British Airways fat-finger compensation: $300 off India ticket

by Christopher Elliott on October 9, 2009

ba2As promised, British Airways has begun sending make-good offers to passengers who were affected by last weekend’s fare error. The airline is issuing a $300 voucher off any published retail World Traveller fare from the US to India booked between now and Nov. 12.

Here’s a letter it’s sending to travel agents:

Earlier this week we informed you about an error in our fares between the US and India that may have resulted in the cancellation of some of your client’s bookings. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this error may have caused you.

As a gesture of goodwill to our mutual customers that were impacted by the incorrect fare filing, British Airways is offering $300 off any published retail World Traveller fare from the US to India when booked between now and November 12, 2009*. This offer will be valid for travel between now and September 30, 2010. Please note this offer is non-transferable and only valid to customers that were originally booked using the incorrect fare.

In order to manage the distribution of this offer, any affected customers wishing to take advantage of this offer, must contact BA directly at 1-800-247-9297. Please provide your customers with the flight details of their original booking so that our staff can verify their eligibility and assist them with their new booking.

Once again, we sincerely regret this error and any inconvenience it may have caused you.

Thank you for your continued support of British Airways.

A travel agent who received the letter described BA’s move as “not a bad offer,” adding, “It seems genuine – no crazy restrictions that would make it difficult to use.”

If you made this offer through Orbitz or Travelocity, you could get up to $400 worth of travel for the inconvenience. Both online agencies are offering their customers a $100 credit by way of apology for the fare screw-up.

Although I agree that these appear to be sincere efforts to patch things up with passengers, I’m not sure if everyone who is affected by this bad fare will be pleased.

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Tagged as: British Airways, error, fare

  • Kevin

    I’m sorry but I have to call BS on BA. If I go into a store and buy ‘whatever’ and I pay for it – it’s mine and I can use it – if the store mis-priced it. too bad for the store, be more careful next time. Airfares are so out of wack how is anyone to know what is right or wrong.

    Maybe BA should look at their last quarterly report and realize that they don’t need any bad press right now.

    Kevin.

    P.S. Hey, BA how is not allowing Travel Agents to sell your packages (and not wanting to sell your air tickets) working out for you?? Last quarter results shows what a braintrust you guys have….keep up the good work!!

  • David Z

    I’m sorry but I have to call BS on BA. If I go into a store and buy ‘whatever’ and I pay for it – it’s mine and I can use it – if the store mis-priced it. too bad for the store, be more careful next time. Airfares are so out of wack how is anyone to know what is right or wrong.

    While analogies can only go so far, the main difference here is the plane ticket and seat isn’t “completely yours” in the same sense as a tangible product you buy off a store. Practically all airlines state in their contract of carriage of similar what you can and won’t have when purchasing a ticket.

    But…I do agree it’s fair and good if British Airways honored the tickets despite their error. It’s unfortunate they didn’t, and only time will tell if this will make a “considerable” dent on them.

    I’m not sure if everyone who is affected by this bad fare will be pleased.

    As the saying goes, you can’t please everyone.

  • Sud

    “British Airways is offering $300 off any published retail World Traveller fare from the US to India when booked between now and November 12, 2009*. ”

    Sorry, but what exactly does ‘World Traveller fare’ mean?

  • Arizona Road Warrior

    BA should honor the mistaken fares.

    I work for a large (10,000+ employees) company that is publicly traded and has operations around the world. While it is rare, from time to time, mistakes do occur in the pricing our products and services and we honor the incorrect prices. For example, I had a sales rep that underpriced a quote by $ 40,000 (which was 50% of the actual price) and we honor the inaccurate price quote because it was the right thing to do.

  • Frank

    Anyone know how many tickets were sold for the misquoted fare?

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  • Frank

    FAT FINGER????

    Interesting when a passenger discusses their airfare. It’s their hard earned money or I paid good money for this ticket or my ticket cost was astronomical.
    Yet, an airline’s COMPENSATION is never high enough.

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