LATAM ticket buggered up by QF

[MathNerd]

Hi all,

Posting this on behalf of a mate who is on his way at this very moment to SCL on QF27 from SYD, and has had some IRROPS make the itinerary drop some segments. I'm not too much in the know in regards to QF or LA itineraries (being mostly a SQ flyer).

He booked a ticket, directly on LA, for a trip MEL-SYD-SCL-CUZ and CUZ-LIM-SCL-MEL (all on one booking, and LA ticket stock with e-ticket number beginning with 045).

The departure today should have been:

1. QF420 MEL-SYD
2. LA810 SYD-SCL
3. LA2367 SCL-CUZ

Now QF420 was cancelled at the last minute (this all happened after check-in and receiving BPs at MEL). He was put onto QF418, which was leaving 10 minutes earlier. No worries with this, an earlier arrival at SYD is good.

However, in the background it appears that QF has now "taken over" the ticket, removed him from the LA810 flight, and chucked him onto QF27 instead (luckily I was monitoring his journey and noticed the change of carrier from LA to QF for SYD-SCL, or else he'd be stuck at the LA gate being denied boarding).

He went to the gate where QF27 was departing from (and it was in the process of boarding), they saw his BP for the LA810 flight and, without scanning it, turned him away and told him to go to the LA flight! Fortunately I sent him a screenshot of his electronic BP for QF27 so he returned and then was let on board.

The big issue now is that the remainder of the ticket (SCL-CUZ and CUZ all the way back to MEL) are nowhere to be found - neither on QF's manage booking site nor LA's; it's as if they've been fully erased from the system.

Whose responsibility is it to fix this? LA or QF? I'd like to have a solution to send to my mate in time for when he lands so he can continue on to CUZ and not be stuck in SCL trying to sort this out (he's also not a native Spanish speaker, he's going to CUZ to meet up with his partner and little son so I'd like to help him make this a smooth journey as much as possible).

To complicate matters he doesn't have a visa for Chile (he didn't need one initially due to having Peru as his destination), so I'm afraid he might have passport control breathing down his neck in SCL.

What would you do in this situation?

Happy to answer any clarifying questions, but it's a very strange thing that happened here - a full IRROPS gone rogue by QF it appears.

Cheers in advance for any and all help!

 

[opusman]

I would say in the first instance you should try Qantas; they made the mess, they should be able to clean it up.

You could point out to them that they'll presumably be on the hook for fines from Chile for flying a passenger over without a visa or onward connection.

 

[SYD]

If he still has a BP for SCL-CUZ (and the connections still works - which it looks like it does), he should be ok to transit SCL.

Still odd that they moved him to QF27 however.

 

[MathNerd]

Hi there @opusman and @SYD, thanks both for your inputs - very much appreciated. As you can imagine, I'm pretty stressed out with this situation, being the first time seeing such an IRROPS situation.

I would say in the first instance you should try Qantas; they made the mess, they should be able to clean it up.

You could point out to them that they'll presumably be on the hook for fines from Chile for flying a passenger over without a visa or onward connection.

I agree, QF really should fix up this as it was their cancelled flight this morning that caused the ripple effect that's happening now.
The question is, are there QF staff available at SCL that will actually be able to fix this on the ground there? And how to access these staff?

If he still has a BP for SCL-CUZ (and the connections still works - which it looks like it does), he should be ok to transit SCL.

Still odd that they moved him to QF27 however.

He does have the BP for SCL-CUZ (it's on QF BP card stock but it does have the 045 e-ticket LA number on it which is great [is there a way to check the "validity" of this e-ticket? I can't seem to find a place on either LA or QF sites where an e-ticket number can be input for checking]). He even sent me a photo of that BP after boarding QF27 so I've got all the details of that final flight.

I wonder too why he was shifted to QF27 from LA810, QF's algorithms must've seen the 10 minute longer transit at SYD and shunted him to the QF service as a result (just a thought!).

I hope his BP from SCL-CUZ is still valid and he can transit airside at SCL to board the CUZ flight.

If this does go as planned though, the biggest worry is what happens to the return journey from CUZ back to MEL. It is about 3 weeks away, however I will need to give him peace of mind that he will be able to return home after the trip (his partner and son will be joining him on this too so it's crucial they're all together).

Thanks again, really appreciate your insights and assistance.

 

[RooFlyer]

Maybe @madrooster could provide some insights as to why or how Qantas changed his transpac from LA to QF and how the pax may clear the way ahead.

 

[Seat0B]

I have no practical advice to offer, but my goodness what a stuff up! And you are a good friend to be taking this stress on for your mate.

 

[Mwenenzi]

I can't seem to find a place on either LA or QF sites where an e-ticket number can be input for checking]). He even sent me a photo of that BP after boarding QF27 so I've got all the details of that final flight.

