More Champagne Sir?

Hello,

I am not a happy bunny at the moment

My father is travelling out on business to LA next week in J for nearly 3 weeks. I thought it would be really nice to buy a ticket for my Mother to go out there for a week so that they could turn his business trip into a nice holiday (well, in my Mother's words a nice shopping spree).

I was going to book the ticket in WT+, but my Mother insisted that she didn't really need it and was happy to go in WT (she is quite short - meant in a nice way!). So I went ahead and booked the ticket for �434.30 (this was last Wednesday).

So today I was just playing about on KVS and thought I'd see if Mum's flights would be busy and to my SHOCK, there seemed to be considerably more availability. I went onto BA.com and priced the trip and exactly the same flights came out at �337.30!! 100 quid less!!

I called BA to see if there was any way they would match the price / allow me to cancel the existing ticket and rebook / offer vouchers to the difference, and the lady I spoke to said there was no way possible, and that no airline in the world does that. I immediately corrected her and informed her that even easyJet offer a price promise .

Anyway, it seems there's no chance of getting a �100 back, and I'm pretty narked.

Lewis

PS it's not that the �100 is a huge amount of money, it's just the principle
PPS I realise that I booked a non-refundable ticket, but I don't expect the price of a ticket to go down once I've bought it.

The Saint

Welcome to the market, where the local time is capitalism.*

* The cost of your ticket may go up as well as down.

Fraser

That's life I'm afraid. I've priced up tickets gone back the next day and had them go up 100 GBP.

Not much you can do about it I'm afraid.

Smirnoff

Narked or naked?

You haven't been hanging around that car park at Gatwick too, have you?

Dave Noble

Fares can go up and down; was perhaps the cheaper fare in a fare basis that had no availability when you booked. Conversely on the issue, you wouldn't expect the airline to send you a bill for extra money should the fare go up

Dave

flyingbee

I had a similar moan on this thread last week.

Annoying thing to happen, but it's the way it goes.

tristan727

I'd imaginea there must be some pretty peeved people who bought HKG a year ago, in economy for �580.

Fraser

What about the poor folk who dished out 24 GBP for the SEX....don't forget them!

AJLondon

If ever usage of the appropriate article in the english language was important....

Fraser

Would that be the English language

AJLondon

Says someone who has moved to Yankland!

ali_c

so would you be happy if the price went up by �100 and ba called you to claim the dosh? works both ways soz

G-BOAC

I don't get why people are upset by this sort of thing? I know the various (loss-making *cough*) US Carriers offer this kind of "price match" deal, but I don't see why they should bother or how it makes any sense at all. This kind of thing happens all the time with electronic goods for example - price up a laptop today on a website and within a week the same spec. may well be a fair bit less. I remember buying my first iPod and seeing it drop in price about �50 after it was delivered. I think it's a very good thing BA do this dynamically - I'd rather they sold* the last few seats (in any class) for a reduced price to actually get a contribution to costs or even better some profit, than go out with empty seats ^

Personally, I look at it like buying rounds in the pub - it balances out. I've (well, my company) has been stung for full J fares when I've needed to be somewhere last minute at times. But I've also booked early and nabbed cheapo ET/WT+ fares and had some nice OpUps, or gotten great I class fares where others haven't.

Phil
* Actually, I'd rather they offered to convert T/I/D/A class to P/U/Z class for last minute MFUs at fixed periods before the flight, staggered for PREM/GOLD/SILV/BLUE, but that's another recent thread

NickW

Then you need to adjust your expectations. This happens all the time.

terpfan101

that stinks. I hate when that happens if you buy a product, like some electronic or something. several stores in the US now have a price guarantee...for instance, Circuit City:
"If you've seen a lower advertised price from another local store with the same item in stock, we want to know about it. Bring it to our attention, and we'll gladly beat their price by 10% of the difference. If you see a lower advertised price (including our own sale prices) within 30 days of your purchase, we'll refund 110% of the difference. Our policy applies only to advertised prices. It does not apply to special offers or promotions, including rebates, free-with-purchase offers and special financing."

Delta has a "Low Fare Promise"

Until more competition exists for transatlantic flights between the UK and the US (more competition aside from BA and Virgin), I don't see much happening to lower prices for consumers. It's pretty close to being a duopoly (as AA and BA are alligned). So they compete with each other but not much else. They are doing a pretty good job at not lowering their prices and offering things too much (kind of following game theory).