Booking biz on AT7 - do SC credit as Biz even tho no Biz seats?

[ozstamps]

I'm not sure I see the issue here? The fare basis is 'I' class, but 'I' class is not offered on some sectors. The passenger accepts they will be accommodated in a lower class where applicable.

So your flight tomorrow is in paid and eticketed Biz I class from say Coffs Harbour to Sydney and is swapped from the 737 you booked on in row #1, for an AT7 last minute as load was low. You still get Row #1.

You'd be happy with that. And more on topic, accept half as many SC? NONSENSE!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So your flight tomorrow is in paid and eticketed Biz I class from say Coffs Harbour to Sydney and is swapped from the 737 you booked on in row #1, for an AT7 last minute as load was low. You still get Row #1.

You'd be happy with that. And accept half as many SC? NONSENSE.

No no. I would be asking for an 'original routing credit'. I was booked on a 737 in business but am now an an ATR without.

If i book the ATR from the outset, and accept that selected sectors map into economy, that is different.

Without the ability to travel economy on some sectors, certain flights and connections would be unworkable, or very expensive if they had to be constructed with individual sectors based on class. So in your original case, it gives the passenger the benefit of the through fare at a lower price.

 

[Jurahn]

This bit confuses me.

Gate or lounge staff SEE all the data on e-tickets on their screen.

If booked in I or D etc, they clearly see that, and the sum paid. If paid as Biz for whatever reason they need to treat pax accordingly with lounge or early boarding.

At the GATE at boarding scanner, clearly they do not have time to be fair, but at LOUNGES????? A 10 second check of your PNR tells them all.

You would think so - however that doesn't seem to be the case. The young gentleman I first spoke to at the Lounge desk advised that I was not eligible for access due to the fare I was booked on. When I queried it, he called another staff member over, she looked into it further via his screen and said their system was showing her that the MEL-CBR sector was ticketed as a Freedom fare, which does not show anywhere on my e-ticket so it would appear their system (at least at the front end) shows what has actually been ticketed, NOT what was booked. it wasn't until I provided the copy of my e-ticket and she took it to go and check with a supervisor on another system that she was able to confirm that I was in fact eligible for access. She did say they had never seen that before (i.e. booked and paid for J as per e-ticket, but sector ticketed as Economy).

 

[Jurahn]

No no. I would be asking for an 'original routing credit'. I was booked on a 737 in business but am now an an ATR without.

If i book the ATR from the outset, and accept that selected sectors map into economy, that is different.

Without the ability to travel economy on some sectors, certain flights and connections would be unworkable, or very expensive if they had to be constructed with individual sectors based on class. So in your original case, it gives the passenger the benefit of the through fare at a lower price.

But that's the point - it's NOT a lower price. If I book HBA-MEL-CBR in J or J Saver, it is exactly the same fare whether the MEL-CBR flight is on a 737 or an ATR - so you pay exactly the same but receive less than half the SCs than if the flight had been on a 737.

And if I or D class is not available for certain sectors because of the aircraft being used (and there's no argument that there's obviously no J seating on an ATR), why does the e-ticket show that fare class for the flight? Should it not then show a Y fare class for that particular sector? It may be a shortcoming of the VA systems in that case, but regardless, it's extremely misleading.

Even my booking as viewed on the Velocity website showed Premium/Business for ALL sectors, including that on the ATR, so why would I not expect to receive the appropriate SCs, just because I happen to be sitting in Y on the flight because there's no J seating (which I have no issue with, by the way)?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What is the price of HBA-MEL alone and a separate MEL-HBA? More expensive than the HBA-CBR?

It should be fare class vs cabin class. Those two can be different. I can be in an F ticket, fare basis F, but accommodated in J.

 

[Jurahn]

What is the price of HBA-MEL alone and a separate MEL-HBA? More expensive than the HBA-CBR?

It should be fare class vs cabin class. Those two can be different. I can be in an F ticket, fare basis F, but accommodated in J.

Yes, the separate fares tend to be more expensive if booked individually which is quite common, but is also not the point at issue here, we're talking about the SC earn. I don't give a furry rat's behind if I have to sit in Y because there's no J cabin on the flight, but I DO mind if I am charged the same fare as if I was travelling in J on the 737, but will not receive any J benefits or the appropriate SCs - this may not be of any concern to someone in your position but it is to me. I have unfortunately not been able to afford enough travel to maintain Gold this year,, and also now plan ALL travel with an eye towards helping Mr J retain Gold, so SC earn is always of major importance.

I now actively avoid any sectors with the ATR if booking J or J saver because of the previous hassles.