I paid an extra $8,250 to fly home — can you help me get a refund?

Good enough advice, but point 1 is basically irrelevant to this case. He did call JAL (true, he hung up prior to having his boarding pass) but they still managed to figure everything out within 10 minutes of his walking up to the counter. For all the incompetence displayed, that was still a relatively fast fix. Yet that still wasn’t fast enough to keep them from closing the flight on him.

Actually, for me the biggest issue in the story wasn’t the first employee not being able to use the computer system but their failure to be able to keep the flight from closing on him for something that was clearly their error. I have no clue how exactly that works, but is there no way to override the system in a case like that?

In fairness to the idiots, the OP does note they still resolved the issue within 10 minutes of his walking up to the counter. So, he was cutting it pretty close. I still think they should have been able to get him a boarding pass and get him on that flight, but for all the incompetence displayed this was not something that drug on for hours. It sounds like as soon as somebody who knew the system was called over, things were fine. Except the flight closed in those few extra minutes. Is there no way to make an exception? Seems like there should be, but either they didn’t know how or didn’t feel like helping him out.

I think it is you who needs to re read the story. The flight he was checking in for was the FIRST flight of the journey. It ORIGINATED at Geneva where he hit traffic on the way to the airport which delayed his arrival and resulted in him not being able to check in for the flight.

That was my thought as well – he would have had to have been at the GATE 40 minutes prior, so just getting to the checkin desk 50 minutes prior would never have been enough time. Can we clarify the time line Chris?

The crux of the problem is your statement that “BA must pay the OP for misinforming him”. While that would be fair, businesses in general don’t legally have to pay people for misinforming them, beyond refunding the cost of any product or service not properly provided (which JAL has apparently done here). I agree that BA *should* pay for the consequential damages, but let’s understand the different between “should” and “must”.

PLEASE show me where it was a connecting flight that is in question. I read it as the originating flight.

Usually if I (or anyone) try to check in for a flight BEYOND cut off, the agent will tell me – Sorry Flight ### is closed or something to that effect. But if they accept my check in request and they screw up with the computer, most agents are decent enough to help me get boarded even if we finish after the cutoff.

The thing that get’s to me in this case is I sensed a tone of arrogance from the BA outsourced staff. No I don’t need your record locator or eticket receipt but I cannot find your reservation and eticket. Excuse me but if you cannot find me, how are you looking for me. Duh.

Good. So he needs to sue BA.

Chris, the title of the article says he was ‘flying home’. Was this a one way ticket or a roundtrip ticket, therefore using the last few coupons of it?

If he arrived so close that a 10 minute delay meant the flight was closed, a lof this is on the OP. I thought for an international flight you had to check in hours prior, so … even though the ticket counter agent was a moron, it doesn’t sound like he would have made it anyway. If they had found his reservation, checked in his luggage, checked his passport, shuffled him off to security, he’d have still been in security screening or somewhere else when those 10 mins were up, right? I have sympathy but… unless I’m misunderstanding something here, this is largely his own fault…

The recommended check in time for international flights is 3 hours prior. I would be interested in knowing what time, in relationship to his departing flights, did he checkin.

Bruce, here’s what’s bugging me. Did BA and Dnata bother to help Mr. Lee?
If not, why not?
I am deeply disturbed they told him his ticket was worthless.
Seems to be Mr. Lee made his $8K purchase because he thought that was the only way he could get home after the treatment he got from the BA gang.
Maybe a judge would be more sympathetic to Mr. Lee.

I think if we all read the story correctly…he ARRIVED at the check-in countier on time (albeit a little late). The flight was obviously STILL OPEN for check-in because Dnata was trying to find his reservation and check him in. It was during the “process” of trying to find/verify his reservation etc., that the flight closed. Not the Passenger’s fault! I think the responsible parties are 1. Dnata – THEY Created the problem, then Expedia……thier booking…..then the airlines, in order…BA then JAL. I have been in similar situations myself……If the person checking you in can’t find the reservation or confirm it’s been paid for, then THIER next call should have been to Expedia……or…..oh I know…..LOOK at the guys TICKET NUMBER that the passenger offered and the agent refused!!!!! He NEEDS to be reimbursed. Period.

What an awful story. Even if it looks hopeless, I hope you mediate, Chris. It’s possible the OP was at fault in certain ways, but he should have had better assistance at the checkin counter. This is exactly the kind of travel story that needs professional interaction.

“…or contracting out ground staff (it is uneconomical to keep a
small staff in an airport an airline flies just a couple times daily…”

Sometimes the airlines have to contract out due to politicsrulesetc.
For example, the help (ticket counter agents, gate agents, etc.) for all of
international airlines at PVG (Shanghai) are contracted out to one of the Chinese airline (I think the airline is China Eastern Air).

I can understand the argument that it makes sense to contract out an
airport with minimal flights and I agree with it. My issue is the lack of training that the airline provides to the contractor. For example, US Airways contracted with AA for their operations in Vancouver, BC. I can’t tell you how many times that the ‘US Airways’ operations at YVR did NOT know the various policies of US Airways.

Take a look at the time of the flights:
1*O#JL7706 GVALHR- 450P 530P 0
2*O#JL 402 NRT- 700P 400P 0
3*O#JL 811 KHH- 630P1010P#1 0 22h.20m
JL7706 OPERATED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS

BA733 (JL7706) is the last flight that will allow a connection at LHR for JL402.
Next is BA735 which arrives London too late at 725PM.

