Qatar it is...
My flight arrangements were such a pain in the head.
I had asked the agents the previous day if I could confirm my ticket the next day (which was today), and they said it was fine. So I called my travel agent in Leicester today (Choisewise) to see if she's got anything up for me. Unfortunately she hasn't so I proceeded to pay for my ticket with RexAir. Unfortunately, Rex called back to say my ticket payment had to be completed "yesterday", and they had to check with the airline to see if they could book it for me today. Then after a while she said it was all right, but there was a problem with my Switch card! I was working (giving out flyers) but I thought I could make a quick check with the bank on campus to see if my card was working. Strangely enough, it was, and I called the agent back to try again. That didn't work, and my Switch card might be suspended if they did a 3rd transaction whicih came out to be "not authorised". So I called Phone Banking and they did a check for me on the card again. After a while and further probing, I was transferred to "Lost and Stolen Cards" and the lady said my card was not working anymore. I was pretty much quite baffled by then and also time was getting critical as I had to pay for my ticket on the same day.
I was in and out of the bank while supposedly hading out the Catering leaflets. Right after work at 1.30pm, I grabbed a sandwich and rushed off to the Grandby Street branch, trying to speak to "someone senior" who could be of assistance. I was penned in for an appointment, but as we all know, the wait is bound to be excruciating. I could pay for my ticket in cash, but Rex was in London (Piccadilly) and if I was to go over it had to be very soon. I could make it there by 5 if I took a train to London at around 3pm, I figured, and that means I had to withdraw cash. I had a feeling the appointment with the officer might not be able to solve things and so I went to the teller to ask him what my card withdrawal limits were to ensure I could take out the required amount in cash. He was nice enough to call his manager and they did a check for me, which showed that the card was not usable. Apparently they had all changed to Chip and Pin cards, and all old cards were withdrawn. I had a new card posted to my branch in March, but have never received the notification to collect it. Since it's been a long while they hahve destroyed my uncollected card. So I had to order a new card. now coming back to my more immediate problem. I could nto do a bank transfer to the agents as they wanted to see the money the same day and such a transfer could take 3 days (they don't bank with HSBC). The problem was I would leave in 3 days' time and they want to see the cash before they can issue the ticket. The manager at HSBC, Gill, suggested I offer to pay cash into Rex's account with whichever high street bank they bank with which would normally reflect the change in balances immediately. I suggested this to my travel agent who mentioned that they could not do it still (lazy buggers... why can't you just send someone to check your accounts? it's money for you, idiot). And I somehow hadn't asked a question that had been swirling in my head since morning: could I use someone else's card to pay for me? I had a Mastercard whose £500 credit limit I could I always raise by asking the bank for special dispensation, but that would mean an additional charge of £25 on my ticket which was completely irrelevant and through no fault of mine, so I was never gonna use my credit card. In the end she mentioned that I could get a friend to pay for me. Straightaway I was sorted! Stupid agent.. I grabbed Jackie who was due to leave for home that day at 6pm and we did a cash transfer from my account into his Switch account. The manager allowed me to take out whatever amount I wanted from my current account... so as we walked back to uni I gave Rex a call and used Jackie's Switch card. Finally my ticket was confirmed, and I didn't have to go to London (which was an absurd proposition too anyway).
If I didn't get this ticket there was no other for less than 600 quid (and subject to availibility too) all the way till August. So this was comparatively a good deal, especially for this time of the year. And if I couldn't pruchase this ticket on time, I would have had to take Aeroflot London-Moscow-Hongkong for £500, 23rd July (abit rushed for my host, Ho Fung). Not too bad for July, but more hassle and Hkg is supposed to be £60 to £80 cheaper to fly than Singapore.
Here are some details, assuming you are interested:
Qatar Airways London Heathrow (LRH)-Doha International-Changi Singapore(SIN)
Airbus A300 (1st time taking Airbus!!) 1050am 23/07 - 1205pm 24/07
Return SIN-Doha-LHR 22/09 0745am - 0555pm
Don't worry I will be safe. No one will bomb middle eastern carriers!
