expatinuk
Has spent over 1000 pounds but now holds a Brit passport!
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,653
From SC living in UK
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« on: June 14, 2008, 06:16:45 AM » |
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Just got my tickets to go to a former Eastern block country to deliver an address to a bunch of biggie wigs. They bought the ticket...and because their regulations wouldn't pay for me to spend the night in a hotel in the UK the night before the flight I'm flying regular airlines instead of the cheapo ones.
The cheapo flight was at 7:00 a.m. and with a 5:00 a.m. check in... and a 3 hour drive to the airport ... well you can see why I wanted to spend the night in a hotel near the airport.
Instead.... they opted for a regular airline ticket that was $1,500 instead of $400. .... and get this... they GOT MY FARKING NAME WRONG on the ticket.
So now they have to pay to have it re-issued. They are telling me to TRY and use the ticket with the wrong name. Like THAT'S gonna work. Say my name is: ExPat in UK ... with UK being my LAST name and my FIRST name being ExPat in.... (notice that it's a FREAKING DOUBLE name!)... they issued the ticket to: Mrs. ExPat inUK
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Expatinuk seems to be a Soviet Satellite in stationary orbit over the UK
It is what it is.
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anon99
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« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2008, 07:21:46 AM » |
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I acutally bought a ticket for my mom direct from the airline over the phone. The person messed up on the name and merged her first name and middle initial. I phoned as soon as I found out and they said it wasn't a problem. She used the ticket and had no problems checking in. Call the airline and ask, you might be surprised.
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expatinuk
Has spent over 1000 pounds but now holds a Brit passport!
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,653
From SC living in UK
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« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2008, 07:24:28 AM » |
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It's my LAST name that's messed up... and the other uni needs to fix it. Not going to be me phoning and messing around. Not my mistake... not going to be me wasting one minute of my time to fix.
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Expatinuk seems to be a Soviet Satellite in stationary orbit over the UK
It is what it is.
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bacardiandlime
Ninja
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 3,257
That makes me more gangster than you
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« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2008, 07:40:56 AM » |
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what total morons.
And I think showing up with such a ticket wouldn't work, certainly not for an international flight these days. I recall back in the day that for domestic flights at least it didn't matter, because they didn't check id or really care anyway.
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YOU ARE NASTY
Go jump in lake!
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wegie
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« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2008, 07:46:40 AM » |
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So now they have to pay to have it re-issued. They are telling me to TRY and use the ticket with the wrong name. Like THAT'S gonna work. Say my name is: ExPat in UK ... with UK being my LAST name and my FIRST name being ExPat in.... (notice that it's a FREAKING DOUBLE name!)... they issued the ticket to: Mrs. ExPat inUK
See! It's not just the Brits who don't get it :-) |
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anon99
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« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2008, 08:11:47 AM » |
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The ticket with the mispelled name was only two months ago and they do check id. It probably wasn't a problem as it was a domestic flight. I acutally bought a ticket for my mom direct from the airline over the phone. The person messed up on the name and merged her first name and middle initial. I phoned as soon as I found out and they said it wasn't a problem. She used the ticket and had no problems checking in. Call the airline and ask, you might be surprised.
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madhatter
We proudly present the fora's Least
Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 5,673
Just killing time
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« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2008, 09:11:08 AM » |
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I acutally bought a ticket for my mom direct from the airline over the phone. The person messed up on the name and merged her first name and middle initial.
This is actually standard procedure. |
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"I may be an evil scientist, but it doesn't take a degree purchased from the Internet with your ex-wife's money to know how special and important you are to me." -- Dr. Doofenschmirtz
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euro_trash
stands with the workers of Wisconsin
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 1,653
Just toxic enough to keep you on edge
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« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2008, 10:17:35 AM » |
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You could always blame airline incompetence, there is a lot of that these days.
Of course it isn't really your problem, though.
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Euro_trash is blinded by his love for Endnote
I hate to sound like euro-trash, but
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galactic_hedgehog
Procrastinating, Python-quoting, Blue Blazer-drinking, chocolate-chip cookie-eating, Pastafarian, Not So
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 18,564
Mind Ninja
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« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2008, 10:36:24 AM » |
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Of course it isn't really your problem, though.
