Refunds after finding a cheaper fare?

DAL763ER · Fri Oct 25, 2013 1:42 pm

Last week I made a booking in Club on BA for LHR-OTP-LHR over Christmas (outbound - 20 December, inbound - 29 December). Total cost was £600. Fares seemed to only be going higher and I thought I'd better stay safe.

Every year, BA has a sale around November time giving 30-40% off on Club flights for up to Easter travel. Now, common sense told me they would not offer the 30-40% off during Christmas as that's when they can make most money, right?

So imagine my surprise yesterday when they opened their sale and I discovered that, had I booked now instead of last week, by choosing an outbound of 19 December, I would've only needed to pay £350 for Club seats return.

Being Silver, heading for Gold in their Executive Club, I gave them a call to express my dismay. I was then told that my fare is not changeable/refundable and they won't do anything about it as fares change all the time (which, obviously, as an a.netter, I know). Now the problem is, this is a major reduction, not your daily £25-50 fluctuation. They insisted there's nothing they want to do about it as that's how things work.

I'm trying to be understanding and not judge, but I don't think it's normal to be screwed over like that. If I buy a new iPhone today and Apple reduces the price by £300 next week, they'll refund me for the difference or let me return it so as to buy it at the new price.

In 2012, I flew UA LHR-SFO-LHR. A week after I booked, the fare changed, I called United, I got a voucher for the difference, no questions asked. I wasn't even a MileagePlus member or anything like that. The call took no more than 10 minutes.

Am I being absurd? What should I do? I don't care as much about the money itself as about being shown they care about me as a (quite loyal) customer.

tymnbalewne · Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:26 pm

Let me ask you this...had the fare gone up, would you have happily paid the higher fare even after locking in the fare you currently have? Probably not.
You bought a ticket with certain conditions at a certain amount. End of story. BA very rarely will make exceptions because an exception for one person quickly becomes an exception for 1000.

With merchandise, Apple included, you have a time period in which to return the item so if the price is reduced within that time you'll get a credit. I had this exact thing happen with my iPhone. With the fare you've purchased you don't have this flexibility.

raffik · Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:33 pm

You agreed to the price at the time and entered into a contract. Both parties were happy with the price and that's it.
If you purchased the cheapest non transferable ticket available then they don't have to refund.
At what point would they have to refund the difference? Days? Weeks?

I can understand how frustrating it would be though!

airtrainer · Fri Oct 25, 2013 3:16 pm

Indeed it's very frustrating, but unless they have something like a "lowest fare guaranteed" policy, they are not supposed to do anything. My best advice in this case (and for other kind of purchases, btw) is once you've paid, NEVER look at the price again.

PacNWjet · Fri Oct 25, 2013 4:06 pm

Quoting airtrainer (Reply 3):
Indeed it's very frustrating, but unless they have something like a "lowest fare guaranteed" policy, they are not supposed to do anything. My best advice in this case (and for other kind of purchases, btw) is once you've paid, NEVER look at the price again.

Well, some companies actually do have very generous low price guarantees. About a year ago I ordered an electronic item that was out of stock. After the item was delivered I checked the price again online and noticed it had gone down. I was now past the two-month price guarantee since the date I ordered the item and was not at all expecting a refund of the price difference but I thought, what the heck, why not call and see what the company says. Turns out because the item was out of stock when I ordered it the company would refund the difference because two months had not yet elapsed after the item actually arrived. That's good customer service.

DAL763ER · Fri Oct 25, 2013 4:10 pm

Quoting tymnbalewne (Reply 1):
Let me ask you this...had the fare gone up, would you have happily paid the higher fare even after locking in the fare you currently have? Probably not.

Probably not, indeed.

Quoting tymnbalewne (Reply 1):
You bought a ticket with certain conditions at a certain amount. End of story. BA very rarely will make exceptions because an exception for one person quickly becomes an exception for 1000.

Yeah, that is true. But at the same time, while they may lose £200 on my original ticket, they might make a lot more (from me and other people) because I would praise their customer service.

