J&J discontinues negotiated air travel program with US

[JAFA]

Sunday night I was booked on DL MHT-CVG-CAK with a one way fare of 645.00. I don't like flying on two RJs and on DL, SO I looked for other flights. NW left too early, CO was just as bad, and a direct to CLE was sold out (RJ) US had MHT-PHL-CAK on two RJs as well, no better but the fare was $990.00. Explain to me why the value of flying on US through PHL is worth a 35% premimum of DL though CVG. Also the flight had a longer total flight time.

I seriously doubt anyone in The Sandcastle decided that the PHL experience is just so good that it should cost 35% more. As we all know more often than not if you looked at the straight fare display with no accounting for availability most airlines arre going to have similiare fares for each bucket. As such I would guess a more likely scenario is that both US and DL offer both a $645 and a $990 fare for MHT-CAK and that US was sold out of the former while DL was not. Bad for you, but good for both US and DL as US would, if I'm right, have already sold more seats and DL would have sold one more seat.

The thing that is beng skipped in this thread is that when we discuss fares and whether or not this airline or that airline is charging more or less is that unless we are discussing the sraight fare disply without regard to availibility we are NOT comparing apples to apples.

 

[JAXPax]

Feel free to post your positives over on JetBlues board. I am sure they would enjoy it. Or is it just more fun to get vindictive over here with the USAirways employees?

Some seem to need to get a life.

99% of his posts in USAirways forum

No, I still support the employees of US Airways. I don't necessarily support all the actions of the management in making the airline unattractive for me to fly. As you've pointed out before, why pay more for less service and if a customer doesn't feel they are getting the value they want, there's the door. I went out the door.

I was very active in a variety of customer initiatives and groups.... though I feel that some FFOCUS people are a bit misguided and need to get over themselves.

I feel US Airways east has some of the best front liners in the business, with the exception of a few airports like PHL. I still fly US when I must... can't beat nonstops to PHL when I'm headed there... at least until Southwest adds more than two frequencies in the market.

 

[longing4piedmont]

As we all know more often than not if you looked at the straight fare display with no accounting for availability most airlines are going to have similar fares for each bucket. As such I would guess a more likely scenario is that both US and DL offer both a $645 and a $990 fare for MHT-CAK and that US was sold out of the former while DL was not. Bad for you, but good for both US and DL as US would, if I'm right, have already sold more seats and DL would have sold one more seat.

The thing that is being skipped in this thread is that when we discuss fares and whether or not this airline or that airline is charging more or less is that unless we are discussing the straight fare display without regard to availability we are NOT comparing apples to apples.

OK, here goes.

I flew US this week for the first time in a very long time. Due to a situation that has come up, my three day trip has now turned into a five day and I need to fly out of PHL rather than BWI.

Fares this morning for a one way on US, PHL - CLT was around $787 on Friday. The fares buckets are as follows...

F3 P2 A1 Y7 B7 M7 Q7 H7 V7 K7 L7 W7 S7 T7 N0

Plenty of seats, agreed?

Fare on Airtrain leaving the same time, connecting in ATL....$229 and F was $360.

Wanna guess which flight I booked? Let me give you a clue....

So far this week, I have flown on a dirty 737 that had what appeared to be vomit on the carpet in front of my seat and seats that had not been cleaned in lord knows how long. Had to call res to see if I could take a later flight today and spoke with not one but two res agents on the supposed PLT line that I swear must have started yesterday. Simply was stunned at how incompetent they were. Then there was the barbie jet ride with a F/A that was trying out her best WN routine, which was both not funny and unprofessional, all with the FAA in the cockpit doing a check ride.

Let's just say that after 18 months of being away things are worse now than they were 18 months ago. My hats off to J&J for making the call........

Edited to add: Oh yeah forgot to add that the "facilities" were out of service on the Barbie Jet. How come you can never find a good "Lavman" when you need one. 😀

 

[USFlyer]

I think it's more that thay just don't like you.

Yup.

 

[Singleflyer]

The thing that is beng skipped in this thread is that when we discuss fares and whether or not this airline or that airline is charging more or less is that unless we are discussing the sraight fare disply without regard to availibility we are NOT comparing apples to apples.

Both airline fare I was discussing were Y fares. And my math was wrong US was charging 50% more than DL. It was $900.00 vs $645 on DL, a 50% increase over DL. I don't know the air milage but that is well over $1.00 per mile for that flight.

 

[US1YFARE]

It was $900.00 vs $645 on DL, a 50% increase over DL. I don't know the air milage but that is well over $1.00 per mile for that flight.

But, they are the largest low fare carrier? Hmmmmmmm......how can that be? False advertising?

(And don't tell me they are low cost only, because there is a big a$$ sign in PHL that brags about being LOW FARE)

Also, everyone's loads are heavy these days, so unless you are booking well in advance it is comparing apples to apples.

