Sit for typhoon or lose your ticket

[Chicken]

My friend booked the following

2018-9-15 : SYD > TG476 > BKK > TG602 > HKG > KE608 > ICN

The Thai tickets were in business class, paid for using SQ KrisFlyer miles. The Korean ticket was paid with cash.

On 14/9 16:15, Thai sent her an e-mail saying TG602 is cancelled because of typhoon. She called Thai immediately, and they told her that they would not be flying for at least 2 days.

She then called Singapore. Singapore effectively told her they didn't have a solution, but she needed to fly to BKK, then be stuck there.

I was next to the phone with my friend, and told the SQ operator that it was stupid to ask my friend continue flying into BKK, knowing that she would be stuck there for at least 2 days, plus maybe wait another 1 or 2 days for seat, meaning asking her to fly into BKK to be part of a mess. The operator said nothing.

We explained to the operator that her final destination was Seoul, and if he could book a Thai ticket from BKK to ICN (and my friend was happy to abandon her own Korean cash ticket). The operator responded that it was possible, but my friend would need to pay new points to buy a new ticket from Thai for BKK to ICN. The BKK to HKG would be cancelled with no refund. We argued that cancellation was the weather not the passenger's fault, and my friend was actually doing Thai a favour by changing to ICN instead of become another passenger stuck in BKK. The operator didn't back down. It was already 10PM by that stage, and TG476 departs Sydney 10AM the next morning, my friend didn't have a choice at that stage, so she paid up and bought herself direct BKK to ICN.

My question is, anyone done a similar thing? Any advice on getting the points for the BKK > HKG?

I have looked at the conditions on both Thai and Singapore, they all say they can refund then 'abandon' the passenger; except this time, Singapore wanted to hold her hostage instead of just abandon her and refund.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Not sure what happened here... should just be a reissue for a change of destination. How many extra points?

The kris flyer award chart is zone based, so the flight to HKG shouldn’t have been priced separately to start with, so it should have been something like an additional 22.5k ponts or so? (hong long and seoul are in different award zones, seoul being higher by 45k return, or 22.5 one way)

 

[Chicken]

Not sure what happened here... should just be a reissue for a change of destination. How many extra points?

The SQ operator said it could not be a change of destination, so she had to fly SYD > BKK then sit there for however many days until the weather gets better, then continue BKK > HKG. This ticket was 66000 SQ miles.

The alternative we proposed, which was to fly SYD > BKK in J as per original ticket, then to ICN in Y instead of HKG (there was no J seat on Thai at that stage), would have cost another 25000 SQ miles a per *A award. He said bad luck with the original BKK > HKG in J, that's gone, no refund points back.

The kris flyer award chart is zone based, so the flight to HKG should have been priced separately to start with

No, it was one transaction of 66000 miles all the way SYD > BKK > HKG

Well, we have been keeping at eye on the SQ account, nothing has been deducted so far, don't know if they would catch up with the extra 25000 deduction later ...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The SQ operator said it could not be a change of destination, so she had to fly SYD > BKK then sit there for however many days until the weather gets better, then continue BKK > HKG. This ticket was 66000 SQ miles.

The alternative we proposed, which was to fly SYD > BKK in J as per original ticket, then to ICN in Y instead of HKG (there was no J seat on Thai at that stage), would have cost another 25000 SQ miles a per *A award. He said bad luck with the original BKK > HKG in J, that's gone, no refund points back.



No, it was one transaction of 66000 miles all the way SYD > BKK > HKG

Well, we have been keeping at eye on the SQ account, nothing has been deducted so far, don't know if they would catch up with the extra 25000 deduction later ...

Sorry... you picked up a critical typo there... what I should have said in my post (now edited) was that the flight BKK-HKG shouldn’t have been priced separately. So, there would have been no refund per se for the change of destination, unless dropping to a lower priced award, or unless the cost of the two sectors individually was lower than the through price.

In this case SYD-BKK-HKG would have been 55k one way in J. SYD-BKK-ICN in J would have been 77.5k, or it could have been constructed as two tickets SYD-BKK in J for 55k plus BKK-ICN in Y for 25k, so 80k.

It would have been cheaper to take the through award price SYD-HKG-ICN at 77.5k in J, even though there was a sector in Y (ie mixed class).

Either way, there should have been an additional collect on the original ticket of either 22.5k or 25k.

The sector BKK-HKG doesn’t have any refund value.

I don’t know how the original ticket priced at 66k miles as according to the chart it should have been 55k.

 

[dajop]

In this case SYD-BKK-HKG would have been 55k one way in J. SYD-BKK-ICN in J would have been 77.5k, or it could have been constructed as two tickets SYD-BKK in J for 55k plus BKK-ICN in Y for 25k, so 80k.

I don’t know how the original ticket priced at 66k miles as according to the chart it should have been 55k.

You must be looking at an old chart. According to current star alliance chart:

SYD-BKK = 66k
SYD-BKK-HKG = 66k
SYD-BKK-ICN = 83k

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You must be looking at an old chart. According to current star alliance chart:

SYD-BKK = 66k
SYD-BKK-HKG = 66k
SYD-BKK-ICN = 83k

Oh! yes!

I’m in china... no google. The only way to access the updated chart is by going in to the SQ website! (bing only returns the old charts I was using).

