Comments on: Airline redefines “day” and refuses to honor fare, until … http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Vivien Hui http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/comment-page-1/#comment-19289 Vivien Hui Thu, 07 May 2009 03:55:41 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6189#comment-19289 Hi this is Vivien! When I spoke with United, they said that it was the Frankfurt reservation that kicked out both the held reservations. I've put two different reservations on hold before and never been kicked out if I am not sure which day I want to come home on. I don't believe the computer scans held reservations but what do I know?! Either way, United handled this graciously and even had the assistant of the "Chief of Customer Experience" call me to follow-up that everything was handled correctly. The Orlando trip only overlapped the return date of the Frankfurt trip and my e-mail to United mentioned that if they were to cancel my held reservation, they should at least send an e-mail out informing me and giving me a chance to purchase the held reservation. Thank you so much for this site!!! Hi this is Vivien! When I spoke with United, they said that it was the Frankfurt reservation that kicked out both the held reservations. I’ve put two different reservations on hold before and never been kicked out if I am not sure which day I want to come home on. I don’t believe the computer scans held reservations but what do I know?!

Either way, United handled this graciously and even had the assistant of the “Chief of Customer Experience” call me to follow-up that everything was handled correctly.

The Orlando trip only overlapped the return date of the Frankfurt trip and my e-mail to United mentioned that if they were to cancel my held reservation, they should at least send an e-mail out informing me and giving me a chance to purchase the held reservation.

Thank you so much for this site!!!

]]> By: David Z http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/comment-page-1/#comment-18568 David Z Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:30:56 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6189#comment-18568 It's not actually 24 hours, but most airlines do have that period to allow cancelling a flight and either: a) not bill the passenger yet, or b) refund the full amount. Then again, if United says 24 hours on their site, then it's 24 hours for them. :) It’s not actually 24 hours, but most airlines do have that period to allow cancelling a flight and either: a) not bill the passenger yet, or b) refund the full amount. Then again, if United says 24 hours on their site, then it’s 24 hours for them. :)

]]> By: Babs http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/comment-page-1/#comment-18564 Babs Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:09:45 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6189#comment-18564 I took this to be a function of the fact the purchaser Vivien held two different reservations going from DEN to MCO just days a part but with the same return date and it is common knowledge to those of us that travel frequently that the airlines will NOT tolerate the customers holding similar duplicate reservations such as this was for her return portion of the trip. The only way to do so is to make sure your "frequent flier" number is NOT attached to one of the two reservations as that way it can't r eally assume you are the "same person" as there is the possibility of folks having the same name, right. Don't even use the same phone number or e-mail address. Use your home or work # for one reservation and a cell for another and send one held itinerary to your work e-mail and the other to a personal e-mail address or create a 2nd e-mail address to do this type of holding of tickets. So, should you ever want to circumvent their system, don't ever enter your frequent flyer number and remember to jot down the confirmation HOLD information. That's my tip for the day and I hope it helps assist anyone who ever may find themselves indecisive as to which dates they are going to travel but still want to do a 24 hour hold. It's worked for me in the past and I'll do it again I'm sure. :) I took this to be a function of the fact the purchaser Vivien held two different reservations going from DEN to MCO just days a part but with the same return date and it is common knowledge to those of us that travel frequently that the airlines will NOT tolerate the customers holding similar duplicate reservations such as this was for her return portion of the trip. The only way to do so is to make sure your “frequent flier” number is NOT attached to one of the two reservations as that way it can’t r eally assume you are the “same person” as there is the possibility of folks having the same name, right. Don’t even use the same phone number or e-mail address. Use your home or work # for one reservation and a cell for another and send one held itinerary to your work e-mail and the other to a personal e-mail address or create a 2nd e-mail address to do this type of holding of tickets. So, should you ever want to circumvent their system, don’t ever enter your frequent flyer number and remember to jot down the confirmation HOLD information. That’s my tip for the day and I hope it helps assist anyone who ever may find themselves indecisive as to which dates they are going to travel but still want to do a 24 hour hold. It’s worked for me in the past and I’ll do it again I’m sure. :)

]]> By: Carver http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/comment-page-1/#comment-18559 Carver Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:58:12 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6189#comment-18559 I have to side with United on this one. I can understand an airline not allowing you to have two incompatible reservations on hold. The reasonable assumption is that there is no chance that you will buy both tickets so why should they hold two reservations thereby driving up the prices on both flights. I agree that this isn't a time zone issue, but even if it where, how is United to know where you are when you booked a ticket. Cancellation deadlines are never based upon your physical location when you made the reservation as that could be anywhere. It's generally based upon the location of the first point that the travel provider gives service. For an airline its the departure time zone, for a hotel its the location of the hotel. I have to side with United on this one. I can understand an airline not allowing you to have two incompatible reservations on hold. The reasonable assumption is that there is no chance that you will buy both tickets so why should they hold two reservations thereby driving up the prices on both flights.