QR Qatar mange my booking accepts e-tickets, from other airlines. But may or may not show details.
QR https://booking.qatarairways.com/nsp/views/retrievePnr.xhtml

Are other airline MMB that take e-tickets (from other airlines)
AY

Order your e-ticket receipt

You can use this form to order your e-ticket receipt. If the reservation is no longer active, please contact our customer service.

www.finnair.com

 

[odysseus]

Qantas have done the rebooking so it sits with them to get through to the destination for these connecting flights. Given they changed the 2nd flight, it's not safe to assume that the 3rd flight to Cuz was left as is. That boarding pass may no longer be valid as that sector may also not have been retained (in the same way the LA810 boarding pass was no longer valid, even though he had it).

The return flight should still be okay, and should be able to be validated through Latam as you said that was how it was originally booked.

 

[MathNerd]

Maybe @madrooster could provide some insights as to why or how Qantas changed his transpac from LA to QF and how the pax may clear the way ahead.

True - if this is possible, I'll be more than happy to send over the PNR, e-ticket number and full names over, just let me know if this is possible and I'll send through what I've got. Cheers.

I have no practical advice to offer, but my goodness what a stuff up! And you are a good friend to be taking this stress on for your mate.

Haha thanks mate, I'm the avgeek guy of the office so any colleagues/mates who are travelling (which is not very often may I add), I usually jump in and help them out with things (but have never seen such a bad stuff up as this one). Fortunately I had added his trip to my QF app so was getting live updates (he didn't know about the bump to QF27, neither did I get a notification - it was while he was transiting SYD domestic to international on the QF terminal bus that I refreshed the trip on the app and sent across the info regarding the flight/carrier change). He reckons hadn't I done that he would have gone to the LA boarding gate, got denied boarding to LA810 and then get told to either get a new ticket or come back tomorrow for the next day's QF27 or LA810 (or equivalent).
Far out, what an ordeal!!
At least he's in the air and will have the majority of the journey complete when he gets to SCL. Fingers crossed for the next segment.

QR Qatar mange my booking accepts e-tickets, from other airlines. But may or may not show details.
QR https://booking.qatarairways.com/nsp/views/retrievePnr.xhtml

Are other airline MMB that take e-tickets (from other airlines)
AY

Order your e-ticket receipt

You can use this form to order your e-ticket receipt. If the reservation is no longer active, please contact our customer service.

www.finnair.com

Cheers, will try AY - I've heard they're pretty robust with other airline's tickets.

Qantas have done the rebooking so it sits with them to get through to the destination for these connecting flights. Given they changed the 2nd flight, it's not safe to assume that the 3rd flight to Cuz was left as is. That boardinig pass may no longer be valid as that sector may also not have been retained (in the same way the LA810 boarding pass was no longer valid, even though he had it).

The return flight should still be okay, and should be able to be validated through Latam as you said that was how it was originally booked.

I agree - given the way these tickets work, it'd be dangerous to assume the third flight would be intact as-is, especially as QF (at their app) shows the journey only as MEL-SYD and SYD-SCL (that's it, no further segments).
His partner does speak fluent Spanish so should be able to communicate with the LA staff at CUZ either when he arrives there later today (or upon their return journey), but yeah just wanted to send him some assurances that it will be sorted out, pending the appropriate staff using the appropriate system/s to do the appropriate things.

Fingers crossed!!

Thanks again

 

[RooFlyer]

True - if this is possible, I'll be more than happy to send over the PNR, e-ticket number and full names over, just let me know if this is possible and I'll send through what I've got. Cheers.

Won't be anything to do with me, sorry - just if MR chooses to provide some guidance.

 

[madrooster]

Three possibilities here:

1. Someone at QF/QF's auto rebooking system messed up offloading him from LA810, causing him to no show. LA's system would've then auto cancelled the rest of the trip due to the no show.

That's on QF to fix the rest of the itinerary.

2. QF correctly offloaded him from LA810 but LA incorrectly thought he no showed when he didn't (ie. a system error). LA's system would've then auto cancelled the rest of the trip due to the no show.

That's on LA to fix the rest of the itinerary.

3. Someone at QF cancelled the remainder of his itinerary without realising what they were doing / made a dumb move.

That's on QF to fix the rest of the itinerary.

 

[I love to travel]

Oh dear, what a mess. Hope it gets sorted as painlessly as possible

 

[MathNerd]

Three possibilities here:

1. Someone at QF/QF's auto rebooking system messed up offloading him from LA810, causing him to no show. LA's system would've then auto cancelled the rest of the trip due to the no show.

That's on QF to fix the rest of the itinerary.

2. QF correctly offloaded him from LA810 but LA incorrectly thought he no showed when he didn't (ie. a system error). LA's system would've then auto cancelled the rest of the trip due to the no show.

That's on LA to fix the rest of the itinerary.

3. Someone at QF cancelled the remainder of his itinerary without realising what they were doing / made a dumb move.

That's on QF to fix the rest of the itinerary.

Thanks @madrooster. Thought as much - there was a serious error made here, who did it still not sure, but LA fixed it (it was a huge effort to do so, and credit to LA they were waiting for him at SCL to come forward to LA service counter and get typing away.

