-
I’ve just looked at my ETicket email receipts for upcoming flights
They show everything, reference , flight numbers , times , passengers names , amount paid.
Most importantly ticket numbers starting 125 …… for both passengers. Surely this is all the definite proof one needs.
If you don’t have this get onto BA , if these are correct all is fine
It is quite clear the poster didn’t get the email receipt for the return flight from BA
If he had the email would be clearly BAs fault.
If BA send me an email saying here is the receipt for your E-Ticket , then to me that is clear evidence that an Ticket has been issued , no more evidence is needed. If it hasn’t been issued and I turn up with this email reciept at airport and it hasn’t been ticketed, then that is clearly NEGLIGENCE by BA . They are 100%at fault
Getting a email receipt and checking details (times dates etc) are correct is all one needs to do.
I don’t agree that just looking at the receipt is sufficient. I want to see the underlying item. The receipt will, most of the time, be consistent with the ticket but it isn’t always. It’s not exactly analogous, but I might have a receipt from Tesco including a tin of beans, but that isn’t evidence that I have got a tin of beans. I find that many types of ticket receipts come separately from the tickets themselves, but I will check both.
I would hope that @AJA as an accountant wouldn’t accept a receipt as evidence that an item of stock actually exists or a bank statement as evidence of cash – one needs further independent evidence. You carry out a selective physical stock check or seek confirmation from the bank.
I have just paid for some Chinese train tickets, and I have a receipt but I won’t get the confirmation from the train company for several weeks as the booking window now only opens at T-15 but I will certainly check it carefully when it arrives. I received a receipt, itinerary and e-ticket from Aerolíneas Argentinas and I checked each document – as it happens my wife’s surname/first name were inexplicably inverted on the e-ticket although correct on the other documents. As I had checked I had plenty of time to sort it out rather than getting a nasty surprise at the airport. Also, when one makes a change with BA, you should get a new e-ticket receipt and if you don’t, you need to chase it, as something has likely gone wrong.
Anyway, I will continue to check my tickets rather than making any assumptions.
I’ve just looked at my ETicket email receipts for upcoming flights
They show everything, reference , flight numbers , times , passengers names , amount paid.
Most importantly ticket numbers starting 125 …… for both passengers. Surely this is all the definite proof one needs.
If you don’t have this get onto BA , if these are correct all is fine
Yes, this is exactly what you need to do and what I have been saying the passenger ought to take the responsibility to do! Almost all the cases copied above by @AJA above could have been avoided with this simple step.
However, others prefer to say I’m trolling or an idiot for not making assumptions about an e-ticket receipt equalling a valid e-ticket which it self evidently doesn’t.
@AJA all those people hadn’t taken the trouble to check they had tickets and in one case hadn’t even paid for them.
You are very welcome not to check your own tickets and blindly to support those who can’t be bothered but then suffer the consequences, make a big fuss and blame it one someone else. I prefer to analyse the evidence rather than always blame BA.
Not checking one’s own travel tickets is just so casual, bordering on negligence. Like not bothering to check an insurance policy. There are rights and obligations on both parties to a contract. The passenger has a duty to mitigate his losses.
Do people seriously not check other sorts of tickets to check they are present and correct? Seems improbable, but if that’s the way you want to live and don’t mind the consequences, it’s a free world.
I hope people’s travelling companions are as understanding as @AJA when their plans are ruined because the booker couldn’t be a*sed with basic personal admin.
PS it’s not trolling, but merely a response to the ludicrous modern blame / shame culture and unthought through comments. Yes dear, it’s always that nasty company’s fault.
@JDB Just to be clear I point out that it wasn’t me who accused you of trolling.I always check my own bookings by getting the e-ticket receipt via the Finnair website and advise everyone else to do the same because unfortunately the saintly BA’s own IT and website is full of glitches and not known for reliability. Of course that must be the customers’ fault too – right?
But while it is good practice and advisable to check and double check that you have everything it is not compulsory to check you have a ticket especially if you can see your reservation in MMB and can select seats for the flight. It is not compulsory to download the BA app or indeed even sign up to BAEC except if you want to earn and spend Avios using a BA Amex Companion Voucher.
