Who boarded my (missing) flight with my name????

[Voyages]

I missed my flight MEL-ADL today. So when I checked in, I was informed that 'someone' had apparently boarded the then-gone flight with my name on the boarding pass (??). What the??? No Ma'am, I am still here in MEL, you can touch me to see if I am real.

I checked in online yesterday but didn't print out my boarding pass. The QF salesperson said I "was not offloaded", which meant I was physically on that flight. Hence they couldn't technically 'move' me to a new flight. Do you think someone really got on that flight with my name? How was that possible?

QF was nice enough to offer me a new booking for free though.

 

[zzyss]

Wow, that's crazy. But surely nobody could have done that opportunistically... the odds of cracking that would be ridiculous. But then again, the only other possible explanation I could think of is that there was somebody else with the same name as you on the flight? Do you have a (relatively) common name?

 

[jonesy]

It is weird but probably just a computer error - I will be interested to see if you get FF points for that flight

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's actually not that uncommon unfortunately. I wouldn't mind betting that the 'someone' who did travel as you is showing as a nosho on the same flight.

You would have shown up as having been web checked in but the status of your boarding pass in the customer profile would have been "needs printing" & you would appear on the "ineligible to board list" until it had been.

One theory is that 'someone' who has not checked in has gone to a checkin agent who may have said "you've checked in online"? 'Someone' said yes thinking they meant 'booked online' so your boarding pass was reprinted and given to them.

Don't know what happened in the way of ID check however it's easy for the agent to still check the correct ID but accidentally enter the wrong line number next to the customer if the name search returns several similar or same names.

Nine times of of ten pax do not check their boarding pass after it's been given to them so pax probably didn't even notice or thought that perhaps whoever made the booking put the incorrect first name in etc.

There's numerous scenarios with this kind of thing but at least they booked you on another flight at no extra cost. As it's showing that 'you' travelled I don't see why you wouldn't be credited with the points for the ghost flight assuming your ff no was in the booking & you would also receive another lot of points on the MEL/ADL sector you really did take.

I don't think you could have accidentally been manually boarded by a flight attendant or gate agent because Altea would not even manually board someone who is on the "ineligible to board list" as it would reject until such time your customer record for your boarding pass went from "needs printing" to "printed".

I've seen a similar case where someone checked in on say 15June with same first & last name as another pax however the one checked in by accident was actually booked 15July by mistake by his travel agent which is why two bookings in the same name didn't show up on the one flight.

Cheers Oz

 

[JohnK]

That is scary although there do appear to be logical explanations. You would hate to think that there were actually opportunistic people waiting for no shows to board a flight. Paging 'Voyages' you are the last passenger to board QFxx_ to ADL. And then Last call for 'Voyages'. So someone turns up and says I am 'Voyages' but lost my A4 print out. Can this happen as they are in a rush to close flight and do not ask for ID.

Also if paging passengers for late boarding can someone go to the QuickCheck, enter last name and first name then select flight and print a boarding pass and then board the flight? I think it is possible as I print boarding passes using QuickCheck after I have used OLCI.

I don't think you could have accidentally been manually boarded by a flight attendant or gate agent because Altea would not even manually board someone who is on the "ineligible to board list" as it would reject until such time your customer record for your boarding pass went from "needs printing" to "printed".

So which list does a person belong who has used OLCI but for various reasons does NOT actually print a boarding pass but requests a boarding pass to print and just saves the PDF for historical purposes? I guess I would be on the checked-in list and anyone could take that flight.

 

[Voyages]

Wow, that's crazy....the only other possible explanation I could think of is that there was somebody else with the same name as you on the flight? Do you have a (relatively) common name?

Crazy indeed. My name is definitely not common.

It is weird but probably just a computer error - I will be interested to see if you get FF points for that flight

I hope so too, garrrgh. As of now, I have received the points for the flight-that-I-was-not-on. The flight I was actually on had been booked in H class, so will see.

It's actually not that uncommon unfortunately. I wouldn't mind betting that the 'someone' who did travel as you is showing as a nosho on the same flight.

Cheers Oz

Both ladies at check in and sales desks said, quote *this is not good*, and they were on the phone for a long time to their supervisors. They also said that they would need to find out who were manning the desks (not sure what desks they're referring to). I was also asked to produce as many documents as possible to prove my identity (d/l, amex, visa, FF SG card, medicare, even my work id card).

That is scary although there do appear to be logical explanations. You would hate to think that there were actually opportunistic people waiting for no shows to board a flight. Paging 'Voyages' you are the last passenger to board QFxx_ to ADL. And then Last call for 'Voyages'. So someone turns up and says I am 'Voyages' but lost my A4 print out. Can this happen as they are in a rush to close flight and do not ask for ID.

Also if paging passengers for late boarding can someone go to the QuickCheck, enter last name and first name then select flight and print a boarding pass and then board the flight? I think it is possible as I print boarding passes using QuickCheck after I have used OLCI.

....

It was more than scary. I was very surprised and anxious, and did think about my name being called out. Also, I thought that one could not use QuickCheck anymore after OLCI?

 

[JohnK]

It was more than scary. I was very surprised and anxious, and did think about my name being called out. Also, I thought that one could not use QuickCheck anymore after OLCI?

