Oh, but I agreed long ago that airlines may agree to hold a "potential" reservation the instant you click on it. I am not arguing that matter at all. That's quite another matter. It's your insistence that the reservation is MADE before you finish making it that I am saying is WRONG. It's your use of the language or your pretending you don't understand the language that has really thrown me for a loop here.

How come you think it's a reservation at the time that you click "hold", but it's not a reservation at the time that you click "purchase"...the selection that is right next to "hold"?

Again, you can't "hold" a reservation if you don't HAVE a reservation.

Here's something from the FAQs on AA:

Q: The fare is different than what I was quoted during the booking process - what do I do?
A: If the fare summary is different from what you were quoted, you will need to contact AA.com Web Services.

So I ask you once again, why was Tracy wrong to contact AA.com web services and have them guarantee the fare that was quoted?

" try this. Pick up the phone. Call a restaurant. Ask them if they have an opening for 8 tonight. When they say yes, say "thank you. I'd like to make a reservation". Then hang up. Then go to the restaurant that night and get angry because they don't have a reservation for you."

That's not what happened here at all..she did not "hang up",she said "how much?" and they said "$20 per person" and she said "I'd like to take that table", and they said "okay, what's your name? We require that you pay in advance, What's you're credit card number?, how many people? , would you like a window table?" And THEN, they didn't say "ooops we don't have any tables"....they said "by the way, the price is now $30, do you still want it?" And she said "Wait, I just made this reservation with you a few minutes ago, and the price you quoted me then is guaranteed for 24 hours. That's not fair!" And he said "oops, I made a mistake, the price is actually $30" and she said "sorry, that's not the price you quoted me and price quotes are guaranteed for 24 hours, whether the price quoted was correct or not".

"So I ask you once again, why was Tracy wrong to contact AA.com web services and have them guarantee the fare that was quoted?"

Huh? Did someone say she was WRONG to do that? I must have missed that completely.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yesterday I heard a man at the diner say "ham and cheese but hold the mayo". The diner had no mustard. So they couldn't hold the mustard since they didn't have any. The poor man died of starvation because he couldn't get a sandwich. We all know they couldn't hold something they didn't have!

You stated that the agent was probably frustrated having to listen to Tracy tell her "that they had no right to sell seats while she was filling out her form and they should now offer MORE seats at that price. . ."

That would imply that you think Tracy shouldn't have been calling the agent in the first place

Wow! You imply a LOT that shouldn't be implied.

Taking that single phrase out of context has NOTHING to do with suggesting that someone shouldn't call to try to get what they feel they should get. NOTHING! And I never suggested that she shouldn't call at all. That entire part of the thread was about possible snippiness on the part of the agent. From that you implied that I think she shouldn't have called at all??? Wow. No wonder there is so much difficulty understanding each other here.

For the 50th time, it is lousy business practice on the part of AA to quote a price and then change the price on the customer right in the middle of processing the customer's purchase. It's just common sense to me.

"NeoPatrick" if this way of doing business doesn't bother you and you like AA, by all means, keep on flying them. However, others have a right to disagree with AA's practices or those of any other business and to take their business to another airline, which doesn't do this, and there are other airlines that don't!

Of course you have that right! Most of us have been suggesting that those who don't like the policies to take their business elsewhere. I don't think there was ever a suggestion othewise!

But meanwhile it seems from many of the posts that we now have reason to believe that NORMALLY if such a thing happens, AA will honor the price. Did you read the posts where that was explained?

"The bottom line is that your entire conversation when calling them was clearly based on "I was too slow and lost a discount price, now what are YOU going to do about that?" What on earth should she do???"

Here again you imply that she had no reason to call the airline. Clearly she did have a reason, she ended up getting her tickets at the quoted price.

And what did you mean by "what on earth should she do?" The agent did the right thing....she gave Tracy the quoted fare, THAT is what on earth she should have done!

"Entering MIA to ORD, there may be as many as 25 options each way. Do you honestly expect me to believe that ALL of them are being held for me as quoted until I make up my mind, and fill out my information, and make a final selection and purchase it? "

Here you are confused again about what happened. That is not the stage of the reservation that we are talking about. Please pay attention. The price is not even displayed at that point. She browsed all those flights, she selected ONE, she got a FARE QUOTE, she accepted clicked "purchase" at the quoted fare, they assigned her seats. The FARE QUOTE is guaranteed, so after assigning her seats and taking her payment information, they had no right to change it.

"Here you are confused again about what happened. That is not the stage of the reservation that we are talking about. Please pay attention. The price is not even displayed at that point."

Either just quit or figure out what I'm talking about. You and I are on two totally different websites. When I use AA I click for "check by price AND schedule" and indeed up to 25 (or sometimes more) individual flights for the date ARE listed with a price. So don't keep telling me I'm wrong just because you have no clue what I'm talking about.

I am now done with this inane conversation. I am refraining from saying what I really think about half of what you have said Clark, but I suppose that's what you're trying to get me to do!

Goodbye.

Oh, and those who always say I'm the champion of "not letting go" -- please note that on July 14, 2009, that title was handled over to someone else!!! I am letting go.

You may be the champion of not letting go when you are right, but when you can't answer questions such as "what exactly are you holding at that point if you don't have a reservation to hold?"....then yes, if you don't want to admit that you're stumped...better to quit.

Well, this one should go down in the Fodor's Hall of Fame.

Not everyone can key in information quickly. My uncle only has one hand, but likes to do everything himself. If he got that far into the booking process only to be told that the fare was no longer available, there would be hell to pay. From his niece. If you do not have a seat available, let me know before you waste my five minutes, or my uncle's thirty minutes.

One last one. I knew when I posted that giving up trying to talk to someone who clearly can't even understand basics of the English language like "put a reservation on hold" or "continue with the reservation" would immediately say that my giving up was a sign of defeat. It isn't -- it's merely that it is pointless to talk to someone who consistently misinterprets, misquotes, mis-implies, and simply has no concept of even how the very website he's talking about works (clearly he's never seen a page with all the flights AND fares listed on AA.com, yet insists he knows what he's talking about.

I WILL admit I'm stumped. I can't even figure out what your're talking about, why you're making such absurd statements, or what the hell most of them mean. So go away proud my boy. Yes, you HAVE stumped me.

Now I'm done. Although I know you will say something equally absurd to try to prove that you are the winner. I've already conceded that to you.

Actually it says to continue with YOUR reservation. How can it be MINE if it's not a reservation yet? They're calling it MINE, but you're saying it is still their's to change.

And note you the queen never weighed in on AA's statement FARES ARE NOT GUARANTEED UNTIL PURCHASED. After reading THAT, why would anyone click "hold" instead of "purchase" if they wanted to guarantee the fare?

Sorry, I meant to say "And note you AND the queen" referring to AAFrequentFlyer. But you're done with this thread anyway so I guess I don't have to apologize.

Hmmm....this is a tough one...but as far as command of the English language goes, I gotta go with the Clarkster here. "Your reservation" clearly indicates possession, that's just English 101. And if you don't have a reservation at that point, what exactly are they asking you to hold? (HOLD IT BETWEEN YOUR KNEES! LOL!)

Anyway, the airline wouldn't stand a chance in court. At the point where you must decide to either HOLD or PURCHASE, the price must be the same no matter which of those choices that you make. If it's not available to purchase at that point, then it's not available to hold, either. Even without the "fare quote guarantee", any court would say that at that same millisecond when the customer must decide on "hold" or "purchase"...your decision refers to the same ticket and seat.
(Unless of course they post a warning stating that "hitting the purchase button may result in a change of fare".







Thank you and good night!