I went back and forth in my mind all week about whether to take a planned trip to Bangkok this weekend. It is increasingly unlikely that Ethiopian will honor my business class ticket. But I’m going anyway!
I have an ulterior motive for going to Bangkok: the new Park Hyatt has just opened and I want to be one of the first to get a review up. In fact, that is why I booked the Ethiopian Airlines ticket in the first place: I already had a reservation at the Park Hyatt.
A couple problems. One, I’m sick. Somehow I came down with a head cold and flying with a running nose, cough, and sore throat are miserable. Two, I feel guilty about leaving home (though my wife has encouraged me to go).
But I am fascinated by Ethiopian’s indifference to their so-called mistake fare. I am fascinated that they have put a hold on my ticket, told me they will not honor it, but failed to issue me a refund.
So I have decided to go. Why not? This is trip has been planned for months, I might as well take it.
I’m not so concerned about getting there and back. I have several back up flight plans should Ethiopian Airlines fail to honor the ticket.
So here’s what I’ll be doing: approaching the Ethiopian Airlines ticket counter in Bangkok early next week with camera recording. Let’s see if they just laugh at me or are willing to be more accommodating in person.
One nugget of good news. Ethiopian Airlines’ BKK office did honor a ticket this week. This was posted on Flyertalk—
Stay tuned — this could be interesting and should at least be mildly entertaining!
TBH you don’t have a defensible legal position, and filming staff isn’t nice at all… Few people want people shoving cameras in their face at work. Not playing nice dude.
Good for you!
Good luck and welcome to Bangkok
Good luck! Best to act dumb when they tell you your ticket has been cancelled..
Fantastic! Good luck!
I think if you turn up and they have put a hold on he ticket and not issued you a refund then you should get the seat.
I can’t help but suspect they have don’t it this way to see who would still turn up, I also think they may know you are a blogger.
Didn’t like what you heard from my comment on the other post about this topic and how this seems to have gone too far and could inconvenience others….and it got “Trumped” in moderation.
You’ve gone beyond the original spirit of gaming the system here, and probably will ruin a ticket agents day, add additional stress to the boarding process and hold up other people who pose a real need to fly.
As I’m sure if ET doesn’t go your way they’ve lost you as a customer, so similarly you’ve lost me as a supporter and reader.
I think it’s great you’re going to put this to the test, but I think it is wrong for you to board an enclosed aircraft, for extended hours, knowing you are ill, and that you are actively coughing (spreading the infection).
I caught something from someone on an overseas flight at the end of April and I am just now getting over the illness.
Simply not fair to those seated seated around you.
Most people, I bet including yourself, cringe when their seatmate is hacking up a lung throughout a flight and you have nowhere to go to hide.
As much as I would like to know the result, stay home and keep your illness to yourself.
Get a better immune system. But seriously, most people don’t have the luxury of cancelling a flight when they have a cold. It’d probably be enough if he just wore a droplet mask…
With proof of at least one other flyer receiving their business class ticket. What can be their reason for denying another?
But flying while ill sucks. Take care and get enough sleep.
Going on a very optional trip while ill and risking giving others whatever you have seems rather self-centered to me.
But then again, so does paying Candid Camera with some ET BKK agents over a mistake fare. Par for the course, I suppose.
Carry on, then.
You’re ill, don’t have a valid ticket, and you and your wife think it is good idea to go harass poor disadvantaged Africans and take advantage of them financially.
I think you have hit moral rock bottom.
But at least I don’t patronize “poor disadvantaged Africans”.
Have you ever been to ADD?
Don’t film the staff when you approach them, it will start you off on the wrong foot.
I’m really enjoying the ET series of posts, intrigued to see what happens. Good luck!
We’re all cheering for you, buddy!
It never ceases to amaze me the power that airlines have and are allowed to conduct themselves like mini pariah states
When an airline has a “mistake” fare they can cancel your ticket and say to you “suck it up customer”, yet if you make a mistake, EG by misspelling your name, even by one letter .. airlines will screw you to change the ticket and nickel & dime you at every opportunity
A fare is an invitation to engage in business & contract, you accept their invitation, pay the amount they want and then they won’t honour the fare!!! That should be their problem, not yours. it’s not as if they are giving tickets away for free
Park Hyatt BKK has already been reviewed anyway 🙂
Not a decent one.
120 photos and a video. I have only skimmed it through, but it already makes me want to stay.
Good luck. Not sure they’ve ever had to face a retired lawyer with an ax to grind …
**yawn**