To everyone following along from home, he did make it to the SCL-CUZ flight, and is now about an hour and a half from landing in CUZ and being reunited with his partner and son. Somehow LA was able to reinstate the rest of his ticket and he's merrily on his way.

So glad it worked out - having these sorts of IRROPS and being in a foreign country without knowing the local language is a terrifying thought, but he's been cool throughout it all (maybe as I've taken on the majority of the stress burden haha).

Thanks all for following along and giving your insights, very much appreciated!

Will keep an eye on the booking especially closer to the return journey and see that LA has actually reinstated the CUZ-LIM-SCL-MEL segments too (thankfully no QF flights in here so no more buggering up by them hopefully).

Cheers

 

[astrosly]

Glad it worked out! Still scratching my head as to why your mate was moved to QF27 from LA810 when they depart only around half an hour apart. Why do it for a 10min earlier departure on the previous sector?

 

[gaz0303]

Now that he has safely arrived, the discussion can move to SC and qff points

Has he just be ‘upgraded’ to a QF flight code and can now collect a few SC and few more thousand qff points?

 

[MathNerd’s Mate]

Hi all,

Posting this on behalf of a mate who is on his way at this very moment to SCL on QF27 from SYD, and has had some IRROPS make the itinerary drop some segments. I'm not too much in the know in regards to QF or LA itineraries (being mostly a SQ flyer).

He booked a ticket, directly on LA, for a trip MEL-SYD-SCL-CUZ and CUZ-LIM-SCL-MEL (all on one booking, and LA ticket stock with e-ticket number beginning with 045).

The departure today should have been:

1. QF420 MEL-SYD
2. LA810 SYD-SCL
3. LA2367 SCL-CUZ

Now QF420 was cancelled at the last minute (this all happened after check-in and receiving BPs at MEL). He was put onto QF418, which was leaving 10 minutes earlier. No worries with this, an earlier arrival at SYD is good.

However, in the background it appears that QF has now "taken over" the ticket, removed him from the LA810 flight, and chucked him onto QF27 instead (luckily I was monitoring his journey and noticed the change of carrier from LA to QF for SYD-SCL, or else he'd be stuck at the LA gate being denied boarding).

He went to the gate where QF27 was departing from (and it was in the process of boarding), they saw his BP for the LA810 flight and, without scanning it, turned him away and told him to go to the LA flight! Fortunately I sent him a screenshot of his electronic BP for QF27 so he returned and then was let on board.

The big issue now is that the remainder of the ticket (SCL-CUZ and CUZ all the way back to MEL) are nowhere to be found - neither on QF's manage booking site nor LA's; it's as if they've been fully erased from the system.

Whose responsibility is it to fix this? LA or QF? I'd like to have a solution to send to my mate in time for when he lands so he can continue on to CUZ and not be stuck in SCL trying to sort this out (he's also not a native Spanish speaker, he's going to CUZ to meet up with his partner and little son so I'd like to help him make this a smooth journey as much as possible).

To complicate matters he doesn't have a visa for Chile (he didn't need one initially due to having Peru as his destination), so I'm afraid he might have passport control breathing down his neck in SCL.

What would you do in this situation?

Happy to answer any clarifying questions, but it's a very strange thing that happened here - a full IRROPS gone rogue by QF it appears.

Cheers in advance for any and all help!

Great Info MathNerd, thanks for that. I heard your mate almost got caught out because he was smashing beers at the airport!

 

[MathNerd]

Glad it worked out! Still scratching my head as to why your mate was moved to QF27 from LA810 when they depart only around half an hour apart. Why do it for a 10min earlier departure on the previous sector?

"Welcome to QF IT" is probably my best way of describing it (having been the victim myself of a few QF IT bungles in the past, albeit none as big or serious as this one).

Now that he has safely arrived, the discussion can move to SC and qff points

Has he just be ‘upgraded’ to a QF flight code and can now collect a few SC and few more thousand qff points?

Great question - he's got an LA FF number in the booking and I don't believe we can retrospectively change it to QFF especially as the QF27 sector is now fully consumed on the ticket. Bugger. Didn't even think about FF earn, was more focused on having the actual journey be physically completed!

Cheers

 

[MathNerd]

Glad it worked out! Still scratching my head as to why your mate was moved to QF27 from LA810 when they depart only around half an hour apart. Why do it for a 10min earlier departure on the previous sector?

I'll be interested to find out how the finances of this swap worked out too - clearly SYD-SCL is a very long haul flight so this sector would have counted quite highly in terms of apportionment of the total fare.
So did QF effectively "steal" that component of the fare from LA?
As mentioned at the start, it's an LA ticket booked direct through them, so QF has now taken a bit more than what they initially were entitled to (in terms of just the initial MEL-SYD sector).
Sadly my aviation knowledge falls horrendously short in this space so I'm only speculating, however it would be a good exercise to know!