Consequences of failing to board in BNE for a BNE-LAX Via SYD

[bigbadbyrnes]

I write on behalf of a colleague in the following situation:

>Wants a ticket OOL->LAX via SYD, but this couldn’t be booked because staff couldn’t get the fare mapping to work
>Relucantly books BNE-LAX via SYD
>In Premium Economy, carry on only
>Later sees cheap OOL-SYD fares on special
>Calls Virgin to make an amendment to booking, just looking to drop off the BNE-SYD part of the booking
>Plat call centre offers to instead change itinerary OOL-LAX via SYD
>PleaseGodYes
>Can’t actually be done
>Can’t even strike out BNE-SYD sector
>No changes at all possible without rebooking under today's much more expensive ticket price
>“Look, I’ll fly to SYD at my own expense, I just want to know if I can board in SYD if I fail to board in BNE”
>“No sir, if you fail to board in BNE, your entire reservation will be forfeited”.
>Unhappy camper
>Summons me into his office
>"CB, I need you to sort out this *expletive* issue with these *expletive* airborne hacks we have signed up to do all our travel with under your advice"
>"Yes sir"
>IhaveNoIdeaWhatI'mDoing
>posting this thread

Mentlegen and ladies, I ask of you; My boss is flying carry on only and has actually arranged for a points upgrade for his SYD->LAX sector to business class. If he turns up with his carry on bag in hand in SYD on the morning of his SYD-LAX, will he be refused boarding on the basis that he failed to board in BNE for a BNE-LAX via SYD itinerary??

Your assistance is very much appreciated and may save me an embarrassing bit of position review when they next come round.

Safe flying,
CB

 

[NM]

If they have a BNE-SYD-LAX ticket (same ticket) and fail to board the BNE-SYD leg, then the entire ticket will be cancelled and they will not be able to check-in or board in SYD for the SYD-LAX segment.

If the BNE-SYD and SYD-LAX are on separate tickets/itinerary, then no problem.

 

[anat0l]

Don't like your chances in your boss's proposal. If he goes through and turns up at SYD, he'll be refused carriage on the basis of no-showing at BNE.

Sorry to be the bearer to the bearer of bad news.

I suppose you can keep on calling the Platinum centre and see what they can do, but I just don't like your chances. The irony is that the BNE-SYD-LAX ticket may have been all but cheaper than a straight out SYD-LAX.

I can only think of one sneaky thing you can do, which requires your expense, some smoke and mirrors, and some luck. It's not kosher at all so I'm not going to post it here....

 

[docjames]

Ticketing rules as such mean if he no-shows the bne-syd leg, the remainder of that ticket is cancelled.

Keep him onside by arranging a limo to BNE for him (so he doesnt have to arrange himself).


PITA but the only viable solution unless you pay for re-ticketing.

 

[bigbadbyrnes]

Ticketing rules as such mean if he no-shows the bne-syd leg, the remainder of that ticket is cancelled.

Keep him onside by arranging a limo to BNE for him (so he doesnt have to arrange himself).

A limo service is included if you have a business class ticket by way of upgrade?

And also thanks all for the confirmation of the bad news - sucks but it's good to know for sure.

 

[docjames]

Why is he so aggrieved - he booked ex-BNE knowing the "risk" so he'll just have to slum it in the limo for ~1 hour instead of ~20 mins....

 

[bigbadbyrnes]

Why is he so aggrieved - he booked ex-BNE knowing the "risk" so he'll just have to slum it in the limo for ~1 hour instead of ~20 mins....

It's my understanding that you only get a limo service if you book fully flexi international J. There is no limo.

 

[Ausbt]

I can only think of one sneaky thing you can do, which requires your expense, some smoke and mirrors, and some luck. It's not kosher at all so I'm not going to post it here....

Is it like the Nicolas Cage movie Face/Off?

 

[ywwol]

Your boss seems to be laying blame on you for 'recommending these airborne hacks', but does he not realise that all airlines will no show you if you fail to board a prior sector?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

i don't understand how the flight couldn't originally be booked ex OOL. can't get fare mapping to work, what is that? never heard of that before.

 

[The Rok]

You could always do the BNE-SYD sector pretending to be your boss!

 

[anat0l]

You could always do the BNE-SYD sector pretending to be your boss!

This may fail if the OP needs to present the boss's passport at BNE.

 

[grubbidok]

I remember I had a similar dilemma on a TOS-OSL-LHR flight when I decided to fly from KKN-OSL instead. The university travel agent said the change fees were exorbitant, and I may as well book new flights, that there was a chance I would be able to hop on in OSL but it was risky. I booked a separate KKN-OSL ticket which flew at a similar time as the original TOS-OSL one, and managed to hop on the OSL-LHR one by chatting through the situation at check-in.

Looking back now that was terrible advice from the travel agent, but they let me on in OSL. But I a) had a ticket on the same airline for the same day for a different sector going into OSL which was booked for some time b) was a charming and affable 'lost-looking' foreigner who could probably get away with it, and c) was flying in Norway and not Australia.

Neither of those probably occur for your boss. I would call the platinum desk and unless someone can confirm it I would suck it up and go to BNE. I would try again with the platinum desk though and remind them that he had asked for OOL-SYD-LAX and only booked BNE-SYD-LAX because they couldn't get that right. He's now offering to pay separately for another OOL-SYD to rectify their mess-up. You could always ask them for the recording of the original conversation if he did it by phone, as 'proof' of it being partly their fault (possibly due to the chaos around the new system).

Make it seem like you're doing something to help them rectify their mix-up.

Then after they invariably say no work out a way to get your boss to Brisbane in relative comfort.

 

[CaviAck]

This may fail if the OP needs to present the boss's passport at BNE.

Would flying down on an earlier day help solve that?

 

[Jurahn]

This may fail if the OP needs to present the boss's passport at BNE.

If BNE-SYD-LAX is all on the one ticket, then the passport does need to be presented at BNE as far as I'm aware. Same as here in Perth - when we fly to LAX with VA, it (obviously!) has to be via BNE, SYD or MEL, but that first leg is counted as part of the international flight, so even though we check in at the domestic terminal in PER, we have to present passports etc and go through much the same process as for international check-in.

 

[DirkDiggler]

Above is correct, they will check you in for both flights at BNE, and they need to scan your passport, enter arrival address etc. Random info: there is only one priority desk in BNE that has the passport scanner (the end one on the right) so you have to wait for that desk to be available. If you have bags (which OP says they don't) they are checked through to the intl flight.