One small letter one large $80.00 charge

[Ansett]

WOW

Booked a flight Mel to Syd for Mrs Ansett and friend using her frequent flyer number and it seems that my typing skills were less than perfect and and instead of typing EL...... I typed EK...... and have just noticed the error so rang Plat line to advise about it so that they could corect it, and thay have advised that they will Charge me $80.00 to change that one letter.
I should note that we booked the flights 3 days ago at a cost of $79.00

So should I pay the fee?

Or should she just turn up at the airport after having checked in online?

What would you do and do you think it would be unreasonable to expect Qantas to make the change free of charge given Mrs Ansett is gold and I am WP?

 

[Mal]

Unlikely to auto credit to FF.

Being a domestic flight, unlikely to matter. International definitely does. Bit of a toss either way, now that you've drawn attention to it - potentially it's flagged, but the worst that could (probably) happen is being forced to pay the fee at the airport.

The fee is $60, plus I assume the $20 is a service fee?

 

[Ansett]

They just said $80.00 fee thats all.

They were not flexible atall with this.

Whilst I accept that the typo was my error surely to change one little letter wouldnt take long indeed it took them longer them telling me about how it was my fault and I should have notifed them with the 24 hours and there was NO way they would waive this fee.

I did make a statement in the end that they were welcome to charge the $80.00 but it would be the last time we booked Qantas. Reply was oh well thats your choice

 

[markis10]

I take it that the booking was not done today?

 

[Ansett]

Hi markis

The booking was made 3 days ago as a surprise for my partner and one of her girlfriends to have a day away in Sydney. Had the confirmation come to me rather than her so she wouldnt have picked up on the spelling mistake untill today when I presented them with the tickets

This then led to the call

 

[opusman]

I wouldn't worry about it, the chances of it mattering during boarding (particularly if you have checked in online and already printed the boarding pass) are miniscule.
Worst that can happen is the FF points won't credit and you can sort that out with customer service after the fact.

 

[BoyZeus]

IATA regulations allow up to 3 letters to be incorrect without the necessity for a name change

 

[Flying mermaid]

It has been years since anyone has checked my ID when flying domestically - I think the last time was flying out of Uluru in 2006, so I wouldn't worry. FF credit is another issue - does the booking show up against the FF no, or has it flagged there is an error?

 

[CaviAck]

It has been years since anyone has checked my ID when flying domestically - I think the last time was flying out of Uluru in 2006, so I wouldn't worry. FF credit is another issue - does the booking show up against the FF no, or has it flagged there is an error?

I rang QFF about an incorrect name as Zuji left out a space between my first name and middle name and the guy on the other end of the line said it didn't matter cause the computer apparently only looked for last name and the first few letters of the first name... He also did mention that if for some reason it doesn't go through call QF after a week and they'll manually process it for me. Took the flight yesterday, the flight credited between sometime yesterday evening and the first hour of this morning.

So it might be a long stretch but the flight might auto-credit after all, but I'm sure a quick ring to QFF after the flight has been taken will sort the matter out in terms of credits and points.

 

[Ansett]

It has been years since anyone has checked my ID when flying domestically - I think the last time was flying out of Uluru in 2006, so I wouldn't worry. FF credit is another issue - does the booking show up against the FF no, or has it flagged there is an error?

Hi Mermaid the booking is registered and showing up on her Frequent Flyer MMB so shouldnt be an issue re crediting points one hopes. Seems like it will be a non issue based on the post from Boy Zeus seems it is just the Plat line witches being predantic. Hopefully wont be in trouble now with Mrs Ansett as jumped in and upgraded them both to J class on the way home

 

[Ansett]

IATA regulations allow up to 3 letters to be incorrect without the necessity for a name change

Thanks for that information BoyZeus Is it available to print out from anywhere?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Hi Mermaid the booking is registered and showing up on her Frequent Flyer MMB so shouldnt be an issue re crediting points one hopes. Seems like it will be a non issue based on the post from Boy Zeus seems it is just the Plat line witches being predantic. Hopefully wont be in trouble now with Mrs Ansett as jumped in and upgraded them both to J class on the way home

Sounds like they are going to have fun - I hope Mrs Ansett was suitably grateful

 

[Ansett]

Sounds like they are going to have fun - I hope Mrs Ansett was suitably grateful

I am a very lucky Man Mrs Ansett is ALWAYS suitably greatful as am I of the many wonderful things she does for me every day

 

[puppysparkes]

I've done something similar. I booked a ticket using Nat instead of Natalie. OLCI with printed bp worked a treat and no questions were asked. However I was chastised by my fellow traveller and learned my lesson.

 

[BoyZeus]

Thanks for that information BoyZeus Is it available to print out from anywhere?

You would need to obtain a copy of the IATA ticketing handbook which is available through their website.

I originally became aware of this rule from a fares and ticketing course undertaken.

As a check in / gate agent, I would not deny a pax boarding for such a discrepancy. All customer service personnel at the airport can change it, if necessary, with a few key strokes and without a supervisors permission.

If all else fails - act like you didn't know and chastise yourself publicly. It works.

 

[CaviAck]

You would need to obtain a copy of the IATA ticketing handbook which is available through their website.

I originally became aware of this rule from a fares and ticketing course undertaken.

As a check in / gate agent, I would not deny a pax boarding for such a discrepancy. All customer service personnel at the airport can change it, if necessary, with a few key strokes and without a supervisors permission.

If all else fails - act like you didn't know and chastise yourself publicly. It works.

But I wonder how that would go with the TSA agent at the security point... Not to mention the US$135 to buy it. Unless there's a free online version somewhere I'm missing.

 

[Robert Qld]

Odd. Two years ago I misspelt a friends name on a big group booking I was doing and thus I couldn't put his FF in later (I spelt his last name as 'Fergerson' instead of 'Ferguson')

I rang up the service line (all the while just a NB at that point), explained the situation and the gentleman changed it (and added the FF number at the same time) with no fuss and in less then a couple of minutes.

 

[markis10]

Maybe a case of TAA, as in Try Another Agent?

 

[CaviAck]

Odd. Two years ago I misspelt a friends name on a big group booking I was doing and thus I couldn't put his FF in later (I spelt his last name as 'Fergerson' instead of 'Ferguson')

I rang up the service line (all the while just a NB at that point), explained the situation and the gentleman changed it (and added the FF number at the same time) with no fuss and in less then a couple of minutes.

Was it done in the same day? QF has a policy (can't remember if it's written or unwritten) that if you ring up before midnight the day of booking they can amend the ticket fee free.

 

[medhead]

Was it done in the same day? QF has a policy (can't remember if it's written or unwritten) that if you wring up before midnight the day of booking they can amend the ticket fee free.

It's written. "Same day no mistake" or something like that. Just search "no mistake" on the qantas website.