burmans

I don't actually think the silence in itself means much, on the RGN flights as far as I can tell DOT never actually said anything publicly, people just suddenly started getting their tickets reinstated. So not sure we will ever get any public announcement on mistake fares, most of the arm twisting seems to go on in back rooms (not trying to suggest by this that it's not over, just suggesting non-response is not a good indicator IMO).

weero

Because they booked on the phone, I guess.

The part of the legality I do not understand here: UA seems to honour those tickets because an agent did not see it as a mistake fare, right?

Why does that then in turn not make it universal also for those who booked online? If a trained agent does not have to recognize it as a mistake fare would that not mean that the average flyer also could mistake it for a promo?
By reinstating some tickets, UA certainly must have set a precedent ... or is the legal landscape in the US that different?

GUWonder

Believe whatever you wish; however, such beliefs are far removed from an accurate description of reality; rather such beliefs approximate a description of the ideological zealotry in the head(s) of the communicating believer(s) rather than anything else.

There is no evidence that most FTers are manipulators and cheapskates, but everyone is of course entitled to their beliefs, including beliefs in the divinity of the Great Giant Spaghetti Monster in the bowl.

There is a lot of evidence of FT being a bastion for corporate manipulators trying to squeeze out more money from the wallets of customers. It may take two to tango, but the lead in this game are the corporations manipulating retail customers as much as they can.

bubbashow

[Reply to since-deleted post edited by Moderator.]



There is a lot of evidence of FT being a bastion for corporate manipulators trying to squeeze out more money from the wallets of customers. It may take two to tango, but the lead in this game are the corporations manipulating retail customers as much as they can.

Oh...GU. Of course. Their $150 million airplanes, infrastructure, staff, insurance, facilities, and fuel are all just secondary. They shouldn't try to pay for that or make a profit. They owe you!

GUWonder

Only you here have said the above, while I have said nothing of the sort. I made no such claim as you did above, but you are of course entitled to believe as you wish.

When an airline decides to automate, it automates things to duly pursue that which it finds to its own benefit. Some of that due pursuit of self-interest has costs that duly rise as automation's ability to adjust benefits for the airline are not divorced from the adjustment of costs for the airline.

This kind of situation is part and parcel of the benefits and costs of deliberate choices made by the airline (inclusive of its employees and its contractor-types).

Choices ought to not be divorced from consequences/responsibility, even if some are so inclined to give the industry's big boys repeated "get out of jail free" cards.

Some people just don't like their favorite(s) to be accountable. This thread includes example of such. Thank you.

Majikow

My guess is everyone has better things to do while we wait for the DOT than sit here and play patty cake with a bunch of people who judge others morals over the internet.

See below.

Oh, and would you like some coffee for that smug? I mean, mug.

Get a grip pal. You just went high and mighty on someone who didn't even book a ticket and told them they had no soul. Not sure how you can defend that as a rational or objective addition to this discussion, but nice try. You can hold whatever beliefs about FT that your little heart desires, but don't just run around slinging insults and judging the morals of people you don't even know. Remember, this is the internetz. Maybe put that on a sticky note and attach it to your monitor for next time.

rbarr24

United is a publicly traded company that primarily has obligations to it's employees, customers, and shareholders. Why screw two of these constituencies to placate the worst part of the third?

chelmkamp

I think we're all a little manipulative (in a perfectly legal way), but definitely not cheap. I'm pretty sure most of us come out behind, all in all, when playing the miles game. A real cheapskate never leaves the house!

bubbashow

Get a grip pal. You just went high and mighty on someone who didn't even book a ticket and told them they had no soul. Not sure how you can defend that as a rational or objective addition to this discussion, but nice try. You can hold whatever beliefs about FT that your little heart desires, but don't just run around slinging insults and judging the morals of people you don't even know. Remember, this is the internetz. Maybe put that on a sticky note and attach it to your monitor for next time.

Anybody that DID buy this and believed it was legitimate is either a) an idiot that shouldn't be allowed to navigate under their own power in society, or b) manipulative and trying to game the system. Period.

Those that defend the purchase are just as bad.

colpuck

This is a very short sighted statment. I feel that allowing United to escape any liability is wrong. It's wrong because I'm scared of what happens on the next mistake fare and the one after that.

I'm scared because the precedent of allowing ANY airline to unilateraly cancel tickets is dangerous. Now, United is quietly honoring tickets that they said would be canceled. So, in addition to setting a precedent that guts consumer protections they are lying to their consumers.

By trying to get United to honor these tickets, I am doing the right thing.

bubbashow

Keep telling yourself that.

colpuck

We have a moral obligation to see that these tickets are honored. If not what comes next?

Majikow

Colpuck, don't feed him. Clearly he only deals in insults and name-calling. He has already made it apparent that he doesn't intend to bring anything new to the table, instead trying to rehash other jabs from the 200+ pages of this thread.

bocastephen

Any quantifiable updates to the issue, or is everyone still waiting on the DOT and United to come back with a new proposal?

TrixieTang

To hell with that. I missed the 4 mile island, but I want a free trip to Hong Kong. I for one will not sit around making excuses and try to defend my wants. I want. Desire is good enough for me. But I'm a bad person, not a cheapskate.

There's my box! I'll go crawl into it now.

Damnit, I wish I'd been online for those few hours this was going down.