FlightNurse

2 weeks ago VA had a sale from DAL-MEL RT for $374 RT, I was able to find this fare on their web page, and at the time of booking was able to upgrade to PE. Just today I got an email saying "due to human error" they are not going to honor the fare. Isn't it odd that they took 2 weeks to do it? Any recourse in fighting this?

1353513636

Did you make any non-refundable reservations? Submit them and if they won't pay complain to the DOT.

ucdtim17

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...after-booking/

Mwenenzi

One of these? (go to the last posts)
[FARE GONE] Va: Dfw-mel $172 ai
[FARE GONE] DL: AKL-OAK / USD902 (Business Class) VA & DL

FlightNurse

It's really DAL-MEL not DFW. My fare was higher than the 342 RT that was published.

s0ssos

It wasn't a sale.

The last actual sale to that area was when Air New Zealand had tickets for $400. They actually announced that sale. This was a mistake.

FlightNurse

I fully understand that, HOWEVER, why did it take VA 9 days to cancel, my ticket was charged to my CC, and was fully ticketed. We can not cancel tickets if we made a human error, but the airline can cancel because of one 9 days later? Not quite fair.

s0ssos

It isn't fair. As noted in the other thread the DOT has ruled it will not enforce mistake fares, other than ask the airline to pay for non-refundable costs associated with that booking.

But this one is pretty simple, in being labelled a "mistake" fare. The business class for $1500 is pretty rotten to be labelled for "mistake". Especially to Europe.

bhatnasx

You should file a complaint with the DOT

FlightNurse

The complaint filed, received a response from VA, which was copy and paste from the email I got from them. VA has shorted me $282 on the refund when I booked this via VA's web page it allowed me to purchase an upgrade to PE. When I called VA they bent over apologizing for this, I now get to wait another 5 days for that refund.

Often1

Of course OP may file a DOT complaint, but DOT has over a year ago issued enforcement guidance to the effect that it will not enforce its post-purchase rule on mistake fares beyond requiring sunk costs to be covered. A waste of time to pursue that angle.

The other issue was apparently dealt with and if there are interest charges associated with the refund delay, I suspect that those few cents will be refunded or otherwise covered as well.

Kacee

There's a lengthy thread on these fares. DL, after initially cancelling, has backtracked and is now honoring the J fares. VA is holding firm on the cancels.

[FARE GONE] DL: AKL-OAK / USD902 (Business Class)

Stop being so dismissive. It's not a waste of time. DOT is considering further rulemaking on the mistake fare issue, and passenger complaints are valuable data points which it will hopefully take into consideration.

FlightNurse

Thank you for the info, however, VA has refunded my money.

citrusflyer

I also had a ticket that was fully ticketed and credit card charged... AND I asked Virgin Australia via their Twitter team if the ticket would be honored and was told "yes" it would be... and then they cancelled it. I filed a complaint with them and the Department of Transportation and in one of their responses I was told that management was discussing cancelling the flight for over a week, but instead of instructing their social media team to tell passengers the tickets were under review and a decision had not been made on if they would be honored, they allowed their social media team to continue telling passengers their tickets would be honored because “As I'm sure you can appreciate, it would not be responsible for senior management to advise front line staff that the decision to cancel was pending and may or may not occur.”
So instead of being straight up with the passengers and telling them a decision was pending, they thought the "responsible" way to handle the situation would be to have their social media team tell the passengers their ticket would be honored, even when management knew it was likely that would not be the case.
This whole situation is shameful on so many different levels....