I tried to get multisegment on Travelocity, but it never worked. After Izzik posted to try cheaptickets.com, I went there, and just used point to point, and just chose whatever routing looked best.

I do have the paper tickets in hand, even though they tried to cancel one of the deliveries. My UPS driver says, "Hey, I just got a note that you wanted to cancel one of these". I said, "Nope, I'll take them both". :)
:) I bet you were relieved. Doesn't paper in hand count more??

Am I the 2000th poster?!?! Sweet!

Orbitz just cxl-ed mine on their site. I finally broke down and called them. They said the word just came down (4:00 PM EST-ish) that AZ will not honor any of these. Period. I think that's why travelocity users are seeing these at the same time. I told the CSR that my "friend" had his reinstated and they said it will be axed too. FYI - he said Orbitz booked 500 seats on this itin (people were speculating early on in this thread how many booked it). So maybe a few thousand? Who knows.Is there some reason the fat cats (Travelocity, Orbitz, CT, etc.) don't have enough clout to push this one through? AZ blew it. They entered into a contract to transport hundreds/thousands of OLTA customers. Yeah, they should've hired someone who wasn't stoned to enter the fares, but whoever entered them is the at-fault party here and at the very least, the US TA's should get that. Either force them to honor the tickets they have mailed out or stop selling tickets on their behalf. It's not like AZ is cleaning up through business on its own website -- it depends on the popular engines for revenue.

What incentive is there to book through these sites if you can't depend on their customer advocacy? Fiji was a great demonstration of CA, but this is an example of the opposite of CA.

I tried to get multisegment on Travelocity, but it never worked. After Izzik posted to try cheaptickets.com, I went there, and just used point to point, and just chose whatever routing looked best.

I do have the paper tickets in hand, even though they tried to cancel one of the deliveries. My UPS driver says, "Hey, I just got a note that you wanted to cancel one of these". I said, "Nope, I'll take them both". :)

Yeah, my CheapTickets UPS 2-day tracking says there is a 'return to sender'. I hope I have the same luck as you with my driver tomorrow (for whatever it might be worth to have the paper, in hand)!

They said the word just came down (4:00 PM EST-ish) that AZ will not honor any of these. Period.


OK...well at least we know now,,,I think :mad: :confused: :td:

2:00 hours (same for DL to AF*/DL - both AZ and AF depart out of terminal 1)

I should have been more specific - both flights are operated by Delta, with the JFK-FCO flight carrying an Az code but operated by DL.

I did notice that Expedia sells it as valid when its under native DL code - I realize though that the AZ code might throw it off...

I was in the same boat as many... Confirmed flight but not ticketed. My flight was just canceled around 4:15pm.

After the flight was canceled I broke down and called Orbitz. Everyone there must be getting beat up because the supervisor I spoke with was very defensive on the phone. Without much discussion he basically told me that Alitalia has refused to honor the tickets and is refunding everyone. At this point Orbitz is not doing anything about it.

He said my two courses of action were to take it up with Alitalia or to contact Orbitz corporate office. I think I'll be contacted Orbitz corporate. Maybe they can bully Alitalia into honoring the fare.

Here's the Orbitz corporate address for anyone interested.

Office of the President
200 S. Wacker Drive
Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60606


On a seperate note... Just a little rant after following this thread beyond the 2000th post...

I'm willing to pester Orbitz and Alitalia with phone calls and letters to have them honor the fare, however it seems like some people are taking this a bit far. Put yourself in Orbitz or Alitalia's shoes. Are you telling me you would honor an obvious fare mistake and lose potentially millions of dollars. I doubt it...

I should have been more specific - both flights are operated by Delta, with the JFK-FCO flight carrying an Az code but operated by DL.

I did notice that Expedia sells it as valid when its under native DL code - I realize though that the AZ code might throw it off...

DL op to DL op is 1:10.

I had two reservations cancelled by Orbitz. Just telephoned Orbitz and the agent advised that AlItalia cancelled the reservations and Orbitz are still trying to resolve the issues with them. Agent added that they expect to resolve this in the next two hours and requested that I call back then.

Agent added that they expect to resolve this in the next two hours Call me skeptical. Do you know what time it is in MXP? :confused: :eek: :o

I had two reservations cancelled by Orbitz. Just telephoned Orbitz and the agent advised that AlItalia cancelled the reservations and Orbitz are still trying to resolve the issues with them. Agent added that they expect to resolve this in the next two hours and requested that I call back then.

Orbitz has seriously got to send an email out to their reservation agents on this one and try to coordinate responses/policy. This whole situation is making them look terrible.

I had two reservations cancelled by Orbitz. Just telephoned Orbitz and the agent advised that AlItalia cancelled the reservations and Orbitz are still trying to resolve the issues with them. Agent added that they expect to resolve this in the next two hours and requested that I call back then.

She probably just hasn't gotten the above message yet. If they really do cancel, I think I will sue both AZ and Orbitz in state court here in TN. If their legal department is wise, they'll probably just phone and offer to "settle" by letting me fly. Time to look up filing fees.

Call me skeptical. Do you know what time it is in MXP?

I doubt anyone is getting much sleep over there!

She probably just hasn't gotten the above message yet. If they really do cancel, I think I will sue both AZ and Orbitz in state court here in TN. If their legal department is wise, they'll probably just phone and offer to "settle" by letting me fly. Time to look up filing fees.


Honestly, if you didn't have ticket numbers issued for your ticket you are facing an uphill battle. Just remember. "Fares are not guaranteed until Ticketed"

My res and ticket nos. are still intact; I think I might make a nonrefundable hotel booking (using Orbitz of course) for Larnaca and tie it to the itinerary. Hmmm. Do I feel lucky?

Just clarify about the ACCURATE 'opportunity cost' vs. hard cost' to AZ.

They only sold D inventory which is likely 2 seats, maybe up to 4 seats max per flight. Now spread those 2-4 seats over AZ flights from YYZ, ORD, IAD, JFK and EWR. However many tickets were sold in D, will only marginally dilute the ability of AZ to sell more J seats. FT might have maxed AZ out of D inventory, but certainly not out of the other J fare buckets.

Further, for those of us who booked during non-peak season (say after August), then there is less likelihood that AZ's J cabins are full in any event, so there's no real hard cost.

Some intriguing middle ground might be getting AZ to agree to a guaranteed/no hassle reinstatement of YYZ-LCA tickets with the proviso that we travel outside of certain 'peak' time periods (May-Aug; Xmas vacation;etc.). I'm happy to scratch their back if they'll keep scratching mine!!!!

Am I the 2000th poster?!?! Sweet!

Orbitz just cxl-ed mine on their site. I finally broke down and called them. They said the word just came down (4:00 PM EST-ish) that AZ will not honor any of these. Period. I think that's why travelocity users are seeing these at the same time. I told the CSR that my "friend" had his reinstated and they said it will be axed too. FYI - he said Orbitz booked 500 seats on this itin (people were speculating early on in this thread how many booked it). So maybe a few thousand? Who knows.


The word "came down"? with Charlton Heston? on stone tablets?

There is nothing like a press release on the alitalia website.

mama mia!
i'm so exhausted
several hours on the phone with orbitz

they reinstated my reservation earlier today but the return city was Boston
now they are saying AZ changed my return flight to arrive in Toronto (on the different day) that just happened 15 minutes ago, but the information in the Orbitz system will not be updated (yet?)

now orbitz shows my reservation as not cancelled, still showing Boston return, I have ticket numbers, but no paper tickets, virtuallythere and other sites do not show my reservation

I had reservations, no tickets #, showed up as cancelled this afternoon. I called Orbitz and was told to call back after 10pm CST to find out if I can receive any compensation for the cancelled reservation. The CSR said that AZ was going to inform Orbitz before 10pm CST of what they were going to do. Anyone else get that story as well?

Rob

Honestly, if you didn't have ticket numbers issued for your ticket you are facing an uphill battle. Just remember. "Fares are not guaranteed until Ticketed"

I have ticket numbers, a confirmation e-mail, and the Orbitz Travel Document, plus a UPS Shipping Number that shows the billing information was received, but that the shipment never left Mankato, MN.

Honestly, if you didn't have ticket numbers issued for your ticket you are facing an uphill battle. Just remember. "Fares are not guaranteed until Ticketed"With AZ, fares are not guaranteed once ticketed.

...Either force them to honor the tickets they have mailed out or stop selling tickets on their behalf.

That will never happen. Any offer to accept these tickets will be made a gesture of goodwill. AZ could care less about US contract law. Orbitz et al will not refuse to do business with them over their refusal to honor a mistake fare. AZ could care less if any of us refuse to do business with them.

I'm sure their initial discussion was an offer to honor the tickets if it was a small number. Given the sheer number of reservations I'm sure they found, they decided to just say 'no' and let the chips fall where they may.

I would be equally upset if my tickets were cancelled (right now I'm more peeved at orbitz for crashing during my transactions and showing availability that didn't exist) - but if you were AZ, what would you do?

