Keep those boarding passes

[reader]

Recently noticed I hadn't received mileage credit for my last trip to bkk so called airline customer service. Since I was crediting miles to a partner account, they told me to contact that airline to initiate the process. Thought it was unusual work around but I followed through. The partner (AA) took my flights numbers and ticket number and said they would submit form to carrier (CX). Five days later received email from AA customer support, requesting copies of ticket receipt and boarding  passes.

I hadn't retained boarding passes for outbound flights but did manage to find my return boarding passes still in my carry on backpack. Sent those along today.

Lesson learned: Don't dispose of those boarding passes until you've seen the miles on your account, especially when itinerary involves partner carriers.

[vinapu]

Also recently on my trips to Latin America and Asia immigration officers asked for those boarding passes so better we guard them.

[Keithambrose]

It seems that in Cambodia, where I have just been, you do need to keep paper boarding passes, the pass on your phone is not good enough. I was told to check in at a counter to get a boarding pass. 

[vinapu]

On 1/27/2024 at 5:19 AM, Keithambrose said:

It seems that in Cambodia, where I have just been, you do need to keep paper boarding passes, the pass on your phone is not good enough. I was told to check in at a counter to get a boarding pass. 

confirmed , the same happened to me  when I was there right after you. When checked -in on the phone boarding pass was issued but with clear note ' that pass can't be accepted at the airport you are flying from , please go to the counter to obtain paper one' or something to that effect .

[thaiophilus]

Something else to keep is your checked baggage receipt. Some countries actually check that the bag you take away from the airport is the one you checked in. And if it never emerges from the carousel, that bit of paper may be the only proof that the bag existed.

[reader]

Just experienced another case where mileage credit wasn't awarded for flight segment between Bangkok and US (see OP).

It took four phone calls to customer service (including two transmittals of copies of boarding passes) to get it resolved.

In both cases, it involved booking code share flights.

Lesson learned twice: keep those boarding passes until you see mileage posted.

[PeterRS]

On one occasion I was surprised when I looked at my mileage statement - but for  very different reason. There seemed to be too many miles! I was on one of those really useful round-the-world tickets. When I got to London I was asked by a client to meet up in Palm Springs. Since I still had some spare coupons, before flying to the US I went to BA at Heathrow and had return flights from LAX to Palm Springs on AA added. No problem. In any case it's less than 200 kms between the airports. Arriving back at LAX I was flying up to San Jose where AA had recently started a non-stop flight to Taipei. I then ended up with a stop-over in Hong Kong before getting home to Bangkok.

The airport code for Palm Spring is PPS. For some reason, AA had inserted into the mileage computer the outward ticket as LAX to DPS. Why no one wondered that the next flight was PPS back to LAX I have not the faintest idea. But did I care? DPS is Denpasar, Bali. So I gained 4,000 miles.

[a-447]

I've just had a similar experience.

I flew to Kuala Lumpur on Malaysian airlines, which is a partner airlines of Qantas with whom I have my frequent flyer points.

They didn't credit me points from that flight so when I phoned Qantas, they said I needed to prove that I was on the flights.

I said I'd send them a copy of my tickets and a receipt to show I had paid for the flight but they said they wanted proof that I actually took the flight ; I,e., that I occupied a seat! To do that, they needed a copy of my boarding passes!

I had thrown them away so that was that. Nothing!

[Lucky]

PSP is the airport code for Palm Springs.

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

The airport code for Palm Spring is PPS. For some reason, AA had inserted into the mileage computer the outward ticket as LAX to DPS. Why no one wondered that the next flight was PPS back to LAX I have not the faintest idea. But did I care? DPS is Denpasar, Bali. So I gained 4,000 miles.

 

[KeepItReal]

53 minutes ago, a-447 said:

I've just had a similar experience.

I flew to Kuala Lumpur on Malaysian airlines, which is a partner airlines of Qantas with whom I have my frequent flyer points.

They didn't credit me points from that flight so when I phoned Qantas, they said I needed to prove that I was on the flights.

I said I'd send them a copy of my tickets and a receipt to show I had paid for the flight but they said they wanted proof that I actually took the flight ; I,e., that I occupied a seat! To do that, they needed a copy of my boarding passes!

I had thrown them away so that was that. Nothing!

In future I may take a picture of it with my phone before tossing it. I assume that would be acceptable. 🤔 Or take a screen shot when using a digital boarding pass.  

That being said - that is horrible customer service by both airlines. 😐

[Keithambrose]

27 minutes ago, KeepItReal said:

In future I may take a picture of it with my phone before tossing it. I assume that would be acceptable. 🤔 Or take a screen shot when using a digital boarding pass.  

That being said - that is horrible customer service by both airlines. 😐

I deed, it would be simple for Malaysian  to confirm  that you took the flight. 

[floridarob]

5 hours ago, KeepItReal said:

In future I may take a picture of it with my phone before tossing it

I've had this problem with a few Star Alliance partner airlines, so I always take pics of the boarding pass....pain in the ass.

Before taking pics, I would hang on to the boarding passes and once, later on realized I hadn't gotten credit... they asked for copies of the boarding passes and the thermal paper boarding pass had faded so much you could barely read what it said..... was always pictures (a scanning app really)  after that

[PeterRS]

When I first flew on Qatar in 2009 to LGW I had completely forgotten to fill out the loyalty club application. I did so on the final leg back to Bangkok, enclosed the four boarding passes, sealed it and sent it off. QR received it for they gave me a loyalty club number but they said they never received the boarding passes. I offered to send them the baggage tags which quite clearly mentioned my name, flights and date. These were not acceptable although QR never explained why. So I decided not to put mileage on to QR instead sticking with CX's Asia Miles. But I now get endless QR emails to loyalty club members but have never accrued any mileage on the airline!

[a-447]

Qantas frequent flyer points are useless for me.

It is impossible to find a flight because they limit the number of FF seats.

[PeterRS]

 

19 minutes ago, a-447 said:

Qantas frequent flyer points are useless for me.

It is impossible to find a flight because they limit the number of FF seats.

For a dozen years I would blow miles on a biz class round trip to spend Christmas or New Year with friends in Sydney. Every year I tried Qantas months in an advance and could never once get a seat. Thankfully BA then had a flight to BKK that went on to Sydney and I was always able to get a seat on that carrier.

[Olddaddy]

38 minutes ago, a-447 said:

Qantas frequent flyer points are useless for me.

It is impossible to find a flight because they limit the number of FF seats.

I use them for hotel bookings

It's usually around 20,000 points to stay at The Tartawan for a night

[a-447]

6 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

I use them for hotel bookings

It's usually around 20,000 points to stay at The Tartawan for a night

That's good to know.

How do you pay with points? I had a quick look on their website and couldn't find any FFP payment option.