Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) was selling air tickets at extremely low prices on Thursday between 10AM and noon ET. The Atlanta-based carrier acknowledged that the tickets were being sold with hefty discounts due to a technical glitch. Fares on its own website and other booking channels were displayed incorrectly. Customers who enjoyed the “offer” took it to social media to spread the word.
Delta’s ultra-cheap fares
Some customers booked tickets for as low as $12, and cross-country flights for less than $40. One customers booked a round-trip flight between Cincinnati and Minneapolis for just $25.05, compared to the usual fare of more than $400. Another customer purchased a one-way ticket between Tallahassee and Los Angeles for just $27. Air fares on that route normally go up to several hundred dollars.
Oklahoma-based travel agent Cory Watkins benefited a lot from the steepest bargain he has ever seen. Watkins told Gregory Wallace of CNN that he booked first-class, round trip tickets from Oklahoma City to St. Louis for $12.83. Before Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) fixed the glitches, Watkins had booked 12 flights for himself and his clients for $1,387.38.
Delta to honor incorrect prices
Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) spokesman Trebor Banstetter said in a statement that the technical issues have been fixed. The issue has been resolved now and its website is displaying correct prices. But Banstetter said that some technical problems produced an error and the page wouldn’t load Thursday afternoon when customers tried to search and book tickets. Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) said that it still doesn’t have an estimate of the number of tickets sold at discounted price.
However, Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) has decided to honor any tickets booked at the incorrect price. It may hurt the company’s profits to an extent. In the past, other carriers have also witnessed a similar problem. In September, United Airlines Inc. (NYSE:UAL) reported an error in filing ticket prices to its system. That allowed customers to book tickets for as low as $5.
Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) shares jumped 0.11% to $27.91 in pre-market trading Friday.
