All good things come to an end, but good things end sooner when they are abused. For example suing an airline for not giving you $50 tickets to Europe. Good lawd! Get over yourself.
What I don’t understand is if the hobby attracts entitled pricks, or if it creates them. I personally say that I tend to have more feelings of entitlement now than before, and when I feel them I try to beat them off with a stick.
I walked into a beautiful room in a 5 start hotel where I’m not paying a dime and thought, “why no upgrade?”.
But here’s the deal. You are entitled to the same thing every other human being is entitled to. We are all blessed with a life and opportunity to pay for overpriced airline tickets, and the hotel class of our choosing and budget.
But a few of us in life have been extra blessed with an introduction and a knowledge of the frequent flyer hobby. We sometimes get away with really cheap tickets, we smart our way into great redemptions, and are gifted with upgrades to suites.
You are not entitled to any of these things. The second you get this switched… how can I put this nicely.
Do you have anyone in your life who is really self-entitled and gets upset when they don’t get what they want? Ask yourself how much you enjoy being around that person.
Then ask yourself what kind of characteristics you want to cultivate in yourself. Do you want to be the kind of person that feels entitled to things others aren’t? Do you want to be the kind of person that complains a lot until they get what they want?
Do you want to be the kind of person who is grateful to get any room in a hotel, or do you want to be the kind of person who complains if their suite isn’t just right?
Seriously.
The United Mistake Fare
In regards to the United fare; big surprise! It involved manipulation of a site, and breaking a fare’s rules. No one should have to honor such a ticket. Also, the DOT has ruled in the past that a ticket not originating in the US doesn’t fall into the same jurisdiction.
There’s no legal ground. But I think we all know the real issue, “but I want it!”.
And, it was a genuine error. Do you know what happens to a business who has a genuine error outside of the DOT? They don’t have to honor it!
The future of mistake fares
But it’s complicated with airlines because they sometimes really do have really good sales to get press. Air Asia gave away free seats on flights, but it was very limited and under certain conditions. It happens. So it’s not always clear what’s an error and what isn’t.
But what I see happening here is the DOT getting flooded with this issue (that shouldn’t really be an issue as it was clearly an error), and ultimately I see them changing the rules.
What I don’t get is that the people dogmatic about airlines and hotels honoring the rules, are the same people saying “don’t call the airline”. Now they’re the ones calling the DOT.
Good. If I’m the losing team of an ethical argument, may we lose.
Am I disappointed when my mistake fare gets canceled?
Yes, often. Do I complain? Never. Not that it makes a difference to the ethical arguments, but I have been in the position many times. In fact, I recently found out that a mistake fare wasn’t going to be honored at check in.
Apparently the Hilton wasn’t going to give me the presidential suite for $20 a night. Bummer. I didn’t complain, threaten to complain or sue, argue or anything. It’s easy to be disappointed, but it’s hard to feel entitled to the presidential suite that goes for thousands of dollars a nights for the price of a hostel. I don’t deserve and if they did give me the room I would be nothing but grateful and lucky.
Pro-consumer?
Who cares? I believe in doing the right thing. Sometimes the business does wrong and sometimes the consumer does. It’s not black and white to me, just like anything.
Nailing a hotel for not giving a welcome gift in order to get $200 cash would be an absolute douche move in any other situation. If your friend said he was going to do something and he forgot, you don’t sue him. But if a business honestly forgets something it’s “holding them accountable”.
Hmm, I can’t help but notice the accountability always goes in favor of getting what you want…
Either way, the big issue for me is character. Even if you are entitled to it… it’s not nice.
Be nice. Why is that so hard? Why doesn’t that apply to miles and points hobbyists?
Conclusion
I’ve decided to start practicing gratefulness. This sounds like some hippy dippy crap, but I’m serious.
When I walk into a nice hotel room, I remember that it’s a nice hotel and I didn’t pay for it. When things are extra nice I try to verbalize and dwell on my gratitude. We got a suite at the Radisson Blu Vienna that was really nice, so I told the staff. Similarly, we got a standard room at the InterContinental Vienna, and it too was great, and I dwelled on how lucky we are.
