Airlines blaming each other [QF fails to inform EK of cancelled booking]

[williamsf1]

This scenario is a bit like the dinosaur or the egg saga.

There would have to have been a duplicate booking in the EK checkin system, so when the EK CSA brought up two identical names they should have double checked which EK pnr was on the NZ paperwork and checked pax in accordingly.

NZ can't endorse an electronic 086 eticket coupon to EK, NZ would most likely have issued a FIM which is the payment to EK for the ticket in the absence of an eticket or a paper ticket for the EK flight. EK may or may not issue an eticket on their own 176 ticket stock.

The QF booking for the EK flight using QF points was obviously not cancelled at that point in time because if it had been then the EK CSA would not have been able to check the pax in on it. It wouldn't matter if the QF eticket for the EK flight hadn't yet been voided. If EK somehow found an 081 ticket still 'live' they still would need to rebook flights to attach the eticket to before utilising it.

The PNR(ie seats) can be canceled by QF .... but as this was a points + pay booking and all this happened within 24hrs the E ticket can still be open awaiting a refund ... PNR (ie flight segment) are separate processes to the ticket

E tickets become dissociated from PNRs all the time ... 1 booking NZ , 1 open eticket from QF ... it's a fast process to reassociate... and they probably did not expect a dupe PNR

As they are in the DCS window ..... The agent finds PNR ( seats ) booked by NZ ( FIM or no FIM or Ticket issued) ..... The system finds a Matching e-Ticket with open coupons ..... links both .... the 081 ticket is updated and the passenger gets on the flight. A slack process from EK.. but with a passenger in front of you they just do the fastest / easiest to get them on the flight