I encountered a strange, and to me, highly dubious problem this morning. I was booking a return trip to Sydney. Unfortunately, ex Launceston, if I want a direct flight, I have to travel Jetstar. That said, I generally don't mind them. I book a max bundle, which gives me much the same as flex on Qantas.
When I booked this morning, I selected my flights, my bundle, my seats and came to the review and pay page. Total in basket at this stage was $492. When I clicked the pay button, it came up with the message that it had encountered an unknown error. After fiddling a bit, I gave up and phoned Jetstar. When I eventually spoke to someone they told me this was a common problem and it meant someone else had booked the seats I was booking. I suggested that if they were going to change the fare between when I selected and when I paid, it was going to be very hard to book. They countered with the seat is not booked until paid for but added they'd be happy to do my booking for me.
OK, I said when and where I was flying and they quoted me $598. I pointed out that I was looking at $492 in my basket and was told those seats were no longer available. While I was talking, I opened another tab and searched the flights to find the seats were still available at a lot less than $598. I then got a lecture on how booking on the internet gives access to lower prices. I was told that I could try to book online again but I could find that the seats I was looking at would not be available and I'd end up back on a phone booking at a higher price again. To calm me, I was offered a $50 voucher.
At this stage, I pointed out that what was being suggested was basically illegal. I had selected seats, based on the advertised price, I had proceeded rapidly through to checkout and was now being told that to obtain the seats I had selected, it would cost me $106 more, or $56 factoring in the offered voucher. I received the lecture again about how buying online was cheaper. I gave up!
I hung up, booked online again and ended up paying $550. Interestingly, the physical seats I had selected previously showed up as not available on both flights. This suggested to me that, although I could not complete it, my original booking was still active and creating ghosts to fill the seats. I suspect this was the reason I went from $492 to $550.
Has anyone else encountered this? Normally, these sorts of bookings have a time limit. You select the flight, it's yours for the next five minutes or so. Has this changed? It's surely not legal to allow you to select a flight and then increase the price prior to checkout? It is after all an online booking, not an online auction?
When I booked this morning, I selected my flights, my bundle, my seats and came to the review and pay page. Total in basket at this stage was $492. When I clicked the pay button, it came up with the message that it had encountered an unknown error. After fiddling a bit, I gave up and phoned Jetstar. When I eventually spoke to someone they told me this was a common problem and it meant someone else had booked the seats I was booking. I suggested that if they were going to change the fare between when I selected and when I paid, it was going to be very hard to book. They countered with the seat is not booked until paid for but added they'd be happy to do my booking for me.
OK, I said when and where I was flying and they quoted me $598. I pointed out that I was looking at $492 in my basket and was told those seats were no longer available. While I was talking, I opened another tab and searched the flights to find the seats were still available at a lot less than $598. I then got a lecture on how booking on the internet gives access to lower prices. I was told that I could try to book online again but I could find that the seats I was looking at would not be available and I'd end up back on a phone booking at a higher price again. To calm me, I was offered a $50 voucher.
At this stage, I pointed out that what was being suggested was basically illegal. I had selected seats, based on the advertised price, I had proceeded rapidly through to checkout and was now being told that to obtain the seats I had selected, it would cost me $106 more, or $56 factoring in the offered voucher. I received the lecture again about how buying online was cheaper. I gave up!
I hung up, booked online again and ended up paying $550. Interestingly, the physical seats I had selected previously showed up as not available on both flights. This suggested to me that, although I could not complete it, my original booking was still active and creating ghosts to fill the seats. I suspect this was the reason I went from $492 to $550.
Has anyone else encountered this? Normally, these sorts of bookings have a time limit. You select the flight, it's yours for the next five minutes or so. Has this changed? It's surely not legal to allow you to select a flight and then increase the price prior to checkout? It is after all an online booking, not an online auction?
