The most fortuitus mistake made by an airline or loyalty program to benefit you?

[Deewhy]

This may be a bit contentious (an you may not wish to share ), but I'd thought I'd start a thread asking people's best capitalisation from an airline or travel loyalty program's mistake that you've been able to make...

eg. got 2x bonus points awarded on sign up; paid for y class got issued a first class ticket; ticket issued and credit card wasn't charged etc...

Not looking at benefits received at checkin or gate upgrades, but oversights by systems or companies that weren't intended that have fallen your way...

 

[pat25d]

Got an op-up from Y to J and received points/SC based on a full J fare.

 

[markis10]

BNE to PHE with QF for $120 a couple of years back, which earned points and SCs

 

[StevePER]

Nothing too exciting, but I got a bmi miles+cash redemption without being charged for the cash component, and a Mileage Plus award (several years ago) where I was never charged for the taxes.

And of course the great 5000 bonus points per 5 transactions promo on the Amex.

 

[ColinP]

My QF link flight from KGC - ADL was cancelled and I ended up on a Rex flight.
I applied for original routing credit when the points and SCs didn't show up.
As well as my 1,000 points and 10 SCs for the ~ 60 mile hop, I also received a heap of points and SCs for flights I'd never taken. I can't remember the exact flights but from memory it was something like GRU - MAD ( some intra Europe flights) - MIA - GRU.

And of course the Amex promo mentioned above was worth around half a million points.

 

[futaris]

Amex promo for me. Did quite well on that one.

 

[simongr]

Yeah futaris - about 700K here...

 

[addyoni]

Nothing too exciting, but I got a bmi miles+cash redemption without being charged for the cash component, and a Mileage Plus award (several years ago) where I was never charged for the taxes.

And of course the great 5000 bonus points per 5 transactions promo on the Amex.

5000 bonus points for every 5th transaction? Was that legit or a mistake? When was this? Would love to get on that. Buy low priced items, 5 times in one day. Guess they must have had a minimum price and limit per day.

 

[simongr]

The Amex promo was in 2009 and was their worst and finest hour

 

[futaris]

5000 bonus points for every 5th transaction? Was that legit or a mistake? When was this? Would love to get on that. Buy low priced items, 5 times in one day. Guess they must have had a minimum price and limit per day.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ss-rewards/10-000-bonus-points-per-14628.html

 

[Ikara]

"A long long time ago, I can still remember............................."

In the 80's Mrs Ikara and I flew First to the US with United on points and we both got points for the flight which was enough with what I had to get another Business flight to the US.

Noice!

I lived in fear that they would work it out before I was able to use the extra flight.

JB

 

[serfty]

Yeah, the AMEX promo - nearly 600k ...

Several other airline mispostings over the years that I won't be specific about.

Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

 

[trooper]

Are we including those mist..... Ummmmm "incredibly good deal" airfares..??

If so... I've caught a few... but in my book the best was the recent TK BKK-IST-GRU one..

Thoroughly enjoyed the flights/service (so much so I plan to fly with them again) and was able to stopover in IST... and go to Gallipoli...

Great opportunity....

 

[nlagalle]

Hmm. A couple.. Received points on a classic award years ago and and on getting an original routing credit I was given SC's based on a full Y fare not disc Y..

Oh and I loved the Amex promo too!

 

[simongr]

Yeah, the AMEX promo - nearly 600k ...

It has taken two years for some of us to openly state how many points we actually made from that promo...

 

[Saji]

13000++ points from SPG.com during a promotion from a hotel i stayed only a few days. I wondered if they had credited my account with another guest's stay.

 

[TirEoghain]

I got a free upgrade to business class once from PER to SYD.

I didn't realise it until quite some time later. I had rang up Velocity to use points to upgrade the flexi fare to J. The booking was updated, but the points never left my account. It's only when I did another upgrade one other time that I realised that the points come out as soon as you book the upgrade, so the previous one was a freebie!

 

[bossreggie]

I was "bumped" off a flight from JFK - LHR with BA due to a technical issue. I was in F and was re-booked on the Concorde at no additional cost. ISTR I arrived into LHR earlier than my original flight was scheduled to. I had been on the Concorde before and at that stage was not really wanting to pay the extra several thousand $$ over the usual F fare.

Boss

 

[Canny man]

Not quite an airline mistake, but fun....

I worked for Shell many years ago. We flew to Argentina on business. On arrival we were blown away by the VIP welcome. A limo picked us up, we were fast tracked etc, lots of hand shakes and photo's.

It seemed that the Argentinians had misconstrued one of our team members status. He had the surname Shell, so they figured that he was the main man and felt they wanted to ensure a proper welcome to such an important VIP.Fortunately, our Mr Shell was a very patrician looking, immaculately dressed gentleman of the old school. He carried it off perfectly and saved embarassment.
Lots of fun, and it could only happen in the days before the internet.

 

[moa999]

The Amex flights when they used to be on Qantas.
Back in the old days had one QF domestic opup post as J

Booked a 2-night mistake rate of $24/night at the Sheraton Perth in 2003.

Almost had an AA-rep re-ticket the last eight legs of a DONE4 (four US domestic, transpac and up to Asia) in A class. Was ticketed that way for two weeks till I had to change dates and the next rep corrected it.

U/F. Only made about 30k out of the Amex promotion - my local coffee shop didnt accept!