[Scallder]

RAM worked for me yesterday

[Scallder]

ZW wrote:

Or just use RAM or Sri Lankan MMB.

This was done last Friday so will certainly try the RAM route (tried Sri Lankan yesterday and it didn’t work). I had tried 7 of the Oneworld alliance members before calling but hadn’t got to either RAM or Sri Lankan…

[Scallder]

djdj wrote:

Rui N. wrote:

Scallder wrote:

I keep getting this error when trying to pull my my BA bookings on the Finnair website:

“An error occurred when retrieving your booking. Please make sure to enter the correct family name and booking reference or e-ticket number associated with your booking and try again.”

Anyone have this and find a way around?

Also getting the same error. Qatar website also doesn’t work to retrieve the booking.

did you get around this as I am seeing the same for two of my bookings

I did – but it involved calling BA and being on the call/hold for 2.5 hours to ask for 6 bookings to be updated. Was told they’d all been done but only 4 are giving me free seat selection so going to need to call to have the final 2 done!

[Scallder]

Should state that all my bookings are reward flights so if people have been able to log into reward flights via Finnair that would be great to know!

[Scallder]

I keep getting this error when trying to pull my my BA bookings on the Finnair website:

“An error occurred when retrieving your booking. Please make sure to enter the correct family name and booking reference or e-ticket number associated with your booking and try again.”

Anyone have this and find a way around?

[Scallder]

If I may…

A BA companion voucher on the BAPP is valid for 2 years from the point of issue. There is simply no way that under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (let alone much more recent legislation) that Amex could state that you have to hold a BAPP for 2 years, and as a result incurring charges of £500, to utilise a benefit that was earned up to 2 years previously.

Indeed BA can require ANY Amex card to pay – and can do that through the website – but there’s simply no way that you have to hold the card the voucher is earned on for another 2 years.

I highly doubt this has ever gone to court, which is what would set the precedent, but I can’t see it being held up in court in Amex’s favour. I have to say that I think it’s very poor of Amex CS to continue to reiterate this message, but there’s no way this holds up in a court of law.

[Scallder]

So have just had one FOS complaint finished and 2nd for wife is nearly done.

My one I asked for points (only about 2k), free night and pro rata refund. Wife’s was free night and pro rata refund. Both also asked for compensation (I originally said if happily accept a 2nd free night voucher).

On my complaint the investigator offered £50 compensation but Creation rejected. Went to ombudsman and then the ombudsman rejected the compensation. Stated the following:

“However, I didn’t think £50 compensation was fair. I explained that it isn’t the role of
our service to punish a business, nor do we compensate for the inconvenience experienced
in raising a complaint. I explained, our service doesn’t make awards for mistakes which haven’t caused more than the normal nuisances of everyday life.”

I went back to ask whether a company trying to deliberately deprive customers of benefits was more than a normal nuisance (and to have that defined) and also what’s the point of an ombudsman if it allows financial services just to do what they want and only have to give what they should when challenged. The reply from the ombudsman included the following:

“You’ve asked questions about comments I made in my final decision, however I won’t be commenting or providing further explanation. I understand this is disappointing but once a final decision is issued, this is the end of our process.”

Knowing the statutory requirements that public bodies such as FOS have to abide by I’m going to be complaining about their service. Also going to do a MCOL claim on Creation for time and hassle for compensation. And it’ll be more than the £50 I was happy to accept now.

The whole saga has been ridiculous and whilst have points and free night have no idea when I’m getting the pro rata refund (which due to inflation is now less than it should have been in November 2021).

Wife investigator said no compensation and rejected as I was offered £50 but now expecting ombudsman to say no compensation in line with mine.

Also shows inconsistencies in the FOS if some are getting compensation and others aren’t…

[Scallder]

Just got the offer in relation to my wife’s complaint, not yet received one for my own complaint though.

[Scallder]

Have just submitted two FOS complaints on behalf of my wife and I. Solid 1,500 words or so for each (mine was slightly longer as I have points sitting with Creation that weren’t transferred). Have asked for the outcomes below:

Mine:
I am wanting Creation to refund me the £45.84 part of the annual fee. Then, I would like Creation to either: (i) Transfer the 2,616 IHG points to my IHG Rewards Club account and provide me with the free IHG night that I have already earned, or to pay me the value that I have ascribed to the voucher and the points not transferred (details in the body of the complaint), that being £609.64. If I were to be paid out the value of the points ascribed to the free night certificate, then with the pro-rata refund, that would total a payment of £665.48.

My wife’s:
I am wanting Creation to refund me the £29.29 part of the annual fee and then either, provide me with the free IHG night that I have already earned, or to pay me the value that I have ascribed to the voucher (details in the body of the complaint), that being £587.60. If I were to be paid out the value of the points ascribed to the free night certificate, then with the pro-rata refund, that would total a payment of £616.89.

I said that the voucher was of a value of 80,000 points and included some hotel booking confirmations for the Kimpton Edinburgh where we stayed last year which for the same weekend this year is 81,000 on the Friday night and 77,000 on the Saturday night and converted at today’s FX rate from $800 which is the price you can buy 80k points from IHG for.

I went with the argument that a) how can they charge for a whole year’s fee when not giving the benefits for the full year and b) in relation to the free night voucher being awarded at the end of the year, if I meet their requirements in order to earn the free night, then how is it fair given the mismatched power in the contractual relationship between myself and Creation, that they can then just close my account and not give me something already earned. I even quoted clause 6 of the T&Cs which Creation did in the final letter rejecting the complaint (hilariously I complained two months earlier and still awaiting a decision), stating that whilst it might be a T&C to change something after something has been earned can’t be a fair T&C.

Shall see what they say! Although given another FOS complaint I put in, in September 2020, took 12 months to come to a conclusion, I’m not expecting this to be a fast resolution!

[Scallder]

My deadline to hear about my complaint was 8th Dec. Had email saying they needed more time but wouldn’t say how long.

Had a FOS complaint in last year which took over a year to be resolved. Anyone likely to jump straight to small claims court? I’m thinking of doing that and then going for pro rata fee not refunded but cost to buy, say 80,000 IHG points. I k ow that’s not the most expensive reward night available, however I can show from my own stays that had some free nights around that level.

Needing to do this for both my wife and I so hopefully will be able to get a good result in terms of cash for buying the IHG points, at full cost.