Mistake fare LHR - TLV [Tickets now cancelled by BA]
Jun 21, 2018, 2:46 am
#376
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,613
Jun 21, 2018, 2:47 am
#377
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,152
I’m confused as to whether there is a mistake in your comment. Did you mean do or don’t? What you wrote suggests you mean you do believe him but you actually wrote don’t.
If KARFA says he was not aware that this was a mistake fare then I for one will take his word for it. I’ve certainly argued the case with other error fares, including the one around late last year to South America which was clearly more obvious.
However, how does this fare differ from the TLL fare in J that was not a mistake or the GIB fare for £70 in Y. Both of these were/are great deals and not a mistake.
The real issue here, as far as I can see is not the fare but the booking class, and this was clearly not shown whilst booking. Therefore nobody would have known this until they had booked, and therefore would assume they were just getting a really good fare.
If KARFA says he was not aware that this was a mistake fare then I for one will take his word for it. I’ve certainly argued the case with other error fares, including the one around late last year to South America which was clearly more obvious.
However, how does this fare differ from the TLL fare in J that was not a mistake or the GIB fare for £70 in Y. Both of these were/are great deals and not a mistake.
The real issue here, as far as I can see is not the fare but the booking class, and this was clearly not shown whilst booking. Therefore nobody would have known this until they had booked, and therefore would assume they were just getting a really good fare.
I thought it was obvious that my post was in jest due to the wink (and hence my reference to the jokey Bratwurst thread) and if KARFA and others say they thought it was a genuine fare then I have no reason to disbelieve them and many state they didn't know the booking class until after they booked.
A bit like the ex Scandinavia fares in WT+ at around £500 at times, which initially some folks though it was a pricing error, so it could be believable that a £195 fare to TLV in economy was believable and the booking class seems to be the issue here. Legally I am not sure what the actual position is and what the outcome would be if someone were to take it to court. Interesting thread though!
Jun 21, 2018, 2:47 am
#378
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Whatever BA’s decision, I think they have been generous in their offer. I wish I had actually booked, and would have if the dates had worked for me. And yes, I can fully admit I knew how many TPs it would have earned.
Jun 21, 2018, 2:48 am
#379
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,561
Jun 21, 2018, 2:50 am
#380
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
I thought it was obvious that my post was in jest due to the wink (and hence my reference to the jokey Bratwurst thread) and if KARFA and others say they thought it was a genuine fare then I have no reason to disbelieve them and many state they didn't know the booking class until after they booked.
A bit like the ex Scandinavia fares in WT+ at around £500 at times, which initially some folks though it was a pricing error, so it could be believable that a £195 fare to TLV in economy was believable. Legally I am not sure what the actual position is and what the outcome would be if someone were to take it to court. Interesting thread though!
A bit like the ex Scandinavia fares in WT+ at around £500 at times, which initially some folks though it was a pricing error, so it could be believable that a £195 fare to TLV in economy was believable. Legally I am not sure what the actual position is and what the outcome would be if someone were to take it to court. Interesting thread though!
Jun 21, 2018, 2:51 am
#381
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,964
I never booked the TLV flight but I don't believe KARFA when he states he didn't know it was a mistake fare.
He knew all about this one below and he had no hesitation in purchasing it knowing full well it was a mistake!
YET ANOTHER Bratwurst mistake price!!!!!
He knew all about this one below and he had no hesitation in purchasing it knowing full well it was a mistake!
YET ANOTHER Bratwurst mistake price!!!!!
You posted to this thread at 11.47pm on June 11th! Yet you claim you had not read or opened the thread before booking 
I feel sorry for someone who genuinely just came across the fare and booked it. Those who booked after reading a "mistake fare" thread on Flyertalk (or elsewhere) should just accept they tried and failed, and move on.
I feel sorry for someone who genuinely just came across the fare and booked it. Those who booked after reading a "mistake fare" thread on Flyertalk (or elsewhere) should just accept they tried and failed, and move on.
I am not being contrary just for the sake of it, neither have I a reputation of lying or making stuff up on here or generally in life so I am not quite clear why some have taken my comments as a prompt to launch their own interrogation in order to "catch me out". I am telling you what I knew and what I felt when I booked it. I agree that something like the Viking (£350 in J OSL-US) or Bratwurst (F from Germany to KUL for £750) were clearly errors to me and when I booked I believed they were errors - I have stated this on those fare threads before. This fare clearly isn't the same in terms of the pricing being much different to other fares offered on the LHR-TLV route and when I booked I honestly didn't know whether it was a mistake or a sale, could have been either to my mind, I certainly didn't know and can't say I ought to have known it was a mistake. As noted, if I have known the booking class I think that would have made me know it was a mistake since I do understand what booking classes are, but I really didn't know and the first I found out it booked in to B was when looking at it on BA MMB.
Jun 21, 2018, 3:06 am
#382
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,152
I'll go for the latter!
I thought I might have
, oooh the banter! 
Back on topic, I'd personally put this fare onto 2 categories.
1) Those who honestly didn't know the fare class (or would even know such things such as non FTr's etc of which I am sure there would have quite a fair majority amongst the thousands)
2) Those who did book AFTER seeing it was in Y, B or H and knowing full well it was an obvious mistake fare class/pricing error (call it what you like) and who know about such things as fare classes and pricing must have known this was more than likely to be an error with a strong possibility that it would be cancelled.
However, both 1 and 2 have to be combined to deal with it as a whole as I believe that they would be too difficult to prove. As the old saying goes I would bet a penny to a pound that BA Management will have discussed this in much detail and taken legal advice, worked out with revenue management and their press office what the best overall settlement/PR spin would be.
Of course some folks won't be happy but you can't please all of the people all of the time but in the big scale of things it will be old news, who cares etc this time next week.
