when poorly coded systems defines policy
 

i booked a ticket on AC using a 20 off discount code they sent me. I went to cancel the ticket within 24 hours and rebook it, only to find out the discount coupon cannot be reused. I have been in the same situation with other NA airlines and this has never been an issue.

I have also seen that E75 meal voucher coupons have to be used during booking. You cannot stack coupons if you have a discount coupon AND a meal voucher coupon. In times like this, you would think the AC helpdesk would be able to override the system, but I've been told the system won't allow them to do it.

All of this looks to be related to a poorly coded system, which then become a 'Policy' and the customer gets the hit.

I've been a E50/ E75 for over 10 years continuously now and have decided to take my business elsewhere just for these reasons alone. I hope someone from AC is reading this!

Par for the course with AC, unfortunately.

?? you don't understand 1x uses?

This is normal with most retailers/businesses. Someone may have told you that "the system will not allow it", but it is actually the company not allowing it. Read most coupons, that restriction is there.

The OP's view (with which I tend to agree) is that since the flight was cancelled <24 hours from booking, it really hasn't been used. No savings have been achieved.

It would be common to not allow someone to stack multiple % off coupons to prevent people from abusing the system and throwing on lots of codes to get things for free or nearly so, for sure. But a meal voucher coupon and a % off coupon hardly seem like the kind of abuse that merchants are trying to prevent.

Have you tried calling in? They will issue a new code most of the times.

Go to the Bay or any other retailer, buy something with your discount coupon and return the item the next day. You don't get to use your discount coupon again. Why should airlines be different?

OP - for the discount code did you actually call them? I've had this happen a few times with one-time codes and they always get me new code over the phone.

Not an appropriate comparison. The "discounts" are provided for entirely different reasons. The coupon from the Bay is for promotional reasons. A discount code issued by Air Canada is for compensatory purposes. The failure of Air Canada to honour its discount code allows the airline to avoid providing the compensation it has agreed to. A coupon from the Bay is not issued for compensatory purposes.


To the OP. Please contact Air Canada and ask for a reissue of the discount code. I believe that the airline will provide a new one as soon as the flight cancellation is processed.

Exactly.

I don't see it that way at all. OP buys ticket, uses discount coupon. Decides to return ticket(cancels booking). What's the problem? Coupon is good for 1 purchases and that's what OP did. End of story.

True in many cases. Just not AC...

With headless IT, whom can the programmers ask for a "policy?" You seriously think these AC managers who are supposed to interact with IBM (is there such a thing BTW? Doesn't IBM always know better?) really care about "arcane scenarios?" So the coder makes his own.

And the first employee who encounters the issue makes you go away by making the thing "policy."

Raise fares to the point of only capturing inelastic demand. Fund the airline properly. Pay everyone accordingly (including IT). Fixed?

I use google maps to tell me how to walk, why wouldn't employees use computer to tell them how to talk? This is not a problem specific to this industry.

With the single use discount codes, if you take the booking engine on the new website up until you enter credit card info, but don't make the purchase, I've had it use the code. Luckily I could call in and get a new code.

I am pretty sure the discount code offer states that it is a one time use only. So while they may give you another one, the restriction is there.