I had asked the agents the previous day if I could confirm my ticket the next day (which was today), and they said it was fine. So I called my travel agent in Leicester today (Choisewise) to see if she's got anything up for me. Unfortunately she hasn't so I proceeded to pay for my ticket with RexAir. Unfortunately, Rex called back to say my ticket payment had to be completed "yesterday", and they had to check with the airline to see if they could book it for me today. Then after a while she said it was all right, but there was a problem with my Switch card! I was working (giving out flyers) but I thought I could make a quick check with the bank on campus to see if my card was working. Strangely enough, it was, and I called the agent back to try again. That didn't work, and my Switch card might be suspended if they did a 3rd transaction whicih came out to be "not authorised". So I called Phone Banking and they did a check for me on the card again. After a while and further probing, I was transferred to "Lost and Stolen Cards" and the lady said my card was not working anymore. I was pretty much quite baffled by then and also time was getting critical as I had to pay for my ticket on the same day.
I was in and out of the bank while supposedly hading out the Catering leaflets. Right after work at 1.30pm, I grabbed a sandwich and rushed off to the Grandby Street branch, trying to speak to "someone senior" who could be of assistance. I was penned in for an appointment, but as we all know, the wait is bound to be excruciating. I could pay for my ticket in cash, but Rex was in London (Piccadilly) and if I was to go over it had to be very soon. I could make it there by 5 if I took a train to London at around 3pm, I figured, and that means I had to withdraw cash. I had a feeling the appointment with the officer might not be able to solve things and so I went to the teller to ask him what my card withdrawal limits were to ensure I could take out the required amount in cash. He was nice enough to call his manager and they did a check for me, which showed that the card was not usable. Apparently they had all changed to Chip and Pin cards, and all old cards were withdrawn. I had a new card posted to my branch in March, but have never received the notification to collect it. Since it's been a long while they hahve destroyed my uncollected card. So I had to order a new card. now coming back to my more immediate problem. I could nto do a bank transfer to the agents as they wanted to see the money the same day and such a transfer could take 3 days (they don't bank with HSBC). The problem was I would leave in 3 days' time and they want to see the cash before they can issue the ticket. The manager at HSBC, Gill, suggested I offer to pay cash into Rex's account with whichever high street bank they bank with which would normally reflect the change in balances immediately. I suggested this to my travel agent who mentioned that they could not do it still (lazy buggers... why can't you just send someone to check your accounts? it's money for you, idiot). And I somehow hadn't asked a question that had been swirling in my head since morning: could I use someone else's card to pay for me? I had a Mastercard whose £500 credit limit I could I always raise by asking the bank for special dispensation, but that would mean an additional charge of £25 on my ticket which was completely irrelevant and through no fault of mine, so I was never gonna use my credit card. In the end she mentioned that I could get a friend to pay for me. Straightaway I was sorted! Stupid agent.. I grabbed Jackie who was due to leave for home that day at 6pm and we did a cash transfer from my account into his Switch account. The manager allowed me to take out whatever amount I wanted from my current account... so as we walked back to uni I gave Rex a call and used Jackie's Switch card. Finally my ticket was confirmed, and I didn't have to go to London (which was an absurd proposition too anyway).
If I didn't get this ticket there was no other for less than 600 quid (and subject to availibility too) all the way till August. So this was comparatively a good deal, especially for this time of the year. And if I couldn't pruchase this ticket on time, I would have had to take Aeroflot London-Moscow-Hongkong for £500, 23rd July (abit rushed for my host, Ho Fung). Not too bad for July, but more hassle and Hkg is supposed to be £60 to £80 cheaper to fly than Singapore.
Here are some details, assuming you are interested:
Qatar Airways London Heathrow (LRH)-Doha International-Changi Singapore(SIN)
Airbus A300 (1st time taking Airbus!!) 1050am 23/07 - 1205pm 24/07
Return SIN-Doha-LHR 22/09 0745am - 0555pm
Don't worry I will be safe. No one will bomb middle eastern carriers!
posted by cheez~ at
1:14 pm
1 Comments:
Oh Qatar! My mom was going to work for Qatar... but in the end she didn't. :P Have a safe trip back... and I won't be there to pick you up. Tuition. Understandable, yes?
By
Hoshi, at 7:16 am
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