Manage My Booking

Saturday afternoon

My cancellation text tells me to try www.ba.com to reschedule my flight.

So I do. I open my booking email and click on 'Manage My Booking'. It has always been such a lovely experience clicking on this button beforehand. Through 'Manage My Booking' you can do things like enter your passport details months in advance so you can excited about your trip. You can be tantalised with offers to upgrade which you can whimsically toy with. You can select your own seat and move yourself around the aeroplane. You can check in early for flights. 'Manage My Booking' for me had been a world of fun.

Fun no more.

Sure enough, my flight is indeed cancelled. There can be no quibbling. There is a big sign saying so and a button I have never seen before inviting me to reschedule my flight.

So I try to.

The earliest flight home with spaces was Wednesday... OK. Deep breath. There are worse things than four more days in Sydney. I go to book the flight. The 'confirm changes' button however takes me to a screen telling me it is not possible to confirm the changes. Would I like to start again? I decide that I would like to start again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
10 minutes of frustration later and then a funny thing happens.

The Wednesday flight is no longer available to book onto because it is now full. I try to re-book onto Thursday's flight. 'It is not possible to complete my request'. 5 minutes later and Thursday is no longer available as an option either.

So I try a new route. I try and buy a new ticket. And sure enough. For £1000 I can buy a one way ticket to London on the flights that I cannot transfer my cancelled ticket onto.

So I try a new route. I try to call BA's Sydney ticket office. "The number you are trying has been disconnected. The number you are trying has been disconnected". Clearly I have dialled a wrong number. So I try again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
I have not dialled a wrong number. BA have disconnected their number.

So BA have closed all forms of communication and are profiteering.

I do the only sensible thing I can think of. I realise I haven't eaten since 6am so I go for lunch and an ice cream at Circular Quay.