[Anonymous]

[FivestarFred]

Hi. When is a free stopover not a free stopover? I tried booking a BA J/F fare and the rules stated clearly that the fare permitted unlimited free stopovers. Upon ringing again to try and utilise a stopover, the fare was $15,000 more!

The telephone agents understood my point but could’t give a reason for the anomaly. They said that when a ticket is amended they have to re-price which is all well and good but they still couldn’t explain why I simply couln’t make use of a free stopover (or even give me a brand new ticket with a stopover for the same price when the direct ticket on all days was exactly the same price so it would simply be a case of me taking the first leg a couple of days earlier) so in effect the offer is misleading as it doesn’t exist!

I emailed customer service and got a generic email saying they have to absorb extra costs when people amend bookings ($15k!!!) and they have people in charge of policy and my comments will be passed to them.

The issue is not the cost of the ticket. I am astounded that if a fare rule says unlimited free stopovers then I should have just that…unless I am missing something!

VS, EK, EY and others are quite happy to include stopovers for exactly the same price.

[VintageKrug]

Interesting.

Is is a BA/BA connection or BA/another carrier.

[Str8Talking]

Also, do the ticket conditions specify where the free stop-over is allowed? From my experience they seem to specify “eligible” airports.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

You are only allowed free stopovers within a reasonable routing. so if you have different carriers then the airline may not have a deal with the 2nd carrier (especially if different alliances). Also on any ticket there is a maximum permitted mileage between point A & point B. (Say London and LA). Mileage is 5449 miles – maximum permitted mileage is 6538. You can go over this – but only up to 25% (and you pay up to 25% extra. If your intended routing is over this (say LON-Sao Paolo – LA then you have to buy effectively 2 fares).

Not knowing the exact routing / airlines then impossible to say in your situation – but could be a reason why there is such a vast fare difference.

Hope this helps – if you can elaborate maybe I can investigate on the GDS for you.

[AMcWhirter]

Market-driven pricing is complicated. Unless the OP were to provide exact details of the routing, then I don’t believe anyone would be able to offer accurate advice.

However, airlines can and do limit certain en route stopovers if they believe that a passenger can use the stopover as a means of undercutting the through fare.

[LuganoPirate]

Perhaps you had to book the stopovers when you booked the ticket. If you didn’t then they are probably using the old”change of ticket” routine to try and fleece you.

Would it be cheaper to cancel and re-book if the flights are still available?

[FivestarFred]

I gave up arguing with BA via phone/email. When I got to Heathrow I asked a check-in agent and she said BA has very attractive non-UK originating fares to entice customers to use them over the competition but pasaaengers have to go through London to another destination and cannot stopover and are barred from entering at Heathrow (bypassing the original booking point). She still couldn’t explain why the rules were at odds with reality but I didn’t want to hold up the queue arguing so just left it at that. I guess I’ll never know…

However, I think I may have got a half answer myself. I did a random serach and I think if there was an onward flight that left less than 24hrs I could have had a night in London. Similar flights to Toronto and New York had connections the following day up to 24hrs later but as HKG and SIN flights leave very late the 24hr window is breached.

Moral seems to be flexibilty comes at a very hefty price…on BA…

[LuganoPirate]

I see the problem now i think. This is to deter UK pax from buying a cheap BKK-LHR-NYC ticket for example, then staying a month in London, continuing to NY and then perhaps using the final coupon 9 months later.

There are attractive stopover fares available for non UK residents but these usually include a hotel in London.

Why VS offer this I don’t know, but then VS do not have very attractive fares and are usually the sum of two fares combined, at least that is the case ex Europe.

I don’t know where you are based, but it’s worth getting to know the station manager and then discussing your fare needs directly with him/her. They often have the discretion to wave certain fare rules for local residents, but may not be too accommodating if your residence is in the UK.

[jayjay007]

fivestarfred
IATA RULES -a free stopover may not overpass 24 hours

apart from that,airlines may grant you with other benefits at their own will,and MUST state that in the FARE RULES

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