LMU (Last Minute Upgrades) fare discussion & questions
Jul 13, 2015, 9:17 pm
#31
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The reason I say this is that I recall seeing on the AC website that businesses get 5% off flex bookings by default, so I assume that bigger ones negotiate bigger discounts?
Jul 13, 2015, 9:22 pm
#32
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Don't all businesses that have a somewhat significant relationship with AC auto-book to flex?
The reason I say this is that I recall seeing on the AC website that businesses get 5% off flex bookings by default, so I assume that bigger ones negotiate bigger discounts?
The reason I say this is that I recall seeing on the AC website that businesses get 5% off flex bookings by default, so I assume that bigger ones negotiate bigger discounts?
Now, they don't auto book into flex. It's always lowest fare on the corporate tool. Each business would set what fare class the employees book in. Some companies have a strict Tango policy. Some have a lowest Flex policy etc.
But what does this have to do with LMU's?
Jul 13, 2015, 9:31 pm
#33
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Your posts always make me think. Thanks for the clarification and for the post.
I completely agree that the # of people buying these fares are minute. Same reason above, and add onto that even people who are passionate about this airline and come on FT to discuss it, even we find that the pricing is insane. Based on random tidbits here and there about people's professions, I'd also probably guess that the the average income of those on this board is higher than the average in Canada. And even we constantly make the comments that the pricing is insane.
Anyways, the reason I bring this up is the same reason why I originally proposed we split this thread from the other one. - which is to find what IS the target market. (I should have been more clear on this).
It seems like *almost everywhere we read on this thread indicates that the market is non existent or very small.
Yet, (going on a limb here), AC IT probably invested a lot of $ to allow for this to happen. Ben has publicly said on here that the smallest change costs a tremendous amount of money.
So who are buying these things then? There have been very few ideas on this thread, I'm wondering if there are any more.
It just makes no rational sense to me.
The only one that I have thought of recently is that IF I flew once or twice a year, I'd buy a Tango fare and hope for a LMU (and since pod/non pod LMU's on this route are basically the same) at about $650, I'd do it.
But surely, if the average leisure flier is SO darn concerned about costs (as evidence by the 777HD, Rouge, etc etc), then again, the market is so small. But I'm flat out of other ideas now.
I completely agree that the # of people buying these fares are minute. Same reason above, and add onto that even people who are passionate about this airline and come on FT to discuss it, even we find that the pricing is insane. Based on random tidbits here and there about people's professions, I'd also probably guess that the the average income of those on this board is higher than the average in Canada. And even we constantly make the comments that the pricing is insane.
Anyways, the reason I bring this up is the same reason why I originally proposed we split this thread from the other one. - which is to find what IS the target market. (I should have been more clear on this).
It seems like *almost everywhere we read on this thread indicates that the market is non existent or very small.
Yet, (going on a limb here), AC IT probably invested a lot of $ to allow for this to happen. Ben has publicly said on here that the smallest change costs a tremendous amount of money.
So who are buying these things then? There have been very few ideas on this thread, I'm wondering if there are any more.
It just makes no rational sense to me.
The only one that I have thought of recently is that IF I flew once or twice a year, I'd buy a Tango fare and hope for a LMU (and since pod/non pod LMU's on this route are basically the same) at about $650, I'd do it.
But surely, if the average leisure flier is SO darn concerned about costs (as evidence by the 777HD, Rouge, etc etc), then again, the market is so small. But I'm flat out of other ideas now.
Sometimes. I've bought LMUs for the past two years or so on select occasions. I usually travel YYC-YHZ so it can make for a long day. I tend to buy Tango fares early then I wait to check-in as soon as possible to see what the LMU is. Whether I take it or not depends on a lot of factors for me. I had a couple of weekend trips to YHZ last year and I felt that I did not want to be cramped and uncomfortable for 6 hours for such a short trip so I bought them then. Another time was for a special trip to Asia. I am not an infrequent traveller but I'm never going to reach any status level that allows me the opportunity for e-ups and all that fun stuff. So if I want to sit there I've got to pay somehow and luckily in the past couple of years it has been possible to do so.
I would have to guess LMU buyers are either people like me who travel a few times a year but never have status or it's people who are on a special trip and want to round it out with a J seat.
