"Reservation/Ticket by 15Oct" ?
Oct 14, 2000, 12:48 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: HKG/SFO
Programs: CX GR; AA Life GLD, EXP; SPG Life GLD, PLT
Posts: 1,050
"Reservation/Ticket by 15Oct" ?
Please kindly excuse my personal and silly questions since involving both a lot of money and miles (at my situation): Thanks!
When I book my thanksgiving trip (2 weeks ago?), the agent told me I must ticket my itn by certain date to maintain the fare. I hurry and keep calling my friend to confirm and finally done. BUT now the same date same fare still available! Why airlines need to set that "deadline" to "scare" us?
The same situation appears. I maintain reservation at BA ($500) and AA ($1100) for my christmas trip, both say must ticket by 15OCt (BUT the fare code said "7 days before departure). But an AA resvation agent "unclearly" told me there would be a cheap fare for AA after Oct16!!!
If I wait... BA's fare may jump up, if I go for BA, then I will lose nearly 30K AA miles.
Confused situation.
When I book my thanksgiving trip (2 weeks ago?), the agent told me I must ticket my itn by certain date to maintain the fare. I hurry and keep calling my friend to confirm and finally done. BUT now the same date same fare still available! Why airlines need to set that "deadline" to "scare" us?
The same situation appears. I maintain reservation at BA ($500) and AA ($1100) for my christmas trip, both say must ticket by 15OCt (BUT the fare code said "7 days before departure). But an AA resvation agent "unclearly" told me there would be a cheap fare for AA after Oct16!!!
If I wait... BA's fare may jump up, if I go for BA, then I will lose nearly 30K AA miles.
Confused situation.
Oct 14, 2000, 11:36 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA USA
Programs: AA, UA, WN, HH, Marriott
Posts: 7,290
Welcome to the ridiculous world of airline fares!! You are absolutely correct about the frustrating nature of the situation. Airlines often institute a fare sale with a ticketing deadline. Sometimes they keep the deadline, sometimes they extend it - and no one knows (probably even the airline officials themselves) whether it will be extended or not until the last minute. Sometimes, if a sale is scheduled to end on Friday, the fares go up on Saturday and Sunday, and then the sale is reinstituted on Monday.
If one could predict the whimsical nature of this situation, one could make a fortune in airline "futures". I wish I had a good suggestion. The only thing I can say is that if you buy a ticket and then the fare goes down, most of the time the airline will give you a voucher for the difference that you can use on a future flight.
If one could predict the whimsical nature of this situation, one could make a fortune in airline "futures". I wish I had a good suggestion. The only thing I can say is that if you buy a ticket and then the fare goes down, most of the time the airline will give you a voucher for the difference that you can use on a future flight.
Oct 14, 2000, 2:02 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: HKG/SFO
Programs: CX GR; AA Life GLD, EXP; SPG Life GLD, PLT
Posts: 1,050
After discovering that more websites no longer offer that "v"class cheap BA fare, I decided to go for BA and abort the miles.
The 20Dec flight "seems" seriouly oversold since websits mentioned "no seat map" (2 days before still have "1" seat in coach.
I also get a 15% off offer from expedia.com for BA flights so total $430 for Wed departure and Sun return. Not bad !
AA...I will catch my bonus back...sometimes.
The 20Dec flight "seems" seriouly oversold since websits mentioned "no seat map" (2 days before still have "1" seat in coach.
I also get a 15% off offer from expedia.com for BA flights so total $430 for Wed departure and Sun return. Not bad !
AA...I will catch my bonus back...sometimes.