Originally Posted by
hockeyinsider
Consider this:
Between October 30, when the A350 launches and the end of 2017, the cheapest business-class ticket from MDW, ORD or DTW to NRT that I could find using the calendar mode on Google Flights was $5,487.
The cheapest premium-economy ticket, again for the same cities and same dates using the same method searching, was $2,087.
The cheapest economy-class ticket, again for the same cities and same dates using the same method searching, was $1,157.
If you can't afford business-class and don't think you'll like premium-economy, you could buy an entire row of three seats on the A350 (the layout is 3x3x3 in economy-class) for $3,471. That may sound crazy, but you would have poor man's business-class. While you wouldn't receive the added amenities of premium-economy -- some might call those amenities lipstick on a pig -- you would probably sleep much, much better, especially if you brought aboard a good pillow and blanket.
Airlines have realized that its not good business to be selling flights too cheap too early, since every discount seat sold is one less seat that could be sold to a last minute traveler who is willing to pay big money to get where they need to go. It has become engrained in people's minds that the earlier they buy the ticket, the cheaper it will be, but this is no longer true. More and more, the cheapest fares on routes I fly frequently are only two weeks in advance of the flight. DL is just throwing some numbers out there to see if people will bite to have the privilege of being some of the first to experience the A350. You won't get a true idea of the pricing until at least later in the year and possibly after they have been in service for a few months. I would expect prices to come down considerably, considering I just paid $2K for a J ticket on DL and prices in PE on Virgin Atlantic can be had for <$1K if you time it right.
The international C+ product wasn't very good, so I would have a hard time saying its a devaluation. Personally, as someone who is willing to pay for J on my own dime, I like having a mid-priced option if J prices are outrageous so I don't have to fly in steerage
.