Booked US DM F award for 2 Adults,2 Child - now TG would refuse Child on 773

[Shanye2233]

its not a J its F award ticket for those miles. I have travel insurance with my citibank plat card. I paid for the miles with the card and the taxes so i thought i would be covered with that isnt that correct or am i wrong? Also they increased the taxes my $74 per person so they are now $339.80 per person in taxes.

There is a travel warning for cario i would really love to go by Zurich , im waiting for mel_travller to try give me a hand getting out of BKK i can change it now without having to worry. Maybe another routing with SQ ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A result I think!! Good old Egyptair coming through with 4 seats at such short notice to save the whole itinerary and all the hotels and expectations of the family for their trip!!

It is unfortunate that the infant issue was not picked up sooner on TG. But it is not stated anywhere i could find either on the TG website, or on any internet forums (except a single post buried on FT - and that was only because i searched for it knowing what I was looking for). It is also strange that you can book an infant/child ticket on TG's website for 77W services.

So I understand you have paid 45k for each passenger travelling? Or have they now taken out the correct number of miles? If they haven't taken out the correct number of miles I would expect the audit department to be taking out the right amount some time soon. In fact - it is better they take them out now rather than you get to the airport and find the ticket has been cancelled!

As for lodging a complaint with the ACCC - nothing will happen. You have booked an itinerary through US airways for business class Australi to Europe and back. And that is what you still have. This was a mistake, but no misleading or deceptive conduct that i can see.

It caused grief, but it has been resolved. Had they cancelled the ticket outright and you were left stranded, that might have been a different story... and I would have expected TG to become more involved before it got to that stage (even if they have to create inventory for you to route via another european city).

Anyways - via CAI is not such a bad thing! If you book seats on the left hand side of the plane you should get a really good view of the pyramids if it is light enough. There is no alcohol on board, but i believe the service, food and seats are pretty good!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

its not a J its F award ticket for those miles. I have travel insurance with my citibank plat card. I paid for the miles with the card and the taxes so i thought i would be covered with that isnt that correct or am i wrong? Also they increased the taxes my $74 per person so they are now $339.80 per person in taxes.

There is a travel warning for cario i would really love to go by Zurich , im waiting for mel_travller to try give me a hand getting out of BKK i can change it now without having to worry. Maybe another routing with SQ ?

there is NOTHING else out of BKK that night to Europe. As I said, I already checked Istanbul, Vienna, Munich, Zurich and Copenhagen (that's about all the star alliance carriers). You will not get 4 seats on any carrier at this stage - you were lucky for Egyptair. SQ will be impossible because a) redemptions are not allowed in SQ premium classes on long haul jets and b) by now all the seats will be gone, especially in the numbers you require.

I would call Citibank and ask if you are covered. If you aren't you will need separate travel insurance. Some (not all) cards require you to have earned the points via their card in order for you to be covered. Since you did not earn the points on Citibank (you bought them from US) you may not be covered - just give them a call to check.

Again - on the complaints issue - you have paid 45K per ticket? $787 per ticket (plus taxes)? (assuming the 45K were bought under a 100% promo). For that price consider yourself blessed rather than trying to complain.

 

[Shanye2233]

Thank you for your help. My ticket and my daughters ticket we paid 140k only my wifes and child's ticket we paid 45k. I had a look on a TR of the aircrafts and egyptair and cant see any AVOD . I must be able to find another way to CDG on the 17-18th may for 4 people. Even if two in F/J and the other two in Y.

I paid $330 old for taxes per person. Maybe closer to the date something opens up ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you for your help. My ticket and my daughters ticket we paid 140k only my wifes and child's ticket we paid 45k. I had a look on a TR of the aircrafts and egyptair and cant see any AVOD . I must be able to find another way to CDG on the 17-18th may for 4 people. Even if two in F/J and the other two in Y.

I see! ok the 45K for the child looks a reasonable outcome. But that does look like an infant fare charge. As you know a child is charged the same as an adult.

To be honest - on the 0050 departure for a 9 hour flight I wouldn't be too worried about AVOD. (and i actually think the new 777s have avod - these are brand new planes)

i searched for 2 seats originally and could find nothing to make the connection, either in First or business class to get you to paris. Egyptair was the only option. Once i found that, I looked for 4 seats and they came through.

