Song lied that my flight was sold out!

[Aisling]

I went to check my ressie on the Song website, and it showed up on my itinerary, but on the booking site, my flight wasn't listed as an option. I called Song, and I was told it's because my flight for 5 PM Dec. 23rd was sold out. That seemed odd, since the seating charts on all other flights to MCO from JFK for that day weren't even half filled, but at least I knew why my flight wasn't showing up anymore.

Well, I then looked at the seating chart for my flight, lo and behold, the plane is only 1/3 booked! How can it be sold out??

I think they stopped selling tickets on that flight, lying that it's sold out and taking it off the ressie site, so that they can fill the other flights first. I have a feeling they might cancel my flight altogether and put us on one of the others to get it filled. Do airlines operate like that? Would they boldly lie to customers like that? My flight time has changed 4 times since I booked, so I know Song's doing a juggling act.

 

[SB in KY]

A lot of seats can be sold without access to seat maps....so just because a seat map shows available seats it does not mean a flight isn't sold out.

Now I cannot tell you they are not lying....I have no idea, but you can't really tell all that much from on line seat maps.

 

[DebbieB]

It's possible they halted reservations on your flight because there is a chance they may cancel it. I don't know if I would call it a "lie" but a business decision. Since they went into bankruptcy they are juggling their schedules, why keep taking reservations for a flight that they anticipate might be cancelled?

 

[DVC-Don]

Yep, sounds like they are getting ready to cancle that flight.

 

[Aisling]

I don't know if I would call it a "lie" but a business decision.

I understand their need to make business decisions considering the mess they're in, but they shouldn't lie to a passenger and tell me my flight is sold out, giving me a false sense of security by implying that there were able to fill that plane with paying passengers and will be taking off as scheduled.

I wish she would have just said they weren't taking any more ressies for that flight because it may have to be canceled. This way, people can get a headstart with their plan B, just in case.

 

[bicker]

I disagree. The schedule and load-level information the airlines provide is explicitly limited in purpose, and using it to assure that your flight is "full enough so that it won't be cancelled" is not one of those purposes. Beyond that, it is very customer-focused of an airline to block futher reservations on a flight they are considering for cancellation.

Furthermore, please keep in mind that, with most airlines, when you book airline tickets, you are not being promised space on a specific flight at a specific time. You are booking passage from one city to another on a specific date, nothing more. Any other aspect of your reservation -- the flight times, the connecting city(ies) or the fact that the flight is non-stop, the aircraft, and even the carrier that will operate your flight is all subject to change, and can even change without significant notice. These things rarely happen, but in the interest of the incredibly low fares we have in this country, those limitations are always in place on most airlines, and can be exercised, so be aware.

 

[funcinderella]

This happended on our Delta Song flight out of JFK to Orlando On Nov. 5. We had seven people travelling together, but we booked separately, just for convenience of payments. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but me and my 2 children were kept on a similar flight (not sure if was the exact same original flight that we booked) but my parent were put on a connecting flight in OHIO(!) (in first class) and my brother was put on a connecting flight in Atlanta, also first class. When we called and told them we were all traveling together, they rearranged it and we are now instead flying out of LGA, all together. We don't have seats (the seating chart shows nothing available) but the customer service rep assured us there are seats, and that it is not overbooked. They said the airline reserves a certain number of seats that are only allowed to be assigned at the gate. I hope that's true! They did try to be very accomodating. However, I would keep an eye on your itinerary daily, as the only reason we knew was that my brother was sent an e-mail. The rest of us were not notified, even though we did provide e-mail addreses.

 

[Aisling]

These things rarely happen, but in the interest of the incredibly low fares we have in this country, those limitations are always in place on most airlines, and can be exercised, so be aware.

This is good advice. It just irks me for her to say it's sold out when the chart shows not even a third of the plane being full. But I suppose if she told people the truth, they'd give her a hard time over something she has no control over.

but my parent were put on a connecting flight in OHIO(

This is something I have to call Song about right now, because now I see my "sold out" flight has one stop, to where, I have no idea! It was originally non-stop. I think I just need to calm down and wait it out. Things are probably going to change again before my departure.

 

[PlaneJoy1]

I understand their need to make business decisions considering the mess they're in, but they shouldn't lie to a passenger and tell me my flight is sold out, giving me a false sense of security by implying that there were able to fill that plane with paying passengers and will be taking off as scheduled.

Please realize who you are dealing with when you call. You are calling reservations, not someone who actually make the decisions to cancel the flights. The reservations personnel don't know which flights are staying and which are going, they only know what pops up on their screen.

Often before cancelling a flight revenue management will limit the inventory as to not take anymore bookings. To a res. agent, this looks like a sold out flight. They can't tell the difference. This COULD be why they are telling you that the flight is cancelled. Another reason could be a change of equipment to something with less seats.

