Advice Required - Flight Transfer

amaidment

Hi,

I'm hoping someone on here can give me some advice.

We've recently (last week) booked a holiday with Thomson (a Hayes and Jarvis holiday). We received the confirmation by email and we're asked to check everything at which point we noticed a possible issue.

We have been booked on a 'through fare' under one ticket from Port Elizabeth to Mahe, Seychelles via Johannesburg. Our first flight is with BA arriving in Johannesburg at 12:10 and our second is with Air Seychelles leaving at 13:40. I immediately questioned with Thomson if this was enough time to transfer and they (and Hayes and Jarvis) insist it is.

I agree it is *if* our luggage goes straight through to Mahe which Hayes & Jarvis insist it will but:
- BA have confirmed to me in writing, twice, as well as on the phone that it won't.
- BA also suggested I contact the airport which I have done. They've also said I'll need to collect my luggage and will 'most likely' miss my connecting flight.
- Air Seychelles have confirmed in writing that it won't.

Naturally we're not comfortable going on the holiday with this risk, particularly as the next flight Air Seychelles could put us on if we miss it is 3 (!!) days later.

The simple solution is for us to get an earlier flight to Johannesburg but Thomson are refusing to do anything unless we pay to change the flight at a cost of over £900.

I could buy 2 new flights to Johannesburg for £70 or even all the way to Seychelles for £300 each. However I don't believe this is our fault so why should we pay more?

Does anyone have any advice on how I can get this resolved?

TIA, Adrian

littlereddevil

I've done loads of shorter connections. If you miss the connection you may not have to wait 3 days. They can reroute you different ways, doesn't have to be the same route.

Voyager2002

Does BA fly from PE to JNB (a domestic flight within South Africa)?

Incidentally, if you have ONE ticket from PE to Seychelles but fail to take the first flight on the ticket (PE to JNB) then you would not be allowed to take the second flight on the ticket.

Voyager2002

Ask the airport whether this is or is not a "legal connection". If it is not then the agent has made a mistake and would be obliged to correct it.

amaidment

Thanks so far. Air Seychelles confirmed that if we miss the flight they would put us on the next direct one 3 days later. There are indirect flights, but they go via Dubair, take 16 hours instead of 5 and would still mean we miss 1 or 2 nights in the Seychelles.

Voyager2002, yes BA do (under their ComAir brand) and thats the first flight we're booked on. I thought that might be the case if we book a new PLZ to JNB flight.

Hayes and Jarvis insist it's a legal connection otherwise they wouldn't have been able to book it. The airport have said they recommend a minimum of 2 1/2 hours to transfer, that 1 1/2 isn't long enough and therefore they wouldn't recommend taking the risk. That's when they also said (in writing) that we would 'most likely' (their words) not make the second flight.

I should probably add that over the phone both airlines have agreed it'll be very tight to catch the second flight given we have to collect bags. However both are insisting the overall ticket is owned by the other so no-one wants to take responsibility!

jpsartre

amaidment wrote: »

Hayes and Jarvis insist it's a legal connection otherwise they wouldn't have been able to book it. The airport have said they recommend a minimum of 2 1/2 hours to transfer, that 1 1/2 isn't long enough and therefore they wouldn't recommend taking the risk.

What's sensible and what's legal are two different things. As the agent says, if 90 minutes is below the minimum connection time at JNB the flight would not have been bookable. I'm not familiar with JNB but it sounds odd to me that the airport would tell you 90 minutes isn't long enough for a domestic to international connection. I also don't know why BA would tell you that your luggage won't be checked through. Perhaps they misunderstood the question?

If you fail to check in for your first flight, the remaining flights on your ticket might be cancelled so don't book an earlier flight to JNB.

amaidment

jpsartre wrote: »

What's sensible and what's legal are two different things. As the agent says, if 90 minutes is below the minimum connection time at JNB the flight would not have been bookable. I'm not familiar with JNB but it sounds odd to me that the airport would tell you 90 minutes isn't long enough for a domestic to international connection. I also don't know why BA would tell you that your luggage won't be checked through. Perhaps they misunderstood the question?

If you fail to check in for your first flight, the remaining flights on your ticket might be cancelled so don't book an earlier flight to JNB.

BA definitely didn't misunderstand the question. I've asked it more than once, giving my booking ref and asked 'will I be able to check my bags at Port Elizabeth to go all the way through to Mahe or will I need to collect my bags at Johannesburg and check them in for my Air Seychelles flight?'. They've said each time I would need to collect my bags. This was confirmed by the airport and Air Seychelles.

It's worth noting that 90 minutes is really 30 minutes as check-in for the Air Seychelles flight closes 60 mins before departure. Therefore I have 30 minutes between one flight landing and check-in closing to go through passport control, collect bags, go through customs, walk from one terminal to the other then find the check-in desks and check in!

I've checked with the airport again and they've again confirmed I'll need to collect my bags and will 'very likely' miss the flight. They've said it's not an illegal connection but is definitely not recommended. They've said it could take 30 minutes just to get through immigration if it's busy.

I feel stuck now, and have a holiday I feel is almost certain to be ruined!

jpsartre

Ask on Flyertalk's BA forum (link below). I'm sure someone in there can tell you if the bag will be checked through. You have a through ticket and BA interlines with Air Seyschelles as far as I can tell so I don't see why it wouldn't be.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club-446/

Heliflyguy

Information we received from BA is :

When a customer is travelling on separate tickets please be aware that the airports cannot through check the customer to their final destination. For example, if a customer is travelling on British Airways from Glasgow to London Heathrow and then on a separate ticket from London Heathrow to New York, Glasgow airport cannot through check the baggage to New York.

We can only offer through check in the following circumstances:
• An interline journey on one ticket number in a single PNR
• A oneworld interline journey on two ticket numbers in a single PNR/booking

Anything other than that and it will not be through checked I expect.

amaidment

Heliflyguy wrote: »

Information we received from BA is :

When a customer is travelling on separate tickets please be aware that the airports cannot through check the customer to their final destination. For example, if a customer is travelling on British Airways from Glasgow to London Heathrow and then on a separate ticket from London Heathrow to New York, Glasgow airport cannot through check the baggage to New York.

We can only offer through check in the following circumstances:
• An interline journey on one ticket number in a single PNR
• A oneworld interline journey on two ticket numbers in a single PNR/booking

Anything other than that and it will not be through checked I expect.

We have a single PNR which I've given to BA each time I've contacted them but they've still said it won't be checked through. I've contacted them a few times to check and all (3) times they've said it won't.

Blue264

The minimum connection time between flights varies at every airport. The minimum connection time at JNB between two International flights is 3hrs. You need to emphasis this with the booking agent and as reference...

We usually advise clients on a minimum of three hours when connecting on international flights. In this case it should be enough but we can never guarantee what will happen if there should be an unforseen delay. OR Tambo can also be confusing if you have never been there before so best ask for directions as soon as you arrive.

http://www.southafrica.to/transport/Airports/O-R-Tambo-International/O-R-Tambo-International-Airport.php5

If the agent still says that you don't need 3hrs, please ask them to email you a copy of the MCT calculation from their GDS. They'll know what I mean For the layman, agents who are checking a minimum connection time, can access this info from their GDS system by entering the flight numbers, airports, dates, etc. The system will then advise the MCT between individual flights taking into account any terminal changes, etc.

As you stand, BA are saying you will need to collect your bags at JNB. You have that in writing.The booking agent needs to abide by the advice of the airline and the MCT guidelines given by the airport themselves.