Honestly, if you didn't have ticket numbers issued for your ticket you are facing an uphill battle. Just remember. "Fares are not guaranteed until Ticketed"


Nothing in my confirmation email (which I have printed) said that. In fact, it said "your flight is confirmed."

OK...well at least we know now,,,I think :mad: :confused: :td:

I don't think so. Posts such as the one to which you replied do more harm than good because they don't state whether the customer ever had a ticket number. An Orbitz agent telling someone who never had a ticket number that all tickets will be cancelled is just trying to get them off the phone ASAP. If they agent said that some tickets would likely be honored, just not the caller's, the caller would not hang up.

mama mia!
FYI,it's mamma mia!:D

I want my tickets!!!!!!

FYI,it's mamma mia!:D

whatever! i want my tickets too.
maybe if my reservation won't be cancelled until thenm i should call later tonight to make sure the new tickets are being sent out, because now I have the different return date and they should send new tickets.

I had reservations, no tickets #, showed up as cancelled this afternoon. I called Orbitz and was told to call back after 10pm CST to find out if I can receive any compensation for the cancelled reservation. The CSR said that AZ was going to inform Orbitz before 10pm CST of what they were going to do. Anyone else get that story as well?

Rob

I find it hard to believe that the final word is going to come down from AZ in Milan, or even NY, at 10 PM. I think AZ has already made up its mind, and the Orbitz legal team has requested until 10 PM to finish researching the case law, and prepare the memo. Then Orbitz will decide what it can really do, and what position it should take with AZ. All pure speculation, of course, but what else do we have?!

Just clarify about the ACCURATE 'opportunity cost' vs. hard cost' to AZ.

They only sold D inventory which is likely 2 seats, maybe up to 4 seats max per flight. Now spread those 2-4 seats over AZ flights from YYZ, ORD, IAD, JFK and EWR. However many tickets were sold in D, will only marginally dilute the ability of AZ to sell more J seats. FT might have maxed AZ out of D inventory, but certainly not out of the other J fare buckets.

Further, for those of us who booked during non-peak season (say after August), then there is less likelihood that AZ's J cabins are full in any event, so there's no real hard cost.

Some intriguing middle ground might be getting AZ to agree to a guaranteed/no hassle reinstatement of YYZ-LCA tickets with the proviso that we travel outside of certain 'peak' time periods (May-Aug; Xmas vacation;etc.). I'm happy to scratch their back if they'll keep scratching mine!!!!

The peak travel times for J and Y on TATL are virtual polar opposites - summer is peak time for coach, but the off-peak season for business class. Conversely the fall and winter months are off-peak for coach, but peak time for premium travel. The numerous business class summer TATL sales bear witness to this.

Honestly, if you didn't have ticket numbers issued for your ticket you are facing an uphill battle. Just remember. "Fares are not guaranteed until Ticketed"

But what about those who were ticketed, confirmed, charged and sent tickets and whose reservations are still active 36 hours later? ( I booked in the early hours on Wed morning) No reason to believe anything is wrong as no official word from anyone and all good on website. Hotel reservations are already made (no jokes) and plans to go to YYZ already in place.

Basic Question: What is the “statute of limitations” after which an airline cannot just simply cancel your reservation w/o some compensation? We as purchasers normally have 24 hours so what about the airlines? Can they just cancel a week down the line, a month?? If there was a mistake in pricing, shouldn’t they catch it in a reasonable time frame and inform the traveler?

I had reservations, no tickets #, showed up as cancelled this afternoon. I called Orbitz and was told to call back after 10pm CST to find out if I can receive any compensation for the cancelled reservation. The CSR said that AZ was going to inform Orbitz before 10pm CST of what they were going to do. Anyone else get that story as well?

Rob


Unfortunately, we have gotten that story and about 10 others!

It may well be true that "fares are not guaranteed until ticketed", but that is not what a lot of airlines say on their websites. Here is the line from NW's booking page, "Fares and availability are not guaranteed until purchase.". I think it is clear that purchases ocurred (I have a 600 dollar charge on my credit card)

AZ Headquarters are in Rome and not Milan,close to FCO.I'm sure that Orbitz,travelocity and chaptickets are over the phone with AZ as of now.No one is sleeping at AZ,I'm sure,even though the losses will not be as many as previously posted.Many of those seats would have gone unsold anyway.

:) I bet you were relieved. Doesn't paper in hand count more??

A bird (or 4) in the hand beats 2 in the bush. :)

It may well be true that "fares are not guaranteed until ticketed", but that is not what a lot of airlines say on their websites. Here is the line from NW's booking page, "Fares and availability are not guaranteed until purchase.". I think it is clear that purchases ocurred (I have a 600 dollar charge on my credit card)

It really doesn't matter what is said on an airline website, it matters what legall terms are used in the carriers Contract of Carriage. Indeed NW for one has a specific policy about misfiled fares in their contract of carriage:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363676

I do not know for a fact, however, whether all airlines, including AZ in this case, have updated their own contracts of carriage to mirror NW's.

I find it hard to believe that the final word is going to come down from AZ in Milan, or even NY, at 10 PM. I think AZ has already made up its mind, and the Orbitz legal team has requested until 10 PM to finish researching the case law, and prepare the memo. Then Orbitz will decide what it can really do, and what position it should take with AZ. All pure speculation, of course, but what else do we have?!

Or we could word it this way:

I think AZ has already made up its mind, and the Orbitz spinmeisters have requested until 10 PM to finish deciding how to spin this so they don't look bad, and prepare the cancellation e-mail everyone will get blaming someone else.

Edit: I really, really hope this isn't the case, but if we're speculating...

If they do honor these tickets then you really have to feel bad for the AZ frequent fliers that might have wanted to book a J class ticket to the states using miles. I bet that availability just got shot.

With AZ, fares are not guaranteed once ticketed.

Then how do they work through ATPCO?

Quick question - has anyone been cancelled yet that was ticketed for flights that did not include a domestic (US/CAN) segment? I have YYZ-MXP-FCO-LCA-MXP-YYZ. I know a lot have been cancelled with the connection but I havent heard any that did not.

It really doesn't matter what is said on an airline website, it matters what legall terms are used in the carriers Contract of Carriage. Indeed NW for one has a specific policy about misfiled fares in their contract of carriage:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363676

I do not know for a fact, however, whether all airlines, including AZ in this case, have updated their own contracts of carriage to mirror NW's.

Meh. I've traveled on a hanful of NW zero (or near zero) fares since that update.

Maybe they'll do something a-la Air Canada and honor only one of the reservations, vs. multiple ones.

Orbitz has seriously got to send an email out to their reservation agents on this one and try to coordinate responses/policy. This whole situation is making them look terrible.

Agreed. I just called back regarding my second cancellation and was given a totally different story. Second Orbitz agent tells me Alitalia cancelled my reservation, call them. This is such bull.

It really doesn't matter what is said on an airline website, it matters what legall terms are used in the carriers Contract of Carriage. Indeed NW for one has a specific policy about misfiled fares in their contract of carriage:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363676

I do not know for a fact, however, whether all airlines, including AZ in this case, have updated their own contracts of carriage to mirror NW's.

I have read AZ's Conditions of Carriage and I see nothing about misfiled fares. Someone please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I think either AZ or Orbitz is on the hook for any reservations that had a valid reservation code.

If they do honor these tickets then you really have to feel bad for the AZ frequent fliers that might have wanted to book a J class ticket to the states using miles. I bet that availability just got shot.

Do you know what fare class their upgrades go into? If not D, then what's the concern?

I don't feel too bad. I have difficulty getting award inventory on AZ when using my NW miles from time to time. Ebb and flow. ;)

Or we could word it this way:

I think AZ has already made up its mind, and the Orbitz spinmeisters have requested until 10 PM to finish deciding how to spin this so they don't look bad, and prepare the cancellation e-mail everyone will get blaming someone else.

Edit: I really, really hope this isn't the case, but if we're speculating...

Probably the most realistic outcome. Can you tell I'm making my expectations really low, saving energy in case of that slight chance the tix get honored, so that I can partake in the euphoria allover again?

They are actually having a meeting in their conference room, with this FT thread on the overhead projector and refreshed every 60 seconds :D

AZ Headquarters are in Rome and not Milan,close to FCO.I'm sure that Orbitz,travelocity and chaptickets are over the phone with AZ as of now.No one is sleeping at AZ,I'm sure,even though the losses will not be as many as previously posted.Many of those seats would have gone unsold anyway.

I had 2 reservations.

1 was cancelled, and the other one is still available.

:D

We'll see what happens.

I have read AZ's Conditions of Carriage and I see nothing about misfiled fares. Someone please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I think either AZ or Orbitz is on the hook for any reservations that had a valid reservation code.

It's the airline not Orbitz.

Yeah, my CheapTickets UPS 2-day tracking says there is a 'return to sender'. I hope I have the same luck as you with my driver tomorrow (for whatever it might be worth to have the paper, in hand)!

This is why I pointed out that it was worth it to pay the extra $5 to Cheaptickets to get next day delivery. In the long run, I don't know that it will help, but they certainly can't say it's a mistake, as I have paper tickets...

