When an average Joe finds an error rate
May 11, 2005 | 7:10 am
#1
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,813
When an average Joe finds an error rate
So my boss comes in yesterday morning and tells me that on Saturday he was looking around for hotels for DC for 4th of July weekend. He stumbled on a rate at one of the better Marriott's there (sorry, forgot which one), $39/night for a King Suite.
He can tell it's in error, not only because it's so low, but because that rate only shows if you select number of guests = 1. When you change to 2, the rate jumps to around $350.
Anyway, he's an experienced traveller - AA Plat, Marriott Gold - but he doesn't waste his time on Flyertalk like the rest of us.
So he goes ahead and reserves a few rooms for his family. What next? Post here? No. FatWallet? No. Call all his friends? No. He calls Marriott to confirm the rate! Their Reps are telling him things like "congratulations, you hit the jackpot". Anyway, no word spreading on this one. He says the rate was available thru Monday, at least 2 days after he first stumbled onto it.
I checked yesterday as soon as he told me, but it was gone...
He can tell it's in error, not only because it's so low, but because that rate only shows if you select number of guests = 1. When you change to 2, the rate jumps to around $350.
Anyway, he's an experienced traveller - AA Plat, Marriott Gold - but he doesn't waste his time on Flyertalk like the rest of us.
So he goes ahead and reserves a few rooms for his family. What next? Post here? No. FatWallet? No. Call all his friends? No. He calls Marriott to confirm the rate! Their Reps are telling him things like "congratulations, you hit the jackpot". Anyway, no word spreading on this one. He says the rate was available thru Monday, at least 2 days after he first stumbled onto it.
I checked yesterday as soon as he told me, but it was gone...
