Revenue Enhancement Suggestion

[TomBascom]

On the web page where it offers alternative flights (the ones that are supposedly cheaper than the selected flights) how about a button for show me some unrestricted alternatives
There are plenty of times when I''d take a more expensive unrestricted alternative if it were a) offered and B) reasonably priced.
The effort involved in researching both options means that I rarely even look. And when I do I usually run gibbering from the room but every now and then I''m pleasantly surprised to find something rational in the system. Gently offering such alternatives rather than hiding them would improve the chances of selling them.
I''d imagine that something could be done to make it easy for reservations to make a similar offer in phone sales situations too.

 

[tadjr]

I was searching the website last night to get the PBI-TPA flight and it brought up our 1 nonstop flight, then started listing connections. Does anyone in management even look at this? Why in the world are we paying (and you know we are) to list a connection PBI-MCO-MIA-TPA? It was something like CO/DL/US and I didnt even bother to price it out. This is a waste of resources and space on the system. These are the little things that also make us appear to be incompetent in some regards. If anyone were to actually buy this type of flight, they would need to have their heads examined. Why are we wasting our passengers time and company money (via website space/time) to show this? I know as one entry it might not be a lot, but figure how many markets this type of nonsense appears in times how many people search a day and it everntually has to add up somewhere.

 

[KCFlyer]

Tom...I've tried some of those options. CLT-MCI came back with CLT-GSO-BWI-MCI routing, with the return an MCI=PIT-GSO-CLT. Total fare was $200 less than the nonstop, but was nothing to write home about...$800. And it had all the restrictions (use it or lose it, $100 change fee, etc).

 

[jcrb]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 11/7/2002 6:36:41 PM ClueByFour wrote:
A few times this year, I've flown PIT-CLT-SFO instead of PIT-SFO due to this consideration.
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[/blockquote]

dito, I've flown BOS-PHL-PIT when BOS-PIT was available, in that case I think they were almost the same price, but happened to want the extra segments/miles. Same goes with BOS-LGA-DCA instead of BOS-DCA.

 

[ClueByFour]

You would buy/fly a routing like that if the nonstop or one stop was out of the fare basis you want. A few times this year, I've flown PIT-CLT-SFO instead of PIT-SFO due to this consideration. In at least one instance, it was a $300 difference. When I'm flying for leisure, I can stand a swing thru CLT for a drink/smoke/connection for $300.

 

[KCFlyer]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 11/7/2002 7:02:14 PM jcrb wrote:
[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 11/7/2002 6:36:41 PM ClueByFour wrote: [BR]A few times this year, I've flown PIT-CLT-SFO instead of PIT-SFO due to this consideration. [BR]----------------[BR][/BLOCKQUOTE][BR][BR]dito, I've flown BOS-PHL-PIT when BOS-PIT was available, in that case I think they were almost the same price, but happened to want the extra segments/miles. Same goes with BOS-LGA-DCA instead of BOS-DCA.
[P][/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]Okay, but please explain who in their right mind would fly CLT-GSO-BWI-MCI, taking 12 hours to save $200 over the nonstop. Y'all look kind of foolish offering that as a lower cost alternative.

 

[TomBascom]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 11/7/2002 140 PM KCFlyer wrote:

Tom...I've tried some of those options. CLT-MCI came back with CLT-GSO-BWI-MCI routing, with the return an MCI=PIT-GSO-CLT. Total fare was $200 less than the nonstop, but was nothing to write home about...$800. And it had all the restrictions (use it or lose it, $100 change fee, etc).
----------------
[/blockquote]

It's rare but once in a while you'll find a reasonable unrestricted fare. Usually in competitive markets.

I don't look all that often because, as you've noticed, it's generally pointless. And it takes a lot of effort.

But if it were easy I'd check a lot more often. And if the fare differential wasn't ridiculous I'd buy them more often.

As for the funky routings -- those are a mileage runner's dream If you really want to get into it you can have even more fun using the multi-city option... all you need is more time and money than sense. Another reason to take them is aircraft type -- I'll go out of my way to be on an Airbus (for the laptop power and general ambiance.)

 

[REACC1]

Quote Okay, but please explain who in their right mind would fly CLT-GSO-BWI-MCI, taking 12 hours to save $200 over the nonstop. Y'all look kind of foolish offering that as a lower cost alternative.

Isn't this a fun fare?