What to do? What to do?

[Stephen]

Re: Re: Re: What to do? What to do?

I believe that you took the original post out of context. If you continued reading, it said

"UAL announced that they lost $382,000,000 in January. (Let's see....I believe [if pilot wages were reduced to 125,000] that would still leave $257,000,000 in the RED)"

You're absolutely right. My "correction" improves his argument. My point was that a lot of folks think that every airline pilot makes $300,000/year and works 10 days per month. Don't we wish.

 

[Indapool]

My experience has been that SWA and Jet Blue are the most expensive unless you are bying a last minute walkup ticket.

BUllsh!t meter is at full scale deflection on that one

 

[bigD]

Well actually, that's very true for some routes, or maybe some parts of the year. I fly home (to LAX, BUR, etc.. from AUS) twice a year. I always plan the trips ahead, so I take advantage of the lower fares 21 days out. My tickets are the non-refundable type, and my trip usually leaves Austin on a Wednesday or Thursday, and gets back Sunday night. I've been doing this for 6 years now.

Not once has SWA quoted me the lowest fare. I find myself on Delta, America West, United, and American. My fares tend to be in the upper 100's or lower 200's for a round trip ticket. Every once in awhile it'll be $279 or something like that. But not once has SWA given me the lowest fare.

Obviously this doesn't at all indicate some kind of trend, but for me personally, I find myself flying someone other than SWA for cost reasons.

 

[Indapool]

hypothetical trip

Depart AUS 4\5
Arrive LAX 4\5

Depart LAX 4\12
Arrive AUS 4\12

SWA..promotional fare= $117-$136
Discount fare= $169
Advance purchase= $190
Restricted fare= $232
Refundable anytime=$261

Orbitz...AA= $251
DTA\AWA=$253
NWA= $276
UAL= $294
Frontier= $315
etc,etc....

Not trying to beat a dead horse or sound like TOO much of a fanboy here You guys may be on to something I'm not.
Either way it's a great time to be paying to be in the back of the bus, and a lousy time to be driving it

 

[Snakum]

Just my .02 ...

I too, can get a NON-STOP AA flight from CLT to SFO for much less than a one-stop SWA from RDU to OAK. I was suprised, too.

I, too, wonder how AA can make money at less than $300 RT.

Minh

 

[getonit]

For all of those guys wondering how they make money RT at 200-300 dollars. THEY DON'T and they won't until they get their costs in line. They are selling the seats cheap because they need the cash flow. I have forgotten all of the accounting/economics (has to do with fixed and variable costs over the short and long run) but it would cost them too much to just quit flying the routes so therfore they sell the cheap seats and hope they can ride out the economy or go file bankruptcy.

 

[LearLove]

Darginass - that about sums it up

"Actually it's probably just the stupid, inane, and deliberately incomprehensible pricing policy in the airline industry these days. If you can find anybody that understands it, let us know."


I can't understand how I can go online and get 4 diff. $$ quotes in 5 minutes for the same flight on the same airline on the same web site.

 

[Stephen]

I , too, wonder how AA can make money at less than $300 RT.

By using this old financial maxim:

"We lose money on every seat, but we make it up in volume."

 

[Kream926]

let me see here
im wondering why i cant find a ticket round trip from tul to buf for less than 370. i flew home for christmas for 250 but because i left christmas day and back on new years. im not planning this untill may but..im wondering will waiting untill about 2-3 weeks prior lower airfare??
and why does SWA have service in tul and buf, but if you try to go through their web site, its tells you there is no flights? im not trying to go direct.............