El AL Airline considering not honoring glitch tickets sold

Senior Member Joined: Jul 14 2011 Posts: 192

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012.....ng-glitch/

Can they do that? I was about to book a flight to join my husband who got the deal as well. Does not seem right.

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 17 2009 Posts: 3975

I think it would be a PR nightmare if they dont honor the tickets.

I am sure they are consulting their lawyers. As the article read though, the whole thing is a real chillum Hashem.
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Liba, mommy to Zlata Tova 5/6/98, Tziporah Faiga 1/12/01, Esther Rivka 7/13/04 and Avraham Chaim 7/2/2006

Diamond Member Joined: Feb 14 2007 Posts: 2888

I don't get why they can't just sue the third party.
Or maybe that's what they're waiting to see.

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 24 2008 Posts: 6528

Based on the numbers it will be a $6,000,000 loss. Can El Al even absorb such a loss. If they do know it will have to raise ticket prices for others down the line - won't it?

Executive Member Joined: Aug 30 2009 Posts: 292

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 17 2009 Posts: 3975

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 30 2009 Posts: 8231

From what I understand there was an incident where first class tickets from Hong Kong to NY were sold accidentally for $43 instead of the usual $10k. Did people refrain from buying those? Apparently not. Why is this any different? (I am not commenting on whether/not people should have taken advantage, but I don't see why this is something only Jews would have done. Confused

)

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 17 2009 Posts: 3975

Its not, but that may be why people think the entire thing is a chillul hashem

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7654

Gold Member Joined: Dec 21 2008 Age: 27 Posts: 1519

I told my husband they might as well close their business for these few months the tickets were sold if they legally must honor it...

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 30 2009 Posts: 8231

Gold Member Joined: Jul 14 2009 Posts: 2094

according to halacha if a Jewish store owner makes a mistake (like giving you too much change) you must return it. El Al is owned by Jews, I wonder what halacha dictates here.....

Gold Member Joined: Aug 19 2011 Posts: 2043

1. ElAl should honor the tix, but sue the contractor responsible for posting the wrong fares.

2. I don't get the chilul HaShem accusation. The tix were $400 -- that's not ridicuously low. I mean, you can get airfare specials between NY & London for ~$600. It's in the ballpark. It's not like they posted fares for $5, which would obviously be a mistake.

3. Just wondering: If the contractor posted fares that were too high, would they have refunded the difference for those who purchased tickets?

Gold Member Joined: Sep 12 2011 Posts: 1954

Gold Member Joined: Jul 14 2009 Posts: 2094

The mitzius is it is causing a hillul Hashem. Did you read the article? The airport fees and fuel are more than the tickets, so it isn't a conceivable price and with the publicity a huge hillul Hashem has been made, wether it "should" have or not.

We aren't non jews buying flights to Hong Kong. We are Jews taking advantage of a mistake made and a Jewish company to get to the Holy Land for prices so good that 5,000 tickets were sold in three hours.

It is causing a hillul Hashem wether you think it should or not.