Charged for a Boarding Pass?

Bonhomie

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

Bonhomie said:

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

Hi,

I recently returned from Rome after picking up a travel document from the embassy due to the police stealing/losing it.

Anyway, I rebooked a flight with Wizzair via eDreams as an intermediary.

Eight hours prior to departure I received an email, from eDreams, with a link to check-in and generate a BP on their app.

I put in my particulars about 3 hrs prior to departure, and the app crashed with a nonsensical message.

I therefore queued up at the WA check in desk. They sent me for a 'free' boarding pass up to the airports ticket office. I explained all this to the woman up there and showed her the app crash etc.

She refused to give me a free BP saying that I didn't show her that the WA app crashed. I only ever got a link for a BP via eDreams, it wasn't possible through WA.


Anyway to get on my flight I was forced to pay €49 back down to WA desk to get it printed with the receipt. Don't know why didn't just print one there anyway.


No eDreams claim they aren't responsible for a refund as I didn’t pay for check-in with them, but it's included in the purchase fee.


Think they may be fobbing me off.

Who is responsible in this scenario and any suggestions to proceed?

Thanks

Your attempt to check in was too late. You've admitted it yourself. Let it go.

I wasn't informed about any 3 hr limit in any correspondence, where is that hard information from? The app crashed anyway, plus as someone else mentioned the app said online check-in was unavailable for that flight, so there's dichotomous information. An email says check-in online, the carrier app says I can't. There were others turning up having to pay too for a BP.

I just want to know what the issue was. If it was me checking in late, why didn't I have information on time limits, why did Wizzair say no on-line check in, why did the app allow me to attempt to check-in?

https://wizzair.com/en-gb/information-and-services/booking-information/check-in-and-boarding

User error....
I don't think that I have ever utilised a third party/travel agent application to check in online. Possibly the likes of eDreams needs to do it is because of the way they book flights with 'low cost' airlines. ALWAYS book directly with 'low cost' airlines. I guess you've learned that lesson by now.

Bonhomie

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

bagand96 said:

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

bagand96 said:

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

I checked in, or tried to around 4pm, the flight took off at 7:30, boarding was at 18:45. I didn't receive any communication from Wizzair at all for checking in.

Your flight departure time was 18:45.  Wizzair close online check-in 3 hours prior to departure time, which would be 15:45.  This is why the Wizzair app/website wouldn't allow check-in at that time.

You won't have had any communication from Wizzair, because when you book via an agent the agent will enter their contact details and not your own. 

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

Emily_Joy said:

What stopped you from doing online check-in via the website?

I was directed to the app via the email link.  I didn't try the website after the app accepted my data and bugged out on me. At that point I thought I'd  have no issue queuingbat the desk and getting one printed off for free, so it was moot.

eDreams obviously directed you to their own app (probably in the hope they can upsell you more add-ons during check-in).  Just to be clear, when did you try and check-in via eDreams? Was that also around 16:00?  If so, that's likely why the check-in with them failed (they can't override the airline policies).

Even when booking via an agent, always try and do as much as you can directly with the airline, but especially things like check in. Ideally just book directly with the airline in the first place rather than OTA's with poor service.

No. That 18:45 is not a departure time. It is a gate opening time. I was there waiting. The flight departed after 7:30. It is misleading information as I busted a gut to get to the gate as I thought it closed at 18:15, only to arrive and the gate staff weren't even there and everyone was relaxing. Therefore I was within the time limit.

Others have already pointed this out, as in your Wizzair screen shot your flight's (W46003) scheduled departure time was 18:45. The time the flight actually boarded and took off is not relevant, flights have delays all the time, but the schedule departure was 18:45, so online check-in closed at 15:45.  Any attempt to online/app check-in after 15:45 would fail.

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

I looked at the Wizzair app way before check-in closed, no option for BP. Plus I went to their desk. They could have given me a BP then.

Wizzair could have given you a boarding pass.  But like other low cost airlines (Ryanair, Jet2 etc) they charge for airport check-in. Online or mobile check-in is free of charge.

