Alitalia Cancels Tickets Booked with Japan Promo Code: What Are Your Options?
This past weekend was a whirlwind, with several Alitalia promo codes floating around that made certain flights very affordable. However, around 8am on Sunday I noticed that Alitalia canceled my flight booked with the $315 off Japanese Promo Code:
"Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing alitalia.com.
We regret to inform you that your ticket purchase has not been processed.
Any amount debited on your account, will be credited back.
Your Alitalia Customer Center Team"
I personally think the email was very vague and almost fake- heck, it didn't even reference the exact flight I booked. You'd think if an airline was going to unilaterally cancel a flight you legitimately purchased from their website, they would at least clarify which flight and why.
Clearly they wanted to undo all reservations made with the code and it appears that all bookings have been cancelled with this unless they were departing from Japan. As the ticket I booked yesterday was completely free after the discount, it was cancelled, and checking with some friends who used the $315 off, but still had to pay a small amount, their ticket was also cancelled. The terms and conditions have since been updated saying that the flights must take place from Tokyo or Osaka.
Is this fair? No. Legal? Probably. My best advice would be to let the airline know by reaching out to them on Facebook or Twitter and telling them it's not okay to cancel tickets that have been bought and paid for. Feel free to use the hashtag #honoryourpromo so perhaps we can get the subject trending, which is always a pain for the airline. However, so far Alitalia's Facebook response to customers complaining about the canceled tickets so far has been disappointing:
"Our anti-fraud systems have suspended transactions with credit cards or I.P addresses from countries other than the site where the reservation was created.
For all uncommitted transactions, the system has sent an email to the address used for the reservation.
Please try again taking advantage of the discount of 25% off by using the code shown in the e-coupon Facebook page."
As if using their promo code was fraud! If they didn't want it to be applicable to itineraries starting outside of Japan, they should have coded the system as such. In general, I wish they would honor these tickets, but really it's not the end of the world since they let us know right away. And if you still want to buy discounted tickets, you can use the 25% promo code which is good until October 26th, 2012.
Other customers who booked the special fares and had them canceled have started a Facebook campaign, which will be a good resource to follow up on people who decide to go after Aliatalia- airlines will generally give people some sort of compensation to quiet them, so in the end some people may make out pretty well (I have on many canceled mistakes in the past).
There is a very lengthy Flyertalk Thread that you can check out and see how other people are going to handle the situation. Since Atitalia is based in Italy, rules aren't followed by the D.O.T. but rather the European Union. Here is some info on flight cancellations and the general policies. They specifically mention you must be informed with 14 days of departure, so if anyone has a flight before that, you should definitely have a look. To file a complaint with the European Union, you can view the details here.
I think Alitalia should honor these promo codes, but I at least give them credit for making a decision very quickly. Please feel free to share your experiences if you do end up pursuing the issue with the airline or relevant authorities.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.