What Did We Talk About Before Internet Pricing Errors?

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.

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