Jul 13, 2015, 9:40 pm
#34
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Hi. I do. Sometimes. I've bought LMUs for the past two years or so on select occasions. I usually travel YYC-YHZ so it can make for a long day. I tend to buy Tango fares early then I wait to check-in as soon as possible to see what the LMU is. Whether I take it or not depends on a lot of factors for me. I had a couple of weekend trips to YHZ last year and I felt that I did not want to be cramped and uncomfortable for 6 hours for such a short trip so I bought them then. Another time was for a special trip to Asia.
I am not an infrequent traveller but I'm never going to reach any status level that allows me the opportunity for e-ups and all that fun stuff. So if I want to sit there I've got to pay somehow and luckily in the past couple of years it has been possible to do so.
I would have to guess LMU buyers are either people like me who travel a few times a year but never have status or it's people who are on a special trip and want to round it out with a J seat.
Sometimes. I've bought LMUs for the past two years or so on select occasions. I usually travel YYC-YHZ so it can make for a long day. I tend to buy Tango fares early then I wait to check-in as soon as possible to see what the LMU is. Whether I take it or not depends on a lot of factors for me. I had a couple of weekend trips to YHZ last year and I felt that I did not want to be cramped and uncomfortable for 6 hours for such a short trip so I bought them then. Another time was for a special trip to Asia. I am not an infrequent traveller but I'm never going to reach any status level that allows me the opportunity for e-ups and all that fun stuff. So if I want to sit there I've got to pay somehow and luckily in the past couple of years it has been possible to do so.
I would have to guess LMU buyers are either people like me who travel a few times a year but never have status or it's people who are on a special trip and want to round it out with a J seat.
Thank you VERY much for sharing!! I think this actually makes my day So if I may ask, what's a $/hour LMU that you generally accept? Perhaps that may explain why we see the LMU fares prices the way they are!
Jul 13, 2015, 9:55 pm
#35
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A few people have mentioned the $100/hr on here and I pretty much go with that number. The flight also has to be long enough that's it's worth spending any money on. So I'm fine in the back for YYC-YVR.
I just flew YYC-YHZ and back and on my way there (YYC-YHZ) the difference between lowest J and the fare I paid was pretty much what was offered for the LMU.
Jul 14, 2015, 12:39 am
#36
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Now I'm getting w.t.f. ridiculous cr@p like $799.99 for a SFO-YYZ redeye, despite already paying $800 for a r/t G flex fare
Jul 14, 2015, 1:32 am
#37
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I miss the good ol' days when LMUs were first offered. I'm too lazy to dig through my responses in the "post your LMU" thread, but I did pay for a SFO-YYZ and a YYZ-SEA before, around $60/hr or so? (on a reasonable ~$580 r/t T+ S fare)
Now I'm getting w.t.f. ridiculous cr@p like $799.99 for a SFO-YYZ redeye, despite already paying $800 for a r/t G flex fare
Now I'm getting w.t.f. ridiculous cr@p like $799.99 for a SFO-YYZ redeye, despite already paying $800 for a r/t G flex fare
The cabin was pretty empty though.
It was a Friday noon-ish flight, delayed two hours (I was glad I had bought the LMU, which included lounge access
).Ever since then, it's all J, all the time
But even a P fare YYZ-SFO, purchased 30 days out, is going to cost around 800+(800/2), no? I don't think the goal is to get you in J cheaply.
But I bet that G fare was still $800 round trip at T-15, where a cheap J fare would have been MUCH more than 1200.
Jul 14, 2015, 9:04 am
#38
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I miss the good old days of $100 an hour or so.
Unlike Radnub I don't see those prices any more. Sigh.
I'd pay them. I just am not able to because of AC
Unlike Radnub I don't see those prices any more. Sigh.
I'd pay them. I just am not able to because of AC
Jul 15, 2015, 4:52 pm
#39
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Maybe it's just my anecdotal LMUs but I've found that it's almost always worth it to just buy the J (especially in Z) in the first place. You get all the extra stuff that comes with a J purchase, plus then there's no guessing. The only way I'm buying an LMU is when the price knocks my socks off. Got offered DFW-MEX for $110USD on AA, I have no status with AA, I was going to be in DFW for 6+ hours so I had already bought a 1 day pass for $50 (which I've now saved for another occasion) so I got lounge access, a meal, onboard booze, first access to MEX customs (which for me is great, cuz that customs hall SUUUUUUUCKS), short flight, short flight price. No AVOD which was disappointing but everything else was well worth the price, this was also from the cheapest fare bucket. $270 YVR-YYC from a flex ticket...no thanks.
