight I want.

Speaking with 5 offshore call center operators they all say they cannot see availability for the flight I want, for existing bookings. It is only available for new bookings.

I have pressed them but I get stonewalled on that. Did some searching and found a couple of instances of people reporting this, but never heard of the outcome. Would a competant (ie Hobart) agent actually be able to get this done? Or is this something that is definitely not doable as there is a valid reason for this?

They can see availability for all the flights which depart earlier in the day (before I would land) but the two flights after I land they cant see.

Thanks

 

[RichardMEL]

Going to go with married segments logic.

 

[muppet]

I can report having the same thing. No solution was found and my mother had to travel the AY sector added to the booking in Y.

 

[squid01]

Actually I just found one forums thread where they encountered this and then they got on to Hobart who actually got the change done.

 

[oz_mark]

PNR availability is different to general availability.

 

[dylarr]

PNR availability is different to general availability.

Yep this is it. Experienced consultants in HBA/AKL know how to get around it. Very hit and miss with the other centres.

I've shared in a previous thread that I asked both HBA and AKL consultants how they got around it in case I got another consultant who didn't know how to fix it and they both said "they need to ignore the current booking, then search for availability, then add the sectors in". If that doesn't make sense to them, ask them to consult with their team leader or their support team.

 

[flyguy77]

PNR availability is different to general availability.

Can I ask what you mean by that? I did try to google first so not being lazy!

 

[dylarr]

Can I ask what you mean by that? I did try to google first so not being lazy!

It means that when a call centre consultant searches for availability from within an existing booking (the "PNR availability") to make changes, the availability they see is different to what they would see if they were creating a new booking from scratch ("general availability").

 

[flyguy77]

Thankyou - that was an obvious meaning now I know the answer....

 

[squid01]

Yep this is it. Experienced consultants in HBA/AKL know how to get around it. Very hit and miss with the other centres.

I've shared in a previous thread that I asked both HBA and AKL consultants how they got around it in case I got another consultant who didn't know how to fix it and they both said "they need to ignore the current booking, then search for availability, then add the sectors in". If that doesn't make sense to them, ask them to consult with their team leader or their support team.

Thank you for the advice, good to hear this is something that can be overcome with the right person.

But why is this even a thing? Why would the availability be different, especially if it is something that technically the agent could get around?

I pushed all the five agents on this. Said I had a friend this happened to and they had a senior team leader override the system. Got one of them to check with their team leader and they came back and said no (who knows if they actually asked).

Unsure where to go from here as a lowly bronze. I might pepper the rewards ticketing email address. What’s that email again?

 

[madrooster]

I've shared in a previous thread that I asked both HBA and AKL consultants how they got around it in case I got another consultant who didn't know how to fix it and they both said "they need to ignore the current booking, then search for availability, then add the sectors in". If that doesn't make sense to them, ask them to consult with their team leader or their support team.

This loophole exists in the old reservations system that up until recently was the main system in use, however they've mostly transitioned to the new reservations system now and the new reservations system does not exhibit the same behaviour.

 

[dylarr]

This loophole exists in the old reservations system that up until recently was the main system in use, however they've mostly transitioned to the new reservations system now and the new reservations system does not exhibit the same behaviour.

Damn! Thanks for the update on this. That is a huge shame.

 

[squid01]

This loophole exists in the old reservations system that up until recently was the main system in use, however they've mostly transitioned to the new reservations system now and the new reservations system does not exhibit the same behaviour.

Dam that is annoying.

Why is this a thing? What is the logic behind not allowing me to add this segment on?

There is an Air France flight on that day that would work well. Do you think I would face a similar thing with that flight, or might it be more likely to be possible as it is a different airline? If they can add it, would AY check bags all the way through from DEL to CDG?

 

[Human]

I have the same issue but received some very unexpected advice about what to do about it from a lady in the Qantas Auckland call centre.