One question which crosses my mind is that if you ran/owned a business and there was a genuine mistake/manifest/product pricing error etc would you based on the law as I believe stands allows this and honour those orders losing on a pro-rate amount with what BA might lose? Or, cancel those orders? A genuine question!
Pete
Last edited by PETER01; Jun 21, 2018 at 3:26 am Reason: typo
Jun 21, 2018, 3:30 am
#384
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAGGL, A3G, Accor Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, LHW Sterling
Posts: 1,308
I'll go for the latter!
I thought I might have, oooh the banter!
Back on topic, I'd personally put this fare onto 2 categories.
1) Those who honestly didn't know the fare class (or would even know such things such as non FTr's etc of which I am sure there would have quite a fair majority amongst the thousands)
2) Those who did book AFTER seeing it was in Y, B or H and knowing full well it was an obvious mistake fare class/pricing error (call it what you like) and who know about such things as fare classes and pricing must have known this was more than likely to be an error with a strong possibility that it would be cancelled.
However, both 1 and 2 have to be combined to deal with it as a whole as I believe that they would be too difficult to prove. As the old saying goes I would bet a penny to a pound that BA Management will have discussed this in much detail and taken legal advice, worked out with revenue management and their press office what the best overall settlement/PR spin would be.
Of course some folks won't be happy but you can't please all of the people all of the time but in the big scale of things it will be old news, who cares etc this time next week.
One question which crosses my mind is that if you ran/owned a business and there was a genuine mistake/manifest/product pricing error etc would you based on the law as I believe stands allows this and honour those orders losing on a pro-rate amount with what BA might lose? Or, cancel those orders? A genuine question!
Pete
I thought I might have
, oooh the banter! Back on topic, I'd personally put this fare onto 2 categories.
1) Those who honestly didn't know the fare class (or would even know such things such as non FTr's etc of which I am sure there would have quite a fair majority amongst the thousands)
2) Those who did book AFTER seeing it was in Y, B or H and knowing full well it was an obvious mistake fare class/pricing error (call it what you like) and who know about such things as fare classes and pricing must have known this was more than likely to be an error with a strong possibility that it would be cancelled.
However, both 1 and 2 have to be combined to deal with it as a whole as I believe that they would be too difficult to prove. As the old saying goes I would bet a penny to a pound that BA Management will have discussed this in much detail and taken legal advice, worked out with revenue management and their press office what the best overall settlement/PR spin would be.
Of course some folks won't be happy but you can't please all of the people all of the time but in the big scale of things it will be old news, who cares etc this time next week.
One question which crosses my mind is that if you ran/owned a business and there was a genuine mistake/manifest/product pricing error etc would you based on the law as I believe stands allows this and honour those orders losing on a pro-rate amount with what BA might lose? Or, cancel those orders? A genuine question!
Pete
Jun 21, 2018, 3:30 am
#385
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ±38,000 feet
Programs: LH HON, BA GGL, AF Plat, EK Plat
Posts: 6,428
I only booked it for the TPs, even though it wasn't 100% clear at booking what fare class they were as the OTA didn't display so i just guessed and believed that 1 poster here that maybe I would be lucky and it does book in B.
I am glad it cancelled because looking back dont fancy economy on 789. I will use the £100 to get a discounted trip to GIB
I am glad it cancelled because looking back dont fancy economy on 789. I will use the £100 to get a discounted trip to GIB
Jun 21, 2018, 3:33 am
#386
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Sapporo, Japan
Programs: Junior Jet Club, Nando's Card 1 Red Chilli, Tesco Clubcard, BAEC Gold, TK M&S Elite
Posts: 520
I only booked it for the TPs, even though it wasn't 100% clear at booking what fare class they were as the OTA didn't display so i just guessed and believed that 1 poster here that maybe I would be lucky and it does book in B.
I am glad it cancelled because looking back dont fancy economy on 789. I will use the £100 to get a discounted trip to GIB
I am glad it cancelled because looking back dont fancy economy on 789. I will use the £100 to get a discounted trip to GIB
Jun 21, 2018, 3:36 am
#387
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,152
It’s an interesting question. I suppose what I was saying upthread was if the correct decision financially (with the information available at the time - hard for us to guess without proper figures) was to cancel, I’d have made damn sure the PR side and customer relations side was properly managed. Which I don’t think has been done in this case.
I think reading between the lines BA should have acted a bit earlier but not great PR for them as the press have taken a hold of it although I suspect that's the last we see of it with world events etc.
Not quite related to BA but advertising yes which is the principle here and old enough to remember the old Hoover and free flight scandals but that's another story!!
Jun 21, 2018, 3:40 am
#388
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BG
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 827
Just did a search on wizzair and currently you can fly LTN-TLV for 133 GBP return in September. If you hold off a week or 2 they will probably have a 20% off sale bringing this down further.
I'd be comparing this in the newspapers which makes BA's obvious error at a higher price look silly, especially to a price sensitive customer which is unaware of aircraft type
I'd be comparing this in the newspapers which makes BA's obvious error at a higher price look silly, especially to a price sensitive customer which is unaware of aircraft type
Jun 21, 2018, 3:42 am
#389
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,964
Jun 21, 2018, 3:52 am
#390
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
Just did a search on wizzair and currently you can fly LTN-TLV for 133 GBP return in September. If you hold off a week or 2 they will probably have a 20% off sale bringing this down further.
I'd be comparing this in the newspapers which makes BA's obvious error at a higher price look silly, especially to a price sensitive customer which is unaware of aircraft type
I'd be comparing this in the newspapers which makes BA's obvious error at a higher price look silly, especially to a price sensitive customer which is unaware of aircraft type