[first_class_please]

All the big travel booking sites recently had this with fares to / from Rangoon, first class to USA for a few hundred dollars.

Think there were some who got the flights, some airlines that cancelled and a few DOT cases.

If you have the time / will, read through a bit of this:-

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-discussion/1392131-fare-gone-rgn-first-class-comes-back-again.html

[NTarrant]

Yes indeed FDoS. In most cases supermarkets will let it go as a “gesture of goodwill”.

I remember many years ago doing the weekly shop in ASDA where the bread was marked 44p except for two loaves which were marked 38p. At the check out the operator calls a supervisor, who comes and says the price is wrong and that I would have to pay 44p. I said I wouldn’t pay the 44p and that if I can’t have them at the marked price of 38p I wouldn’t have any of the good in the trolley and she would have to put them all back on the shelf. Needless to say I got them at 38p!

[canucklad]

Rferguson…..My advice would be to act canny and daft……

Wait until you can book your seats on the Thai site…

If it allows you to book J …..Happy Days…

If not…..Contact Thai directly complaining about the website, and either turn on the charm or the tears, dependant on what you can pull off !!!…….If you can check availability before you contact them, and there are seats left in J…you never know……

£786 is better than £0 …

[BeckyBoop]

rferguson, you should speak directly to Expedia ASAP to get clarification. As you bought the ticket from Expedia its there responsibilty not Thai. Failing that I suggest you phone BBC watchdog or even Trading Standards or ABTA. At the end of the day this it is false advertising. Good Luck.

[FormerlyDoS]

I doubt it would be adjudged false advertising, just a mistake.

However, what gets me is that mistakes only work one way with airlines, if we make a genuine mistake with a date on a non-refundable ticket, we’re usually held to it.

One good aspect about BA is that there is a 24 hour grace period during which tickets booked on ba.com can be cancelled for a full refund.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Easyjet are the same – if you have a wrong name or date then within 24 hours they let you change for free (or pay a fare difference if the flight you wanted was actually more). They are one of the best airlines to work with when it comes to mistakes.

[MartinJ]

One of the points raised was whether or not it was obvious to the consumer that this fare was advertised in error. I’d say it is not obvious. Yes, it is very cheap, but given genuine business class sales of GBP 777 from Heathrow to Seoul (BA), CHF 1,111 from Basel to Bangkok (Austrian) or EUR 1,633 from Brussels/Amsterdam to Sydney (Finnair), all within the last twelve months, GBP 800 to Singapore doesn’t sound totally impossible.

[FormerlyDoS]

It’s arguable in court Martyn, IMHO, to prevent the airline refusing to provide J. Depends on the worldview of the judge, I think.

Wouldn’t like to put money on it either way, although a refund must surely be offered.

[FirstClassWannabe]

I saw an F fare to JFK for GBP 750 but obviously knew it ws a mistake. As a matter of intrest I went to the next stage and the dreaded word “economy” was stated in small letters, although I really had to look to see it

I am not so sure Expedia is responsible as they are a booking agent and you may find your contract is with TG.

[r ryan]

I tried to do a Business class booking some time ago with Expedia and was offered a good Biz fare but when I examined the schedule closely, the main sector was in economy.

In one part of Expedia T&Cs it effectively says once tix are issued, the price is fixed, nothing about the service to be delivered.

Fares & Prices

Airfare is only guaranteed once the purchase has been completed and the tickets have been issued. Airlines and other travel suppliers may change their prices without notice.

They then disclaim any responsibility for any error; note however the ‘maximum extent permiited by law”. At least in Austalia it is an offence to offer one thing and supply a different product to that advertised. In your case either it’s a ‘pricing error’ or a ‘product description error’, depending on how you want to look at it

The information, software, products, and services published on this Website may include inaccuracies or errors, including pricing errors. In particular and to the maximum extent permitted by law, the Expedia Companies and the Affiliates do not guarantee the accuracy of, and disclaim liability for any errors or other inaccuracies relating to, the information and description of the hotel, air, cruise, car and other travel products displayed on this Website (including, without limitation, photographs, list of hotel amenities, general product descriptions, etc.), much of which information is provided by the respective suppliers. In addition, we expressly reserve the right to correct any pricing errors on our website and/or on pending bookings made under an incorrect price. In such event, if available, we will offer you the opportunity to keep your pending booking at the correct price or we will cancel your booking without penalty.

[FirstClassWannabe]

I have noticed also that you may be offered a J fare LHR-MIA via PHL for a good price. Look further and you may find only the PHL-MIA is in J or domestic F, with the main sector being in Y.

[jayjay007]

stick to your ticket and the J class PRINTED on the confirmation!

go back to the same page,right now -before they delete it- and,if the offer stil stands,make another purchase for a different time/day,AND PRINT EVERY STEP (page) OF THE RESERVATION,until the new ticket is issued

correct me if i’m wrong,as i never worked with them -if EXPEDIA is a broker,i.e.,they buy a certaiin amount of seats ahead of time,according to their budget and according to markets -if so,that price,even if very low,is part of an agreement with THAI,and it’s OK

if they are just a reservation service,which uses internett to facilitate the pax and,of course,earning a comission from someone or somewhere,they are still responsible for any ticket they issue.

they are required to follow very strict rules,none of which you are previously aware of -even if in fine print-i’m sure any couirt would rule in your favour

keep EVERY PRINTED RECORD of your transaction,use a witness that will be on the other phone,listening to the conversation and,most important,use your mobile phone app to record the same conversation -although in itself ,it may not be accepted by the court,it will ease up your debate / lawyer and,since you had a witness to the conversation,the latter will have to be accepted

anytime i made a search via expedi or others,i always found their prices HIGHER than the airlines involved for the same routes

[SwissExPat]

Did you pay be credit card…. The good old consumer credit Act 1974 might be of benefit to you.

Sounds like you might be heading to the small claims court !

[alwaysinclub]

I had a similar experience directly with Air France about 5 years ago. BHX-CDG-MPL in business class for £179. When I turned up at check in on departure, they issued me an economy boarding pass. I showed them the ticket, had a quick chat with the supervisor and was rebooked to Business, no problem at all. Good Luck with it.

[Capetonian]

‘O’ on TG LON-BKK is discounted First Class. That class does not exist on BKK-SIN flights, so I’m not sure without further investigation how this can have happened.

If you believed you were booking business class, which at that fare is a reasonable assumption, I would take legal action. Let Expedia, from whom you purchased the ticket, sort it out with their principal.

[Author]

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