MMB Cash Upgrade - Bait and Switch
Jun 29, 2013, 11:58 pm
#1
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Southern Med
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, Gulf Air Silver, Aegean Gold, M&M FQTV, Air Malta Diamond
Posts: 1,741
MMB Cash Upgrade - Bait and Switch
EWR-LHR November 2013.
Just been offered a £445 upgrade from WTP to CW (return leg only) and when I went to book it, the price mysteriously rose to £911.
Went back to MMB, still quoted £445.
Tried upgrading both segments, it quoted me about £890, with a message to save "save £100" by upgrading both together, on click through this raised to £1,703.
Anyone else encountered this?
Just been offered a £445 upgrade from WTP to CW (return leg only) and when I went to book it, the price mysteriously rose to £911.
Went back to MMB, still quoted £445.
Tried upgrading both segments, it quoted me about £890, with a message to save "save £100" by upgrading both together, on click through this raised to £1,703.
Anyone else encountered this?
Jun 30, 2013, 1:20 am
#2
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Some kind of a system error.
I've seen it before too. Someone here has posted possible causes of it, but I have not been able to search for it successfully. Maybe you'll have a better luck.
I've seen it before too. Someone here has posted possible causes of it, but I have not been able to search for it successfully. Maybe you'll have a better luck.
Jun 30, 2013, 2:09 am
#3
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Southern Med
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, Gulf Air Silver, Aegean Gold, M&M FQTV, Air Malta Diamond
Posts: 1,741
Thanks LTN Phobia, I have now managed to speak to BAEC and got the offhand reply that it is a known systems glitch and that's the way it is. No supervisor was available to discuss it.
So I've opened a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority.
So I've opened a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority.
Jun 30, 2013, 2:52 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
- Magazine and newspaper advertisements
- Radio and TV commercials (not programmes or programme sponsorship)
- Television Shopping Channels
- Advertisements on the Internet, including:
- banner and display ads
- paid-for (sponsored) search
- Marketing on companies’ own websites and in other space they control like social networking sites Twitter and Facebook
- Commercial e-mail and SMS text message ads
- Posters on legitimate poster sites (not fly posters)
- Leaflets and brochures
- Cinema commercials
- Direct mail (advertising sent through the post and addressed to you personally)
- Door drops and circulars (advertising posted through the letter box without your name on)
- Ads on CD ROMs, DVD and video, and faxes
- Sales promotions, such as special offers, prize draws and competitions wherever they appear.
Where would MMB fit into that? Would this be more like something that is mis-priced where they have the right not to honour it?
Jun 30, 2013, 3:00 am
#5
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Southern Med
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, Gulf Air Silver, Aegean Gold, M&M FQTV, Air Malta Diamond
Posts: 1,741
Be interested to see what response you get from them. The ASA covers the following:
Where would MMB fit into that? Would this be more like something that is mis-priced where they have the right not to honour it?
- Magazine and newspaper advertisements
- Radio and TV commercials (not programmes or programme sponsorship)
- Television Shopping Channels
- Advertisements on the Internet, including:
- banner and display ads
- paid-for (sponsored) search
- Marketing on companies’ own websites and in other space they control like social networking sites Twitter and Facebook
- Commercial e-mail and SMS text message ads
- Posters on legitimate poster sites (not fly posters)
- Leaflets and brochures
- Cinema commercials
- Direct mail (advertising sent through the post and addressed to you personally)
- Door drops and circulars (advertising posted through the letter box without your name on)
- Ads on CD ROMs, DVD and video, and faxes
- Sales promotions, such as special offers, prize draws and competitions wherever they appear.
Where would MMB fit into that? Would this be more like something that is mis-priced where they have the right not to honour it?
AFAIK, BA are not obliged to honour the price, as offer and acceptance has not taken place, so my complaint is limited to the advertising of prices that the company knows are not bookable.
Two different matters.
Jun 30, 2013, 3:33 am
#7
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Jun 30, 2013, 3:34 am
#8
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Southern Med
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, Gulf Air Silver, Aegean Gold, M&M FQTV, Air Malta Diamond
Posts: 1,741
Jun 30, 2013, 3:39 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 833
You could, however, try the Office of Fair Trading, but I suspect you'll be wasting both your and their time (see my conclusion paragraph below).
I suspect you are making mountains out of a molehill otherwise known as a system glitch. Call back during the week and you'll probably have a better chance of speaking to a supervisor.
Jun 30, 2013, 3:46 am
#10
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
So rather than wait until tomorrow to call back, or email BA Customer Relations, we have the following knee jerk response...
Marjorie, fetch the Basildon Bond and dial that rolodex to A for ASA
Jun 30, 2013, 3:50 am
#12
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,605
Pretty sure it was going when I started on here in 2004. It has been stated 'officially' a number of times that it was being worked on.
Jun 30, 2013, 3:50 am
#13
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Southern Med
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, Gulf Air Silver, Aegean Gold, M&M FQTV, Air Malta Diamond
Posts: 1,741
I suspect you'll find the answer is the latter.... i.e. not.
You could, however, try the Office of Fair Trading, but I suspect you'll be wasting both your and their time (see my conclusion paragraph below).
You need to brush up on the fundamentals of contract law surrounding invitation to treat,offer and acceptance. Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (Southern) Ltd [1953] EWCA Civ 6 for example....
I suspect you are making mountains out of a molehill otherwise known as a system glitch. Call back during the week and you'll probably have a better chance of speaking to a supervisor.
You could, however, try the Office of Fair Trading, but I suspect you'll be wasting both your and their time (see my conclusion paragraph below).
You need to brush up on the fundamentals of contract law surrounding invitation to treat,offer and acceptance. Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (Southern) Ltd [1953] EWCA Civ 6 for example....
I suspect you are making mountains out of a molehill otherwise known as a system glitch. Call back during the week and you'll probably have a better chance of speaking to a supervisor.
I'm happy to wait and see what the ASA comes back with. Two other posters have already said there is a history of this type of incident and if there is, then it isn't a glitch, is it? (Maybe you should brush up on IT jargon?)
Jun 30, 2013, 3:55 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 833
Just been offered a £445 upgrade from WTP to CW (return leg only) and when I went to book it, the price mysteriously rose to £911.
Put away the book of conspiracy stories because I suspect you'll be truthfully told it was a system glitch rather than finding you've uncovered a "bait and switch" scam.
Jun 30, 2013, 3:56 am
#15
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Southern Med
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, Gulf Air Silver, Aegean Gold, M&M FQTV, Air Malta Diamond
Posts: 1,741
No I don't but then it is a known glitch. I understand the desire for instant gratification which was somewhat thwarted as no supervisors were available at the time of your call to discuss this issue with you. It is the weekend though.
So rather than wait until tomorrow to call back, or email BA Customer Relations, we have the following knee jerk response...
So rather than wait until tomorrow to call back, or email BA Customer Relations, we have the following knee jerk response...
Marjorie, fetch the Basildon Bond and dial that rolodex to A for ASA