We didn’t pay a thing… like actually, we paid $0 and 0 points due to IHG’s BRG. How many people are in the hotel? Hundreds. And think of the average nightly cost for these people. And here I am in a 5 star hotel in Vienna for free.
I don’t deserve in any way the lifestyle we have. We are lucky and forgetting that would be… well, not the kind of person I want to be.
Hopefully, I’ll be better and better at remembering that. Please join me in that.
![Nick of FM on #40kFarAway [TIF Podcast]](https://travelisfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/travel-is-free-podcast-nick-40K-120x86.jpg)
Whoa, I think you read too much of that FT thread…all mistake fares are genuine errors. If a person made it as far as going to FT, they know the difference.
But, and I ask this honestly, your ethical line is drawn between buying/flying on mistake fares, and complaining when we can’t fly them? I just can’t wrap my head around that idea. Or is this a turning point for you, when you will no longer purchase mistake fares?
I didn’t read any of the FT thread so I’m not sure I get the reference. But in regards to the ethical line I think you make a great point.
Although my point in this case necessarily related to mistake fares. One could say the same thing with suite upgrades. For example, one might say, “I see that top tier members get upgrades, and I see you have unsold suites and I SHOULD get a suite”.
And my response is no, you should get the room you paid for… since that’s all you paid for. I’m not a fan of over promising and under delivering… but really the point is about entitlement.
Cool, wasn’t disagreeing with you. I’m younger as well, and I think a dark mark on our generation is that we as a group tend to think we are entitled to everything for nothing.
It really is an dilemma, on the one hand, the airlines hold all the legal power over us and do everything they can to extract every cent they can from us. I think many people, myself included, look at these as a way of almost getting back. Now, that doesn’t make it right, but it allows us to sleep at night.
Drew –
I think that example is apples and oranges. A mistake fare is a mistake, and we can debate whether it should be honored, how much of a mistake does it need to be before it should be, etc. The airline clearly made a mistake one way or the other.
An elite upgrade is different – it is NOT a mistake, it is a promise. They promise that if you stay 100 nights (or whatever) every year that they’ll upgrade you to the best room (or whatever). There’s no ethical line in asking for it, or calling them out, if they don’t do it. They promised they would – no mistakes, no third parties, etc.
Now, do people take it too far when they don’t get it, absolutely. But that doesn’t change that they SHOULD get it. They paid for that promised upgrade with their loyalty and holding a hotel chain to their word (where there’s no mistake in play) is not entitlement.
The way I take it, and again this is just my perception, is that there’s nothing wrong with booking publicly available mistake fares, and flying them if the airline agrees to honor them.
The line is drawn when the airline refuses to honor blatant mistake fares and the buyer pushes ahead with DOT complaints to get them honored.
If that’s the case, I personally agree somewhat. For me the biggest issue here isn’t the financial hit that the airline would take, but the effects this could have on future DOT policy revisions.
I tend to agree 100%… obviously. But ya know what’s actually been an ethical dilemma for me when I play out the logic in my head? Well I’ll tell you anyways…
Sure the airline chooses to honor it. Maybe it’s the good free press, idk. But when they do I gladly fly. But the thing I don’t like about the current DOT rules is that I’m forcing the airline to honor it. I know it doesn’t have a choice and I know it’s an error and I book anyways. So that’s the break down. But in general, if they choose to honor it, I’m all on board. They would other wise price tickets anyways.
The DOT has no authority to make the airline honor the ticket. They just have the power to fine them.
I think the DOT rules are actually very important, in cases of non-mistake fares. They need to update the rules to leave the protections but allow some reasonable means to cancel egregious, honest mistakes, if dealt with in a timely manner.
You “personally agree somewhat”? Could you be more wishy washy if you tried?