I agree that this isn’t a time zone issue, but even if it where, how is United to know where you are when you booked a ticket. Cancellation deadlines are never based upon your physical location when you made the reservation as that could be anywhere. It’s generally based upon the location of the first point that the travel provider gives service. For an airline its the departure time zone, for a hotel its the location of the hotel.

]]> By: Amber http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/comment-page-1/#comment-18558 Amber Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:54:57 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6189#comment-18558 All airlines have a predatory system that automatically search for any duplicate bookings. This is an automated process, a live person does not look at duplicate bookings, there would be too many of them to research. If the system finds the same passenger booked for travel more than once, either to the same destination but different dates or different destinations but the same dates, the system will cancel the duplicate booking. It generally cancels the most recent reservation made. This usually does not create a problem except in situations like this traveler had or for instance when a father and son with the same name are traveling on different reservations. They basically want to prevent people from holding multiple seats. I work for a tour operator and last week came across an agency that had booked 7 different reservations to 3 different destinations for their clients because they weren't sure which place they wanted to go to or what hotel they wanted to stay at. The airline canceled all but 1 of the bookings due to duplicate PNRs. All airlines have a predatory system that automatically search for any duplicate bookings. This is an automated process, a live person does not look at duplicate bookings, there would be too many of them to research. If the system finds the same passenger booked for travel more than once, either to the same destination but different dates or different destinations but the same dates, the system will cancel the duplicate booking. It generally cancels the most recent reservation made.

This usually does not create a problem except in situations like this traveler had or for instance when a father and son with the same name are traveling on different reservations.

They basically want to prevent people from holding multiple seats. I work for a tour operator and last week came across an agency that had booked 7 different reservations to 3 different destinations for their clients because they weren’t sure which place they wanted to go to or what hotel they wanted to stay at. The airline canceled all but 1 of the bookings due to duplicate PNRs.

]]> By: Trans World http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/comment-page-1/#comment-18557 Trans World Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:40:30 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6189#comment-18557 I really do think that what the passenger fell victim to was was a fully automated process. The mainline carriers have this sort of technology to analyse, detect, and prevent "speculative" reservations and the grey-area of "back-to-back" ticketing. Generally, these PNRs should fall out into a worklist at the airline- and a human will review them. While I think that there is an upside to all of the Frequent Flyer programmes this is one of the downsides. When you are making bookings inside your own profile suddenly the information available to the airline on the customers behaviour is suddenly available. At some carriers the tier level of the customer also can dictate what automated strategies are applied to their accounts/reservations. I applaud UA for honoring the ticket, and am glad that there was a happy ending. I really do think that what the passenger fell victim to was was a fully automated process. The mainline carriers have this sort of technology to analyse, detect, and prevent “speculative” reservations and the grey-area of “back-to-back” ticketing.

Generally, these PNRs should fall out into a worklist at the airline- and a human will review them.

While I think that there is an upside to all of the Frequent Flyer programmes this is one of the downsides. When you are making bookings inside your own profile suddenly the information available to the airline on the customers behaviour is suddenly available. At some carriers the tier level of the customer also can dictate what automated strategies are applied to their accounts/reservations.

I applaud UA for honoring the ticket, and am glad that there was a happy ending.

]]> By: Nancy Nally http://www.elliott.org/blog/airline-redefines-day-and-refuses-to-honor-fare-until/comment-page-1/#comment-18556 Nancy Nally Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:18:42 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=6189#comment-18556 I don't think this had anything to do with time zones and the 24 holding time. I read the information that she sent to mean that United cancelled her held flights because the computer matched her original itinerary with the held ones and realized she had booked flights that originated in Denver when she was already booked to be in Frankfurt. They didn't know that she planned to cancel the original itinerary and a person can't be in two places at once. It was still scummy of United because they second-guessed what she was doing and changed it without even asking her (has no one EVER cancelled or changed a flight in the history of United Airlines? You'd think their systems would be more accommodating of that!) but it wasn't scummy for the reason that you think. I don’t think this had anything to do with time zones and the 24 holding time.

I read the information that she sent to mean that United cancelled her held flights because the computer matched her original itinerary with the held ones and realized she had booked flights that originated in Denver when she was already booked to be in Frankfurt. They didn’t know that she planned to cancel the original itinerary and a person can’t be in two places at once.

It was still scummy of United because they second-guessed what she was doing and changed it without even asking her (has no one EVER cancelled or changed a flight in the history of United Airlines? You’d think their systems would be more accommodating of that!) but it wasn’t scummy for the reason that you think.

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