Originally Posted by
Needle Hill
Last year, there was a glitch in the computer system in AC. My TA was able to get a YYZ-HKG-YYZ-EWR for $500 less than YYZ-HKG-YYZ for my father-in-law. He skipped the YYZ-EWR portion on his way back with no problem because his luggage needed to clear custom at YYZ. A few months later, my TA told me that some (but not all) travel companies received letters from AC asking them to pay the price differences. She did not know whether they actually did pay or not or they charge it to their customers.
First, thanks for the information.
Second, on the issue proper,
(1) Not sure this would have been a glitch or more simply that fare rules allowed adding a YYZ-HKG fare to a HKG-EWR fare. Or perhaps it was only because of a glitch that this would have been allowed?
(2) Remember that the contract between agents and airlines makes them agents of the airlines, thus serving the airlines, not the customers so yes, agents operate under contractual obligation to follow the airlines rules, regardless of whether these would be valid under the commercial code, or not. Still, it seems to me that for an airline to have a case against a TA, they would have to be able to convincingly show that the TA sold the ticket knowing that the customer planned not to use the last leg.
(3) Bottom line, next time you want to do that, buy your ticket directly from the airline. They would have to take you to court, which they won't because they won't want to take the risk of losing, creating havoc in their market segmentation strategy.
(Like selling you eggs at a different price depending upon you are willing to promise to eat them all, or not.)