VA can't/won't take over tickets booked by TA

[CPMaverick]

Curious about if this is a problem for others.

I have to book my business travel through a company portal. This is pretty straightforward, and I have been doing it for some time.

With other airlines (Delta, American, Singapore, etc) if I had to make a change, I call the airline (or even do it online). Sometimes there was a problem performing this online, but never a problem when I call. Simple and straightforward. I've had them casually mention that they need to take over tickets from a TA, but usually I don't even hear that.

With VA, they won't touch these tickets. They can't even quote what a change in flight might be. They can't even tell me IF there is a change fee, it even seems that they can't see the fare rules! Not to mention that I can't do anything online, sometimes I can't even pick my seats. Even on the day of travel VA tells me to get lost! At the airport I don't have an issue.

Is this unusual? Is QF any better? It's pretty frustrating to have to go through my company travel agent, who aren't that great (just customer service for the online portal, really). If I could get a quote from VA it wouldn't be so bad, but using them to look at pricing is downright painful. Especially because they are in the USA and only on USA hours. When my TA is out of office and I need to make a last minute change, I basically have to go to the airport.

Just wondering if VA is the main problem here or if I am stuck with this with either domestic AU airline.

 

[Comoman]

I have had this problem with QR and SAA as well. So I don't use TA's unless it's really complex.

 

[Hvr]

Standard practice for all airlines. They only deal with the body who booked the ticket not the actual passenger.

One main reason for this is that if there is a refund due that it must go to the payer not the passenger.

Also, corporate TAs know the company rules and need to ensure that only eligible fares and travel classes etc are booked. BFOD rules also have a huge affect on what fares/routings are booked.

 

[CPMaverick]

Standard practice for all airlines. They only deal with the body who booked the ticket not the actual passenger.

Sorry but you are wrong there. I even said so in my post. The big three US airlines have no problem taking over tickets booked by TAs. I've done it myself many times.

The conflicts you speak of are not a problem. They can still only refund via the original payment form, regardless. And corporate travel rules are not up to the airline to follow, they are up to the employee.

I do know that the company TA cannot make ticket changes after the airline takes over the reservation. My previous company would not let us contact the airline directly for that reason (unless it was an emergency). But my current company does allow it, and I do it often as I have relative autonomy in travel decisions. Unfortunately it seems VA is incapable of taking over reservations.

 

[straitman]

Sorry but you are wrong there. I even said so in my post. The big three US airlines have no problem taking over tickets booked by TAs. I've done it myself many times.

The conflicts you speak of are not a problem. They can still only refund via the original payment form, regardless. And corporate travel rules are not up to the airline to follow, they are up to the employee.

I do know that the company TA cannot make ticket changes after the airline takes over the reservation. My previous company would not let us contact the airline directly for that reason (unless it was an emergency). But my current company does allow it, and I do it often as I have relative autonomy in travel decisions. Unfortunately it seems VA is incapable of taking over reservations.

Sorry but you are wrong there.

What HVR says is normal practice in the industry though as with all things there are/can be exceptions.

 

[CPMaverick]

Sorry but you are wrong there.

What HVR says is normal practice in the industry though as with all things there are/can be exceptions.

I don't know what normal practice in Australia is. But I speak from direct experience when I say other airlines allow this. So while I do not know everything (and willing to learn), I am certainly NOT incorrect about the experiences I have posted!

With the same booking method I have had Delta change my flights directly approximately 5 times a year for the last several years. While they do have to 'take over' the reservation, they have no problem doing so and dealing directly with the passenger. I have also occasionally done the same thing with other airlines, already stated. I said he was wrong with the statement that 'all airlines' are the same as VA in this regard. Absolutely not.

 

[straitman]

I don't know what normal practice in Australia is. But I speak from direct experience when I say other airlines allow this. So while I do not know everything (and willing to learn), I am certainly NOT incorrect about the experiences I have posted!

CPMaverick,

You asked the question but despite saying otherwise you seem reluctant to accept the answers.

No one said you were wrong with your experiences. What I said was that the norm is.... etc. If you take the industry as a whole then the experiences you are mentioning are the exception and not the norm.

To answer your original question it is nothing to do with Australia or specifically VA as it happens with many/most airlines and you can expect the same treatment from Qantas.

 

[CPMaverick]

I am not arguing with the answers! In fact nobody gave me an answer until you did (primarily, QF). Thank you.

