Velocity asking for more money the day of travel or they’ll cancel my ticket

[k_sheep]

Wow what a cluster.

I'm with you ... just keep going. Their problem not yours!

Waiting eagerly for news of your triumphant arrival.

 

[p--and--t]

 

[pauly7]

Good luck! What a nightmare…. Let us know how you go.

 

[MarkD]

What a bunch of flogs. Threatening to cancel your travel and demanding extra to enable you to take the trip. I lose more respect for this mob every day. Very little left now im afraid. The penny pinching and lack of empathy are astounding in this instance.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm with you ... just keep going. Their problem not yours!

It’s absolutely the passenger’s problem! All the airline has to do is cancel the ticket, right or wrong. Nothing the passenger can do at that point in time. You can’t go instantly to the DOT.

The passenger may be 100% right, but it doesn’t help them on the spot

 

[justinbrett]

Well I’m boarded on the second flight to LAS. So assuming no UA style skull grab through the aisles, I think I’m safe.

 

[madrooster]

You can’t ‘merge’ tickets/PNRs, but you can link them

You can merge tickets/PNRs, manually, if you really wanted to (for a valid reason). The problem is usually finding someone who knows how to do it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You can merge tickets/PNRs, manually, if you really wanted to (for a valid reason). The problem is usually finding someone who knows how to do it.

Oh! That’s interesting! Why are we always told by airlines that you can’t combine/merge separate bookings then? And all we can do is link them?

A valid reason would be two separate award bookings, for example, to benefit from a through fare, or to combine two separate bookings in the same airline to benefit from protections in the event of a missed connection.

 

[ChrisMars]

Oh! That’s interesting! Why are we always told by airlines that you can’t combine/merge separate bookings then? And all we can do is link them?

A valid reason would be two separate award bookings, for example, to benefit from a through fare, or to combine two separate bookings in the same airline to benefit from protections in the event of a missed connection.

Could it be that pnr merging is only doable when the booking is under airport control?

 

[serfty]

Oh! That’s interesting! Why are we always told by airlines that you can’t combine/merge separate bookings then? And all we can do is link them?

Think of a PNR as an envelope into which can be inserted one or more bookings such as hotel stays, train travel, flight tickets, transfers etc.

An example of a common situation with more than one ticket in a PNR, can be a simple 2 PAX airline booking. It will have one PNR "containing" two tickets; one ticket (number) for each passenger.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Think of a PNR as an envelope into which can be inserted one or more bookings such as hotel stays, train travel, flight tickets, transfers etc.

An example of a common situation with more than one ticket in a PNR, can be a simple 2 PAX airline booking. It will have one PNR "containing" two tickets; one ticket (number) for each passenger.

Yes, i get that, I was just confused by ‘merging tickets’. I know multiple pax can be on the same PNR, and if one decides not to travel, you split the PNR etc.

But having two PNRs, separate tickets for the same passenger, we’ve always been told ‘can’t do’ if asking whether you can merge the two tickets to create a single ticket.

If we can simply merge separate tickets into one PNR, but not actually merge two tickets into one, what’s the advantage of it?

 

[serfty]

Yes, i get that, I was just confused by ‘merging tickets’. I know multiple pax can be on the same PNR, and if one decides not to travel, you split the PNR etc.

But having two PNRs, separate tickets for the same passenger, we’ve always been told ‘can’t do’ if asking whether you can merge the two tickets to create a single ticket.
...

Being pedantic, there is no merging of two flight tickets into a single flight ticket. I am not aware if that is even possible.

In this particular case, "Merging Tickets" does not accurately describe the process, which was moving a ticketed flight booking from one PNR into another PNR.

A competent Travel Agent can do this with just about any PNR they control.

However, airlines appear not to like you doing this on their bookings, although I suspect there is more flexibility day of travel such as happened here.

If we can simply merge separate tickets into one PNR, but not actually merge two tickets into one, what’s the advantage of it?

