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what to do when airline warned me about numerous throw-away ticketing? ($95 vs $497)

what to do when airline warned me about numerous throw-away ticketing? ($95 vs $497)

Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:20 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by rjw242
Is this a put-on? Why have the prices in the original post been edited to be more or less the same? (originally $497 vs. $95, now $97 vs. $95).
Possibly a Shift key typo as $ and 4 are the same key.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:24 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by BearX220
Theft of service, obviously. If you pay $95 for a service priced at $495, you stole $400 from the airline.

Similarly, if there are a bunch of $5 firewood bundles stacked up outside Safeway and you pay the cashier for one but load a dozen into your car, you may pride yourself on craftily outwitting Safeway, but from an ethical and legal standpoint you're a thief who owes Safeway $55. This is really no different.

If you think the wood is overpriced and ought to be $2, not $5, you can take it up with the store manager and try to make a deal -- but you can't steal extra bundles to compensate.
I'm no lawyer, but I don't think the wood analogy is apt. This is clearly different from actively stealing something.

In my thinking, the situation would be more accurately (but not perfectly) described like this -- to oversimplify grossly:

Firewood is on sale for $1 a stick, but the grocery store also offers a "convenience bundle" that contains a dozen for $15. Clearly hypothetical and silly, but continue to use this for the sake of argument.

You go and buy 12 separate sticks for $12. The store calls you a thief because you made your own bundle, "depriving" them of $3.


Now, we all know that airline pricing is far from rational, but to a normal person (who may be your jury), the act of theft requires a positive action where your doing something deprives them of use of something. I think most reasonable people would strain to find an act of theft in [not] taking a flight.

Just saying the airline is hard pressed to bring this to court, and have public opinion on their side.

You might as well sue the airline for $400 for not offering a cheaper fare on the weekend you needed to fly, depriving you of that money?

Last edited by TA; Jan 2, 2011 at 11:37 am
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:25 am
  #18  
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If the actual ticket difference is $2, I don't understand why you'd put yourself in this situation to save $2. I can understand from a miles standpoint, but you actually mentioned using a different FF#, which would in turn just put you in the same situation again.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:25 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by rjw242
Faulty analogy. A more appropriate one would be:

You need two bundles of firewood.
Safeway is selling bundles for $5 each or four for $10.
You buy four and throw two away.

Should this be illegal?
much better analogy. Or maybe 1 bundle for $5, three bundles for $9.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:25 am
  #20  
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It's like ordering a three course meal at a restaurant and then skipping the dessert.
At least in Europe the airline would not have a legal leg to stand on. Seems to be different in the US though, even though I can't see the airline proving which damage has been done ?
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:27 am
  #21  
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Originally Posted by rjw242
Is this a put-on? Why have the prices in the original post been edited to be more or less the same? (originally $497 vs. $95, now $97 vs. $95).
sorry, I was trying to edit it by adding (FOUR-HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN), but accidentally made a typo)

yes, it was indeed $497 vs $95. (a difference of $402)


The mileage difference is:

A to B, appx 220 miles.
A to B to Newark, appx 700 miles total.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:27 am
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deleted; thanks for clearing it up OP
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 11:42 am
  #23  
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Originally Posted by rjw242
deleted; thanks for clearing it up OP
no problem! I really hate this the tiny keyboard on my Google CR48 laptop.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 12:28 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by rjw242
Faulty analogy. A more appropriate one would be:

You need two bundles of firewood.
Safeway is selling bundles for $5 each or four for $10.
You buy four and throw two away.

Should this be illegal?

Perfect example!!

I think you're stuck -- the minute you start playing with your name, you run into TSA problems, too. Still sounds like the roundtrip train ticket is a good value.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 12:37 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by Rambuster
..
At least in Europe the airline would not have a legal leg to stand on. S..
Hmmm not so sure. They're actively doing it on the trains in the UK now and fining people the difference on the spot for trying to leave the train before they're ticketed to do so.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...too-early.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...top-early.html

Last edited by Kettering Northants QC; Jan 2, 2011 at 12:42 pm
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 12:37 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by TA
much better analogy. Or maybe 1 bundle for $5, three bundles for $9.
Yeah, that makes more sense. Or to keep the proportions similar to those seen with airfares, 1 bundle for $5 or three for $1
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 1:29 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by MilkPowder
sorry, I was trying to edit it by adding (FOUR-HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN), but accidentally made a typo)
Not specifically directed at you, but this is why I wish FT would not allow unlimited edits to posts. 15 minutes, OK, or until another post is made. But unlimited edits to posts results in very difficult reading of threads and unnecessary posts, just like has happened in this thread.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 1:34 pm
  #28  
 
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This is another area where improved consumer protections are needed. There is no "theft" from the airline when you skip a flight.
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 1:44 pm
  #29  
 
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Faulty analogy, IMHO.

The better would be Safeway is selling bundles for $5, 3 for $9. You drop $3 on the counter and walk away with 1.

The merchant sets the price. Not the consumer.

Originally Posted by rjw242
Faulty analogy. A more appropriate one would be:

You need two bundles of firewood.
Safeway is selling bundles for $5 each or four for $10.
You buy four and throw two away.

Should this be illegal?
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Old Jan 2, 2011, 1:49 pm
  #30  
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Cool

I agree that new laws need to be enacted to prevent the airlines from stealing from passengers just because a given airport is only served by one airline, thus allowing them to charge outrageous prices that do not reflect true costs.

There is absolutely no harm done to the airline by hidden city ticketing, and in fact, they now have the ability to GAIN revenue by putting standby passengers on the ongoing flight. I bet most human beings would agree, but that many lawyers would disagree.

Just goes to show that overregulation leads to system abuse by everyone, including the airlines.
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