scrapbookersdis
<font color=darkorchid>Yes, we are going to Disney
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2005
- Messages
- 365
I booked a trip on Allegiant's website last night and made a big mistake.
I clicked on the calendar boxes for outgoing flights at $49 and returning flights at $69. I thought I was locking in those prices for my three seats.
From that point, the website never itemized the fares -- just lumped the cost for the three seats together. And I stupidly didn't pay attention. I clicked through and completed the sale, congratulating myself on the great deal.
I printed out the confirmation page. It did not contain any itemized information. Then (rather belatedly!), I noticed the total cost. $655. Wait a sec, there. I'm not much of a mathematician, but something is wrong. Of course, there are various fees tacked on, but this can't be right.
I called the Allegiant phone number (and waited about 25 minutes to speak to someone). She looked up the reservation and said I had indeed paid $49 for the outbound. But the inbound fare was $114 rather than $69. She merrily said the explanation was that they probably only had one seat left at $69. So they automatically "bumped" all three seats to the higher rate.
This must happen to the less watchful (like me) on that site all the time. Yes, it was stupid of me. But the Allegiant online reservation process is confusing and cloaked. Most sites seem to attempt to provide the user with clear information. On Allegiant, it is easy to be stupid. So easy, they seem to be laying a trap.
What "smart" people do on Allegiant's website is notice that the total amount is more than it should be. Then they call Allegiant on the phone to ask why. They are given the explanation I received. The cumbersome solution is to book the seats separately. (And of course, it's too late for me. I stupidly pressed "pay.") The confusing and cumbersome process she explained is this:
You book the one seat left at the $69 price. Then you make a separate reservation at $114 for additional seats. Well, actually, you might be paying $114 for one additional and some higher amount for other seats. So you might need a separate reservation for each seat. And meanwhile, you hope that some other person isn't simultaneously making a seat reservation at the same time and ends up booking the seat next to your two-year-old, leaving you to sit in the next row back.
I don't mind paying $11 to make a seat reservation. And I don't mind paying extra for checking a bag. Because Allegiant makes those policies clear in advance. But this "bumping up" of a fare seems deceptive and unfair. The system should reveal that there is only one seat left at a given price, rather than making you believe that you got all your seats at that price. It isn't enough to lump the whole trip together in one dollar amount.
So let the traveler beware! Do the math and be sure it adds up before making a purchase from Allegiant.
I guess you get what you pay for.
Sharla
I clicked on the calendar boxes for outgoing flights at $49 and returning flights at $69. I thought I was locking in those prices for my three seats.
From that point, the website never itemized the fares -- just lumped the cost for the three seats together. And I stupidly didn't pay attention. I clicked through and completed the sale, congratulating myself on the great deal.
I printed out the confirmation page. It did not contain any itemized information. Then (rather belatedly!), I noticed the total cost. $655. Wait a sec, there. I'm not much of a mathematician, but something is wrong. Of course, there are various fees tacked on, but this can't be right.
I called the Allegiant phone number (and waited about 25 minutes to speak to someone). She looked up the reservation and said I had indeed paid $49 for the outbound. But the inbound fare was $114 rather than $69. She merrily said the explanation was that they probably only had one seat left at $69. So they automatically "bumped" all three seats to the higher rate.
This must happen to the less watchful (like me) on that site all the time. Yes, it was stupid of me. But the Allegiant online reservation process is confusing and cloaked. Most sites seem to attempt to provide the user with clear information. On Allegiant, it is easy to be stupid. So easy, they seem to be laying a trap.
What "smart" people do on Allegiant's website is notice that the total amount is more than it should be. Then they call Allegiant on the phone to ask why. They are given the explanation I received. The cumbersome solution is to book the seats separately. (And of course, it's too late for me. I stupidly pressed "pay.") The confusing and cumbersome process she explained is this:
You book the one seat left at the $69 price. Then you make a separate reservation at $114 for additional seats. Well, actually, you might be paying $114 for one additional and some higher amount for other seats. So you might need a separate reservation for each seat. And meanwhile, you hope that some other person isn't simultaneously making a seat reservation at the same time and ends up booking the seat next to your two-year-old, leaving you to sit in the next row back.
I don't mind paying $11 to make a seat reservation. And I don't mind paying extra for checking a bag. Because Allegiant makes those policies clear in advance. But this "bumping up" of a fare seems deceptive and unfair. The system should reveal that there is only one seat left at a given price, rather than making you believe that you got all your seats at that price. It isn't enough to lump the whole trip together in one dollar amount.
So let the traveler beware! Do the math and be sure it adds up before making a purchase from Allegiant.
I guess you get what you pay for.
Sharla
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