When air price drops after purchase - what can be done?

[TravelDancer]

HI experts, Has anyone ever had their air ticket price drop (substantially) just 2 days after purchase? I've already spent a lot of time on the phone with the airline AND Choice air -- they say there is nothing that can be done without a huge fee & completely re-booking the tickets. They keep referring me back to each other. (We bought multiple tix and the price dropped several hundred dollars per ticket - in 2 days).

Has anyone had a positive outcome in a situation like this, or are we just out of luck?

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.

[klfrodo]

You're pretty much out of luck.

All airlines have different policies. Some offer credit vouchers, some don't offer squat. Buying air travel is a roll of the dice.

[paul929207]

With most airlines, if you buy a non-refundable ticket, you are guarenteed the price will not go up, but you accept that it will not go down. Price changes for new sales do not affect you.

[cruiserssandr]

All airlines do have their own policies but I do know Jet Blue will give you a credit which needs to be used with in one year. When I booked my flight for Feb I had a credit of $140 from last year and they just applied it to this flight.

[kenish]

Like many things....it depends....but most likely you're out of luck.

 

Are these published-fare tickets, or consolidator tickets? If they are consolidator tickets you're out of luck. The airlines don't sell or own consolidator tickets, so it's entirely between you and Choice Air in that case. The airline, flight, itenerary, etc. are completely at the discretion of the consolidator to book or even change at a later date.

 

If they are *not* conso tickets, what is the airline and fare code? The fare rules depend on both. In most cases the inexpensive non-refundable fares are exactly that....in some cases you can rebook at the lower fare for a $100-$200 change fee per ticket. So, the fare drop has to be more than the fee. If you're flying full-fare Economy, Business, or First the rules are more liberal in most cases. Southwest will issue you a credit voucher for the fare drop with no fee.

 

If you provide the info we can answer for sure.

[FlyerTalker]

<pulling teeth mode on>

 

To echo and amplify Kenish, just what is the COMPLETE situation? What is the "Choice Air" involvement? And the final question....did you read the terms and conditions when you bought the tickets, including the cancellation/change/refund provisions for your ticket?

 

<mode off>

 

Without details, the only accurate answer is "maybe". To all your questions.

[scottbee]

Some airlines will let you rebook for free (Southwest), some will give you a voucher for the difference (JetBlue, Alaska), and some make you rebook paying a huge fee to cancel the 1st ticket (which makes it not worthwhile)

[maryann2]

Some airlines will let you rebook for free (Southwest), some will give you a voucher for the difference (JetBlue, Alaska), and some make you rebook paying a huge fee to cancel the 1st ticket (which makes it not worthwhile)

 

That's interesting. Did not realise that Alaska did that.

[goose30]

HI experts, Has anyone ever had their air ticket price drop (substantially) just 2 days after purchase? I've already spent a lot of time on the phone with the airline AND Choice air -- they say there is nothing that can be done without a huge fee & completely re-booking the tickets. They keep referring me back to each other. (We bought multiple tix and the price dropped several hundred dollars per ticket - in 2 days).

Has anyone had a positive outcome in a situation like this, or are we just out of luck?

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

Looks like you already got your answer. Nothing anyone on these boards can say that will change that answer. This is a fact of traveling. You were happy with the cost when you booked so sit back and chill.

 

Enjoy the trip.

[Fattony]

Buying from a third party can save you money but can make any changes, etc. more complicated. Be happy the price didn't go up before you bought. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. As stated above, you apparently got a price you could live with. If the price had gone up after you bought you wouldn't expect to pay the difference. Unless the rules of your purchase provide for a credit or partial refund, you just have to be happy with what you paid. Many people wait to buy air tickets, hoping the price will go down. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes they end up paying more. If you had waited 2 days you would have saved, but if you'd waited, say, another week maybe you would have paid much more, and there's no way you could go back to the earlier price. Hope you still enjoy the trip.

[TravelDancer]

Thanks for your comments and thoughts, everyone. In the past, I have had flight prices drop and the airline offered a "travel voucher". I'm a very experienced traveler, (but new to cruising). Normally, I wait until closer to my departure date to purchase tix, but since my parents were involved & they really wanted these specific USairways non-stop, direct flights, I bought them & used Choice air.

