A scandal is unfolding in the UK over the cancellation of more than 10,000 tickets sold by British Airways at an incorrect price. The carrier refused to carry passengers on tickets priced at £1 plus airport and government taxes, reports Travel.ru.
Due to a technical error, British Airways sold tickets from the UK to Tel Aviv and Dubai at lower prices than usual for over half a day. Specifically, round-trip flights from London to Tel Aviv were available for £167 or £195, or from Manchester to Dubai for £289. After the news spread across social media, industry websites, and newsletters, over 10,000 tickets were purchased.
After the error was corrected the following morning, British Airways refused to honor the tickets and cancelled them, offering passengers a £100 voucher as compensation. According to some reports, the company only retained bookings for the coming weeks to avoid paying the €600 each-way fine required by EU law for canceling flights less than 14 days before departure. British Airways claimed that the fare was clearly incorrect and that passengers were aware of this, and therefore it was under no obligation to honor the tickets.
Many passengers were dissatisfied with this decision, especially since some had already made non-refundable hotel and other transportation reservations. They stated that although the price was low, it didn't suggest a technical error, especially since other airlines occasionally sell tickets at similar prices. Some passengers are now planning to sue the airline.
As a reminder, British Airways has planned a number of changes to its Moscow route. The company plans to transfer some of its London-Moscow flights to Sheremetyevo Airport, as well as remove wide-body aircraft from the route and reduce the number of weekend flights.
Source: travel.ru