[prem fare gone] KE: US-DPS Fully Refundable First Class, 2700USD
Jun 13, 2022, 6:24 pm
#332
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Virtuoso Travel Agent, Commercial Pilot
Posts: 2,117
I know this keeps getting said, but imagine if Best Buy was selling a TV for 80% off on Black Friday and then the next day sent an e-mail saying "oh no sorry this one wasn't supposed to be on sale, everyone please return their TV's". This wouldn't fly outside of the airline industry, somehow. So yes, I think everyone that booked this fare should file a DOT complaint, even if it goes nowhere.
Jun 13, 2022, 6:30 pm
#333
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Northeast
Posts: 240
If Delta sells a first class ticket for 4'000 dollars for 24 hours, then says "oh no it was actually 40'000 dollars" doesn't make it any more legitimate of an excuse though. 2700USD from NYC or >3000USD from other US cities isn't close to, say. the 700 USD Cathay First fare (which was also honoured). 2700 USD isn't nothing, and the fare was up and available for >24 hours.
Jun 13, 2022, 6:35 pm
#334
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: AS MVP Gold, BA Silver, AA Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,619
I've heard of pretty obvious "mistake" fares. Things where the fare itself was missing, or all the taxes were missing, and there was no hint of a promotion, and you could only book through the U.S. airline's Norwegian site and whatnot.
This was a four-figure base fare with taxes and fare rules, on the marketing airline's own ticket stock, fore sale on the marketing airline's website for, it sounds like, well over a day.
......................
In short, I'm not sure why Delta can so confidently declare this a mistake and unilaterally rescind it. I don't think this is an obvious, grossly unreasonable fare. Especially in a volatile travel environment from an airline that has no qualms about offering vastly dynamic pricing. It was left up for over a day, even as it was widely reported. There were no gimmicks necessary to book it. It was a published fare with corresponding fare rules.
This was a four-figure base fare with taxes and fare rules, on the marketing airline's own ticket stock, fore sale on the marketing airline's website for, it sounds like, well over a day.
......................
In short, I'm not sure why Delta can so confidently declare this a mistake and unilaterally rescind it. I don't think this is an obvious, grossly unreasonable fare. Especially in a volatile travel environment from an airline that has no qualms about offering vastly dynamic pricing. It was left up for over a day, even as it was widely reported. There were no gimmicks necessary to book it. It was a published fare with corresponding fare rules.
Jun 13, 2022, 6:45 pm
#336
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,666
They likely didn't want to deal with the drama, aggravation and logistics of it, plus there were likely many bookings, and they believe that they can sell these higher in J...And probably KE was not interested...
Jun 13, 2022, 6:51 pm
#338
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
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The "why" is that the DOT allows them to do it. Although the DOT's revised policy largely came to be because of what they considered to be "bad faith" purchases of error fares that were obviously mistakes, the policy they ended up publishing has no requirement that a mistake be obvious--if pressed Delta just has to convince someone in the DOT's Enforcement Office that the fare was published as a genuine mistake rather than it being a case of seller's remorse, and based on available data it should be trivial for Delta to produce a paper trail that demonstrates it was a mistake.
The only way DOT knows this is a problem is if people complain. Anyone with a canceled ticket should complain and request they revisit their policy, as it seems it was not clear this was a mistaken fare and the published policy encourages airlines to act in bad faith.
Delta routinely sells tickets for several times the lowest fare. In the JFK-LAX RT market, for example business is as low as $1,368 and as high as $20,000 (nearly 15x the lowest fare). This is actually a narrower spread than the so-called Bali mistake fare: $30,356 is DL's highest F fare JFK-DPS RT, only 13x the $2,335 so-called "mistake". Just because Delta sold more tickets than they anticipated on this weekend Bali sale, the DOT should not have a policy that allows DL to avoid their commitments.
Jun 13, 2022, 6:58 pm
#340
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Northeast
Posts: 240
Jun 13, 2022, 7:02 pm
#342
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Northeast
Posts: 240
https://airconsumer.dot.gov/escompla...nsumerForm.cfm
I think it's this one?
https://www.transportation.gov/airco...umer-complaint
The button to file complaint looks like a photo though.
I think it's this one?
https://www.transportation.gov/airco...umer-complaint
The button to file complaint looks like a photo though.
Jun 13, 2022, 7:05 pm
#344
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
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Some of us will never learn/accept/give up hope! The less people fight, the more cancelling tickets sold on sale will become normalized. And the lines between "mistake" and "sale" are ever so blurry while the DOT does nothing to clarify.