What to do when a leg is not honoring fare (not a glitch / mistake)
This isn't a case of finding a glitch in the fare system. I paid about $600 for an international fare out of LAX with 2 flights (1 stop) through American Airline's website. When I bought the ticket, all other flights were within $100 of what I paid for so the price was not a mistake. The first leg is operated by American Airlines while the second leg is operated by Dragonair.
After I placed the flight. I received confirmation from the first leg (American Airlines) but did not receive a confirmation from Dragonair. I have called American 3 times trying to confirm my Dragonair leg. In my first 2 calls, the representative just told me to wait for the confirmation. By the 3rd time, I was told that Dragonair changed its price and now is not honoring that leg.
As a result, my entire flight is useless because I don't have a viable connection to my final destination. Now that it is less than 24 hours to my original departure time, American is now telling me that I can pay 2X my original fare to reach my destination. Is there any recourse for me to get on my flight at the advertised price?
Best Answer
The DOT enforcement policy on mistaken fares
On April 25, 2011, the Department of Transportation issued a final rule on enhancing airline passenger protections which included a provision prohibiting airlines and other sellers of air transportation from increasing the price of air transportation after a purchase has occurred (the post-purchase price increase prohibition). See 14 C.F.R. ยง 399.88. Under section 399.88, a purchase occurs when the full agreed upon amount has been paid by the consumer.
On June 15, 2012, the Enforcement Office issued Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the application of the post-purchase price increase rule to mistaken fares. Mistaken fares are offers by an airline or other seller of air transportation to sell tickets for air transportation for a fare that is usually substantially lower than the intended ticket price for the class of service being sold.
Emphasis mine.
My interpretation: since this is not a mistake fare it falls under 14 CFR 399.88 - Prohibition on post-purchase price increase and AA is on the hook to deal with Dragonair. But: IANAL and I am not even playing a lawyer on television.
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Do airlines honor error fares?
The U.S. government no longer requires airlines to honor the mistake tickets they sell if they can prove the pricing was offered due to an error. Airlines can cancel the fare so long as they fully refund the cost of the ticket. Ultimately, it's largely the airline's choice whether to honor these fares.Are error fares real?
Mistake airfares are also known as error fares or airline price glitches. It means that either an airline or an online travel agency accidentally lists the wrong price for a flight, selling the ticket for much less than it is worth. Usually, you can snag hundreds of dollars of savings on these tickets.Can you just cancel one leg of a flight?
There's no penalty for cancelling (as the missed leg is the end of your trip), and you can just leave the flight with hand luggage without any worries. In other instances, it's possible to book two separate flights as a substitute for round trips.How can a snag lower airfare?
Book Cheaper Flights By Traveling at the Right Time And in many cases, it's less about when you buy your flights and more about when you actually get on the plane. It's all about capitalizing on the cheapest days to fly. Flying on off-peak days like Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays is often much cheaper.Travel Terms You Need to Know: Mistake Fares
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