And if you’re giving an opinion, you never need to use “personally” because it’s of course your opinion (who else’s would it be? The Man in the Moon?)
Crikey.
Wow, well said could not agree with you more. Thanks for being the only miles blog that does not waste my time with BS. You don’t create a bunch of worthless posts to get me to use your cc links you give rock solid useful info every time. You are clearly very ethical and this post just reaffirms that. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind comment Evan. Although I must admit this post doesn’t provide value as much as I hope to with other posts… but I’m glad it was enjoyed. 😀
Thank you, Drew! I’m not sure I would personally say that I’m always about doing the right thing, but there are times like this when I feel that people want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Sure, sometimes the right thing is the selfish thing. I’m glad when they overlap. 😀
Amen. Well said.
well said. feeling disgusted at TPG and other bloggers who are complaining to DOT for this UA mistake fare.
Didn’t see TPG’s post earlier and I don’t mean to call any one out, or give a “holier than thou” attitude. But obviously I disagree with his conclusion. Points like “it’s a PR move” have nothing to do with the ethics of filing a complaint. No disrespect to him meant tho.
Love your post and the important perspective it gives. All of us get that sense of entitlement at times, but few of us have the wisdom to “get over it.”
Yea, I think without practicing contentment the default tendency is to get worse in terms of entitlement. You’re ALWAYS feeding one or the other. I’ll be the first to admit feeling the tension.
Completely agree with you on this!
Well said!
Anyone who is truly mad about the current DKK glitch after knowingly trying to defraud the airlines is the lowest of low. Unfortunately this hobby attracts all kinds.
Right. That’s my point in that this wasn’t bought under an honest confusion, and it would have no legal binding any where else in business.
Amen Drew.
Great post Drew. In fact nothing is free (no offense to the site) and even if these tickets were honored the expense would be passed on to other consumers or maybe united would squeeze out more award seats to make up the lost revenue.
That’s a good point, someone’s paying for it. And with these kind of “sales” United will need another bail out. 😀
Right on my man.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Good Stuff. Needed to be said.
So with all your many mistake fares, let’s just they were all canceled. You wouldn’t complain at all? If so, more power to you but with all the mistake fares you utilize, hard to fathom. love the blog keep up the good work.
Now grant it most of my mistake fares have been honored, but I have had many many cancelled and I’ve never complained. This is why I bring up finding out at checkin that a mistake fare wasn’t honored. I walked away smiling. Wasted my time, but I have had more than my fair share and really shouldn’t complain. I would have no right.
Thanks for taking the high road, Drew. This hobby has its share of self-entitlement (i.e., The Prick Guy) but anyone with any common sense knew this week’s mistake fare had, at best, a 50-50 chance of being honored.
Be nice, be grateful, and let’s all enjoy the fun.
Thanks for commenting. I agree in that as soon as I saw it I knew it wasn’t going to be honored. Rather, I had a feeling.
But I too have been in the situation where a company doesn’t play out a deal like I think it should and I get upset. I guess I’m just more realistic about this. But I imagine TPG is a great person who disagrees on all my points above lol, and I disagree with his. But I selfishly hope people stop filing DOT complaints.
I like to think I was an entitled prick long before I got into this hobby…
Hahaha! Thanks for the data points. I should put a poll up on the site!
Personally, I’m more of an entitled prick now… but correlation isn’t always causation. So it could be a coincidence. 😀
You are right. Yours is a refreshing voice of reason.
And the hobby certainly does, as you put it, “attract entitled pricks” (or creates them). It’s like a BMW owners convention.
But of course your reasonable position will be utterly lost on the entitled.
Thanks Dave, glad you enjoyed it.
I like the BMW owners convention… but I’ll add that none of the people paid for their BMWs. 😀
Classic post, Drew. Many people dont feel greatful to the system. Just because they happen to live in America. Greedy to the core. These people should be made to live somewhere in Kenya or Pakistan. Then they will know what the world is. Gratitude has long last its meaning here in America. Feel so sad about it.