Your Wizzair screenshot also shows:

 "Mobile check in is not available for this flight. Passengers must proceed to the Wizzair check-in desk for document check and to collect their boarding card before proceeding through security"

This is a little ambiguous.  It does seem to be a quirk flying from some Italian airports that mobile boarding passes are not available.  This is why the Wizzair app would not show you a BP.  What is usually means in practice is that pax must still complete the online check in process via the website or app, and then just pick up the boarding pass at the airport after a document check.  However, the Wizzair statement is a little ambiguous as it actually says "mobile check-in not available" not "mobile boarding pass not available". 

You could go back to Wizzair and ask that question.   I still expect they'll say you should have completed online check-in but it's worth asking if you're determined to take it further.

Bluenunn_in_the_north said:

The app error message didn't mention anything about check-in close times. It allowed me to input all my data, then said 'please see below for more information '. There was nothing below.

Which app?  Wizzair or eDreams? You've previously stated you used the the eDreams app to check-in, this is a third party app with no relation to Wizzair.

Yep, edreams is useless now, I'm going to try Wizzair when I have a mo. Thanks for the contribution.

Edreams mobile app, which was linked to the edreams email saying check-in online, as in screenshot.

They could have given me a BP at the gate if mobile check-in was unavailable. No clear communication.

Mobile check in is not the same as Online Check In. With Online check-in, you can still use your mobile's browser. Though you might need to print your own boarding pass, if the airport cannot process the pass generated by the mobile application. Thereby Mobile check-in not being valid.
Either way, you left it too late. You made a whole series of missteps.

Thank goodness you made it to the airport before Airport Check In closed.

Please find below the list of airports with specific opening and closing times:

• Abu Dhabi International Airport- check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Berlin Brandenburg Airport- check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Bucharest International Airport – check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Dammam International Airport - check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Dubai International Airport – check-in closing 60 minutes before schedule time of departure
• Eindhoven Airport – 50 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Jeddah International Airport - check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Kuwait International Airport - check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• London Luton Airport – check-in closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Málaga Airport - check-in closing 50 minutes before scheduled departure
• Milan–Malpensa Airport - check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Riyadh International Airport - check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Tel-Aviv International Airport - check-in opening 150 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Vienna International Airport (to Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai International Airport, Riyad International Airport, Jeddah International Airport, Kuwait International Airport and Dammam International Airport) - check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure
• Rome Fiumicino International Airport - check-in opening 180 minutes and closing 60 minutes before scheduled time of departure

NoodleDoodleMan

Just out of curiosity - how did the police lose/steal the unspecified travel document you mention, presumably a passport ?

Was it national state civilian cops or Carabinieri military police ?

Voyager2002

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Just out of curiosity - how did the police lose/steal the unspecified travel document you mention, presumably a passport ?

Was it national state civilian cops or Carabinieri military police ?

He has already told the story, buried deep in the thread:

He dropped his passport soon after arrival and a helpful tourist (French?) picked it up; contacted his family and handed it in to the police. He then spent his holiday touring police stations but none of them had any knowledge of the missing document, so he completed his holiday by visiting the British embassy to get a travel document.

Makes a change from getting sunburned on the beach and then getting razzled in the bars!

Pollycat

Voyager2002 said:

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Just out of curiosity - how did the police lose/steal the unspecified travel document you mention, presumably a passport ?

Was it national state civilian cops or Carabinieri military police ?

He has already told the story, buried deep in the thread:

He dropped his passport soon after arrival and a helpful tourist (French?) picked it up; contacted his family and handed it in to the police. He then spent his holiday touring police stations but none of them had any knowledge of the missing document, so he completed his holiday by visiting the British embassy to get a travel document.

Makes a change from getting sunburned on the beach and then getting razzled in the bars!

Hardly a definite case of "after picking up a travel document from the embassy due to the police stealing/losing it."

Maybe he just didn't visit the right police station.