Is this a BA dirty trick?
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Is this a BA dirty trick?
I normally fly Dusseldorf - Manchester on BA paying between e138 and e178 or thereabouts. I have been watching the two Saturday flights on 3rd April for a week or so and Thursday saw that the 1030 was no longer available , ie , full! So yesterday decided to go for the 0715 (yawn) . I rang BA - cannot book on internet as I live in the Netherlands and fly from Dusseldorf but that's another story! The female on the other end of the phone told me there was one seat left , both the Saturday flights are Embraer 145 a/c . The fare was e279 out and e81 back , makingthe total cost e399.17 . Fair enough I thought , later booking that's the way things go so this time I pay more. After booking I went back onto ba.com on internet and indeed no flight available anymore.
However..... exactly 24 hours later , this morning , I thought , just check ba.com and .....seats available , same flights e145 out and e70 return - total e254.17.!!!!!
Obviously they have now changed tha a/c type for a BA146 or RJ.
Anyone else think I have been duped , ripped off , etc and have reason for complaint ? I did book 3 weeks in advance , the last seat was sold to me , how was I to know that if I had waited I could have purchased the same ticket much cheaper because they would change to a larger a/c and later pax would fly at less cost ? To me it's a matter of principle .
Harrumph!
However..... exactly 24 hours later , this morning , I thought , just check ba.com and .....seats available , same flights e145 out and e70 return - total e254.17.!!!!!
Obviously they have now changed tha a/c type for a BA146 or RJ.
Anyone else think I have been duped , ripped off , etc and have reason for complaint ? I did book 3 weeks in advance , the last seat was sold to me , how was I to know that if I had waited I could have purchased the same ticket much cheaper because they would change to a larger a/c and later pax would fly at less cost ? To me it's a matter of principle .
Harrumph!
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U may consider what they have done as distasteful however it sounds to me than they haven't done anything that breaks anyone's rules...plain yield/load management...at that time you were offered a seat at that price and at that time you apparently were prepared to pay that price...your choice...
In simple contractual terms they did not sell you x seat at price y with an attached undertaking to you contractually that it would be the last seat on that flight...
whether or not this was a 'dirty trick' in yield management with them misleading you (if so prove it and then it still isn't illegal as they have not broken any contractual obligation - see previous) or whether they just genuinly reassessed the demand for that flight and chose to re-allocate a larger aircraft after you had made your booking...
In simple contractual terms they did not sell you x seat at price y with an attached undertaking to you contractually that it would be the last seat on that flight...
whether or not this was a 'dirty trick' in yield management with them misleading you (if so prove it and then it still isn't illegal as they have not broken any contractual obligation - see previous) or whether they just genuinly reassessed the demand for that flight and chose to re-allocate a larger aircraft after you had made your booking...
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In line with Boss Raptor's comments viz. Inventory/Yield Management, I would confirm that BA Sales and Res will always sell the lowest fare available on the day for your journey. (This is the policy most reputable airlines have adopted)
The fact that an even lower fare may be available elsewhere (there are a plethora of consolidators out there who sell BA's surplus seats cheap!) or cheaper seats may be released after you've bought yours is, I'm afraid, the classic case of "Caveat Emptor" (Let the Buyer Beware)!!!
After all, one could apply exactly the same argument about Harrods or any of the other top department stores! Imagine all those claims and counterclaims about Christmas presents having been reduced for the January sales!!! And litigation would abound in the motor trade!
Annoying yes - misleading or dirty tricks, no!
The fact that an even lower fare may be available elsewhere (there are a plethora of consolidators out there who sell BA's surplus seats cheap!) or cheaper seats may be released after you've bought yours is, I'm afraid, the classic case of "Caveat Emptor" (Let the Buyer Beware)!!!
After all, one could apply exactly the same argument about Harrods or any of the other top department stores! Imagine all those claims and counterclaims about Christmas presents having been reduced for the January sales!!! And litigation would abound in the motor trade!
Annoying yes - misleading or dirty tricks, no!
