more on Hidden dangers in "free" air tickets

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Johan <johan () ccs neu edu>
Date: January 7, 2006 3:05:40 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: ip () v2 listbox com, plevy () citizen org
Subject: Re: [IP] Hidden dangers in "free" air tickets

Paul Levy writes:

> About a month ago, on one such call, I learned really by  
> happenstance  that the evening flight DOWN to Santiago was no  
> leaving an hour  earlier, so that the connecting flight we were  
> taking to Toronto  would not get us there in time so make the  
> connection.  But nobody  had bothered to let us know of this change.

That is very strange indeed, unless you bought the two tickets  
separately, in which case the airline wouldn't be able to track them.

>
> So, we  get
> to Toronto and learn the truth -- it is not that seats are to be   
> assigned day of travel, but they have oversold the flight and even   
> though WE made our reservations in February, oddly enough WE are  
> the  ones who have no seats and we have to hope that enough people  
> don't  show up so that we can take our vacation.

> In the end, we did get on the plane, and we had a wonderful vacation;
> but the experience left a bitter tatse in our mouths about US Airways
> and Air Canada.

Alas, that is how most airilines work, not just those two; there is a  
well defined seniority ordering of who gets kicked off the plane if  
it is too full, and unfortunately, how well in advance you made your  
reservation has no impact on that.   First class passengers trump  
economy, full fare trumps lower fare, low fare trumps free tickets,  
premium frequent fliers trump non-premiums, and unaccompanied minors  
trump everyone but the pilot.

It used to be that the gate agents had alot of discretion over who to  
kick and who to upgrade, but like so many other fields, this is being  
increasingly regulated by codifed and verifed policies.

Johan



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