Airlines fight for the bottom of the barrel

[pipejockey]

Another thing that I find difficult to understand is the desire the airlines have to sell all their seats at an extreme loss to anyone and everyone willing to buy 14 days in advance, but then gouge the customer looking to buy less than 7 days in advance. I am talking about roundtrip tickets from just about any point in the US to any other point in the US for less than 200 bucks, then jack it up over 500 if you want to buy a few days in advance. How about finding some middle ground?

 

[scoreboard]

Another thing that I find difficult to understand is the desire the airlines have to sell all their seats at an extreme loss to anyone and everyone willing to buy 14 days in advance, but then gouge the customer looking to buy less than 7 days in advance. I am talking about roundtrip tickets from just about any point in the US to any other point in the US for less than 200 bucks, then jack it up over 500 if you want to buy a few days in advance. How about finding some middle ground?

Your kidding right.. OK your not. Could you buy really good seats to a Stones/Nickel Back/insertfavoritegroup concert the night before or would it be better to buy them three weeks early? Would they cost more the night of or three weeks early?

 

[Anais Nin]

It seems airlines are fighting for the 'steerage class' passenger load
with cut-rate fares. Why is this? Apparently I have little understanding
of the economics and/or politics involved.

It seems strangely devoid of logic to have a plane full of pax paying
<$100 per seat super-saver than to have a half-full plane paying
>$300 per seat. Am I doing the math wrong?

I think it's time for airlines to cater specifically to the business class
and first class passenger. Increase fares to reflect that which will
sustain the airline. These cut-rate fares seem to continuously
go down as airline overhead is on continuous climb-out.

Would it be possible to create an all business class airline? No coach
class seating at all would be available. Fares would have to rise
to meet the need, of course. If people want to visit Grandma in
Florida they'd have to cough up a few more bucks (quite a few more
bucks).

Me? I pay premium to allow more breathing space, especially during
long flights. I only go coach if no other seats are available. I'd
rather part with a few extra bucks and be comfortable throughout
the flight than sit next to super-saver Joe who is still recovering
from last night's binger at South Padre.

I've promised my wife a trip to Hawaii. One caveat; business class or
better all the way or we don't go.

I'm not wealthy... I just am willing to part with the bucks to be
comfortable.

Note - I'm referring to the fares - not the pax with 'bottom of the barrel'

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES!

 

[Otto Coarsen]

How about Indigo? Remember that fiasco? Out of EWR or TEB or something. Did they even ever fly? I think I remember it being E-145s with biz class config.

 

[frog_flyer]

let me recheck your math...
200 passenger plane at max x 100 bucks = 20000 total rev
100 passengers (1/2 cap) x 300 bucks = 30000 total rev

BRILLIANT!!!! why doesnt management know this?!?!?!

 

[Capt1124]

People much smarter than anyone on this board have tried to make money running an airline, and they have pretty much all failed.

 

[CaptainMark]

People much smarter than anyone on this board have tried to make money running an airline, and they have pretty much all failed.

All but Fred and Herb!!!!

 

[pilotyip]

frog many airlines have tried this and what you get is 50 pax X $300 = 15,000 total revenue. The other 150 pax went over to $100 seat airline. Remember as Capt Mark pointed out, Herb sets the low price and makes money. You have to play the Herb game or not make money. Fred makes money with an aviation branch of his trucking company.

 

[Turtlesfly]

All but Fred and Herb!!!!

and you forgot Frank.

 

[AA717driver]

There is a price point beyond which a lot of pax just won't fly.

Joe Sixpack has $150 left over after buying beer and cigs for the old lady. You want to charge him $300. Well, that just means he and Norma Sue will drive to the boat in Evansville rather than fly to Vegas.

Sure, when my company airlines me out to LAX to pick up the plane, I'd LOVE to do it in FC on the NWA non-stop. But for $1,000 less, I can make a one-stop, same plane flight on SWA. Hummm... Which flight is my company going to choose?

Low fares have created a whole lot of pilot jobs. Do you want to return to the days of 5 airlines with 200 planes each just so the airlines can charge a "fair" price and fill them up with nice, wealthy people dressed in suits and ties?

Maybe you'll get a job in one of those airplanes but most likely, you won't.

It's just not as simple as jacking the fares.TC