Probably because not many reserved such an itinerary ...

Quick question - has anyone been cancelled yet that was ticketed for flights that did not include a domestic (US/CAN) segment? I have YYZ-MXP-FCO-LCA-MXP-YYZ. I know a lot have been cancelled with the connection but I havent heard any that did not.

UPDATE

I spoke directly with a Ticketing Desk Supervisor(!) a few moments ago, and here is where it stands:

Orbitz and Alitalia had intially planned to offer the three choices outlined previously to all affected customers, but AZ has backed away from this in light of the number of bookings involved. The companies have NOT reached a conclusion on the final disposition of the records, with bookings going into a kind of "stasis" (i.e., cancelled but with flight history, billing, shipping & other info. still intact in the PNR) until something is worked out. Orbitz is apparently fighting and screaming hard on this one, because it is apparently the largest "incident" of its kind that the company has faced to date, and it is realized that repercussions may ensue if most customers end up displeased from this experience. Alitalia continues to maintain that it is an invalid fare and thus never eligible for booking; Orbitz maintains that AZ sold the fares via it and other websites for over 12 hours without filing any amendments or sending messages to Orbitz.

As customers, we have been asked to remain patient while Orbitz continues "negotiations" with Alitalia, with a resolution possibly coming tonight, or perhaps by Monday at the latest. I would heed this advice to the letter, unless you are seeking a courtesy cancel/refund of your itinerary.

Sorry to be the bearer of more indecision, but such is where the process stands right now.

They are actually having a meeting in their conference room, with this FT thread on the overhead projector and refreshed every 60 seconds :D

*waves*

They are actually having a meeting in their conference room, with this FT thread on the overhead projector and refreshed every 60 seconds :D

Hehehe...that was worthy of a belly laugh:) Thanks for making me smile.

And just in case...

Hey...YOU! Yes YOU, there at AZ Mission Control! Honor these fares! Thanks!

AZ's own US-based reservations personnel is currently claiming that they did not intentionally cancel the bookings, and that the bookings were cancelled by the system in error. They also believe that, therefore, the reservations should be re-instated/reprotected onto different flights, as if this was a routine schedule change...

Travelocity US, IN-based supervisors are also not aware of this issue and beleive that the PNRs were cancelled due to a schedule change, and will be reinstated.

Probably because not many reserved such an itinerary ...
I have simple RT tix for 3 PAX, YYZ-LCA-YYZ (via MXP both ways). My tix were cancelled sometime this morning.
--
13F

They are actually having a meeting in their conference room, with this FT thread on the overhead projector and refreshed every 60 seconds :D

At least I'm not the only one. :)

AZ's own US-based reservations personnel is currently claiming that they did not intentionally cancel the bookings, and that the bookings were cancelled by the system in error. They also believe that, therefore, the reservations should be re-instated/reprotected onto different flights, as if this was a routine schedule change...

Travelocity US, IN-based supervisors are also not aware of this issue and beleive that the PNRs were cancelled due to a schedule change, and will be reinstated.


Source? That sounds intriguing...! :D

AZ's own US-based reservations personnel is currently claiming that they did not intentionally cancel the bookings, and that the bookings were cancelled by the system in error. They also believe that, therefore, the reservations should be re-instated/reprotected onto different flights, as if this was a routine schedule change...

Travelocity US, IN-based supervisors are also not aware of this issue and beleive that the PNRs were cancelled due to a schedule change, and will be reinstated.

AZ has US-based phone reps? Who knew - I always seem to get connected to the Res Desk in Palermo.

UPDATE

I spoke directly with a Ticketing Desk Supervisor(!) a few moments ago, and here is where it stands:

Orbitz and Alitalia had intially planned to offer the three choices outlined previously to all affected customers, but AZ has backed away from this in light of the number of bookings involved. The companies have NOT reached a conclusion on the final disposition of the records, with bookings going into a kind of "stasis" (i.e., cancelled but with flight history, billing, shipping & other info. still intact in the PNR) until something is worked out. Orbitz is apparently fighting and screaming hard on this one, because it is apparently the largest "incident" of its kind that the company has faced to date, and it is realized that repercussions may ensue if most customers end up displeased from this experience. Alitalia continues to maintain that it is an invalid fare and thus never eligible for booking; Orbitz maintains that AZ sold the fares via it and other websites for over 12 hours without filing any amendments or sending messages to Orbitz.

As customers, we have been asked to remain patient while Orbitz continues "negotiations" with Alitalia, with a resolution possibly coming tonight, or perhaps by Monday at the latest. I would heed this advice to the letter, unless you are seeking a courtesy cancel/refund of your itinerary.

Sorry to be the bearer of more indecision, but such is where the process stands right now.


What about CT?is Orbitz working for both?no one posted after a call to CT...I'm so tempted to call,but I'm waiting.can anybody report anything from CT?thanks!

Source? That sounds intriguing...! :DI have personally spoken to 2 AZ reservations agents, and 2 Travelocity supervisors.

KVS and HeathrowGuy -- thanks for the inside scoop! Perhaps I'll have a peaceful sleep tonight afterall.
--
13F

Thanks for the update, HeathrowGuy. While in general I disagree with calling in at this point, it seems that your calls do more good than harm...which is more than I can say for most people that have been calling in all day.

UPDATE

I spoke directly with a Ticketing Desk Supervisor(!) a few moments ago, and here is where it stands:

Orbitz and Alitalia had intially planned to offer the three choices outlined previously to all affected customers, but AZ has backed away from this in light of the number of bookings involved. The companies have NOT reached a conclusion on the final disposition of the records, with bookings going into a kind of "stasis" (i.e., cancelled but with flight history, billing, shipping & other info. still intact in the PNR) until something is worked out. Orbitz is apparently fighting and screaming hard on this one, because it is apparently the largest "incident" of its kind that the company has faced to date, and it is realized that repercussions may ensue if most customers end up displeased from this experience. Alitalia continues to maintain that it is an invalid fare and thus never eligible for booking; Orbitz maintains that AZ sold the fares via it and other websites for over 12 hours without filing any amendments or sending messages to Orbitz.

As customers, we have been asked to remain patient while Orbitz continues "negotiations" with Alitalia, with a resolution possibly coming tonight, or perhaps by Monday at the latest. I would heed this advice to the letter, unless you are seeking a courtesy cancel/refund of your itinerary.

Sorry to be the bearer of more indecision, but such is where the process stands right now.
what about the active ticketed reservations, i.e. ones that were not cancelled, or which were reinstated, are they going to honor those? :rolleyes:

Maybe they'll do something a-la Air Canada and honor only one of the reservations, vs. multiple ones.

Not acceptable. :)

Lets just cool our heels for a few days and see if AZ does the right thing. Let us hope that Orbitz, Travelocity, etc are fighting hard for us. They really didn't do anything wrong. It was AZ's fault and many of us have paper tickets! Not to mention those whose tickets were cancelled AFTER 24 hours since booking...

Anyone in Chicago right now?

I work down the street from Orbitz HQ and would like to tell them a thing or two :D

Am I the only one that just got this from CT?

Dear JOELFREAK,


Your CheapTickets flight reservation could not be confirmed by Alitalia and has been cancelled. Your credit card will not be charged for this reservation.


To book an alternate flight, please return to http://www.cheaptickets.com


Thank you,
CheapTickets Customer Support
just click. you're there. (SM)
http://www.cheaptickets.com

Not acceptable. :)


True, I for one did get screwed by AC :(

Anyone in Chicago right now?

I work down the street from Orbitz HQ and would like to tell them a thing or two :D

I am literally across the street (125 S Wacker) from their office and run into thier employees all the time when going for lunch by their building. If this doesnt work out I would be more than happy to take over an enormous stack of complaint letters to them.

First let me just say thank you to so many of you for your help, explanations, and experiences in other forums. I frequently read your posts and really enjoy this community.

Now, this is ONLY for the people complaining:

There is no question that this fare was a mistake. Don't try to make this out any other way. The VERY FIRST POST in this thread suggested as much and all the ensuing confusion is the result of a mistake. No legal mumbo jumbo will make that go away. Many many many of you took advantage of a blatant mistake and then EXPECT these companies to still send you to Europe even when you KNEW this not right.

The airline industry is in enough trouble already and furthermore these websites (travelocity, orbitz, etc...) have been very helpful over the past few years.

Be happy if everything works out, but DO NOT complain if your ticket gets cancelled.

Also, that BS about how this is the time and moment the companies need to prove themselves and honor their mistakes is just garbage as well as how you'll be a new lifetime customer blah blah blah...do you think they'll read your post and then honor the ticket because you say that? The truth is that you are probably partially loyal to a website but that if an excellent deal shows up on orbitz but not your favorite travelocity, you'll go to orbitz. They should treat you well, agreed, but they need to protect themselves as well so you can keep on using their services. I don't feel sorry for anyone in this game.

Am I the only one that just got this from CT?

