Thai Airways - Booking Reference

[JohnK]

I have booked a return flight for my mum SYD-SKG through a travel agent and have received paper tickets issued by Thai Airways International and an itinerary with a 6 character booking reference (record locator).

I have tried Check my trip but this is not returning a valid match.

Thai uses Sabre not Amadeus so how do I check the booking? I am sure we discussed this before but cannot find the relevant thread.

 

[jasonja3]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

John,

From memory Sabre is done through www.virtuallythere.com. It is in the Ultimate Qantas Guide sticky post.

JJ

 

[JohnK]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

From memory Sabre is done through www.virtuallythere.com. ...

Thanks Jason now I remember.

I have tried it using the booking reference and last name and won't let me through. It requires an e-mail address or password issued by travel provider. Huh!

I think I will have to contact travel agent again.

 

[NM]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

Thanks Jason now I remember.

I have tried it using the booking reference and last name and won't let me through. It requires an e-mail address or password issued by travel provider. Huh!

I think I will have to contact travel agent again.

My TA also uses Sabre for bookings, and I retrieve the info through VirtuallyThere.com. The TA has my business email address in my profile and I use that email address on the VirtuallyThere.com site the first time the booking in retrieved. All subsequent views just need the record locator and surname.

So ask the TA to email you the itinerary, and ask them to ensure Sabre knows the email address so you can view it on-line.

VirtuallyThere also has a channel on AvantGo, allowing you to send the itinerary detail through to any device on which you have the AvantGo client running. I use that to get it all nicely inserted into my PocketPC.

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

My TA also uses Sabre for bookings, and I retrieve the info through VirtuallyThere.com. The TA has my business email address in my profile and I use that email address on the VirtuallyThere.com site the first time the booking in retrieved. All subsequent views just need the record locator and surname.

Interesting. I have to put in an email address for all retrievals on Virtually There. I also thought it only asked for an email address if there was one on the profile.

 

[NM]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

Interesting. I have to put in an email address for all retrievals on Virtually There. I also thought it only asked for an email address if there was one on the profile.

I had assumed the email address was needed the first time and then stored in a cookie for subsequent retrievals. I only ever have to use the email address the first time I retrieve the booking.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

So ask the TA to email you the itinerary, and ask them to ensure Sabre knows the email address so you can view it on-line.

I have the itinerary already with the booking reference but have no idea what e-mail address or password he used.

He is not a high tech travel agency but very effective in issuing cheap tickets. He promised to ring Sabre help desk to ask what is involved for me to view booking but this has not eventuated.

We may get there eventually.

 

[NM]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

I have the itinerary already with the booking reference but have no idea what e-mail address or password he used.

He is not a high tech travel agency but very effective in issuing cheap tickets. He promised to ring Sabre help desk to ask what is involved for me to view booking but this has not eventuated.

We may get there eventually.

That is why I suggested asking him to email it to you. That way he may have to add an email address to the booking and you will then know which email address has been used!

 

[JohnK]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

That is why I suggested asking him to email it to you. That way he may have to add an email address to the booking and you will then know which email address has been used!

Yes NM, thank you for your advice but the situation requires a little more management from my part.

I had called him last Friday about wanting access to virtually there for my mum's booking. His response was why do you want it? Remembering he deals mostly with elderly Greek/Cypriots who have no idea about internet other than it involves the use of a computer and in some cases blocks the telephone line if using dial-up.

He promised to ring up and register his e-mail address but up to now he has not done so. I will have to follow up and make sure that he gets it done. I just want to be assured that everything is OK with mum's booking until the time she is due to leave.

Not sure whether you have ever been involved in dealing with Greek or Cypriot travel agents but it is a lot of fun. Much better than dealing with Flight Centre, Harvey World Travel etc.

 

[NM]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

Not sure whether you have ever been involved in dealing with Greek or Cypriot travel agents but it is a lot of fun. Much better than dealing with Flight Centre, Harvey World Travel etc.

Not Greek or Cypriot, but I did once deal with one that specialises in travel to Ukraine as that was the easiest way to obtain a tourist Visa for travel there, and I suspect they operate in a similar manner .

 

[Mal]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

That is why I suggested asking him to email it to you. That way he may have to add an email address to the booking and you will then know which email address has been used!

I've had limited success with TA's booking flights through Sabre and being able to view the flights.

Even with my email registered, I still often get prompted for a password.

I much prefer the Amadeus method of open access bookings (Even though a little more insecure). Much simpler.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Thai Airways -Booking Reference

Not Greek or Cypriot, but I did once deal with one that specialises in travel to Ukraine as that was the easiest way to obtain a tourist Visa for travel there, and I suspect they operate in a similar manner .

Yes very shonky but effective.

That is the reason the airfare was $200 cheaper than Flight Centre!

 

[GDSman]

RE: Virtually There and the email address; the email address acts as security validation - if you access Virtually There directly via the site you need the address to prove you are who you claim to be.

TAs that use Sabre can email a hyperlink straight to the Virtually There itinerary which contains all that information embedded in it - hence no need to re-enter the email address. To do this the TA just adds a 1-line entry into the PNR - if they don't know how to do it the Sabre Support Centre can help them.... It's pretty easy if you have the hyperlink so have a chat to your friendly greek chap, JohnK!

 

[JohnK]

I have contacted TA so that I can have access to booking with virtually there. His response was that I was the first ever client to ask for this feature. You got to understand he mainly deals with migrants who would have little or no access to a computer.

OK. So he calls Sabre support centre and seeks advice on how I can view booking on Virtually there. While he had them on the phone he is also talking to me on the other phone and finally is able to enter my e-mail address into the PNR.

I try to access the booking through website and still get the error message "For some reason, we are still not recognizing the e-mail address or password you entered. Please double-check that the e-mail address or password you entered is the same one your travel arranger has entered in your reservation. Thanks."

This security feature is totally hogwash. CheckMyTrip does not need it why here? Surely booking reference and surname on booking should be enough.

At least I have my mum's allocated seat numbers on the 747 and 777. Now off to find a seat map for Thai Airways to see if seats are any good!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

AFAIK TG still has multiple configs on the 747 and frequently make late switches between them (or even other a/c types) - so a good seat is hard to ensure without being in F or the 346.

 

[JohnK]

AFAIK TG still has multiple configs on the 747 and frequently make late switches between them (or even other a/c types) - so a good seat is hard to ensure without being in F or the 346.

Mum appears to have been allocated good seats. For someone who has never flown Thai she has been allocated forward aisle seats for the 4 flights.

 

[serfty]

JohnK, I reckon that showing some knowledge to the TA, may have engendered this situation, one way or another.