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[PREM FARE GONE] BA/AA/LATAM r/t LHR to GYE First & Business from £797

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[PREM FARE GONE] BA/AA/LATAM r/t LHR to GYE First & Business from £797

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Old Nov 22, 2017, 12:58 am
  #766  
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Originally Posted by Misco60
It was nothing like a week - it was only three hours between the fare being reported (in this thread) and the first reports of it no longer being available. And it all happened in the early hours of the morning, UK time.

Why would an airline publish and then withdraw a fare so quickly if it were not an error?
because it sold out? That happens all the time with flash fare sales.

If its so obvious it was an error, why did it take them three days to contact us and tell us the tickets were no longer good because they didn’t like the fare that we got, which they published?
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Old Nov 22, 2017, 12:59 am
  #767  
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I would also note to people who lost out on money because of the exchange rate when they refunded your credit card. You can either contact your credit card company. Or you can also contact British Airways’s legal department. British Airways actually sent me a check for the difference that I lost out on.
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Old Nov 22, 2017, 1:02 am
  #768  
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Originally Posted by Misco60
Why would an airline publish and then withdraw a fare so quickly, and cancel the tickets that had been bought, if it were not an error?
Isn't this exactly what happens when seats in a particular fare bucket sell out?
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Old Nov 22, 2017, 1:05 am
  #769  
 
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Originally Posted by Edgerfly
because it sold out? That happens all the time with flash fare sales.
Yes, fares offered in flash sales are withdrawn as soon as the fare sells out. But the tickets booked are not subsequently cancelled.

If you're intent upon launching legal action on the grounds of extortion, as you claimed above, then you're doomed to fail. British Airways merely asked you to pay the difference between the fare you paid and the fare they say should have been charged. You have to accept BA's claims that the fare was a mistake (as was evident to almost everyone who contributed to this thread) and concentrate on whether or not BA should, under local consumer law, have honoured the tickets it sold.

Originally Posted by danger
Isn't this exactly what happens when seats in a particular fare bucket sell out?
No, it's completely different. When a fare in a fare bucket sells out the airline raises the fare it subsequently offers to customers but it does not then claim that the fare previously published was an error and cancel the tickets that were purchased in that fare bucket.
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Old Nov 22, 2017, 1:17 am
  #770  
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Originally Posted by Misco60
Yes, fares offered in flash sales are withdrawn as soon as the fare sells out. But the tickets booked are not subsequently cancelled.

If you're intent upon launching legal action on the grounds of extortion, as you claimed above, then you're doomed to fail. British Airways merely asked you to pay the difference between the fare you paid and the fare they say should have been charged. You have to accept BA's claims that the fare was a mistake (as was evident to almost everyone who contributed to this thread), and concentrate on whether or not BA should, under local consumer law, have honoured the tickets it sold.
I’ll let a judge decide that. I don’t need some flyertalk member to play pretend judge of my case.

The very definition of bait and switch is for you to pay for something, and then not get what you paid for. That’s what bait and switch is! So we paid for this, and then we were told and demanded that we had to pay more to fly what we had purchased, which was first class. They had deducted the money, and issued the tickets and flights. Don’t give me this silly argument that “well you still could’ve gone.” Yeah we could’ve gone in economy which is not what we agreed to, and not what we purchased.

It’s pretty cut and dry here, and British Airways is going to have a hard time explaining themselves in a court of law. Especially given that many people actually were able to fly this given fare. The day of or the next day. Going into court and saying “oh sorry we made a mistake, but we allowed some people to fly” isn’t going to be a very good defense, that I can assure you. I really don’t want to get into this and go in circles. Also, between what I have communicated with British Airways attorneys, the position which you have stated are almost exactly word for word what their legal team has been spouting. Which makes me wonder, and question what your motives are for posting here.

Last edited by Edgerfly; Nov 22, 2017 at 1:32 am
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Old Nov 22, 2017, 1:25 am
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Originally Posted by Edgerfly
Also, between what I have communicated with British Airways attorneys, the position which you have stated are almost exactly word for word what their legal team has been spouting. Which makes me wonder, and question what your motives are for posting here.
I am offering a personal opinion, nothing more. If my own, independent assessment of the situation corresponds closely to what BA's legal team has been "spouting" it is only because it is the only sensible assessment that can be made.

Please do keep us informed of progress in your legal action. I recently won a case against BA and I'd be very interested in hearing how your own case proceeds.
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Old Nov 22, 2017, 1:27 am
  #772  
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Originally Posted by Misco60
I am offering a personal opinion, nothing more. If my own, independent assessment of the situation corresponds closely to what BA's legal team has been "spouting" it is only because it is the only sensible assessment that can be made.

