UAs Official Response to HKG Ticketing/IT Error: Redeem @ Correct Amount or Redeposit
Aug 8, 2012, 6:29 pm
#3571
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 5
Anyone get a $200.00 gift certificate from United that this article mentions? First time hearing about it. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/08/...rfare-bargain/
Aug 8, 2012, 7:07 pm
#3572
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: 60137
Posts: 10,498
El Al is honoring the 5000 fare mistakes sold this week.
UAL should follow their example.
UAL should follow their example.
Aug 8, 2012, 7:47 pm
#3573
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: UA Pleb, HH Gold, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 23,199
Putting aside your slanted summary, you still don't see the obvious difference?
Cash paid = ticket may be honored - depends on carrier and amount at issue. $400-600 fare is not patently absurd in light of actual fare sales, particularly to uninformed consumer. Even $20 may not be absurd on a RyanAir route.
Miles used = extremely doubtful. 4 miles is patently absurd even to Joe Kettle who knows it takes 25k miles for a domestic saver (or perhaps 10k miles when there is a well-advertised promotion). Not a single consumer made a mistake here or was duped.
Get it yet?
Cash paid = ticket may be honored - depends on carrier and amount at issue. $400-600 fare is not patently absurd in light of actual fare sales, particularly to uninformed consumer. Even $20 may not be absurd on a RyanAir route.
Miles used = extremely doubtful. 4 miles is patently absurd even to Joe Kettle who knows it takes 25k miles for a domestic saver (or perhaps 10k miles when there is a well-advertised promotion). Not a single consumer made a mistake here or was duped.
Get it yet?
Anyone get a $200.00 gift certificate from United that this article mentions? First time hearing about it. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/08/...rfare-bargain/
Aug 8, 2012, 7:52 pm
#3574
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
No disrespect, but, I simply don't believe it.
I agree. If UA reinstated even 1 ticket, I think it would get out. And if they reinstate 1, I think there would be several tickets and thus multiple stories.
Again, not trying to disrespect anyone, but, I do not believe it.
I doubt anyone has hade their tkt reinstated (except for those who were told at the beginning they could travel. The DOT has said nothing so far. Actually, they have said they cannot force an airline to reinstate these tkts (fines would do this but no fines have been issued. Just cuz some nameless, faceless person on FT says they have reinstated their tkt.......come on. I just said yesterday I could post UA is honoring my tkt, apologized and gave me 140,000 miles for my trouble and I'm sure some people on FT would take that as fact. Unless I see proof UA has honored any more tkts, it's BS as far as I'm concerned.
Again, not trying to disrespect anyone, but, I do not believe it.
Aug 8, 2012, 7:56 pm
#3575
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
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Aug 8, 2012, 7:57 pm
#3576
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
I had not thought of that. It is a good point. Can you verify the story or did you hear/see it else where?
Aug 8, 2012, 8:00 pm
#3577
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: UA Pleb, HH Gold, PWP General Secretary
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Aug 8, 2012, 8:20 pm
#3578
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Semi OT but noticed a post on the FB page about UA trying to upfare someones unrelated standard award
If United quotes 50,000 miles for two domestic round trip tickets (total), accepts 50,000 miles in payment, and then after 24 hours of no confirmation we call to inquire and they confirm that a confirmation email will be sent in a few minutes, you would expect to be done and done. Right? But United says they made an error and it's actually 100,000 miles total and expects us to fork over the rest. Why am I paying for their mistake? We bought more miles to meet the necessary 50K and they already accepted our form of payment? Shouldn't they own up and honor what they told us and what was originally seen online?
Aug 8, 2012, 8:31 pm
#3579
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: UA Pleb, HH Gold, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 23,199
Just got this VIA FT PM I have redacted the identifying information. replacement information is in bold
Thought I'd say that our tickets are still intact for 2013 travel--all 3 of them. We booked the 4 mile deal (saver first with only one small leg in On an OAL), UA later took the miles out (not the full amount but enough to clean the account out) and we called and told them they didn't have the right to do that, and they returned all the miles and said they'd honor the tickets. The phone conversation happened Monday morning the day after the 4 mile offering.
The other interesting tidbit is two tickets, on the same PNR, show the 4 miles, while a one-way under a separate PNR shows 70K even though the miles were returned.
What I find very interesting, and perhaps compelling to the DOT, is if they didn't deduct the correct amount of miles initially, but when the did the manual deduction and it wasn't for the "published" amount is that a form of manipulation after the fact?
The other interesting tidbit is two tickets, on the same PNR, show the 4 miles, while a one-way under a separate PNR shows 70K even though the miles were returned.
What I find very interesting, and perhaps compelling to the DOT, is if they didn't deduct the correct amount of miles initially, but when the did the manual deduction and it wasn't for the "published" amount is that a form of manipulation after the fact?
Aug 8, 2012, 11:34 pm
#3581
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, HH Gold, AA Lifetime Gold, United Silver, BA Gold
Posts: 864
I had not thought of that. It is a good point. Can you verify the story or did you hear/see it else where?
Aug 9, 2012, 2:36 am
#3582
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
I don't get it. Do you mean to say that just because a ticket is booked over the phone means the Agent did not have to use a computer? Do you think the Agent was writing a manual ticket with a pen like the 80s???? The Agent also had to use a computer to issue the ticket.
(it is very common for Fuel Surcharges to be more then the actual fare itself. Since the airlines keep all of this I can't see how the DOT or European, Australian, etc agencies have not made this illegal but they haven't. The "base fare" to TLV is aprx $400 so that's not a mistake. They just forgot to load the fuel charge (haha). Even a reasonable person who hardly flys could believe this was a sale. I'm sure if UA had the same glitch & charged the fare but no fees we would not be arguing as they would also probably honor the tkts (El Al is not losing any money on this)
Last edited by iluv2fly; Aug 9, 2012 at 5:07 am Reason: merge
Aug 9, 2012, 3:09 am
#3583
formerly known as 2lovelife
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: ORF : UA_Premier_Gold4Life, Bonvoy_titanium, Accor_Plat
Posts: 6,952
Even I have to admit that a tkt booked by phone is a whole different ball game. I'm sure UA does not want to see it that way but I don't see how they can argue against it successfully. The phone agent is a live sales person. Maybe UA will learn if they have to honor a few tkts issued this way that call centers in India don't save money, they just piss off customers who on average spend twice as long on the phone w them. A lot of banks, etc have already learned this
So, it's only a mistake because their live person entered it into the same booking system. When our live people entered the same route for the same price, it's not the same ballgame? Now it's a cancel-able mistake.
This logic cracks me up.
Aug 9, 2012, 3:15 am
#3585
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
Let me get this straight, they honor a 4 mile ticket on the phone, but they shouldn't honor one for the same value on the internet?
So, it's only a mistake because their live person entered it into the same booking system. When our live people entered the same route for the same price, it's not the same ballgame? Now it's a cancel-able mistake.
This logic cracks me up.
So, it's only a mistake because their live person entered it into the same booking system. When our live people entered the same route for the same price, it's not the same ballgame? Now it's a cancel-able mistake.
This logic cracks me up.
True, it's irrelevant regarding how much money (if any one carrier loses vs another). I said that because I bet if ElAl was losing money, they would not be as quick to honor these tkts
Also, there is a BIG difference still between the LY & UA situations (IMO)
LY-mistake fare
UA-just "mistake" (no fare)
Last edited by iluv2fly; Aug 9, 2012 at 5:10 am Reason: merge