I was arguing with blanket statements 'all airlines do this' that I can prove wrong with my experience. And your statement quoting me, saying I am wrong, when all I did was state my experience.

It's quite strange that all three of the big US airlines can do something that is not 'industry norm', but the main thing isn't to argue that point it is to see what I can do in Australia. Which, unfortunately, seems to be nothing.

I do appreciate the time you took to answer, I just wish people enjoyed helping as much as they enjoy arguing semantics.

 

[codash1099]

Certainly AA wouldn't allow me to make changes on a ticket booked through a TA.

I agree with Comoman: don't use a TA unless it's complex.

 

[CPMaverick]

Certainly AA wouldn't allow me to make changes on a ticket booked through a TA.

I agree with Comoman: don't use a TA unless it's complex.

I was able to do this last year with AA. Perhaps it depends on the TA, or maybe only domestic itineraries? As I was on a US domestic trip.

Unfortunately I have to use a booking portal for all my business travel.

 

[anat0l]

Airlines can take control of some bookings, but when they do that, often that means the booking gets broken; amongst some things, that could mean that the financial implications with the original agent can get messed up.

On the day of travel, bookings come under airport control so airlines should have unfettered access and ability to manipulate at least the segment on that day.

In saying that airlines can take control, it is not common in my experience. One time I bought a Qantas ticket from Expedia (from another country) and was having trouble with a schedule change that was supposed to be processed by Expedia (Qantas had already sent the notice - they also said they couldn't touch the booking, but Expedia as the agent should have the notice of schedule change so should simply reissue the e-ticket). On the day of travel, after thinking I had sorted it all out, I couldn't check in, so I called Qantas and they said there was no appropriate e-ticket attached to the booking! Luckily, with a manager's help, the fantastic agent on the phone seized control of the booking and reprocessed the ticket correctly so I could check in and fly (they could have, and were in their right to, say nothing could be done except going back to my agent and demanding an explanation). I suspect Expedia might have lost a few dollars in commission on that booking as a result.

Talking to airlines (rather than your TA) can help move things along, but often the best the airline can do is process / expedite the notice of change or the like, which then the TA should receive notice of so they can reissue the e-ticket. Auxiliary services, such as selecting a seat, changing your contact or FF details, registering your meal preferences and so on, should be arrangeable by either the airline or your TA without conflict or drama.

Back to your example finally, I'm surprised VA can't advise the information you seek. They should at a minimum have access to the fare rules, especially if the TA has sold you a ticket plated by VA with fares directly sold by VA. They should be able to bring up the fare basis so they can see what are the conditions on your fare. They should be able to see how much was paid for your ticket and consequently, if it were changed by VA there and then, how much you would be up for in fare difference, plus change penalties as per the fare rules. Now there may be differences in there which I don't know of, which depends on whether corporate fares work markedly different to common consumer fares, plus the TA may add their own fees and so on, but the base information with respect to the fare and the rules should be available to the airline.

Why can't VA furnish you with this information? I have no idea.

As far as I know, QF phone agents should have no problems providing this kind of information, though they are just as likely to tell you that you need to go back to your agent. They may not even process the change there and then - they can advise you on your fare rules and penalties, but for actually creating and processing the change, it's likely they'll tell you that you need to go back to your agent. The only possible exceptions where Qantas may take control is if you can convince them that your agent cannot access the new fare, or your agent basically will not agree to work with you (and it's an emergency).

 

[drron]

Sorry but you are wrong there.

What HVR says is normal practice in the industry though as with all things there are/can be exceptions.

My experiences are the same as the OP.AA has never objected to taking over a ticket issued by our TA and on QF stock.
Also Delta on 1 occasion when AA flight cancelled to ATL.With hope in my heart I asked a Delta agent and an hour later on our way on a Delta flight.We had to then use Delta on the next US domestic leg but that was the last flight on that ticket.

 

[anat0l]

My experiences are the same as the OP.AA has never objected to taking over a ticket issued by our TA and on QF stock.
Also Delta on 1 occasion when AA flight cancelled to ATL.With hope in my heart I asked a Delta agent and an hour later on our way on a Delta flight.We had to then use Delta on the next US domestic leg but that was the last flight on that ticket.

Maybe it's a way that the USA airlines have set up - or rather, some given airlines - their ticketing system or procedures.