CM offers the auctions and I'll put in a bid, if I get it, cool, if not, no biggie. But at least you get to set your price, plus I've just found out that (at least last time) my CM flight got "rebooked" I guess, credited to my AP account as a C ticket so I got the class of service bonus.
I just can't see any value in the AC LMUs...ever. Maybe it's just been what I've had offered, or maybe I'm just way too cheap, but $500USD BOG-YYZ isn't gonna happen. Could've likely just bought the whole trip YVR-BOG-YVR on UA for $1200-1300 in J to begin with, hell even on AC it's probably only $1600-1800 and that's with lie flats between YVR-YYZ and YYZ-BOG, but an $875 tango ticket, with a $645 LMU (based on current crappy exchange) I just can't justify.
CM offers the auctions and I'll put in a bid, if I get it, cool, if not, no biggie. But at least you get to set your price, plus I've just found out that (at least last time) my CM flight got "rebooked" I guess, credited to my AP account as a C ticket so I got the class of service bonus.
I just can't see any value in the AC LMUs...ever. Maybe it's just been what I've had offered, or maybe I'm just way too cheap, but $500USD BOG-YYZ isn't gonna happen. Could've likely just bought the whole trip YVR-BOG-YVR on UA for $1200-1300 in J to begin with, hell even on AC it's probably only $1600-1800 and that's with lie flats between YVR-YYZ and YYZ-BOG, but an $875 tango ticket, with a $645 LMU (based on current crappy exchange) I just can't justify.
Jul 15, 2015, 9:41 pm
#40
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and buy J. If this was not the case, you'd just roll the dice. I think that's one of AC's many strategies surrounding LMU pricing.
Jul 15, 2015, 9:57 pm
#41
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Wait... I never started this thread!
Jul 15, 2015, 10:01 pm
#42
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It was split by the mods. In case anyone is confused and before anyone goes .... huh?
A few of us were having a discussion in the post your LMU thread, and I made a post about how I will start a new thread b/c we were told NOT to have discussions like this.
But then Nomad (cough, you, Nomad) started asking questions, and I thought they were valid so I started a new thread. But for things to be relevant, the mod moved not my post into a thread and started a new one but yours since your post started upthread including mine. Which is why my original post in this thread is like...wait, what?
So what happened happened. all good
A few of us were having a discussion in the post your LMU thread, and I made a post about how I will start a new thread b/c we were told NOT to have discussions like this.
But then Nomad (cough, you, Nomad) started asking questions, and I thought they were valid so I started a new thread. But for things to be relevant, the mod moved not my post into a thread and started a new one but yours since your post started upthread including mine. Which is why my original post in this thread is like...wait, what?
So what happened happened. all good
Jul 15, 2015, 10:29 pm
#43
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Where I will disagree is on the YYC-HKG route I flew in January. I bought the original ticket during a Christmas sale getting it for a very good price. The LMU I was offered was lower than $100/hr so my one-way fare ended up being below $2000 while the lowest (P?) fare was about $5000 or something silly like that. So sometimes it works out. If YYC-HKG was priced similar to what I just priced out for YYC-BOG in October (~$1800) I would have bought it right then and there.
Those are my only times flying AC this year so my sample size is poor at best! Based on the prices people have posted in the other thread it looks like LMUs are becoming less appealing overall so I'll be either back in Y, in Plus seats on Westjet or flying another airline altogether.
Just to be clear....I don't always buy the LMUs (I'm not that crazy!
).
Aug 29, 2015, 1:42 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2015
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AC LMU
I'm sure there are lots of threads on here regarding LMUs but I had a quick question. When offered a LMU online 24hrs prior to flight will that price go down if I wait until checking in at the airport? I fly frequently YVR>SYD on a tango fare and LMU is always 1500 CAD. Thanks Flyers
Aug 29, 2015, 2:09 am
#45
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I'm sure there are lots of threads on here regarding LMUs but I had a quick question. When offered a LMU online 24hrs prior to flight will that price go down if I wait until checking in at the airport? I fly frequently YVR>SYD on a tango fare and LMU is always 1500 CAD. Thanks Flyers