US Air Voucher Question

[Niagara2]

We travel every few months on US Airways. Last trip our pre booked flight went down in price and we got a voucher for the difference (good job US Airways!). Then I booked August trip and a November Trip. I had to go to the airport to use vouchers so paid cash for the tickets and used vouchers and the total came to the internet hold price. We then finalized the Nov. trip on Web site. Well now the August trip is down over $100 for the same flights we have booked. I called US Air and they said the vouchers can only be used once. I cannnot get the difference this trip in vouchers. (Very bad job US Airways!) Now if I had used these vouchers for the Nov. trip I would of got vouchers. I thought vouchers are like due bills. Cash and due bill equal total. Not at US Airways, they act like the vouchers is a gift instead of a credit on cash paid by a frequent customer. I have held off using Southwest as I thought US Air would be a better carrier to stay competitive but I was wrong. After two calls, and no help, we have now decided to use Southwest. Between the family we have over 450,000 FF miles at US Airways. I will use them and adidos. Any advice out there?

 

[Beverly Lynn]

yep you need to call consumer affairs. I have seen PNR's where the people have gotten vouchers back 2-3 times on their ressies with the price going down. in fact for my sep trip I used a 400 voucher on both my tkt and my DD's tkt and it was supposed to be only for the one named on the voucher. and then when the fare went down from 168.50 to 136 I got the refunded difference. the nbr you need to call is 1-336-661-0061. it is a long distance nbr but this is where you should call. they have the power to do it. don't give up yet. how many times did you call about the refund vouchers?

 

[Niagara2]

I called twice and they seemed to already have a note in my file from the first call. Ironic that even the operators seemed to understand I was losing out and the rule prevailed. I even asked for a supervisor who said Sorry, and we cannot stop you from being upset and using another airline in the future. I am a preferred dividends miles holder and even my kids have earned more than enough miles for free tickets!!

 

[joe.hurley]

On one level I can understand the situation they face.

Here's why.

The voucher has an expiration date.

Suppose you didn't want it to expire and were planning to take a trip a long time away. You could simply reserve that trip as early as possible at whatever is the pirce, tender the voucher as part payment, and then wait for prices to go down and demand a newvoucher. Voila. Instead unexpirabilityof vouchers.

The way the airlines universally deal with vouchers is as follows. The voucher is treated as a reduction in price, NOT as part payment. So, if you ever rebook the ticket and there is a change in price, the "price" you originally paid is the price minus the value of the voucher, or the actual money you parted with.

So, if you booked a $200 ticket and gave a $30 voucher, the ticket is treated as a $170 ticket, NOT a $200 ticket.

So if tickets go down to $185 you don't get a voucher, because you didn't pay more than $185 in any real sense.

However, if rates go down by MORE than the value of teh voucher, THEN I think they will give you a voucher for the difference.

The idea is that the voucher is good ONCE and only once, and cannot be extended indefinitely by the kind of manuevers I explain about above.

Similarly, if you go to the grocery store and buy a product with a 30 cents off coupon, you don't get the money back if the next day the product drops in price.

Hope this helps understand the situation.

Regards,

Joe Hurley

 

[Niagara2]

OK - but my voucher was originally from a ticket I paid for cash. They gave me a voucher back instead of my cash in April. It is now only July and my cash credit in a voucher form has been voided. I travel alot and I think that the voucher and cash system just does not work. (IMHO)