Dear JOELFREAK,


Your CheapTickets flight reservation could not be confirmed by Alitalia and has been cancelled. Your credit card will not be charged for this reservation.


To book an alternate flight, please return to http://www.cheaptickets.com


Thank you,
CheapTickets Customer Support
just click. you're there. (SM)
http://www.cheaptickets.com

Got it thi morning at 4.30ish am ET...I've got ticket numbers.purchased April, 5 around 11.30

CNN is covering this. ;)

Thanks for the update, HeathrowGuy. While in general I disagree with calling in at this point, it seems that your calls do more good than harm...which is more than I can say for most people that have been calling in all day.

No problem - as a result of the paranoia that has come about after years of being shafted by CSRs and mid-level supes who can't speak with authority to so much as today's weather, I make a point of only seeking assistance from those travel employees who a) are specifically tasked by their employer with knowing what I want to know, and b) can land in hot water or deep caca if they do not know what I want to know (and don't know where to look or whom to ask, either).

First let me just say thank you to so many of you for your help, explanations, and experiences in other forums. I frequently read your posts and really enjoy this community.

Now, this is ONLY for the people complaining:

There is no question that this fare was a mistake. Don't try to make this out any other way. The VERY FIRST POST in this thread suggested as much and all the ensuing confusion is the result of a mistake. No legal mumbo jumbo will make that go away. Many many many of you took advantage of a blatant mistake and then EXPECT these companies to still send you to Europe even when you KNEW this not right.

The airline industry is in enough trouble already and furthermore these websites (travelocity, orbitz, etc...) have been very helpful over the past few years.

Be happy if everything works out, but DO NOT complain if your ticket gets cancelled.

Also, that BS about how this is the time and moment the companies need to prove themselves and honor their mistakes is just garbage as well as how you'll be a new lifetime customer blah blah blah...do you think they'll read your post and then honor the ticket because you say that? The truth is that you are probably partially loyal to a website but that if an excellent deal shows up on orbitz but not your favorite travelocity, you'll go to orbitz. They should treat you well, agreed, but they need to protect themselves as well so you can keep on using their services. I don't feel sorry for anyone in this game.

Welcome to FlyerTalk. :rolleyes: Yet another reason for a minimum post requirement...

CNN put it on right now. Who is responsible here.

Alitalia says they will honor the ticket. :)

I got a PM from a reporter at a very legit national US paper...the phone # and name check out via google...any reason I shouldn't call him?

Don't worry, I understand the rules of fight club...

Welcome to Flyertalk.

First let me just say thank you to so many of you for your help, explanations, and experiences in other forums. I frequently read your posts and really enjoy this community.

Now, this is ONLY for the people complaining:

There is no question that this fare was a mistake. Don't try to make this out any other way. The VERY FIRST POST in this thread suggested as much and all the ensuing confusion is the result of a mistake. No legal mumbo jumbo will make that go away. Many many many of you took advantage of a blatant mistake and then EXPECT these companies to still send you to Europe even when you KNEW this not right.

The airline industry is in enough trouble already and furthermore these websites (travelocity, orbitz, etc...) have been very helpful over the past few years.

Be happy if everything works out, but DO NOT complain if your ticket gets cancelled.

Also, that BS about how this is the time and moment the companies need to prove themselves and honor their mistakes is just garbage as well as how you'll be a new lifetime customer blah blah blah...do you think they'll read your post and then honor the ticket because you say that? The truth is that you are probably partially loyal to a website but that if an excellent deal shows up on orbitz but not your favorite travelocity, you'll go to orbitz. They should treat you well, agreed, but they need to protect themselves as well so you can keep on using their services. I don't feel sorry for anyone in this game.

Viva Alitalia?!?!? ^^ :D

AZ has US-based phone reps? Who knew - I always seem to get connected to the Res Desk in Palermo.OK, here's more: The AZ Res Department is still not aware of this issue and everyone there says that it will be re-instated (as per my post above) -- perhaps they are in Palermo.

However, the AZ Sales Support Deparment (which is probably in the US) is now saying Scr*** You ...

UPDATE

I spoke directly with a Ticketing Desk Supervisor(!) a few moments ago, and here is where it stands:

Orbitz and Alitalia had intially planned to offer the three choices outlined previously to all affected customers, but AZ has backed away from this in light of the number of bookings involved. The companies have NOT reached a conclusion on the final disposition of the records, with bookings going into a kind of "stasis" (i.e., cancelled but with flight history, billing, shipping & other info. still intact in the PNR) until something is worked out. Orbitz is apparently fighting and screaming hard on this one, because it is apparently the largest "incident" of its kind that the company has faced to date, and it is realized that repercussions may ensue if most customers end up displeased from this experience. Alitalia continues to maintain that it is an invalid fare and thus never eligible for booking; Orbitz maintains that AZ sold the fares via it and other websites for over 12 hours without filing any amendments or sending messages to Orbitz.

As customers, we have been asked to remain patient while Orbitz continues "negotiations" with Alitalia, with a resolution possibly coming tonight, or perhaps by Monday at the latest. I would heed this advice to the letter, unless you are seeking a courtesy cancel/refund of your itinerary.

Sorry to be the bearer of more indecision, but such is where the process stands right now.

And Orbitz SHOULD be worried about repercussions if some resolution isn't reached...and soon! I know many of us will not take regular business to Orbitz in the future...but will go to Travelocity instead.

It's a well-known fact that online booking services have reputations on this board...we all know what they are. Travelocity's has (until recently) been stellar...Expedia's went south after the Osaka Hilton debacle. Sure, we'll still go to Expedia or Orbitz if there's a mistake that's only bookable there...but we won't take our other business there (which is quite substantial for most of us). Similarly, after NW made me mad, I still travel them, but only when redeeming my DL miles. I won't give them any other revenue, and the same is true for Expedia. So, Orbitz is right to take great efforts to resolve this situation fairly.

CNN put it on right now. Who is responsible here.

Alitalia says they will honor the ticket. :)

Excellent.

i can't get it to copy

No, only 2 stopovers - FCO and MXP
From FCO I can rent a car to drive to naples and back
From MXP I am getting a rail pass to travel the continent.

There is no min/max length on a stopover.
OK Now this interesting to me, because I could use a stopover. Here are two questions:
1) Does the fare really allow a stopover in MXP and/or FCO?
2) I have a ticket issued without a stopover, would I be able to change the LCA-MXP and/or the FCO-LCA dates so that I have a stopover without having to have the ticket reissued? (That is, assuming 1 is answered positively)

Quick question - has anyone been cancelled yet that was ticketed for flights that did not include a domestic (US/CAN) segment? I have YYZ-MXP-FCO-LCA-MXP-YYZ. I know a lot have been cancelled with the connection but I havent heard any that did not.

I have one flight that is all international, and the last time I checked (90 min ago) on Cheapticket.com it had evaporated. I do have the ticket in front of me, so we'll see how the AZ Olympics turn out. ;)

CNN put it on right now. Who is responsible here.

Alitalia says they will honor the ticket. :)


On the website? or on TV?

Link?

AZ has US-based phone reps? Who knew - I always seem to get connected to the Res Desk in Palermo.

They have some -- like very few :D -- but it's not them if you call the US toll-free number. Most everyone who calls up AZ gets Sicily.

Online travel agencies accidentally post Cyprus flight for less than US$40
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/06042006/2/koddities-online-travel-agencies-accidentally-post-cyprus-flight-40.html

I have one set of reservations with ticket numbers, and one that never went through. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Mr. Zhu hopes that maybe the resloution allows him to drop the LCA leg. Mr. Zhu figures that AZ would like to let us cancel that leg since its on someone elses metal......

Mr. Zhu likes to dream.

CNN is covering this. ;)

Finally! Hope it helps.

I got a PM from a reporter at a very legit national US paper...the phone # and name check out via google...any reason I shouldn't call him?

Don't worry, I understand the rules of fight club...


All Press is Good Press...

-Vincent

Good news if CNN has it's facts straight! ^

Perhaps people posting their info in their messages would help... If there is any updated info for those without ticket numbers I'd appreciate it.

Booked Orbitz, no ticket number, not shipped, canceled with no notification.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/06042006/2/koddities-online-travel-agencies-accidentally-post-cyprus-flight-40.html

(edited: I should add a big :D)

I'm not happy about this result - looks like those of us who had confirmation numbers (but the tickets were not yet issued) are out of luck. Again, I ask what does "your flight is confirmed" mean, then? :mad: :mad:

And I only bought one set of tickets.

Why is this NOT just the reverse of supply and demand? The airlines have "mistakes" all the time that RAISE the prices on airfare...then it goes back down...but they charge you to get a refund, etc...I can't understand why people believe that this is any different than going into a store, buying something, and then having the store call you and try to get you to return the goods...In ANY business that I have dealt with, if you make a mistake, you own up to it. You can't just claim that anything is a mistake that you don't like. It's not the CUSTOMERS duty to notify the VENDOR of a possible error...The Travelocity Japan issue at least has something for the vendor to stand on, as there were two prices listed...in this case they filed the fare, we all waited, and the tickets went on sale, and were on sale for 12 hours+ before they yanked the fare...its time for AZ and CT/Orbitz to own up to their 'mistakes'...

