Originally Posted by
trekwars2000
I agree it isn't a waste if you can get your transcons for less than $400. Us business travelers are still paying upways of $500 for thoe sflights.
For reference I booked LAS-SMF for myself for $375 and a coworker for $455 and then a LAS-ORF trip today for $698. Yet I still find my weekend personally flights under $300. I dunno what is going on.
I
wish I could get my weekend personal transcon flights for less than $400 right now. Heck, I wish I could get it for under $500 or even under $600. Unfortunately, UA is well aware of the pricing power it has on the IAD-SEA nonstop. It's occasionally dropped down because of brief fare sales, but it's been pretty consistently all-in at $640 to $655 all year, including now.
I'd even consider using miles for some of it, but with the DEQM promotions I'll make 1K for the first time, but only by paying for the flights.
Compared to all those people paying $280 for p.s. on JFK-LAX, I'm sure I'm far more profitable. I'm sure I'm more profitable than many 1Ks who regularly take JFK-LAX and other transcons with actual competition regularly; I may even spend more than quite a few this year. But, I don't have alternatives, so UA's going to charge what they can.