Last week, a few fortunate travelers experienced the luckiest Friday the 13th ever.
On Thursday, a computer glitch caused an unknown number of fares on the United Airlines website to sell for as little as $0. It seems that some tickets cost for $5 or $10, while other flights were available completely on the house.
The best part? United is honoring the freebie fares. On Friday, the airline announced that it would uphold the advertized amount of the mistakenly priced tickets, “based on these specific circumstances.”
A spokesperson for United told the Associated Press that “the error was not a website malfunction but an error in filing the fares.” United eventually shut down its website before fixing the problem and allowing bookings to resume on Thursday. The airline wouldn’t say how many customers snagged the amazing “discount.”
This kind of thing happens every now and again. But when airlines offer accidental deals to customers, they don’t always honor them. In 2012, United sold MileagePlus award tickets to Hong Kong for just four miles each; this was a technical error, of course. But United rescinded the offer, and got in touch with those who had booked the four-mile fares to have them either cancel their purchase or re-book at a much higher price.
The lesson here is that if you see a mistake fare advertised on an airline website, you should book it. There’s a chance the airline will honor the price. And if you think it feels unethical to take advantage of an obvious computer snafu, remember: When a customer books a ticket under the wrong name or for the wrong date, airlines almost always charge fees to correct the error. Isn’t it only fair to return the favor?
You Might Also Like:
- 10 Tips for Nervous Flyers
- 10 Horrifying Facts About Flying
- 10 Things You Need to Know About Booking Holiday Flights
(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Related
Top Fares From
Today's Top Travel Deals
Brought to you by ShermansTravel
Greece: 9-Night Vacation, Incl. Meteora &...
Exoticca
vacation $2099+Amsterdam to Copenhagen: Luxe, 18-Night Northern...
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
cruise $12399+Ohio: Daily Car Rentals from Cincinnati
85OFF.com
Car Rental $19+