Man, I cannot believe that agent or sup did not let him go.
I doubt they had to issue boarding passes all the way to Kaohsiung. Maybe just to LHR.
This is just too brutal.

My first rule of traveling international is the purchase of travel insurance. What if the taxi gets a flat tire on the way to the airport? What if there was an accident that closed down the road to the airport? There are fewer flights given that most airlines have reduced their capacity in recent years; therefore, it is harder to find a seat on the next flight. It will be even harder to find a seat when traveling during a peak time such as a holiday, special events (i.e. Super Bowl; NCAA Final 4; The Kentucky Derby, etc.), etc.

My second rule of traveling international is arriving early at the airport which is 2 hours before the flight. Back in 2007, we had a similar problem like the OP. We arrived at the airport and the contracted agent at the Asiana ticket counter at PVG told us that we have no tickets and seats on Asiana. It took nearly an hour to resolve. The problem was a lack of training. When the manager arrived (which took 40 minutes for him to arrive), he quickly resolve the problem.

When I have an itinerary with multiple airlines, I will contact each airline to get the ticket numberPNR. After getting the ticket #PNR, I will go the airline’s website to check the reservation.

My third rule of traveling international is buying a ticket directly from an airline not an online site such as Expedia in order to reduce one level in case if there is an issue or problem.

When I read the article, it seems to have some missing pieces when the BA ticket counter agent told the OP that he missed the deadline and he needed to contact BA for rebooking. Even if the BA ticket counter agent was a sub-contractor, it was still BA…why wouldn’t the second agentsupervisoretc. rebook the OP on the next available flight? He was at the BA ticket counter?

I think there’s much confusion with respect to codesharing as to what agency principles are involved, and therefore who is ultimately liable for mishaps. Is the carrier whose code is being used to describe the flight the entity responsible for transportation, and, for its own convenience, subcontracts with a third party to perform the transportation sold? Or, is the carrier whose code is being used to describe the flight simply acting as the agent for the carrier which is actually performing the transportation under its own name? In the first case, the operating carrier is the agent of the codesharing carrier, and in the second case, the codesharing carrier is the agent of the operating carrier. While to many people this may be legal mumbo jiumbo, but ultimately knowing who is the responsible party, and who is merely the agent acting on behalf of the responsible party, is important, for that is the party who should be liable. I don’t think advertisements make the distinction clear . . . the aim of the advertisements is to show seamlessness, and in doing so, to mask responsibility.

(Amtrak has traditionally done a better job in this regard, for it takes responsibility for its “Thruway” bus services where bus carriers perform transportation as agents of Amtrak, but not for “connecting” bus services where Amtrak is the agent of the connecting bus carriers.)

was the ticket really listed as “not paid for”? if so then expedia made the mistake.

was is mislabeled as “not paid for” the BA made the mistake.

as someone who has traveled abroad, i sympathize with the OP, his situation must have been terrifying- someone needs to pay.

As a rule of the thumb the US DOT maintains that the MARKETING carrier is always responsible for the flight. In Europe, they maintain that the OPERATING carrier is responsible for the flight. Nevertheless, someone must be held accountable for mishaps like this one. Since the ticket was sold in Europe and the flight is between 2 European cities, then I think the responsible party is British Airways. In reality, they had control of the fate to the passenger. They chose not to board him after he presented himself on time at their counter.

Hey Chris, maybe you can help me understand this better. I can’t help but think of what Mr. Lee was going through that day at GVA airport.

Imagine this.

You arrive at the airport counter of BA about 50 minutes prior departure.
They cannot find your reservation and ticket.
The counter is operated by Dnata (outsourced ground handler for BA).
Considering the small size of the airport, BA and JAL have no counter or sales operations of their own at that airport.
The agent does not want to talk to JAL, the airline that issued the ticket.
Dnata refuses to board you, saying you are late and the flight already closed.
BA, furthermore, tells you your ticket is worthless.

OK so how do you find a new ticket to buy while at the airport?

Do you use a smartphone and start searching?
Without local presence at an airport, it will be very difficult to coordinate with any airline to sell you tickets you can immediately use.
So you do what Mr. Lee did.
You go to an airline counter and buy a walk up ticket.
From whom?
Guess what? Dnata operates Air France and Finnair ground handling, too
So you go back to Dnata and buy a (very expensive) ticket from them on airlines they represent.

Wait a minute. Doesn’t that give them a great incentive not to check Mr. Lee in for his original flight?
How much commission does Dnata make selling walk up tickets?

I am sure you meant VS for Virign Atlantic.

How about if you are making such a significant flight, over the holidays, over multiple airlines….you get your butt to the airport EARLY.

Mike actually you bring up an excellent point. Why isn’t BA publishing airport checkin deadlines for PUBLIC CONSUMPTION? The only way to find out is to call and ask or logon to see your own booking. Why is this important information such a big secret?

My reply was to the one above, and all the others made, blaming the OP for getting to the airport late because he didn’t leave early enough. I was pointing out that the reason he was late was because of traffic. Sometimes something happens on the road you can’t plan for. Even in your example, that 2-4 hours could turn to 6 if there is a major tie up from something other than normal commute traffic.