USAirways new fare rules - what do you think?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Busdrvr

Veteran
Aug 20, 2002
2,217
0
----------------
On 8/30/2002 7:56:45 PM

Playing follow the leader in this is the worst thing we could have done. I think we would have been better off to wait it out, and steal more of USAIRWAYS customers. As it is ours is being recieved by FT's than yours. Based on what we see on FLYERTALK.
----------------

I don't know Mike, the fare rules have been abused for years. The entire industry needs more revenue. Just like with fares, if someone doesn't follow, the rule changes collapse.
 
Playing follow the leader in this is the worst thing we could have done. I think we would have been better off to wait it out, and steal more of USAIRWAYS customers. As it is ours is being recieved by FT's than yours. Based on what we see on FLYERTALK.
 
I think they perception is that they don't have pricing power currently on fares. They are getting the cash whereever possible. Once the fares start to come back up, and they will, the stricter rules will still be in effect
 
As a loyal AA Platinum Customer I am offended. Just one more anti-customer action now taken by AA. I actually expected UAL or someone else to match U first in this poorly thought out deal. Now, I can see some of this for the ultra-cheap "Web Specials" to fill seats at the last moment. However, I do hope some of this nonsense does not apply to the regular web-fares offered when I book online.

The airline industry management must have had a collective brain fart. They need to figuring out ways to make travel easier so that more of us buy those tickets more often.

I guarantee you, if it was not for additional responsibilities in my work I would not put up with the BS at the airport and I would be on AA planes as well as others less often.

If those of us in other industries tried a stunt like this our customers would inform us to take a long walk from a short pier!
 
I can't see why these changes raised such a ruckus other than maybe customers have gotten a little spoiled! U is finally taking some steps to become more WN like and they are being crusified!
 
I agree, in the case of same-day standby, WN and US are approximately the same. But everything else is now worse on US than WN, except for seat assignments. I like getting a seat assignment at the time of booking, but I'm not willing to pay lots of money for it.
 
Yes, although WN absolutely DOES make you pay the difference from your discounted advance-purchase fare to the full walkup fare. No standby, just pay up. So the recent rule changes aren't really as Draconian as you'd think.
 
Hell boys, you've got JS looking at SWA as an alternative. You know this is a bad deal when that happens.

What SWA does.

1. Offers a nonrefundable ticket
2. To stand by for another flight, you pay full fare
3. Full fare will never be more than $299
4. If your plans change, 100% of your remaining ticket is applied toward another fare.

What U and the others have done

1. Offers a nonrefundable ticket
2. To stand by for another flight will cost you $100
3. Full fare will rarely be LESS than $299
4. If your plans change and you notify them, all but $100 of your fare will be applied toward another ticket. If your plans change midstream and you can't call the airline - you lose. Gotta buy a full fare ticket. Nothing is applied toward another one.

You want to dictate to business what they "should" pay. Everybody talks about the "premium" business passenger, but they are discovering that the "premium" business passenger is buying non refundable tickets, and hasn't shown any inclination to pay over a thousand bucks to fly from St. Louis to Dallas. Tell a company that is losing money and looking to cut costs that they now have ZERO flexibility on their airfare dollars, and they might just find it worthwhile to find alternatives - from videoconferences to chartering a Learjet. After all, why fly to Denver via Dallas when your actual destination is Vail? Make it difficult for business to do business and you might have just priced yourselves out of a client.
 
----------------
Originally posted by AAmech:

I can't see why these changes raised such a ruckus other than maybe customers have gotten a little spoiled! U is finally taking some steps to become more WN like and they are being crusified!
----------------

WN doesn't have a change fee, WN doesn't rip up your ticket if you miss the flight, and WN doesn't charge an arm and a leg for a walk-up fare. US being *less* like WN.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.