Yeah i can see now.

So for the OP there should have been a minimum increase of 17k, but i guess it depends how the agent tried to reconstruct the ticket... either way, there’s no ‘refund’ due for the BKK-HKG. just a surcharge for the higher zone for ICN.

 

[Chicken]

Oh! yes!

I’m in china... no google.

I'm going to Beijing in 2 weeks, and this is the biggest fear so far.

So for the OP there should have been a minimum increase of 17k, but i guess it depends how the agent tried to reconstruct the ticket... either way, there’s no ‘refund’ due for the BKK-HKG. just a surcharge for the higher zone for ICN.

The agent wanted another brand new ticket for HKG > ICN, that is North Asia 1 > North Asia 2, or 12500 extra.

Then again, we still cannot see any extra charge appearing in her SQ account so far, not even a change fee against the credit card ...

 

[foggy]

I'm going to Beijing in 2 weeks, and this is the biggest fear so far.



The agent wanted another brand new ticket for HKG > ICN, that is North Asia 1 > North Asia 2, or 12500 extra.

Then again, we still cannot see any extra charge appearing in her SQ account so far, not even a change fee against the credit card ...

you should use a vpn. I use a vpn whenever I travel as no free wifi places are safe. I think mines about $100 a year? multiple devices. Share it with someone to reduce costs? Then you won't have to worry about no google in China, or getting your emails/accounts hacked while using free wifi.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm going to Beijing in 2 weeks, and this is the biggest fear so far.



The agent wanted another brand new ticket for HKG > ICN, that is North Asia 1 > North Asia 2, or 12500 extra.

Then again, we still cannot see any extra charge appearing in her SQ account so far, not even a change fee against the credit card ...

SWP to SE asia or ASIA 1 is the 66.5k. To Asia 2 should have been 83k. So whatever the agent was doing it was incorrect, but charging you only 12.5k extra was actually doing you a favour... 12.5k instead of the 16.5k it should have been.

 

[davidj]

It does sound like an overcharge. Best to write SIA an email explaining the situation.

We argued that cancellation was the weather not the passenger's fault, and my friend was actually doing Thai a favour by changing to ICN instead of become another passenger stuck in BKK.

While I agree with your premise, end of the day the contract was to get you to HKG, nothing more or less.

 

[albatross710]

Does travel insurance have a role to play here?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Does travel insurance have a role to play here?

You'd need to read the relevant PDF, but probably unlikely. If the passenger was stranded in BKK travel insdurance might have covered delay (usualyl around AUD250 for hotel and meals if the delay exceeds 6 hours, but only on policies where this is included).

Most policies don't cover a re-route or alternative flights unless it is for a special event which cannot proceed without you being there (for example a wedding, funeral, or something similar). Again, the working for this can vary slightly across different policies.

There *might* be something if it could be covered by trip interruption or cancellation. Whether or not that extends to the additonal cost of points would be something that needed exploreing.

 

[albatross710]

All policies are different. Just re-read my Columbus annual policy. Not the same as my original Alliance Westpac policy where I successfully claimed cash back for a cancelled F redemption. Sounds like the OP has a struggle ahead.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

All policies are different. Just re-read my Columbus annual policy. Not the same as my original Alliance Westpac policy where I successfully claimed cash back for a cancelled F redemption. Sounds like the OP has a struggle ahead.

Maybe there's an avenue or two. Perhaps the original connecting ticket HKG-ICN would be recoverable through TI if not otherwise refundable. If that was paid out by TI it is unlikely they'd also pay for the additional miles to ICN - you'd only be put back in your original position (ie, the OP would still need to pay a full fare AU-ICN, however that was finally achieved.)

 

[Chicken]

Thank you people for pushing this thread up, reminded me about this, so I went into her SQ account to check again (I teach her all these stuffs, she always roll her eyes when I tell her that she should do something, until I say you can fly economy next time then she just sigh

Guess what? Still no transaction about this at all. I don't think SQ is going to revisit this.

Does travel insurance have a role to play here?

Since she flew direct BKK > ICN on TG, instead of via HKG then fly KE, she lost her return KE ticket, then she had to pay for brand new OZ ticket, she is going to try claim this via Bankwest credit card.

However, Bankwest PDS lists that they would pay for additional food and hotel, unless we argue that 2 or 3 days of hotels would have costed them more than paying for the OZ ticket???

 

[Chicken]

Most policies don't cover a re-route or alternative flights unless it is for a special event which cannot proceed without you being there (for example a wedding, funeral, or something similar). Again, the working for this can vary slightly across different policies.

There *might* be something if it could be covered by trip interruption or cancellation. Whether or not that extends to the additonal cost of points would be something that needed exploreing.

Just read the PDS for Bankwest. Turned out re-routing flight can be covered under "Cancellation Costs" and weather is covered.

After spending 3 days reading PDS from all the insurers, to prepare for my own trip to North Korea, I learnt so much about travel insurance.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just read the PDS for Bankwest. Turned out re-routing flight can be covered under "Cancellation Costs" and weather is covered.

After spending 3 days reading PDS from all the insurers, to prepare for my own trip to North Korea, I learnt so much about travel insurance.

I think the KE ticket is covered. But can they double dip? Points plus the cancelled ticket? I think it would need to be one or the other (ie no net loss, no net gain).