Originally Posted by
chancer
As for the DOT's wrath, lawmakers are on United's side. This is quoted from the DOT: "The Enforcement Office has become concerned that increasingly mistaken fares are getting posted on frequent-flyer community blogs and travel-deal sites, and individuals are purchasing these tickets in bad faith and not on the mistaken belief that a good deal is now available."
Since new regs are still being debated, it's possible that your mistake fares could be reinstated, but keep this in mind: Any victory dance will be short-lived because, if UA is forced to honor these fares, it may well be the straw that finally breaks the camel's back. Next time there is another glitch, there may no longer be any DOT regs to protect those rock-bottom tickets.
^. If one thing all these DOT complaints will do, it will be to rollback protections, regardless of the outcome here. Of course its easy for me to say since I didn't get in, but this is very clearly a mistake. What worries me is that the inevitable rollback will not protect those who buy fares which are not so obviously mistakes.