Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
Possible explanation-
What we saw might have been a "mistake" airfare on Delta that triggered an automatic match through UA computers. Somehow it got in underneath the threshold level that kicks it back for human intervention. As I understand it, DL pulled the "sale" early on, but it took "humans" at UA a bit of time to unravel the damage.
Why would an airline have automated fare-matching mechanisms? Consider it a "doomsday" machine. If DL knows that UA will instantly match whatever they do, it takes the wind of out their sails when they have a sale. It keeps your competitor from doing something to steal your customers because they know you'll instantly react.
Because this was about half normal price for cheap biz fares, not 25% or something completely unbelievable, the computers matched it.
Totally theory based on no facts whatsoever.
Last edited by Mike Jacoubowsky; Apr 2, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Reason: typos