Maybe under the same logic I should take a week each year and disconnect from the internet and do like we did years ago in Peru and stay in $5/night places where it’s only locals. That’s enough of an experience to appreciate any chain hotel for a year or more. 😀
I really appreciate your post.
The way I approached this was on the day of the mistake, I went to United’s site and first saw the part where it clearly stated (Scienter) the price for the fare I selected from LHR to SYD in first class would be $14,000.
I then thought, “So now that the United site told me the real value is of the ticket, I’m going to change it to $53 in Danish currency and then expect United to honor it, and then to fight them via the DOT to keep the fare?”
Um no
Exactly the same thoughts. I told Carrie right away that it wouldn’t be honored.
But I don’t feel right about tricking the system in the first place.
Love the emphasis on positivity and gratitude! It just wins every time!
I agree, accept it could depend on your definition of “winning”. 😀 I saw a guy throw a fit over a hairdryer and they offered him the presidential suite. #winning?
Great post. TPG is really starting to bother me with all of his entitlement.
Thx Joe, glad you enjoyed it.
Although I want to go on record and say that I wrote this post before I saw TPG’s post, and it’s in no way a response to him.
Last October we took advantage of the JFK-Milan PRG-BKK mistake fare. We had to book a non-refundable Milan to Prauge fare in addition stopped in Amsterdam and Beijing. We used a mileage fare from HNL-JFK and BKK-HNL. All the while hoping that the fare would be honored. It was and we had a great trip around the world!
Now this fare-well we’re not going…oh well. I guess you can’t be lucky all the time. You take a chance and sometimes you loose. To complain to the DOT will just make it harder in the future. Imaging the DOT making a ruling that they no longer have to honor the fare if it is a percentage lower than they charged in the past year (or something to that matter). Then you will have no more deals.
Be happy with what you got and stop complaining if you don’t get everything you want. People be happy with what they get. DON’T RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE. I have been doing miles since 1983 and logged more than 5 million flight miles. I’m glad people didn’t make waves back then or all that we have now would have never been.
What makes you think that they weren’t going to change it anyways? You have no idea.
I don’t know why TPG decided to tarnish his reputation for a pathetic 1st class ticket he tried to TAKE. What? He hasn’t been on enough by getting them the other easy way that he teaches people about.
my one ticket is cancelled and i am not writing to DOT. the actual long haul premium tax is far over the airfare, it is clearly a mistake. and while i am disappointed that i dont get to fly, i am not upset, it is understandable.
I noticed bloggers either bought a ticket, and want it honored, or didn’t, and post opinions like this.
Not quite so. I wrote about it in the same vein as Drew. I got all the way to the payment screen before I saw lying about my address was necessary to get the fare. Then I CHOSE not to proceed.
I noticed a strong correlation between Nic Cage movies and people drowning. Correlation = causation?
http://i.imgur.com/q54sO25.png
If your point is that the people who didn’t book it are the least emotionally attached and therefore the most qualified for being unbiased, I’d have to agree with you.
You continue to have the most thoughtful content.
Thanks Rick
Sorry for the off topic reply but I can’t find the travel phone post anymore. But I was able to figure out how to get wifi google voice working on a smart phone with no service.
1. Download google hangouts app
2. Download google hangout dialer app
3. Verify google voice number with any prepaid cellular numnber or any landline number. Do not check the forward box on this number.
Then go to the google hangout dialer app under settings and check receive calls and receive SMS. Now you will not need talkatone and all calls to google voice will be routed to the wifi smartphone and only one number is needed.
Then to make outgoing calls just open up dialer and click the keypad icon and dial the number.
In general I agree but there are a few critical mistakes in your post:
“In regards to the United fare; big surprise! It involved manipulation of a site, and breaking a fare’s rules.”
No, there was no absolutely breaking of the *fare*’s rules and the manipulation of the site you mention is actually a feature on united.com which allows customers to be billed in a currency of their choosing. Importantly, United has never before canceled tickets for exchange rate manipulations (which are allowed by design)
“Also, the DOT has ruled in the past that a ticket not originating in the US doesn’t fall into the same jurisdiction.”
