It can also be noted that T fares are not available on every route, even if they are, they are not necessarily available, and furthermore that pretty much anyone who needs to fly within a 21 day window couldn't generally buy them anyway.

i didn't even realize that it was an offer for a free ticket to *anywhere* delta flies...that does indeed have the potential of being very valuable.

HOWEVER, the fine print underscores the "potential" nature of the offer:

"Award travel may only be booked in E class. E class inventory is limited and seats may not be available on all flights or in all markets."

I'm not a Delta flyer (I've been a CO elite member for several years), but if redeeming any award in a certain class (likely the "standard" reward and not the "easypass" ones) is anything like continental, then that free ticket is about as valuable as monopoly money, especially since the fine print also mentions:

"Award tickets must be issued 24 hours after the reservation is made and at least 14 days prior to departure."

i know that continental, for instance, doesn't start releasing it's "standard" reward inventory UNTIL 14 days before departure (so they can nab you with a $35-50 fee for booking the reservation so close to the travel date)...and if delta is any way like CO in this regard, then you might as well use the free ticket voucher as toilet paper.

Fraud - No
Unethical - No
Illegal - No

They make you an offer, clearly stating the T&C's and you can choose to accept it.

If you know you need 3 tix and the price is less than the 2 in a higher fare class, go ahead an pass on their offer

If your 3rd ticket is to a very expensive destination, or you don't know your schedule but think it is worth the extra $$ to have the option of a free ticket anywhere, take the offer.

I have no problems at all. Of course, I also expect people to be smart enough to read, consider the options, and make a smart decision. I have no sympathy for the 'victim syndrome' - it's all your fault because I couldn't bother to think.

Very well said, CPRich. It's hard to swallow that the thread starter finds cruise line advertising 'deceptive' because they do not include the port tax. Newsflash--most business, including airlines, advertise the cost without the tax. Do you think Macy's includes a NY state sales tax in every item it advertises? When I book a room at Luxor in LAS, they quote me the rate without tax.

Sorry, but you are way, way off base.

It's actually illegal in some states, Connecticut for example, for a store to price an item with tax included in the sticker price.

For travel related prices, I don't care if the cruise is a $1.00 fare with $999 in port charges and taxes, or a $999 fare with $1 in taxes. It's the total cost that matters, not what makes it up.

So how about the airlines advertising airfares based on one way when a round-trip is required. How would you feel if Mcdonalds advertised an extra value meal at 99cents but at the check out said the 99 cents was only for the hamburger and you also needed to pay $3 for the drink and fires?

How about a Ford advertisment for an Excursion for $4000*?
*price is per person based upon a seating capcitiy of 8.

cruises and packaged travel is full of deceptive advertising. things like "free air" & free pre cruise hotel etc" are frequently touted. on some, i have had the price reduced when i declined the air etc. on others, there was no reduction for declining the air, tho i'm sure it was a part of their cost. others have put me on the a/l i wanted, but w/additional cost. port charges & tips sometimes are mentioned in the ad fine print. i take what the defense will give me.

it's tough in the field!

Sold !!!! I will take as many Excursions as you can get for 32k a piece.

"How is this not fraud?"

I don't know much about cruises, but to me port charges and tax are very different things. (Is a port charge kind of like the fee that an airline pays to have gates at an airport?)

My problem is when an airline advertises a $79 fare, and then you go to book it and it's three components: (a) base fare, (b) taxes paid to directly to the government, (c) garbage fees that go to the airline. IMHO, airline advertisements should include (a) and (c). Government taxes listed separately is normal and to be expected. (And I'm even fine with the R/T required - that is also normal and to be expected with cheap fares.)