It will be, if she shows up at the airport and the say, "I'm sorry, but this isn't you."Of course, check with the airline yourself, to see if it's really a problem. Especially since "they issued the ticket to: Mrs. ExPat inUK" which is only the problem of a single space. I once had to deal with a situation like this and I was told "don't worry about it," but, of course, it was before all the inanity that we have now. |
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Your professors were probably afraid of your galactic genius and did everything they could (behind the scenes) to thwart your hedginess. Hedgie loves to read. |
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expatinuk
Has spent over 1000 pounds but now holds a Brit passport!
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,653
From SC living in UK
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« Reply #9 on: June 14, 2008, 10:41:23 AM » |
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Oh... I have telephoned the airline. I cannot do a thing about this. The only one who can change it is the issuing travel agent. And, yes, it is a major problem. This flight involves three changes of planes. There is no way in hell I want to be stuck in Munich or Budapest PRIOR to getting to where I'm supposed to go.
What's annoying as heck is that the admin assit was TOLD over and over what my name was.... and she still got it wrong.
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Expatinuk seems to be a Soviet Satellite in stationary orbit over the UK
It is what it is.
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tee_bee
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« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2008, 05:35:05 PM » |
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How damaging would it be to your career/reputation/whatever if you just tell the organizers in E Europe "hey, if YOU cannot get this changed, I cannot come to the meeting."
While your at it, can you change the time of the flight? If they paid $1500 for the ticket, to fly from the UK to E. Europe, it's hard to believe this is an economy class ticket (of course, European airlines might actually charge what it costs to fly people around).
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euro_trash
stands with the workers of Wisconsin
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 1,653
Just toxic enough to keep you on edge
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« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2008, 06:10:55 PM » |
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Considering the financial state of Eastern European universities, it would be almost unethical to back out. Certainly one should be as professional dealing with them as when dealing with Anglo-Saxon universities, no?
Universities in Eastern Europe are absolutely desperate for engagement with the West. Yes, someone screwed up. So what. Surely they are no more incompetent than other universities. If they offer to fix the problem, then what is the problem?
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Euro_trash is blinded by his love for Endnote
I hate to sound like euro-trash, but
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tee_bee
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« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2008, 10:09:32 PM » |
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If they offer to fix the problem, then what is the problem?
Indeed. But Expat said that they wanted her to use the ticket with the wrong name. They aren't really trying to fix the problem. I certainly would make some effort to make the trip, but if the host is making no effort to correct their and/or their travel agent's error, and if the host is asking Expat to basically take a chance on the ticket working despite the increased scrutiny of these things, they aren't really trying very hard to promote engagement. There are minimum levels of professionalism that any institution can be expected to meet. |
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expatinuk
Has spent over 1000 pounds but now holds a Brit passport!
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,653
From SC living in UK
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« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2008, 01:10:01 PM » |
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I've gone to this university several times... and it always costs me money. I don't mind all the time... but this time it's just more than annoying. It's costing more money... they will not reimburse me for the drive to the airport (60 miles away) nor will they reimburse me for parking my car at the airport. They want me to go to the airport the day before I fly to pick up the ticket... that's a 3 hour round trip.
Right now I've not heard anything from them about the name being wrong on the ticket other than *I* am supposed to fix it.
Right now just with what I'm supposed to cover it's about $300 out of my pocket.
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Expatinuk seems to be a Soviet Satellite in stationary orbit over the UK
It is what it is.
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tee_bee
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« Reply #14 on: June 18, 2008, 07:28:54 PM » |
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I've gone to this university several times... and it always costs me money. I don't mind all the time... but this time it's just more than annoying. It's costing more money... they will not reimburse me for the drive to the airport (60 miles away) nor will they reimburse me for parking my car at the airport. They want me to go to the airport the day before I fly to pick up the ticket... that's a 3 hour round trip.
Right now I've not heard anything from them about the name being wrong on the ticket other than *I* am supposed to fix it.
Right now just with what I'm supposed to cover it's about $300 out of my pocket.
Methinks that if your career will not greatly suffer from not making the trip this time, you should let them know that their response is unprofessional and unhelpful, and you will not be making the trip. They can then decide if your presence is important to them--that is, important enough for them to do their job in the first place. Sounds like they're being managed by American undergraduates....:( |
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