the_real_a

The issue i always have with the precedent is the knowledge of both parties can only be considered as "expert" - for example similar to BA selling a batch of seats to a travel agent.

It would be interesting to see how a court would find in similar circumstances if sold to a lay person. Would a "reasonable" person be expected to make such endeavors of reading the fare rules when industry norms of heavy discounting exist. For example BA frequently "gives away" first flights for the price of business class to corporate clients.

navylad

Well thanks for sharing your experience with this mistake fare; shows he importance of waiting a few weeks before commuting to it at least.

i appreciate that you obviously feel quite aggrieved by what has happened; it is common within the industry.

I think you made your point(s) early in the discussion and thanks for raising them initially.
Clearly as it stands, you feel aggrieved by BA by this but, given you don't like the product in any case, one may assume that you wouldn't pirchase such a ticket except in such circumstances that this mistake fare and therefore BA hasn't lost your custom and you, thankfully having not purchased anything non-refundable, haven't really lost out either.

Hope you find some other flights and a great place to explore elsewhere, but so bare this experience in mind for future purchases, as I say, it's common industry practice, some mistake fares are honoured some are not and playing the risk is as important here as when purchasing two speedster tickets or allowing short connection layovers.

Scrudgy

Yes madfish I fully agree with your point. I guess my point is that BA don't sufficiently make adequate checks that they have not made a mistake in the first place.

Its almost like "oh hey team, try not to screw up, but if you do, don't worry we'll just cancel the ticket if you do".

If it was made policy that mistakes are paid for by the airline - rather than cancelling orders, then mistakes would be less frequent and the accountability would be with team leader/manager. A very career defining task which you can almost be sure would result in improved customer satisfaction and/or policy & procedure changes.

If its just accepted by us all that mistakes are ok and to be expected, then we are letting ourselves down.

IAN-UK

And in non-corporate life I've learned to double-check dates when making reservations for hotels and flights, account numbers when making payments. I've learned to do that through mistakes I've made.

No idea what BA's cost in terms of loss of (potential) revenue would be if it honoured its mistake. Depends on the occupancy of the first-class cabin to Miami, I guess. At least they would be getting some revenue for empty seats, some of the time. And they wouldn't have to spend time and money defending actions brought buy our litigious friend

Perhaps it's a price they might be expected to pay for making the mistake they made: the airline is starting look accident prone.

LondonCanuck

How would you know? I kindly replied earlier to your post below answering your question

Now, having connected the other posts, I get the picture... You saw a fare that was published for approx 2 hours, and despite the fact that you live in Seattle, not only purchased 1, but 3 (!?!?) tickets within the window (starting on the other side of the world!), talking on another forum about “cancellable hotels” and how long to wait until you are “safe”, and now you just want to know all the freebies you are hoping to be entitled to (car rental, hair cuts, rooms to sleep etc). Finally, you urge other people whose tickets does NOT get cancelled, to be quiet about it on public forums, I assume to support your own position?

I am by by no means a “BA apologist”, but to take advantage like that of anyone, private person or large corporation to me is just theft. Since you used to work as a lawyer apparently, was it OK then to find someone’s ATM card with PIN on it, make 3 withdrawals, and if you haven’t been caught within 24 hours, the money was yours to keep?

To justify your position and your apparent legal claim, you mention several times how poor BA F is, not better than business class, and quote other mistake fares as a basis for your class action lawsuit... No wonder people have trust issues with the legal profession.
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Edgerfly

I flew BA F out of LGW. Notice how I specifically asked about LHR.

Edgerfly

Uhh... Sure if that’s what you want to believe, that’s your perojagative. BA should be held to the same standard as the passenger when we enter into a contract with them. That’s all I ask.

Also what’s wrong with flying half way around the world for a MR? Isn’t that why we’re all here?

NickB

I really do not understand the point of this thread.

Edgerfly apparently professes to believe that £800 in F from LHR to South America is an entirely ordinary fare and that BA are outrageous for not honoring the fare.

Fine. Let Edgerfly believe whatever he wants. Is there anybody here who cares one iota what Edgerfly's thoughts are on this? Is there a point to engaging substantially in the substantive discussion? The issue is discussed at length in the appropriate thread on the MR Discussion forum. This thread here in the BA forum adds absolutely zilch value.

Edgerfly

As I’ve stated many times now to you BA loyalists and apologists, all I ask is that the airline be held to the same standard when it comes to canceling tickets as the passenger. I don’t see why that is such an outrages opinion.

If you believe British Airways has some magical powers, and gets special treatment that they deserve over the passenger, then that’s your right to think that. I happen to think that consumers and companies should be on a level playing field, and the same rights, and nobody should be able to have an upper hand when it comes to canceling tickets. You may disagree.

Often1

You apparently choose to purchase discounted and thus restricted fares and now can't be heard to complain that they aren't refundable. That is what fare rules are all about.

Edgerfly

Actually, no. That’s not what the fare rules on this fare say. If you’d like to read it I’d be more than happy to send it to you.

rockflyertalk

Seriously? 4 pages...wow. The removal of the flower in F was bad enough on FT.

NickB

...sigh...

Aus_Mal

BA handled this very badly. Perfectly to form, per previous instances. They need to work out a corporate strategy that ensures 'invalid' fares are cancelled by them in accordance with their own policy for others to cancel tickets.

Did I have a ticket? No. Did I know about this fare? Yes.

I chose to not book it.

Edgerfly

Because I’m not gonna sit here and allow you guys to slander me. I’m going to respond to each and every slander about what I’ve stated, about what I’ve said, and about my positions on this matter. Many of you continue to attack me, and mis-characterize what I have stated. I’m not going to stand silently by while that’s done to me.

I mean honestly, to all of you who are attacking me so viciously: Is asking that the consumer and the big corporation (airline) have the same rights when it comes to canceling a ticket be an outrages opinion?