US Airways Can't Find Their Own Lowest Fares
Nov 21st, 2006, 07:41 PM
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US Airways Can't Find Their Own Lowest Fares
If you're booking USAirways, don't do it at usairways.com, because their system is sometimes not capable of coming up with their lowest fares.
Cheaptickets and some others can find the lowest US Airways fares, but I don't like their $150 change fee when there is only a $100 change fee if I book with USAirways. (I think it's funny that OTHER systems can find their lowest fare, but they can't find their own!)
If you need to book with them, try it my way. Go to itasoftware.com and find the lowest fare. Then click on the booking details, and call USAIRWAYS with these specific instructions. It's not easy..but in my case it was worth the 10 phone calls trying.
ItaSoftware told me that there was a $295 fare for my itinerary. When I tried to book it at USAirways.com, they wanted $550 for the exact same schedule. I called them on the phone, and various agents said various things. Two of them found me their "lowest" fare of $358. (Nope, not quite good enough!) Two of them told me that the flights I was asking for did not exist.("There is no flight at 11:25am, ma'am."..."Yes there is! I'm looking at it on your website!")
One of them told me "cheaptickets has lower fares because thats why they call them cheaptickets!".(Oh brother..my husband better love me for the $500 I'm saving here, talking to these people for 2 hours). And I just hung up on two of them because they could barely speak English so I figured they couldn't help me book my "complicated" itinerary.(Don't flame me, I was getting worn out...do you know how many digits you have to push-and-re-push when you call an airline 10 times?)
Finally I called back and said "LET ME SPEAK TO SOMEONE WHO CAN BOOK AN ITINERARY IN MORE THAN ONE FARE CODE!" "We can't do that". "Then let me speak to your supervisor". "Supervisors don't book fares". "Well, neither do YOU, so who am I supposed to talk to?" "Well, what fare codes are you talking about".
Then I told him what flight I wanted, and that I wanted it in K class, and that it was at 11:25am, and to look further because YES, there WAS such a flight. And connecting to another flight, but book it in E Class. Finally my return flight number, please book it in K Class. Now was THAT so difficult??? Voila! After 6 trys online and 10 phone calls, I got our $295 December trips all booked!
I should probably try to get them to waive their $10 phone ticketing fee, since my ticket was not bookable online, but I don't have the energy to talk to yet another person in India. By the end of the afternoon i was hoping I would never see another piece of Naan bread again in my LIFE!
Cheaptickets and some others can find the lowest US Airways fares, but I don't like their $150 change fee when there is only a $100 change fee if I book with USAirways. (I think it's funny that OTHER systems can find their lowest fare, but they can't find their own!)
If you need to book with them, try it my way. Go to itasoftware.com and find the lowest fare. Then click on the booking details, and call USAIRWAYS with these specific instructions. It's not easy..but in my case it was worth the 10 phone calls trying.
ItaSoftware told me that there was a $295 fare for my itinerary. When I tried to book it at USAirways.com, they wanted $550 for the exact same schedule. I called them on the phone, and various agents said various things. Two of them found me their "lowest" fare of $358. (Nope, not quite good enough!) Two of them told me that the flights I was asking for did not exist.("There is no flight at 11:25am, ma'am."..."Yes there is! I'm looking at it on your website!")
One of them told me "cheaptickets has lower fares because thats why they call them cheaptickets!".(Oh brother..my husband better love me for the $500 I'm saving here, talking to these people for 2 hours). And I just hung up on two of them because they could barely speak English so I figured they couldn't help me book my "complicated" itinerary.(Don't flame me, I was getting worn out...do you know how many digits you have to push-and-re-push when you call an airline 10 times?)
Finally I called back and said "LET ME SPEAK TO SOMEONE WHO CAN BOOK AN ITINERARY IN MORE THAN ONE FARE CODE!" "We can't do that". "Then let me speak to your supervisor". "Supervisors don't book fares". "Well, neither do YOU, so who am I supposed to talk to?" "Well, what fare codes are you talking about".
Then I told him what flight I wanted, and that I wanted it in K class, and that it was at 11:25am, and to look further because YES, there WAS such a flight. And connecting to another flight, but book it in E Class. Finally my return flight number, please book it in K Class. Now was THAT so difficult??? Voila! After 6 trys online and 10 phone calls, I got our $295 December trips all booked!
I should probably try to get them to waive their $10 phone ticketing fee, since my ticket was not bookable online, but I don't have the energy to talk to yet another person in India. By the end of the afternoon i was hoping I would never see another piece of Naan bread again in my LIFE!
Nov 21st, 2006, 08:17 PM
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I guess persistence pays off! Good for you.