The only other option you might have is at the 14 day mark when you might (huge might) be able to secure Lufthansa F seats. But if you do that, there will be a $150 change fee per person now.

Personally, with the new offering of Egyptair I would fly them without a second thought.

So as far as i can see - nothing else is available.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

this trip report here for Egyptair shows AVOD and PJs!! Mini-TR: MS in J (BUD-KUL) plus MS PJs and BUD Airport after MA bankruptcy - FlyerTalk Forums

And confirmation that the seat is ahead of other star alliance carriers such as LH, and some rank it even better than British Airways.

 

[Shanye2233]

I read the TR doesn't look that bad its just the long way around . If I could get the LH I would pay the extra $150 for the F to FRA and then FRA-CDG. So 14 days out I'm leaving on the 18th so I start checking around the 4th.

I was fully set with the SYD bkk Cdg in F , but on the good side I earnt/brought my miles thru the GS or before the raise so 45k for a F basically RTW is a good one. I'm really happy they honoured it just the routing isn't what I want and there is a travel warning for Egypt !

 

[Alanslegal]

When all odds were against you Shayne2233 [stopover in non-hub, RTW route, incorrect mileage charges, child free cabin issues et al] it is a very good result in the end.

My mind is blown by the number of mistakes all round, the persistence the OP has taken, the frustrations and hurdles he had to jump to book this incredibly wild routing for an excellent monetary cost (say $6K all up; 140 x 2 + 45 x 2) for four people to go around the world in at least business class or better. All I can say is wow.

I am pretty sure quite a few of us suggested to you to apply the KISS [keep it simple s....d] principle when it comes to booking these DM awards as the more simple it is, the less likely you run into these unexpected problems. All it takes is a time change, especially the very first outbound flight, to cause misconnections, invalid MCT, unavailable award flights and so on. Anyway you wanted to get 'bang for your buck' and because you were paying for it anyway, you wanted to maximise the routes and different carriers to experience it all .... but with big rewards, there can be bigger risks. Well in two weeks time, hopefully you'll be able to enjoy it all and enjoy your trip and not worry about what's happened in the past.

 

[Bofter]

so 45k for a F basically RTW is a good one

I would have said it was a substantially better than good one.

 

[Alanslegal]

Again - on the complaints issue - you have paid 45K per ticket? $787 per ticket (plus taxes)? (assuming the 45K were bought under a 100% promo). For that price consider yourself blessed rather than trying to complain.

That's a bargain. A Round The World itinerary in J or F for under $800 is ridiculous! Fingers crossed US does not do any last minute auditing on tickets.

 

[Shanye2233]

I dont think it cost me that much i got alot of those miles from the GS , its a fantastic deal if its what i wanted which was The first intin i had.
This going to cai and back flying with MS doesnt sit well with me. Im very australian looking. Im going to try to search for a different routing , but i will be phoning some sort of government agency in the morning about my TG dealings. They would have left me stranded in thailand.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I read the TR doesn't look that bad its just the long way around . If I could get the LH I would pay the extra $150 for the F to FRA and then FRA-CDG. So 14 days out I'm leaving on the 18th so I start checking around the 4th.

I was fully set with the SYD bkk Cdg in F , but on the good side I earnt/brought my miles thru the GS or before the raise so 45k for a F basically RTW is a good one. I'm really happy they honoured it just the routing isn't what I want and there is a travel warning for Egypt !

travel warnings don't usually apply for passengers transiting airports. they are heavily guarded and usually perfectly safe!! I would not be concerned unless the government advises all non essential travel be postponed.

even if F does open up on LH, it won't be for more than 2 seats, and there is currenty no availability in business for the other two seats on lufthansa. the only thing available was bkk to munich on the 19th, but it arrived at 8pm, before flying to Paris the next morning. that is just not worth the trouble when you would have to overnight in Bangkok and paris.

if you really want peace of mind, I would ring and make sure the correct miles are taken out for your wife's ticket. make sure they bill you 140k. if the audit department decides to look at your booking they may suspend travel, or even outright cancel it. if they do that the day before departure then you really will lose everything and no one will be able to find you availability.

finally, get travel insurance!

 

[Alanslegal]

This going to cai and back flying with MS doesnt sit well with me. Im very australian looking. Im going to try to search for a different routing , but i will be phoning some sort of government agency in the morning about my TG dealings. They would have left me stranded in thailand.