I hope that BA is more tolerant of its customers’ mistakes than you are given it too makes far too many of them. Even in the OP’s case the accusation is that they are not due any sympathy because they failed to pay for their return ticket before they travelled on holiday but the fact is they paid for and travelled on the outbound and did not intend to have a pair of one-way tickets. The only reason this happened is because BA’s systems cannot book tickets more than 355 days out so customers book the outbound ASAP and then subsequently are left to book the return flight 10 days later than the outbound because if they wait until they can book the return the outbound seats will have been sold. OP was told by BA that someone would phone them back and let them know how much the taxes would be. The fact is no one did. That is very clearly BA’s fault. The fact too is that OP did not phone BA either and that is clearly the customer’s fault.
But the fact is, as you have acknowledged, that “you don’t need a ticket for EC261 to be engaged – Article 2(g) permits proof other than a ticket to evidence a reservation.” BA clearly showed in its systems via MMB that OP had a reservation (as is the case with every of the other 8 instances reported). OP tried but failed to rectify the payment issue before check-in closed. BA clearly failed to issue the tickets in time for the passenger to check-in. Whose fault is that? Surely not the customer? It doesn’t matter whether BA’s ticketing failure occurred at T-355 days or T-1 minute the failure to take payment and ticket a reservation is down to BA. That is what you acknowledged with various other posters – the only difference with them being that they had Avios deducted so could show part-payment. But part-payment or non-payment ends in the same result – no ticket and denied boarding. That is BA’s decision, not the customers. Hence BA denied OP boarding while the other 8 HfPers were able to sort the payment issues out and were able to fly including @Skywalker who solved their issue in 10 minutes, luckily for them. If BA could resolve your issue in 10 minutes why can it not do the same every time? It is potluck whether it takes 10 minutes or two hours or not at all. That is down to BA and not customers fault.
If I read the regulations correctly Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 4 are irrelevant but it states in paragraph 3 “If boarding is denied to passengers against their will, the operating air carrier shall immediately compensate them in accordance with Article 7 and assist them in accordance with Articles 8 and 9.”
OP spent 2 hours on the phone trying to resolve the issue at the airport and failed due to the inability of BA to take payment and issue the tickets before check-in closed and were as a result clearly denied boarding against their will. Therefore it is clear that compensation is due per Article 7.
I would have just a little sympathy for them if they turned up at T-1 minute to check in and then discovered the problem but they arrived well in advance of check-in. @JDB you state “The passenger has a duty to mitigate his losses.” I would say spending two hours calling BA trying to pay is clearly evidence of trying to mitigate any loss. You clearly have some sympathy with certain posters but blame the rest for their own negligence.
Furthermore reading Article 8, Right to reimbursement or re-routing, it states:
1. Where reference is made to this Article, passengers shall be offered the choice between:
(a) – reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger’s original travel plan, together with, when relevant,- a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity;
(b) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or
(c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger’s convenience, subject to availability of seats.OP took option (b) by paying the Avios and taxes and flying the following day.
OP is also due reimbursement of additional expenses per Article 9 which includes their telephone costs, hotel for the duration of the subsequent delay and meals and refreshments in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
@Skywalker had a flight change and the ticket number dropped off. “I called BA and someone with a bit of know-how was able to fix this” which sounds like it wasn’t a straightforward call.
Not quite right – the advisor had the know-how and and knew how to do it – it was a remarkably straightforward call.
Believe me, I was fully prepared to do battle, but soon realised I had turned up with an M16 to a pillow fight.
She fixed it in 10 minutes.
I suspect though that experiences may vary and this may not always be the case – I was just lucky that day (but it shouldn’t just be down to luck – it should be the standard).
@Skywalker I apologise for misunderstanding your issue but agree fully with your statement that you were “just lucky that day (but it shouldn’t just be down to luck – it should be the standard).”@AJA – BA should just respond, no consideration was paid so no contract existed. The issue that arose at the airport was entirely predictable and one can’t assume that one can dig oneself out of this mess at short notice. Even if there were a ticket desk as you say there should, do you recall the sorts of queues those desks had?
You say it’s not compulsory to check your tickets which is true. It’s also not compulsory to wipe your bottom. Are both checking and wiping good basic practice that anyone sensible and hygienic should practice to avoid a mess?