As for your latter case, since it was on the day of travel, there's more that can be done (i.e. more options open up) than would otherwise if the timeframes were not as imperative. This is especially true because waiting for a TA to process a change when you need to go now is near impossible. The only issue would be having to re-endorse your ticket from AA to DL (or whatever the original stock was); I don't know how this process works, though that too is not very common globally (otherwise, some EU261 rearrangement cases should be much more easily solvable).

I guess it should be noted that something like taking over a booking is not something that the airline cannot do, but rather that it does not want to do (at least, more often than not, for several airlines).

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Once travel has commenced on the ticket the airline has control of the ticket so if it's during irrops etc then that's normal or even if you have flown the outbound but want to change the inbound then that's fine, the airline has control and can do it

 

[drron]

My AA examples though are before travel has started and done over the phone on TA issued tickets on QF stock.

 

[RooFlyer]

I have had this problem with QR and SAA as well. So I don't use TA's unless it's really complex.

Standard practice for all airlines. They only deal with the body who booked the ticket not the actual passenger.
One main reason for this is that if there is a refund due that it must go to the payer not the passenger.
Also, corporate TAs know the company rules and need to ensure that only eligible fares and travel classes etc are booked. BFOD rules also have a huge affect on what fares/routings are booked.

Sorry but you are wrong there.
What HVR says is normal practice in the industry though as with all things there are/can be exceptions.

Certainly AA wouldn't allow me to make changes on a ticket booked through a TA.
I agree with Comoman: don't use a TA unless it's complex.

Far too many generalisations there, I think (and in the case of HVRs comment about 'all airlines' only dealing with the booking entity, not true, sorry (and fortunately ) ).

The issue of TA issued tickets and the airlines' response to changing them I'm pretty sure is a matrix of the restrictions a TA may put on the ticket and the airline's own rules.

Some TAs will be very possessive of their tickets and will want to remain in 'control' as much as possible; others, like mine, who book ALL my o/s travel knows me and my travel habits well and is happy to relinquish control if the airline allows it (although I do tend to use them for changes where I can). Some airlines apparently couldn't care less about changes by pax (if ticket allows it), others are more rigid. As I've said many times, not all TAs are the same - its all about the relationship.

There are greater restrictions in pax making changes before travel has started on a TA issued ticket, but as drron notes, its possible with some airlines.

Back to the OP: Was it that Virgin couldn't tell you, or wouldn't? "I can't tell you that" could mean either. Qantas being Qantas I'd venture is likely to be on the restrictive side, but that may be in the nature of the booking. I can't recall having to change one of their bookings myself.

 

[CPMaverick]

Thanks all for the interesting observations and data points.

A bit more information about my situation; I am wholly on VA ticket stock, all VA flight numbers, and all VA metal. I have already flown my outbound and want to change the dates of my return. I am on a flexible ticket (K fare).

So the notes about it being easier after flying the outbound don't seem to work here. I asked VA to simply quote the fare difference so I could get an idea (if they couldn't change it) and they said they have no way of doing that. They acted like the information wasn't available to them. They couldn't even tell me if I would have a change fee or not. I spoke to three different agents before I gave up.

I wonder if this is a typical situation or perhaps I somehow booked an unpublished fare. Still I would expect VA to see their own rules.

 

[serfty]

Seems like a blanket policy ...

What I would do is estimate by working it out myself.

Price a K fare on the date you wish to travel and compare with that actually paid.

Subtract the difference and add any change fee.

I'd use ITA for this as first port of call.

You may already have a fare breakdown from your agents email or VirtuallyThere may provide the information.

 

[williamsf1]

I wonder if this is a typical situation or perhaps I somehow booked an unpublished fare. Still I would expect VA to see their own rules.

Being a corporate fare – these agreements are very complex and the general reservations agents do not have access to these rules. Travel agents also normally add a SSR along the lines of – ALL ACTIONS TO BE COMPLETED BY AGENT etc

Also some fees and fare differences are different between a normal fare and a special deal your company has.

QF and VA are the same

 

[anat0l]

Being a corporate fare – these agreements are very complex and the general reservations agents do not have access to these rules. Travel agents also normally add a SSR along the lines of – ALL ACTIONS TO BE COMPLETED BY AGENT etc

Really? So it's not easy to bring up the fare rules pertinent to that fare type? Can they even see the fare type?

That could be a nightmare if a traveller was unable to contact their agent easily. Hopefully in a case like this then the airline would be more agreeable to seize control of the ticket, particularly if it is under airport control.