What's "very australian looking" got to do with visiting Egypt. Seriously! I'm sure there have been hundreds of thousand - if not millions - of very australian looking people who have visited Egypt and have absolutely no issues at all. I spent a few days in Cairo in 2010 and had no issues and I don't look very australian at all

Find another routing and calling US will bring you closer to having your tickets cancelled. You're already getting two seats a bargain 45K each, let alone a round the world itinerary and stop incorrect hub. I think just suck it up and fly what they have successfully booked you now.

 

[Shanye2233]

I can see availability now on the plane they just took me off. The BKK-CDG on the 19th 0.05



Why cant they put me back in F and then the rest of my family in Y direct flight.
The rate desk has already seen the 45k and the head of the department had to authorize it as i said im lucky in that regard.


So who should i get travel insurance through , you know im on a strict budget

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I dont think it cost me that much i got alot of those miles from the GS , its a fantastic deal if its what i wanted which was The first intin i had.
This going to cai and back flying with MS doesnt sit well with me. Im very australian looking. Im going to try to search for a different routing , but i will be phoning some sort of government agency in the morning about my TG dealings. They would have left me stranded in thailand.

you are so wrong on this shanye it isn't funny. TG hasn't actually left you stranded, they notified you and you have made alternative arrangements.

what do you want the government agency to do? force TG to carry you? they can't. the aircraft is not equipped to handle infants in business class. you want them to force an apology? you want them to compensate you for possibly stranding you in Bangkok? impossible.. that hasn't even happened!

so you just want to waste 'some government' time to complain about something that has now been satisfactorily resolved?

even the eu compensation laws, some of the toughest in the world, wouldn't have helped you much given you are leaving and arriving not much later than originally planned.

you could still fly TG f if you wanted to, and put your wife and children, by themselves, on egyptair. but youmhave chosen to accept the new itinerary with 4 of you together.

then you have decided that MS is not good enough. you want more more more. this is despite some frequent flyers saying that MS is pretty good, ranked above air new Zealand business class seats.

anyway, since that is your attitude, I'm out on this one, I cannot offer any more assistance as none of it seems to meet your standards.

 

[Shanye2233]

I do not have a infant. I'm overly grateful for your help I wouldn't have a intin without you . I'm not wanting more and more the fact is Thai airways did not contact me I contacted them. I'm not looking for compensation I'm looking for pax booking tickets on that routing with children and end up stuck.
i know nothing about MS except its not what I wanted and if there is availability on a more direct routing I would rather take it.
I will look further into the MS airline tho I'm just worried about going there for my family , it says reconsider your travel arranges and could get worse plus having US marshalls on board doesn't make me feel more at ease. I went from SYD to BNE I didn't see Any US marshalls


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8n_XMm08E0


Seems really good for a 3 star rating carrier. I let the people over on FT know about the child policy probably be buried and someone else will run into the same issue .

 

[shane2603]

What makes u think they are US Marshalls? Im sure you wouldnt know if there were marshalls on the plane between SYD and BNE would you? I wish they would put some or lots on the flights PER- DPS lol

 

[Flashback]

All in all, you know 45k was an incorrect total to be charged so I would be happy with what has been given and just take the flights as they have now been offered.

 

[bcworld]

Isn't even 140k incorrect? Surely ZAG is the destination and wherever it was in NA the stopover?

 

[travelislife]

Shanye, you have had a great win here, with a lot of help from MEL_traveller. I can't believe your attitude, at worst it is xenophobic with regard to travelling through Egypt, if I was doing what you are doing I would be disappointed I wasn't allowed to have a couple of days stopover to go exploring! "Australian looking", what does that even mean? Are you white, black, brown? Speak English, French, Thai, Japanese? It doesn't even matter, your just another person.

Also the argument you are now pitching about it being an indirect flight doesn't stack up with the rest of your itinerary you have as it is all over the place! To get 4 seats in J (let alone in Y) at such short notice on what looks like a great product is a win all round. Right now I would accept what you have and what a great deal you have got and go ahead and enjoy your trip. Stressing yourself out by just trying to make it 'better' is ridiculous.

Also, ever heard the saying that "if you can't afford travel insurance you can't afford to travel"?