Best Fare Guarantee
Aug 23, 2007, 6:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 174
Best Fare Guarantee
Who has had experience with the best fare guarantee on NW. It states that if you find a fare lower on the same day after you purchase a ticket??? Whats the point of that? Dont you have 24 hours or til midnight to change it anyway.
What if you bought the ticket a week ago as I did and the price goes down 75.00 for the same itinerary??
What if you bought the ticket a week ago as I did and the price goes down 75.00 for the same itinerary??
Aug 23, 2007, 6:58 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: UA, NW, CO, AA (General Member)
Posts: 168
I believe it is 24 hours but i could be wrong
Aug 23, 2007, 9:58 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: DL Million Miler
Posts: 1,963
The best fare guarantee really means that at, any point in time, what you see on nwa.com will be the best fare offered for NWA flights at that moment.
Of course fares change over time. A week later the fare could be whoppingly different--by hundreds of dollars.
The simple fact is that if you go to NWA.com and see a fare, there is virtually no chance that you can get that fare cheaper anywhere else, at that same moment. The Best Fare Guarantee is a no-brainer reflection of that programming and marketing fact. I doubt that you could successfully manage to stretch an allowable time-frame to encompass a genuine fare decrease (and a week later would definitely be non-allowable).
Of course fares change over time. A week later the fare could be whoppingly different--by hundreds of dollars.
The simple fact is that if you go to NWA.com and see a fare, there is virtually no chance that you can get that fare cheaper anywhere else, at that same moment. The Best Fare Guarantee is a no-brainer reflection of that programming and marketing fact. I doubt that you could successfully manage to stretch an allowable time-frame to encompass a genuine fare decrease (and a week later would definitely be non-allowable).
Aug 23, 2007, 10:02 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,884
Aug 23, 2007, 10:35 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,201
To be sure of the lowest fare on NWA.com you have to use all three search modes. They don't always come up with the same lowest fare. Even the unlikely mode of picking by schedule can come up lower than the other two. An example last night was PHL/PDX Sat. Sep 29. MR return.
Sep 8, 2007, 6:12 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NY
Programs: The local deli gives me 1 free sandwich after I buy 10
Posts: 4,026
disappointed
If you do not mind reading a little bit....
I have experience with NWA fare guarantee. I am disappointed in NW (compared to CO for which I have successfully used).
Thursday I found a fare on Travelocity from LGA-DTW-MYR for $140.10. Since I prefer buying on the airlines website I went to NWA.com and the price was $187. I quickly read over the rules of their guarantee. I purchased the ticket on NWA.com and thereafter filled out the on-line form even including screen prints of the exact flights on Travelocity at the lower price (CO is better since you call and right then the agent checks on-line and confirms the difference and processes the guarantee over the telephone. NW makes you send in the form and wait for a reply.)
Keep in mind I was not trying to take advantage of their promise. I have parents in MYR and was planning a trip anyway.
Here in part is the reply I get back 4 hours after submitting the request:
Dear XXXX,
Thank you for contacting nwa.com Customer Service.
We appreciate you choosing Northwest Airlines. We have reviewed your claim for the Best Fare Guarantee and found that your request is not valid. In the terms and conditions it states that Northwest Airlines must be able to verify the lower online published fare at the time of claim and that the lower fare does not exist on nwa.com. As noted above, the lower fare submitted with the claim must not be offered through nwa.com. When reviewing your claim we found that the lower fare, $135.10, was being offered through nwa.com. Since the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com, the reservation is not eligible for the Best Fare Guarantee.
However, if we offer a lower published fare than the ticket and exact flights that you have purchased, and you meet the qualifications of the new published fare, we will return the difference in fare to you in the form of a refund or a voucher. If a reissue down is completed within 24 hours of purchase, the difference may be refunded back to the original form of payment. After this first 24 hour timeframe, a $50 administrative fee will apply for the reissue down for domestic reservations. For international reservations, the change fee for the originally ticketed fare will apply as the administrative fee for the reissue down.
xxxx
Disappointed I wrote back:
xxxx,
You state, "When reviewing your claim we found that the lower fare, $135.10, was being offered through nwa.com. Since the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com, the reservation is not eligible for the Best Fare Guarantee."
How is it possible to purchase a ticket on NW for $187.11 when the price is as you claim was the same as Travelocity at $140.10? Of course, if you check hours later your web site may catch up with Travelocity's feed and NWA may indeed now say the lower price. If you checked when the customer did, you would have seen the same thing too.