Quoting raffik (Reply 2):
You agreed to the price at the time and entered into a contract. Both parties were happy with the price and that's it.
If you purchased the cheapest non transferable ticket available then they don't have to refund.

So maybe next time I should just buy a full J fare for Christmas and then cancel it when the offer comes through?

Quoting airtrainer (Reply 3):
My best advice in this case (and for other kind of purchases, btw) is once you've paid, NEVER look at the price again.

That's a great piece of advice

copter808 · Fri Oct 25, 2013 4:22 pm

I share your feelings, but you gambled on a lower fare and lost. Had you booked a full-fare, unrestricted ticket, you could have gotten a refund and purchased the lower fare. But there is no guarantee it might not have gone even lower.

AR385 · Fri Oct 25, 2013 5:30 pm

You knew the risk, as evidenced by your statement

Quoting DAL763ER (Thread starter):
Every year, BA has a sale around November time giving 30-40% off on Club flights for up to Easter travel. Now, common sense told me they would not offer the 30-40% off during Christmas as that's when they can make most money, right?

You chose to dilute your risk by purchasing your ticket earlier. The fact that it changed price means that your risk management strategy did not work.

It´s understandable to feel frustrated. But I don´t see how BA is screwing you over.

OA260 · Fri Oct 25, 2013 6:08 pm

Quoting DAL763ER (Reply 5):
So maybe next time I should just buy a full J fare for Christmas and then cancel it when the offer comes through?

Sure why not? If BA state that you get a full refund then you are totally within your rights to do that. Doing that would ensure you have a seat and then if a sale fare comes up then you will be quids in.

I don't think BA screwed you over to be honest. What I can understand is the frustration like with anything else in life. Sales are a fact of life. Sometimes you win sometimes you loose.

ba319-131 · Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:47 pm

Quoting OA260 (Reply 8):
I don't think BA screwed you over to be honest. What I can understand is the frustration like with anything else in life. Sales are a fact of life. Sometimes you win sometimes you loose.

- Well said Philip, just one of those things, just put it down to experience.

Bongodog1964 · Fri Oct 25, 2013 9:48 pm

Consider yourself fortunate, you have your flight booked, albeit it not at the price you think it should be, you could have held out for a better price, and now found that due to high demand the prices had increased, or even worse the plane was sold out.

I would say that your analysis that prices rise near Christmas isn't necessarily correct, obviously there is strong demand on Christmas holiday destinations, and on routes with a high number of expats heading for home, but on routes with a high percentage of business travel demand will be tapering off by Dec 20th, and on Dec 29th will be almost non existent.

As to the thread title, you entered into a binding agreement with BA as in your opinion it was financially advantageous to you to do so, in short you thought in your own language that you were screwing BA over. Now the boot is on the other foot you are complaining about your own poor judgement, and looking like a complete whinger.

jetblueguy22 · Fri Oct 25, 2013 9:49 pm

Quoting copter808 (Reply 6):
I share your feelings, but you gambled on a lower fare and lost.

Absolutely agree. I'm always frustrated when I see lower fares than what I booked. But it is just how she goes unfortunately. I would hardly switch airlines over it.
Pat

planeguy727 · Sat Oct 26, 2013 12:16 am

Maybe I am oversimplifying here, but you booked a ticket for travel on 20 Dec and later found it was less expensive if you had booked to fly on 19 Dec. This is not a screw-over. Even if the price changed, it's a different day.

ba319-131 · Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:59 am

Quoting DAL763ER (Thread starter):
Last week I made a booking in Club on BA for LHR-OTP-LHR over Christmas (outbound - 20 December, inbound - 29 December). Total cost was £600.

- Travel for the same flights is now some £670.00, yes the day before is cheaper but that is not the day you booked travel for.

I suggest the mod's change the thread title.

airportugal310 · Sat Oct 26, 2013 8:02 am

Quoting planeguy727 (Reply 12):

Quoting ba319-131 (Reply 13):

We don't know that at the time of booking, the outbound on the 19th was more expensive than the 20th.

To try and make your point on this fact is disingenuous at best.