Originally Posted by
bedelman
Gardyloo, I'm pretty sure RTW fares are published with ATPCO. We can see them in GDS's, including in ExpertFlyer (for those with access). Doesn't that mean the fares must be published?
I would assume so, but this is frankly rather arcane stuff to me, as are terms like SITI/SOTO etc.
Originally Posted by
bedelman
The question of whether fares can autoprice is different from whether fares are published.
If anyone here has been harmed by AA's policy -- wanted to buy at one price, but AA imposed a rule not present in tariff or fare rules, requiring a particular type of credit card and hence a higher price -- that is grounds for a formal DOT complaint. It would be on-the-record and public, and AA's attorneys would be obliged to respond. I have a template and submission instructions and would be happy to help anyone interested in this. Send me an email or FT PM and I'll send details of what I know about the complaint process.
I can only speak for myself, but I get a little nervous at the prospect of raising this issue too loudly in the AA apparatus, or any of the alliance's airlines for that matter. Given that the prices for the tickets can vary so substantially from one country to another, I don't know how hard it would be for AA in cahoots with BA (who between them most likely call the shots with Oneworld) just to say, "enough," and just raise prices everywhere, badda bing. Who's to stop them? So my inclination is to find work-arounds rather than pull the lion's whiskers, as it were. Maybe that's chickens**t but it's what I'm thinking.