Mistake fare LHR - TLV [Tickets now cancelled by BA]
Jun 20, 2018, 8:35 am
#287
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
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I hope someone takes this further. I picked this up from the BBC web site and can’t believe how BA have again shot themselves in both feet. The fare is manifestly not unreasonable when, for example, I can fly CAI HNL return in business with unlimited stops for around £1200.
You now have the the ludicrous situation whereby the self loading freight not only have to print their own boarding pass, baggage label and board themselves, but they must also take responsibility for revenue management and check if a fare on a specific flight on a particular day is reasonable compared to any other day. Common sense says that’s BAs problem. The customer doesn’t stand a chance if this is not overturned.
You now have the the ludicrous situation whereby the self loading freight not only have to print their own boarding pass, baggage label and board themselves, but they must also take responsibility for revenue management and check if a fare on a specific flight on a particular day is reasonable compared to any other day. Common sense says that’s BAs problem. The customer doesn’t stand a chance if this is not overturned.
Jun 20, 2018, 8:59 am
#288
Join Date: Jan 2018
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This could be very expensive for BA. It only takes one person to go to court and win, or one person to be given the tickets after a threat of legal action for the floodgates to open.
PR and legal nightmare.
PR and legal nightmare.
Jun 20, 2018, 9:13 am
#290
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I really don’t think the general public will automatically side with the passengers, given the speed of the cancellations.
Jun 20, 2018, 9:25 am
#291
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BG
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 827
Personally, I have a hard time accepting that this was an obvious error and i'm sure many people would have booked it in good faith. As someone who lives in Bulgaria and seeing 23 euro to LHR from SOF one way, 63 euro return fares coming up, an extra hour longer flight to TLV doesnt sound like a mistake fare, even knowing (which many may not) that it's served by a Long haul aircraft. We just got back from TLV on wizzair and paid 45 euro return from Varna. A different route of course, but at least I felt confident booking it as a non error fare.
I really cant see why BA didn't just let this one go. I believe they will lose more in bad publicity than what they will save in cancelling these fares.
I really cant see why BA didn't just let this one go. I believe they will lose more in bad publicity than what they will save in cancelling these fares.
Last edited by englisha; Jun 20, 2018 at 9:31 am
Jun 20, 2018, 9:28 am
#292
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Location: NYC
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Just to expand on the point (I was rushing through the airport whilst typing yesterday), I think generally airlines will not take responsibility for consequential losses arising from mistake fares. But in this case, we are taking about related admin/penalty costs which the airline itself is charging and as long as you get someone with a bit of authority and who has some information/access to info about the TLV situation, I think they will waive the charges.
Jun 20, 2018, 9:31 am
#293
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: UK
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Posts: 179
Jun 20, 2018, 9:36 am
#295
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Someone did take BA to MCOL a couple of years ago over a mistake fare (think it was one of the Baltic ones or ex Poland) and whilst they had a technical win the Judge could not offer any restitution given that by the time the case got to MCOL the flight date had long passed so in fact he lost. It was discussed at length on here at the time. I'm sure there are others who remember the case and will recall more details to be able to find it.
IIRC the judge did raise the issue that these days with blogs such as this that knowledge of such fares did spread farther and wider than previously and that needed to be considered.
Mention was also made that people who read such blogs (as the claimant in that case had) were also more aware of the likelyhood that such fares were errors and could / would be reversed and that was also a factor to be taken into account - Thread and article titles such as 'Mistake Fare to XXX' did not help in that case.
Jun 20, 2018, 9:37 am
#296
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: UK
Programs: Deliveroo Plus
Posts: 179
Price appeared Monday until Tuesday AM, first cancellations reported Friday PM.
Coincidentally this story has been all over the media and I am sure someone at BA is now getting their ar$e kicked.
As discussed above, this really is not a clear cut glitch(and the title did have a '?' in originally), whilst the price is good the same route can be often found for cheaper albeit not BA.
Coincidentally this story has been all over the media and I am sure someone at BA is now getting their ar$e kicked.
Mention was also made that people who read such blogs (as the claimant in that case had) were also more aware of the likelyhood that such fares were errors and could / would be reversed and that was also a factor to be taken into account - Thread and article titles such as 'Mistake Fare to XXX' did not help in that case.
Jun 20, 2018, 9:42 am
#297
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 1
I booked through Netflights to Abu Dhabi over New Year. (29th Dec - 7th Jan)
Total cost (2 adults 1 child) £753
Same flights a day later last year (30th Dec to 8th Jan) I paid £791. That's less than £13 per passenger difference.
Not sure how I could have seen that as a clear mistake fare.
Total cost (2 adults 1 child) £753
Same flights a day later last year (30th Dec to 8th Jan) I paid £791. That's less than £13 per passenger difference.
Not sure how I could have seen that as a clear mistake fare.
Jun 20, 2018, 9:52 am
#299
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Someone did take BA to MCOL a couple of years ago over a mistake fare (think it was one of the Baltic ones or ex Poland) and whilst they had a technical win the Judge could not offer any restitution given that by the time the case got to MCOL the flight date had long passed so in fact he lost. It was discussed at length on here at the time. I'm sure there are others who remember the case and will recall more details to be able to find it.
Last edited by KARFA; Jun 20, 2018 at 9:59 am Reason: spelling
Jun 20, 2018, 10:10 am
#300
Join Date: Oct 2015
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I just called BA and they told me that my ticket was definitely not cancelled by BA, because otherwise there would be more notes on the booking entered by BA, so I should ask my travel agent what happened. The plot thickens...