Manage Booking: Change dates not available online???
Apr 21, 2022 | 8:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Asia
Programs: Skywards, KrisFlyer, Flying Blue, BAEC but only till I’ve used all my Avios, Thai Orchid
Posts: 282
Manage Booking: Change dates not available online???
I have or now had a reservation for next week for a 8 hour duration pair of flights within SEA and transiting SIN that I needed to move to the future as in 8 weeks to the future.
When I tried to manage the booking and change it online, “computer says No”. Singapore Airlines have the “change dates” blacked out and I have instructions to contact my local SIA office by phone. This, whether on Safari, IOS App or Chrome.
My questions are:
1. Why, when I am well within time before the original flight date?
2. Why, when all you are forced to do is spend hours talking to an agent giving alternative dates, being put on hold and then again being told “computer says No”
Then at the end being offered an alternative (still Y) booking class on a similar (not the same) date as was requested for the change, plus, I might add, a fare difference of 127USD on a ticket that was originally 178USD?
Now, fare difference is clear. However, if anyone can help me understand why managing the booking to change the dates online is not possible, I’d be immensely grateful. Because with all the to-ing and fro-ing, messing about and “computer says No” answers, I have, in the end and out of frustration and the lack of any seemingly viable alternatives, cancelled the reservation. Meaning that the illustrious SIA have just taken my money for absolutely nothing whilst not being able to provide any kind of workable alternative without taking almost the same amount of money off me again.
I understand the risks when booking lower end fares. I also understand the non-availability of certain fares. I don’t understand the reason why you have to spend hours on the telephone trying to find a workable alternative when doing it online is the modern way of working and when you can then find alternatives simply and efficiently.
Or is this just the way for SIA to say “changes may be complimentary but if you do we will make your life so darn difficult having to call us that in the end it would simply be much better not to bother and to cancel because - either way - we will take your money, if not more of it.
As with the recently poor (I would say substandard) experience I had flying on SQ25 I am starting to ask myself: Is SIA overall being ethical in doing business? Because to me this all smacks of sharp practice.
Advices anyone?
AF
When I tried to manage the booking and change it online, “computer says No”. Singapore Airlines have the “change dates” blacked out and I have instructions to contact my local SIA office by phone. This, whether on Safari, IOS App or Chrome.
My questions are:
1. Why, when I am well within time before the original flight date?
2. Why, when all you are forced to do is spend hours talking to an agent giving alternative dates, being put on hold and then again being told “computer says No”
Then at the end being offered an alternative (still Y) booking class on a similar (not the same) date as was requested for the change, plus, I might add, a fare difference of 127USD on a ticket that was originally 178USD?
Now, fare difference is clear. However, if anyone can help me understand why managing the booking to change the dates online is not possible, I’d be immensely grateful. Because with all the to-ing and fro-ing, messing about and “computer says No” answers, I have, in the end and out of frustration and the lack of any seemingly viable alternatives, cancelled the reservation. Meaning that the illustrious SIA have just taken my money for absolutely nothing whilst not being able to provide any kind of workable alternative without taking almost the same amount of money off me again.
I understand the risks when booking lower end fares. I also understand the non-availability of certain fares. I don’t understand the reason why you have to spend hours on the telephone trying to find a workable alternative when doing it online is the modern way of working and when you can then find alternatives simply and efficiently.
Or is this just the way for SIA to say “changes may be complimentary but if you do we will make your life so darn difficult having to call us that in the end it would simply be much better not to bother and to cancel because - either way - we will take your money, if not more of it.
As with the recently poor (I would say substandard) experience I had flying on SQ25 I am starting to ask myself: Is SIA overall being ethical in doing business? Because to me this all smacks of sharp practice.
Advices anyone?
AF
Last edited by Armchair Flyer; Apr 21, 2022 at 8:27 pm Reason: Grammar
Apr 23, 2022 | 9:34 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: Krisflyer/QPPS
Posts: 640
It is extremely frustrating... I have the same issue. I am flexible about when I move the flight to, and with multiple daily flights from LHR to Australia I just want to select the cheapest alternative. But I am dreading phoning up because of the long wait time and the difficulty of getting the person at the other end to manually check each alternative, when I should be able to do it myself in about 5 minutes. Just terrible software/IT support.