Thread: Lets look at some scenarios

Done this.

Buy a confirmed ticket on a carrier and try and get a refund back to ZED level later. I did this with AA in STL and it worked.

This is however the "cop out" tactic.

What if you...

- Checked to see if any of your airline friends knew anyone there to help you out
- Checked with airport managers of any of your alliance member carriers at the station to see if they could do you a deal (supposing you are in an alliance)
- Talk to other staff travellers who are registering and see if they have buddy passes (!)

In that situation, I would start checking the prices of the low cost carriers.

I once had an AF ZED from SFO to CDG and the flight was full but VS accepted our tickets for their LHR flight. This was a last minute issue so no time to get a ZED for London to Paris. We did not have an office in Europe.
Our return ticket was from CDG to IAH so we really did not know what we would do. We checked into flights and they were really costly. Someone told us to check the Eurostar, which we did and we ended up getting a one way to Paris for about $100.
Not too bad and we go to ride through the Chunnel...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (29Palms @ Feb 9 2010, 09:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I don&#39;t know how you managed that one Nick. How can you buy a confirmed ticket, then use it, then ask for a Zed fare reduced later?[/b]

It probably helps to be cute.

Palms your scenario reminds me of why I miss airline ticket offices and those paper book timetables. I suppose I&#39;d "call a friend", have them list me, FEDEX a pass, and then I&#39;d head for the bar.

I sure do miss timetables!
They helped a lot...

I picked up a KE timetable recently but they are hard to find these days and pretty much gone for all US carriers.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (29Palms @ Feb 10 2010, 03:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Buying a confirmed ticket then reimbursing at a zed level? It would never fly here in the states. That&#39;s a situation that is considered abuse of your flight priveledges and possibly fired over it. I don&#39;t know how you managed that one Nick. How can you buy a confirmed ticket, then use it, then ask for a Zed fare reduced later? Everyone would be doing this and flying positive space?????? Comon Nick. I find this highly suspect.[/b]

Chill out 29Palms, I don&#39;t think you get where i&#39;m going with this.

Firstly, you asked about an emergency situation where you are stuck. I was stuck, in STL. I would never recommend anyone be doing this every day, duh. Also it taught me a valuable lesson to take more backups and never take the last flight out that will connect you with an intl flight.

1 - I purchased a last minute one way ticket for $680 STLLAX
2 - I didn&#39;t buy a ticket then show at gate with a ZED - I had no ZED, I had nothing and if I didn&#39;t get to LAX I would miss my QF flight, be late for work and then lose my travel benefits
3 - Nonrevs were accepted for the flight, and there were still spare seats on departure. So there goes the "took a revenue confirmed seat then tried to travel subload" argument. Sure if the flight was full of revs and then I tried to do this, it can&#39;t happen.
4 - I met an ex TWA/AAer in LAX who knew people in refunds and suggested I do it
5 - I expected them to say no, and was prepared to have lost $680 anyway

So there was nothing to lose in asking at all - in no way did I abuse any benefit. And I made some $ on the currency movement

Oh and btw... $680 STLLAX is a rip