Some travel shoppers who booked around the time the error was discovered Thursday will not have been ticketed, he said.


But Alitalia is honouring "the vast majority of the tickets that were booked through Orbitz," he said.


"Alitalia has really done the stand-up thing here," he said.


Orbitz will refund those customers who paid a service fee to the website but were not ticketed.



Doesn't look good for me (never got a ticket number).

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/06042006/2/koddities-online-travel-agencies-accidentally-post-cyprus-flight-40.html

(edited: I should add a big :D)

Extract from this article:
...
Italian airline Alitalia accidentally listed the business-class flight at $39 US on a central reservation system which feeds flight information to online booking agencies, said Brian Hoyt, director of public relations for Chicago-based Orbitz. Orbitz is the third-largest online travel agency based on gross bookings.

"We're in a global world of e-commerce where we're working on virtual platforms, and there have been infrequent occasions when incorrect pricing appears online," Hoyt said.

The round-trip airfare from Toronto to Cyprus, with a stop to switch planes in Italy, was available for multiple departing dates, Hoyt said.

"When red flags were set off, we pulled the rate, we got in contact with the airline in question, we had a conversation with them about what had occurred," Hoyt said.

"What the airline agreed to do was honour all of the fares that had been ticketed through Orbitz.com."

--more--

Mr. Zhu hopes that maybe the resloution allows him to drop the LCA leg. Mr. Zhu figures that AZ would like to let us cancel that leg since its on someone elses metal......

Mr. Zhu likes to dream.

Mr. Zhu seems unreasonably worried about the Cypriot DMZ that he referenced earlier.
Mr. Zhu should realize that Cypriot DMZ doesn't equal North Korea DMZ.
Mr. Zhu should enjoy Cyprus, and stop worrying so much!

"What the airline agreed to do was honour all of the fares that had been ticketed through Orbitz.com."

I assume this means they will also honor those issued through Travelocity and Cheaptickets?

I also kinda assume that Orbitz released this just so AZ can't back out :D

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/06042006/2/koddities-online-travel-agencies-accidentally-post-cyprus-flight-40.html

(edited: I should add a big :D)

According to this article, AZ will honor the Orbitz booking (no mention of travelocity, etc). This is the stand-up thing to do, but they had no real obligation to do it.

However, with this hitting the news now in this form - if the article is 'premature' with its assessment and AZ has not yet decided on whether to honor the tickets or not, this will definately heat up the soup pot. If AZ truly plans to back out, it will look much worse for them if the media declared they would honor the tickets.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/06042006/2/koddities-online-travel-agencies-accidentally-post-cyprus-flight-40.html

I have one set of reservations with ticket numbers, and one that never went through. It will be interesting to see what happens.

(edited: I should add a big :D)

From the sounds of this, it appears that if you were given a ticket number, you'll be flying. I'm fine with that :D

I wonder what 'red flags' set it off...like their ticket printer sending out 100s of tickets between YYZ and LCA? :)

On the website? or on TV?

Link?

It was on CNN US (TV) covered by their internet reporter.

CNN put it on right now. Who is responsible here.

Alitalia says they will honor the ticket. :)

;) Lets just be glad it will work out for the majority of us...

-Vincent

It was on CNN US (TV) covered by their internet reporter.
cnn or headline news cnn?

Mr. Zhu seems unreasonably worried about the Cypriot DMZ that he referenced earlier.
Mr. Zhu should realize that Cypriot DMZ doesn't equal North Korea DMZ.
Mr. Zhu should enjoy Cyprus, and stop worrying so much!

(barry) bonds on bonds = not exciting
mrzhu on mrzhu = ..... :confused:

nice. cnn on this

According to this article, AZ will honor the Orbitz booking (no mention of travelocity, etc). This is the stand-up thing to do, but they had no real obligation to do it.

However, with this hitting the news now in this form - if the article is 'premature' with its assessment and AZ has not yet decided on whether to honor the tickets or not, this will definately heat up the soup pot. If AZ truly plans to back out, it will look much worse for them if the media declared they would honor the tickets.

They'll honor it...it will be picked up by the AP, and then every small-town newspaper in the US and Canada will run it tomorrow to fill the papers. It's a done deal for those with ticket numbers (which is all we ever really expect around here anyway, right?).

Good news if CNN has it's facts straight! ^

Perhaps people posting their info in their messages would help... If there is any updated info for those without ticket numbers I'd appreciate it.

Booked Orbitz, no ticket number, not shipped, canceled with no notification.

They said those with ticket numbers will have their tickets honored while those would not were out of luck and then did a brief explanation about the difference between "ticketed" and "reserved"

From the sounds of this, it appears that if you were given a ticket number, you'll be flying. I'm fine with that :D

Probably because you have a ticket number.... :rolleyes:

"Orbitz will refund those customers who paid a service fee to the website but were not ticketed"

Mr. Zhu had not tickets numbers :(

On the bright side he can still get a refund on his flak jacket ;)

cnn or headline news cnn?

Yes, please which one?

I'm not happy about this result - looks like those of us who had confirmation numbers (but the tickets were not yet issued) are out of luck. Again, I ask what does "your flight is confirmed" mean, then? :mad: :mad:

And I only bought one set of tickets.

I keep saying. Fares are not guaranteed until ticketed.

Orbitz still hasn't got the okay to reinstate... Looks like it was a PR move to let the new outlets first know...

-Vincent

They said those with ticket numbers will have their tickets honored while those would not were out of luck and then did a brief explanation about the difference between "ticketed" and "reserved"

If they do that, then I will not book with Orbitz again. Ever. They issued a confirmation number. They said my flights were confirmed. They allowed me to select seats. They should honor the reservation.

Yes, please which one?

Regular CNN US. (Headline news annoys me. :D )

Mr. Zhu seems unreasonably worried about the Cypriot DMZ that he referenced earlier.
Mr. Zhu should realize that Cypriot DMZ doesn't equal North Korea DMZ.
Mr. Zhu should enjoy Cyprus, and stop worrying so much!


Wasn't Mr. Zhu going to get ice cream anyway? :D

I imagine there was a steep upward curve with the bookings taking off after a certain point. I would guess about 70% of the tickets were booked after 11:30 am.....

Regular CNN US. (Headline news annoys me. :D )

CNN Headline News is like the Muzak of Cable News...

-Vincent

If they do that, then I will not book with Orbitz again. Ever. They issued a confirmation number. They said my flights were confirmed. They allowed me to select seats. They should honor the reservation.

Again, it's an Alitalia issue, not an Orbitz issue - there's no question that Orbitz would be on the hook if it decided to now further ticket any bookings at this price.

I watch for ticket numbers more than confirmations when it comes to airlines. I guess that's because I've been through this before. :o

Fortunately all my reservations were ticketed ... i.e., with ticket numbers.

"Orbitz will refund those customers who paid a service fee to the website but were not ticketed"

Mr. Zhu had not tickets numbers :(

On the bright side he can still get a refund on his flak jacket ;)

Mr. Zhu now gets his wish of cancelling his MXP-LCA-MXP segments.

I am literally across the street (125 S Wacker) from their office and run into thier employees all the time when going for lunch by their building. If this doesnt work out I would be more than happy to take over an enormous stack of complaint letters to them.

Letters? How about picketing? Sounds like a fun DO to me!

Thanks for the update, HeathrowGuy. While in general I disagree with calling in at this point, it seems that your calls do more good than harm...which is more than I can say for most people that have been calling in all day.I don't know if this is entirely correct -- HeathrowGuy and KVS certainly have much better info than anyone else, but in this case, calling isn't what killed the deal. I called after getting paper tickets in hand (per FT guidance) and the rez was already gone. My call had nothing to do with the cancellation. The CSR's explanation was in line with KVS'.

I honestly think that at this point, pressure may be the best hope of accomplishing something (obviously, Orbitz already feels the pressure so the quiet approach is appropriate there). Travelocity has apparently had so little pressure (did they get that few bookings?) that they thought it was actually a flight cancellation issue. Perhaps someone needs to light the proverbial fire under their a$$. Maybe the squeaky wheel does get the grease.

I don't know who's right on this one. It's pretty much a moot point for me anyway since I'm at IAH and can't burn cell phone time bugging Travelocity.

Again, it's an Alitalia issue, not an Orbitz issue - there's no question that Orbitz would be on the hook if it decided to now further ticket any bookings at this price.

Either way, it's not the customer's fault, and Orbitz, as the agency, should fight for the customer. I called yesterday after booking, and was told by a CSR at Orbitz that the reservation was fine, and that it would be ticketed. If AZ refuses to honor it, Orbitz should stand up for the customer. If Orbitz won't do that, then I will not use them. If they WILL do that, I'll send them a lot of my business.

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

If you see a bankarmor truck with its door accidentally left open, would you walk up and grab the money? If you do take the money, you're committing a felony. Another example, if the bank ATM spits out an extra three hundres dollars on top of the amount you punched in, do you keep the money or notify the bank?

