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Thought I’d tell the story of my recent fiasco with BA, where they ended up accidentally auto cancelling a business class redemption to Australia without my consent or even so much as informing me.
The background is that my executive club account includes my middle name in some places on the backend, but not in others (BA IT strikes again). One of the places it is not included is the (unchangable) name when making reward bookings, including with Qatar. I am unable to change this myself either through BA or Qatar when before, during or after making bookings.
I called BA yesterday to get this straightened out, and at the same time mentioned some upcoming award bookings with Qatar made through BA. The agent said that the middle name probably wasn’t necessary for these since the first and last name match the passport otherwise, even though my passport does include my middle name. He said though “just to be on the safe side” he would change the names on these Qatar bookings anyways.
So all is right and well in the world? Well, I thought so for a few hours. Cut to around midnight and I go to check my upcoming Qatar booking and it is just gone. No email, no refund, no consent, just gone. In a panic I call Qatar, and they tell me it was “auto cancelled” by BA. I call BA, of course the line is closed so I find an emergency one, and there’s a lot of back and forth and me insisting they restore the booking and I never gave my permission for it to be cancelled, nor was I even warned of this possibility.
Eventually, happily the agent was able to restore the booking, albeit without my middle name (again).
I find it unbelieveable that BA would initiate a process that auto cancels a booking without my knowledge or consent, and then not even notify me afterwards. Throughout the whole process the agents implied I was to blame, as if somehow I should’ve known or corrected BA’s terrible IT and incompetence. Never was an apology offered anywhere through the process, and the only reason I didn’t lose the flight entirely was because I happened to check it and jump on the problem right away.
The good news is that the flight is back, but the bad news still without my middle name. I am scared to try to rectify this at all given the stunning incompetence shown at the last attempt; though at the same time also terrified I will be denied boarding at the airport due to another bout of “computer says no” attitude.
@theroyaltoad – I’m glad you got this sorted out; it must have been a worrying moment. Is there any particularly basis for pointing the finger at BA’s IT? It sounds more like human error and in fact QR is the master of auto cancellation, eg if BA doesn’t ticket fast enough. You should check that your reinstated booking has been correctly ticketed.
I never include middle names in any bookings I make for our family on many airlines and it’s never been a problem. Wouldn’t be something I’d be attempting to fix further !
First name and last name (within the traditional western naming protocols) are all that matters on an airline booking. I always travel as First Name Surname even though I have a middle name included on my passport. Never had an issue with BA, QR or any other airline (even when my OH did include my middle name on a DL booking and managed to spell it wrong 🙈😂).
Thanks for the tips all! It was indeed a worrying moment and I was up all night constantly checking if the bookings had been auto-cancelled again without my knowledge. The agent told me not to worry, but then again the previous one said the same thing and was he ever wrong.
I pointed the finger at BA’s IT re the names as earlier when I called them they confirmed that on my account in their backend in some places it includes my middle name, in some places it doesn’t. Though yes, it sounds like the auto-cancellation process was indeed initated by BA’s human error and then carried out by Qatar (though they pointed the finger at BA).
@JDB is there a way I can check that the booking has been correctly ticketed?It isn’t normally possible to change a name on a booking where multiple airlines are involved and it shouldn’t even be attempted. The agent you spoke to should have told you this and advised you as such.
@theroyaltoad – you will see a ticket number in the app (and there should be one for each segment for each traveller) but because of what’s happened you need to see if it’s still actually ticketed. If your trip is can’t download it from BA, you will need to check it on another OW airline site. In this instance, maybe first check with QR.
Thanks. I can see the trip both on BA and Qatar, and both have the same (all numeric) e-ticket number for each segment. So hopefully this is the end of this awful stress.
To avoid all this palaver shouldn’t the OP open another BAEC with correct spelling as passport. Send Avios via Finnair for 10e and move away from this troublesome BAEC acc?
To avoid all this palaver shouldn’t the OP open another BAEC with correct spelling as passport. Send Avios via Finnair for 10e and move away from this troublesome BAEC acc?
There isn’t a spelling issue…
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