Help Required please for DONE4 - 'NZ' agent is insisting I pay the ex-AUS fare!

[Dave Noble]

It seems indeed to be a specific policty that they have in place and I have come across it a few times before

I am not sure exactly what the method of operation is for all countries but it does seem that they have a policy to treat all purchases using AU cards as sold in AU and charged in AUD. They may well have equivalent policies for China, Japan et al. Someone using a NZ card may well be treated as NZ regardless of which number called. The logic makes sense imo for a call centre handling multiple countries

Outside of OW ATW tickets then the treating of AU cards as being in AU regardless has little impact

 

[Mwenenzi]

I do not know what would happen if someone living overseas and with cards registered to overseas address called, but I suspect that they would be ok unless AA is using the card number to determine country

It seems indeed to be a specific policty that they have in place and I have come across it a few times before

I am not sure exactly what the method of operation is for all countries but it does seem that they have a policy to treat all purchases using AU cards as sold in AU and charged in AUD.....The logic makes sense imo for a call centre handling multiple countries

But not someone like me
Au & NZ Passposts
Au & NZ drivers licence
Au & NZ cars
Au & NZ tax file numbers (pay tax in both)
Au & NZ bank accounts
Au & NZ postal address
Au & NZ phone

I just happen to have only Au CC's. Some years ago I was working 2 weeks in each country and bought an ex Au xONEx while in NZ.

Taking that argument to it's conclusion would imply that no-one in NZ could purchase xONEx (AA plated) at cheaper ex NZ prices through the Mindpearl Office in Brisbane that operates AA's regional centre.

AA policy it not logical. People buy air tickets all over the world.

 

[samh004]

If NZ prices are consistently cheaper, why don’t you just open a NZ bank account and CC, you can transfer money to it when you need to purchase tickets and not worry about it the rest of the time?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Tuapekastar

Here is a list of the card numbers and banks that issued them:

List of Bank Identification Numbers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ozbeachbabe - yes the post do have a gift card 4182 24 - New Zealand Post (NZ) - Visa Loaded Card

In light of the above bit about the NZ Post visa card, how difficult would it be for you to acquire one of these so you can still get your DONE4 ticketed at NZ prices?

Cheers

Oz

 

[dragonman]

I guess I was lucky. I have almost completed a DONE4 purchased through the AA RTW desk and then paid for using the "NZ" AA phone number. I experienced no problems - my AU mastercard was never an issue. The person who assisted me was a kiwi now living in queensland and she had no accent issues.

 

[tuapekastar]

I guess I was lucky. I have almost completed a DONE4 purchased through the AA RTW desk and then paid for using the "NZ" AA phone number. I experienced no problems - my AU mastercard was never an issue. The person who assisted me was a kiwi now living in queensland and she had no accent issues.

I'm beginning to think, given yourself and serfty both were able to do this relatively recently, that I may have encountered a very zealous agent, or there has been a 'crackdown' in recent times. Glad you got it dragonman, wish I could!

 

[tuapekastar]

Tuapekastar



In light of the above bit about the NZ Post visa card, how difficult would it be for you to acquire one of these so you can still get your DONE4 ticketed at NZ prices?

Cheers

Oz

ozbeachbabe, thanks, good idea, but I checked the NZ Post card, and I need to physically front at an NZ PO (I can apply online etc.) to do this, and have an NZ address (which I could probably swing). Time is against me here as I commence travel in ~4 weeks (and prcticality..I visit NZ one or two times on average per year but a trip just for this is perhaps OTT for me).

The YABBA card may not have met needs to have an NZ phone number (though the vodafone one certainly would have)

I do appreciate all the suggestions, and will have another crack on Monday, and if not successful, put it down to experience, file a few things away for future reference should I need to do something like this again in the future.

Cheers

 

[Will]

On a related note - is CMB currently the most cost-effective place to start a DONE4?

I'm just teeing one up now, and flying to DEL or CMB looks like a saving about $2500 per pax cf the ex-AUS price.

 

[Will]

Also - I can see JNB is excellent value, but due to logistical reasons and the near-necessity of buying a DONE5, doesn't work quite as well as Europe-Asia-NA ports.

 

[tuapekastar]

OK.

I wandered into a spare room at work this afternoon armed with all my details, a phone card, a copy of the OWE rulesheet, the AA NZ rez number, and a mind to argue the point (just a little bit), then concede and fork out the extra $$$ for an ex-AU fare.

The agent answered the phone, I gave my record locator, and...he processed the booking! Just like that. I gave an AU address, phone number, CC number and e-mail address, and every time I was put on hold (for him to check this and that), I was expecting him to come back online with a story similar to Friday's, but it didn't happen.

I don't pretend to understand how it works, but I guess it's similar to any workplace, some people just handle things differently, and are stricter than others. Mind you, nothing that happens between now and when I fly will surprise me.

It's interesting that the price the ATW desk gave me, then the price I was given by AA NZ on Friday, and the price today, all crept up a little (now ~NZD80 more than when the ATW desk quoted me ~a week ago. Perhaps the taxes need currency conversion. There was also an NZD77 service fee.

