In case you missed the frequent travel news this morning, an apparent currency conversion error caused massive mis-pricing on business- and first-class tickets from several cities in Europe. The result – tickets that, when booked in Danish Kroner, came out to about $100 roundtrip between Europe and the US.
As you can imagine, that caused just a bit of excitement.
The feeding frenzy is over now. The loophole has been shut down. United removed Denmark as a country option from its drop down list. If you blinked, you missed it.
But that doesn’t mean the fun is over. In fact, in many ways the fun is just beginning. As view posted on FlyerTalk early this morning, where this mistake was first brought to light:
It will be interesting to see how this one plays out… Time to sit back and relax for now.. Is it too early for popcorn?
If you want to see first-hand how a mistake fare like this plays out, keep this thread open in one of your browser tabs and refresh it every 15 minutes or so. Among the topics that are currently and will surely continue to be discussed:
- What, specifically, caused this mistake to occur? (And, implicitly, what might you be on the lookout for in case it ever happens again?)
- Who should be blamed for the mistake being found and fixed? The person who found and publicly posted the mistake in the first place? The dastardly bloggers for publicizing the mistake to a broader audience? Bloomberg for calling United to follow-up on the mistake? Travelers who booked the mistake fare then called the airline to make changes and/or confirm their bookings?
- Is it morally wrong to jump on a mistake fare like this? (This isn’t being discussed much yet in the thread, but you can bet it will be.)
- And, most importantly, will the fares be honored or will all of the tickets be canceled?
Yep, you may have missed out on the mistake fares, but that doesn’t mean you have missed out on all of the fun. Quite the contrary – those who didn’t book these mistake fares and therefore have nothing riding on the outcome will probably benefit the most from this unfolding drama and the hilarity that will ensue.
Breaking news: United wipes Denmark off the map. ~Shimon
I’d like to take a moment to thank the good people of Denmark, for while they may not have actually participated in this, without them and their currency, we wouldn’t be here. ~TimesTwo
only on FT would you find people complaining about Booking Fees on an occasion like this. ~T8191
They’ve plugged the dam, now it’s time to see what towns the river beneath has washed away. ~Tblack15
This is the juicy stuff. This is the real reason to read and participate in online travel communities. The deals and world travels are great, but the storylines, the intrigue, the tension, the elation and the sorrows – this is what makes it special.
Grab some popcorn and enjoy.
Read the thread in its entirety: [PREM FARE GONE] UA: NCL-EWR 600 DKK (mistaken fare)
You forget the inevitable class action lawsuit threats if the fare isn’t upheld.
You are so right. Thankfully MatthewLAX covered that in post #1101, posted just a few minutes ago 🙂
Airlines are so good in screwing people.
Why would the opposite be wrong?
Saw the mistake and played with a LHR-HNL-LHR-HER-MCT-LHR-EWR booking with stopovers in IST, CAI and ATH for a couple hundred bucks. Then I realized it was UNITED and that that airline did not deserve to be fleeced for making a mistake. But, on the other hand, if it was Delta….
Had a ticket, and cancelled. Yeah, I know, a nervous Nellie. But itt seems different from other mistake fares, since you had to indicate your location as Denmark in order to get the fare. In the end just wasn’t comfortable, even though I didn’t enter my united ff# in the reservation.