Sure... Alitalia may decide to honour the tickets, but that doesn't change the fact that you have essentially taken advantage of their unfortunate mistake.

I don't think FlyerTalk forums were created to help people find steals like this. It is even worse when thousands of fellow members who jumped on the deal without any shame and decency. What kind of message are you sending to your children?

What surprised me even more was that the moderators of the forum has done nothing... What does Mr. Randy Peterson have to say about this?

I cannot see how Alitalia could honor Orbitz-facilitate tickets yet fail to honor Travelocity-facilitated tickets. Alitalia would be stupid to try to do that.

Mr. Zhu hopes that maybe the resloution allows him to drop the LCA leg. Mr. Zhu figures that AZ would like to let us cancel that leg since its on someone elses metal......

Mr. Zhu likes to dream.

How did Mr. Zhu like the ice cream?

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

If you see a bankarmor truck with its door accidentally left open, would you walk up and grab the money? If you do take the money, you're committing a felony. Another example, if the bank ATM spits out an extra three hundres dollars on top of the amount you punched in, do you keep the money or notify the bank?

Sure... Alitalia may decide to honour the tickets, but that doesn't change the fact that you have essentially taken advantage of their unfortunate mistake.

I don't think FlyerTalk forums were created to help people find steals like this. It is even worse when thousands of fellow members who jumped on the deal without any shame and decency. What kind of message are you sending to your children?

What surprised me even more was that the moderators of the forum has done nothing... What does Mr. Randy Peterson have to say about this?

:rolleyes: Usually this post comes along much earlier in the mistake fare thread....

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

If you see a bankarmor truck with its door accidentally left open, would you walk up and grab the money? If you do take the money, you're committing a felony. Another example, if the bank ATM spits out an extra three hundres dollars on top of the amount you punched in, do you keep the money or notify the bank?

Not even close to what happened here.

I'm guessing you're not going to LCA.

Ah, it's Troll time. Are you related to Sarah?

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

Either way, it's not the customer's fault, and Orbitz, as the agency, should fight for the customer. I called yesterday after booking, and was told by a CSR at Orbitz that the reservation was fine, and that it would be ticketed. If AZ refuses to honor it, Orbitz should stand up for the customer. If Orbitz won't do that, then I will not use them. If they WILL do that, I'll send them a lot of my business.

Orbitz *IS* fighting, via the global media no less. The one thing Orbitz cannot do is force Alitalia to honor the bookings - it can kick, fuss, fight, scream, and beg, but ultimately, the final decision does rest in Alitalia's hands. Remember, Orbitz is an AGENT of Alitalia, not of the passenger.

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

If you see a bankarmor truck with its door accidentally left open, would you walk up and grab the money? If you do take the money, you're committing a felony. Another example, if the bank ATM spits out an extra three hundres dollars on top of the amount you punched in, do you keep the money or notify the bank?

Sure... Alitalia may decide to honour the tickets, but that doesn't change the fact that you have essentially taken advantage of their unfortunate mistake.

I don't think FlyerTalk forums were created to help people find steals like this. It is even worse when thousands of fellow members who jumped on the deal without any shame and decency. What kind of message are you sending to your children?

What surprised me even more was that the moderators of the forum has done nothing... What does Mr. Randy Peterson have to say about this?

Stealing = paying $185-$206? No.

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

If you see a bankarmor truck with its door accidentally left open, would you walk up and grab the money? If you do take the money, you're committing a felony. Another example, if the bank ATM spits out an extra three hundres dollars on top of the amount you punched in, do you keep the money or notify the bank?

Sure... Alitalia may decide to honour the tickets, but that doesn't change the fact that you have essentially taken advantage of their unfortunate mistake.

I don't think FlyerTalk forums were created to help people find steals like this. It is even worse when thousands of fellow members who jumped on the deal without any shame and decency. What kind of message are you sending to your children?

What surprised me even more was that the moderators of the forum has done nothing... What does Mr. Randy Peterson have to say about this?

You are trolling. Obviously you have not seen a fare mistake before. You don't like the ethics? Don't read the thread.

Welcome to FT.

for those ticketed, have a great trip(s) -- guess I missed by an hour or so.
Serves me right for not checking FT before work.

up and down, up and down... oy what a rollercoaster.

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves. Jealous? :D

You know, .... happens. Ever bought a ticket on the 1st of March instead of the 3rd of January (the US is the only country that has their dates screwed up). What does the airline say if you make a mistake?

Sorry! You have to pay a $200 fee to change the dates.

You win some, you lose some. It has to go both directions.

So take your snide comments elsewhere.

FWIW, Cendant's stock ticker is CD.

Also, that BS about how this is the time and moment the companies need to prove themselves and honor their mistakes is just garbage as well as how you'll be a new lifetime customer blah blah blah...do you think they'll read your post and then honor the ticket because you say that?I use Travelocity exclusively for accomodations, activities, and usually airfare (if I don't book it through the carrier). Why? Because with the Fiji fiasco, they proved that if they sell it, they'll at least do what they can to make sure you get it.

Nobody's talking about bailing on Travelocity (et al.) if this fare doesn't work out. Read between the lines. Everyone knows AZ screwed the pooch on this one, not Orbitz, Travelocity, etc. However, it would be extraordinary if we knew that the companies we book our travel with can be depended on to fight for us, whatever the outcome. I'm not going to bail on Travelocity if this fare doesn't go through -- I will, however, be that much more loyal to them if I know they tried to make this one work.

like some people and coupon codes?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5431075&postcount=7

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

i got ticket numbers on mine but my parents got:

"orbitzsent@etravelexperts.com
Orbitz Record Locator:


Dear Valued Orbitz Customer,

We regret to inform you that, due to limited availability, the airline
was not able to confirm the
flights you requested. Therefore, no tickets have been issued for this
trip and your credit card has
not been charged.

Situations like this are rare; however, when they do occur we attempt to
contact our customers
immediately as to avoid missing out on advance purchase opportunities.
To help you understand how this situation could occur:

Orbitz is a full service travel agency. Our advanced search engine
searches two billion fares
within seconds from over 450 airlines. Our secure on-line booking system
accesses fares and
availability from the same central reservation systems that other travel
agents and airline
reservation agents are booking from worldwide. As you can imagine, with
the extensive volume of
agents booking flights at any given time, availability for a particular
flight can be gone in an
instant. Therefore, when your ticketing request reached the airline,
availability for the flight(s) you
selected was no longer available.

The confirmation e-mail that you may have received is only an
acknowledgement that the flights
you selected for purchase have been sent to the airline for approval
prior to ticketing and does
not guarantee ticket issuance.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you
for your understanding.
We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you in the near
future.

Please click on the following link to make your new reservation
http://www.orbitz.com

Sincerely,

Orbitz Ticket Advisory Department
www.orbitz.com
Visit Planet Earth via Orbitz!"

any recourse?

Orbitz *IS* fighting, via the global media no less. The one thing Orbitz cannot do is force Alitalia to honor the bookings - it can kick, fuss, fight, scream, and beg, but ultimately, the final decision does rest in Alitalia's hands. Remember, Orbitz is an AGENT of Alitalia, not of the passenger.

Both Orbitz and Alitalia get a lot of press this way...this story will be all over the place by tomorrow, courtesy of the wire services. Same thing happened with US Airways and the ART tix. Just remember how much advertising is worth...companies pay over $1 million for a 30-second spot during the Superbowl and the Oscars. Alitalia and Orbitz will have their name seen by millions tomorrow over breakfast, and I'm sure it will spawn conversations about an airline and a booking service many ordinary people never knew existed!

those people who took advantage of this are no better than thieves.

If you see a bankarmor truck with its door accidentally left open, would you walk up and grab the money? If you do take the money, you're committing a felony. Another example, if the bank ATM spits out an extra three hundres dollars on top of the amount you punched in, do you keep the money or notify the bank?

Sure... Alitalia may decide to honour the tickets, but that doesn't change the fact that you have essentially taken advantage of their unfortunate mistake.

I don't think FlyerTalk forums were created to help people find steals like this. It is even worse when thousands of fellow members who jumped on the deal without any shame and decency. What kind of message are you sending to your children?

What surprised me even more was that the moderators of the forum has done nothing... What does Mr. Randy Peterson have to say about this?

The reason I don't feel guilty is that my mistakes are not being forgiven by companies like Orbitz, airlines etc. and all other kinds of businesses. A small mistake could cause me thousands of dollars of loss and they don't give a damn, why should I?? I say screw corporations, they do whatever they want for the bottomline, they have no ethics but have all rights and considered a "person".

Orbitz must be anti-parent, as mine got the same e-mail. ;)

(Did you ever use those COPA certificates? :p)

i got ticket numbers on mine but my parents got...

How did Mr. Zhu like the ice cream?

He had Gellato acutally -- it seemed fitting -- his own little private trip to MXP.