You can definitely use QuickCheck after you have used OLCI. I do it quite often to see if I can improve seats. In fact you can also use OLCI (I think up to 1 hour before flight) after you have checked-in at the airport.

I know I am clutching at straws but could the person who boarded the flight actually be you from the future or a parallel universe?

 

[Voyages]

I know I am clutching at straws but could the person who boarded the flight actually be you from the future or a parallel universe?

haha JohnK, thanks for making me laugh. My colleagues and I talked about this!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

JohnK

So which list does a person belong who has used OLCI but for various reasons does NOT actually print a boarding pass but requests a boarding pass to print and just saves the PDF for historical purposes? I guess I would be on the checked-in list and anyone could take that flight.

I think I know what you mean JK however I haven't had a glass of SSB yet so it might pay to have one of those then re read your post!

When you use OLCI and get to the end of the proceedings there is an oblong boarding pass pic that says here "click here to print boarding pass". Now some people bug out at this stage if they don't have a printer and I believe that Altea still shows them as having been checked in via the web but the system recognises they haven't printed their boarding pass and their customer profile would have "needs printing" and they would appear on the "ineligible to board list" against the flight until it's printed by a checkin agent.

Now it sounds as though you click on the boarding pass pic on OLCI which then opens a PDF doc in Adobe and save it for historical purposes. I am fairly certain that this action (irrespective of whether you physically print this out) will reflect in your customer profile as "printed" and you would therefore not appear on the "ineligible to board list".

Of course if you wanted to you could always get another copy of this at the airport which is merely a boarding pass reprint. When you say "anyone could take that flight" if they knew your pnr number or I suppose retrieved the booking by your name/flght/date/destination yes they could.

Cheers Oz

 

[Skoogle]

Altea would not even manually board someone who is on the "ineligible to board list" as it would reject until such time your customer record for your boarding pass went from "needs printing" to "printed".

I have been manually boarded without check-in and not been in the state state as the airport - a number of times. So it must be possible.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Skoogle

I have been manually boarded without check-in and not been in the state state as the airport - a number of times. So it must be possible.

Sorry I'm not quite sure what you mean by the above.

If you've been manually boarded at the gate you have to have been checked in by some means either OLCI or at the airport otherwise how would the FA's know what seat number to enter if you didn't have a boarding pass to show them.

Pax booked on the flight are not listed in "boarding" mode at the gate until they have checked in. Nosho pax on that flight would therefore not be paged as a 'fail to board' pax are they are not expected to board.

Do you mean you've OLCI at home or office then once at the airport gone from taxi thru security to boarding gate without physically seeing any checkin people which is of course isn't a problem?

Oz

 

[JohnK]

I think I know what you mean JK however I haven't had a glass of SSB yet so it might pay to have one of those then re read your post!

OK you have got me! What is an SSB? I am guessing some sort of alcohol. Now I have met you but I do not remember what you drink.

Now it sounds as though you click on the boarding pass pic on OLCI which then opens a PDF doc in Adobe and save it for historical purposes. I am fairly certain that this action (irrespective of whether you physically print this out) will reflect in your customer profile as "printed" and you would therefore not appear on the "ineligible to board list".

At least I am on the right list. I would hate to be on the "ineliigible to board list". Perhaps I can be on this list if I have had one too many APDs....

Of course if you wanted to you could always get another copy of this at the airport which is merely a boarding pass reprint. When you say "anyone could take that flight" if they knew your pnr number or I suppose retrieved the booking by your name/flght/date/destination yes they could.

My exact point. All another person needs is name/flight/date/destination and off they go....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have had something similar happen to me - different circumstances though.

Was flying AA LAX-HNL and the original flight was cancelled with mad scramble to reaccommodate pax on next flight which was already almost full.

I couldn't get an F seat and decided not to fly economy.

Flew out the next day (in F).

My QF account posted not for the cancelled flight but the next one after that, and in F (even though F was overbooked).

I also got credit for the F flight the next day.

(I called QF to remove the flight which was posted in error.)

So it can happen that they think you have flown even if you haven't.

 

[Batesy]

I also got credit for the F flight the next day.

(I called QF to remove the flight which was posted in error.)



So it can happen that they think you have flown even if you haven't.

Uuuuuuum why????? It was free points and status credit, best to lay low on this one.

 

[docjames]

What is an SSB? ...

I'm guesssing a Semillion-Sauvignon Blanc

 

[Febs]

Who boarded my (missing) flight with my name????

One of these 11 guys..
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/travel-news/possible-terrorist-dry-run-us-20535.html

 

[Voyages]

I have had something similar happen to me - different circumstances though.

(I called QF to remove the flight which was posted in error.)

So it can happen that they think you have flown even if you haven't.

MEL_Traveller, hats off for being so honest.

One of these 11 guys..
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/travel-news/possible-terrorist-dry-run-us-20535.html

Oh Febs you are so mean! lol

 

[chrisb]

Also, I thought that one could not use QuickCheck anymore after OLCI?

The original machines couldn't, but the current ones can. It's very useful for using OLCI without a printer or last minute seat changes.

 

[serfty]

I've used OLCI, Quick-check & then OLCI again in the QP (A seat I coveted became available late in the process).

 

[Voyages]

The original machines couldn't, but the current ones can.

No wonder. I tried once yonks ago, and it didn't let me, so I've never tried against ever since.