US AIR: Web Fares vs Phone Fares?
Jun 15, 2001, 11:39 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Moss Beach, CA USA
Posts: 17
US AIR: Web Fares vs Phone Fares?
Lesson one from USAIR on how to anger a consumer:
Keep him on a plane, on the runway gate for 6.5 hours, then give him a $100 voucher.
The only way to use this voucher is by phone-
Web fare for flight $335
Quoted fare for same flight on phone $550!
Is this standard practice? Do other airlines have such a gap in fares web vs phone?
Keep him on a plane, on the runway gate for 6.5 hours, then give him a $100 voucher.
The only way to use this voucher is by phone-
Web fare for flight $335
Quoted fare for same flight on phone $550!
Is this standard practice? Do other airlines have such a gap in fares web vs phone?
Jun 15, 2001, 9:41 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Phila Delta ex-PM, ex-UA-PE
Posts: 2,659
Definitely a problem. Made several complains to Delta about that policy last year. I think early this year, they added to the rules for their webfares stating that DL travel vouchers may not be used for payment.
I don't know if their systems really can't handle using vouchers for online transactions, or if it's just another restriction that reduces the redemption rate of vouchers. I got lucky that I finally found a flight where the online and airport/phone prices were identical. The only thing I lost was the 1000mile online booking bonus (which I gladly traded for the $100 I saved by using the voucher).
Jeff
I don't know if their systems really can't handle using vouchers for online transactions, or if it's just another restriction that reduces the redemption rate of vouchers. I got lucky that I finally found a flight where the online and airport/phone prices were identical. The only thing I lost was the 1000mile online booking bonus (which I gladly traded for the $100 I saved by using the voucher).
Jeff
Jun 15, 2001, 11:29 pm
#4
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
There's been a few times the last two weeks that a coupon or voucher box has appeared on the UA booking site (no doubt while they were testing it out, as it was only there for a few hours each time). As I've been given a stack of vouchers from being bumped this year, this will come in very useful when they incorporate the feature, and let me use it on web-only fares. Right now I have to be careful to make sure the fare I am getting off the web is a good value before using the vouchers. Figure if UA adds this feature, it will only be a matter of time until other carriers add it also.