LHR/MEL/Europe FF

this has nothing to do with needing a lawyer.

this was to do with pointing out how silly it is to mention FT to watchdog in the UK, who will only see that everyone knew it was a mistake.

tkey75

Amadeus question:

In the notes of my itinerary on checkmytrip, it says 'Retention'. What does that mean?

cardesigner2000

The fact that it was a very cheap (or mistake) fare probably won't get as much sympathy as a normal fare, but it still doesn't change the fact that xp are canceling these fares at the very last minute with either malicious intent or due to their incompetence in not realizing this 3 months ago. People have purchased expensive positioning tickets and accommodations and now risk being stranded in Myanmar due to xp.uk.

If ryanair cancelled tickets booked months in advance at the last minute because they mispriced their discount 1 pence fare leaving people stranded in a foreign country it would still cause a scandal. A confirmed and paid for ticket should be honored, regardless of the price. How is a consumer to know if a fare is not the correct one? If a mistake was made, it should have been addressed immediately and not months later.

Reminds me a bit of the Seinfeld episode about the difference between simply taking a reservation and actually keeping one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7uvttu8ct0

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

I have been following this thread form the beginning so am aware of all the arguments. I don't need convincing about anything, simply pointing out that the suggestion above to mention FT will simply lead the television researcher to find 8000 posts here where everyone pretty much realises they have a fare that was unintended.

if the tv researcher sees that then not so much sympathy.

can we stick to the debate about mentioning the FT thread to tv, rather than arguments about why people think the airlines are being wrong stranding pax. (a tv researcher reading FT might equally think everyone had plenty of warning that these fares were unintended, but still decided, of their own accord, to take the gamble and buy positioning tickets etc etc and so what, some people have lost the gamble).

just as everyone here says the airlines choose to participate in IATA fares etc, the same argument applies to the passengers. they are choosing to still chance these tickets even though they know the risks. (all of the risk could have been avoided if people weren't so eager to pick up suites for $800.)

tkey75

No, goddamit. How in the heck is that any more on topic? Take all those crap, petty arguments elsewhere. Start other threads, send PM's, but realize that those discussions are distracting from serious sh!t transpiring here and as it's relevant to the thread, it's imperative discussions be kept to the topic of flights from RGN.

Your fellow FTer's are potentially being stranded in a far away very foreign country, need help/advice, and all you can think to do is talk about FT being mentioned on TV? Shame.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

mentioning FT to a tv show wasn't my idea. and the arguments over the last couple of pages are nothing new.

no one is being stranded! they have purchased one way tickets originating in Rangoon. this is not a return ticket, it originates in Rangoon. the airline didn't carry you there and then cancel your return.

passengers have chosen to book connecting flights, knowing full well that there was a potential risk. but they have chosen to go ahead anyway, so they can experience first class for a fraction of the price.

they could have avoided any risk entirely by cancelling their tickets, or not participating at all.

if you were genuinely in Rangoon and looking to fly to the USA, then your regular fare would have $10k anyway. all you have to do now is buy that same ticket for $10k and in reality, the $800 gamble hasn't paid off. (the only problem with that argument is that not many would have been in Rangoon anyway, and they don't normally pay $10k for a ticket)

there are consumer protection laws. we are waiting to see how they pan out. there are also contract laws, and some are choosing to pursue those avenues.

now that people know there is a good chance they may not fly, they alone can determine what action to take. fly to Rangoon or don't. wait for dot or don't. no one needs to be stranded. even if your ticket is still live, you alone are making the choice to fly to Rangoon knowing your ticket may get cancelled even the day before and without, as yet, dot protection.

tkey75

So let's all do our part to not perpetuate them.

eloraculo

What potential risk? To me DOT rules are very clear, this ticket is the same as the next ticket. I don't mind if they cancel within a reasonable time, I do mind when it takes them weeks and months, you can ask KE about that.

Wozza2404

Without wanting to fan the flames, I flew from the Indian Subcontinent to the USA around 6 week ago on a OW fare.

I paid just over £1000 for 3 flights, 2 in EK suites, one on BA. All F.

Why is it so ridiculous that, based on that fare, I'd expect to fly a similar distance predominantly in J for £400?

XP are on shaky ground, and if my tickets are cancelled ill happily fight. By whatever means necessary. If that means taking them to task on national TV, I will.

hobo13

Can someone post a quick summary of what the latest issues with R1/R2 tickets are?

Oxymore

Do a quick search with this word on this thread, it has been mentioned before. Apparently, it's only for statistics, from what I read here (but I have no personal knowledge about it).

lewende

R1 - nothing special except some tickets (not touching US) with QF segments got dropped; otherwise business as usual;

R2 - very tricky yet confusing situations: xp.co.uk cancelled tickets at very last minute; an FTer reported this was instructed by DL, but whole situation is still murky.

So far, 6 FTers reported tickets got cancelled, while 4 FTers reported successfully flew R2 tickets in past 2-3 weeks.

I would appreciate more data to be reported w/r/t Round 2. You may also PM me if you like. I will compile this information on an aggregate level.

Edit:
Got some PMs so if you may include this info into your PM, that would be great:

(1) Booking Engine (xp.co.uk/xp.de)
(2) Initial Plating Carrier (AF/DL/NH)
(3) Travel Month (e.g., July)
(4) Any schedule change after ticketing (Y/N), if so, the new plating carrier
(5) Ticket got reissued (Y/N), if so, the new plating carrier
(6) Routing (optional)

Like a similar work I've done, for security reasons, the results will NOT be shared publicly. Instead, I will send you a PM.

hobo13

Thanks. Precisely what I was looking for. I sat our Round 2, and my Rd 1 / 3 look good.

whimike

This is complete garbage. With one-way fares they can be either originating fares or fares to get back home. If I buy 2 one-way fares, one from SFO-EWR and for a few days later on a different airline from EWR-SFO, if the airline cancels my EWR-SFO one-way it certainly is leaving me stranded. For people that relied on tickets, that have been confirmed for months, and positioned to RGN, they certainly are stranded. To suggest that a one-way fare can't leave you stranded is really grasping at straws.

It is unprecedented that an airline cancels a ticket days before travel after being confirmed for months. There should have been very little risk at this point. The actions of the airline/OTA are disastrous to their chances in court.

I love quotes like this. I have a friend who is scared to fly saying airplanes crash. I could also tell him to avoid any risk he should never fly again. People are also killed quite a bit more often in cars, I could suggest to him to never drive a car again to minimize his chances of a car crash. The real question is what is your risk tolerance and what should be a standard level of risk tolerance? In buying a ticket your risk is the money you paid, after the airlines have confirmed the tickets for months without cancellation the risk should have been very low of cancellation.

There are a plethora of J and F fares from that general region that are sub $2k, as has been stated many times. $800, while quite low, is not $0 or $10.

hobo13

I know this was mentioned before but.....

Can someone remind what the visa policy is for children / infants, specifically those under 6? Various sources say they do not need a separate visa, or do not need to pay the visa fee. Does that mean that I submit a separate visa application, along with our own, but do not pay an additional $20?