델타항공사, 초저가 항공권으로 ‘크리스마스 선물’

Published : Dec 29, 2013 - 15:13 Updated : Dec 29, 2013 - 15:13

(AP)

항공사 컴퓨터 결함으로 인해 몇몇 여행객들이 델타항공사(Delta Air Lines)의 항공편을 파격가에 구입하는 일이 발생했다.

26일 오전 10시부터 정오 사이에 전산상 오류로 특정 항공편 가격이 비정상적으로 낮게 판매되었다. 정상가 400달러를 넘는 신시내티-미니애폴리스 왕복 항공권은 25.05 달러, 비슷한 가격대의 신시내티-솔트레이크시티 왕복 항공권은 48.41 달러로 거래됐다.

이로 인해 목요일 오후 델타항공사 공식 사이트에 접속이 폭주했다. 델타항공사 대변인 트레버 벤스테터는 이상가격 판매 문제는 해결됐으며 싼 가격으로 비행기표를 구매한 고객들에게 불이익은 없을 것이라고 공지했다.

과거 타 항공사들도 비슷한 문제를 겪었다. 올해 9월 유나이티드에어라인 항공사도 항공 요금 전산시스템 오류로 인해 많은 승객들이 5, 10달러의 보안할증료만으로 표를 구매했었다.

(코리아헤럴드 성진우 인턴기자)

<관련영문기사>

Delta to honor extremely cheap mistake fares

Some lucky fliers capitalized on a computer glitch Thursday and scored some really cheap flights on Delta Air Lines.

From about 10 a.m. to noon ET, certain Delta fares on the airline’s own website and other airfare booking sites were showing up incorrectly, offering some savvy bargain hunters incredible deals. A roundtrip flight between Cincinnati and Minneapolis for February was being sold for just $25.05 and a roundtrip between Cicinnati and Salt Lake City for $48.41. The correct price for both of those fares is more than $400.

Trebor Banstetter, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based airline, said the problem has been fixed but “Delta will honor any fares purchased at the incorrect price.”

Jackie Fanelli, 27, learned about the super cheap fares from a friend’s Facebook page. She attempted to purchase a %98 roundtrip first-class ticket from her home city of Baltimore to Honolulu on Priceline.com but the transaction didn’t process before the deal was shut down.

“It was too good to be true,” Fanelli said. “I try to go away every other year and this was not the year.”

Delta’s website was having lingering problems from the increased traffic Thursday afternoon.

“It looks like Delta’s programmers had a little too much eggnog yesterday,” joked George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchDog.com, which promotes airfare sales.

It’s likely that the airline tried to tweak its fares with a $10 or $20 system-wide change and a junior programmer made a mistake or two, he said.

“People just go wild. People have been bragging about booking six first-class tickets to Hawaii,” Hobica said. “People hate the airlines so much that when this happens, they say: I’m going to get back to you for the time you broke my suitcase and didn’t pay for it.”

Other airlines have faced the same issue. In September United Airlines experienced an error in filing fares to its computer system. Many customers got tickets for $5 or $10, paying only the cost of the Sept. 11 security fee.

New Department of Transportation regulations, aimed at truth in advertising, require airlines to honor any mistake fares offered. (AP)