Flight Centers guarantee not worth the paper it's written on...

[harvyk]

QCAT finds Flight Centre's 'lowest airfare guarantee' not legally enforceable as matter of law | News.com.au

I've personally used FC's "guarantee" before to get them to match internet prices, and again I've had the "we're unable to match that quote", thus I pulled out my phone, and called QF to get the price for the flights whilst still in the FC store. I have to admit I never thought to then use the "or we'll give you the flight for free" component.

I almost wonder if there is now scope for some person to take FC to the ACCC for false or misleading advertising?

 

[opusman]

I always thought this was an obviously meaningless offer. Surely in that situation would always beat a fare (even by $1) rather than giving it away for free, so I can't think of any situation under which they would ever have to provide a free flight.

 

[Limewood]

Yes I gave them the details of my flights on the chance they could do better, they couldn't, so I ask when can I collect my free tickets, then they say they would beat it by $1 and I had to pay then and there, its all BS.

 

[yohy?!]

Can I nominate this news item for the Shock of The Century?

 

[smit0847]

A close friend of mine works for FC.

The guarantee is simply a policy where all staff have to beat the advertised airfare by $1 and provide a $30 gift voucher. Of course they never give away a free flight.

FC would much rather make no profit on a price match and possibly gain a new customer than give away free flights.

 

[Danger]

Not unrelated, I've recently learnt the value of cheap lip service from a travel agent and an airline, courtesy round three of the RGN 'mistake' fares.

Travelocity like to spruik their "where we look after your vacation every step of the way". Didn't stop them creating a total nightmare for me when they cancelled my tickets, didn't advise me, then lied to me and provided varying reasons, repeatedly, over more than a dozen phone calls and emails.

And Iberia has this very clear statement on their website: "Honour the agreed fare after payment. Once you have purchased the ticket, the fare relating to the selected date, flight and class of service wil not be subject to increase". This hasn't stopped Iberia from cancelling three of my tickets due to an alleged "misfiled fare".

Talk is cheap.

 

[FrankC]

A close friend of mine works for FC.

The guarantee is simply a policy where all staff have to beat the advertised airfare by $1 and provide a $30 gift voucher. Of course they never give away a free flight.

FC would much rather make no profit on a price match and possibly gain a new customer than give away free flights.

FC no longer gives out the $20 voucher
Lowest Airfare Guarantee FAQs - Flight Centre

 

[Ansett]

QCAT finds Flight Centre's 'lowest airfare guarantee' not legally enforceable as matter of law | News.com.au

I've personally used FC's "guarantee" before to get them to match internet prices, and again I've had the "we're unable to match that quote", thus I pulled out my phone, and called QF to get the price for the flights whilst still in the FC store. I have to admit I never thought to then use the "or we'll give you the flight for free" component.

I almost wonder if there is now scope for some person to take FC to the ACCC for false or misleading advertising?

This is nothing New and has been like it for years. I recall a few years ago the ACCC investigated and FC had to change advertisements and wording of beat any price campaign

 

[Berlin]

Crooks. Who would want to do business with them anyway? Oh I know- the same kind of people who need ten minutes to empty all metal out of their pockets at the security checkpoint...

 

[harvyk]

Crooks. Who would want to do business with them anyway? Oh I know- the same kind of people who need ten minutes to empty all metal out of their pockets at the security checkpoint...

I used to do a lot of business with them, it helped that I had a friend who worked for them who looked after me quite well... (think int J at Y prices, aka first on the op-up lists repeatedly), and I've also found a few of their other consultants to be really good (they looked after me quite well). That said I don't think they really have an overly high bar for entry for their TA's, which meant that every so often if one of my regular TA's was unavailable I used to get pretty shocking service.

 

[Berlin]

which meant that every so often if one of my regular TA's was unavailable I used to get pretty shocking service.

That must have been the ones I had encountered the two, three times I set foot into one of their stores :shock:

 

[trooper]

OK... I'll bite...

You provide them with a quote.. and they beat it. (By $1 or whatever...the amount isn't relevant if it is lower.)

Just HOW is this "BS"?

Useless yes, Pointless yes. Not worth the effort.. Definitely. But "BS".. No.

 

[harvyk]

OK... I'll bite...

You provide them with a quote.. and they beat it. (By $1 or whatever...the amount isn't relevant if it is lower.)

Just HOW is this "BS"?

Useless yes, Pointless yes. Not worth the effort.. Definitely. But "BS".. No.

It's when they turn around and say "we can't beat it" that this becomes BS, and yes they do sometimes say that, as I mentioned in my original post.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Crooks. Who would want to do business with them anyway? Oh I know- the same kind of people who need ten minutes to empty all metal out of their pockets at the security checkpoint...

You would be surprised the amount of people who do. I'd say at least 90% of the time when people have booked through a travel agent they will produce a FCI itinerary at checkin & that's probably a conservative estimate.

Once upon a time people used to say "I'm just going down to the travel agent to make a booking" whereas now it's a case of "I'm just going down to Floyt Cenna (Kath & Kim pronunciation) to make a booking" .

 

[harvyk]

You would be surprised the amount of people who do. I'd say at least 90% of the time when people have booked through a travel agent they will produce a FCI itinerary at checkin & that's probably a conservative estimate.

That's hardly a surprise, in the CBR CBD alone, there are more flight center shop fronts than there are McDonalds. (5 FCI's vs 3 McD's I believe), so it's easier to find a place to book a trip to LHR than it is to find a hamburger. (If McD's is your thing), and that excludes all the other TA's in the CBD which fit under the FCI brand (eg student flights, corp traveler etc...)

 

[burmans]

You would be surprised the amount of people who do. I'd say at least 90% of the time when people have booked through a travel agent they will produce a FCI itinerary at checkin & that's probably a conservative estimate.

Once upon a time people used to say "I'm just going down to the travel agent to make a booking" whereas now it's a case of "I'm just going down to Floyt Cenna (Kath & Kim pronunciation) to make a booking" .

I agree, we all tend to think we are "normal", i.e. representative of the larger community. For those who don't spend their life investigating the best options FC are not such a bad idea, its us who are abnormal in this instance (and thats no bad thing to be sometimes).

 

[harvyk]

I agree, we all tend to think we are "normal", i.e. representative of the larger community. For those who don't spend their life investigating the best options FC are not such a bad idea, its us who are abnormal in this instance (and thats no bad thing to be sometimes).

Actually I don't think I'm normal at all when it comes to travel. If I was I'd probably still have no idea what Y+ or J was like...


Also I don't think it's normal to put as much effort into picking the absolute best flights possible, as most people I've spoken to simply want to get from A -> B, they rarely look into what inclusions will come with the selected flight, and / or how you can work it to get more points / SC's and / or tricks which will do things like get free seats next to you or exit row seats on virtually every flight...

Most people I know, the effort is much more focused on what they will do once they get to their destination, and much less focused (until it comes to complaining on Facebook about how much they hate flying and how ripped off they feel that the "extra's" cost so much) about the flights themselves.

So personally I think an AFFer is about as far away from the "normal" travel experience as you can get, simply because we have learnt what to look for with flights, and what to avoid.

 

[AVC]

That's hardly a surprise, in the CBR CBD alone, there are more flight center shop fronts than there are McDonalds.

Does this mean that CBR is the place that lots of people want to get away from?

 

[Sprucegoose]

Does this mean that CBR is the place that lots of people want to get away from?

No it means they eat well!