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> an OBVIOUS pricing error How does the average person know when something is an obvious error? Pilots and other airline personnel often fly standby at ridicul

> an OBVIOUS pricing error How does the average person know when something is an obvious error? Pilots and other airline personnel often fly standby at ridiculously cheap rates. Sometimes airlines fly planes almost completely empty: http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/travel/man-alone-delta-flight-feat/ http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/travel/man-alone-delta-flight-... It seems plausible that United could offer extreme discounts for some unknown reason.

mseebach 12y ago
The fact that they changed the currency to Danish kroner to get the fare is about as smoking as guns get. Anyone booking the fare from Denmark has a case here, everyone else don't.
- Someone1234 12y ago
  Just as background: This error didn't occur if you booked from Denmark. You had to book via the UK website but in Danish Kroner. The actual Danish site (which uses Danish Kroner) had the correct price.
otterley 12y ago
Pilots and airline personnel are not "average people."
reverend_gonzo 12y ago
When you can buy something at a 90% discount that is at an unadvertised price by buying it in a different currency than it was quoted, it should be completely obvious that it is a pricing error. As for pilots flying standby, it's a perk of being an employee in the industry. Every single industry has perks for those within it.
- nimblegorilla 12y ago
  Why is it obvious? Many goods and services are sold discounted for pennies on the dollar. I might have thought it was a pricing error or I might have thought it was some sort of bizarre Danish Groupon-esque marketing ploy. bookingbuddy.com is currently advertising 80% off sales. I don't see how 90% becomes unreasonable compared to that.
  - reverend_gonzo 12y ago
    1) It wasn't for Danish customers. It was English customers who were trying to paying using Danish currency. 2) Booking buddy is advertising the sale. 3) "Bizarre Groupon-esque marketing ploy" depends on marketing. Companies don't intentionally, and without advertising, discount shit for 90% off, but only when you find a backdoor method to get there. You're either really grasping at straws to legitimize this, or you're completely clueless about how the world works.
- rbcgerard 12y ago
  Actually there can be significant pricing differentials based on the country of purchase (which is done ON PURPOSE by the airlines) - for example usually LAN is much cheaper to book via their Chliean website then via the US website...
mikeash 12y ago
Can you honestly say that you'd go to an airline's web site, search for a flight, get quoted a price, notice that if you switch to a foreign currency the quoted price is literally 100x cheaper, and think it's probably legitimate? If you'd actually think that, I'd say you're probably not safe to have out in public without an escort.
- zhte415 12y ago
  Yes, yes you can. Easyjet / Ryanair / other low cost European carrier pricing policies were extremely predatory for years, in completely arbitrary ways.

mseebach 12y ago

The fact that they changed the currency to Danish kroner to get the fare is about as smoking as guns get. Anyone booking the fare from Denmark has a case here, everyone else don't.

Someone1234 12y ago
Just as background: This error didn't occur if you booked from Denmark. You had to book via the UK website but in Danish Kroner. The actual Danish site (which uses Danish Kroner) had the correct price.

otterley 12y ago

Pilots and airline personnel are not "average people."

reverend_gonzo 12y ago

When you can buy something at a 90% discount that is at an unadvertised price by buying it in a different currency than it was quoted, it should be completely obvious that it is a pricing error. As for pilots flying standby, it's a perk of being an employee in the industry. Every single industry has perks for those within it.

nimblegorilla 12y ago
Why is it obvious? Many goods and services are sold discounted for pennies on the dollar. I might have thought it was a pricing error or I might have thought it was some sort of bizarre Danish Groupon-esque marketing ploy. bookingbuddy.com is currently advertising 80% off sales. I don't see how 90% becomes unreasonable compared to that.
- reverend_gonzo 12y ago
  1) It wasn't for Danish customers. It was English customers who were trying to paying using Danish currency. 2) Booking buddy is advertising the sale. 3) "Bizarre Groupon-esque marketing ploy" depends on marketing. Companies don't intentionally, and without advertising, discount shit for 90% off, but only when you find a backdoor method to get there. You're either really grasping at straws to legitimize this, or you're completely clueless about how the world works.
rbcgerard 12y ago
Actually there can be significant pricing differentials based on the country of purchase (which is done ON PURPOSE by the airlines) - for example usually LAN is much cheaper to book via their Chliean website then via the US website...

mikeash 12y ago

Can you honestly say that you'd go to an airline's web site, search for a flight, get quoted a price, notice that if you switch to a foreign currency the quoted price is literally 100x cheaper, and think it's probably legitimate? If you'd actually think that, I'd say you're probably not safe to have out in public without an escort.

zhte415 12y ago
Yes, yes you can. Easyjet / Ryanair / other low cost European carrier pricing policies were extremely predatory for years, in completely arbitrary ways.