I’m pretty sure @memesweeper’s statement is true, that a contract did exist, in that agreement for services in exchange for payment was made, so a contract existed. And payment did not actually have to be taken for that contract to have been made.
Particularly as it was BA’s own fault for not taking payment, I don’t think BA has a leg to stand on.
And if we are talking about wiping bottoms it seems there’s a view that the passenger is obliged to wipe British Airways’s bottom, when BA has just cr4pped all over them.
I’m pretty sure @memesweeper’s statement is true, that a contract did exist, in that agreement for services in exchange for payment was made, so a contract existed. And payment did not actually have to be taken for that contract to have been made.
Particularly as it was BA’s own fault for not taking payment, I don’t think BA has a leg to stand on.
And if we are talking about wiping bottoms it seems there’s a view that the passenger is obliged to wipe British Airways’s bottom, when BA has just cr4pped all over them.
It’s not just BA’s fault, it was OP’s fault too.
If we are going to talk about contracts, BA’s conditions of carriage (contract) say they can decide to refuse you and your baggage if you do not have a valid ticket or if you did not pay for the fare (inc taxes) for the journey.
This thread is flying :-).
Arguments aside, I am now in the same boat. Been told 5 working days before they reissue following a change. So let’s see – MMB showing new booking though interestingly won’t let me select seats without a ticket number so wonder how OP did this. Avios deducted, cash not yet….
I won’t wait til the airport, in fact I’ll call as soon as the 5 days are up, if not before.
I disagree, the email receipt is all one needs to check. It is all BA gives you , even in MMB all you get is print eticket receipt , note receipt not ticket.
We are talking about what to do with BA not with Chinese railways.
That is simple check and securely save Eticket receipt
I disagree, the email receipt is all one needs to check. It is all BA gives you , even in MMB all you get is print eticket receipt , note receipt not ticket.
We are talking about what to do with BA not with Chinese railways.
That is simple check and securely save Eticket receipt
@Garethgerry – gosh, well I had thought that if any good had come of this thread, it would have been to encourage people to check their e-tickets well in advance, something which would have avoided almost all of the issues reported where denied boarding or nearly denied boarding is alleged.Further, I thought the thread would have made clear the distinction between an ‘e-ticket receipt’ and an ‘e-ticket’. The email containing the ‘e-ticket receipt’ is very much not all you need to check. The receipt is of no value whatsoever at a check-in desk and isn’t even visible to the agent. The e-ticket is a form of currency, the receipt is a bit of paper. They are created by totally different systems. Absent a valid e-ticket coupon, you cannot be checked in. No coupon, no fly. This applies at a BA check-in desk or one staffed by a handling agent.
Therefore if you are only going to check one thing, it must be the e-ticket. It’s not the evidence of the purchase (ie the receipt) that you need to check, it’s the purchase itself. It also needs to be rechecked after any changes.
I know some are keen to apportion blame and mainly point the finger at BA, but as far as I’m concerned, I don’t care who is in the wrong, I just want a smooth journey, so I check. Who wants the aggro reported in this thread, even if you might conceivably get some compensation.
When I try to look at the eticket receipt I just getting the following message
“Error
Sorry, an e-ticket receipt is not available for the method of payment used for this booking.Please use ‘Print/View itinerary’ to print details of your journey.”
The print/view itinerary has no ticket numbers on it
I disagree on two accounts.
Firstly the email eticket receipt contains all the information about your booking including the Eticket number. It is proof of your contract with BA.
Secondly you tell me where to find Eticket, in MMB all you have is print Ticket receipt. You do not have access to E-TICKET only to receipt. (Website not app), so how on earth can you check e ticket which is not visible on MMB
The e ticket receipt email is the vital document to keep safe and secure and to check
Have you opened the booking in the BA app or on a computer? You can see the ticket number there.
I disagree on two accounts.
Firstly the email eticket receipt contains all the information about your booking including the Eticket number. It is proof of your contract with BA.
