Final Edit
- Thank you everyone for your advice! Consensus seems to be that I should deal with Webjet, and that a chargeback is probably the best way forward and let them sort it out. Alternatively I could hit up a few ombudsman type places if the chargeback isn't an option.
more details
- the flight was sold as one e-ticket to me
- it was 90 mins transfer time, sorry - the half hour reflects the time I'd need to get to the other terminal since I'd need to check in baggage with one hour till the flight.
- Icelandair hold the technical blame, since they should have checked the baggage in all the way through as per the ticket conditions.
- Icelandair are code share for Etihad, I didnt book a seperate flight with them
When you book through a consolidator like Webjet or Expedia, and something goes wrong with the provider - who is to blame?
In true OzBargain spirit, I was seduced with cheap flights through Webjet .
In non OzBargain spirit, I booked those flights to Iceland, where prices remind me of cinema popcorn costs. Lovely views though.
I missed my connector flight because the airline didn't check my baggage all the way through to the final destination.
The flights on the way back were Keflavik to Heathrow (via IcelandAir), and then Heathrow through Abu Dhabi to Sydney (via Etihad).
- On the initial leg, IcelandAir claimed (wrongly) that they couldn't check my luggage through the final destination since the connecting flights weren't on the same e-ticket. This meant I'd have to clear customs, wait for baggage, change terminals, check back in, clear security all within half an hour which clearly isn't possible in an airport like Heathrow so I missed the flight and had to book new ones to get home.
Etihad claim it's not their fault since from their side the tickets were issued correctly.
IcelandAir say that the tickets weren't correct so it's Etihad's problem. Webjet, who I paid the money to - claim it's Etihad's fault.
None of them want to give me a refund.
So i'm turning to trusty OzBargain professionals for advice - what should I do?
Bikies? Ombudsbikies? Chargebackbikies?
Technically Iceland Air is to blame. They should have checked through your baggage. On their website Etihad is listed as an interline partner (means they can check through baggage) https://pixels.icelandair.com/booking/codesharebaggage.html?…
However, Etihad and Iceland Air do NOT codeshare. This means that the agent in KEF would not have been able to issue your boarding passes.
Here's what should have happened:
1) Check-in at KEF, agent checks in your luggage all the way through to SYD as per the interline agreement they have in place. Some staff are not aware of how interlining works so you might need to ask for a senior staff member to help them.
2) When you arrive in LHR you would have had to go to the Etihad Transfer desk. Here you would provide them with your luggage ticket and they would issue you the boarding passes for the Eithad operated flight. You would continue through the transfer process and make your flight in time.
Who's to blame? Since it's not the most straightforward process you should have really stood your ground in Iceland and probably researched the interline rules before arriving at the airport. Since you accepted that they only check your bags through until LHR, they will simply put the blame on you even though Iceland Air staff are to blame (probably for their inexperience).