Originally Posted by dll

OK, this is not the best deal in the world, admittedly, but the flights actually work for a trip I'm planning.

This is the fare I see filed:
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 DFFWSC D‡O 2287.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - AT01
PASSENGER TYPE-ADT AUTO PRICE-YES
FROM-SEZ TO-HNL CXR-DL TVL-01JAN14 RULE-WBFF IPRA/1
FARE BASIS-DFFWSC NORMAL FARE DIS-N VENDOR-ATP
FARE TYPE-BU OW-BUSINESS CLASS UNRESTRICTED
SCR 27028 MPM E07JAN12 D-INFINITY FC-DFFWSC FN-
SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 06JAN12/1637 EXPIRES INFINITY

PUBLISHED RTG SEZ-HNL/DL EF-07JAN12 DIS-INDEF

/VIA THE ATLANTIC/ MPM 15027
MILEAGE SYSTEM APPLIES BETWEEN ORIGIN AND DESTINATION
MILEAGE SYSTEM APPLIES ORIGIN TO DESTINATION

I am able to confirm the higher priced sister of this fare, CFFWSC (about 3100 USD plus taxes/fees), using a combination of Etihad and DL flights (DL required for transatlantic) portion. Fare prices all the way to HNL with a mix of carriers on the SEZ-Europe and US-HNL portions, and DL flights over the water (including AF codeshares). Despite there being availability on all of the flights I've looked at in the necessary booking classes, I cannot get this DFFWSC fare to price out. It does allow generous stopovers, meaning for me it works out as a SEZ-West Coast flight, then later on a West Coast-HNL flight. For the price, for my needs, not a bad deal.

Wondering if it's a ghost/phantom fare, but then why would the CFFWSC fare price out? It uses the same inventory on the Etihad flights (J) which is plentiful; it's the inventory on the Delta-operated flights that seems to price out only using the C fare basis versus the D code. D is widely available on all of the dates I've looked at. The MPM, routing rules and fare rules for both the CFFWSC and DFFWSC are identical, with the exception of the booking class (D vs C).

Can anyone help?