Ok, let’s just get this out of the way. Yes, this is yet another thread about an online pricing error.

In this particular case, AirMileMillionaire was offered and accepted a really good award price for a business-class seat – 100,000 Delta SkyMiles instead of the usual 150,000. It wasn’t get-lifetime-elite-status-and-a-million-miles-for-$1,000 good, but good nonetheless.

Too good from Delta’s perspective. After completing the transaction, the airline promptly confirmed an economy-class seat and told AirMileMillionaire he could sit his butt in the back of the plane or cough up another 50K miles for a business-class seat – his choice.

Pre-Internet, pricing errors weren’t such a big deal. Post-Internet they can make or break a company if not handled well. It’s an interesting subject, covered well in this interesting paper by Benjamin Groebner.

But airline and hotel pricing errors are a well-worn subject, and it isn’t the reason I decided to highlight this discussion. The reason I did decide to highlight this discussion was because I found the following quote by smokingbunny to be HI-liarious:

Delta has terrible [customer service]. It’s like talking to a wall, where eventually you bang your head so hard into the wall, that you’re happy you have a concussion and don’t remember why you were irritated.

SPOILER ALERT – After much effort by AirMileMillionaire, Delta finally agreed to split the difference.