Originally Posted by
dordal
Yeah, I'd agree.
Nobody forced United to offer the FareLock, and they actually don't on a lot of fares, especially close-in or where inventory is tight. If they're going to take the money, they need to provide the service paid for, which is holding the reservation for 3 or 7 days. Doesn't matter if you have overlapping reservations -- as others have noted, the primary purpose of FareLock is to lock in a reservation and price when your plans are still unknown.
I would agree with a DOT complaint at the very least.
The CoC stipulates that UA reserves the right to cancel overlapping reservations. A FareLock
is a reservation. I do understand where you're coming from, I'm just saying how easy it would be for UA to defend their practice to the DoT.
Now, as I said above, I do see an argument for a refund of a FareLock that was canceled by flight firming before it expired.
Originally Posted by
dordal
the primary purpose of FareLock is to lock in a reservation and price when your plans are still unknown.
No, FareLock is not marketed like this at all, and I think this is where the misunderstanding comes from. FareLock is marketed as a reservation with a deferred purchase of a ticket to facilitate finalizing your travel plans. See the wiki above. The clear expectation is that you will either complete your ticket purchase later or that you will cancel the FareLock and reserve a new itinerary (FareLock'ed or not) if your plans change. It is not marketed as an aid in speculating on multiple itineraries for the same travel plan, as this stage of planning would not be considered as the finalization stage.
From the UA product description: United’s FareLock service lets you hold your reserved fare for three or seven days,
so you can complete your ticket purchase later. Enjoy peace of mind that the price of your itinerary won't go up and that the flight won't sell out
while you take your time with your purchase.
Additionally, from the FareLock FAQ:
What is the benefit of the FareLock service? [...] This allows time to finalize your travel plans [...]
How can I change my flights after purchasing the FareLock service? [...] You may cancel your FareLock hold and choose new flights if your plans change. [...]