I checked both NWA.com and within minutes of my purchase checked Travelocity; same flights only the price was $140.10. Even after checking two hours later on both NWA.com and Travelocity I found the low price on Travelocity and the same higher price on NWA.com.
I will be cancelling my flight to Myrtle Beach as soon as I finish this message. It seems NWA made an offer to guarantee the lowest price then choose to wiggle out of its responsibility.
XXXX
Again the same representative wrote back:
Dear XXXX,
Thank you for contacting nwa.com Customer Service.
The lower fares being offered, both through nwa.com and travelocity.com became available after a fare decrease with Northwest Airlines. This decrease occurred after the purchase of the original reservation had been completed, and will be updated on nwa.com, as well as all other booking agents, including travelocity.com, when the fare decrease occurs.
There was no aspect in the review that indicated the lower fare was not offered on travelocity.com. When we reviewed the claim is was being offered through travelocity.com. However, per the terms and conditions of the Best Fare Guarantee, we must also verify that the lower fare is not being offered through nwa.com, as the claim would not be valid if the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com. When researching the claim within two hours of receiving the claim, the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com, and this aspect made it ineligible for the Best Fare Guarantee.
As noted in the previous response, when lower fares are found on nwa.com and per the terms and conditions for the Best Fare Guarantee, they are ineligible for the Best Fare Guarantee. However, the reservations are eligible to be reissued to the lower fare that is available, and you may use the information provided in the previous message to complete the reissued down through nwa.com.
I believe the information above has further explained why your Best Fare claim was denied.
Thank you for choosing Northwest Airlines. We value your patronage and consider it a privilege to serve your travel needs.
Sincerely,
xxxx
nwa.com Customer Service
I am positive the fare was changing but had not been loaded on NWA for several hours after Travelocity had loaded the fare. Should I let it go or can anyone offer a good reply back to customer representative xxxx?
I have experience with NWA fare guarantee. I am disappointed in NW (compared to CO for which I have successfully used).
Thursday I found a fare on Travelocity from LGA-DTW-MYR for $140.10. Since I prefer buying on the airlines website I went to NWA.com and the price was $187. I quickly read over the rules of their guarantee. I purchased the ticket on NWA.com and thereafter filled out the on-line form even including screen prints of the exact flights on Travelocity at the lower price (CO is better since you call and right then the agent checks on-line and confirms the difference and processes the guarantee over the telephone. NW makes you send in the form and wait for a reply.)
Keep in mind I was not trying to take advantage of their promise. I have parents in MYR and was planning a trip anyway.
Here in part is the reply I get back 4 hours after submitting the request:
Dear XXXX,
Thank you for contacting nwa.com Customer Service.
We appreciate you choosing Northwest Airlines. We have reviewed your claim for the Best Fare Guarantee and found that your request is not valid. In the terms and conditions it states that Northwest Airlines must be able to verify the lower online published fare at the time of claim and that the lower fare does not exist on nwa.com. As noted above, the lower fare submitted with the claim must not be offered through nwa.com. When reviewing your claim we found that the lower fare, $135.10, was being offered through nwa.com. Since the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com, the reservation is not eligible for the Best Fare Guarantee.
However, if we offer a lower published fare than the ticket and exact flights that you have purchased, and you meet the qualifications of the new published fare, we will return the difference in fare to you in the form of a refund or a voucher. If a reissue down is completed within 24 hours of purchase, the difference may be refunded back to the original form of payment. After this first 24 hour timeframe, a $50 administrative fee will apply for the reissue down for domestic reservations. For international reservations, the change fee for the originally ticketed fare will apply as the administrative fee for the reissue down.
xxxx
Disappointed I wrote back:
xxxx,
You state, "When reviewing your claim we found that the lower fare, $135.10, was being offered through nwa.com. Since the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com, the reservation is not eligible for the Best Fare Guarantee."
How is it possible to purchase a ticket on NW for $187.11 when the price is as you claim was the same as Travelocity at $140.10? Of course, if you check hours later your web site may catch up with Travelocity's feed and NWA may indeed now say the lower price. If you checked when the customer did, you would have seen the same thing too.
I checked both NWA.com and within minutes of my purchase checked Travelocity; same flights only the price was $140.10. Even after checking two hours later on both NWA.com and Travelocity I found the low price on Travelocity and the same higher price on NWA.com.