My reservation is now "On Request" - explanation thus:

Status

• On Request: Some airlines require post-booking reconfirmation for reservations made on AA.com. Please check with the airline for more details.

I have no idea what that means in my context but I am expecting something to change in the near future...or shouldn't I expect that?

I wish to, as per my other recent thread in this forum, request/confirm an upgrade to F on AA137 LHR-LAX(the extra miles appeared in my account tonight), but I am also reluctant to upset the apple cart (is this going to 'bother' the booking while it's changing status)?

I rang a little while ago (1-800-882-8880 - oh how I hate voice recognition software, especially in a different accent), but was on hold a while so hung up. I'll try again later when it's business hours there.

Thanks for the assistance here, AFF rocks!

 

[Paddy55]

tuapekastar

Good news... Out of curiosity what is your routing ex AKL for the DONE4, please - looking at one in Mar/Apr next year, myself.

Paddy

 

[straitman]

tuapekasta,

Excellent news. i look forward to the next instalment :!:

 

[Dave Noble]

My reservation is now "On Request" - explanation thus:

Status

• On Request: Some airlines require post-booking reconfirmation for reservations made on AA.com. Please check with the airline for more details.

I have no idea what that means in my context but I am expecting something to change in the near future...or shouldn't I expect that?!

I would be concerned if it is showing "on request" and would give AA a call and check up on the status of it; A call to UK this eve might not be a bad idea. if it had been processed , I would expect it to say "Ticketed" or "Purchased" until it is ticketed and then to show "Ticketed - xx/xx/xx" when actually ticketed . On request is the normal state when it is just on hold

It might be ok, but I would be checking up on the state

Dave

 

[tuapekastar]

tuapekastar

Good news... Out of curiosity what is your routing ex AKL for the DONE4, please - looking at one in Mar/Apr next year, myself.

Paddy

Paddy, it's AKL-HKG-NRT-SIN-LHR-ATH-LHR-HEL-LHR-LAX-JFK-DFW-ANC-DFW-LAX-AKL...there are some stopovers in there as well as some transits, and some non-DONE sidetrips.

 

[tuapekastar]

I would be concerned if it is showing "on request" and would give AA a call and check up on the status of it; A call to UK this eve might not be a bad idea. if it had been processed , I would expect it to say "Ticketed" or "Purchased" until it is ticketed and then to show "Ticketed - xx/xx/xx" when actually ticketed . On request is the normal state when it is just on hold

It might be ok, but I would be checking up on the state

Dave

Shall do Dave, I only want nice surprises, not nasty ones. :shock:

 

[tuapekastar]

tuapekasta,

Excellent news. i look forward to the next instalment :!:

Yes, good news straitman, though I'll be relieved if/when it finally says 'ticketed - date' and they have my hard-earned. The airline industry seems (and maybe this is only unnecessary worry from without) so fickle and fraught with danger when making some types of bookings.

 

[serfty]

In my experience should initially go to "Ticketed", then "Ticketed - <date>" some hours or a day or two later..

 

[tuapekastar]

In my experience should initially go to "Ticketed", then "Ticketed - <date>" some hours or a day or two later..

Well I may 'hang five' then...to call tonight will involve a trip to the office as I'm away from home and with a shamefully small phone card balance!

 

[tuapekastar]

Itinerary went to ticketed (with date) late this afternoon.

I had not yet applied for the AA upgrade (on hold too long last night, had to work to pay for the trip today), so hung around work this evening and did so.

Rang AA UK number 0207 365 0777 (which, BTW, will no longer be valid after 31 May, and will be replaced by 0844 499 7300, which seemed to incur some sort of per minute fee, but I didn't quite pick up on that part of the announcement) and requested the upgrade from the lady who answered.

I had, not long before, checked availability and it was showing A2, but she said there was no upgrade available but she could put me on a waitlist. Not wanting to rock any boats (after Friday's experience any airline interaction is making me nervous) I said fine. She commenced typing and clicking (I could hear the keyboard) and after quite a while came back and said she would need to put me on hold whle she checked something (I mildly cacked at this time :shock.

After an eternity on hold, she came back and said the upgrade was in fact available, and she had confirmed it, then asked me my postcode for my billing suburb "in the UK". I advised the postcode and that it was in fact in AU. She seemed mildly surprised, then wished me a pleasant day and that was it!

There appears to be a "hold" (or whatever it's called) on my CC which seems to roughly equate to the ex-NZ price, so that is something good.

Anyway, it's ticketed (the e-ticket actually says it's non-refundable, which is not my reading of the rules), there is a current CC charge which appears to be ex-NZ, and I am in F on the AA flight LHR-LAX (I have applied for an upgrade on QF31 SIN-LHR with absolutely no expectation of getting one, but it doesn't hurt).

So I'm happy enough with that. If something does come along and bite me on the bum fare wise I'm going to be disappointed, but not overly so.

Thanks for the help!

 

[straitman]

Good to see that all the work appears to be worth the effort.

Well done.