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United Shuts Down Website Bookings After Ticket-Pricing Glitch
For a little while on Thursday, United Airlines was giving away airplane tickets for free, or close to it. Passengers reported buying tickets for $5 to $10 before United shut down the bookings on its website and phone centers to prevent more tickets from being sold or given away. The airline said it accidentally filed some fares for $0. Airport charges might have resulted in a small cost seen by some passengers. (www.huffingtonpost.com) More...finally selling seats for what they are worth :-)
I'd be willing to bet Phil's money that this is a PR thing. Why not give away a couple hundred seats when they probably have a million seats in the air at any given time? These news reports will get people on their site trying their luck, and assuming they will 'honor' the freebies, United comes out lookin like champs.
and... its official:
By Samantha Bomkamp
Tribune reporter
1:47 p.m. CDT, September 13, 2013
After accidentally offering free fares on Thursday, United Airlines said it will honor tickets bought by some quick customers.
"We’ve reviewed the error that occurred yesterday and based on these specific circumstances, we will honor the tickets," United announced on Twitter on Friday afternoon.
By Samantha Bomkamp
Tribune reporter
1:47 p.m. CDT, September 13, 2013
After accidentally offering free fares on Thursday, United Airlines said it will honor tickets bought by some quick customers.
"We’ve reviewed the error that occurred yesterday and based on these specific circumstances, we will honor the tickets," United announced on Twitter on Friday afternoon.
United needs to stop hiring pricing personnel in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Anyone can make an error, and the law allows them dishonor tickets sold in error. I would argue that this continues to happen at United. At some point consumers need protection against the carelessness of United's failure to practice greater care in their pricing. When they follow a business model that moves the price up and down from one minute to the next it is impossible for a consumer to judge if the price offered is the correct fare or not. Just as when they charge you $200 to change a ticket, they should credit you the same when they want to change a ticket.
This reminds me of the car dealers that sign a contract with a buyer, take a down payment and send the happy motorist off in his new ride. A week later they call the motorist and inform him an "error" was made in the paperwork, and he needed to come sign a new contract for $100 more a month. One LA area dealer was making this "error" on more than half the cars sold.
This reminds me of the car dealers that sign a contract with a buyer, take a down payment and send the happy motorist off in his new ride. A week later they call the motorist and inform him an "error" was made in the paperwork, and he needed to come sign a new contract for $100 more a month. One LA area dealer was making this "error" on more than half the cars sold.