Originally Posted by
rkkwan
That is a good example. But the truth is probably that CO doesn't want your business. Their cost for flying you two legs for SAT-IAH-MFE (and sometimes on a highcost RJ), even at $345, is not profitable for them, considering they are giving you all the perks (FC seat, miles, etc). So, they're telling you, SAT Lawyer, please fly WN non-stop, if they can make money at $289 r/t, as we can't. We'll sell those seats to others, and we're willing to cut capacity and lose market share to WN if we can't sell those seats.
How can this flying not be profitable to CO? I'm buying full coach fares. If they can't make a profit on a full Y fare, then they shouldn't be operating the route at all. Surely serving me a couple of cocktails on some of these flights (not the morning ones, obviously) can't be turning my Y fare purchase into an unprofitable one. And, if the fare needs to be raised to keep CO profitable, CO should do that. Which it has done on this route, in fact. Why would CO want to drive away full-fare business? So it can sell upgradable L fares instead?
I fly CO on full Y fares on business between SAT and IAH. The fare has now been raised to a hefty $394.50 round-trip (versus $263.50 for WN's round-trip Anytime fare between SAT and HOU). Is this fare unprofitable for CO as well when I sit upfront (which, even as a Platinum on a Y fare, is not a guarantee)?
What about the $500-something dollar SAT-SHV (Shrevport) V fare I flew last month where I rode in the back on three of the four segments (one regional jet, one Saab, and one mainline tour of duty behind the curtain)? Not profitable for CO? I could have bought the $200-something T fare instead and probably achieved the same result (except for refundability).
See, the problem is that if I can't net enough elite qualifying miles on my frequent short-haul business travel, I'm never going to make it up with my frequent leisure travel and less frequent medium-haul business travel, so I might as well chose another airline entirely.