 

[whlinder]

Manchester, NH to Akron/Canton, OH July 13
Airline One Way Fare Code View Rules
US Airways USD 302.00+ MA7N1


US Airways USD 416.00+ BA0N1


Delta Air Lines USD 420.50+ H0NBV


Delta Air Lines USD 473.50+ B3NBV


Delta Air Lines USD 662.50+ Y0BV


US Airways USD 674.00+ B6


Delta Air Lines USD 713.50+ YUPBV


US Airways USD 719.00+ YA0UPN


US Airways USD 759.00+ Y6


Delta Air Lines USD 763.50+ F0BV


US Airways USD 809.00+ F6


Delta Air Lines USD 902.00+ Y


Delta Air Lines USD 980.00+ C


Delta Air Lines USD 1224.00+ F

FWIW. From Travelocity. One-way fares only.

 

[Singleflyer]

Whlinder

I don't understand the codes yopu listed but on the US web page for a 5:35 PM departure on the 13th the fare is $988.00 the same it was on Sat for a sunday PM departure. There were cheaper fares earlier in the day. But I like to leave as late as possible. $988.00 is still alot of mony for a 700 mile flight and that is the point.

If you are paying mor than a doillar a mile and break even is $0.2o per mile you expect something for paying five times as much as break even. That is my point, and I am sure J & J as well.

Especiually since this is on two RJs.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

I guess JnJ is gonna wash this airline right out of their hair.

Now US1Fare...c'mon. You've been posting on this board long enough to realize how bad a lot of employees at US Airways have been treated by management over the years. Did you honestly think this would stop with just the employees? Sadly, the "elcheaposlasho virus" has spread to the business traveler as well. Doogie has to get a clue that there is a huge cost to operating on the cheap. Corporate customers leaving should constitute one hell of a b*tch slap. Will Doogie wake up? I doubt it.

Eye

 

[US1YFARE]

Sadly, the "elcheaposlasho virus" has spread to the business traveler as well.
Eye

I'm not sure of the purpose of your post. However, the discounts we are talking about are not as significant as some on here would like to make them out to be.

 

[whlinder]

Whlinder

I don't understand the codes yopu listed but on the US web page for a 5:35 PM departure on the 13th the fare is $988.00 the same it was on Sat for a sunday PM departure. There were cheaper fares earlier in the day. But I like to leave as late as possible. $988.00 is still alot of mony for a 700 mile flight and that is the point.

If you are paying mor than a doillar a mile and break even is $0.2o per mile you expect something for paying five times as much as break even. That is my point, and I am sure J & J as well.

Especiually since this is on two RJs.

(Right now if you check that flight, which I assume you meant 6:35pm departure, it is now $1400. Lol)

Great Circle mapper says MHT-PHL-CVG is 796 miles, and MHT-CLT-CVG is 1072. What US is doing is their fares MHT-CVG do not allow connections in CLT. So for your 6:35pm departure through CLT, you get a MHT-CLT fare AND a CLT-CVG fare. Since right now those are coming up as B fares, so they are a little pricey. If connections were allowed via CLT, I assume the MHT-CVG B fare would apply and the price would be about $700.

This is not so much a "fares are expensive" problem as it is either US decided to prohibit 'backtracking' connections (unless you pay for it!) or pricing doesn't know what they are doing and should be allowing CLT connections on this city pair.

 

[Singleflyer]

(Right now if you check that flight, which I assume you meant 6:35pm departure, it is now $1400. Lol)

Great Circle mapper says MHT-PHL-CVG is 796 miles, and MHT-CLT-CVG is 1072. What US is doing is their fares MHT-CVG do not allow connections in CLT. So for your 6:35pm departure through CLT, you get a MHT-CLT fare AND a CLT-CVG fare. Since right now those are coming up as B fares, so they are a little pricey. If connections were allowed via CLT, I assume the MHT-CVG B fare would apply and the price would be about $700.

This is not so much a "fares are expensive" problem as it is either US decided to prohibit 'backtracking' connections (unless you pay for it!) or pricing doesn't know what they are doing and should be allowing CLT connections on this city pair.

It was a flight through PHL that I was reffering to in my example. I do understand the city pairs.

Another example is for tomorrow SYR-MHT after 4:00. US has several flights in the afternoon and evening either connecting PHL or LGA I have choosen one at 4:45 through LGA for $445.00 plus fees. But the fares range from $274.00 to 659.00 for the same routing depending on time of departure. The flight is on a RJ and a Saab.

CO has a flight about the same time on an RJ and 737 for $278.00, the only problem is the 3 hour layover in EWR. I would have taken the CO flight execpt it gets me home much later on a Friday night.

So the ONLY value for alot more money is getting home 2 1/2 hours earlier. That sad part is this was mainline though PHL in the past.

But why such a range in price for a last minute fare? I think you are right pricing is having some problems.

 

[RICflyer]

It's not just that US is no longer a preferred and required carrier, the employees CANNOT fly US for biz purposes which translates into personal travel particularly for those with status on US. Those J tix to Europe...on UA or DL or AA now.

I just talked to a friend and he says that J&J CAN fly US. He told me that they are not getting a discount now but they can fly US and he just booked a ticket on US.

 

[azjetdude]

I just talked to a friend and he says that J&J CAN fly US. He told me that they are not getting a discount now but they can fly US and he just booked a ticket on US.

Well, that stopped the conversation! Thanks for the clarification!

 

[jimntx]

If J&J's corporate travel department is anything like the one we had at Texaco...

Once an airline is "dropped" as a preferred carrier, the only time an employee will be allowed to book company travel on that airline is when the employee can prove that airline had the lowest available fare for the date of travel.