This is completely wrong. Section 399.88(a) clearly states … “scheduled air transportation within, to, or from the United States, or of a tour or tour component that includes scheduled air transportation within, to, or from the United States” … therefore if your itinerary touches US soil it falls under DoT’s jurisdiction
And, just to bee clear, the same section continues to state “… then the seller of air transportation cannot increase the price of that air transportation to that consumer, even when the fare is a “mistake.””
We may argue to what extent is such a rule “unfair” to airlines and clearly DoT wants to adjust the sections to prevent abusive behavior by bloggers and FTers etc but the matter of fact is, that based on DoT rules valid on Feb 11, UA is bound to honor the tickets.
Finally, if there was/is/will be *the* mistake fare which makes the DoT change the rules (after making the airline honor it) than this is the best it can get, so why not make this mistake the one?!
I think that there is a middle ground that most of us try to fall into that’s between being an entitled prick and being ripped off and lied to. I’m just thinking out loud here, I didn’t get in on this fare sale, but what so many people keep bringing up is that an airline is not going to be sympathetic to your mistake if you accidentally book the wrong date and don’t notice it until a few days later. The sentiment there is very valid, but I’m not sure how well the two are connected. i.e. flying a mistake fare, or filing a complaint on a mistake fare isn’t going to get the airlines to institute more sympathetic policies regarding changes and lowering change fees. It strikes me as a ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’ kind of situation, but when people don’t feel like they have any power to change things then they act in the only way they can think of…. i.e. trying to stick it to the big corporation that has no sympathy for them.
This is like a sitting around the campfire all night discussing it kind of topic. You can get to the point where you feel like most of the people with the power are the ones who act like entitled pricks. So, while I’m being grateful for my standard room and not complaining that United cancels my (hypothetical) mistake fare, these “jerks” (or people who stood up for themselves, depending upon your point of view) are sitting in a suite and flying business class for $50. Of course, that part is fine, right… you don’t want to sell your soul for a business class seat… but I don’t think it’s always black and white. And it’s not always something meaningless like a business class seat.
“… And it’s not always something meaningless like a business class seat.”
I’ve watched this debacle from afar, and you’re the first person I’ve seen bring up something that is really bothering me. I like the whole points/miles/travel game but my personal sense of honor wouldn’t ever let me take advantage of a company (or individual) the way I’ve seen this one play out. And to then complain when the company fixes the problem? Even more bizarre.
In so many ways this is like picking up the $100 bill the person in front of you accidentally dropped and then complaining when somebody sees you and makes you give it back. What the hell are people *thinking*?
I try not to get argumentative online … but … you seem to imply that you feel it’s fine to take advantage of a company until they fight back. Hmm!? You know, a street mugger will get way less than what many churners and MSers get just from sitting in front of their computers. I think this post is exposing some unhappy contradictions and effective hypocrisies. Maybe not the most productive thing for churners and MSers.
Really appreciate this post! It’s very tiresome to see these people jumping through hoops to manipulate and lie, then go running off to DOT – wasting my taxpayer money while they’re at it – to get the government to make an airline reward them for their deceit. I totally agree with the distinctions between booking a mistake fare in the hope it might be honored; lying about your residence in order to do so; and being an entitled whiner when they logically decide not to reward you.
Drew, thank you for this post. I wish many others would read this. I assume, however, that none of your fellow travel bloggers will give you space on their sites for a guest post.
In this particular case, I did not even try to book the fare. It required falsifying information with regard to inputting the country of origin and/or billing. I’ll try for a bargain fare sometimes, but not if it requires lying or manipulation. That people would do this and THEN complain about the airline’s practices to the DOT is, to me, the ultimate in chutzpah!
Go to some of the other blogs and read some of the comments left by those whose tickets are not honored. Some of the rationalizations they offer (ie. retribution for perceived wrongdoing by United, etc.) are illuminating.