Secondly you tell me where to find Eticket, in MMB all you have is print Ticket receipt. You do not have access to E-TICKET only to receipt. (Website not app), so how on earth can you check e ticket which is not visible on MMB
You can disagree all you like, but proof of the contract has zero value at the check-in desk. You cannot travel on a receipt, you need a ticket. Anyway, while your travel companions are waiting and the queue is building you will be able to have that discussion with the check-in agent. Good luck.
You didn’t answer question two , where on BA system do you find E-ticket. How do you check something BA do not make visible to you.
You have ticket number on the receipt
I think we are now happily arguing about the same thing from opposite directions. If, at the time of booking, you receive an e-ticket receipt confirmation email detailing the flights you booked and e-ticket number(s), you have everything you need at that point. The e-ticket has been issued. BA do not provide any mechanism to view the ticket itself, only the ticket numbers attached to a booking.
However it is also relevant to confirm that the e-ticket details are still present and correct just before you travel, especially if there have been any changes or amendments along the way. If they aren’t you can argue as much as you like who’s fault it is, but you won’t be going anywhere.
You didn’t answer question two , where on BA system do you find E-ticket. How do you check something BA do not make visible to you.
@Garethgerry – if you have an upcoming BA flight:App select or click your next flight.
Scroll down, you will see your flight details…your seat choice…your booking reference…other flight details…
And then you will see “Ticket number”, and after this, some numbers starting 125-xxxxxxxxxx
If all you see is a blank space (i.e., you do not see this number), then that’s when you need to contact BA.
Desktop website: Login, scroll down, find your flight, click “Manage My Booking”, scroll down again, and you will be given options to “add to calendar” “print itinerary” or view your e-ticket.
@AJA – no bother, no apology needed 🙂
It doesn’t say on BA under MMB website view your E-ticket, it says view your E-ticket RECEIPT which is what you already have emailed to you.
However as has been said above for Avios bookings when you do this it says
“Sorry, an e-ticket receipt is not available for the method of payment used for this booking.
Please use ‘Print/View itinerary’ to print details of your journey”
Itinerary of course doesn’t have ticket details , so what you have to rely on is the original email receipt you get with each booking or change of booking.
All BA ask you to do is print itinerary, but I always print email eTicket receipt in case, which has E-ticket number.
In 40 years and 80,000 plus tier points worth of flying when working plus many avios flights now I’ve retired never had a single problem with relying on E-ticket receipt .
I’m sure that 99% of folk would assume that if the booking is showing in the app, showing on the website, and even allows you to pick seats then all looks good.
have to scroll around looking around for 125- numbers, that is not the responsibility of the customer. It’s an outright failure by BA.
It’s not difficult for a warning message to appear at the top of the booking – just something as simple as “There appears to a problem with your booking, please get in touch”. This is minimum and basic customer service.
Whether someone has tried to pull a freebie or not, its simply unacceptable that you could be stranded on the other side of the world because a ridiculous e-ticket has not been issued.
I’m pretty sure @memesweeper’s statement is true, that a contract did exist, in that agreement for services in exchange for payment was made, so a contract existed. And payment did not actually have to be taken for that contract to have been made.
IANAL but I believe this to be true – that payment did not have to be made for a contract to be valid. However in the OP’s original case (I haven’t read the whole thread), it appears that this was NOT the case (there was no acceptance by BA and no consideration was agreed) – so no contract existed.
If the seat isn’t ticketed, then it will be sold to someone else and the bucket/Avios availability has disappeared – so you can’t just rock up at check-in and pay for your ticket then (well you can, but it might be a little more expensive!).
Perhaps BA might pay your extra hotel night as a goodwill gesture, if you ask nicely!
I’m sure that 99% of folk would assume that if the booking is showing in the app, showing on the website, and even allows you to pick seats then all looks good.
have to scroll around looking around for 125- numbers, that is not the responsibility of the customer. It’s an outright failure by BA.
I would think that 99% of people know that if you plan to travel by air, train or ship, attend the theatre, a concert or sports game you need a ticket.
You say “99% of folk would assume” – well, we all know what people say about assuming anything. It’s quite remarkable how many people on a specialist travel website still don’t know what an e-ticket is, can’t tell the difference between a receipt and a ticket and don’t know that you need an e-ticket to travel. And, worst of all people advising, don’t worry all you need is a receipt.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