He still hopes that Orbitz will give at least a credit towards a future Orbitz trip as goodwill since he is taking the summer off before grad school and has time to travel but alas no $.

Jealous? :D

You know, .... happens. Ever bought a ticket on the 1st of March instead of the 3rd of January (the US is the only country that has their dates screwed up). What does the airline say if you make a mistake?

Sorry! You have to pay a $200 fee to change the dates.

You win some, you lose some. It has to go both directions.

So take your snide comments elsewhere.


Welcome back UA 882! We missed you....

like some people and coupon codes?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5431075&postcount=7


Aha, busted. Nice work, snorkmaster. ^

Pot. Kettle. Black.

They said those with ticket numbers will have their tickets honored while those would not were out of luck and then did a brief explanation about the difference between "ticketed" and "reserved"

Orbitz need to explain why "CONFIRMED" on an itinerary combined with a charge applied to a credit card is not a confirmation of purchase.

"Book Today and Save Big" ... They probably meant 'Book Yesterday and Save Big'

http://xs75.xs.to/pics/06145/CNN_AZ.gif
http://search.cnn.com/pages/search.jsp?query=Alitalia

:D

snorkmaster and UA 882, you guys just made my day.

What surprised me even more was that the moderators of the forum has done nothing... What does Mr. Randy Peterson have to say about this?

If it's anything like fare errors of the past, neither the moderators nor Randy will say a single thing.

Mike

He had Gellato acutally

Gelato!:D

Aha, busted. Nice work, snorkmaster. ^

Pot. Kettle. Black.


Yes, that was also a situation where the company(TSI) allowed people to take advantage of their coupons. However, their store managers were the ones who showed me how to get around the "no-Bose products" restriction.

Did any Alitalia agent say it was alright to take the $42 deal? :)

Welcome back UA 882! We missed you....Suspension was pleasant, but WAY too long :D

I believe one FT-er actually booked over the phone w/ Alitalia ...

Yes, that was also a situation where the company(TSI) allowed people to take advantage of their coupons. However, their store managers were the ones who showed me how to get around the "no-Bose products" restriction.

Did any Alitalia agent say it was alright to take the $42 deal? :)

like some people and coupon codes?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5431075&postcount=7


you know what they say about those who live in glass houses :)

Super sleuth work snorkmaster

like some people and coupon codes?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5431075&postcount=7

For posterity (just in case):

The $100 (off $200) letter they sent specifically
excludes Bose products. (as well as Sony,
Sharp, Pentax, and some other name-brand items)

However, it's pretty easy to get around that restriction.
(if you know what I mean) :)

Mike

just saw the story!!!!!! ^ ^ to orbitz and AZ

However, their store managers were the ones who showed me how to get around the "no-Bose products" restriction.

Did any Alitalia agent say it was alright to take the $42 deal? :)

That's not the point. :rolleyes: Orbitz said everything was OK. Orbitz confirmed us. Orbitz issued ticket numbers. Therefore, Orbitz was saying it's OK. I don't care who decided to start cancelling people's tickets, they should be honored.

Yes, that was also a situation where the company(TSI) allowed people to take advantage of their coupons. However, their store managers were the ones who showed me how to get around the "no-Bose products" restriction.

Did any Alitalia agent say it was alright to take the $42 deal? :)

:rolleyes: And did you report the store managers that were telling their customers to violate their company's policy to their home office?

I didn't think so.

Mike

Yes, that was also a situation where the company(TSI) allowed people to take advantage of their coupons. However, their store managers were the ones who showed me how to get around the "no-Bose products" restriction.

Did any Alitalia agent say it was alright to take the $42 deal? :)


So what you are saying is that if it is the armored truck driver that is tossing the money out the back of the truck that it would be fine right?

Listen, jokes aside, your analogies did not make sense int he first place. The situation we have here is more alike to one where someone goes to a garage sale and spots say a a Picasso for a $100. They would be a mighty nice person to point it out to the owner, but they have no obligation to do so. When someone puts a price on something and get exactly what they asked for it it's not theft. Point final.

just saw the story!!!!!! ^ ^ to orbitz and AZ
???? details? :confused: :confused:

No, only 2 stopovers - FCO and MXP
From FCO I can rent a car to drive to naples and back
From MXP I am getting a rail pass to travel the continent.

There is no min/max length on a stopover.
Two questions:
1) Does the fare allow stopover without being hit by HIP?
2) Can I change my FCO-LCA or LCA-FCO dates to create a stopover without any penalty if my ticket was issued with a routing through FCO but no stopover?

???? details? :confused: :confused:


What did it say???????? :p

???? details? :confused: :confused:

oh, just the yahoo link posted earlier: here (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/06042006/2/koddities-online-travel-agencies-accidentally-post-cyprus-flight-40.html)

Two questions:
1) Does the fare allow stopover without being hit by HIP?
2) Can I change my FCO-LCA or LCA-FCO dates to create a stopover without any penalty if my ticket was issued with a routing through FCO but no stopover?


1) Yes
2) Yes

This is if they honor the rules of the tickets we purchase,d you never know, they might change the deal

It was on regular US CNN at about 5:50 PM, "Situation Room with Wolfe Blitzer".

Blitzer: With the summer vacation season nearing, how would you like a business class round trip airline ticket to Europe for $40 dollars? $40 dollars. Now hundreds of travelers are claiming they are entitled to just that, exposing some of the flaws that come with booking travel online. Our internet report Jacki Shechner is joining us with the latest. $40, not too bad...
(subtitle: Travel Trip-up)

Shechner: Not bad. $33 US dollars, $39 Canadian dollars.
(screen shot of flyertalk home page)
(sub-title, online airline booking glitch results in $2 million mistake)
There is an online comunity of people who on frequent flyer mile enthusiests, they get online and talk about these things and they are notorious for pointing out flaws in the airlines whenever they make mistakes online.
(sub-title: Roundtrip Business class tickets mistakenly sold for $39)
Well, very early Wednesday morning somebody noticed a glitch in an Alitalia flight you could go from Toronto to Cypruss via Milan for $39 Canadien dollars.

(on screen, circles $39, also shows Tacles of 193.77 and service fee of 7.00 for total price of CAD 229.77)

That translates to approxamately $33 US dollars.

(sub-title: Italian Airline will honor about 500 accidentally booked flights)

This spread fast.

(screen changes to post from 1:31 AM: Suddnely, I feel sorry for Alitalia :) )

About 500 tickets were booked on Alitalia.

(screen changes to Alitalia website homepage)

Now we spook to them today. They say they are going to honor the tickets that were booked and actually ticketed. But there is also a grey area between the time that you book and you ticket, and those are not going to be honored, but if you book through a site like Orbits they are going to refund you that booking fee.

(screen change to orbitz)

Now we also spoke to Travelocity that refered us back to Alitalia and Expedia did not return our calls. Wolfe.

Blitzer: Thanks very much for that: $33 dollars, US dollars. $39 Canadien.

I got it, I got it! Tickets just arrived this afternoon, wahoo!

Now that I feeling lucky, here's a chance to win more tickets wherever Cyprus Airways flies, in conjuction with Interncontinental Aprhodite Hills Hotel. Questions were so easy, made Northwest Airlines Worldperks University seem like Oxford in comparison.

To enter the competition simply answer the 2 questions below, complete the form and click to submit
Prize:

Return economy class tickets for 2 from any Cyprus Airways destination (nearer to the winner's home), to Cyprus
2 nights' double occupancy hotel accommodation on a Bed & Breakfast basis, for 2 at InterContinental Aphrodite Hills Resort Hotel, Paphos
The next draw will take place on 2 May 2006 Terms & Conditions

Yes, that was also a situation where the company(TSI) allowed people to take advantage of their coupons. However, their store managers were the ones who showed me how to get around the "no-Bose products" restriction.

Did any Alitalia agent say it was alright to take the $42 deal? :)

Yes. ;)

So according to the news link only reservations with ticket number will be honored? I think I just missed the cut off. What do you think the chances will be that the all the rest will be honored? I hope CNN broadcast helps us! Maybe the reporter also got in on the deal, who knows?

What surprised me even more was that the moderators of the forum has done nothing... What does Mr. Randy Peterson have to say about this?

Against my better judgement, I'm going to take the time to answer this statement. I can't answer on behalf of Mr. Randy Petersen, however, I do know that he is a very busy man who is probably busy with his many personal & professional endeavors and he probably doesn't have the time to read over 2000 posts.

As for moderator action on this thread - part of the beauty of FlyerTalk is this is a community where people share things. We are here only to moderate FlyerTalk, not to act as the ethics police. For what its worth, I booked some tickets on this fare & I don't consider myself a thief. I also will soon be booking tickets for IAD-YYT which is going to run over $1200 in coach class - and yet, I don't consider Air Canada to be a thief for charging that much of a fare for a distance that isn't all that far.

