Who was lucky to snap up Biz class to Eu for half the price

[SQ218]

http://www.theage.com.au/business/av...04-1200kc.html

[slacker]

Well, half the price of a revenue biz class fare is still not as attractive as what we could have got before the 'price increase' in Oct 2014 although availability could b slightly limited

[SMK77]

When Suites was still only for paying passengers, SQ loaded one of the 20,000 SGD fares in R from BKK to LHR into the Thai booking system and because the price in Baht looked so high, someone striked off a zero at the end of the number.

Thanks to SQTalk, I was able to get one ticket that was only out there for an hour or two and SQ called me the same day to let me know they would honor the fare.

[scooby5]

According to press, SQ are saying they will not honour the fare for a Business Class seat?

[Dickson]

Yeah, SQ is not planning on honoring these. I read that unlike the other cases of "wrong" fares, this one occurred on travel agents' website/system, and not on SQ's website. Also, the fare basis for the "Business Class" seat booking clearly states, in the fine print, that this is Economy class; ie, a contradiction existed. Because its not 100% SQ's fault, I guess SQ is not planning on absorbing the loss and pushing the buck to travel agents instead.

[flyguy]

from CNBC news there was 900 of these biz class tickets sold at $3,500. SQ is said to be exploring options only at this time and have not made a decision on whether to get the difference from its travel agents and or recover from those who have bought. However, the Australian consumer rights and some interviewed say this is not tenable to recover from the buyers and such a move to attempt will even put SIA into worse PR and publicity and even result in libel. Even recovering from agents will likely result in boycotting SIA. In any case, its basically SIA mistake and apparently it happened last fri but SIA didn't do anything about it till Monday! This is expected to costs SIA $2 - $3 million loss.

[flying.monkeyz]

If I were EK, I'll take advantage of the situation, sell some JCL seats at similar fares, and tell passengers it will be honoured.

[Dickson]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/....html?cid=FBSG

SINGAPORE: Flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) recently made a computer error that led travel agents in Australia to sell Business Class tickets at Economy Class prices.

The airline had re-assigned a booking sub-class originally for Economy Class bookings to be used for Business Class on a booking system for travel agents, known as the global distribution system. This was for Business Class bookings from Dec 8, an SIA spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia.

A report from the Sydney Morning Herald said the S$6,615 tickets were sold for as little as S$3,860, and that hundreds had snapped up the deal. The newspaper said that Australian travel agent Flight Centre first discovered the error - which involved plane tickets from Australia to London - on Saturday (Nov 29). The error was reportedly rectified on Monday.

"A small number of travel agents in Australia sold Business Class tickets at an Economy Class fare level," the spokesperson said. "The airfare conditions for this fare states that it is only valid for Economy Class travel."

The airline has said it would not absorb the price difference. "We have advised our travel agents of various options available to customers, including paying the difference to our lowest Business Class fare, travelling in Economy Class on the booked ticket, refunding the difference between the fare charged and our lead in Economy Class fares, or offering a full refund," the spokesperson said.

The airline added that it is working with travel agent partners to ensure that customers will be notified of the issue to ensure their travel plans will not be disrupted. "Singapore Airlines would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused," the spokesperson added.

According to SIA, 900 ticketed segments to various destinations in Europe and Asia were sold.

Flight Centre, which sold close to 100 of the affected tickets, said it was not the only Australian travel agent affected by the glitch. Anyone booking those fares, including other brick-and-mortar and online travel agents, would have received the incorrect fares, it said.

“The error would not have been immediately obvious to a travel agent unless he or she read the fare rules and recognised the issue in the coding for an Economy Class flight. At face value, it would have appeared to be cheap Business Class flights,” a Flight Centre representative said.

“I doubt online travel agents would have even noticed the error, as customers would have just made the booking if the system allowed them to, which it did,” she added.

[milehighj]

"Singapore Airlines would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused," the spokesperson added.

Ahhh, SQ's real slogan, particularly since the advent of The Website.

[cscs1956]

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/sin...y-class-prices

[SQtraveller]

post deleted

[chisquared]

Yes.

[flyguy]

SIA should have been more cautious instead of so quickly issuing a statement to say they will not honour the tickets. But it should have known how by not doing so will ruin its reputation and credibility in Asutralia and also should have known that the Australian consumer rights are strong over there. It's better to have forgone this small loss of $2 to $3 million and write it off as marketing or promotion instead of even tempting for a Australian Court hearings and likely lose easily $20 million or more.
Another bad PR move in the beginning of this espisode.

[Inflight Sup]

In some companies, like SQ, there is a policy of moving mid level managers around like a circuit of sorts, supposedly for them to gain experience in different departments.( but there are 'other' reasons for doing too)

The majority of these managers ( and those above ) come straight from universities or from a similar position in some other company. The point is they do not rise from the ranks.

This brings about scenarios where the rank & file, frontliners have far deeper experiences which can overcome situations that do not appear in manuals.

Managers who do not rise from the ranks seldom take consul from the employees who may have had prior experience after 30 years on the job. They might not articulate well, but its worth lending an ear and some weight.

Managers will take a more theoretical approach and stay within procedures, and interpret policies strictly.

Front line employees are the best source for understanding what works and what customers like. Its a wonderful loop that cannot be ignored.

Unfortunately, it seems management by remote control is favoured... in which case, lots of fire fighting will be the consequence... and sadly someone may get the sack.

[nykelaz]

http://www.singaporelawblog.sg/blog/article/65