Airline websites designed to make you cross

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    I have written on the forum earlier to compare slow, boring and overdetailed websites (such as BA) to the crisp and businesslike (such as SAS – but less good than it was). But I wonder if airlines actually consider the adverse effect of some websites.

    Tonight, I have booked on Delta to fly from CDG to Philadelphia and return. Now, I just wanted to buy a ticket. Can that be done simply? No. I had to go through a whole rigmarole of registering on the Delta website, and then getting a Delta frequent flyer number that I don’t want. I have a perfectly good Flying Blue number, thank you.

    Hold on. I just want to buy a ticket, I don’t want to be sucked into your marketing team’s clever ideas to make me into a loyal new customer. No, your website has made me vow to try and avoid Delta in future. Pity that you are the only airline to fly direct from CDG to PHL.


    seasonedtraveller
    Participant

    Same with United
    same with USAIrways
    same with American Airlines

    I have FF ‘profiles’ with all 3 and points with none…


    Carajillo2Sugar
    Participant

    Use a good TMC and you will avoid these issues……

    ….and a decent one will get you a better price, too!


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    I’d just like to see a timetable instead of always having to enter a dummy booking!


    K1ngston
    Participant

    C2S what is a TMC???


    slotski
    Participant

    TMC = travel management company. I agree with C2S they can save money. My most recent flight was booked through my company’s TMC and the fare paid was ÂŁ40 cheaper than booking through Expedia or directly with the airline (Qatar).


    K1ngston
    Participant

    Thank you Slotski 🙂


    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    LP – I agree absolutely. Why not just post that timetable information? The need for the dummy booking wastes so much time.

    A good TMC will indeed help, but I have worked in two organisations that both required us to use “their” TMC – until we, the poor travellers, explained to the high-ups that much cheaper fares were available for the individual traveller booking for himself or herself on the internet.


    sparkyflier
    Participant

    Seasonedtraveller + 1 about United. I tried to use the website last night and it was very frustrating, and so I did not bother and went to BA.com, which I think is pretty good.

    Also DavidGordon10 + 1 about “registering” to use websites – a very effective way to put me off the airline altogether…


    simeoncox
    Participant

    Ah, Slotski. You have your finger on the [esc] button! Qatar’s website and contact mechanism surely is designed to drive any prospective customer into the arms of an agent. Maddening, and even worse in tin-pot outposts in Asia, that even their local offices can’t access the home site to sort problems. I have relinquished flights in frustration on the PNH-SGN leg in a bid to remain on Oneworld linked flights between PNH-BNE.


    wowzimmer
    Participant

    Looking for timetables? Try these two links for the airlines mentioned above:

    British Airways: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/schedules/public/en_gb

    Delta:
    http://www.britishairways.com/travel/schedules/public/en_gb

    It’s hardly surprising that an airline like any other business attempts to up-sell or create loyal customers of us. I hardly see why an airline should act differently from any other company in that respect.

    Having said that, good design and a decent UX is of paramount importance. Now, that’s slightly down to personal experience, so I for one quite like the British Airways website but have to agree that booking a ticket on Delta (or American Airlines especially for me) can be a bit of a frustrating experience.


    MrDarwin
    Participant

    Airline websites where the return calendar date doesn’t auto-adjust based on your selected outward date. How could I return today/this month if I am leaving in 6 months time?


    Jimmer7
    Participant

    MrDarwin +1, with you on this one

    One of my pet hates, so easy to fix yet very few airlines actually use this functionality.


    canucklad
    Participant

    Totally agree on timetables, doubly agree with the calendar and am now totally frustrated at the websites that are so full of needless crap, with subtle hyperlinks everywhere (normally to justify their insidious used to be free ancillary charges) that you’re not sure exactly when you’re about to meet Alice and her pals. Oh how I love airline enhancements….

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)
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