Please do keep us informed of progress in your legal action. I recently won a case against BA and I'd be very interested in hearing how your own case proceeds.
Well since you’re so eager to hear about our case why don’t you share some details about your case and what arguments you used and the outcome?
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 2:52 am
  #773  
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This is an interesting link I think I will share with the group: https://www.americanbar.org/publicat...assengers.html
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 3:57 am
  #774  
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Originally Posted by Edgerfly
.......many people actually were able to fly this given fare.

Many people ??
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 4:10 am
  #775  
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Yes people who left the day the fare was published and the second day were allowed to travel without their tickets being cancelled.
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 4:16 am
  #776  
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Originally Posted by Edgerfly
This is an interesting link I think I will share with the group: https://www.americanbar.org/publicat...assengers.html

Interesting indeed !

"Practically all state consumer protection statutes and tort claims are rendered useless against air carriers. This leaves consumers and their attorneys with just one remaining cause of action: breach of contract...... "

Which is the avenue we have been pointing you towards. The airline will, of course, claim that you knew, or should have known, the fare was a mistake, allowing them to unilaterally void the contract . You have made it abundantly clear that you do not believe this to be a valid position. It could be an uphill battle to convince a judge that your view is congruent with a reasonable assessment of the evidence, but no-one wishes to deny you the opportunity to put forward your case.
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 4:30 am
  #777  
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I would just like to caution people who want to post in this forum that British Airways is indeed monitoring what is said in here (as if they couldn’t go any lower). So if you want to say something pertaining to legal routes, please PM me, thank you.

I would caution anyone posting here to assume British Airways will see it.
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 9:21 am
  #778  
 
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I just booked a trip on BA (in Y) where the round-trip base fare is precisely €2
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 7:57 pm
  #779  
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Originally Posted by Edgerfly
I’ll let a judge decide that. I don’t need some flyertalk member to play pretend judge of my case.

The very definition of bait and switch is for you to pay for something, and then not get what you paid for. That’s what bait and switch is! So we paid for this, and then we were told and demanded that we had to pay more to fly what we had purchased, which was first class. They had deducted the money, and issued the tickets and flights. Don’t give me this silly argument that “well you still could’ve gone.” Yeah we could’ve gone in economy which is not what we agreed to, and not what we purchased.

It’s pretty cut and dry here, and British Airways is going to have a hard time explaining themselves in a court of law. Especially given that many people actually were able to fly this given fare. The day of or the next day. Going into court and saying “oh sorry we made a mistake, but we allowed some people to fly” isn’t going to be a very good defense, that I can assure you. I really don’t want to get into this and go in circles. Also, between what I have communicated with British Airways attorneys, the position which you have stated are almost exactly word for word what their legal team has been spouting. Which makes me wonder, and question what your motives are for posting here.
The motives for posting should be fairly straightforward... to protect the interests of passengers.

The Swiss Rangoon fare, similar to this in many respects, was argued to the death with the same arguments you are putting forward. Those arguments weren't successful and were, I believe, one of the contributing factors to get the DOT to change its policy on mistake fares.

Airlines argued enough was enough. And the DOT agreed. We've seen further watering down of the DOT's position in subsequent cases... must touch US soil for more than 24 hours now, must be a fare marketed and aimed at US customers.

So yeah, you can argue, and persist, and give the airlines more ammunition to get consumer laws changed, no matter which side of the Atlantic you happen to be on.
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Old Nov 23, 2017, 8:29 pm
  #780  
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Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF
The motives for posting should be fairly straightforward... to protect the interests of passengers.

The Swiss Rangoon fare, similar to this in many respects, was argued to the death with the same arguments you are putting forward. Those arguments weren't successful and were, I believe, one of the contributing factors to get the DOT to change its policy on mistake fares.

Airlines argued enough was enough. And the DOT agreed. We've seen further watering down of the DOT's position in subsequent cases... must touch US soil for more than 24 hours now, must be a fare marketed and aimed at US customers.

So yeah, you can argue, and persist, and give the airlines more ammunition to get consumer laws changed, no matter which side of the Atlantic you happen to be on.
I guess what you’re saying is if you make too much noise, the DOT will only make things worse?

I was raised when I see wrong to say something. I think the DOT has made such a big reversal that now customers are in positions to be abused and taken advantage of by Airlines. What is happening now that airlines are doing to passengers are not fair and wrong. I think it’s important we give the DOT this feedback to show what their actions have done. The airlines now feel empowered based upon what has happened to the point where we are treated as nothing more than cattle. Just look at all the outrageous things that have happened to people this year that we’re in the news, such as Dr. Dao. And these are just the instances that make the news. People every day are thrown aside by these giant companies.

if we don’t speak up, things will only get worse.
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