I’m not sure if greed and entitlement are, or are not, more pervasive in your generation. It’s definitely out there though.
Add me to the list of people who completely agree with you. It seems your life goes a little bit smoother is you have an attitude of gratitude.
I’m glad we’re at least having a debate on it. I read on one credit forum once that flyertalkers are the whiniest and most self-entitled bunch of people on earth. If we extrapolate this definition to the hobby in general, I can’t disagree. Somehow, people MUST fly us for free because we were smart enough to figure out how to lie to a computer! Once again, I’m not trashing the folks who tried, but filing a complain when you get called on it is beyond ludicrous.
This was sure nice to read. I’ve actually made the conscious decision to stop reading another travel blogger’s site stemming from the way a guest blogger of his handled the UA mistake fare.
Another good example is the Expedia $100/150/200 coupons good for 3/4/5 nights. By the time I got to it they had already invalidated the codes, but had the T&C page up which their CSR had me email a link to. Based on that she reissued another Help Desk $200 coupon for my res which meant I only paid taxes. I was so pleased I vowed to end a lifetime Kayak marriage to start using Expedia for monthly travel.
Today however I read they are mass canceling those who were able to use the coupons, while sending them out a new altered T&C in spite of the original one being published by several blogs, and printed out by many like me. This smells like fraud and if it extends to my special coupon code they generated I will fight it.
I do not feel entitled or angry, just confused since I’d left Kayak for Expedia and now am in limbo instead. But if my code goes through, based on my experience I will make every effort to use Expedia first as long as it is as thorough as Kayak with its searches.
Well said. As simple as that.
Drew,
I came to check your page because I was curious about your opinion with this first class mistake fare from United. I’ve also been reading posts from people who encouraged others to file complaints and cry victims. Thanks for keeping it real, as always.
I’m a silent follower, but this is the first time that I posted on anyone’s blog. You’re the bomb diggity! 🙂
Interesting post Drew.
I am torn about this. I did not partake on the festivities of buying a ticket. I live on the West Coast and by the time I learnt about this, UA already took down the Danish site.
I am torn because I’ve been on both sides of the house so to speak. I’ve managed Fortune 50 Procurement organization where a mistake happened related to pricing error that favored our end-customers. It incurred a few million dollars write off on our part, but we ended up honoring the deal. With the same employer, I’ve had a charter aircraft booked where the charter company made a dispatching error, and rather than flying on a small jet, we ended up flying on a BBJ-sized aircraft. On both cases, the decisions were based on goodwill.
On both events, there was acknowledgements that a business need to run their operations in responsible ways, with all the necessary safeguards. If UA is to be left off the hook on this, at what point that they would be left off the hook.
The next time UA had a flight with technical difficulties, due to failed software related to the avionics for example and UA canceled the flight, do we let them off the hook, because the glitch was caused by Rockwell Collins? Maybe I have a chicken-little reaction, but there has to be some accountability on UA’s part for not running their business properly?
“All good things come to an end, but good things end sooner when they are abused.” Did the same person write that who wrote your December newsletter “Hacking UBER like a pro”? There seems to be some very fine lines between skillful utilization, abuse, and fraud.
Drew,
Love the site, but i hardly post. I can agree with what you’re saying, but I find it a little bit hypocritical considering how you brag about flying around the world on mistake fares, non stop. In fact it seems like you catch them all! Props to you, I wish I was that lucky.
Did you miss out on this mistake fare? I’m just genuinely curious. I purchased just two, and I did file a DOT complaint. – because – like you say- I want it! But I think you would be singing a different tune if you did get in on this fare.
“Be nice. Why is that so hard?” Best quote of this entire blog. That is why I will continue to read and support your site.
Drew, first off, thanks again for the site. Tremendously useful content, and all absent the “blogger/flogger” credit card application mentality that infects so many in this hobby.