The reservations agents shouldn't be the ones you take your frustrations out on. They are performing theri job and doing the best they can.

 

[Aisling]

The reservations agents shouldn't be the ones you take your frustrations out on. They are performing theri job and doing the best they can.

I know, that's why I come here to vent! I was polite with the agent, but I guess I'm just getting nervous about my flight. I have a cruise the next day, and I want to make sure I get there!

 

[bicker]

I have a cruise the next day

Ack! That's the best foundation for something I rarely support buying: Travel insurance.

 

[Aisling]

Ack! That's the best foundation for something I rarely support buying: Travel insurance.

I never buy travel insurance, either. I figured getting down there a day ahead is all the insurance I need.
I know my flight will work out; it's just a matter of what time we actually fly, since it definitely wiil not be what I originally booked almost a year ago.

I'll watch every day, and wait for the cancellation, because I know it's coming, and see where they put us. There are about 6 other flights out of JFK that day, so we'll get there.

Watching the airlines and learning how they tick is actually fun.

 

[bicker]

Yeah, its fun until the second or third month flying 3-5 times per week...

 

[markey]

That's why I love SW. In August our flight had 33 people on. It was a joke going on, we were told we could each have a row and put the arm rest up, also make sure we used 3 belts if we decided to take a nap. Even went so far as to sing us a nighty night song as they put it, flight was at 8pm. But the flight was never cancelled! And SW is not bankrupt. Guess where I booked my up coming December flight?

 

[seashoreCM]

If you already made your reservation, the airline cannot cancel the reservation on you using the excuse "sold out".

It is possible some tour group or travel agency reserved most of the plane but had not yet selected seats. That flight will then show "sold out" to other folks looking on the web site.

Even Disney sells blocks of resort rooms to travel agencies, etc. and the latter then resell as many of the rooms they can as best as they can while Disney already has its money. So you could check into a "sold out" resort and several rooms (visibly so at Pop Century) are vacant. It is common for a hotel to block off a quantity of rooms for a convention group where after a certain deadline the unbooked rooms are given back to the hotel.

>>> has one stop

Check the departure and arrival times. I have seen Song flights described as having one stop but the times suggest a non-stop flight.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[CarolA]

I understand their need to make business decisions considering the mess they're in, but they shouldn't lie to a passenger and tell me my flight is sold out, giving me a false sense of security by implying that there were able to fill that plane with paying passengers and will be taking off as scheduled.

I wish she would have just said they weren't taking any more ressies for that flight because it may have to be canceled. This way, people can get a headstart with their plan B, just in case.

Flights can appear sold out and then the situation can change so your the airline is lying theory has a few problems.

For example, I can call DL and book flights and put them on a 24 hour hold. DL can have an agreement with Disney, AMex, etc... to give them x seats to sell. The seats show as sold when the agent looks on line, they may or may not actually be sold and LOTS of tour agencies do NOT assign seats. (I routinely have to deal with getting my mother's seat assignments for tours)

Also, airlines sell seats up until the moment they cancel. There is no "pending" status in their system, they want your money!

As several people have told you that chart is USELESS for figuring out if the plane is full. I flew today on a plane where I could not book a seat in advance, but the plane had 30 empty seats when we took off. The chart showed EVERY seat full!!!

Personally considering Dec 23rd is one of the BUSIEST travel days of the year I would plan on the plane flying.

 

[bicker]

If you already made your reservation, the airline cannot cancel the reservation on you using the excuse "sold out".

Indeed, such excuses would be irrelevant anyway. This early, they can actually cancel the flight without providing any reason.

 

[Aisling]

Well, as of last night, my flight is back up and available for ticket purchase. It's still only a third full according to the chart, but I think I have to give up trying to figure out what's going on. Either it all those people on the "sold out" flight cancelled, or Song thinks they can fill it after all.

As several people have told you that chart is USELESS for figuring out if the plane is full. I flew today on a plane where I could not book a seat in advance, but the plane had 30 empty seats when we took off. The chart showed EVERY seat full!!!

Carol, I always thought the seat chart was an acurate account of bought-seats. Now I see it isn't. I'm not an frequent flyer, just once a year, so I have much to learn!

 

[CarolA]

The only way to really see what is avaialbe is to ask a TA to check by "fare code" There are ways to do this yourself, but none of them are easy! (And at any given time half of the do it yourself sites are down so I just don't bother!)

 

[MAH4546]

Just because a seat map is showing 1/3rd full does not mean the flight is not sold out. Seat maps only show pre-reserved and pre-held seats. Many passengers might not have seat information. It is against an airline's policy to give exact loads before the day of the flight to the public. Again, seat maps do not reflect a flight's actual loads. She might not have been lying.