Thanks for the heads up tracy. We have been flying US Airways frequently lately. I have been very happy with their service, but in case this comes up, I appreciate the time it took you to post this.
Best wishes, Tiff
Thanks for the heads up tracy. We have been flying US Airways frequently lately. I have been very happy with their service, but in case this comes up, I appreciate the time it took you to post this.
Best wishes, Tiff
Nov 21st, 2006, 09:02 PM
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More and more, booking directly with the airlines is the best bet, but not always. I've learned that you just cannot count on any "best" and have to shop like the dickens, with all available resources, for each and every trip. They don't make it easy, but persistence always pays off...
Nov 22nd, 2006, 12:43 AM
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India??? Interesting since USAirways have contracted out their reservations to places such as Mexico City but the last several times I've called I got someone in the US.
When you buy those fares "off-site" do you ever contact the issuing airline to verify the actual itinerary? Might not be a bad idea in the future.
When you buy those fares "off-site" do you ever contact the issuing airline to verify the actual itinerary? Might not be a bad idea in the future.
Nov 22nd, 2006, 03:33 AM
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Easy there Tiger, don't blame Indians because your airline choose to do business abroad. If you want cut rate flights then you're gonna have to deal with another country's working staff. The airline is about making money and they'll do it however they can. If you don't like that then email the chairman and bring it up with him.
Nov 22nd, 2006, 03:55 AM
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Tracys2cents, recently I ran into a similar problem with USAirways. I got fed up and booked with Delta, but I took the time to write a long letter to USAirways explaining the problem. I received a coupon for $150 off my next flight and a very clear apology. It helped that my letter had names, dates and times for reference.
About 70 % of the flights from my home airport are USAirways so the choice isn't always there (and if USAirways buys Delta which has about 20% of the balance my odds drop even more).
About 70 % of the flights from my home airport are USAirways so the choice isn't always there (and if USAirways buys Delta which has about 20% of the balance my odds drop even more).
Nov 22nd, 2006, 04:11 AM
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The US Airways website has been a total disaster since their merger w/American West. You used to be able to actually search by available fares but I guess they were selling too many cheap tickets that way, so that option has been eliminated. Customer service in this country, in many cases, has been eliminated.
Nov 22nd, 2006, 04:40 AM
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SAnParis is correct about that USAir website. Two weeks ago, five of us were on the same flight, and the online checkin took about two hours for most of us. One gal never was able to checkin online. When I called the tech support folks, they confirmed that the merger caused huge problems, apparently one is on Sabre and the other is on whatever other software, but they are still trying to combine the two. (But I should keep trying because it would go through - yeah like everybody has the day off to spend at the computer?)
Nov 22nd, 2006, 04:42 AM
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I have had the opposite experience of tracy several times; that is, the ITAsoftware price was higher than the price on the airline website. Those short term sale fares don't seem to show up there...
Nov 22nd, 2006, 04:48 AM
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I have also had trouble w/the online check-in in which case I will resort to the kiosks. In CLT there are two free-standing kiosks for those folks who aren't checking luggage. I believe I am the only person that even knows they are there...
Nov 22nd, 2006, 04:56 AM
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What is really amazing is the difference in the actual flights between calling USAir and booking on the internet.
Sent my mom out west using my FF miles. Ran into a problem booking online so then called airline to book.
Rep told me the flight I was trying to book online did not exist.
Went back to website, called support for help (gal was great), found out just had to add mom to our "group" in our preferences.
Glad to say that mom is safely back home from her trip. She had a great flight on the "flight which did not exist".
Sent my mom out west using my FF miles. Ran into a problem booking online so then called airline to book.
Rep told me the flight I was trying to book online did not exist.
Went back to website, called support for help (gal was great), found out just had to add mom to our "group" in our preferences.
Glad to say that mom is safely back home from her trip. She had a great flight on the "flight which did not exist".
Nov 24th, 2006, 02:11 PM
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If you think 10 calls to India to book a flight was bad, you should try a million calls to India to try to get reimbursed for the suitcase they lost...I won't fly US Air no matter how cheap they are.
Nov 24th, 2006, 02:31 PM
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Just my two cents worth. Doesn't it seem if most people want the absolutely cheapest fares (and understandably so) that the airlines will have to consequently keep cutting their cost and consequently jobs will get outsourced due to lower wages etc.
Nov 27th, 2006, 12:25 PM
#15
Thanks for posting this. Bought a ticket yesterday but found a lower fare today on ita and was able to rebook and get the lower fare since I did it within 24 hours of the original booking!
And YES, it was a mess trying to get them to find the fare, but Jess at US Airways is da MAN!
And YES, it was a mess trying to get them to find the fare, but Jess at US Airways is da MAN!
