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"We are unable to secure the price for the flight you selected."

"We are unable to secure the price for the flight you selected."

Old Apr 11, 2017, 9:00 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
"We are unable to secure the price for the flight you selected."

Ugh.

I've gotten this message before, but only a few times, and generally when prices were changing quickly (like when a schedule extension was rolling out or a good sale just announced). I've never seen behavior like this.

All day I've been getting this error on points bookings. I searched this morning for a few dates and it happened, and I just now went back and tried again and got the same result. (Examples below.)

I'm seeing the exact same rates as this morning and getting the same error, asking for more points. But just a very few more points -- 28 in one case, and 60 in another. Both are less than a dollar in value, so it's not a huge deal, just stupid. I can't imagine a reason for this to happen, with the difference being equivalent to less than a dollar.

I guess I'll chalk it up to yet another glitch with the new booking system.

Anyone else seeing this?
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ursine1 is offline  
Old Apr 13, 2017, 11:20 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 32
I literally just booked something 10 minutes ago and got this error. The difference? 4 points. Seriously. 4.

I wish I had screen shot it!
xasyh is offline  
Old Apr 13, 2017, 11:28 pm
  #3  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,257
If its happening consistently, isn't it edging onto some kind of pricing fraud. Well, fraud seems too strong a word, but IANAL so I can't quite come up with a better one.
Didn't a telecom get in trouble years ago for adding like 2 or 3 cents on everyone's bill? Because of the small amount no single payer complained, but because of volume it amounted to 10s of millions. And it became an FTC case.
rickg523 is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2017, 4:30 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: STL
Programs: UA 1K; WN A-List; HH Diamond; Marriott Gold; National EE
Posts: 194
While it may or may not be directly related, I had something similar happen to me with a cash booking. I was changing flights on on a BS fare. There was no difference in price and plenty of availability on the new flight. When I would get all the way to confirm the change, I was receiving an error that the price was no longer available. I tried several times (both via the app and the website) over several hours and kept receiving the same error. The price never displayed a difference on the screen.

i called WN CS and the agent didn't see an issue. He was able to book the change for me quickly on the phone.

i wonder if there isn't a glitch causing some fares to fluctuate by a couple of pennies . You'd never see it on a cash booking as they display the value to the nearest dollar, but the issues you describe with booking on points may explain what is going on.
Beer Me! is offline  
Old Apr 14, 2017, 8:12 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
I had a similar problem recently and a call also straightened it out, The Person on the phone couldn't tell what was going on. I wonder if it's not because the flight was originally booked on the old system and had been transferred to the new one.
rsteinmetz70112 is offline  
Old Apr 15, 2017, 9:21 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,282
I booked two flights yesterday on points and got this error on one of them. The mismatch appeared consistently, even after I reran my flight search to see if the proper price would show. The difference was only 15 points.
darthbimmer is offline  
Old Apr 15, 2017, 8:11 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 41
DP: I've been getting this error a lot today as well
shtimseht is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2017, 6:19 am
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
I got it Friday while I was refareing several flights. On all but one 5here was no difference in fare. On the one with a difference a quick call took care of it.

One thing I noticed was they were all for the same flight number on different days.
rsteinmetz70112 is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2017, 11:24 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 437
Getting error right now. Something is up with their backend systems.

At first it was an "undefined error". Now it's price error.
vinhboy is offline  
Old Apr 26, 2017, 8:12 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 50
I was getting the same error message throughout the day yesterday (Apr 25) when I tried to exchange an award ticket. A lower point value was displayed until I logged in and tried to make the 'change', then the points jumped way up. I was able to call SW and have them make the change on the phone. I see that the problem still exists today (Apr 26) when attempting to exchange a different ticket. Grrrr.
Sproketz is offline  
Old Apr 27, 2017, 10:03 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 10
Just happened to me as well with a flight from PHX-SEA in July, called in and they manually adjusted my points, got almost 1600 back.
ryaninaz is offline  
Old May 16, 2017, 8:49 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Likely Not at Home
Programs: WN RR A-List Preferred & CP, Alaska Air MVP Gold, HH Diamond, Hertz Pres. Circle
Posts: 111
I'm getting this error repeatedly this morning on several reservations (7) when attempting to 're-fare'. I have waited several hours to check to see if it was something that will go away, but I'm still seeing it.

As it is a savings of ~1000 points, and $99, I guess I'll be calling to get things manually adjusted.
david2son08 is offline  
Old May 16, 2017, 9:08 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,282
I'm still getting the error message, too, though the discrepancies continue to be less than $1 or equivalent points.
darthbimmer is offline  
Old May 16, 2017, 9:46 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
I got it several times yesterday. I am going to check again today and call if it hasn't cleared up. I had hoped it was an artifact of the software switch but appaently it's something else.
rsteinmetz70112 is offline  
Old May 16, 2017, 1:20 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Likely Not at Home
Programs: WN RR A-List Preferred & CP, Alaska Air MVP Gold, HH Diamond, Hertz Pres. Circle
Posts: 111
A very nice reservations person was helpful enough to update my reservations at the fare/points that I was seeing but not able to book.

She was not able to do it herself, at first, though she did see what I was seeing. A brief hold for her to consult with a supervisor and then she was able to assist.
david2son08 is offline  

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