If it surprises you that the Mods haven't done anything to assist the airlines, then you probably haven't been on FlyerTalk very long. The mods are volunteers who have other jobs & responsibilities - we work long hours & spend quite a bit of personal time on FlyerTalk and get no compensation for it. We're on it because we lover FlyerTalk. Our responsibilities are towards the community of members we serve and to FlyerTalk - not to an airline who left a fare loaded with inventory available for such an extended period of time. As someone with a travel industry yield management background - I know for a fact that it only takes a few quick keystrokes to zero out inventory - sure, it would have potentially resulted in a loss of business on other routes that utilize the same fare class for that 12-20 hour period that the fare was available - but that's a risk that they need to take - it was D-class, so they could have just zeroed out the D-class availability on all dates that this fare was valid for from now through the end of their selling season until they were able to pull the fare from the system - but they didn't. They loaded a fare, which, when purchased, constituted a contract. Had they not wished to close out their transatlantic inventory, they could have zeroed out their flights from MXP/FCO to LCA which is apparently the only citypairs you have to go through to get to LCA on AZ metal - that would have reduced their exposure while still being able to sell their transatlantics - but did they? No. Therefore, although this was most likely a mistake - it was a mistake that they publically filed and set for sale - sold, and issued tickets for. The moderators, and Randy Peteresen, last time I checked, are NOT responsible for filing AZ fares...

So, hopefully that will end your surprise & any future surprises you may have.

In the meantime, I'd like to refer you to the sticky at the top of this forum - the one where it says inside that moderator actions are not to be discussed publically - if you have a problem, you're always welcome to email or PM any one of the Mileage Run mods (or even Senior Mods) or even Randy himself.

***

I think that everyone needs a bit of a time out from discussing this topic. I'm going to TEMPORARILY close this thread. PLEASE DO NOT START ANY NEW THREADS ON THE LCA FARE - IF YOU DO, YOU MAY BE GIVEN A TIMEOUT.

I'll open it up again later tonight in a few hours once everyone's cooled down a bit. I never thought I'd say this - but log off - see some daylight as opposed to a computer screen - grab a beer - whatever...come back in a few hours when its reopened...

bhatnasx
Mileage Run Moderator

************************************************** *******

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

;)

bhatnasx
Mileage Run Moderator

4 minutes & no posts??

You kicked us out for a couple of hours, what do you expect? Shall we head for 3000 posts tonight?

I think the 500 tickets may be a bit low. I think once we add Travelocity, Cheap Tickets and Orbitz together, I'd guess 800-1000.

To answer the previous questions - it appears that if you didn't get a tkt # on Orbitz, no reinstatement. I'm on the phone with them right now, but it looks bleak.

I have numbers from CT,what gives?

Has anyone had any luck with Cheap Tickets? I have conf. number and ticket #'s, but not tracking #.

Received @ 17:19 PDT

Dear Orbitz traveler,

This message concerns your recent request on Orbitz.

Due to a data-entry error by Alitalia, an inaccurate business-class fare for flights between Toronto, Canada, and Larnaca, Cyprus, was posted on several online travel sites, including Orbitz.

Your request was received after this error was detected and was in the process of being corrected. As a result your booking request was not ticketed and will not be honored by Alitalia. Orbitz is issuing a refund for the service fee, and your account should be credited within 3 to 5 business days. You were not charged for the flight by Alitalia.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Please visit Orbitz at www.orbitz.com if you want to make a new reservation.

We look forward to serving all your future travel needs.

The OrbitzTLC Team

You kicked us out for a couple of hours, what do you expect? Shall we head for 3000 posts tonight?

I think the 500 tickets may be a bit low. I think once we add Travelocity, Cheap Tickets and Orbitz together, I'd guess 800-1000.

Touche ;) - 3000 shouldn't be a problem - it's only 8:45 here on the east coast!

500 tickets is pretty low, IMHO - but I seriously doubt they'll release the actual numbers!

You kicked us out for a couple of hours, what do you expect? Shall we head for 3000 posts tonight?

I think the 500 tickets may be a bit low. I think once we add Travelocity, Cheap Tickets and Orbitz together, I'd guess 800-1000.

I was the one that reported 500 tix sold on Orbitz. An Orbitz CSR gave me the figure. So I think it's probable more like 2000 total across all TAs.

Quote:
Dear Orbitz traveler,

This message concerns your recent request on Orbitz.

Due to a data-entry error by Alitalia, an inaccurate business-class fare for flights between Toronto, Canada, and Larnaca, Cyprus, was posted on several online travel sites, including Orbitz.

Your request was received after this error was detected and was in the process of being corrected. As a result your booking request was not ticketed and will not be honored by Alitalia. Orbitz is issuing a refund for the service fee, and your account should be credited within 3 to 5 business days. You were not charged for the flight by Alitalia.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Please visit Orbitz at www.orbitz.com if you want to make a new reservation.

We look forward to serving all your future travel needs.

The OrbitzTLC Team


__________________

did u have ticket #s?

I had ticket numbers, called Orbitz 2 hrs ago they said that they shipped via UPS overnight and gave me the tracking number. I then called UPS who said they were scheduled to deliver them but Orbitz never gave them anything to deliver for me. Call Orbitz back and the CSR tells me that they needed to verify my shipping addy which is different from CC billing addy. That's OK. But for ticket #2 (same dates but different name) she tells me that Alitalia cancelled BOTH tickets and I'm SOL. I didn't fight. My GF didn't want me to go anyway. Says I travel too much.

Oh well...

I was the one that reported 500 tix sold on Orbitz. An Orbitz CSR gave me the figure. So I think it's probable more like 2000 total across all TAs.

Well, I'm talking about people who got actual ticket numbers, and not just the confirmed messages.

Again, I have a total of 4 tickets booked, and multiply that by 100 FTers, plus 100-200 lurkers, and I'm sure than some have way more than 4 booked. (I only booked for a family vacation, and then 1 for myself).

Once it hit Farealert, I'm sure they were just flooded with stuff.

I was the one that reported 500 tix sold on Orbitz. An Orbitz CSR gave me the figure. So I think it's probable more like 2000 total across all TAs.

I'm willing to bet that while there may have been 1000+ bookings, the number of actual TICKETS issued proved to be far lower, and a number that presumably AZ could ultimately live with (albeit with some uber-shrewd revenue management for the next few months).

did u have ticket #s?

nop.. I was one of the few that booked this right when the FareAlert was going off...
my reservation showed "confirmed" and seats assigned , w/o tix #s for about 30 hours I would say. It's certainly after the 24-hour mark...uh..

My GF didn't want me to go anyway. Says I travel too much.

Show her who the boss is! :)

Women come and go, but miles are forever!

Show her who the boss is!

Women come and go, but miles are forever!

You made my night! :D

I went to bed here in Japan at page 100 when I last checked, and this fridaymorning it was at page 144, the thread being temporarily locked... What I can read back in a decent amount of time, is that Alitalia is going to honour all TICKETED reservations, right?

And: Did anyone record the CNN-story, or have a link to it? As I missed it obviously.

I went to bed here in Japan at page 100 when I last checked, and this fridaymorning it was at page 144, the thread being temporarily locked... What I can read back in a decent amount of time, is that Alitalia is going to honour all TICKETED reservations, right?

And: Did anyone record the CNN-story, or have a link to it? As I missed it obviously.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/06042006/2/koddities-online-travel-agencies-accidentally-post-cyprus-flight-40.html

here PJK!have fun at the Hilton!

I went to bed here in Japan at page 100 when I last checked, and this fridaymorning it was at page 144, the thread being temporarily locked... What I can read back in a decent amount of time, is that Alitalia is going to honour all TICKETED reservations, right?

And: Did anyone record the CNN-story, or have a link to it? As I missed it obviously.

it appears that AZ is going to honor all ticketed rez....we'll see how that goes.
as far as cnn goes see post 2170 for a transcript :)

I spoke to CT a couple minutes ago, and even though I received emails stating my reservations are canceled, I was told that my reservations WOULD be honored, but CT needs to get AZ on the phone, and AZ was closed. I was given the "Agency Desk" phone number for AZ, and told that if I wanted, I could call myself first thing tommorrow morning...Just for reference, I did have ticket numbers on both my reservations...

anyone know the phone number for orbitz that was metioned earlier that goes direct to reservations.
I'm just not in the mood of going through 150 pages to look for it.

Thanks

I spoke to CT a couple minutes ago, and even though I received emails stating my reservations are canceled, I was told that my reservations WOULD be honored, but CT needs to get AZ on the phone, and AZ was closed. I was given the "Agency Desk" phone number for AZ, and told that if I wanted, I could call myself first thing tommorrow morning...Just for reference, I did have ticket numbers on both my reservations...

This is great news man!thanks 4 the update...I suggest you do not call AZ!let CT handle it!

Dear Mach81....
you're italian like me. What have we to say about our OuTsTaNdInG national carrier????

They would be the best carrier in the world, if AZ was the only carrier existing;)

Guys, don't stop fighting against this matter. I'm italian but i hate the unprofessional behaviour AZ provided in many circumstances.
If you get you're TIX nr, they have to respect the fare.

my 0.02$

p.s. 4 mach81: pensa se poi Az onora tutti sti biglietti ma fallisce prima