I booked JFK-HND in JAL first class using Qantas points. When I was booking I couldn't find business or first class availability from Tokyo to anywhere in Australia, but I noticed that if I added NRT-MEL (also on JAL) in economy to the booking the carrier charges were about $300 less (go figure).

So I booked NRT-MEL expecting that I'd be able to change that second segment when a better flight came along. The JFK-HND flight arrives at about 5am and the NRT-MEL departs just over 36 hours later, at 5:35pm the next day.

Sure enough, I found a better flight so I called Qantas to change my booking, thinking that it would be a simple matter of keeping the first flight, changing the second one and paying the 5000 point change fee plus extra points for the business class second flight.

After an hour on the phone, the agent advised me that she'd tried and tried but that she simply couldn't change the second flight without cancelling the first one.

Her advice: because the second flight is more than 24 hours after the first flight, I should keep the booking as it is, and after arriving at HND at 5am I should call Qantas and tell them that I'd be a no-show on the second leg. She advised that I'd get most of my points for the second leg back.

Wondering what people think of that advice? I also asked her what would happen if I made a Qantas reward booking for a flight home on the same day as my flight to HND arrives. She told me that it wouldn't be a problem at all and that the Qantas computer system wouldn't flag it.

What should I make of all this? Should I take her advice?

 

[squid01]

Tried to call and se wig they could add the Air France flight. Most operators said couldn’t add any flight to any existing booking lol.

Got a comment at sounding one who tried the Air France but said when went to add it there were only 1 seat. But there are four showing when she searches. Probably gonna have to book something separately.

If I book Air France seperate ticket assuming Finnair wouldn’t interline bags from Delhi?

 

[DAC1]

Her advice: because the second flight is more than 24 hours after the first flight, I should keep the booking as it is, and after arriving at HND at 5am I should call Qantas and tell them that I'd be a no-show on the second leg. She advised that I'd get most of my points for the second leg back.

Wondering what people think of that advice? I also asked her what would happen if I made a Qantas reward booking for a flight home on the same day as my flight to HND arrives. She told me that it wouldn't be a problem at all and that the Qantas computer system wouldn't flag it.

What should I make of all this? Should I take her advice?

Bad advice. Classic rewards are non-refundable once the trip has commenced, so you wouldn’t get anything back.

 

[bPeteb]

We had the same issue earlier this year after QF changed flights to from JNB. We wanted a longer connection than what we were rebooked on. Called and Fiji answered and I was told they couldn't see the flight except as a new booking and that I could cancel and rebook. I said no we won't.

I contacted QF via private message on X/twitter and it was sorted pretty quickly.

I'm not sure who looks after the X pms, but they are usually pretty good as getting things fixed. Maybe ask the question there if you use X?

 

[squid01]

Update:

Sent an email last night and also this morning to the rewards escalations team email. Advising almost all of the dozen or so offshore agents told me I cannot even add a segment to an existing booking at all. Explained what I was after and new flight details etc.

Could not believe it but I got a call from Hobart today. Comparing to every single offshore agent I have spoken with (probably 100+) it is night and day. I cannot believe how it turns the most stressful experience into something pleasant and reassuring.

Anyway, the Hobart agent confirmed that Finnair are using married segment logic there and that flight cannot be added to my existing ticket. I asked about the Air France flight and he said yes completely do-able with that flight and availability definitely there (despite two offshore agents telling me no availability for that flight). He went to add it on but advised I didn't have enough points. I thought it would take onto the mileage for rewards distance table for DEL>HEL>CDG. But he said as Air France was a partner not an alliance member, that AF flight would be priced on its own points wise.

He was exceptionally knowledgeable and tried to do everything to help me. Just need these ANZ and NAB bonus points to come in soon then I can add this on.

 

[Human]

I'm not sure who looks after the X pms, but they are usually pretty good as getting things fixed.

So grateful for that advice -- after hours on hold to various call centres, the customer service I received via X was brilliant and they were able to change my booking for me, after multiple call centre agents told me that it was impossible.