Can u get sued from a frequent flyer or hotel program? Has it happened to you?
May 6, 2007, 10:17 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 3
Can u get sued from a frequent flyer or hotel program? Has it happened to you?
I have been reading flyertalk for awhile and have seen several posts about losing miles or hotel points, and I was just curious about some questions with things Ive always thought about, so I was just curious if anyone has ever gotten sued or lost their miles/points do to something, and if so what was it.
The main example ive been curious about is the followng - Lets say an airline program has something to sign up for on a partner website once where you get 1,000 miles - and you sign up a lot of times with different email addresses. You get 1,000 miles posted 25 times, then take a free trip. A year later they see your account and notice. What would they do? Would they just cancel your account, or somehow make you pay for it, or sue you, or what.
Ive seen this example most often as it seems like it would work, I dunno. Has anyone ever done this and gotten caught, or something similar? Does it even work?
Has anyone ever gotten in trouble with an airline or hotel for something else?
The main example ive been curious about is the followng - Lets say an airline program has something to sign up for on a partner website once where you get 1,000 miles - and you sign up a lot of times with different email addresses. You get 1,000 miles posted 25 times, then take a free trip. A year later they see your account and notice. What would they do? Would they just cancel your account, or somehow make you pay for it, or sue you, or what.
Ive seen this example most often as it seems like it would work, I dunno. Has anyone ever done this and gotten caught, or something similar? Does it even work?
Has anyone ever gotten in trouble with an airline or hotel for something else?
May 7, 2007, 12:26 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: OKC/DFW
Programs: AA EXP/2 MM
Posts: 9,999
Here's a current example:http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=689350
You'll find plenty more if you search a bit.
You'll find plenty more if you search a bit.
May 7, 2007, 8:31 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: About 45 miles NW of MCO
Programs: Acapulco - Gold, Panama - Red, Timothy Leary 8 Mile High Club
Posts: 29,357
Your head appears to be filled with naughty thoughts. You need to transfer you miles to me in atonement until you are OMNI-qualified. You'll fit in nicely once you're there.
Screw with the airlines at your peril.
Screw with the airlines at your peril.
May 7, 2007, 8:34 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Reno, Nevada
Posts: 7,368
I believe that people who sign up multiple accounts and then try to combine them to claim an award get caught well before the point that they'd get sued. See this thread as an example:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=604381
Mike
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=604381
Mike
May 7, 2007, 8:46 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Central Texas
Programs: Many, slipping beneath the horizon
Posts: 9,859
Let's face it....Anyone with a pen and paper, the filing fee and taxi fare to a court of appropriate jurisdiction can sue you at any moment....Even without a lawyer in many "Small Claims Courts".
There's a caveat. In time, efforts, staff costs, fees for outside attorney's and their appearances, etc., lawsuits are quite expensive for airlines or hotel chains. Therefore, "punitive action" is most likely to occur under the rules of the specific program, taking away all your points, never letting you play again, or even threatening (and this might be legally extremely tough if not impossible under public accommodation laws and operating licenses to enforce) to ban you from ever flying or staying on the airline or in the hotel chain.
There's a caveat. In time, efforts, staff costs, fees for outside attorney's and their appearances, etc., lawsuits are quite expensive for airlines or hotel chains. Therefore, "punitive action" is most likely to occur under the rules of the specific program, taking away all your points, never letting you play again, or even threatening (and this might be legally extremely tough if not impossible under public accommodation laws and operating licenses to enforce) to ban you from ever flying or staying on the airline or in the hotel chain.
May 7, 2007, 8:55 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,613
If you did it once, and the result was a free domestic ticket, they'd probably just cancel your account. What the heck did you do, anyway? The Hilton thing? I like HHonors, but wow it sounds like they are (were?) sloppy from an IT point of view.
May 7, 2007, 9:43 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 3
i didnt do it, I was just curious. I have in the past though signed up for mutiple survey site email addresses and never had any problems from any of them, maybe because theyre getting paid anyway, i dunno....but that got old and surveys were really just a waste of my time, but Ive been reading so many stories on flyertalk lately about selling points or miles or somehow abusing the system so ive been curious