I will be cancelling my flight to Myrtle Beach as soon as I finish this message. It seems NWA made an offer to guarantee the lowest price then choose to wiggle out of its responsibility.
XXXX
Again the same representative wrote back:
Dear XXXX,
Thank you for contacting nwa.com Customer Service.
The lower fares being offered, both through nwa.com and travelocity.com became available after a fare decrease with Northwest Airlines. This decrease occurred after the purchase of the original reservation had been completed, and will be updated on nwa.com, as well as all other booking agents, including travelocity.com, when the fare decrease occurs.
There was no aspect in the review that indicated the lower fare was not offered on travelocity.com. When we reviewed the claim is was being offered through travelocity.com. However, per the terms and conditions of the Best Fare Guarantee, we must also verify that the lower fare is not being offered through nwa.com, as the claim would not be valid if the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com. When researching the claim within two hours of receiving the claim, the lower fare was being offered through nwa.com, and this aspect made it ineligible for the Best Fare Guarantee.
As noted in the previous response, when lower fares are found on nwa.com and per the terms and conditions for the Best Fare Guarantee, they are ineligible for the Best Fare Guarantee. However, the reservations are eligible to be reissued to the lower fare that is available, and you may use the information provided in the previous message to complete the reissued down through nwa.com.
I believe the information above has further explained why your Best Fare claim was denied.
Thank you for choosing Northwest Airlines. We value your patronage and consider it a privilege to serve your travel needs.
Sincerely,
xxxx
nwa.com Customer Service
I am positive the fare was changing but had not been loaded on NWA for several hours after Travelocity had loaded the fare. Should I let it go or can anyone offer a good reply back to customer representative xxxx?
Last edited by Clincher; Sep 8, 2007 at 6:28 pm Reason: grammar
Sep 8, 2007, 7:29 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Programs: Delta, Marriott
Posts: 387
I see what you are saying, however...
You are "positive" that it was changing, but have no PROOF of the change (at least from NWA's view). It would be wise of you to let this particular issue go.
Sep 8, 2007, 7:42 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: MHT is the closest.... but not terribly close
Programs: NW WP (never an elite)
Posts: 488
Also, just because Travelocity posted a fare does not mean it was available. I have several (more than twice, at least) tried to purchase a lower far I found on Travelocity, Expedia or Orbitz, only to get a screen that says "that fare is no longer available". So a fare of $141 advertised does not mean that NWA's fare of $187 is not in fact the cheapest available fare.
This begins to sound like Bill Clinton trying to define "is"....
This begins to sound like Bill Clinton trying to define "is"....
Sep 9, 2007, 7:09 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NY
Programs: The local deli gives me 1 free sandwich after I buy 10
Posts: 4,026
Also, just because Travelocity posted a fare does not mean it was available. I have several (more than twice, at least) tried to purchase a lower far I found on Travelocity, Expedia or Orbitz, only to get a screen that says "that fare is no longer available". So a fare of $141 advertised does not mean that NWA's fare of $187 is not in fact the cheapest available fare.
This begins to sound like Bill Clinton trying to define "is"....
This begins to sound like Bill Clinton trying to define "is"....
When you work this with Continental it is is an immediate check over the telephone. I can see that it would nearly be impossible to take advantage of NW's low fare guarantee when they do not do an immediate check.NW does sound like Bill Clinton. Trust him as far as you can throw him (with or without the Big Mac in his hand)
Last edited by Clincher; Sep 9, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Sep 9, 2007, 7:12 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NY
Programs: The local deli gives me 1 free sandwich after I buy 10
Posts: 4,026
I had proof which I sent per their request. By the time they got around to verifying the screen print I had sent the price had changed.
Last edited by Clincher; Sep 10, 2007 at 6:43 am
Sep 10, 2007, 6:34 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NY
Programs: The local deli gives me 1 free sandwich after I buy 10
Posts: 4,026
LadyPhoenix "It would be wise of you to let this particular issue go."
Wise? Why do you say wise?
Your comment makes me want to take it as far as I can. How else will they changed their ways?
Last edited by Clincher; Sep 10, 2007 at 6:42 am
Sep 11, 2007, 7:21 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MEL
Programs: DL, QF, QR Gold, MR Lifetime Gold
Posts: 7,003
I too was disappointed by the Best Fare Guarantee. I don't think it's fair. They do their utmost to come up with reasons to reject the claim and I think most of the reasons stem from the fact that they can not check right then and there. I like the way CO does it.