Help with a unique situation
 

Hi, I'm hoping that some of you CO FFs can advise me on a somewhat unique situation that I have. I apologize if this post is long. I'm also sorry if the details are a little vague, but I'm trying to make it a bit more difficult for the airlines in question to figure out who I am, for reasons that may be clear to you:

I booked a large contingent on business class award tickets to Europe on another (non-CO) airline. How large? Well, let's just say that we would fill about half of the business class on a widebody (how I got that many award tickets authorized is a story for another time). Anyway, our intended flights have been cancelled by this airline (some of you may realize who the "other airline" is <g> ). I called the airline as soon as I found out about the cancellation (before public announcement) because my group is traveling under many separate PNRs, and I was worried that if I waited we would all be rebooked separately. Somehow, I managed to convince the other airline to rebook us on a nonstop flight on the same route operated by CO (even though that airline had a connection option of its own which was wide open). The CO flight was also empty in J, so they took most of the group with no problem, but they didn't have availability for the last couple of pax, so these were put on the connecting flight and waitlisted for the CO flight. The problem is that my group is really insistent on traveling together (family reunion, plus there's a degree of anxiety these days), so unless the waitlist clears, I'll be forced to rebook all of us on the much less convenient connecting flight with my original airline. CO still shows plenty of J availability, so there's room on the plane, just not in whatever discounted class is used for inter-carrier rebookings. My flight is still several weeks away, but I need a final decision soon in order to rebook if the seats don’t come through.

Now, if I understand correctly, even though these are award tickets, when my airline rebooks us on CO this represents revenue to CO. So, although we are probably on a preferred inter-carrier rate, because there are so many of us we represent a good amount of income for CO. So, if CO doesn't release the waitlisted seats to us, they may be able to sell a couple of extra last minute walk up J fares at a higher price, but they'll have lost much more revenue because my whole group will cancel, and they'll end up flying with a very empty J class. So, my question: Is there any person/department at CO with enough business sense and authority that I can make this argument to? It seems to me that CO would do better having a confirmed J class full of discounted business class fares rather than a couple more full fares, but how can I make them realize this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Try 1-800-WE-CARE. They may be able to help out.

ROFLAO......every tried "I-800-We-Could-Care-Less?" Good luck.

Your best bet, strangedays, may be to book everyone on the connection if people insist that they fly together.

Absolutely agree. If it's going to be somewhat of a big party, what's the diff?



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CO treats me like a king, Rodney King

i agree, although people in this forum rave about the International Partner desk. try them first.

I wouldn't think the international partner desk has the authority to do that kind of override.

You would need someone with access to the pricing & yield management department.

Iwould agree with previous posts: just book everyone on the connection.

Put the two other people in coach on the same non-stop flight.

I agree, go with the connection, If you all want to ride together you need to bend as well, not just the airline, flights are being cut these days and that is a fact of life. you bend they bend (ok guys stop laughing, Im not talking bend forward) and everyone is happy

Thanks for the replies. I may well end up booking everyone on the connection, but it involves a long layover and is much less convenient. I also had considered putting a couple of people in coach, but obviously I’d prefer not to, especially since I’ve already used miles for business class tickets.

I guess what annoys me is that, in both of these situations, CO loses revenue, either by selling some coach tickets instead of business to my original airline, or by losing our party entirely. It’s just ironic that so many people today complain the airlines are being run by nitpicking accountant types, and here I would love to talk to just such a bean-counter and explain why CO would make far more revenue by releasing these seats, and I can’t find anybody to discuss this with.

So, have you called the 1-800-WECARE2 folks?

i honestly don't think they care.

Contact the Group Sales 800-525-1700 to see they can offer any help.

Big group on premium reward tickets is a difficult task. I think you are quite lucky to get so many J seats on CO. I have trouble to get even 2 F tickets on SQ.

Quick thought:

Don't CO BF seats usually require more miles than, say, WBC on NW?

.... although the partner airline hasn't been named.....

Yes, 100K vs. 80K (Transatlantic)

If NW is indeed that "other" airline, you might have gotten a bit of a gift...