For example, a "fuel surcharge" is unethical. When a customer buys a seat on an airplane, it is reasonable to assume that the airplane will not sit stationary, and will therefore need fuel to get to its destination. If a fuel surcharge is OK, why not have a wing surcharge, a fuselage surcharge, a cockpit surcharge, a seat surcharge, etc. etc. etc. (I don't have a problem with airfares changing as a result of the fact that fuel is a fluctuating cost. I have a problem with deceptive advertising.)

it doesn't matter....i brought it up just as an example of a very pervasive and annoying travel industry practice...as the examples in the posts above astutely demonstrate, it's absolutely ridiculous to advertise a fare with the small print saying "ONE WAY, BASED ON ROUND-TRIP PURCHASE". and all the taxes are a different issue---all i know is that with any other purchase, i know what taxes i'm paying....but when i have to pay in excess of $10 for "fuel surcharges", or as i've found in many hotels the "resort fee"... all it does is make me feel like a sucker who is being duped.

pretty much all airlines charge the same taxes and fees, so it's not like i would give one carrier my business over another if they all had to advertise their prices that included the taxes and fees...but as long as airlines will advertise "go to london for $79!*" for example (*79 one-way based on round-trip purchase, not including taxes and fees, etc.) i will continue to feel like they're taking advantage of me.

again, i'm sorry i used the word "fraud"... i'm just frustrated at how deceptive the marketing can be and i don't like when businesses play games like this with their customers. i think in certain cases it's unethical and at other times just unfair.

To those who have a problem with DL's practice here, I ask: would you prefer the alternative?

The alternative would surely be that DL did not offer this promotion, as it's highly unlikely that they'll offer an award ticket anywhere in the world for two or three discount domestic fares, right?

In this case, the airline made an offer, you're free to accept it or not. There's no deception, no fraud, and not even a hint of an ethical lapse.

I've seen posts here and on other FF forums that seem to think that the customer actually IS always right, even when they're not. I don't subscribe to that. When the terms and conditions of business are available in writing, you can hardly call it deceptive or fraud, and in my experience, it is usually people who are lazy or stupid, or have this sense of entitlement who have a problem with it.

So to those who disagree, I'd ask what kind of system they'd prefer.

I just called AA last night to inquire about their similar promotion, buy 2 tix nonstop from NY airport to FL or CA, get a ticket to anywhere that you can use by 4/15/2005. it is promotion AANYC.

My findings are that the free award is coming from the same bucket as the standard award tickets, which as you know are completely under the control of the airlines and completely undisclosed to the public. If I were to take advantage of this offer, I would want to use it next year and I only have a 3.5 month window to get a ticket to the place that I want from that award bucket. At least with miles I do not lose them in 1 year, basically if you are stranded with the ticket voucher, you are out of luck. Not that the airline would do it, but they *could* (by their T&C) simply tell you that every flight you request is not available with that voucher - and that may be the case of a lot of people take advantage of this promotion. There may be a lot of people who either get stranded with the voucher or are forced to use it for something that makes it not worth it.

The deal could be lucrative, but anyone participating is completely unprotected from the airlines' completely undisclosed policies, so the airline, in the T&C, essentially reserved the right to make the voucher worthless if they so desire. I was considering booking a couple of weekend trips to Florida, but now I am reconsidering.

Dont forget the extra fee's:

Fuel surchage of $500 per passenger.
Extra baggage fee if anybody who rides in the car will weigh more than 50 pounds.
Elecronic key fee if you want a metal key.
The fee to have the car sold to you.
Pet fee if you plan on having your dog or cat ride in the car with you.
The UC minor fee if you plan on leaving anybody in the car by themselves who are under the age of 15.

On top of all that, there will be all sorts of taxes and fee's. Taxes depend upon where you plan on driving your car. If you plan on driving the car across the border to Mexico or Canada, there will be INS and custom fee's. Certain cities will charge you to drive through them and so forth. . . .

[This message has been edited by Tango (edited Jan 15, 2004).]

You obviously have no clue as to what constitutes fraud. Before you start rendering a legal opinion, please do us all a favor and do a little homework first so you can at least post something semi-educated.