Through check baggage is one reason.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Being pedantic, there is no merging of tickets in to another ticket. I am not aware if that is even possible.

In this particular case, "Merging Tickets" does not accurately describe the process, which was moving a ticketed flight booking from one PNR into another PNR.

A competent Travel Agent can do this with just about any PNR they control.

However, airlines appear not to like you doing this on their bookings, although I suspect there is more flexibility day of travel such as happened here.

Through check baggage is one reason.

Yes, maybe the terminology is getting confused.

As for checking through baggage… you just need to present the second PNR… either at check in or by linking before. Not sure why they’d need to go to the extended time to merge bookings at checkin, as happened to the OP.

Anyway, the good news is that as far as the OP’s travel, it is now a problem solely for VA! No getting the points back now… unless they out the account into negative. But there’s no obligation for the OP to ‘make good’.

 

[L_MareeB]

Sorry, piggybacking on this thread. I’ve made two separate bookings with VA. One BNE-SYD return and another SYD-DUB. This saved me $500 over booking it as one over the phone with VA.

I was told by at least three separate VA agents that I could link these bookings. I know it doesn’t provide me with the same protection as having it one PNR, but it’s a calculated risk I’m willing to take. I’d rather spend the $500 on getting top level travel insurance (which I was going to get anyway).

Sent VA a request to link the bookings and imagine my surprise when this was the response:

“Please be advised that we can only link the booking with the same flight details. In line with this, we regret to inform you that we are unable to link the booking. In regard to baggage check through, you may request it at the airport. Kindly note that final instructions regarding baggage transfers will be provided at the airport.”

Any thoughts on this?

Also, OP, how did you go in the end?

 

[aus_flyer]

Sorry, piggybacking on this thread. I’ve made two separate bookings with VA. One BNE-SYD return and another SYD-DUB. This saved me $500 over booking it as one over the phone with VA.

I was told by at least three separate VA agents that I could link these bookings. I know it doesn’t provide me with the same protection as having it one PNR, but it’s a calculated risk I’m willing to take. I’d rather spend the $500 on getting top level travel insurance (which I was going to get anyway).

Sent VA a request to link the bookings and imagine my surprise when this was the response:

“Please be advised that we can only link the booking with the same flight details. In line with this, we regret to inform you that we are unable to link the booking. In regard to baggage check through, you may request it at the airport. Kindly note that final instructions regarding baggage transfers will be provided at the airport.”

Any thoughts on this?

Also, OP, how did you go in the end?

Ask them to add the international flight to your domestic booking as an information segment. They may not do it, but worth asking. That's the only way to "link" the bookings.

 

[L_MareeB]

Ask them to add the international flight to your domestic booking as an information segment. They may not do it, but worth asking. That's the only way to "link" the bookings.

Thanks, I’ll try that.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks, I’ll try that.

it makes no difference if you do it now, or at check-in at the airport.

Just hand the check-in agent the PNR for the second trip.

The check-in agent probably won’t even know it’s there unless you mention it anyway. So I’d save the time and hassle now.

 

[justinbrett]

Also, OP, how did you go in the end?

I never heard anything from VA. At this point I don't expect to hear from them again.

For the record VA did link my bookings prior to travel (but before the drama) however it didn't appear to help at all. That had always been my impression that linking bookings was pretty useless.

it makes no difference if you do it now, or at check-in at the airport.

Just hand the check-in agent the PNR for the second trip.

The check-in agent probably won’t even know it’s there unless you mention it anyway. So I’d save the time and hassle now.

I don't know why it was so difficult on HA. Perhaps this is why so many airlines won't connect bags, even on their own metal.

I did it the other day with QF out of JFK (JFK-AKL and AKL-SYD-OOL), two separate bookings. I didn't even have to give my second booking reference, a few clicks and the bag tags and BPs printed out. I hadn't even asked QF to link them before travel.