Beyond this recent mistake fare, you completely nail an issue so many of us struggle with – or have just given into:
“What I don’t understand is if the hobby attracts entitled pricks, or if it creates them. I personally say that I tend to have more feelings of entitlement now than before, and when I feel them I try to beat them off with a stick.”
This is a big personal issue with me, and one I think all of us need to take seriously.
Thanks!
Thanks for posting this. Good reminder about feeling entitled instead of grateful! I’ve seen this with my friends, who also expect me to keep showing them how to travel free! One got upset because American Air only released 1 business class seat back from Tel Aviv, while the business class section wasn’t full! I’m amazed that so many of my friends now feel so entitled! I really need to guard against this!
It seems to me that pushing and complaining is merely a part of this “hobby.” Take note of the quotation marks because I get more in premium flights and hotels each year than I make from work. I’ve done plenty of pushing and complaining while trying to convert VGCs or get CC apps approved. And I always ask for upgrades on just about anything when I think it’s available. And this will all continue to infinity.
Drew, I like your approach and agree with you. Who are these idiots trying to get the government to enforce a mistake fare!?! I looked into this fare when it was live, and started to buy tickets, but like an earlier commenter, when I realized I would have to lie about my address, I abandoned the process. I realized that the deal was too cheap to be honored, and reasoned that the airlines would use the fact people lied about their address as a further reason to cancel the tickets. Plus it just crossed a line for me. I’m happy to take advantage of mistake fares/hotel deals etc if I don’t have to misrepresent myself, but won’t if I have to lie.
I think your post is somewhat accurate. Mistake fares go against the moral compass at times. I don’t see anything wrong with playing the system. Now if United or whatever airline won’t honor such as a sale. I’m OK with that as long as they do it quickly and for good reason. Imagine if you didn’t play “the game” and you wanted to go to Hawaii. So on a random Tuesday you log into say Delta and find a great price of say $93 from Chicago to Hawaii round trip. You excite in glee and book 4 tickets for your family. Then two days later Delta sends you an email and cancels it. Why you ask.
As far as being entitled. I’m kind of bad about this. I joked with my wife recently while entering the AA lounge at CDG that you could look down into the terminal at all the plebes suffering below. Just a joke but I’m grateful every time I enter a lounge but I also like the fact that I’ve somehow managed to be smarter at travel than the next person at some level. Now if I show up at the same lounge and the food is not up to normal standards should I complain. Sure I should. I pay $400+ a year for that lounge access or I flew a ton of miles to get access.
I do think many people are just whiners though. Others fight for “justice” for the masses. The DOT shouldn’t be your go to person for getting a cheap ticket though.
Thoughtful post. The recent UA debacle tweaked a sense in me that I’ve pondered more than a little – of how to feel about associating with … all this. I enjoy the perks, play along with card bonuses or chasing good fares for mileage, but like most, I can also say that there have been many times I’ve privately rolled my eyes and been disgusted with the hype and redundancies of the credit card shills. But with that UA/Denmark thing, the sense of embarrassment at potentially being associated with those who clamored after those sub $100 inter-continental first class fares was pretty pointed for me personally.
This made me a subscriber. Your attitude is 100% right on!
Love your posts/backstory Drew! I don’t want to say that folks who ‘worked their way up’ from the bottom are more appreciative, but… in my experience that seems to be the case.
Its a fine line between ‘Gaming the System’ and outright chicanery. I try to balance it out in our lives by being overly nice and appreciative whenever we travel… Plus I want to give a favorable impression of Americans.
Drew, your entire argument is built around the idea that booking with a non-Danish credit card violated the fare rules.
Did you look at the fare rules? There’s no such fare rule.
UA was marketing tickets to the EU, with origination points within an EU member state. It is a core tenent of EU law that “you may not be charged a higher price for a ticket because of your nationality or where you are buying the ticket from.”
The DOT reached a common sense result. I can live with that. I don’t have to live with, however, a lazy person who doesn’t do his homework telling customers that they’re entitled.