 

I totally understand it's a gamble, but it's very frustrating to learn that I could have saved over a thousand dollars by just waiting 2 days.

 

Yes, if we rebook, there is a $250 fee per person, and then we will have to re-purchase the tickets again....so it's not really cost-effective. And then who knows what types of fees will be involved when we actually decide to use the "new" tickets / credits down the road. (After all, many businesses honor price drops -- why to airlines make things so complicated and non-user friendly?)

 

Thanks again for your positive advice! At this point, I'm going to look forward to this wonderful trip & not worry about this issue. (And let's hope this is the worst thing to happen to all of us this year!!)

[FlyerTalker]

(After all, many businesses honor price drops -- why to airlines make things so complicated and non-user friendly?)

The short answer is: Because when you purchase a discounted coach ticket, you are also buying the restrictive conditions that go with the ticket. You may not realize it, but consider it the ball and chain attached to your seat.

 

It is absolutely possible to buy tickets that are not complicated and are very user friendly. Want tickets that are completely refundable? No Problem! Want tickets that can be changed all the way up to flight time for no additional fees? No Problem. Want tickets that can be easily upgraded to first class? No Problem.

 

They are called full-fare coach tickets, Y class. They come with a hefty price premium, but are available on all but the absolutely sold-out flights. At one time, that was all that you had available to buy -- and the pricing made flying inaccessible for the masses. Now you can fly for pennies compared to CAB days.

 

So, the consumer public has a choice. You can have your cheap fares (and the restrictions that go along with them) or you can have the great flexibility to make changes at any time. Or even some varying midpoints. But that absolute cheapest bottom line is what drives most purchases.

 

If you do some research, you will find that airline pricing strategies and policies are some of the most highly developed economic pricing techniques. Airlines have some very bright people paid very good money to work the yield management function. It may seem "complicated" to the average consumer but it allows for those "cheap" fares that so many clamor for.

 

Finally, this is not to serve as an apologist for airlines - they do lots of things wrong, IMO. Just being a realist and an information provider.

 

it's very frustrating to learn that I could have saved over a thousand dollars by just waiting 2 days

Do you look at your investments and say "I should have held that stock for another month" or "I should have bought it later on"? Do you get the same feelings? Do you blame the NYSE? Remember the words of Damon Runyon: "No one ever bet enough on a winning horse."

[kenish]

In the past, I have had flight prices drop and the airline offered a "travel voucher".

 

That was the case 10+ years ago but not anymore (except for a few airlines). In your specific case, the airline has nothing to offer because it is not their ticket if it's a consolidator ticket. (Just curious, are they?) If so, the airline is completely out of the picture except to provide seats from A to B.

 

I totally understand it's a gamble, but it's very frustrating to learn that I could have saved over a thousand dollars by just waiting 2 days.

 

Assuming they are conso tickets, what you paid has no relevance to the non-conso tickets purchased from the airline. Usually conso tickets are cheaper(and you give up a lot of flexibility and clout if something goes amok)...but there's no guarantee they're cheaper.

 

If these are published-fare, non-conso tickets, you could be under the false impression the fare dropped....the total cost may be higher! Assume you purchased 4 tickets at $700 each. At the time of purchase, availability was 3 seats at $500, 2@ $600, 10@ $700, and 15@ $1000. If all 4 tickets were purchased simultaneously (which most people do), you will be charged the lowest bucket with at least 4 seats ($700 in this example). The only way to "Tetris" into the lower fare buckets is to book the tickets individually....you would pay $500 for 3 tickets and $600 for 1. Choice Air and most high-volume agencies won't spend the time or effort to do this and will buy all 4 in one transaction.

 

Two days later, you check for 1 ticket (not 4) and see $500. Availability has changed to 1@ $500, 0@ $600, 0@ $700, and 5@ $1000. You think the fare has "dropped" to $500 but the total would be 1@ $500 and 3@ $1000. The total has actually increased! Hope this makes sense.

 

(After all, many businesses honor price drops?)

 

The same is true for full-fare economy tickets. The deeply discounted fares are like clearance items at the store...all sales are final, or there's a restocking fee.

 

At this point, I'm going to look forward to this wonderful trip & not worry about this issue.

 

Have a great trip; hope all the info adds to your "experience bank" and still curious about the Choice Air tickets...:D