Weekend "Specials"

Anybody catch this morning's e-mail with next weekends "specials?"..these are just awful. My favorite is the $174 EACH WAY (why are they doing it that way now?) to TUS from PHX.

Who in their right mind would book that? This is kind of embarrasing. I've been tracking these for a while now and there is never anything special about these specials. Bad, bad, bad!

Just my 2 cents...

Mark

The specials used to be good deals. In the "good old days," I enjoyed several weekends away thanks to the specials.

I agree. It has been a long time since there was anything even close to a good deal. Why bother? I too think it is embarrasing.

Some are special to you, the consumer, in that you can fly to Idaho for eighty-five bucks. Others are special to HP in that they allow them to relieve you for 350 bucks to go to Tuscon. Enough of those specials and HP will maintain profitability into the USEra.

The weekend specials are bad mainly because they are Saturday departures with returns on Monday. Works real well for the 80% of the population that works 8-5 Monday through Friday. Right.

In Phoenix AmWest has run On Air Fares on television which is really cool, but again has stringent travel date requirements.

Agree with previous poster they no longer have good deals and it has been a couple of years now they just are laughable.

I don't think my home airport has had any fare sales in the last 5-6 months period. I should have grabbed that $98 each way fare to BWI back then.

I don't know if they're even doing these any more, but they used to be the same as the weekend web fares, just called "On Air Fares" because they were on one of the local cable TV channels. Like the web specials, they were out Saturday, back Monday or Tuesday.

Folks, the reality of these specials is that they used to do this to fill up half-empty planes. How long has it been since you've been on one of those? They're packing them in 7 days a week these days, so there's no flights available for fire sale any more.

I suppose it is remotely possible that you would have to fly last minute between two of the sale cities and find these deals to be better than the normal full-fare ticket you'd otherwise have to buy, but short of that, they're of little value. They're certainly not likely to spur someone into a last minute trip they'd otherwise probably not be taking, which was the original intent.

$325 would get you a rental car for the ride on I-10, a night at a hotel, a round of golf and a 12-pack .... or 1 middle seat w/soft drink.

This beauty, plus all the other mistakes chronicled in these threads, is proof that executives managing the site should be punished by eating the chicken peene & bread hammer at every meal for 2 weeks straight.

Well they are showing $709 on travelocity. You can, however get the flights plus 2 nights for $241 (but probably no miles)

The fares have gone up in general. This is good however, they have been too low for too long. I'm glad airlines have FINALLY agreed on this.

We don't have that many people that fly just from TUS to PHX. We do see some however, I just sold a ticket to a woman...one way was just over $200. She didn't even flinch when I told her the price.

For a while a few years ago, you could buy a ticket to PHX for about $60. They really want connecting traffic more than O&D on these flights. It would be nice to allow say AZ residents to buy discounted tickets for commuter travel. That would be pretty cool. The I-10 is a pain sometimes....and of course flying is more fun! Too bad we don't have HP planes anymore...the YV flights run late a lot.

I think it's wacky that they send out the emails on Wednesday AND Friday and they are the same email! Just send it out on Wednesdays!

At least the variety of cities from BUR and LAX have varied, the weekend fares on UA recently have been to places like Yuma, or Santa Maria. I'd venture to guess that's because it's summertime. Come fall I'd bet there'd be better city choices on all carriers weekend specials <fingers crossed>.

What's next, Tucson?

Oh heaven's no! The Tucson sale price is twice that much. (See post #4 above.)

Flagstaff to PHX is back again at $174 each way plus taxes. I can't wait to see if US tries to charge the same for PHL-DCA